EDUC 3610

This week’s project is on audio and visual aides used on lessons. My idea is to use the website Sketch Cast to make an animated video about 30-60-90 right triangles and the three main trigonometry functions: sine, cosine, and tangent. I will also incorporate my own verbal directions into the mini video in order for my students to use this as an example for other problems. I think this is a great idea because now my students will be able to use this mini video when they are at home and need a reminder of what these functions represent.

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I’m a little behind on posts right now. I have been thinking about all the different kinds of technology available to teachers out there and it is definitely intimidating and overwhelming. After sitting through the technology forum a few weeks ago, I feel as though I need to expand my knowledge for technology in the classroom. I visited the Twitter website once or twice but I’m not sure I understand the point of it. The teachers that spoke to us seemed very confident with their methods in the classroom and I hope that I, too, will be that experienced someday. It is an everchanging world so I will have to keep updated as much as possible!

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Today I attending the technology forum/discussion on campus and learned SO much! I really appreciated hearing feedback from current teachers. What I found most interesting (and a little bit scary!) is when the 8th grade math teacher (who was in her first year) said that she was put in charge of teacher the entire staff about technology. This makes me feel as though I really do need to stay on top of current technology for the classroom even after this class is over. I did like some other the teachers’ method which they described to us, including a mass email sent to the student’s parent’guardian daily as to inform them of their child’s assignments for the evening. I was also exposed to the website Twitter for the first time, and I plan on exploring more of that on my own. After this meeting, I feel as though I benefited a lot from it and now can blend some of those teachers’ ideas and with my own desires to make my own personal system in my classroom.

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Last week, our class visited a technology center off campus to learn how to use SMARTboards. I have never used one before so I was anxious to learn more about them. I was able to find a pre-made lesson online relating to my subject (math-geometry) and add different elements to it where I felt it was needed. I was then able to try our my presentation on the SMARTboard for the first time. It was easier to use than I had originally thought! The calibration of the screen was very accurate and the entire screen was touch-based. I was even able to make changes to my presentation on the screen instead of unplugging my hard drive and doing it on the computer. I am looking forward to presenting my lesson after spring break to everyone!

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Last Thursday, I had the opportunity to observe an 8th grade math class at Belhaven Avenue Middle School in Linwood. I was excited about taking this trip, because I have been curious how math teachers incorporated technology in their classrooms. Once we arrived, we were invited to take a seat at a group of desks with our own calculator. The teacher explained that the calculators were interactive in that we could type in our answers and it would be received at the main screen in the front of the classroom. The overall class answers were displayed on a projection screen and visable for the entire class. I thought this was so cool! The teacher explained this type of exercise was great because it got all students to participate even if they wouldn’t usually raise their hand. After participating in this exercise for the class period, my peers and I were able to talk to the teacher without other students around. This is when he was able to show us different uses of this calculator system. He explained that the screen at the front of the room was touch-based and could be annotated on by using markers and different pointers. It was excellent because all scratch work and practice problems would automatically save on the computer. Therefore, it would be easy to pull up old problems as examples without having to rewrite or remember how a particular problem was solved.

I definitely benefited from this trip. After seeing a real math class incorparate new technology I have never seen before, I was able to grasp an idea of how I could use technology in the classroom. I liked the system we witnessed but I now realize there could be many other possibilities if I open my mind to new ideas and try new things.

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Hello, class!

Here is your assignment due next Monday, February 23rd:

P 127 #’s 4a, 5cd, 6abc, 7 (all), 10ab, 12, 14, 17

In addition to these problems, I would also like you all to attempt to solve the following proof:

Given: B is between A and C; D is between C and E; and C is the midpoint of line BD and of line AE

Prove: line AB is congruent to line DE

Picture:

<–A—B—C—D—E–>

Feel free to post any questions you have about any of the problems, and I will post back with some helpful hints as often as possible.

Have a great weekend!

Ms. Rynk

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Hello class,

I am not feeling very well tonight and will not be in school tomorrow. Therefore, you will have a substitute in class tomorrow. I expect you all to behave and treat him/her with respect. Also, there will be an assignment left for you (it will be a few problems from our blue book). Whether you are finished or not, please hand in what you were able to complete in the given time at the end of the period. See you next week!

Ms. Rynk

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In class today, i forgot to pass out an important visual aide to assist you in completing your assignment. Please use the following graph for numbers 6-10 of your homework:

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I have researched some uses of blogs in the mathematics field, and I found many creative ideas. One in particular that I will talk about today are challenge problems which I as the teacher can post for my students on a regular basis. I could set this up in the following way:

1. Post a problem.
2. Ask question(s).
3. Have students answer question(s) mathematically by clicking on the comment link at the end of this post.
4. Require students to explain their work in words.

The following is an example problem which I found from EdHelper.com under High School Geometry (Angles):

1.	The measurement of what angle is equivalent to the mBAC + mCAD?Post your answers in the comment section below. Also, explain your answer in a couple of sentences as to why you believe your answer is correct.

Students could then reply with their answers as well as explan their reasoning in words. This allows students to actively participate (especially for those who are more reserved in the classroom), and access their classmate’s information. Additionally, this could benefit the teacher as well, who can easily view all answers in one spot in a paperless form.

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