Classroom Website

Mrs. Snow's Preschool Website

This is a link to my classroom website. I originally created this website several months ago, with the intention of using it this year. However, with time constraints and changes happening in my building, I did not get the chance to finish it. BUT it's finished now! I have added some extra features and gadgets to update it. My website is designed for parents to keep up to date on current events, homework, and classroom information. I also included a classroom calendar, links for parents and students, as well as a few carefully chosen classroom photos in a Picasa slideshow. I fully intend to use this website next year as a parent resources, so please let me know if you see any problems or errors that need to be fixed! Thanks!

Plants Concept Map

This week I created a concept map on Plants/How Things Grow using bubbl.us. I wanted to do a concept map showing the basic lesson planning elements my co-workers and I would use. The map is split into three sections: Small Group Activities, Large Group Activities, and Center Activities. From there, I went on to add the elements that would be taught in each area. In Preschool, students learn through play, so many of the centers are set up with activities they can investigate on their own and experiment with. Small and large group activities are, for the most part, teacher-led activities, but still hands on and interactive. Many of the ideas on this concept map are very basic so that they are adaptable for a preschool classroom. It would be easy for a upper elementary classroom to do a similar map with more in-depth concepts.

Tux Paint Screencast

For my screencast created with Jing.com, I chose to show a lesson on Tux Paint. Tux Paint is a program for elementary students similar to Kidpix or the standard Paint program on your computer. Although it holds a few more features than Paint, it is very similar to Kidpix, which was popular when I was in middleschool.

My computer does not have a microphone, so my screencast is silent. I will explain a few things about the lesson here. In my lesson, I would encourage students to use the different features of Tux Paint like lines, stamps and paint to create a plant, like a flower, then use the text feature to label the parts of the plant. In my example, I used line to draw the stem of the plant, paint to draw the leaves and roots, then used the stamp feature to place a picture of a flower on the screen. After the parts of the plant were created, I used the text feature to add the labels to the plant. This lesson could be used in a variety of grade levels based on the expectations of the drawing. While my example reflects a lower elementary level, older students could be expected to make more in-depth drawings of the inside of the flower including the stamen, anther, and pistil. Tux Paint allows a fun and creative reinforcement for what could be a boring lesson on plants.

Here is the screencast video:

Google Maps

As an early childhood educator, it took a few minutes for me to snap out of preschool mode (especially since I had just worked on Dr.Seuss lesson plans a few minutes before!) to plan a lesson for older children using Google Maps. Once i got out of the preschool mindset, I started to think about what could have been helpful to me when I was in upper elementary/middle school. I was always interested in Michigan history, so I thought a map related lesson on historical Michigan landmarks. Here is a quick summary of a lesson

For a long term project, students could be given the task of doing a research project on a selected landmark as a small group of 2 or 4 students. The teacher would set up a google map and add pins to locations of approved Michigan historical landmarks for students to choose from. The teacher could add a sample of interesting facts to the pin as well as suggested websites for students to use. This type of resource could cut down on the time it takes to choose and approve topics for the project, and it could be used year after year.

View Michigan Historical Landmarks in a larger map

Grammar Girl to the Rescue!

Visit Grammar Girl at Quick and Dirty Tips

Have no fear, Grammar Girl is here! I was first introduced to Grammar Girl several years ago in one of my college english classes. Her podcasts are witty and full of spunk, making them easy to listen to and you get a quick memorable english lesson. I hate to be the bad guy here, but Grammar Girl's secret identity and the host of QuickandDirtytips.com is Mignon Fogarty, an experienced "grammar guru". Podcasts are delivered frequently on a variety of topics in the categories of word choice, punctuation, grammar, and style.

In addition to listening to the podcasts, followers are also able to read the podcast in text from. The websites offers a few different ways to follow Grammar Girl, including RSS podcast or article, iTunes, or newsletter format. However, when I tried to subscribe via RSS, I got an error message, which was frustrating. While I was trolling the website looking for another RSS link, I found directions to add Grammar Girl to your blog widgets. Visitors to your blog can listen to the most recent blog or a few previous ones. Again, the follow via RSS option is included on the widget, but the connection does not work.

Grammar Girl is only a segment on the website Quickanddirtytips.com. The site offers podcasts from 18 different experts that give advice and information including the Sales Guy, Diet Diva, Mighty Mommy, and House Call Doctor. While the skills Grammar Girl discusses are geared toward an older crowd, highschool or maybe middleschool aged students might enjoy listening to these segments as well. Teachers and parents might also find experts like Math Dude, Tech Talker, or The Public Speaker helpful as an alternative to ordinary lectures. Aside from RSS technical problems I had with the site, it was a pretty good resource with a variety of helpful segments. I enjoyed alot that the site had to offer, hopefully some of you will too.

Chapter 4 Application Questions

Chapter 4 Application Questions

For this scenario, we will say the students in the problem were asked to calculate and compare the unit costs of several five pound bags of dog food, each of a different brand.

Using the behavioral learning theory, the teacher would need to give the students an example problem of finding the unit cost to solve without guided instruction. Once some time has been given for investigation, the teacher would go over the problem as a class. The teacher would then assign additional problems for practice.

If the problems would be addressed using the situated learning theory the teacher would be required to do quite a bit of prep work, but the outcome would be much more interesting for students. The teacher would need to set up a situation as close to real-life as possible. This could be done by taking students on a field trip to the grocery store or setting up a mock store in the classroom. Working in teams, the students would be given a set amount of "money" to spend on dog food. Once each team had "fed" the dog over an imaginary amount of time, the team with money remaining at the end would be the "winner", rewarded for their work.

Teaching this scenario based on Gagne's theory of instruction would be best described using the nine events of instruction.

1) Gaining attention. Teachers could show a clip of a funny dog food commercial from youtube.com.

2) Informing the learner of the objectives. The teacher would tell the students that by the end of the lesson they would be expected to calculate and compare the unit cost of three different types of bagged dog food to determine which product is more cost-effective.

3)Stimulating recall of prior learning. The teacher would ask students if they have ever gone shopping for groceries with a parent/guardian before. Had they noticed or recalled anything about the products they purchased.

4)Presenting the stimulus. Introducing students to the several types of dog food brands being used including the price of each bag.

5) Provide learning guidance. The teacher would provide students with the appropriate formula to calculate unit cost.

6)Eliciting performance. The teacher presents the class with practice problems that require students to find the unit cost using different prices.

7) Feedback. As a class, the teacher would review the practice problems and help students correct any problems or miscalculations.

8) Assessing performance. The teacher would randomly choose students to demonstrate practice problems for the class allowing opportunity for discussion.

9)Enhancing retention and transfer. Students would be allowed time or assigned homework to research their own favorite brands or products and compare the cost to other brands.

Map from Middleville, MI to Orlando, FL

Is it spring break yet??

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