So I am definitely swapping my blogs around. I just realized that we had a blog due on Monday about life...well obviously my life was hecktic enough to not see that. So, I am writing my blog now....
IT IS SO HOT AND BEAUTIFUL OUTSIDE!
I called my sister today and told her that it was 50 degrees outside. She laughed at me, then checked the internet and was in shock. I keep telling her Alaska is a crazy place, -40 to 50 in just 3 days, but she did not believe me. She just thought -40 was the true Alaska. It is really exciting to be able to live in a place that has such drastic changes throughout the year. I think everyone should experience Alaska once in their lives!
Hope everyone has a fabulous day and I am sorry that I did not post this blog earlier, but if you think about it, you guys would not have gotten to hear my cool story about my phone conversation with my sister!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
MIDI Keyboard Powerpoint
I think I have found my new love! I love music and playing the piano. This project introduced me to a way where I can write music on my computer. I really enjoy that because I have always wanted to save my songs, and now I can! I learned a lot about garage band too. I did not really understand how it worked because I did not like how you just pressed the keys on the keyboard for the "piano," but now that I can use an actual keyboard, garage band is actually really cool! This program would be a success in a music class, I think, because students do not need a full piano to learn how to play. They can practice scales and learn how to play songs in a certain range. It is also exciting to add different sounds and put them all together to make one great piece. I hope everyone gets a chance to try the MIDI keyboard...it really is a ton of fun!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Software Resources
Software Title: Arithmetic Four
Grade/Age level: Second Grade Mathematics
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Platform: Both Mac and Windows
Purpose: This is a fun way to have kids learn to add whole numbers. They are able to play a game as well as learn math. Not only is this a fun way to learn math, but it is a competition between two people, so it makes it more fun for the students to learn.
Software Title: Formula Fusion
Grade/Age level: Third Grade Mathematics
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Platform: Both Mac and Windows
Purpose: This is another fun way to learn math. This is a way to make fractions a game. The game is to see how fast the child can add two fractions together. The cool thing about it is that they are racing against the computer, so it will make them feel smart when they beat the computer. And, if they do not beat the computer, they may feel better that a computer is beating them, not their friends.
Software Title: Math Magician
Grade/Age level: First to Fifth Grade Mathematics
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Platform: Both Mac and Windows
Purpose: This is a fun game for all of Elementary School. The kids can choose what kind of math level they are comfortable on: Addition, Subtraction, Division, or Multiplication. Then, they can choose the amount they want to add, subtract, divide, or multiply by. Once they are comfortable at one level, they are able to move up on their own, not having to worry about the student next to them. The kids can also print out their certificates after they finish the game.
Grade/Age level: Second Grade Mathematics
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Platform: Both Mac and Windows
Purpose: This is a fun way to have kids learn to add whole numbers. They are able to play a game as well as learn math. Not only is this a fun way to learn math, but it is a competition between two people, so it makes it more fun for the students to learn.
Software Title: Formula Fusion
Grade/Age level: Third Grade Mathematics
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Platform: Both Mac and Windows
Purpose: This is another fun way to learn math. This is a way to make fractions a game. The game is to see how fast the child can add two fractions together. The cool thing about it is that they are racing against the computer, so it will make them feel smart when they beat the computer. And, if they do not beat the computer, they may feel better that a computer is beating them, not their friends.
Software Title: Math Magician
Grade/Age level: First to Fifth Grade Mathematics
Subject Area(s): Mathematics
Platform: Both Mac and Windows
Purpose: This is a fun game for all of Elementary School. The kids can choose what kind of math level they are comfortable on: Addition, Subtraction, Division, or Multiplication. Then, they can choose the amount they want to add, subtract, divide, or multiply by. Once they are comfortable at one level, they are able to move up on their own, not having to worry about the student next to them. The kids can also print out their certificates after they finish the game.
Friday, February 1, 2008
One to One
After watching a video and discussing the one to one laptop program, I am still partial to the idea of a computer being used everyday in class. There are many positive and negative aspects to having a computer as a main source for a school. A few positives are that the children will be able to manage computers very well as they grow up. They will be able to use programs besides KidPix and instant messenger. They will be able to graph information and use programs such as Excel, which I hardly know how to use. Also, it is better for the environment. Teachers will not have to print out excessive amounts of paper for the students to do their work on.
There are many negatives to this program as well; a main one being that students will not be able to correct their spelling. Because computers have spell check, students will not really pay attention to what is spelled right and what needs to be fixed. All they have to do is click the mouse and the word is fixed. Another downside to computers in classrooms is that parents, as well as teachers, have to know more about the programs than the students do. The students are going to need help with their work, and they are going to look to their parents and teachers for help. The problem is, because the adults did not grow up with computers always in front of them, the students may know more about the computers than the adults do. I do not think that is OK. Students need to have time away from computers and television. School is the time to do that. It is a time to socialize with your peers and run around on the playground at lunch. It is a time to learn from a human teaching information to you.
After writing this blog, I think I lean more to not having a one to one laptop program at schools. While the idea is good for some people, and I would be fine teaching in a school with this concept, I do not feel that it is what is best for the students at such young ages.
There are many negatives to this program as well; a main one being that students will not be able to correct their spelling. Because computers have spell check, students will not really pay attention to what is spelled right and what needs to be fixed. All they have to do is click the mouse and the word is fixed. Another downside to computers in classrooms is that parents, as well as teachers, have to know more about the programs than the students do. The students are going to need help with their work, and they are going to look to their parents and teachers for help. The problem is, because the adults did not grow up with computers always in front of them, the students may know more about the computers than the adults do. I do not think that is OK. Students need to have time away from computers and television. School is the time to do that. It is a time to socialize with your peers and run around on the playground at lunch. It is a time to learn from a human teaching information to you.
After writing this blog, I think I lean more to not having a one to one laptop program at schools. While the idea is good for some people, and I would be fine teaching in a school with this concept, I do not feel that it is what is best for the students at such young ages.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
