Archive for the 'lessons' Category

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Lesson Formula Ideas

Ideas kicking around in my head for a lesson formula - I am sure that someone has already organized this, but …

Decide on (an) objective(s)
Decide on materials

web

web page
video
podcast

print

Decide on instructional delivery method

teacher directed

projector with computer
overhead
worksheet/handout

student directed

cooperative learning

jigsaw
peer teaching
Think-Pair-Share

individual practice

Decide on (an) Assessment Strateg(y)ies

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Teaching with the Winter Classic

On January 1, the Buffalo Sabres - my hometown hockey team - played a game against the Pittsburgh Penguins outside at Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, NY.  This game was tagged the Winter Classic - see photos. I did not go, but watched from my living room and went outside occasionally to hear the [...]

Monster Exchange - Image Editing Scope and Sequence

The Monster Exchange is an inter-class project where students share descriptions and drawings of monsters.
Image Editing with  the Gimp Scope and Sequence
1. Students will access the pictures from a shared network drive and rename the file(s) - student will rename the file with their first name and a number (e.g. chris1) for each file
2. Students [...]

Create a Graph Lesson

Directions for Students:

Open Firefox
Go to my web site - http://btcactus.org
Visit MyLearning Center
Click on the Math Cactus (row 2 column C)
Scroll down to Section E Graphs
Click on the link that says Bar, Pie, & Line Graphs - Oh My!

Click on the Bar Graph Graphic
On the right hand side of the page there are tabs, [...]

Alphabet Organizer Lesson

Directions for Students:

Open Firefox
Go to my web site - http://btcactus.org
Visit My Learning Center
Click on the Writing Tools Cactus (row 3 column C)
Click on the Alphabet Organizer

Type in your first name only
In the Title, type in AT Family
Click OK
Choose Option 2

Click on the letter a and type in the word at
Click on the letter b [...]

Compose Sentences with a Word Bank

There are two advantages to “writing” on the computer.

Editing is much easier
Sharing to a wide audience is increased

The problem with “writing” on a computer is keyboarding.  Students do not practice keyboarding frequently enough to improve their skills.  I have been thinking a lot about this dilemma and have begun work on this dilemma.
I decided to [...]

Learning Center Workshop Lesson Ideas

Please provide a lesson plan for using one of the web resources in your center.  Include:

objective(s)
the URL (web address) of the web resource you are going to use
an assessment strategy (e.g. - posting to your blog or message board, observation - walk around - Student screen showcase using Synchroneyes)

Use the comment section of this blog [...]

Teach Vocabulary with Firefox and the Dictionary Tool-tip

One of my graduate students, Crystal Elias, wrote the lesson below. It falls into the pattern of using the web to teach “everyday or traditional content.” Here is the original blog post.
Objective: The students will learn how to use the dictionary tooltip add-on for the Firefox browser. The students will experience how [...]

A Dictionary-tool tip Lesson

This lesson was developed by one of my graduate students, Heather Nace. She has written a lesson that takes advantage of a Firefox add-on, the dictionary tool-tip. Here is a link to Heather’s Blog, where the lesson first appeared.
Lesson Plan
Topic: Dictionary-tooltip add-on
Objective: Six graders will utilize
dictionary-tooltip add-on, for spelling list. The students will [...]

Area and Perimeter Diagrams - from mind to pencil to web site

One of my graduate students, Lia Navone, has shown me another way to share learning. Lia posted examples, on her web site, of how to calculate area and perimeter for her students.
She did not have to do anything difficult or that could not be learned in 10 minutes.
She did have to have to think [...]

Monster Building, QuickNote and Colored Tabs

Note: These are the directions I am giving to a third grade teacher and class today.
Hi Kids,
Today you are going to:

build 3 different monsters using the Monster Exchange Monster Building page
use Colored Tabs - to help you keep track of open web pages
use Quicknote - to help you follow my directions

Here is how:

Login to our [...]

Logitech QuickCam Tutorial and Lesson Ideas

The Logitech Quickcam has four primary functions:

To take digital pictures
To capture video
To enable video conference
To capture audio

1. Starting the Quickcam
Double Click on the Logitech icon
2. Quickcam Interface explained

3. Lesson Ideas

Pictures of student projects
Record students reading
Leave a comment for your ideas

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Teaching Kids About Secure Passwords

This lesson was developed by one of my undergraduate students, Jennifer Shane, and I believe it should be shared with the world!
Activity:Grade/Level:  4    Time Frame:  90 mins. with 18 children    Subject(s):  Technology    Topic(s):  Creating Secure Passwords for Classroom Blogs    Notes:  Materials: -9 boxes full of magazine cut outs of letters [...]

Using Technology to Teach Every-day Lessons - Spelling

Day #1 - Students will read each spelling word and finger spell the words tothemselves.

Post the spelling words on your web site (MyTeacherPages.com is a great hosting tool)

Print out this finger spelling worksheet and give to each student

Have your students finger spell the words that they are reading [...]

Space Shuttle Endeavor Launches!

I could write a post about how my kids and I watched the space shuttle Endeavor launch yesterday on the web, but that would just be another blog post about it. I believe that writing is different in this day and age. I really believe teachers can create better learning experiences with a [...]

The Monster Exchange Project

The Monster Exchange Project is an Internet project that has been around for a few years.  I am in the middle of creating a Unit Plan on a PBWiki (so I can add teacher collaborators later). I would like to use this project in the with the district I currently work for and with my [...]

An hour, in a Day, in the Life of a Kindergarten Student Using Technology

I work with teachers for a school district in Buffalo, NY. I also work at Buffalo State College teaching undergraduates and graduates how to effectively use technology. This entry will explain how technology is integrated during a computer lab session at my K - 5 school.
For the past seven years, I have been [...]

Word Processing Scope and Sequence

Beginning

Intermediate

Advanced

Working [...]

The Basics Have Changed - did you miss the memo?

Last night, my son Bryce was reading my daughter Brooke and me a story about sea turtles. (out of a book The idea of sea turtles laying and burying their eggs popped up. My inquisitive Brookey, asked me how they do this. So, I tried to explain this to her and [...]

Using Data to Teach

New York State Learning Standards for Mathematics

Process Strand: Problem Solving
    Performance Indicator 7.A.2 Add and subtract monomials with exponents of one [Band: Variables and Expressions]
 
This is a question, from the above standard, that one school district in Central New York did poorly on from the 2006 [...]

Advanced Spreadsheet Skills - Scope and Sequence

Intermediate Skills
Using Templates

Create templates
Edit templates
Create new workbooks based on
User-defined templates
Modify Workbook properties
Change Default Templates & modify template settings

Working with Ranges

Create Named Ranges
Use named ranges in Formulas
Use Lookup Functions
Create & Modify List Ranges

Formatting Cells

Create & Apply Custom Number Formats
Apply conditional formatting
Add data validation criteria to cells

Importing & Exporting Data

Import Data from Text Files
Export Data to Other [...]

Intermediate Spreadsheet Skills - Scope and Sequence

Beginning Skills | Advanced Skills

Customizing Workbooks

Rename Worksheets
Change worksheet tab colors
Select and move sets of Worksheet
Copy worksheets
Insert & Delete Worksheets
Hide & Unhide Worksheets
Use Save As
Renaming Folders while Saving

Using Lists

Learn about database features
Find & Replace Cell Contents
Freeze & Unfreeze Rows
Freeze & Unfreeze Columns
Hide & Unhide Rows & Columns
Sort lists in Descending Order
Sort lists in Ascending Order
Understand [...]

Beginning Spreadsheet Skills - Scope and Sequence

Intermediate Skills

Getting started with excel

The excel window
Viewing worksheets
Go to specific cells
Save workbooks in new folders
Close workbooks

Working with Cells, Rows, and Columns

Use the Task Pane to create Workbooks
Enter cell content
Edit cell content
Check spelling
Insert & Delete cells
Merge & split cells
Insert & delete columns & rows (columns are inserted to the left, rows above selection)
Modify column width & [...]