Math Technology

CONTENT: Kindergarten math standard 2 objective 2: Duplicate and extend simple repeating patterns with numbers and shapes.
TECHNOLOGY: This is a math website that has a lot of different math activities that help children learn addition and subtraction, patterns, and much more. This particular activity helps children learn how to extend repeating patterns using colors.
PEDAGOGY: I would use this site during a math lesson on completing patterns. I would have the students practice completing the patterns on the site and then create their own patterns using colors, numbers, and shapes.

CONTENT: Kindergarten Standard 4 Objective 1: Name all upper and lower case letters in random order.
TECHNOLOGY: This is a website called starfall.com. On this site it has a game where you can click on each letter and see the uppercase and lower case letter. The sight has sound too that says the letter. Then you can click an arrow and it gives a word that begins or contains that letter.
PEDAGOGY: I would use this to help expose the students to the letters. I would maybe play a game such as view the letters and try to think of as many words as you can that has this letter in it. I would also use it as a practice tool. I would have the students orally repeat the letter after the website does.

IP&T WEEK 12

In class we are talking about a lot of cool technologies and resource can use in our classrooms. We first talked about different computer formats such as GIF, JPG, PNG,and TIF. We talked about the sizes of each and when to use each one. One we discussed was saving screen shots as JPG files. We talked about digital images and pixel/dot size. We talked about digital image resolution and what determines the size of the picture. We talked about how the more pixels there are the clearer the image is. This is DPI or dots per inch. So an 8 megapixel image will be clearer than a 2 megapixel image. We then went onto Wikipedia and looked up information on image file formats. We learned that lossless images looses none of the picture quality or material and lossy looses image quality. It takes away information that is not visible to the eye.

We then used the program Picasa to take the red eye off of a cat picture. I love this program. It was so fun to play with.

Next we went to the website: www.kerpoof.com !! Such a cool website! On this site you can create different pictures and even little video clips. This program would be great to use in the classroom. You could have the students create their own story from a book they read. They could write a story or experience and then draw or create a video for it. You could also use it to teach sequencing or beginning, middle, or end. There are a lot of fun things a teacher could do with this website.

Next we explored other websites with math and language arts activities. In groups we picked a grade level to find an activity for. We went to the state core and found a math and language arts standard and objective. We then picked a language arts activity and math activity on the web that met this standard and objective. These activities are shown on previously shown posts explaining the technology, content, and pedagogy.

IP&T WEEK 11 Continued...

One laptop per child: XO laptop
We just got to play around with a laptop called the XO. This is such a cool technology. There are so many ways a teacher could use this in their early childhood classroom. I would use the write program to have the children do some of their writing assignments such as composing a story. I would use the browse tool to have them look up information on different content areas. I would use the jigsaw puzzles during a content lesson on animals. We did an ant puzzle which was really fun. I would also have the students use the photo and audio tools during a science experiment.

DIGITAL CAMERAS
Learning shapes- have them go on a scavenger hunt to find things of each shape
Sequencing- patterns
Learning colors- taking colors of things that are red, blue, etc.
Science- learning about living and non-living things, animals, water, weather
Math- have them find things in pairs, threes, etc
Storytelling- have them take pictures of a story and then put the pictures in the correct sequence
School scavenger hunt- Where are the emergency things, nurses office, principal, bathrooms, etc.
Categorizing
Take pictures of letters or things that start with certain letters

For a lesson using digital cameras a teacher could teach children about rhyming words. This would go along with Kindergarten Language arts standard 3 objective 1B Which is identify and and create a series of rhyming words orally. What we would do is have the students learn a rhyming family such as -at. We would learn about what words rhyme with that ending such as cat, mat, bat, and sat. We would then have them go find pictures of items that rhyme. They could find a mat, have someone sit in a chair, or a cat they see outside.

IP&T WEEK 11

We are in class and are required to read an article about how to use technology in the early childhood classroom. As I read I will write down things I like or find interesting:

This comes from the article called "Technology in Early Childhood Education: Finding the Balance"
Technology provides opportunities for children to enhance their language development and their social interactions. One big positive thing about technology in the classroom is it helps motivate young children to learn. Technology needs to be set up and used correctly in the classroom. It should not replace human interactions or group activities such as shared reading. If it is used correctly it will enhance language development. It can also help social interactions. One way the article suggests you can do this is to put two chairs in front of a computer and require the students to work together on an activity.

One article talks about using technology to make a graph, tell a story, take pictures, and much much more!

IP&T WEEK 10

We didn't have class this week but we had the assignment of observing a classroom and taking a survey on what types of technologies they had. I have been working with a student at Meadow Elementary in Lehi. So I observed in that class and interviewed one of the 2nd grade teachers in that school. In her classroom they have an overhead projector, digital camera, and cd/tape player. They also share a tv and dvd/vhs combo with the teachers in the same hallway. The school has one computer lab. The students go to computer class 2x a week for 4 weeks each term. That is a total of 12 weeks. They go 80 minutes each week. The computers they use are Apple computers. The programs these computers have include: Word, Worldbook Encyclopedia, Paint, Math munchers, and some others as well. The school has 2 Elmo projectors. Each teacher also has screen projectors for their computers. It is the goal of the school to have Elmo machines for each classroom. The students have limited access to the internet and have to have a permission slip signed by their parents to be able to use it.

I think the Elmo machines are a great resource. I would use this technology in my class a lot. I would use it a lot for science lessons, math, and language arts.

IP&T WEEK 9

This week in class all we did was learn about what would happen for us for the rest of the semester. Since I am in the ECE program we will come to class each week and learn about different types of technology we can use in our classrooms. I am very excited to learn about these. Also in class we got the assignment to observe a classroom and do a survey on what technologies they use. I will do this assignment this week and report my findings! I love IP&T!