Lesson incorporating technology

My cooperating teacher and I decided that I should teach my lesson to a smaller group because the lesson did not fit with what they were learning now. I took my group of six students into the hallway and we sat in a circle. First, I asked them how their days were going and if they were excited for the weekend. While they were telling me about their days, I passed out the materials and asked the students not to touch the materials until I gave them permission. I handed out the calculators and gave them one minute to play with them. I then asked the students to clear their calculators and place their calculators flat on their slate boards. I then proceeded with the lesson by showing and telling the students to press the following buttons: [1] [+] [1] [=] [+] [1] [=], etc. I practiced this with the students about 5 times because many students were struggling. I gave the students one minute to do the button sequence in the calculator and then asked the students to put their calculator down and write the number on their slate board. We then discussed who has the smallest number and I asked that student to line up with their board. The student with the next smallest number lined up after the first student and so forth until all of the students were in numerical order. I then introduced the phrase “slash the trash.” This phrase was used to take away the two outer numbers until a median is determined. The students were entertained with this phrase. I introduced the term “median” and explained that it meant the same as the middle number. After we found the median, we repeated the lesson two more times.

In the future I could have explained the button process better because the students were very confused. Using an overhead projector with a calculator for the overhead would have helped tremendously. It was difficult for me to show the students what to press on the calculator when I was just holding it in my hand. I also felt like the lesson would have been just as successful with more students. More students would have been more challenging for the students.

Like every interaction with my students, this lesson helped me further to think on my feet. I further learned to ask guiding questions. Also, I saw the effects of being a supportive teacher. When one student was sitting properly and waiting for instructions I offered praise and the other students imitated that student.

The Missing Piece Meets the Big O...by Shel Silverstein

Sunday night, my sister IM'd me and I responded in a rude and annoyed fashion because I was busy working on a project.

"The missing piece sat alone...
waiting for someone
to come along
and take it somewhere."

Monday afternoon, I walked through Lodge One and saw people glued to the television. I stopped to see what they were looking at. Virginia Tech Massacre.

"Some fit...
but could not roll
Others could roll
but did not fit.
One didn't know a thing about fitting.
And another didn't know a thing about anything.
One was too delicate.
One put it on a pedestal...
and left it there.
Some had too many pieces missing.
Some had too many pieces, period.
It learned to hide from the hungry ones.
More came.
Some looked too closely.”

Monday afternoon, my sister did not pick up her phone the first time I tried to call. I called my mother and she assured me my sister was ok. My sister then called me and assured me she was fine and safe. I felt so guilty because I blew her off the night before. I told her I was busy. I told her I did not have time for her. I did not say, "I love you."

Others rolled right by without noticing.
It tried to make itself more attractive...
It didn't help.
It tried being flashy.
but that just frightened away the shy ones."

Tuesday afternoon, I kept begging her to come home, but she is stubborn. It runs in the family.

"At last one came along that fit just right.
But all of a sudden...
the missing piece began to grow!
And grow!
'I didn't know you were going to grow.'
'I didn't know it either,' said the missing piece.
'I'm lookin' for my missin' piece, one that won't increase....'
one came along who looked different.
'What do you want of me?' asked the missing piece.
'Nothing .'
'What do you need from me?'
'Nothing.'
Wednesday afternoon, she decided to come home. I went to the bookstore and decided to find something that would express how I feel. I came across the book "The Missing Piece Meets the Big O" by Shel Silverstein.

'Who are you?' asked the missing piece.
'I am the Big O,' said the Big O.
'I think you are the one I have been waiting for,' said the missing piece. 'Maybe I am your missing piece.'
'But I am not missing a piece,' said the Big O.
'There is no place you would fit.'
'That is too bad,' said the missing piece.
'I was hoping that perhaps I could roll with you....'
'You cannot roll with me,' said the Big O,
'but perhaps you can roll by yourself.'
'By myself? A missing piece cannot roll by itself.'
'Have you ever tried?' asked the Big O.
'But I have sharp corners,' said the missing piece.
'I am not shaped for rolling.'
'Corners wear off,' said the Big O, 'and shapes change.
Anyhow, I must say good-bye..
Perhaps we will meet again....'
And away it rolled.
The missing piece was alone again."

Wednesday evening, a 20 year old sat in the children's books' section and read this short simple story, but found a strong and courageous message.


"For a long time it just sat there.
Then... slowly... it lifted itself up on one end...and flopped over.
Then lift...pull...flop...
it began to move forward....
And soon its edges began to wear off...
liftpullflopliftpullflop...
and its shape began to change...
and then it was bumping instead of flopping...
and then it was bouncing instead of bumping...
and then it was rolling instead of bouncing....
And it didn't know where and it didn't care.
It was rolling!"

I guess my point is that the strength children have is the same strength that adults need. These simple books with a few words on each page have more meaning than a 400-page novel. Always remember to say you love someone whether you are fifty-years old or five-years old.

Technology Final Project

Last week I began working on my Final Project for Technology. I decided to get started early because this project will be somewhat of a long process with the kids. My final project consist of creating a story with some students. After speaking with my cooperating teacher, we decided that working with the same five students every time will be more productive because the students will hopefully remember what was previously created. The small group of students will brainstorm a storyline and I will record their thoughts. I will also be responsible for editing the story. The students will illustrate pictures that tell the story on white sheets of paper. I will then scan the pictures and compile them into a slideshow or podcast. The final part of this project will be recording the students reading parts of the story and then adding the narration to the podcast.

After my cooperating teacher selected five students for this project, I took the group into the hall and explained the project. I knew the kids would be excited to write their own story, but I had no idea it was going to be so hard to keep them focused! I think I may have given them a little too much freedom because the story they came up with was very creative! I wanted the story to have educational freedom so I tried to shift the focus of the story to mathematics while still keeping most of their ideas. They gladly shifted the story and came up with math problems like 8+8=16. I was so impressed. These are kindergartners and they picked a difficult math problem! Some students did not even have to count on their fingers because they already knew the answer! So far we decided to use their school mascot as the superhero and the superhero's superpower is solving math problems! I am very excited about this project so hopefully it will work out! I'll keep everyone posted!