PLN Reflection


In mid-September I was asked to open a Twitter account as a PLN (personal learning network) assignment for my graduate tech in ed class. I was very hesitant as this is something I have been avoiding for a few years now. I have always found Twitter to be super confusing. As I scrolled through the tweets this past few weeks it hasn’t gotten any less confusing. I am definitely a Facebook person. I can’t go one day without it.

On October 21st I came across an article that was posted on the edudemic page which is titled, “It’s Official: Using Twitter Makes Students More Engaged.” This article discusses a study done by a professor at Michigan State University. It reports how college students are more engaged in class, professors and fellow classmates as well as receiving higher grades when parts of their classes are on Twitter. The professor also found that there are 200 million active users Twitter who post more than 175 million tweets a day.

I picked this tweet to reflection on because I am not sure how student’s grades could benefit from using Twitter. I thought as teachers and future teachers we are trying to keep the student so of these types of sites at school. The schools I have been in have blocked all of these kinds of sites. I guess this leaves me with one question. If this is the way of our future how will people, like me who don’t understand exactly how to use Twitter be able to integrate it into our curriculum?

Michelle's Twitter

Tech-Tac-Toe Assignment 3

Algebra Worksheet QRCodes


     This is a QRCode worksheet that could be used as review after lessons on how to solve for x. The students would need to solve for x in all 18 problems and then would be given an iPod to check their answers by scanning the QRCodes.

     QCcodes can be made on many sites. I used http://www.qrstuff.com/. I found this website to be very easy to use. You just type in the box what you want the QRCode to read when scanned (it can be answers like this worksheet or it can be a link to a website) and then hit download QRCode. After downloading it you can copy and paste it into a word document like the worksheet above. This site also gives you the option of making them colorful. This could be exciting for the students. This website does not require you to create an account to use it. As for student use with this website I  believe that students of all ages could use it as the process is  very easy, but I would personally  only use it with older students (middle school and up) because I feel they would truly understand what they mean and how to use them. QR codes can be used for many things like the worksheet above, a treasure hunt in the classroom, on a syllabus for parent information, etc.


    

Tech-Tac-Toe Assignment 2

     This assignment would use gloster.com. Glogster is a web tool in which students can create posters. For this assignment students would research a mathematician and then create an "all about” poster on their mathematician. Glogster could be used for fourth grade and up. As for the primary students blabberize.com could be used. This is a web tool in which the students would still research a mathematician but instead of making a poster they would create a recording to tell about what they learned in their research.
 

     Glogster is a web 2.0 tool that is free to everyone but you do need to create an account.  This online tool allows you to create an online poster about anything.  It could be for a research project, book report, history timeline, family tree, just to name a few. You can add text and pictures (from glogster or uploaded) in any arrangement you want. There are many themed backgrounds that you can build on. I found glogster user friendly and had not problems using it.  When you are finished with your glogster you can choose whether to keep it private or make it public for everyone to see. I feel that this tool would be easy for students in 4^th grade and up to use. It is just like creating traditional poster just online. You can find it at www.gloster.com.

     

Tech-Tac-Toe Assignment 1

 

Algebra Definitions

1.      Absolute Value-the distance between the number and 0 on the number line.

2.      Base-the number or expression that is used as a factor in a repeated multiplication.

3.      Constant- a term that is a number.

4.      Difference-an answer to a subtraction problem.

5.      Domain-the set of all first coordinates of a relation.

6.      Equation-a statement that two expressions are equal.

7.      Expression-a mathematical sentence.

8.      Exponent-a number or a variable that represents the number of times a base is used as a factor in a repeated multiplication.

9.      Integer-consisted of negative and positive whole numbers, including 0.

10.  Median-the middle score or the mean of two middle scores of an ordered set of data.

11.  Ordered Pair-a pair of numbers that can be used to locate a pint in a coordinate plane. First number is the x-coordinate, and the second in the y-coordinate

12.  Origin-the point (0,0) where the x-axis and the y-axis intersect in a coordinate plane.

13.  Parallel Lines- Coplanar lines with equal slopes. The lines do not intersect.

14.  Power-made up of an exponent or base

15.  Quadrants-four regions into which a coordinate plane is divided by the x-axis and the y-axis.

16.  Scatter Plot-the graph of a collection of ordered pairs (x,y)

17.  Term-the number or an expression that is added to a sum.

18.  Variable-a letter that represents one or more numbers.

19.  X-axis-the horizontal number line in a coordinate plane.

20.  Y-axis-the vertical number line in a coordinate plane.

    

     This assignment could be used as a study guide for the end of the year final. The students would be asked to compile a list of 100 vocabulary words from throughout the year. First they would create a wordle with the list of 100 words then the students would need to pick 20 of those words to define. As the teacher I would then take the definitions from all the students and create a list of all the words they should know for the test. The students can then use the wordle to read off the names and the definitions. The students’ goal would be to recite the definitions using the wordle without using the definition sheet.

     Wordle is a free web 2.0 tool in which students, teachers and more can create a word cloud using any list of words. Wordle is very easy to use, one types their list into the box provided on the wordle site. When finished and word cloud is created the words appear in all directions and can be different sizes. The size of the word depends on the number of times you type that word in the box. For example if you type the word "algebra" ten times, the word "add" six times and the work "multiply" twice, the work "algebra" would be the largest then "add" and then "multiply". The color scheme can also be changed. You cannot choose specific colors just different predetermined combinations. Wordle is definitely a tool students of all ages can use easily. This web 2.0 tool could be used for many things, study guide, an all about me, summer vacation, etc. Wordle does not require you to create and account in order to use the site. You can find wordle at http://www.wordle.net.