Final lesson this semester

I taught my final lesson of the semester today. It was over box-and-whisker plots, so not the most exciting stuff. BUT, I think the kids actually enjoyed it! :) I had a cool anticipatory set planned where the students created a human box-and-whisker plot, and I was nervous that it would be a little chaotic.  It went over much better than I thought it would! The students were very engaged and seemed to understand the concept.  This lead to a fairly smooth class period.  Ya, I didn't get through everything I wanted to, but that's part teaching. You have to be able to adapt and move to plan B if necessary.  We'll pick it up again tomorrow, so I hope my students are as ready and eager as I am.

What does it feel like learning about computer materials on the web?

Learning about computer/internet based concepts on the web is convenient, but it can also be quite frustrating. When no one is there in person to answer your questions and point out important things you otherwise might miss, it seems like you're not really getting the full experience. I like investigating new things to a certain extent, but I also enjoy the company of other people. So, I personally prefer for someone to teach me about something new (especially technology) in person because I just seem to understand it better that way. I do like the convenience of learning on the internet, though.

Blog List

Blog lists are a good way to keep resources organized. We as teachers will not have a whole lot of free time to go searching for our favorite blogs or blogs we use in the classroom every time we want/need to read them. With a blog list, you need look no further than your own blog to find your favorites. Yay convenience! :D

Ohh iMovie...

My partner and I have thought quite a bit about what we will be doing for this project, and I think we have our main idea and even film ideas nailed down. All we have left to do is to start filming and editing. I think we are well on our way with this project, and I'm excited to see how it comes out.

iMovie in the classroom

iMovie is a great way to allow students to get creative in any subject.  A number of individual projects, as well as group projects, could be developed using iMovie.  I think it would also be a cool way to document the change in my classroom throughout the semester/year. Students can have a lot of fun with iMovie, and so can I!

The importance of video

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If one static picture can say so much...imagine what a moving picture with sound can do.  That is what I think of when I think of the importance of video.  Video allows the eyes and ears to work together to form a story in the viewer's mind.  Video makes it possible for someone to become engulfed in a new world and attached emotionally to a character within seconds.  This can be done with books too, and while it is true that reading stimulates your mind, I believe that videos not only stimulate your mind, but your world.

Pixlr

Pixlr is a very fun website. I would probably use it in my classroom as a reward or something students could do if they finished their homework or a test. Something like that. Otherwise, I don't really know how it would be used in a high school math classroom. I can definitely use it to make cool posters and graphics for my classroom at least!

Google Sites & Wiki

I think having a class website that students can access anywhere for a variety of information is beneficial for any subject area. Google Sites makes this possible in a fairly easy way. I look forward to having math websites where students can access assignments, extra review, and other materials on their own time.  It's also cool to have a website showcasing our work in a portfolio that we can point to when asked about our technology background. I look forward to building it.

Wiki is a cool way to have students contribute to a classroom learning environment/discussion outside of the actual classroom.

SPRING BREAK!!!!

I had an interesting spring break. It was definitely a time for fun and rest, which I really needed. I started my spring break coming back from Ohio (indoor track nationals). The next morning I left at 6:30am for Branson, MO with a couple friends from high school. We got a good deal on a nice hotel room, so we decided just to take a mini vacation. The weather was great, and the hotel was gorgeous! We spent the majority of our time shopping, but we were also able to get some nice meals and a swim in. Probably the highlight of the trip was the 2 shows that we were able to go see. One was a variety show and the other was a group of 6 brothers singing songs A Capella. It was fantastic!
When we got back from that, I spent a day handing out foam fingers for Doane at boys state basketball, and the rest of my break was spent with family and friends at home.
It was a great break, and I'm so thankful for the weather!

Presentation software

Interactive powerpoint would allow me to create things such as Jeopardy Review games or something where kids get to "run the class" using an interactive powerpoint. I mostly see this as a method of review for my math classes. Maybe some new ideas will pop into my head later for more uses as well.

Back to the Basics

The basics that I hope to instill in all of my students are hard work, dedication, and a positive attitude.  Math at its core is about problem solving. Problem solving oftentimes requires creativity and  perseverance.  These values reach far beyond math though. In life, perseverance and positivity can make the difference between success and failure and between happiness and sorrow. You can't always control the outcome, but you can always control your effort.

SmartBoard

Personally, I get quite excited when I get to use the SmartBoard. I think that mindset is the same for a lot of students. The SmartBoard is a fun, interactive piece of technology for classroom use. I would use a SmartBoard to project notes and other aspects of the lesson that can be run from a computer and all students need to see. I think they also provide an exciting opportunity to let students interact with the lesson. SmartBoards are different from your standard marker or chalk board because it is much more advanced technology. My personal experience can attest to the wonder experienced by a child when his or her name is called up to write on the SmartBoard (regardless of age level). It is a piece of technology that I hope to have in my own classroom someday and that I intend to use regularly.

How young is too young...to Blog.

I think if a child is old enough to read and write, they are old enough to blog. Granted, they will probably need some adult assistance/supervision, but I don't think it is outside of a child's capabilities to blog.  Kid's are full of ideas. In fact, they probably have more ideas than adults! Oftentimes a child's mind is an untapped gold mine of creativity. Let's tap in. Blog away kids.

The importance of a teacher

Vlog: What's the purpose of a teacher?

Survey Monkey

Well I have been having some difficulties with Survey Monkey so I don't know that I'd want to use it in the classroom...
But, if it were working properly/I knew how to use it properly, this would be a good way to gain student feedback about lessons and maybe ask what they struggled with most in the week. This could be made part of the homework.

Polls, polls everywhere!

PollsEverywhere is a cool website that we got to play with a little bit last class period.  I've actually used this website before in a group presentation.  It worked out really well there, and I enjoyed learning more about that polling process.  I think it could be a cool way to check for students' understanding at the end of a math class in an anonymous way.  That way I could see how most of the students felt about the lesson for that day, and they wouldn't have to feel embarrassed if they didn't understand it so well.  I'm sure there are many more uses of pollseverywhere for class, but I think things can get a bit hairy when phones are involved in the classroom.  It's definitely something that will have to be worked out by each teacher on a class by class basis, but it's free (for the most part) and easy to use, so it's got a lot going for it!

*Lightbulb*

I've had too many "lightbulb moments", which I call "aha" moments, so far in my life to count.  One that sticks in my head distinctively though has to do with running.  When I was in middle school, I began to run track, and I was a pretty good distance runner.  But my goal was to run faster than 6 minutes in the mile.  I raced a few times and got so close, but I just couldn't get it.  One day in practice, I realized that to be under 6 minutes in the mile, I just had to keep each lap at 90 seconds or less.  The next time I ran the mile, I ran it in 5 minutes and 52 seconds. That "aha" moment about splitting the race up by lap and having a goal for each lap really helped me achieve my overall goal.  "Aha" moments are a beautiful thing, and I can't wait to inspire those moments in students.

QR codes in my classroom

Today I got to play with QR codes, which was pretty interesting because I don't have a device that can scan them. Thank goodness for my friend Logan.
I think it would be very cool to use QR codes for important formulas and things kids will need to remember for the test. This way, they can just scan a code for a reminder.  I also like the idea of creating codes for homework assignments.  With math especially sometimes it's tedious to write down all of the numbers of assigned problems.  With a QR code, the homework assignment is just a scan away!
I'm sure there could be other uses of QR codes in my future classroom, but I'll have to do some more thinking for that. I think what I've learned today is a good start.

20% Project/Spheres

For my 20% project, I think I'd like to use the Garage Band application. It is something I've never worked with before, and I would like to play with it and look for possible applications in my classroom.

For now, please enjoy these spheres I made of 2 places on campus that I pass quite frequently.

https://www.thesphere.com/spheres/488652

https://www.thesphere.com/spheres/488643

How can I use this?

I can definitely use a SmartBoard in my classroom to present lessons and help get students involved in the solving of math equations.  I also think it would be cool to video tape my lessons using the iPad, tripod setup so if students are absent or just want to look back at what we learned, it could be available to them via BlackBoard.

Technology of the Future

The technology that will be in my classroom in 5 years... I imagine sleek, fast, laptop computers for all of my students and an iPad station in each classroom. There will most likely be some version of a SmartBoard.  Each student will probably have the iPhone 6 or some subsequent model and/or a smart watch that links directly with their phone, laptop, etc.  It would be really cool if we had some 3D holographic type tool that could be used to model shapes or other mathematical concepts. Other than that...I don't really know what else to think.  Technology is expanding so rapidly these days, who knows what will be easily accessible to me and my students in 5 years?

Sphere

Today I got the opportunity to work with an app called sphere.  I thought it was going to be lame, but it turned out to be really cool! I could definitely see how an elementary or even middle school classroom could use this, but I want to be a math teacher.  How can I use this?  Well I have a few thoughts: 1. This would be a great way to document growth and change in the classroom.  By taking a sphere on the first day of school and the last day of school, it would be fun to make a comparison.
                2. In a math classroom it might be cool to find a sphere of a historical math figure's home or study.  It could also be interesting to look for certain math concepts, such as parallel lines, triangles, etc. out in nature or somewhere else using a sphere.
In any classroom, I think watching spheres would be a fun way to "get out" of the classroom or take a break from studying.

Passion

I learned recently the root of the word passion is enduring and sacrifice.  By this definition, I have a few passions.  The most important of these are running and mathematics.  Both of these things are difficult and I don't always enjoy doing them, but the feeling of accomplishment I get when I conquer a hard workout or a difficult math problem is absolutely worth it.  These things require endurance and sacrifice, so they are my passions.

You Matter

"You are a genius, and the world needs your contribution."
Those are the first words that a complete stranger said to me through my computer screen...and I felt it.  I recently watched a few videos from educator and speaker, Angela Maiers.  She opened with that line.  These videos are all about the message that "You Matter".  She encourages her listeners to let people know that they matter and why they matter.  She said that letting someone know that they are noticed, valued, and depended on is the most beautiful way of showing someone you care.  I have never thought about it this way before, but I have found that I absolutely agree.  We were created for significance (another idea from her talk).  So today, my challenge is to fulfill that significance by being the best student, friend, daughter, sister, athlete, etc I can be.  And I challenge you to this as well. We should all hold each other accountable to the use of our skills, talents, and resources to their full potential.  As Ms. Maiers said, "When you ask for genius, it usually shows up."  Go forth, share your genius, and have a great day!

Introduction to blogging

My name is Marissa DeWispelare.  I was born and raised in David City, NE, where I attended Aquinas Catholic High School.  I am a sophomore at Doane College, studying mathematics with an emphasis on secondary education.  That's right, I want to be a math teacher.  How crazy am I?  Believe me, that isn't the half of it...