Tag Archive for teaching

Creating a Prezi for teaching Hybrid Math classes

May 9, 2010 Presentations, Prezi Comments Off on Creating a Prezi for teaching Hybrid Math classes

I started using Prezi about a week or so ago, and this is my first attempt at creating a presentation with it. I LOVE the fact that is so non-linear!  Normally, being in math, I like things very linear.  However, a friend of mine has been using Prezi for her math presentations and they are really fun.     She uses a lot of fun artwork in hers as well.  I hope to do that with my next one.  I have a live-in artist (my son), who has already been hired to illustrate a children’s book at age 13!

In about 10 days I am presenting with a colleague of mine on teaching Hybrid Math classes at the community college level.   She and I are both avid  users of the Livescribe Pulse smartpen to help our students outside of class, so we thought we would present together.

If you get a chance, take a look at my presentation (knowing I will be talking through it – so there is no sound) and If you have any suggestions please let me know!  Thanks!

MaricopaTechPresentation on Prezi

I finally had to get my OWN domain so I could embed flash into WordPress!

 

Teaching with the Mobi

May 6, 2010 Bio, eInstruction Interwrite Workspace, Mobi, Student participation One comment

Here is a video of me teaching with the Mobi (recorded by my students)

Here is a link if you want to see it IN YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_ftSlZ-UVA

I recorded this as part of the interview process for becoming a Certified National Instructor for eInstructor.  I was accepted into the program and the training is in MD next week!  I can’t wait to learn even more about all their products and how to use them to enhance my own classroom and online experiences for my students!

 

I am a "published" author!

May 3, 2010 Livescribe, Mathcast, Technology One comment

I was asked last week by Livescribe if I would be willing to write articles for their blog.    I wrote my first post and it went up today.

Check it out!

“The Beginning of My Livescribe Pencast Journey”

http://www.edlivescribe.com/?p=1307

 

One of the best FREE tech tools – Jing

April 26, 2010 Jing, Mathcast, Software Comments Off on One of the best FREE tech tools – Jing

* I used Jing to crop out a graphic from their website!


Yesterday I finished grading a test that the students did poorly on.   I wanted to show the students that the questions were ALL really covered both in class and on the homework, so I went about making a key to the test using materials from both!  This is where Jing entered the picture…

Jing is an amazing FREE online application that you download to your computer for taking screen shots of part or all of your computer screen. It will also capture video with sound!   I use it all the time when students email me with questions from the homework.  I will open up their HW question on my computer, crop only the portion I want and write the answer on it (Jing allows you to annotate before saving your screen shot!) and then paste that back into my response email to them.  I can even record my voice and send them a link to the recording that has me working out the problem!  Back to the test key…

Well, I was so discouraged yesterday after grading their tests that I

1) scanned in my test key and made a PDF

2) opened up the online homework assignments from that chapter (I use course compass)

3)  opened up ALL the daily in-class lessons from that chapter.   I was able to save every example I did in class because I teach my courses with an eInstruction Mobi, and use their Interwrite Workspace software, which allows me to save my entire lesson for each class!

4) I then proceeded to crop each test question and place them onto a blank document, followed by my written solution, and then followed by EVERY related question cropped out of the homework, in-class lessons and also any online examples that I created.

I don’t think my students will question that every single question on the test was both taught in class and assigned in the homework now!   It at least made ME feel better!

Here is one question from the test key:

The five page test became a twenty-three page online answer key, thanks to Jing!

To download your free copy of Jing, go to http://www.jingproject.com/

I do pay the $15 a year for JingPro, since it lets me record as an .mp4 file and it gets rid of the logo when you record.   Worth every penny!  Especially the free version 🙂

 

My next technology journey!

April 24, 2010 HyperStudio, Lumens DC265 Ladibug document camera, Math Projects, Mathcast, Software 4 comments

I have been having several interesting conversations with Roger Wagner, the creator of HyperStudio, lately about teaching with technology.   He passed on some great teaching ideas!      It would be really fun to use my Lumens DC265 document camera and HyperStudio 5 to create a stop-action movie!   I could also record a “normal” movie and insert it into a HyperStudio stack to be part of a larger project for my students….the wheels are turning!   I sure wish there were more than 24 hours in a day!

To learn more about HyperStudio go to:  http://www.mackiev.com/hyperstudio/

Roger Wagner also has an area on Facebook for folks interested in sharing their ideas about how to use HyperStudio in education called HyperFest Central

If you use HyperStudio PLEASE send me some of your projects, I would LOVE to see them!  I am just re-learning HyperStudio after taking a long vacation.   When I create my first project I will be sure to share it here!

 

Using InterwriteWorkspace to record a lesson

April 22, 2010 eInstruction Interwrite Workspace, Mathcast, Mobi, Software One comment

I wanted to show my students a comparison of graphing a line to graphing a parabola.  I quickly made a video using a Mobi and the Interwrite Workspace, both by eInstruction.  The Interwrite Workspace allowed me to write on graph paper (using the pen on the Mobi) and to record everything I was writing and saying with their “record” tool!    Not only was it a great introduction, but now that it is posted on the web, my students can go back and review it anytime they need to.

The WordPress blog won’t let me embed videos, so here is a link to the video

 

Students Having FUN with Math!

April 17, 2010 Animationish, Math Projects, Software One comment

My great friends at FableVision Learning introduced me to the most FUN program I have ever played with:  Animationish!

If you have read the children’s books “The Dot” or “Ish”, both written and illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds, then this program will look quite familiar!  In his book, “Ish”, his goal is to teach children they don’t need to worry about drawing perfectly , just something  tree-ish, or boat-ish.  It is a wonderful story with a great message!  I love his illustrations as well!   Back to my point…Peter is also the founder of FableVision, the educational media company that created Animation-ish.   As you might have guessed, the program is used to easily teach children and adults to animate “ishly”.  All the button are whimsically drawn by Peter and the program helps even the most creativity-challenged become very creative!  Just ask my students!

For my Math For Elementary Teachers course, I always have the students write their own story problems.   This past year I took it one step further.  My 13 year old son came to my classes and taught my students to use Animationish.   They were very impressed that a 13 year old could easily teach them how to use it!     Their project was to write a story problem, create a story board, and then animate their story using the Free trail (15 day) of Animationish.  Their projects were AMAZING!!

This is the first time in my 23 years teaching that every single student (without exception) not only did the project, but did an amazing job on it!  Everyone actually earned 100%!   I got their permission to create a website to post their animations on the web.   Check them out!

I would HIGHLY recommend downloading their free trial and playing with it – you will love it, too!  The school my children go to has Animationish on every computer, where teachers use the program to make every subject more fun.   Kids are animating stories they write, math problems, scenes from history, biology cycles, etc.  The only limit is your imagination.

 

Recording with a Lumens document camera

April 10, 2010 Lumens DC265 Ladibug document camera, Mathcast, Technology 4 comments

I just got a Lumens DC265 Ladibug  document camera to try out!   I created a couple of videos for my students using it.  It is amazing!

Here is the first video I made for my Intermediate Algebra students, showing how to put quadratics into “vertex form”.

Here is the link on YouTube

Here is one of the videos I made using it for my Intermediate Algebra students, showing how to derive the Vertex Formula.


Here is the link on YouTube

I am finding it much easier to embed the videos straight from YouTube, rather than trying to change the format of every tool I have to work well with Dreamweaver and other website software I use.

 

InterwriteWorkspace and YouTube

April 8, 2010 eInstruction Interwrite Workspace, Mathcast, Mobi, Technology Comments Off on InterwriteWorkspace and YouTube

Today I derived the Quadratic Formula for my students in class.  I promised them I would do some sort of pencast later and post it, so I told them not to take notes on it.

I ended up using my eInstruction Mobi and pen to write on the Interwrite Workspace software.   Interwrite Workspace is also from eInstruction, and it has a built-in tool to record video and audio!  It worked really well! I love the fact you can see color and also my mouse movement, in case I want to refer back to something I already wrote.

The software saves the video as a .avi file, and so I uploaded it quickly to YouTube so my student could access it easily.  I also posted a link to the video on my website.

Link to the video on YouTube

I am really enjoying having a variety of tools available to use to record part of a lesson or to write examples that I want my students to view again later when they are working on their homework.

 

Another Level of (real) Student Participation

April 2, 2010 CPS Clickers, Student participation, Technology Comments Off on Another Level of (real) Student Participation

Today I brought a couple extra bags with me to work 🙂

Although I haven’t been trained on using the CPS (Classroom Performance System – NOT Child Protective Services!!) Clickers, I just had to give them a try today in class!    I was able to easily figure out how to set up my classes and then create a few questions in the CPS software last night to have my students answer during class today.     I still have a lot to learn, and I am very excited for the training that eInstruction is providing next week!

The students had a great time being able to see the results and “play” with the clickers for the first time!  I only created a few questions to see how the students would respond to this new technology in my classes.

The students were sad when the 4 questions were over!    They wanted to continue reviewing for the test by trying to answer questions I had written!   Next time …

 
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