Chapter 11 Generating and Testing Hypotheses

Classroom Blogging: A Teacher's guide to the Blogosphere by David Warlick, page 224, virtual manipulatives and Tomlinson & Eidson, 2003, page 219, Hurricane Strike!, page 216, (?Hurricane information coming from Boulder, Colorado?), the allusion to "...enthusiasm while learning..." from page 214, www.making-history.com, page 213, and one of the most difficult to understand how to do it spreadsheets I've ever encountered are the things that came out at me in chapter 11.

Thanks for having us do this lesson in our class this summer. One more question before the next one. When is it you find time to develop and implement these strategies. I'm thinking your answers will create more questions. This could be the best school year ever!

Chapter 10 Homework and Practice

I went to the Mousercise site and found a great exercise in mouse control. While doing this class I have been constantly looking at ways of introducing technology into my classroom that I have already encountered while using Holt Online. Many more tools are available on Holt Online that I want to learn how to use. This course has given me many more bullets. Hopefully, I can develop a substantial and sustainable lesson plan with the implementation of these new ideas.
To mention Chapter 10 specifically, one thing that caught my mind was on page 189 and the research topic. This is a great classroom tool that the students will enjoy using. Page 190 with checking grade level of a writing and Autosummarize will need to be exercised and not lost. So much to do! So little time!

Chapter 9 Identifying Similarities and Differences

The Comparison Spreadsheet Template in Microsoft Excel is what most attractted my attention in this chapter. Inspiration will be what gets the most mileage from me. It will be delightful to learn new strategies. I'll be sure to tell my friends about the web site listed on page 184.

Chapter 8 Reinforcing Effort

Reinforcing effort may be one of my least enhanced and utilized tools in my toolbox. I can see where one simple routine that can be used in my classroom will allow students to participate in tracking their successes.
With "a little help from my friends" I hope to begin learning and then teaching how to use the Effort/Achievement Spreadsheet. I really think that Mr. Hall will be receptive to allowing for classroom instruction time to include "hands-on" computer time where it allows students to have opportunity to not only learn new computer skills but also track the progress of their Math lessons and understanding.
Now topping the list of don't forget about after school starts comes EFFORT/ACHIEVEMENT CHART!

Chapter 7 Cooperative Learning

My particular setting does not lend to base grouping, but "face-to-face, promotive action" and "interpersonal and small group skills" are two components we use at the Lighthouse of the five basic components that should be included in formal grouping listed on page 140.
Just about now I think I remember a web page, yes that's right, a teachers web page. Now where could it be? I must keep in mind that a good mechanic doesn't use all his tools everyday. Is there application here somewhere?
Cooperative grouping has been a strategy that is successful with my students. Every topic can be approached successfully with understanding invariably discovered in cooperating peer feedback. It seems they may listen to each other more closely than they do us. Another topic for another day!

Chapter 6 Summarizing and Note Taking

I missed church this a.m. so while I listen to my praise and worship I could also post a blog or is it blog a post? Who would have thought a post could be so diverse? On to the subject of summarizing (yawn) and note taking (double yawn) that held me spell bound (not!) right up to the end of the chapter. Page 137, first paragraph helped me a great deal. From Google Doc with Documents, Spread Sheets, and Power Point FREE to how to use the bullets button in Micro Soft Word along with teacher-prepared notes taken from Inspiration my tool box is growing exponentially.Did I mention page 137? Summarizing, questioning, clarifying, and predicting is a great strategy that I believe helps students take ownership of their learning and the process. Half way finished and I've found the crutch that may help me limp through the class. Somehow this book continues reading like staff development. Thanks, Techtalk!

Chapter 5 Non-Linguistic Representation

Ms. Byers (p88) has a good lesson there for me and Inspire Data with Venn diagrams, stack graphs, and pie charts is something that will definitely help my students help themselves as I make the devices and methods known to them. Generalization/Principle Pattern Organizers from page 94 could be something that we can learn as well. Time-Sequence Pattern Organizers found also on page 94 will probably be incorporated for Social Studies as well as Power Point. How to make movies seems to be way down my list but my students would absolutely respond to any venture into movie making. The National Library of Virtual Manipulatives promises to be a treasure chest for my Math lessons. I've got to find time to view and incorporate. I had training on two different digital microscopes and they add something to a class that you can only have with them. iKnowthat.com and ourtimelines.com in addition to the Power Point lesson on page 106 rounds out the outstanding items list from Chapter 5. I am very privileged to have access to so much information. Thanks!

Chapter 4 Cues, Questions, and Advance Organizers

Agreed, advance organizers help students focus their learning. A note-taking template(p76) is something that I will incorporate into my teaching all the while keeping in mind that "...a direct approach is most effective"(p77). Kidspiration and Inspiration software will provide the ability to project on board as we create graphic organizers in real time during class. These saved documents could be used for assessments. On the video topic I would like to know how you would suggest using the edit a video in my 7th and 8th grade Math classes. Lesson planning is taking on a new meaning!

Chapter 3 Providing Recognition

Audio E-mail and video conferencing are the topics that attract my attention in chapter 3. I think it would be great for me to learn how to give an audio message of praise and/or encouragement thru an email. Students and parents could view/hear these emails and possibly be aware of our positive regard for them and their efforts. Again, good communication is good communication.

Chapter 2 Providing Feedback

Wikis, blogs, instant messaging, and video conferencing are the tools that I believe can be used to enhance and enable communication between teacher and student. They will also provide great opportunity to reach parents in a method that can be shared by all. Page 42 of text says, "Games and simulations, for example, allow teachers and students to get near-instantaneous feedback during the learning process, allowing for immediate redirection or correction of misconceptions." It seems to me that the above mentioned tools are just a little more than games that we learn to play so as to enable us to play with others more frequently establishing a continum of learning and playing together. I can whole-heartedly buy in to that!

Introduction

Technology will be a greater part of our students lives than ever before. It is necessary for us, as teachers, to advance our knowledge about and how to use technology. Today's students require tomorrow's answers.