Technology Lesson

I really enjoyed teaching my technology enhanced lesson. I feel like it was a very rewarding experience for both the students and myself. I was asked to teach the students' math time which was about the difference between pounds and ounces. We learned the material and then tested the students knowledge on a Jeopardy game. I used PowerPoint to create an interactive Jeopardy game about pounds and ounces. I plugged my laptop into a cable that connected it to the television in the classroom. I was able to click along as the students played.

It went very well. The students had a lot of fun and learned a lot from being quizzed in a different way like that. I also was able to increase my confidence level of using technology. It was fairly easy to set up and carry out and I thought it was a good experience.

Technology-Enhanced Lesson Idea

My teacher has asked me to teach multiple phonics lessons. Most of these lessons require me to have an interactive learning where the students will come up with examples and share them aloud to the class. I think that instead of just using the whiteboard that I will try to create a fun and exciting PowerPoint presentation that will show examples in a whole new way. I will use the laptop and projector that are shared throughout the school and display it for the students.

Classroom Technology Inventory

I have been trying to see how the teacher and students use technology in their daily routines. There is a not a great deal of sophisticated technology used. The teacher does make use of her television and DVD player which is in the room. However, this is about the extent of it that occurs in the classroom.
The students go to the Computer Lab two times a week. They are there for about a half hour and get the chance to play around with the computers. There are two reasonably sized labs in the school and all of the students get the opportunity to use them. Other than this, there is not a great deal of technology that I have observed over the week.

Indigenous People Virtual Tour

Link to American Indigenous People Virtual Tour: 

sites.google.com/site/sarahsstuffsite/my-files 

Virtual Tour TPAK

The technology in this project will deal with Google Earth.
The pedagogy will involve the teacher to use hands on activities with images from Google Earth to create a learning opportunity for students.
The knowledge students will be gaining is that of ancient, indigenous people. They will look about the history of the Americas and where to find some ancient ruins of different tribes.

Social Constructivism

Stand-Alone Thinking:



This lesson can be taught using stand-alone thinking. This is because although there is a bit of new information regarding the Sun that is given to students, the bulk of the lesson involves reading thermometers and is focused on temperature. Students already have this background knowledgea and it will not be difficult for them to master this task. Students will listen to “Here Comes the Sun” by the Beatles and a class discussion will be led discussing their current knowledge about the Sun. We will discuss the planets' rotations around the Sun. Students will physically stand up and act out the parts of the planets orbiting. The students will be able to understand the Sun as they use these actions.



Many students have preconceived notions about the Sun or ideas they have heard which may or may not be accurate. These thoughts the students will share will allow a dialectical relationship to be exhibited. The teacher will be able to provide the accurate facts on the subject and students will begin to change some of their ideas. The teacher, or the more knowlegeable other, will teach some basic facts about the Sun:



The sun is a star that produces heat and light. The sun has rays that provide the heat and light that is essential for life on Earth. It supports life through photosynthesis in plants, and provides warmth and light. In addition to supporting life on Earth, sunlight is critical to human physical and psychological well-being. The benefits of the sun include keeping Earth’s temperatures warm enough to sustain life, providing light, and helping plants grow by providing food.The Sun provides heat and light energy (amongst other forms of energy) that are vital for life on Earth. This occurs because heat travels to cooler places. The interior of the sun reaches temperatures of almost 16 million degrees C, (28.8 million F).



Students will then begin their learning activity which focuses on temperature from the Sun. The cultural tool of thermometers will be used, as students monitor and record temperatures throughout the day.




Divide the students into groups.
Pass out construction paper, scissors, glue, and rulers to make temperature pockets.
Instruct students to measure two 6” x 6” inch squares of each color. Glue three sides together to form a pocket.
Review how to read a thermometer.
Students place strip thermometers inside the pockets and place all four pockets outside in the sun for the first part of the experiment.
Students predict what they think the temperatures will be for each color of pocket.
Check the pockets periodically for morning temperatures and for afternoon temperatures.
Record temperatures. *Variations may include placing the pockets in a shaded area and check for temperatures during the following day.
Journal the results and compare. Have students journal the steps used to experiment with the pockets and thermometers. (Draw pictures) Did the color of the paper make a difference in the heat recorded? Where was the pocket placed directly in the sun, in a shaded area? Consider questions such as: Which color of paper do you think will heat up the most? And why the students think there is a difference in the temperature.

The students will continue to leave the thermometers outside and check the temperatures periodically as the seasons change.

As students work closely with classmates and receive slight guidance from the more knowledgeable other, they will be working in their zone of proximal development. They will be able to stretch themselves just enough that learning and mastery will take place.

The set up of this lesson provides the students with much needed scaffolding. As the lesson begins there is a small amount of teacher instruction and review of material about the Sun. The students are then given instructions for the hands on activity. This activity allows the students to primarily work independently with a small amount of teacher assistance if needed. As the students continue to check the thermometers periodically they will do so indpendently and record the information without any teacher aid.

Virtual Tour Plan

Location	Activity	Google Earth Content
1. Palenque, Mexico	Students will research a symbol of the Mayan culture and its meaning.	Panoramorio Palenque Mayan Temple
2. Aztec, New Mexico	Students make temples out of popsicle sticks.	Panoramorio Aztec National Museum
3. Tiwanaku, Bolivia	Students will create Sun masks	Gate of the Sun
4. Holbrook, Arizona	Students reflect on what it would be like to have millions of new people move onto their native land.	Wigwam Motel
Details of image overlay / path / polygon:	Image overlay: Wigwam Village #6 over Holbrook, AZ

3rd Grade Social Studies: Standard 2: Objective 2: a.