Service Project: Day #2

I am having the best time with this group of children. Ava is obviously making this entire experience so much fun! 

Today, I met with the group again to discuss the different ways we can look for information about our topic. The children’s teacher allowed us to use their computer lab to search for resources. One difficulty we encountered were the lack of easy-to-find resources on the Internet about the Civil Rights Movement. Although there are clear TEKS on the subject, there is very little information for children to access about this subject. I helped the children navigate through the Internet looking for sites and we realized by putting “for kids” after each search, it narrowed the search immensely. 
When searching through the internet, I reminded the children about the different ways using the internet for resources. 

By using a “guide by side” approach, this allowed the children to take charge of they wanted to look for and in the end we were able to put together a great list of internet resources. The children were asked to make a list about the types of things they are able to do everyday. We explained that these are their "rights".  Tomorrow we will put these on a spreadsheet. I am really excited to see what the children come up with!

Service Project Day #1

When deciding on a service project, I immediately thought it would be fun to work with a group of 1st graders. Fortunately for me, finding a first grade class to work with was easy! I only had to walk down the hall of my sweet daughter's school. This project will be done by a small group of first graders and one almost first grader and led by myself. Ava will be updating her blog as she and her group go through their lesson. 

This group has been working on different history aspect so we will be working on a Civil Rights lesson. When deciding on this lesson, I had to make sure that the subject matter was both in keeping with the TEKS for this subject but also developmentally appropriate. The essential questions proposed for this lesson are in keeping with the target age group as well as thought provoking. By preparing a standard KWL chart, I was able to gain insight on what the students knew about the Civil Rights movement, what they wanted to learn and at the end of our session, what they learned. 

I'm excited about the upcoming days and hope you enjoy the progress as we go! Stay tuned...

Assistive Technology

Assistive technology is any device that helps a person with a disability complete an everyday task. As a student, being able to perform everyday tasks can mean academic success of failing a course. This type of technology was recognized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1997.  Assistive technology is technology used by individuals with disabilities in order to perform functions that might otherwise be difficult or impossible. Assistive Technology is absolutely necessary for a student with disabilities academic success. Our University has amazing Disability Services to offer on site. While touring the Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi Assistive Technology Lab, I was amazed to see all the equipment and aids available for the students. From assistive listening devices to digital recorders, this lab has everything! 

The following website offers information on different types of Assistive Technology available!! 

RehabTool.com 

Know your Rights! (Copyrights, that is...)

Copyright ©...

We've all seen this symbol. You know.. The little C nestled inside the slightly larger circle..

As educators, we will most likely share material with our students. Here's the thing..

If you don't have permission from the owner of the material, it may be illegal to show or share it!

Here's the GOOD NEWS:

There are ways around sharing works that have copyrights, but you have to know the rules.

Fair Uses

According to the very knowledgeable, Denise Landry-Hyde, Library Extraordinaire at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Mary and Jeff Bell Library, Fair Use 'gives us, as educators some latitude, to use the material in our teaching and  learning. Most teachers access the information to educate their students rather than use the material for financial gain.  This allows educators to use copyrighted material without obtaining permission.'  

4  factors should be considered when determining if a use is fair use:

1. Purpose and character: The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes;
2. Nature of copyrighted work: The nature of the copyrighted work;
3. Amount used: The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
4. Market effect: The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Guess what? I can use the video above by giving Renee Hobbs, the creator, credit!!

Sharing information with your students can be a great tool, but you just have to know how!

 

 

The Secret Powers of Spreadsheets...in the classroom

Of all the tools discussed in helping to create a well informed classroom, spreadsheets probably have the most uses in the math classroom. The most common use of this tool is to organize data and create charts and graphs, but that is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to this powerful tool. However, it is up to the user to discover what these uses are. This makes the spreadsheet the ultimate tool for discovery, practice, and an excellent form of assessment. When experimenting with a prepared spreadsheet, it was amazing to see the different ways you can manipulate it to serve your own individual needs. It is a great resource to have in the classroom and in life.

iMovie and Me

Making a movie seems tedious. Making a movie for a class project...even more tedious. I will admit that the whole experience was quite fun. I completely understand the idea behind using these types of tools in the classroom. The entire process takes a great deal of imagination and creativity. It really was interesting to see how my 13 year old wanted to contribute. From the different camera angles to the sound effects, my short movie, The Environment and My Habits, was extremely fun to put together. When researching which program to use, I decided on iMovie. This software was really easy to use and although it had many options, it was simple enough for anyone to use.