BatchGEO

View SU.ED Techies in a full screen map
BATCH-GEO of our Class

I added my address to the chart that was given to us in the assignment.  I copied the entire list and pasted into the GeoBatch page.  The map above is the result.  I found it very interesting that we have quite a diverse team; from Africa to England to  Arizona. After I uploaded the map, an email was sent to my SU address and I copied the link. I went to the blog and embedded it into the blog.

As I have written in other blogs, my special education class is studying The American Revolution.  I would use this to show the class where the money was coming from to finance the Revolution. I could use it as a summative quiz.  The students can add the addresses in the application after they learn what countries supported the Colonists and make another one to show what countries supported England.

In terms of SAMR, this application goes beyond the text book and maps and the children can add the locations themselves.  It is an interactive activity and visual for children who have issues with seeing "the big picture"

NUMBERS 1.3

Well, this was not easy. I am NOT good with math by any means. Here is my work.

The assignment was to analyze data related the the reading abilities of 8th graders nationwide. I computed the Standard Deviation, Mean, Median, Average, Minimum and Maximum.  I sorted them from smallest to largest for all students. 

The females scored an average of 271.70 compared to the male's score of 261.53. This would indicate that females are better at reading than makes in the 8th grade nationwide.  If I were a reading teacher I would suggest an intervention for the males nationwide to increase their scores. 

  

  I'm from Pennsylvania and we scored a 272.19th overall!!

I wasn't sure how to get the program to do what I wanted it to do so I watched this tutorial .
I wanted to add my business website so I looked up another video .  Pretty easy.  I did not want to add too much personal information but overall I liked this application. SAMR -I would not use it as a resume but I would have the children use it for a presentation.  It would replace the power point and would be visually appealing.  I like the features like adding music, photos, websites and customizing.  Here is the Presi that I made.

The Excel IF Factor

In order to understand what I was supposed to do, I watched this video on how to use the If factor in excel. I was successful in transferring a number grade to a letter grade.  Here is the spreadsheet

I could use this formula in many ways in my class.  As someone whose organizational skills need help, I can have all my students grades, averages and letter grades all in one spot.  In terms of SAMR, it is replacing the old fashioned grade book. but it is in between the augmentation and modification level because the technology allows for many different features such as alphabetizing and organizing form lowest grade to highest. 

In terms of the 5 different standards listed below from the ISTE standards, it relates to number 3: model digital age work and learning. 

1. Facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity  

2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments

3. Model digital age work and learning

4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility

5. Engage in professional growth and leadership

From the article about the ISTE standards for teachers. 

Picasso Head

I used Picasso Head to draw a self-portrait.  I saved it and sent it to my email, but it never showed up. I did another portrait but used Jing to capture the image so that I didn't lose it again.  

I would use this program in my class.  I have students who are special ed. and they do have issues with self-esteem and do not take a great deal of pride in themselves. I think this activity will be a nice supplementary activity on a social skills lesson about accepting themselves and others. 

Jing Screenshot Movie

MAKING A MOVIE



This is the link to the Video  .  

I used the Jing crosshairs to pull in as much of the screen that I thought would be helpful. I saved the screen capture by using screencast.com.

I saved the image to the screencast.com. The link to the video is http://screencast.com/t/Mhle0OwGy I copied the URL and pasted into the upload. The Jing 'Sun'  has 3 prongs. What does each prong do?

One is the cross hairs that captures the images. The middle one is the library that holds all the pictures and videos in one place. The third one has the options:done, send feedback,preferences, help and quit.

JING

JING 

I used  Jing to capture part of an interview with a parent.  I used it to show the different themes that are present in a transcript from a parent of a student with disabilities.  I copied the image and then used the arrow features to add notes from the transcript.  This is helpful when I am trying to code information for my dissertation.  I could also send it to my committee to see if I am correctly coding the information.

Special Education Teaching and the SAMR Model

The SAMR model in every day teaching life

My students are very unique.  School and learning is something that they do not like to do.  It is very difficult to motivate them.  Until this class I would have never thought that they would use the computer or internet for anything more than typing a paper, working on a school approved math program like Dream box, or searching you tube for the latest Justin Beiber video. 

After reading articles and watching the video on SAMR, I embarked on using technology in a different way in my class. At first I was using technology as a substitution for paperwork.  The kids would write papers, fill in the blanks for worksheets and watch movies on famous Americans. Useful yes, no real functional change.  

Since I teach elementary school special education I am limited on how global I can get with my students.  I did have the children start a blog and each week I give them a topic and they write about it.  So far they have written about the blizzard, sports stars they admire and next week we will vote on what the topic will be. So far we have a request for best video games.  I am VERY pleased with the results so far.  

In terms of the SAMR model, we are at the modification level.  If I were teaching high school we would be able to move to the redefinition level because of the less stringent rules concerning internet usage and students.  For us, the blog is a way to research, find videos, and learn the basics of writing.  The children have reached a level where they are excited to write, they want to write and they are requesting that we blog when there is a break in the day. I can not share it globally because of their age and I have a password so that parents can view the blogs.  

The SAMR model has made me look at the way I use technology and how technology allows for  significant redesign of a task in the way I teach.  

Excel-Why wouldn't you use it!                                                      Everyday I use Excel.  I have  a data based job where decisions are made based on the data that is collected.   I use it to determine is behavior plans are effective and whether or not the students are making progress.  

I am terrible in math. I know what I am supposed to do but I just can't put it all together as easily as this.   Finding the formulas are easy and make sense.  I like the copy feature because one does not have to re-enter all the information that is in the cells.  

Here is the entire spread sheet 

  Being a visual learner, these charts are great, especially when you need to explain the results of the data. Here is an example of what I use in school. One of students has pretty aggressive behavior. We took data on what kind of behavior at what time of day to see if there was a correlation.

It seems like my student is NOT a morning person.  He is also very bad wih transition.  The tally at the end is the total of behaviors.