Engaging Math Problem Reflection

Engaging Math Problem

The purpose of my math problem is to provide a real life math problem that students can use throughout life to monitor their health and physical activity. My lesson integrated physical education with mathematics. Students had three main goals to achieve while conducting this experiment. First, students would find their resting heart rate and develop hypotheses of how physical activity would alter these pulse rates. Students then engaged in physical activities that included a pedometer as well as without, and then measured their pulses. Students would find the correlation between multiple pulses and then develop a graph of some sort to illustrate this. Although some formulas were provided, it was up to the students' discretion to determine which number to multiply by and to discover how time intervals and change of activity affected their heart rate. Adding on to this lesson, I would involve more mathematics by having students find their pulses while going various distances and at various degrees (slope up or down). Advanced students, primarily middle school students would be able to then create parabolas rather than bar graphs and such. Possible benefits of this process includes having a better understanding of health and pulse rate. Students should be able to later develop a physical fitness routine that they are comfortable with that includes time intervals of activities and should continue to record their pulse rates. Another benefit of this process is having students see the connection of time and effect in mathematics and apply to other medians. Students may become creative and expand on this idea as they work more toward physics and understanding different concepts. 

http://screencast.com/t/rzKV3EBZ

Instructional Software Evaluations for Mathematics

Instructional Software Evaluations for Mathematics 

http://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Interactives/

Purpose of NCTM and Recommendations of Practice

NCTM offers students and teachers an engaging and reliable way to expand on the mathematical concepts instructed in the classroom. This software includes problem solving practices that focus on Isometric Drawing, Geometry, Shapes, Algebraic thinking, Concentration, Number Operations, Geometry, Line of Best Fit, Tessellations, etc. Problems for students to engage in focus on critical thinking and creating new ways of knowledge such as 'Brain Rope' and 'Student Exploration in Math'. Teachers can use this software to locate new resources and lessons plans while aligning with the standards. NCTM demonstrates more of a direct learning experience while students can practice and enhance their learning from inside the classroom to outside the classroom.

http://pbskids.org/cyberchase/activities/

Purpose of Cyberchase and Recommendations of Practice 

Cyberchase Activities are provided and linked to PBS Kids. This software provides instructional games in which students are engaged in content and working through various instructional activities and games. Some of the Cyberchase activities include: 100 or Bust, 2D to 3D Morphing, Be Part of the Solution, Evaporation experiment, Cyber-Sodoku, and Temperature. Students are also able to view videos for fun and find a purpose in the math concepts. The games incorporate number sense, weight, mazes and marbles, talking calculators, and much more. Cyberchase is considered more of a direct approach in which the instruction is structured and skills are built upon in sequence form. 

http://www.mathcats.com/explore.html

Purpose of Mathcats and Recommendations of Practice 

Mathcats was a very interactive and fun software, in which I found new concepts and different ways of teaching and competing these concepts in activities. The software is inviting to the students right away by providing an interactive way to click on different questions and exploring methods. The home page shows the date and number day of the year, which I thought was a fun way to engage students right away. Students can then explore different Math cat portals and practice math. Some activities found on this software include: Architecture, Games, Fractions, Place Value, Story Problems, and more. The nice thing about this site is having a common theme of cats and having the students practice math with different cats in different ways. The software is fun and integrates many subjects such as Art, Weather, History, Geography, and Sports. There is also a link for students to view math terminology, which is helpful when trying new concepts. One thing I found very interesting was the math crafts that students can create such as, a polygon airport, symmetrical butterfly, or a tree of hexagons. Mathcats uses both direct and constructivist approaches. Students are able to expand on what they learn in the classroom while practicing these various exercises at home. Creating projects and doing activities hands on allows the students to develop their own knowledge and think creatively. 

Instructional Software Evaluations for Social Studies

Instructional Software Evaluations for Social Studies

http://www.pbslearningmedia.org/search/?q=&selected_facets=media_type_exact%3AInteractive&selected_facets=grades_exact%3A1&selected_facets=grades_exact%3A2&selected_facets=grades_exact%3A3&selected_facets=grades_exact%3A4&selected_facets=grades_exact%3A5&selected_facets=grades_exact%3A6&selected_facets=supplemental_curriculum_hierarchy_nodes%3A3026&selected_facets=

Purpose and recommendations of Practice for PBS Learning Media

PBS Learning Media has a broad range of topics to integrate for Social Studies. The software allows the students to specify exactly what they are looking to learn more about. The social studies unit is broken down into the following categories: Civics and Government, Elementary Social Studies, Geography, US History, World History, The Arts, and World Languages. A few of the sites I explored provided in depth of content with many visuals and ways to stay engaged. There are also related links to each topic, if a student wants to learn more about a certain era or event in history. Some of the links to this software include: Light pollution, Inside the Voting Booth, Civil War, Benjamin Franklin, Road to Revolution Game, President for the Day, and How does the Government affect me? PBS Learning Media tutorial site that uses direct and constructivist ways of teaching. Students are able to retain knowledge that is read, while enhancing their learning in interactive games and experiences. The sequence of ideas on this software are introduced to students in a sequence that would be instructed in the classroom. Alternative ways to stay engaged and expand on student learning is acquired through the related links and activities to have the student experience what life was like at a certain time in history. 

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/games/

Purpose and recommendations of Practice for National Geographic Kids

National Geographic Kids offers interactive drill and practice games and content. Students are able to explore various topics in social studies such as nature, Earth Day, Geography, and much more. Links such as explore.org can provide students with more of an insight into content presented. Trending topics will scroll across the home screen of the site and provide images and live cams for various experiences. This software provides both direct and constructivist teaching. Students are able to expand on what was learned in class by engaging in games that test their knowledge. National Geographic can be implemented in different medians and accessed for students outside the classroom as well. 

https://kids.usa.gov/social-studies/index.shtml

Purpose of kids.gov and recommendations of Practice

Kids.gov offers resources for both teachers and students. Teachers are able to access webcasts, activities and worksheets, and lesson plans. Students are engaged in problem solving and simulation experiences by exploring a day in the life of another culture, state facts, current events, countries and cultures, maps, games, and videos. All of these learning experiences focus on social studies issues such as Art and Music, Government, Money, Jobs, History, and Social Studies. This software provides a constructivist approach, in which students develop their own knowledge while learning more about these topics and then applying what they know to games and activities. Students develop an understanding of another culture and can shape their ways of learning by making connections and comparing cultures with similarities and differences. 

Instructional Software Evaluations

Simulation Software for Science 

http://www.digitalfrog.com

Purpose of Digital Frog Software 

The purpose of Digital Frog simulation software is to provide a site that conveys concepts and has students manipulate items to gain an understanding of the real world. Students are able to analyze and explore cell structures and functions of various plants and animals. Interactive simulations offer the opportunity to speed up processes that usually happen either faster or slower, in which students can see how events unfold. Opportunities for students to make the impossible possible happen such as exploring the Wetlands, Rain Forest, or Desert virtually and in a realistic and accurate possibility. Experiments are made safe for students such as having students involved in virtual dissections and operate biomass machines. The virtual aspect to this site saves money and time, while allowing for students to observe complex processes.

How can Digital Frog be used as practice? 

Digital Frog can be used as a physical simulation by allowing students to manipulate the products and processes on the screen. An example of a physical simulation from this site includes breaking apart and building the cell structure of a plant, animal, or prokaryotic cell. Students interests are raised by the provided facts and 3D models the site has to offer. Iterative simulations are introduced throughout this site by having students speed up or slow down the processes in life by exploring Food Webs, Photosynthesis, Erosion, and Flooding. This site is cost effective in terms of resources and materials. Digital Frogs incorporates more of a direct theory of teaching. Students are provided the knowledge of each topic found on this site and given activities and assessments to enhance their learning. Mastery learning is expressed by having students complete activities and assessments to build upon what was learned. Students are able to make connections by making multiple attempts with building on the framework of cells and systems in our environment. The dissection portion of the simulation software offers students a learning experience through behavior and building process of experiencing how events occur step by step.

http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/quizzes.html

Purpose of Science Kids Software

Science Kids instructional software offers multiple topics of science to be explored by students. Students can engage in science experiments such as creating a parachute, vinegar volcano, seed germination, quick sand, and much more. The software also offers games for students to play that focus on food chains, keeping yourself healthy, human health and growth, life cycle of a plant, teeth and eating, etc. The software expands on the students' knowledge of the topics: Living things, Physical Processes, Solids, Liquids, and Gases, Math Games, and Detective Science. The software includes facts, quizzes, projects, lessons, images, videos, and topic selections that are very resourceful for both the students and the teachers. 

How can Science Kids be used as practice?

Science Kids instructional software games help students to focus on various topics in science by providing games that focus on a primary subject and expand through various projects and experiments. The games and experiments on this site replace worksheets and exercises. Resources are conserved and costs remain minimum to use for future use. Students learn to work with one another on collaborating ideas and sharing their projects. As engaging as the games are to students, it can also be used as reward after math and science lessons. Science Kids provide both direct and constructivist theory. Students can see what they are learning in various medians and have the opportunity to engage in lessons that are both teacher and student centered. Students can develop their own knowledge by using these games outside the classroom and interact with the context. 

http://pbskids.org/games/science/

Purpose of PBS Kids Software

The purpose of PBS Kids Software is to provide Elementary Education Students with problem solving software that focuses on topics in science. These topics include: matching animals to their environment, measurement, technology, Earth, observing and experimenting, inventions, and engineering. This software demonstrates one of the benefits of problem-solving software by incorporating improved interest and motivation. 

How can PBS Kids be used as practice?

PBS can be used as a practice by implementing fun and educational games that can be inside and outside the classroom. There are 45+ Healthy Habits games, 34+ Engineering Games, and 22 more topics to explore on PBS. Students can also expand on their knowledge of the various content areas by watching educational tv at home on PBS, and then using what they know to test their skills and knowledge online throughout games and experiences. This software is more constructed, in which students gain an understanding of the content by exploring the site and engaging in sites and watching educational tv. Students will be able to connect the subjects and their content while engaging in the provided games and exploring the related links. 

Engaging Math Problem

http://screencast.com/t/rzKV3EBZ

Instructional Software Jing

http://screencast.com/t/lcFK8O7z7n

Instructional Software

How can Instructional Software sites be used to increase Student Engagement? 

Today, teaching with instructional software is very important considering the demands of student learning and the progressive ways in which our society is developing. Two sites that I have come across throughout my EEC 344 course include Poll Everywhere and Google Forms. These sites increase student engagement by providing a directed instruction and reliable way to communicate ones' thoughts and responses though an electronic site. Student answers are submitted and can be viewed by the teacher and classmates depending on the privacy mode set. Links to these audience response systems are provided at the bottom of this post. 

Benefits of using selected Technology Instructional Software

The various types of Integration Strategies for Instructional Software Functions are listed below:

Drill and Practice: Used instructionally for skill practice. Benefits include: immediate feedback, motivation, and saving teacher time. 
Tutorial: Used instructionally for information delivery. Benefits include: self-contained and self-paced instruction.
Simulation: Used instructionally for demonstration and exploration. Benefits include: compress time, slow down processes, get students involved, experiments are made safe, impossible is made possible, save money and resources.
Instructional games: Used instructionally for skill practice and exploration. Benefits include: students are focused on curriculum topic, substitute for worksheets and exercises, and cooperative group working skills. 
Problem solving: Used instructionally for skill practice and exploration. Benefits include: improved interest and motivation, learn both knowledge and application at same time.

Information gathered from Chapter 3: Teaching with Instructional Software

http://www.polleverywhere.com

https://www.google.com/work/apps/business/products/forms/?utm_source=bingyahoo&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=na-us-en-forms-bkws-gafw-trial-e&utm_content=text&utm_term=google%20forms