Google Sites My Very Own Website!

Today I made my very own website. 

It wasn't terribly difficult, but it wasn't the easiest thing I've done on the internet either.  I think this is one of those assignments that I will definitely be going back to in order to tweek and make improvements as I have more time to play with it.

Anyone can have a website in this day and age.  Simply go to the Google Sites web page, sign in and create one.  I'm really glad that they now have templates.  I have said it before, and I'll repeat it again, I am not the most creative card in the deck.  I like that the templates are colorful, as well as, professional or whimsical.  They have a nice selection to suit many needs.

This is something that my students have actually been asking me about.  Some of them would like to have their own website.  I told them that I would be learning how to create one on an easy user friendly platform, and when I did, I would share that knowledge with them.  I have a feeling April and May are going to be a very busy month in Mrs. Stephens' class, but also very enjoyable and productive months.  I am excited to see the sites they create.  I plan on having them upload several projects from each unit this year, so they have a place to keep their e-portfolios.  They are already using "Dropbox", but this will give them something with more personality to showcase their work alongside their fun and interests.

The NETS addressed in this assignment were:

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:

a.	demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
b.	collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
c.	communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.
d.	model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

Rubrics

A rubric is a scoring tool that teachers use to assess their students' work on a specific assignment.  Each type of assignment will have its own tailor made style rubric. You make a rubric by printing out a set of criteria and standards (these should be reflective of the stated CSO's.) in a grid form.  You then give point values to each set of expectations. Obviously, the closer the student comes to the objective, the higher the score.  The great thing about a rubric is that there is no guess work for the student.  The teacher has communicated exactly what he or she expects and what score will be given for the level of work achieved.  A rubric can be used on a vast array of work, ranging from individual essays to group projects.  It also helps the teacher to stay focused on exactly what he or she is looking for.  Lets face it.  All of us who teach and have had 100 or more multi page essays to grade don't grade them all in one sitting.  A rubric helps you to stay more objective when you are in different moods and settings while you're check. (i.e. at your desk during planning vs. at home on the sofa with a cup of coffee.)  Please note, it is also very important to go over the rubric with the class in order to clarify your instructions and answer questions.

I had no idea that this website existed. THANK YOU Dr. Pierce!!  This has just made my life so much easier.  I am a big proponent of using a rubric and have spent way too many hours putting them together.  I love this thing!  For this assignment, I put together a rubric for my Computer Applications class.  We will be doing PowerPoint presentations when we come back from Spring break, and this made my job this weekend much easier.  Here is a link to my rubric.
Here is snapshot of the rubric.

I also appreciate the fact that you can share this on Rubistar by either saving it directly to their website or uploading it to Google.  Of course, you also have the option to simply print it and make it temporary so that it only stays there for a week.  As a teacher, though, I share everything and love the fact that there are plenty of other teachers out there in the education community willing to do the same thing.

The NETS most prevalent to this assignment are:
1c.promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes.
2b.develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.
2d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching.
5.by sharing your information, Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers:

Excel 2 T-Test

This assignment is a continuation of the last assignment.  We are using the same basic data, but digging a little deeper this time and using T-test to see if there is a significant difference between male and female achievement.  Our hypothesis is that there is a significant difference (greater than 5%) between male and female Reading Test Scores.  The null hypothesis is, therefore, there in not a significant difference.  In other words, less than 5%.

So, in order to do this, I had to go back into the Excel workbook and reopen the sheet containing all the information from NAEP's 2011 4th grade reading results.  I then went back into the data analysis tool pack within Excel and used the t-Test, two sample assuming equal variances option.  After selecting the data to be compared, boys versus girls, I let the computer do its thing.  Here are the results:

Because both 1.6% and 3.2% are less than 5%, I must accept the Null Hypothesis.  There is not a significant difference between male and female scores at the 4th grade reading level in 2011.

Since I teach in a high school, I could actually use this activity to show them where we are ranking.  On a bright note, the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia actually has much better scores, but it would be interesting to get their take on how we might be able to improve scores across the state.  I like doing activities like this with my students.  It really gets them thinking and they take ownership when it involves them and real world information.  It also forces Mrs. Stephens to keep up with her statistical skills.

The NETS standards represented here are:

3b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.   5a. participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning. 5c. evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning.

Excel 1 Basic Skills Score Comparisons

For this assignment, I went to the NCES site and looked at the state comparisons section in order to see how my state of WV did in regard to 4th grade reading scores compared to the other states and District of Columbia.  Unfortunately, it would seem that in 2011 our scores were less than stellar when compared to our neighboring states and the national average.  As a teacher in WV, I have already seen these results, but it still really leaves a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach every time I see them.  At any rate, here is where we fall. West Virginia ranked #41 out of 51 in this category (2011 4th grade Reading Scores.)  We had 41 states above us and 9 states including the District of Columbia trailed us.

Once the above data was gathered, I transferred it into Excel and using the Data Analysis Tool Pack add in, was able to calculate descriptive statistics for the selected data ranges.  For the totals range(rounded to the nearest thousandth), the average scale score was 220.408 and the standard deviation was 6.752.  West Virginia's actual score was 214.386.  I then created a scatter plot graph to give a visual representation of where we fall in the mix.

As this shows, WV still has a long way to go to catch up reading achievement on a statewide level.  I appreciated this assignment, because I was able to take numerical information in a list form and create a visual representation of it, which I personally find easier to digest.  Like "they" say, "A picture is worth a thousand words."  And, for many learners, a picture really does convey the overall message much more quickly and memorably.  We still need access to the mundane data, however, in order to get into details and back it all up.

The NETS standards used in this assignment are:

3. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers:

a.	demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations.
b.	collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation.
c.	communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats.
d.	model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning.

5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership

    Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers:
    a.   participate in local and global learning communities to explore creative applications of technology to improve student learning.

Google Earth Map Assignment 4

For this assignment, I used the map that I had already created with the Civil War battles of West Virginia, but went a step further with it.  Here, I changed my map to the KML option in Google Maps so that I could transfer it into Google Earth.  Presto!  Now my map looks like a satellite image as opposed to a road map.




Maybe its just my computer, but I really didn't notice a difference between the detail in the KML on Google Maps and Google Earth.  Also, when I looked up my house in Google Earth, the image was really old.  We're talking five years old.  I also noticed the resolution was very low when you tried to tighten up the view.  I searched around, but didn't find a way to change resolution.  Is there such an animal?  If there is, and you are reading this post, please tell me how to change it or update the date of images in a comment below. :) It would be very much appreciated.

Once again, the NETS demonstrated by this exercise are definitely 1. Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity.  This would be especially helpful when looking at geological features.  The detail of seeing mountains, plateaus, water depth, sand bars, etc. is really interesting.  I actually used this to look over the East Coast of the US to see where the slope of the coast and water depth are lower.  I like a wide beach with a gentle slope into the ocean.  I hate big drops!
This would also be a fun and creative way to either review or assess material taught, thereby citing NETS #2, and, of course, anytime students can see NETS 3, Model digital age work and learning being used by the teacher and better yet, they get to use it, there is going to be a positive response.  Students like using digital technology and they will pay closer attention and hopefully retain more because of the added attention and satisfaction of actually enjoying the assignment.

Map Virtual Field Trip to Civil War Battle Fields in WV. Map 3

In this assignment, I created a map to go with a lesson on The Civil War.  More specifically, the location of several battles within the state of West Virginia.  My map ended up containing eleven identified battle sights. The sites are color coded and include a legend with the name of the battle and the date (month and year) that the battle took place.

This is a great thing to know how to do, and I can see where many teachers could use this, especially in the Social Studies classroom.  I'm not really sure how I would tie it into Office 2010 or Desktop Publishing, but I definitely will be showing my students how to do this toward the end of the year.  I think this would be great for them to use for projects, reports, etc.I'm sure that my students would probably be a little faster with the application than I was too.  Although, I thought this was really cool, it also took me forever to complete it.  Each time I would try to add a marker, the program kept wanting to put in advertisements along with the place that I wanted to mark.  I'm sure as I continue to use this, I will work out the kinks and figure out what I could do to avoid that. :)

The NETS demonstrated by this exercise are definitely 1. Facilitate and Inspire student learning and creativity.  It never ceases to amaze me how students excel when given new tools to work with.  I could see dividing them into groups and letting them brainstorm ways they could use this application and then turning them loose to create it!
This would also be a fun and creative way to either review or assess material taught, thereby citing NETS #2, and, of course, anytime students can see NETS 3, Model digital age work and learning being used by the teacher and better yet, they get to use it, there is going to be a positive response.  Students like using digital technology and they will pay closer attention and hopefully retain more because of the added attention and satisfaction of actually enjoying the assignment.