Judy+K

=Day one=

morning
1. What are your feelings about video games in general? -/+ I can't play video games because I have a history of getting addicted. I love all games. I now only play games with other people so I won't develop back into this monster who can't quit. My children have great stories about me and computer games; it is embarassing. Naturally, you know what my answer will be to question two today.

2. What are your feelings about video games as learning tools? + Any time I can take students to the computer lab to do interactive sites for science, all my students will be involved. If the learning is in the form of a game, I rarely have anyone off task unless they have found a way to go around a school filter. The more action there is, the more attentive students tend to be. If I can incorporate the state science standards into this gaming format, I believe students will enjoy the process of learning. I have really positive feelings about games!

Midday Questions 1. What brings you here/ why are you here? I am always looking for new ways to present my subject. This seems to be a great idea. The money really helps, too. Most all the technology teacher programs I have participated in with NC State are very high quality if money is attached. This seems to be another opportunity of that caliber.

2. What are you excited about? Creating the games and involving students.

3. What are you concerned about? 1) Time. I know this always takes more time than I anticipate. 2) I expect gliches in the classroom. All the great things I have learned with technology re never straight forward; they often have insurmountable obstacles when translated to the school site. State does some of the best work around in Education; I am hoping the support will be there for my school when we hit snags.

ShutDown/PowerOff Reflect on workshop for today: I am wondering how to use the storyline I created with this software. I have faith that I can adjust everything to fit the available scenes but the unknown portion of the games concerns me. I don't want to have one more project that takes inordinate amounts of time because I didn't plan well. This is fairly straight forward, thank goodness!!! Have a good evening, folks, if you are reading this! See you Tuesday.

Day Two
1. How do I use technology in my classroom? Computer and calculator technology: I use CBL's with students in groups of two students to collect data for temperature, reflectance data, pH, conductivity and water testing. I will add the labs this year for photosynthesis with Dennis Johnson at the Science House. I intend to use the motion detector this year to help math teachers with slope for 8th graders; our students are having difficulty with the concept. To reinforce skills for the computer test in 8th grade: I teach computer skills with databases for element properties and excell spreadsheets with water testing data. Students apply computer skills with their science research paper and preparing their science project. I use simulations for aquatic/terrestial food webs in the NCSCOS and for virus and disease mysteries.

I use GPS for geology goals, longitude and lattitude and to discuss groundtruthing and remote sensing, I use United Streaming for videos, powerpoints for lesson preps, and students use power points for projects. We gaggle. I use games on discovery video discs for individual tutoring. I use Quia games that I make for my units and review. I make Jeopardy and Win a million games....that hasn't been too effective. I also have the microscope cam that attaches to the tv but I am not real strong in this area.

Mid day

How does your technology that your currently use enhance your students' knowledge and your teaching? I only teach goal directed labs and technology applications. Videos are the least effective way I teach...too many ways to miss parts of the videos.

Every thing I taught with the CBL this year, the students remembered at the end of the year. They remembered labs I had forgotten that I did with them. I think the science fair project and other projects were good because students had to apply technology skills they had been taught. Frequently, they couldn't do a step of the project that required applying what they had learned in computer...just like me with the gaming. They had to do it themselves to internalize the skills. I was suprised at the things they had not internalized.

Students tend to learn the process without getting the big idea. The concept takes many approaches.

How do you know? With hands on work you see it! However, I am not getting higher level thinking skills that I desire with all of my students.

Shut down, power off
I am tired but I think I am learning alot. So many mistakes help me learn...I don't know I am where I should be.

Warm Up: My teaching
I am hands on; I do labs whenever I can. Some years, I did a lab almost everyday on the block in high school. Students do not always like this is middle school because it takes more thinking and work on their part. I also like to use computer technology but I can't always get to the labs...this has been the same problem in Wake, Chatham, Lee and Buncombe Counties. I always have to have a back up plan. I have learned the most wonderful uses of computers but I cannot implement the lessons. I was able to sneak in more computer work this year because 8th grade teachers had to teach skills for the computer test.

I have modified my labs to be different levels. Inquiry with many of the exploration concepts, skill development in the middle levels and a true (to me) inquiry lab at the end of a unit or subunit to apply what the students have learned. Students remember what they do; my challenge is to do the inquiry to help them apply. I hardly ever have time for videos so I use segments from United Streaming. My students behave best doing worksheets; that is how they have been taught.

It is getting harder and harder to do my hands on labs because I have very little planning time devoted to science. I am always having to meet about something else. This is really weird because science teachers tend to do staff development with experts but the middle schools think you need staff development during the year during your planning.

W**ork Out Lunch:**

My students seem to learn best by worksheets if you are looking in the room. Many don't remember what they've done but they are very comfortable with worksheets and bookwork.

I think they remember best with hands on, interactive learning. A few will always love musich and do the atoms by Addams family songs. Most are visual learners.

I see my mission as teaching them to learn by many different learning styles but primarily teach them how to work comfortably in groups or partners to do labs. I was a chemist before teacher and I do labs primarily and help students adapt to this because I touch so many different learning styles as we work through the process.


 * Reflection**: Today is a much better day. I am getting an vision of where I am going. I think I can even get there.

=**Day Four**= Morning: //What do you do well when connecting with your students?// > Reflection Today was not as productive but I know where I am going. I crashed and burned way too much in save mode. I like this laptop. Thanks for all the headaches. We love you guys.**Shut Down/Power Off: How do you see this game as a tool for connecting with your students? Are you kidding! Students will think this is so cool. They will be so helpful to critique the games. This is an element missing at my middle school. I have always had a computer guru in every high school group I've taught. At East, I had to develop these people. The population at East does not have access to computers and that is a trememdous handicapp for them and me. Students who gravitate to games may not be connected with other types of curriculum presentations. When we start showing students what we have done in HIFIVES, we will hook them.
 * Students trust me. It takes them a while to realize that I'm old and not cool but that I have more time now and we can do more cool things on our team because I can plan more.
 * Many students respond well to labs because the time flies by quickly for them.
 * If I am doing my famous safe explosions and labs requiring fire, they love it.
 * They are very impressed with technology labs.
 * They love my outdoor labs; many do not know we have a pond beside the playground.
 * I took them to the beach this year for 3 days; they connected most through teaching them to crab. I thought this was the best my team has done with connections early in the year. When we got scholarships for some of our students' expenses to the beach, that made a statement.
 * //Do you have any concerns about connecting with your students?//Do you have any concerns about connecting with your students?
 * I have something to do everyday in class that is curriculum related; many students hate that. They especially hate it if we have a team member who is not teaching very much. It takes a while for me to convert them. I try to choose fun academic things that are still intellectually honest. I also don't dumb down topics; I expect them to learn to think and understand the big picture. Many successful students just want to learn the facts and quit. At the end of the year they appreciate what I've done to keep them focused but this is a struggle during the first part of the year. I hate fighting the dress code problems; that builds a barrier with many students.
 * It is really hard to connect with many of my students because of the poverty and family structures my students have. It is hard to imagine not even being able to put a balloon in a freezer as a take home lab or have to worry about having cornstarch for a take home lab. I constantly have to rethink poverty solutions to teaching. I had to buy boards for science fair projects for some of my students. One ESL child worked so hard but she couldn't do her project at home; it was so crowded she was afraid the agar plates would be ruined. She could only store them under her bed and she had 5 little kids in the mobile home.
 * Afternoon:
 * What interested you in video games as a form of teaching? The kids love games. They will work on videos dvd's I have if they get to do the logic games at the end of the topics. This has always worked. When I taught high school, I was not allowed to take a group of students who couldn't pass a competency exam to my physics/chem classroom. Everyone was afraid they would tear it up. Well the computers were in my classroom. I got all kind of games to teach basic math skills and put them on computers. The only time I had problems with them was on a mid year exam that they had to take in each course. They were so unsuccessful in school that they acted horrible because they knew they couldn't do a paper test. The computers let them work hard and get bells and jingles for correct answers. Kids love the newer games now; it is addictive...just let me get on a game!
 * **Shut Down/Power Off:
 * Reflection Today was not as productive but I know where I am going. I crashed and burned way too much in save mode. I like this laptop. Thanks for all the headaches. We love you guys.
 * Day 5**
 * Morning:**

//Who supports and who benefits from your participation in this project?//
 * Afternoon:**


 * I think we have support from Cindy Johnson as well as Dr. Tom Harvley-Felder, our principal. Dr. Tom told me today that he thought this year would be a tighten up year to apply what we have been learning and focus on our technology workshop with HiFives. That was very good news. In fact he was concerned that the system would not support our programs; apparently the size will increase from 5 to 10 in January which we be in sync with our game development schedule.
 * A large group will benefit: I will, my students will, my school's reputation will grow and hopefully, other professional who will be able to use our products. The old MECC program about a lake with the food web was once so popular; students would start using it in elementary school and still enjoy using it in high school. I see educational games like that.

//What other technology do you wish you could use or have support for?// __With this project__: more laptops computers -- we will have 14 on a cart (hopefully) and **most important** __reliable computer connections__. We are not wired the same as West no matter what people say; our labs don't work well. We have had strange problems all school year. I think that is why the lab was at West instead of East. We don't have communications that are reliable where technology is concerned; I had to argue on the technology committee to get laptops that it would not take $200,000 to set up. I only know these logical facts because I talk to Danita and people at West.

__Outside this project__: CBL technology: my school has more units than any place I've worked yet I am the only teacher using them. I have written another Jordan grant to try to get staff development funds. We have such a high rate of turn over in teachers and so many lateral entry teachers that the technology has been ignored. I really think the remaining stable teachers could benefit from CBL training but science is an ignored area.

Reflection**
 * Shut Down/Power Off: