music

One of this simplest and most effective tool for thinking is classical music. It is a great sound monitor and keeps the students focused as well as relaxed. We have iTunes downloaded and play the music through the laptop and connected speakers. Another class that I have been in the past 2 days does not have iTunes, but has several CDs with classical music on it that I play on the teacher's computer through Windows Media Player. Music is essential for creating a mood conducive to learning, concentrating and comfort.

CPS!!!

Well, I finally got the adapter to make the CPS work throught the laptop and projector and the adapter doesn't work. GEEZ!!! We ran it throught the school computer and the TV (tiny!!!) because I really wanted to use the CPS game that I had created. It was so neat and the students thoroughly enjoyed getting to use their own remotes. I loved that you can print off many types of reports to see how well each student did on each question. I wish there were a way to penalize those who push the button 100 times just to punch it. I would like to find out if there is a database of science questions because it takes a lot of time to imput them. The other science teacher has made a coule of databases and we share so that helps. I really think that although it was a game, the students had the privacy of a quiz and it made them really think because they were under the scrunity of their peers. A must need in every school!!

Tech. Support annoyance

I am wondering if everyone else has the same headache about getting technical support as I do. I emailed a month ago about a part and nothing was ever done about it. I emailed again about the part and the fact that our laptop was no longer getting the Internet. The tech. guy finally showed up to tell us he will find another cord for the Internet, but still didn't have the part that I need on Monday!!! Certainly, as big of a push as we have to integrate technology into our classrooms, there has to be a way to get prompt service.

UH Tech

I have really enjoyed the eClassrooms discussions with my colleagues. I feel like that was a wonderful way to ask for advise and share thoughts and ideas with friends who are going through the same experience. It allowed me to become comfortable with things that were happening with my Student teaching because I can hear that others are going through it as well. The Tapped In discussions with Dr. Thompson were short and sweet but allowed for instant clarification that otherwise would take weeks to hear a response via email. I have learned that many teachers use Tapped In in their classrooms for their students to discuss books and other things. I would love to find out a functionable way to use it in a 5th grade science room. I'm wondering if it wouldn't be an awesome place to post things for parents to access.

Digital Camaras

The other day we did a lab involving the retention of water in different types of soils. I thought it would be a good idea to photograph results and the process to put in the lab report. The idea was to take photos of measurements for accuracy. I let each group take 1 or 2 pictures and the results did not turn out exactly as planned. On the graduated cylinder you could not see the numbers in the photos. It was a great idea, and I had planned on printing out the pictures to put in the lab reports, but they didn't turn out right. An idea that I had that I may use for next year is to put the pictures in a student made powerpoint and photograph the entire lab.

Power Failure

In my classroom, on a daily basis, we use an Elmo, a projector and a laptop......unless the power goes out and you have to improvise. Yesterday was the Math TAKS test, so today I figured that the students would be using minimal amounts of brain power...I was right....so I planned for an easy day watching a science video and playing a science checkers game. In Deer Park there was a huge storm and the power went off from 1:45 until 4:30 which means my entire third group was electricity-less. Thankfully our class has a huge window along one whole wall for light!!! However, mt plan for the movie for this group was shot. Instead, I read to them. They LOVED it. The students really enjoy the use of technology and that I use it often, but the look on their faces when I asked them to join me on the floor for story time, was priceless. Technology is so neat, and a very useful tool, but as a teacher, you at sometime have to learn how to get along with out it. This was good practice :)

CPS

I planned and planned to use the CPS unit to play a review game with my students and it took several hours to imput all of the questions. It is such a neat little machine and I think that the students will really enjoy using their very own remotes. HOWEVER....we only have one in our building and of course it is an older model that does not have a USB port!! Unless a miracle happens I wont get to use it...YUCK! Wich me luck!