Google Earth Exemplar

https://www.dropbox.com/s/th4kd4poeujzz6j/Recording%20%235.mp4?dl=0

Edmodo

Link to my Edmodo page:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/gn6r4zggx4k3yss/Nechama%20L%27s%20Group%20_%20Edmodo.pdf?dl=0
Code: c25f72
Edmodo is beneficial for teachers and students alike. Teachers open a forum for their students to communicate and collaborate. They can share digital media such as blogs, links, videos, documents, notes, presentations. Students clearly see and can keep track of their upcoming assignments and quizzes.
I like the poll feature in which teachers can ask students to answer questions related to the unit they are learning, or to get feedback on course material. It can also be used as a quick assessment tool.
Additionally, by creating small subgroups, teachers can differentiate instruction for different students.
Edmodo can also be used as a tool to include parents in their children's education.

Lesson using Google Earth and Google Maps

Your name: Nechama Lipschutz

Grade Level: 8

Title of the lesson: Borders and Relationships between Countries

Length of the lesson: 3 lessons, 1 hour each

Central focus and central technology of the lesson (The central focus should align with the CCSS/content/ISTE standards) Key questions: ●     what do you want your students to learn? ●     what are the important understandings, core concepts, and skills you want students to develop within the learning segment? Students will learn where countries lie in reference to each other and what their political relationship is.

Knowledge and skills of students to inform teaching (prior knowledge/prerequisite skills and personal/cultural/community assets) Key questions: ●     What do students know, what can they do, what are they learning to do? ●     What do you know about your students’ everyday experiences, cultural backgrounds and practices, and interests? Students know how to use a map, understand the planet Earth, recognize that countries have political relationships with their neighbors and are interested in learning about the world around them.

Common Core State Standards/Content Standards/ISTE Standards (List the number and text of the standard. If only a portion of a standard is being addressed, then only list the relevant part[s].) Common Core Learning Standards for ELA and Literacy) CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.7 Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts. CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.6-8.10 By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6-8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Support literacy (traditional literacy, domain specific literacy, or new literacy) development through language (academic language) ●     Identify one language function: research and analyze ●     Identify a key learning task from your plans that provide students opportunities to practice using the language function. Students need to determine relationships between countries based on their research using ICTs ●     Describe language demands (written or oral) students need to understand and/or use. Students need to recognize what the different possible relationships between countries are and apply that knowledge to the geography research. Vocabulary ●     General academic terms: analyze ●     Content specific vocabulary: research, borders, politics ●     Research paper, oral presentation, work with groups Note: Consider range of students’ understanding of language function and other demands-- what do students already know, what are they struggling with, and/or what is new to them?

Learning objectives

Formal and informal assessment (including type[s] of assessment and what is being assessed) ●     Explain how the design or adaptation of your assessment allows students with specific needs to demonstrate their learning. Consider all students, including students with IEPs, ELLs, struggling readers, and/or gifted students. Students are assessed while they are researching on their abilities to effectively use Google Maps and Google Earth.

Instructional procedure: Instructional strategies and learning tasks (including what you and the students will be doing) that support diverse student needs. Your design should be based on the following: ●     understanding of students’ prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets ●     research and theory and technology affordances ●     developmental appropriateness Consider all students, including students with IEPs, ELLs, struggling readers, and/or gifted students. Students are split into groups of 4. Each group is given an area on the map to research. Students receive requirements of the assignment: Each group is to duplicate a map of each country individually and indicate its bordering countries. Each group needs to explain the relationship between this specific country and the countries surrounding it. Groups are to research this information using Google Maps, Google Earth and Google Search.

Instructional resources and materials used to engage students in learning. Google Maps, Google Earth, Google Search

Reflection ●     Did your instruction support learning for the whole class and the students who need great support or challenge? Yes- students were able to make their report according to their level of ability and were placed in groups so as to balance. ●     What changes would you make to support better student learning of the central focus? Students should be given specific categories of possible relationships between countries and be required to categorize the countries into them. ●     Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your explanation from evidence of research and/or theory. Students need their instructions to be clear and not vague. Instructions need to be narrowed down so that students recognize where the teacher wants them to head and how their assignment should look.

Educational Game

Please check out my educational game!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/x7phpzoq8w5tums/Healthy%20Habitats.pptx?dl=0

Sara's Super Spa; the game and how it connects to literacy

1. What gaming elements provide users the learning content and how?

·         Text: There is not so much text usage in the game aside from the tutorial and other comments which the player can get by without

·         Visual-graphic elements: players need to recognize the needs of each customer by reading the visual symbol which is presented and acting accordingly

·         Audio elements: The background sounds certainly make the feel of the game more realistic and put the pressure on to reach the goal.

2. What is the goal of the game? 

The goal of Sara's Super Spa is to manage time efficiently in order to satisfy every client's needs within the time limit.

3. What are rules of playing this game? 

"Playing Sara's Super Spa, you'll have to move quickly to put clients at the appropriate stations and perform the treatments they request in a timely manner. Satisfy your customers before time runs out to earn big bucks. But, be careful! Unhappy customers will leave without paying. Meet each day's goal and you'll move on to the next level."

4. Does this game have any scenario design? If yes, is this a fabricated or embedded in curriculum-related content?

This game has a scenario design which is embedded in the curriculum-related content. The player acts as the manager of this spa and needs to recognize how long each task will take and which kinds of customers get impatient quicker in order to satisfy the most people possible. 

Series of Lesson Plans

The following is a series of lesson plans created for a 5th grade level class. The unit is focused on the American colonies in social studies and is broken into 5 individual lessons. The students are required to research information on a specific colony, organize and synthesize the information, The students are then required to create presentations based on the collected information.
Each individual lesson focuses on the usage of one skill and one technology.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/f5mudp0d0qtcav1/AACf8mBfwYqmVgLcrOuLcvw_a?dl=0

Math Lesson

Candidate’s Name: Nechama Lipschutz

Grade Level: 3

Title of the lesson: Finding the Area of a Rectangle

Length of the lesson: 45 minutes

Central focus of the lesson (The central focus should align with the CCSS standards and support students to develop an essential mathematical understanding that will connect the mathematical practices with the content.) Students should be able to find the area of a rectangle. Students will use multiplication to determine the answer.

Knowledge of students to inform teaching (prior knowledge/prerequisite skills and personal/cultural/community assets) Determine the area of a rectangle based on multiplication which they have previously mastered.

Common Core State Standards (List the number and text of the standard. If only a portion of a standard is being addressed, then only list the relevant part[s].) CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.G.A.2 Partition shapes into parts with equal areas. Express the area of each part as a unit fraction of the whole. For example, partition a shape into 4 parts with equal area, and describe the area of each part as 1/4 of the area of the shape. CCSS.MATH.CONTENT.3.MD.D.8 Solve real world and mathematical problems involving perimeters of polygons, including finding the perimeter given the side lengths, finding an unknown side length, and exhibiting rectangles with the same perimeter and different areas or with the same area and different perimeters.

Mathematical Practice Standards  CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP7 Look for and make use of structure. CCSS.MATH.PRACTICE.MP6 Attend to precision.

Learning objectives Sample: 1.       Students will understand the concept of area 2.       Students will know how to measure the area of a rectangle. 3.       Students will use multiplication to measure the area of a rectangle.

Formal and informal assessment (including type[s] of assessment and what is being assessed) Students each receive graph paper and calculate the area using either the method of counting squares or multiplication.

Instructional strategies and learning tasks (including what you and the students will be doing) that support diverse student needs. Your design should be based on the following: ●        understanding of students’ prior academic learning and personal/cultural/community assets ●        research and/or theory ●        developmental appropriateness Consider all students, including students with IEPs, ELLs, struggling readers, and/or gifted students Worksheets, manipulatives, graph rectangles Theory/Research: Students can find area by adding the squares. This will aid them in understanding how multiplication is the method we use to find area of a rectangle. Students can use kinesthetic material- blocks to support their learning. Accommodations and modifications:  manipulatives, graph paper, additional support and proofs using blocks.

Instructional resources and materials used to engage students in learning. Project a graph paper on the Smartboard, students can create rectangles using the lines and demonstrate/ practice this skill.

Reflection: Did your instruction support learning for the whole class and the students who need great support or challenge? ●        What changes would you make to support better student learning of the central focus? I think that the kinesthetic material incorporated in the lesson was helpful in supporting better student learning. ●        Why do you think these changes would improve student learning? Support your explanation from evidence of research and/or theory. Students were able to manipulate the blocks and envision the concept, helping both kinesthetic and visual learners.

Re-engaging students in learning mathematics ●        Identify a targeted learning objective/goal based on the analysis of student work samples. Students will recognize that a rectangle is made up of square units so the area inside can be found by counting the squares or multiplying one side by the other. ●        Design a re-engagement lesson based on the targeted learning objective/goal. Teacher creates a worksheet with 3 pages: 1: Rectangles with their measurements. Students need to put in the correct amount of squares. 2: The same rectangles with the squares already drawn inside. Students together count the squares and notice that the number is the measurement of that side. 3: The same rectangles with the measurements, students multiply the two sides and come out with the area of the rectangle. 4: Different examples where students are instructed to multiply to determine the area of the rectangle. ●        Teach the re-engagement lesson. The lesson may be planned for one-on-one, small group, or whole class implementation. one-on-one ●        Collect and submit 3 examples of student work from the same students from the re-engagement lesson that provide evidence of student mathematical understanding (e.g., formative assessment or exit ticket.) https://www.dropbox.com/s/a2etg7utueqthdf/2017_04_05%2013-24-13.jpg?dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/s/y806wt7fba00ssh/2017_04_05%2013-25-03.jpeg?dl=0 ●        Analyze the effectiveness of the re-engagement lesson and consider its impact on student learning.  The visual learning tools enhance the learning for those who have trouble grasping the abstract concept. Additionally, the hands on worksheets which built up the math lesson step by step gave the student clarity and practice on the subject.

Week 7

https://docs.google.com/a/nyit.edu/document/d/1crO5FLuEX2Bi4_XgM2KuUy_n5JDVHVZCRe-d9Vb-mhQ/edit?usp=sharing

Instructional Strategies:

• Students are told the goal of the lesson
• Students immediately write down reflections so they have ideas ready in front of them
• Students are encouraged to build off each other and work together
• Students are encouraged to take lead of the discussion
• The teacher participates in the discussion
• Students are given a focused question

Technology:

Visual aids in the form of the blackboard

Technology Suggestion: Groups create a smore to display specific students’ opinions and then the group conclusion

Ms. Coufal's Reading Lesson Analysis

Strategy: use pictures to figure out unknown word

Activity: “Pop it”- get used to noticing first sound of word and identifying it.

Teacher respects all languages and says that the “main thing” is to read regardless of the language

Ms. Coufal refers to reading strategies as  “powers” that make them “Super Readers”. This makes students excited about them and feel important.

Reading Time:

Partner reading- she has the students sitting side by side, help each other, teacher can assess meanwhile. Teacher reminds students of strategies they can use but they read on own.

                Independent Reading- Turn back to back

The structural change helps the students with routine and with fulfillment of the task.

Closure- shared reading review

Ms. Coufal’s reading techniques really do make students feel powerful and enjoy, “be pumped” about going to school and learning!

Reading Lesson Plan

This lesson was planned using backwards design.

Reading Lesson Plan

Grade: 1

Aim: Students will read words with long and short vowels interchanged.

Instructional Objectives:

Students will recognize that a word with a silent e at the end has a long vowel sound.

Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.10
With prompting and support, read prose and poetry of appropriate complexity for grade 1.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.1.3.C
Know final -e and common vowel team conventions for representing long vowel sounds.

Academic and Content Specific Vocabulary: long vowels, short vowels (students should have learned these words in a previous lesson and gotten lots of practice so they no longer confuse the two)

Method:

Establish Context: Teacher reads the book to the class called "Here Comes Mr. e".

Motivation: Teacher tells students that they are going to learn a rule which will help them read so many more words.

Direct Instruction: teacher explains how when we see the silent e at the end of the word, the short vowel becomes a long vowel and the e is very quiet

Activities to help students discover what they need to learn:

1) Class Activity- teacher picks up a card with a short vowel "a" word on it. She then adds an "e" to the end and the students all call out the new word. Individual students should be called upon to include them if necessary.

2) Independent work- students are given sheets to work on. The sheets have 2 columns. One has short vowel "a" words written in each box. The box across from this one has the same word written with a blank line at the end. Students are expected to draw a picture of the first word and then read and draw the new word. For example, can- cane.

3) Independent Work- Students work on activity sheets in which they find all words with "Mr. e" and circle it. Then they will pair up and read the words to their partners.

Differentiated Instruction: Weaker students will do the classroom activity as a group with a teacher while other members of the class do independent work at their desks.  This group then works on the sheet together and the teacher scaffolds for them. Individual students are called upon for answers.

HOT questions: ask students to predict what will happen with other vowel sounds when the e is added to the end of those words

Ask students to think of words that rhyme. Then ask them what happens when the silent e is added to the end of both of them.

Assessment: Students' work is checked over.

Closure/ Summary Questions:

What is Mr. e?

Where does he go?

What does he do to our vowel?

Do we say his name?

Reinforcement and extending student learning:

            Class Application/follow up- class and independent works

            Enrichment Activities- Ask students to try to create their own cards with Mr. e words.

            Homework- Draw a picture of the short vowel and long vowel words- practice of that day's work.

What topics come next?

            Tomorrow: review concept of Mr. e and practice isolated words

            Day After: work on silent e words with the vowel "i"

Lesson Evaluation: Did the students recognize the silent e in the words? Did they realize the pattern of how the word changed when there was a silent e at the end?

Writing Lesson Plan

This lesson plan was created using backwards design.

Writing Lesson Plan

Grade: 3

Aim:

Students will be able to write a brief story in English and then present it to the class using the visual aids.

Instructional Objectives:

Write out a story which is visually presented to them.

Use written language to connect and present a sequence of events.

Core Standards:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2
Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4
Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace

Academic and Content Specific Vocabulary: sequencing- to put in order and make sense of connections

sequence words- first, second, third, before, after, then etc.

Method:

Establish Context: Class does a sample picture board sequencing activity together. Teacher puts picture squares on the board and controls the students' participation in determining a story.

Motivation: The teacher presents 5 different picture sequence square sets on individual boards.

Activities to help students discover what they need to learn:

1) Independent Work- students receive 5 sheets which have the picture sets on them, and are told to number the picture squares according to their logical order.

2) Paired activity- Students pair up and go through their sheets together, explaining why they chose the sequences they did and how the story would go accordingly.

3) Class activity- teacher calls upon individual students to come up to the front of the classroom and manipulate the tiles that she had prepared to create a logical sequence, explaining the corresponding story.

Differentiated Instruction: For ELLs, the teacher goes through key words which can be found in the pictures and which they will probably need to use in their assignments. The teacher creates the groups for the paired work and puts weaker students with stronger students so they can help each other understand the concept.

HOT questions: The teacher switches the sequence a few times and asks students to interpret the story accordingly.

After the teachers instructions and the instructional activities, students are then instructed to pair up and write out the story according to their interpretations of the picture squares.

Assessment:

Teacher can assess students' proficiency by walking around the classroom and observing the pairs working together.

Teacher marks students' writings.

Teacher assesses students based on their presentations to the class.

Closure/ Summary Questions:

Students present writings to the class.

Reinforcement and extending student learning:

            Class Application/follow up- writing activity

            Enrichment Activities- student receive extra credit for writing another story about one of the picture stories they used.

            Homework- Add in the sequence words to their writings

What topics come next? Next writing unit will be to write a story that happened to you.

            Tomorrow

            Day After

Lesson Evaluation: Were the students able to clearly express their ideas? Were they able to use the cues to think of ideas and then to write them in a clear sequence?

Rubric

Desired learning outcomes: 

students should be able to collect data using various credible cyber resources

students should be able to evaluate data collected to reach conclusions

Acceptable Evidence:

Credible cyber sources which support the hypothesis

Learning Activities: 

Students formulate a scientifically testable question.

Students formulate a hypothesis.

Students conduct research using cyber sources to collect data to support their hypothesis.

Students evaluate their data and use a spreadsheet to organize data.

Students reach a conclusion based on their data.

Students create a lab report which documents their question, hypothesis, research procedure, data analysis and conclusion.

Below is the rubric I created for the technology integrated lesson on water quality:

Integrating Technology into Lessons

I chose to do a literacy lesson on comparing and contrasting. This lesson and activity support the learning goal of critical thinking and deeper level analysis.
I integrated the technology of https://creately.com on which to create Venn diagrams (and other charts).
See my lesson here:
https://www.smore.com/173ra

Technological Affordances Chart

Click on this link to see my chart which analyzes the technological affordances of Screencast-o-Matic, Voki, and Blogger.
dl=0Technological Affordances Chart- Link
Since these are modes of technology that we actually use in our classes, it was interesting to analyze their functionalities and how many possibilities are opened to us by using them.

Lesson Plan Presentation

Learning Theories power point

Please see my power point by accessing this link.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ukhjrycjwvl06f5/Learning%20theories.pptx?dl=0

Introduction

Hi Professor and fellow classmates,

My name is Nechama Lipschutz. As a teacher, I believe that the most important tool to success is to set goals. I hope that this class will teach me how to use curriculum to bring the students to the academic goals that we hope for them to reach. 

I am interested in learning about "new literacies" and "21st century skills", both of which are new terms to me.

I hope that I will be able to keep up with the technological aspects of this course.

See my voki for a bit more about me! http://tinyurl.com/za53j3t

Looking forward, 

Nechama