Tech Champ – Sara Moore

Holiday Edition

English I

Objective: To read a variety of informational texts and conduct research on a Winter Holiday celebrated in another part of the world, and create a media representation of assigned holiday  

TEKS:

(6)  Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text/Literary Nonfiction. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. Students are expected to analyze how literary essays interweave personal examples and ideas with factual information to explain, present a perspective, or describe a situation or event.

(21)  Research/Gathering Sources. Students determine, locate, and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the information they gather. Students are expected to:

(A)  follow the research plan to compile data from authoritative sources in a manner that identifies the major issues and debates within the field of inquiry;

(B)  organize information gathered from multiple sources to create a variety of graphics and forms (e.g., notes, learning logs); and

(C)  paraphrase, summarize, quote, and accurately cite all researched information according to a standard format (e.g., author, title, page number).

Specifics:

Find all information on GOOGLE. Be specific in your searches and you will have better luck!

Put all information into a Google Slides Presentation IN THIS ORDER

1. Name of Holiday (5 points)
2. Country(s) Associated with Holiday (10 points). If this holiday is celebrated in the United States, say something about it!
3. Religion(s) Associated with Holiday (10 points)
4. Dates Holiday Celebrated (5 points)
5. 3 Traditions Associated with Holiday (15 points)
   1. One slide per tradition – include a description
6. 3 Foods Associated with Holiday (15 points)
   1. One slide per food – include a description or a picture
7. 1 informational text – essay, memoir, biography, autobiography, or news article – discussing the holiday (15 points)
   1. Include an excerpt from the informational text on one slide, and the link to the full text
8. 10 pictures representing Holiday (that you find on the internet) (1 point per picture)
   1. As many slides as necessary
9. Links to ALL websites you got information from (15 points) – yes, you can put this all on one page. Just make the text small.

Share with Mrs. Moore (sara.moore@warrenisd.net) as soon as you create the slideshow – If it is not shared, you can’t get credit!

Additional pieces of this project that will be accepted and counted as extra credit:

1. Make a holiday card that would be appropriate in your holiday
2. Make a collage or diorama depicting your holiday
3. Make a food or bring a drink that is consumed at your holiday (on Dec 16)
4. Wear the colors/clothes associated with your holiday (on Dec 16)

TIMELINE:

12/12/16: Assign project and answer questions

12/14/16: You have the whole class period to research/compile information

12/15/16: You have a vocab quiz, then the rest of the class period to research/compile information.

12/16/16: Slideshows due at the end of the class period. Any additional pieces are also due on this day.

NOTE: In the interest of time, you will not be required to present this information; as such, be sure that you have adequately explained each portion of your holiday.

HOLIDAYS FROM WHICH TO CHOOSE: (Students will randomly draw)

1. Hannukah
2. Kwanzaa
3. Boxing Day
4. Yalda (Winter Solstice)
5. The Emperor’s Birthday (Japan)
6. St. Nicholas Day
7. Bodhi Day
8. Festivus
9. Pancha Ganapati
10. Donghzi Festival
11. KrampusNacht
12. Feast of Winter Veil (World of Warcraft)

The following is a sample of a finished project by a student in Mrs. Moore’s class. (We have permission to share.)

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/185SpqalMRfjaaeYr-fIBYHeCdEm9iIs9GWNThXKYx90/edit?usp=sharing

 

I probably will never be able to express today’s experience adequately, so I am going to try and keep this short and sweet. Against my wishes our school purchased a 3D printer. I did not want it. I did not see the educational value in it, and honestly I did not think I would be “smart” enough to figure the machine out. My how things have changed. This printer has changed my life and my students. We have cried, we have thought harder than we ever have before, and we are excited about where this journey is taking us.

When we started off I told my students that we were going to build a hand. They didn’t really get it, and neither did I. Our a-ha moment happened the day we actually started assembling the hand. That is when it all came together. That was the moment they realized exactly what we were doing and the impact that they were making. We worked diligently on our practice hand. The students all slipped into their roles fairly easy. It all kind of just fell into place. The girls researched and tied strings. We all agreed their fingers were dainty and could easily maneuver the strings through the tiny holes in the hand. The boys used power tools to drill, lighters to burn, and assembled all of the pieces together.

During the process of assembling our practice hand we reached out to a sweet lady that I went to high school with. Her daughter was born with Amniotic Band Syndrome, which caused some of her fingers to not form correctly. I asked Brittany if she would be interested in having my students make her a 3D printed prosthetic hand. She said YES, and our journey officially started.

This morning my Tech Team had the opportunity to meet Brittany and her daughter Blake. We talked about how all of this would {hopefully} unfold. We talked about the design of the hand we will print. Blake talked us through some of the discomfort that her hand causes her, and then….. we had to take selfies. Of course! Here are a few pictures from today. We will be documenting this journey from start to end in hopes to raise awareness to other districts throughout Texas and beyond. Mrs. Abby Paben has named my Tech Team “World Changing Warriors”, and I could not agree more. These kids on my team are truly changing the world, one hand at a time.

Pictures of the Tech Team explaining the different parts of the hand that they worked on while building our practice hand.

Pictures of us talking about the process. Pictures  of the girls on our team preparing to measure Blake’s arm and wrist.

Measuring different parts of Blake’s hand, wrists and arm – and of course some selfie taking fun. 🙂

Today was AMAZING!!! When I woke up I thought to myself, “Is this real life? Do I really get to do this?”  I am so incredibly thankful that my superintendent saw the need for this program. I am glad that I wasn’t so resistant to change and innovation that I missed out on this. I am so glad that I didn’t let fear win.

Digital Portfolio Artist Statements

This year we will be creating digital portfolios through Seesaw. A digital portfolio will follow the students throughout their years with me and show their growth as artists. This will also build on their writing and speaking skills, as we will write and present artist statements for their artwork. So this assignment will actually be an ongoing assignment that will be repeated over and over again throughout the year.

I created an example poster that I would like to have copies of to hang in my classroom to remind the students some of the questions that should be addressed in their artist statement. For their first portfolio project, we will actually take photographs of their finished artwork and then the students will use Canva to create their own poster like my example answering the questions under the 5 headings using proper grammar, spelling, sentence structure…

After that first portfolio entry using the poster we will have other portfolio entries, some using this Canva method, some with audio recordings of the child’s artist statement, as well as some video recordings. I would like to have an audio/video recording area set up in my closet so that it will be private and allow the students to be able to express themselves without worrying about how they sound or look…almost like a photo booth! I think it would be a fun way for the kids to get excited about talking about their artwork!

TEKS:

(7.1, 8.1) Perception. The student develops and organizes ideas from the environment. The student is expected to:

(B) compare and contrast the use of art elements and principles, using vocabulary accurately.

(7.2, 8.2) Creative expression/performance. The student expresses ideas through original artworks, using a variety of media with appropriate skill. The student is expected to:

(A) create artworks based on direct observations, personal experience, and imagination;
(B) incorporate design into artworks for use in everyday life; and
(C) produce drawings, paintings, prints, sculptures, ceramics, fiber art, photographic imagery, and electronic media-generated art, using a variety of art materials and tools in traditional and experimental ways.

(7.3, 8.3) Historical/cultural heritage. The student demonstrates an understanding of art history and culture as records of human achievement. The student is expected to:

(A) analyze ways that international, historical, and political issues influence artworks;
(B) analyze selected artworks to determine cultural contexts

(7.4, 8.4) Response/evaluation. The student makes informed judgments about personal artworks and the artworks of others. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze and compare relationships, such as function and meaning, in personal artworks

Digital Citizenship

Lesson Plan for Grade 1, Technology

Prepared by Natalee Foret

OVERVIEW & PURPOSE

The purpose of this lesson is to understand that computers can be used to learn many new things. We must learn to be safe while using computers and protect ourselves as we would in the real world.

TEKS

(5)  Digital citizenship. The student practices safe, responsible, legal, and ethical behavior while using digital tools and resources. The student is expected to:

• (A)  adhere to acceptable use policies reflecting appropriate behavior in a digital environment;

(B)  comply with acceptable digital safety rules, fair use guidelines, and copyright laws; and

(C)  practice the responsible use of digital information regarding intellectual property, including software, text, images, audio, and video.

 

OBJECTIVES

1. Computers can be used to learn new things.
2. Computer/ Internet Safety
3. What does it mean to be a digital citizen

ACTIVITY

Gather students together and talk about the ways that we use technology in our classroom and in our school. Discuss the rules of that we follow to protect ourselves in real life and how they relate to the rules we need to follow online to protect ourselves and our information.

Discuss computer etiquette

Cyber-Bullying

Passwords and their use

Copyrighted information

Ad’s and why we should not click on them

Ask and engage students by having them chime in with ideas and relate to personal situations. Create a table on the board categorizing the different topics we discuss and where they fall into digital citizenship, have students draw lines to link topics. Use poster created in Canva to show the topics we discuss in a more concrete form. Hang poster in computer area for a constant reminder.

July Canva Challenge – Original Poem Project

TEKS Addressed:

(14)  Writing/Literary Texts. Students write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students are responsible for at least two forms of literary writing. Students are expected to:

(B)  write a poem using a variety of poetic techniques (e.g., structural elements, figurative language) and a variety of poetic forms (e.g., sonnets, ballads); and

Couple of ways this can be used:

1. Make examples of literary devices (metaphor, simile, sensory detail, etc)
2. Create visuals for elements of a particular poetic form (Haiku – Japanese Nature Poem, measured in 5-7-5 syllables)
3. Final presentation of original poems, using backgrounds to match both style and content

After completing a study in poetic forms and styles, students will compose a nature poem in the style of the Japanese Haiku. Using Canva, students will design and create a photo that includes their poem and the background, text, pictures, styles, and colors all add to the overall meaning of their poem.

As examples, students will look at a variety of well-known haikus before beginning their own compositions. Examples here: http://examples.yourdictionary.com/examples-of-haiku-poems.html

You could even expand this project – Remember a time you took a vacation or spent some time outdoors. What did you feel? What did you see? What did you smell? What did it make you think of? Write a journal entry describing your experience.

Find pictures that you took of things outdoors, or go take your own to represent your poem.

Original Haiku:

The mountains of mist

Calling softly to my heart

Come to me swiftly

These are pictures of Huangshan, the Yellow Mountains in the Anhui province of China. We traveled there last summer and every day I want to go back.

For this Challenge, My Culinary classes will keep track of all recipes and things they cook in lab and at home. (edible homework)  At the end of the year, they will use Canva to create a Class Cookbook with all of their unique recipes.  For instance, we do several cooking challenges with appetizers, desserts, and small meals they can make.  They will use Canva to feature each recipe, the ingredients, and the process of making their food/snacks/desserts.  After compiling and printing an “example pilot Cookbook”, these students can then sell it to staff and family to be put back into the program to be used for them.

This cookbook will also feature anything they make in lab, such as the Apple Pies at Thanksgiving, Crepes, Tortillas, Cookies, Cakes, and their home made pizzas.

TEKS Addressed (Underlined)

(6)  The student understands the history of food service and the use of the professional kitchen. The student is expected to:

(A)  research famous chefs from history and note their major accomplishments;

(B)  identify global cultures and traditions related to food;

(C)  summarize historical entrepreneurs who influenced food service in the United States;

(D)  analyze how current trends in society affect the food service industry;

(E)  use large and small equipment in a commercial kitchen;

(F)  develop food production and presentation techniques;

(G)  demonstrate moist and dry cookery methods;

(H)  demonstrate the preparation skills of items commonly prepared in food service operations such as breakfast cookery, salads and dressings, soups and sandwiches, stocks and sauces, appetizers, seafood, poultry, meat, pastas and grains, and fruits and vegetables;

(I)  demonstrate baking techniques such as yeast breads and rolls, quick breads, and desserts;

(J)  demonstrate proper receiving and storage techniques;

(K)  demonstrate proper cleaning of equipment and maintenance of the commercial kitchen; and

(L)  demonstrate types of table setting, dining, and service skills.

Character Traits Lesson

Materials Needed: A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon and Character Traits poster (Pinterest inspired)

 

Before we read the book, we will record how Camilla looks just from viewing the cover. As we read, we will stop and discuss Camilla’s feelings and how they change throughout the book. Students will help add more traits to the poster.

TEKS: (9)Reading/Comprehension of Literary Text. Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of fiction and provide evidence from text to support their understanding. B. Students are expected to describe characters in a story and the reasons for their actions and feelings.

This book also teaches a valuable lesson, to be true to yourself. After the lesson students will create their own pic collage showing what they love.They will use pic collage to create their poster. Students will use a picture of themselves in black and white. They may use doodle buddy to add stripes to themselves like the character in the story or they may print the picture, use markers and then take a picture of it to use in pic collage. Students will add text and/or pictures showing who they are and what they love. This will be a great beginning of the year activity.

 

Transformers: Turning Your Poster into an Essay

Lesson Plan

Teacher : Mrs. Paben

Date: TBD

Overview & Purpose

Students will use images or quotes to develop the layout of their expository essay and understand their need to use specific details in their writing.

TEKS:

7.17A

Objectives:

1. Students will write a multi-paragraph essay to convey information about a topic that presents effective introductions and concluding paragraphs, contains a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea.

2. The essay will be logically organized with appropriate facts and details while not including any extraneous information or inconsistencies.

3. The students will accurately synthesize ideas from several sources, and uses a variety ofsentence structures, rhetorical devices, and transitions to link paragraphs.

Materials Needed:

1. Teacher Canva Demo

2. Student iPads with Canva App

3. STAAR Writing Paper

4. Writing utensils

Verification:

Steps to check for student understanding.

1. Students will use images that relate to the writing prompt.

2. Students will provide detailed sentences to be more specific in writing their expository essay.

Activity:

Describe activity that will reinforce the lesson.

Students are given the following writing prompt:

Studies show that by children playing sports, it helps develop character. Explain why or why not this statement may be true.

Students will use the Canva App on their iPads to create a poster by adding five pictures in sequential order in accordance to their expository essay (introduction, body paragraph 1, body paragraph 2, body paragraph 3, and conclusion). Then, students will use the images to develop detailed sentences into their expository essay to keep it from being too generic.

Modifications:

Depending upon the needs of the individual student, the essay may be shortened to three or four paragraphs and include fewer transitions.

Teacher Canva Demo:

My Google cardboard project depends on finding the right app which I haven’t yet, and having maybe five in a classroom. I want to either find a tour of a historic literary building (The globe theatre, the library of Congress, Canterbury cathedral) or a particular author’s hometown (Shakespeare, Poe, Hawthorne) and have a scavenger hunt between teams where they have to find certain info about the literary significance, the relation to the novel, stuff like that.

I usually have students find pertinent/interesting information about authors before we begin novel studies so they have a little background on why that author is the way he is- this makes it a little more interesting and seeing stuff rather than reading it is easier to remember and really understand.

I was not excited at all when my superintendent told me that we were getting a 3D printer. I felt like it was just one more thing that I had to do. I have been very apprehensive about this whole thing since talks of getting one started because it seems scary. I felt like I would fail big time. I’ve never seen a 3D Printer. When would I have the time to do this? The list went on and on. After many talks, and me pushing the idea away, I finally came to the conclusion that this was happening, and I was going to have the printer to begin with. I was going to learn how to use it. I was going help teachers learn how to do this. This was equivalent to the SMARTBoard that I pushed out of my room several years ago. I would compare myself to a toddler having a fit because…I don’t want to. Let me say that I am extremely thankful for a superintendent that always lets me “get there” mentally in my own time.

I talked myself off the ledge, started researching, started digging, and in true Daisy fashion I got really excited. That’s where I am now. After watching several videos and reading books and articles I realized just how much power this “thing” could have in the classroom. I immediately started brainstorming lesson plans and cross-curricular activities that I feel will really have an impact on learning in the classroom. The era we live in is one of learning in 3D. Learning coming to life. We need to touch and see and create with our own hands, which really creates deeper understanding. The thing with 3D printing is that kids really have to think. Especially if they are creating from scratch. Even if they are not creating from scratch they still have to go in and change dimensions, which means you have to use math no matter what.

Today I visited April at Region 5. She showed me the basics of printing, some projects that she had completed, and we talked about really integrating this into lesson plans for teachers. We were really excited! Here are a few things that I took pictures of that she has already created, and a few of my ideas to go along with it.

This activity is quite simple. A student uses a sharpie to draw an object. You are then able to print it. So think big teachers. Geometric shapes for math or a descriptive story for 4th grade writing. Students could also draw a flower for science that they will later label. high school teachers -what about molecules?

 

 

 

This is a book that April suggested that I purchase. The students can read it then design the characters in it. That is what April did. The little sheep and the girl are in this book! Kids could do this with any book – but even cooler, what if they wrote their own story and designed their characters. What a great incentive for kids to really get into story writing – they get to bring their characters to life. Then you could display them in the library. Kids would be so proud!

 

A catapult – math and science teachers. There are lots of various activities you can do with this. You can start basic in elementary ages with just mean, median, and mode. Then you can go as high as high school students using physics and predictions for their activity. April said one teacher then surprised her class with a little catapult for every student as a Christmas gift.

 

 

Guys, I am the worst about putting myself in a box and staying there. I hate getting out of my comfort zone, but that is detrimental to our students’ success. If I am not willing to grow and change and learn then why should they? This is their future. 3D printing = creation, collaborating together, deep thinking- and that’s what drives the world today.

Educators, don’t be like the me that wants to fight against all this new “stuff”. Don’t let your self be overwhelmed with what seems like an unending task of learning new ways to teach the same subject. Kids are different every year. As technology progresses we will keep experiencing constant changes in teaching practices and even classroom management. Just roll with it. Students deserve for us to keep going that extra step for them even when we really don’t feel like it or see the point – because we want them to do the exact same thing in our classrooms.