Our Village on a Flat World

Presented by Maria B. Benzon

Madison Feeder Pattern, South Region Office

http://madisonfeederpattern.edublogs.com

http://mbenzon.wordpress.com

October 27, 2008

•Increase one’s value for utilizing technology inside and outside of the classroom•Explore math websites•Describe the components of a weblog•Utilize a website to create own weblog•Explore options and revise personalized weblog

Informal Survey

Please respond on a scale of 1 to 5:• How important is it to integrate technology

into your classroom and to use it?• How important is it to use technology in

your personal life?• How competent are you with searching

and surfing the internet?• How competent are you at Microsoft Office

(Word, Excel, Powerpoint)?

Forces that Flattened the World

Finish your dinner. There are children in China and India who are starving.

Finish your homework. There

are students in China and India who want

your job.

The Perfect Storm: The Numbers, Ambition and Education Gaps

• The Numbers Gap – Retiring “Sputnik” Scientists – American students earning Science degrees has

fallen to 17th in the world from 3rd (30 years ago)– Science & Engineering Degrees:

• China = 60%; Taiwan = 41%; US = 31%• Engineering Degrees: China = 46%; US = 5%

The Perfect Storm: The Numbers, Ambition and Education Gaps

• The Ambition Gap– When American CEOs send jobs abroad, they not

only save 75% on wages, they get 100% increase in productivity.

– Attitude of workers who take pride and are willing to do what’s needed to succeed.

– American Idol Problem– My goal as an educator is to provide the best

education on the planet (because of the competition overseas).

The Perfect Storm: The Numbers, Ambition and Education Gaps

The Perfect Storm: The Numbers, Ambition and Education Gaps

• The Education Gap– 2004 TIMSS: Advanced level of 8th grade math

students• Singapore = 44%; Taiwan = 38%; US = 7%

– In US: 60% of top Science students and 65% of top Math students are kids of recent immigrants

– People want to do stuff that is fun.• No fun in algebra?• No fun in memorizing multiplication table?• No fun in advanced classes?

The Perfect Storm: The Numbers, Ambition and Education Gaps

It is not the strongest of the species that survives… nor the most intelligent… but the one most responsive to change.

Charles Darwin

What is a Blog?

The main purpose of a blog is an online journal.

Web + Log = Weblog = BLOG

However, because of the editable templatestemplates, ability to hyperlink, add images and audio, & commentcomment on entries,

blogs have evolved into a plethora of uses.

Pin Oak MS: http://www.pinoak.us/academics-cluster_blogs.phpMath Playground: http://www.actionmath.com/blog/MathPlayground.html

Thoughts on how technology and math can be integrated

Anatomy of a Blog

Blogs make integrating technology in the classroom easy: no technical knowledge is needed and users' thoughts are instantly published to the Web.

Blogs also make it easy to give students feedback on their thoughts. At the end of each entry is a comment link for others to give opinions or thoughts about the entries.

Sample Blogs

• Maria Benzon: http://mbenzon.wordpress.com• Madison Feeder Pattern:

http://madisonfeederpattern.edublogs.com

• Pin Oak MS: http://www.pinoak.us/academics-cluster_blogs.php– Sample Cluster Blog

• Math Playground: http://www.actionmath.com/blog/MathPlayground.html – Thoughts on how technology and math can be integrated

• edublogs.org• wordpress.com

You Can Create a Class Blog to…

1. Post class-related information such as calendars, classroom events, homework assignments and activities.

2. Communicate with parents and invite their comments.3. Post photos of class activities.4. Invite student comments or postings on issues.5. Publish examples of good student writing done in class.6. Exhibit student art, poetry, and other written work.7. Build a class newsletter using student-written articles

and photos they take.

Use the COMMENT Feature to Enhance Student Learning

1. Assess student learning by posting prompts and having students respond.

2. Post photos and have students respond to them.

3. Gather and organize Internet resources for a specific subject, providing links to sites.

4. Post tasks to carry out project-based learning.

5. Create a parent/child blog with writing prompts for parents to work on with their children.

Student-Created Blogs

• Post their own ideas, reactions and written work.• Post their reactions to writing prompts.• React to photos you post.• Keep a journal for class.• Keep a learning log for class.• Write about their ideas and opinions about topics

discussed in class.• Keep a digital portfolio of their work.• Write comments, opinions, or questions on daily news

items or issues of interest.• Showcase their best writing pieces.

What’s On edublogs.org?

http://edublogs.org

Sign-Up on Edublogs.org

Plan Your Blog • Who is your

audience?• What is the

focus of your blog?

• What will you call your blog? (Title and URL address)

• Can’t Change Username

The Dashboard

Create Your Profile

Choose a Theme

•# Sidebars•Option to change header image

•# Sidebars•Option to change header image

Choose Widgets

Drag “Available Widgets”

to “Current Widgets

Click “Save

Changes”

Tags are

Keywords

Categories are

like file folders

Create Your Blog: PRESENTATION

• Choose a theme• Choose widgets

– Calendar– Blogroll– Search– Page– Categories– Archives

• Extra: Snap Preview

The Dashboard

Write a Post

Add Photos

Save = DraftPublish = Final

Write a Page

Write a Link

Create Your Blog: WRITE

Write Post• Categories • Discussion: Comments &

Pings• Write a comment about

what you’ve learned so far.

• Include a web address or email address in the body

• Tags• Save (draft) vs. Publish

(upload)

Write Page• Write your classroom

rules and procedures• Write your “About Me”

page

Upload doc, jpg, ppt, etc.

The Dashboard

Features in “Manage”

c c

Approving Comments

c

c

ACTIVITY: Add these Web Links

Houston ISD http://www.houstonisd.org

Dallas County Schools http://www.dcschools.com/TAKS/default.asp• Detailed analysis of every TAKS items • Why are correct answers correct? • What kinds of distracters/incorrect

answers were used? How did students think/compute that caused them to answer incorrectly?

• What information will help teachers focus their instruction more specifically?

Math “Manipulatives with Technology” Handout

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html• Available in Spanish and English• Base Blocks Addition (Whole Numbers

or Decimals)• Color Chips Addition (Integers)• Color Patterns• Factor Tree (Prime Factorization and

GCF/LCM)• Fraction Rectangle Multiplication

(Multiplying Fractions: does not show lowest terms)

• Rectangle Multiplication (Grouping, Lattice, Common Algorithms)

• Money • Time – Analog and Digital Clocks

Next Steps

• List: What is the Name of Your Blog?

• What are some other useful websites?

• Work On Your Blogs

• Share Blogs at Upcoming PLC meeting

• Blogs Part 2: More with digital images and podcasts

• Blogs Part 3: Integrating Video

• Blogs Part 4: Integrating Cell Phone Features