Week 3

Technology within the classroom

This week we learnt about technology within the classroom not only being based around computers or the internet, rather utilising materials to construct and design tasks. It is important that students follow the steps of a design brief including:

Investigate

Design

Produce

Evaluation

TASK: Create a "jumping frog" using the following materials:

• Cardboard (10cm)
  
• Frog picture
  
• Rubber band


• Sticky tape (15cm)
  

1ST ATTEMPT: Our first attempt to create a "jumping frog" invovled folding the cardboard into a 'Z' shape and retracting it with a rubber band. Unfortunately, the frog fell off and did NOT jump.

2ND ATTEMPT: Our second attempt to create a "jumping frog" involved folding the cardboard into a 'L' shape and also retracting it with a rubber band. Again, the frog did NOT jump, rather flew forwards and down.

APPROVED IDEA: The cardboard was folded in half and braced with the rubber band, creating tension which caused the cardboard to retract and in turn, the frog DID jump!

Make sure all students follow the design brief and note down their attempts and ideas so they can keep a detailed, up to date record of their work.

Technology learning with GAMES!

This week we were also shown fun, interactive ways students can learn using computers through educational online games. However, before we begun, we were shown the importance of students 'behaving online'. It is vital for classrooms to establish Internet Acceptable Use Agreements (AUAs) to ensure students have permission from their parents to explore the internet and instill a sense of personal responsibility for their own learning to safely 'surf the net' including appropriate language, suitable websites, respecting others, protecting personal information privacy and being proactive with their learning.

We were given the chance to be shown an interactive website which provides a thirty day free trial period allowing teachers and students to create their own game and share it with others. We accessed the website http://www.quia.com/newtrial.html

First, you need to create an account. Secondly, we created a quiz. My quiz can be found at: http://www.quia.com/quiz/2511800.html

Next, we created an activity online. I chose to create "Jumbled Words" where I created a list of words to the related topic where students needed to unjumble these words to find the answer.

http://www.quia.com/jw/386799.html?AP_rand=1235208077

I also created a "Battleship Game" found at the following link: http://www.quia.com/ba/409890.html

Overall, I found this website an interactive and creative way to engage future students in their learning to allow them time to 'think outside the box' and importantly, HAVE FUN! I will definitely use similar software within my classroom as I was told by my mentor "Students learn the most when they are having fun".