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Jeffrey A. Clark EDU 506 Spring 2009 Final Self-Reflection Report Class Reflection: I really enjoyed this class. I became more comfortable with Excel and Word and as a result I feel very comfortable experimenting with Google Docs. Google Docs is, I think, the future of computing. It was very exciting to learn about the newest technology that is available on the web and completely free. I feel like I gained valuable insight into how computers are going to be used and the kind of applications that are relevant to the teaching profession. Being allowed to work on projects during class gave this course a very supportive hands-on learning feel that allowed me to apply what I already knew and integrate new skills and knowledge from the professor’s teaching. ________________________________________________________________________ Title: Word Document Lesson Plan Description: This is an example of a weekly lesson plan that I use to guide instruction of my SAT math class. The focus for the week described was on finding volume and surface area of three-dimensional solids. It gives a list of topics that will be covered and also the skills that students need to demonstrate at the end of the week. The lesson is for a higher-level course but I applied the New York State Standards and Core Mathematics curriculum for reference. Reflection: This was a fun project. I was surprised at how much I did not know about Microsoft Word. I use Microsoft Word at least a few times a week and now I know how to easily make documents more visually appealing and also how to format them to best fit my needs. I really thought this was a useful project. Click here to view
my Lesson plan. ________________________________________________________________________ Title: Excel Spreadsheet of Books on
my Bookshelf Description: I have a set of bookshelves in my work area. I used Microsoft Excel to calculate the number of books per shelf and also to find the percentage of books per shelf. I inserted pictures to liven up the data display and I also wrote a brief reflection on the project. I created my own formulas to describe the data and to display it in a circle graph. Reflection: This was a neat project. I
became more comfortable using Microsoft Excel and have lost the reluctance
that I had felt to use this program. I
was glad to get to do guided work using Excel because it is a commonly used
program in the education field. As a
math teacher I especially appreciated the ability to insert functions and I
am looking for ways to apply this to group instruction in my classroom. Click here to view
my Spreadsheet. ________________________________________________________________________ Title: PowerPoint Presentation on Graphing in the Coordinate Plane Description: I made a PowerPoint that describes the
origins of the Cartesian Coordinate system.
The lesson starts with the number line and describes how it can be
expanded to include the y-axis to show location in two dimensions. The show goes on to describe finding the
distance between two points using the distance formula and gives the origin
of the formula in the Pythagorean Theorem. Reflection: I got to become familiar with PowerPoint again. I rarely use PowerPoint because of painful
memories of long classes and boring professors. A good PowerPoint is an aid for a lesson and gives structure
and support for teaching but I do not think a PowerPoint works well as the
complete focus of instruction. I did
get to learn some neat tricks available in this program and I have actually
used my lesson in my class. I am not
as hesitant to use PowerPoint in my classroom. Click here to view
my PowerPoint ________________________________________________________________________ Title: WebQuest on Discovering Area Description: Students are given a guided internet lesson
on finding area. This lesson should
be used as a refresher that gives students a better idea of where the
formulas for area come from and why they work. Students are taken to internet applets that allow them to
explore the ideas of area using common shapes. A rubric is available so students know what is expected of them
and can use it to guide their efforts. Reflection: I can really see myself using this tool in
the future. The information on the
internet is incredible and this kind of lesson puts exploration in the hands
of students. Students are reluctant
to open a text book but if you give them access to the internet and a guide
to use, I believe they will be excited to learn about things at their own
pace. I had already used internet
searches as lab days but WebQuest brings the idea to a more applicable and
exciting level. Click here to view my
WebQuest. |