Tag: lesson planning

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This Week in the Classroom: Spring 2012

woodshopcowboy

In the Spring of 2012, I began my third year as a classroom teacher.  I planned on teaching the courses below.  It didn’t happen.  Instead of a woodshop/technology resource, I became a project-oriented classroom teacher.  I taught 6th grade Math/Science & MS/9th Grade Math/Science and took part in two environmental education program periods.  The pace (four classes, no planning periods, co-teaching nearly everything) forced me to create or find flexible curriculum, taught me the value of three week (half a quarter) units and helped me become a stronger teacher.

The breakdown of what I wanted to teach after the jump.

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CAD Lab, Classroom Project, Education, Technology3 Comments

Course Curriculum: Computer Applications:CAD

woodshopcowboy

After my quick reflections on the Tea Box project and my computer science course, I’d like to take a spin over to my most successful, challenging and rewarding class(es) this semester.  I had the opportunity to teach 2 CAD courses with a great, energetic group of young men (and one woman).  As the year progressed my classes split into three distinct groups – a developmentally young (think elementary-school-age brains) group, a progressing (middle-school-age brains) and a developmentally-ready (high school or middle school) group.

My CAD course description:

In this course, students will create and build physical and digital representations of the world around them. Piaget’s four stages of cognitive development will frame the instruction to the appropriate cognitive developmental level for each student. Computer Assisted Design is the use of computers and specialized software to create digital objects; be they animations, skyscrapers or the interiors of engines. Students will use Google Sketch Up 8 to re-create and re-imagine the world around them, beginning with a floor-plan of their bedroom and ending with a self-directed project.

What made this course successful?  My answer after the jump.

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Classroom Project, Education, Technology2 Comments

This Week in the Classroom: Computer Science & Electronics

woodshopcowboy

The Fall 2011 semester came to an end last week.   I’m taking stock of what-used-to-be (my previous semesters classes) and re-tooling, re-gearing and re-searching my way into new course-load.

I’d like to start with my Computer Science & Electronics course.  I described this course as:

This course introduces computer programming to students with little or no prior programming or technology experience. Students will use Alice, 3D graphical computer language, to introduce basic computer science theory. Topics to be covered include program design and problem solving, Boolean operators, logic statements, loops and flowcharts. Unlike other languages, Alice lends itself to an exploration of thought, rather than an exercise in coding or mathematical ability. If time allows, the Python language will also be explored.  In the electronics portion, students will explore basic electronic concepts of resistance, current and voltage.  Students will learn to build, manipulate and understand basic circuits & operate the tools necessary to create these circuits.  Students will identify basic parts, such as resistors, switches, wires and capacitors.

So, let’s go over the class and see how I did and what I will do better in the future.

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Classroom Project, This Week In the Shop1 Comment

Physics Carriages

woodshopcowboy

In my MWF fourth period class, my students have been discovering and elaborating on the scientific method. I chose cars & ramps (aka pinewood derby car) as an opening project.  We spent two weeks learning the different parts of the scientific method and how to measure our results.  We create reports (I’m on my fourth week of school and the boys have created at least two science reports a week).  My lessons look something like this: Intro:  Pose a Question to Students.  What type of Hot Wheels cars goes the farthest?  How would we measure that?  How do we tell … Continue reading Physics Carriages

CAD Lab, Classroom Project, This Week In the Shop1 Comment

The Google Sketch Up Lab

woodshopcowboy

This year, I’ve been working closely with another colleague to create, a project-based CAD course.  When I was presented with the challenge, I dove in head first. This week I have been presenting various perspective/drawing challenges to my students in an effort to assess their current capabilities.  I’ve been enjoying a curriculum challenge, and after two days, I am pleased by the success and interest posed by my students.  The room has been split into three themed stations: a perspective/assessment area, a guided-step project area and a digital manipulative lab. The assessment area has produced some fascinating results.  When confronted … Continue reading The Google Sketch Up Lab

Education, TechnologyLeave a comment

Weather Stations, Web 2.0 Tools and John Merrow

woodshopcowboy

This week, my colleague shanghaied one of my chalkboards for a weather station.  While the chalkboard & wind unit may not seem like much,

The hand-held reader really catches a teacher’s eye.

This type of scientific information begs to be utilized in the classroom.  Daily, nay, hourly temperatures can be recorded and used to find the mean temp, daily temp, range…mode, slope, points on a graph, equations for the daily rise in the temperature, regression lines, etc.  Science classes can study weather patterns, climate change or stasis, the water cycle.  A physics classroom can turn wind speed readings into kilowatt-hours.  Those figures can be amended into proposals for the installation of a wind turbine.

Wait…that’s my collegue put that device up there.

An English teacher can illuminate the difference between lab reports, short stories and literary analysis.  The data gathered in science class, analyzed in Math, interpreted and presented in English, can finally be acted upon in Social Studies.  In fact, this little weather station can become the technological center-point of a curriculum which could, theoretically be scaled between schools all over right?  A revolution? Continue reading “Weather Stations, Web 2.0 Tools and John Merrow”

Classroom Project2 Comments

How To Re-Plant Galveston Bay Saltgrass (Wetland Project)

woodshopcowboy

My students and I took a little trip down to Baytown to participate in the harvesting of saltgrass for replanting in the Galveston Bay. The students learned a little about the destruction/erosion of coastal wetlands, such as bays and estuaries.  They learned about the wildlife which depends on coastal wetlands to survive and grow.  We learned how to replant saltgrass into containment pools.  We will husband theses plants to health for another two months, then plant’m come May. Salt grass is grown in muddy, brakish water – in our case, these ponds in a power plant.  We ripped them from … Continue reading How To Re-Plant Galveston Bay Saltgrass (Wetland Project)

Education, Technology, This Week In the Classroom4 Comments

This Week In the Classroom: Computers Ain’t Everything

woodshopcowboy

Took over our conference room to work through some design challenges today.  My students used Google SketchUp to start creating jewelry boxes, art car vehicles and bookshelves. During the Art Car class, I led the group building a 3D model on the big (like 50-60″ screen) TV.  Computers+big screen TV+3d modeling software+we are building a car =  interested, motivated students.  Or so I thought.  I turn around, two students are asleep. I have only three kids on the dang project.   Terrible numbers.  Mendoza line terrible. I quickly got out the sketchbooks and pencils.  More success, more interaction. So, what I … Continue reading This Week In the Classroom: Computers Ain’t Everything