1. Describe the topic of your Ideal Classroom project.
The topic of our Ideal Classroom focuses on many different aspects of teaching. We included all parts of the majors and subjects we study here in college. For example, Kurt used a science method, using a greenhouse and parts of different vegetation. I used geography of Belgium to incorporate a social studies text to the lesson. Nate and Jarrod also contributed to the lesson plan by adding many different types of technology and other aspects to the lesson that would help them create and use this as a lesson. This type of multi-topic lesson is to help students think of the larger picture instead of just one subject or thing at a time.
2. Why did you select that topic and what did you hope to create?
We hoped to create a learning environment that would allow all the students to be able to pick a technology and use it either in their science or social studies lessons. This would help students understand how to use different technologies and use it to complete lessons. We also hoped to make this lesson interesting and fun! We wanted our students to enjoy themselves.
3. Describe the thinking and creation process that you used to create your final project.
We brainstormed on what type of accommodations would need to be made for disabled students and how we would want to create a fun, technology integrated and informational lesson plan. We had no budget and believe it or not we didn't break the bank like we thought we would or even come close to the budget other groups came to. We ended with about a $28,000 bill. We looked up different types of technology as well as using what we already knew and used
Promethean boards,
Elmo, and different task boards to help create the perfect classroom.
4. How did you use technology to collaborate with your team partners.
We actually used very little technology when we collaborated with each other. When we met as a group which seemed to pose no problem for anyone in our group we used a computer to create an outline of our class. We used google
sketch which is a google application which allows you to create pretty much anything you want and we used it to create desks, chairs, a classroom, a greenhouse, and many other things.
5. Explain at least one barrier that you confronted while completing the project.
One barrier I had completing this one was being able to contact my team to know where exactly the blog had been posted. We had a little trouble towards the end contacting one another. Another problem would have been if I would have been asked to create something on google sketch I would have been lost so maybe if such an application had been explained we all could have made our own sketch and then added to each others.
6. Explain what you learned from this project? This could include topic material, group work, etc.
I learned that there are tons of ways to incorporate technology in a social studies lesson. To be honest with I was having troubles thinking of ways to use different technologies to use in an everyday middle school social studies class. Now I feel a little more confident in trying to think of more creative and complex ways to present a lesson. It was very nice to work with a group. With the little instruction given we all counted on each other for almost a crutch and once we started to talk and brainstorm things became easier and started to fall into place.
7. Any final words that you might have about the project or the process.
I understand why we weren't given our instructions right away and that was going to my final thought that we should be given more instruction but now that I have done the assignment and know what it feels like to have completed something for myself I feel much better and more confident.
So I am not going to lie...I really had fun doing this assignment! It was something I have never done or thought about doing. We had to use GPS systems to find different items around campus. Our first one was much easier to find than our second. Some problems we encountered were if you don't know exactly how to use a GPS system it can really slow you down. We messed up the coordinates and accidentally deleted them and didn't know how to get them back. Also the GPS only takes you to general area of the cache and not to the exact spot.
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