updates

Okay here is a little of some explanation I said I would give.

First thanks Drew. I got things done at 8 instead of just under the wire.

I looked at the reflections from our posting th eblogs to look at the others a little. I thought it would help to figure things out a little. I will look a little more later . I also posted a concern at the 15 minute break to see if we were the only ones not hearing from Kelsey. I see Lindsey found it. I also heard from another class mate. She has grades for the web postings it sounds like but nothing else. She has also had trouble with taskstream and not heard from Kelsey yet either.
I wonder if maybe she had to have surgery on her knee or something.

my project

i am doing my powerpoin on a fundraiser, just like my lesson was on. it is also a math lesson, so i hope that doesn't matter to kelsey.

hi guys. i haven't seen any grades since the first week either and she won't return any of my emails. has anyone else tried to contact her?

our lessons

Okay guys I looked at other blogs from our class. A lightbulb went on and I looked where we submitted them to find the other addresses. The other groups seam to each be doing individual projects within their topic. They also do not seam to chat with each other. More to say bit later still have work to do. How do we post these things to Kelsey? I am so busy trying to learn th epower point part I forgot I do not know that part.:) I will also be looking at the other notes for how to do the button. Thanks Drew again. I had no clue what you were talking about before. I still do not but it does make a little more sense now in context.

oh yeah, I'll budget it for the guinea pig. We really haven't decided on what the class pet will be. hmm?

Mini-Lesson

Just to let you guys know what I'm doing my Lesson Plan on. It will be a mini math lesson on how to budget for a pet. I guess Tina is doing her's on Habitat, I don't know what Lindsey is doing her's on. I'll just do a mini math lesson on budgeting though (this can be used for both a virtual and real pet) where the kids already have a certain amount of money, but they need to know how to spend it wisely.

mini-lesson

okay lots to write but it is 2am. I am doing my lesson on the habitat of a guinea pig. I will explain tommorrow if time. I need to now still learn a whole lot very quickly about power point. Getting there though.

Hey guys, sorry I havent been able to get online all week, I was on vacation and couldnt get the internet. So, are we just going ahead and doing our powerpoints on the same subject as our lesson plans? Im fine with that.

And, has anyone been able to get ahold of Kelsey lately? I have been emailing her for over a week now and havent heard back. I still cant "share with reveiwer" for my lesson plan.

re. Our Progress & maybe meet?

Yeah, I don't know what's up with the concept map and stuff. I really haven't gotten a grade for those either. It would be kind of nice if Kelsey would come onto our blog and say, "hey guys, you're going a great job" or something to let us know something is going on. As a facilitator for Project-based learning, I don't know if she is doing that great of a job (no offense Kelsey :) ). Dr. Pillsbury based his class on Problem-based learning, not much different from this style except we actually meet as a class twice a week and he made sure to show up for each group (whether we meet in the Library or in the classroom). Would anyone be opposed if we meet in the Educational Library sometime, just so we can have a formal quick greeting? I know when Tina called me I could tell she thought like she was calling a stranger :)...This is not much different.
Anyway, I'm free most of the time...this darn weather has made it hard for me to be a beach bum this week LOL!

our progress

Has anyone seen a grade for our blog posting or the concept map. The only grades I have are the ones from the first week. Does anyone know if Kelsey is monitoring our blog or not? I e-mailed her concerning the due dates for the rest of our concept map. The dates in the assignment looked like last semseter's. I do not like this no contact thing. I do like that I can do this whenever I want though ( usually 10-midnight).

So looking again at the assignment is does apear that we are building on our first lesson. It also looks like that is what you guys think too.

I'm off, to learn power point. Okay the fun of that does not come across. oh well

mini lesson

I need to reread things. My first question was are we sort of enhansing our first lesson? I am not so sure I did things correctly last week. I guess if we are I would do mine now on the habitat for the specific pet chosen. Have we actually done that yet?

Powerpoint Assignment

Hi guys,
Do u think that we should just make our mini lessons for the powerpoint on the same subject that we did our lesson plan on.
As of right now, i'll plan on doing my powerpoint on germs and the importance of washing hands after playing with the pet!!

power point

Thank you Drew. What museum do you work at?
I just bought Office 2007 with the new computer we were forced to buy due to a virus ruining our other one. (Yes just this semester) I bought the book for dumbies (well close) for it. I will most likely have it in my lap open while doing the assignment. I still need to look at this later though.
By the way. Just currious, how do you put in comments like that?

Power Point

hmmm...I know it's memorial day and most of you won't look at this till tomorrow, especially those who have a family. But I was bored yesterday while I worked the front desk, so I checked out our next assignment. Creating a power point isn't too hard...if anyone has questions about how to get this or that working, I can probably help out, just leave a comment to this post and I'll try my best to help you out. I've been working with Office 2007 and have learned most of it...there are still so many changes done in it since 2003, but after navigating and playing around with it for a month I was able to figure out most of it. I've had office 2007 for over a year (don't ask how I've obtained it though :) ).

The one thing that I hate is where office help is located. I didn't know where to find this until yesterday, had to call my supervisor to help me LOL. It's this little icon of a question mark in the upper right hand corner. I has having trouble how to add a button to power point, I've never had to do that with any of my presentation. This was a little bit of a challenge, but very easy when you know where to go:

Click on the tab Insert (of course, I knew that much). Then under shapes and stuff click on it, it will bring up a whole drop down list of shape that are all sectioned off. Under that action shapes you'll just click on one of the arrows, then go to your slide, click and drag the shape into the slide. It will pop up a window that will ask you what you would like this action button to do. Most likely it is set by default and you won't have to mess around in this window other than just clicking "ok"

We'll need to discuss the topics each of us will follow through on for this assignment, just so we are in clear what each of us will do. I would kind of like to do something with the actual classroom pet and not really implement a virtual pet with this assignment. Maybe I could work on what needs to be done if we choose to have a classroom pet by researching some of those areas I posted in an earlier blog.

Anyway, I hope you all are having a good Memorial day!

reflection

okay I am sooooo sick of technical difficulties. What a time for those huh. Thankyou so much Drew for helping me out. I do not know what was going on. I was on the phone with the cable company for an hour. Then it was worse. At ten I was able to get on and I think get in enough to count. I have not recieved e-mails from her to know if What I did will be ok.

Hey, has anyone been able to Publish their lesson plan on TaskStream?

Other concerns for obtaining a classroom pet

I talked with another girl I work with, who is a teacher, and she told me some other things that we should take into concideration. These might help up later on other projects for this class. The virtual pet is a pretty cool alternative considering these awarenesses.
-*Allergies (this is a big concern)
-basically anything that has fur or even a lizard/reptile can effects a students allergies.
-phobias
-District Rules about having a classroom pet
-Fire Safety
-Licencing Laws based on that state

...the best possible classroom pet is a fish.

Lesson Plan

Just so that you guys know what I did my lesson plan on. I think I have it completed...well, there is one more area I need to add, but I'm tired and I want to go to bed! Since I'm a Language Arts minor I incorporated how writing workshop can be used in a interactive activity with Virtual pets. This first lesson plan was having the kids write a personal narrative about their interaction with the virtual pet, teamwork, and applying research they gathered as a team to writing their personal narrative and experience. The lesson plan took a little time to do through TaskStream, but I can definitely see a purpose for TaskStream. It would be something good to put together a template off of, that way you wouldn't have to pay TaskStream to use their wizards and whatever!
Oh well. I just wanted you to know what I did mine one. It says something about not doing two lesson plans alike...does that include topic? or does it include subject being taught? or does that include both?
I'll be at work all day tomorrow, I should be able to check this while I'm up at the front desk.

help

okay I thought I was getting better at this surfing the net thing but I am having trouble. I have just spent what felt like forever looking for age appropriate websites about habitats for class pets. I find things for habitats in general but not for pets or age appropriate. Is there some special way to do this?

thanks!

I believe DB is discussion Board which is just our e-learning I think. The meeting I guess is that in the announcement she says she has a powerpoint for using the webcam and micrphone or something like that. I'm taking a guess that it has to do with next weeks assignment and that it would involve meeting via computer. I have not looked at the powerpoint or next weeks lesson this is just a guess based on the announcement. The announcement just popped up when I got into our e-learning class. The 15 min break thing is at the bottom of the whole page after the modules.

Second Grade!

Second Graders sounds great. I'm really not too picky. Meeting? I heard something in our blog for meeting as a group sometime next week...and to check announcements. I didn't see anything under announcements. Also, what does the teacher mean whenever she says DB and powerpoint she created. Where can I find this?

grade level

Okay I'll say it lets go second grade. The module said elementary. I said k-3 earlier because three of you are early elementary. I know that others have their lessons done and I'm sure they stuck with the module. I e-mailed her about the discrepency in the grades but have not heard back. If anyone started theirs with a different grade hollar now :).

Okay so all of our topics sound good for the different lesson plans... but im still confused on what grade level its supposed to be. The example was 1st grade and the module didnt say any specific grade levels... so im confused. Whats everyone else doing?

unit

Man Erin you are fast we just! got off the phone. Anyway as we talked this does sound good to me. I saw the announcement as well. Kristin I do like k-3 but still need to narrow it down because of specific GLCE's. She wrote in the module elementary ed but in the announcement secondary ed (? middle school or high school ?). I do know that there are a couple of people done from other groups. I assume they followed the module. Her example was first grade.

Drew you are right in here it is very hard. At least by phone you can tell tone of voice. It appears that next week (from the announcement) that we will be talking / seeing each other.

one more thing

oh, and, what grade level are we doing- 6,7 or 8?

whats up?

hello guys,

all right. tina and and talked a little via phone. we decided that Tina is going to do her lesson on habitat and i will do the fundraising part. Sound good? so:

Lindsey- different options for pets
Drew- virtual pet
Kristin- diseases, etc
Tina- habitat
Erin- fundraiser

Is this correct?

Sounds good!

I'm sorry, most won't understand my sarcasm on this thing. I apologize. Interpersonal skills are pretty crappy on here.

But will creating a Virtual Pet be something that might work for this lesson plan?

OK...I'm off to the beach! I'll check my voice mail before I go. Also I am up pretty late at night, so feel free to give me a call. I only work part-time for the Museum...I tried to get a second part-time job with WWMT, but Jon McCurry has called..but might be waiting for other part-timers to leave...I don't know. Oh well, that's the reason for becoming a beach bum! Plus the reason why I can stay up late.

Sorry, I'm getting into a tangent. Feel free to give me a call whenever.
Lata!!!

Announcement

Ok so I just got on e-learning and in the announcement she sent us, she says that we need to do it for a secondary classroom... so scratch what I said about K-3. Also she gave some ideas for lessons for obtaining a pet. Each lesson could cover a different subject area. For instance mine on diseases would cover health. If someone else does habitat, that could cover science. She also gave the idea of having the students do a fundrasier so the class could purchase the pet and that lesson could be a math lesson. Anyways some more thoughts!!!

lesson plan

Hey guys,
Ok so I will narrow my lesson plan down to just diseases that pets can carry and the importance to wash your hands after handling them. If another person wants to do a lesson the its habitat and another person wants to do it on food... that could work. I like the idea of choosing a younger grade... somewhere between K-3?? But it doesn't really matter to me.

I too, wouldn't be able to meet because I am home for the summer!

our unit

okay it appears that Drew is doing virtual pet, Kristin is doing pets habitat, what they eat and diseases they may carry, Lindsey is researching pets pros and cons and finding the ideal pet. Do I have this right? I am still wondering where we are going with this unit as a whole? What grade are we teaching? What subjects, if any specifics, are we trying to cover?

Stay a beach bum. We can do this by phone. How late are you up?

What do you mean we all start out failing? I thougth everyone atarted with "A" s and we just screwed it up from there.

Hey does anyone find it funny how we all start out with a failing grade for this class.

Meeting

I'm good for whenever to meet. You just have to call me, because I can't always check this thing...plus meeting conflicts with me becoming a beach bum :)...but I'll make time! Also, if someone tried to call earlier, I'm sorry my phone was in the car all day. Please leave a voice mail, I don't have my voice mail personalized, but please leave me a message. Again, then number is 269-599-7780

Call me anytime. Kids are usually asleep by 9:30 and I am up until 12:00. Any time though is good but it is a guess about interuptions with kids as at least Erin knows.

To be more clear on my lesson plan, Im going to do a lesson on research of different pets. Like, the pros and cons and themes of pet selection. The objective will be for the students to find their perfect pet after researching different animals. Is that okay with everyone??

Lesson Plan

hey so I wont be able to meet up with anyone throughout the semester since I will be at home, almost two hours away :(.



I was wondering if it was alright if I did my lesson plan on choosing an ideal pet from an imaginary pet shop. Just making sure no one else was going to do that topic. Let me know, thanks!

hey tina

i'll give ya a call later today or tomorrow. i have other classes today on campus so it would be this evening if i called you today. what time works best?

269-685-5230

meeting

I have class on campus and get out at 12:30. I need to talk to my sitter but I'd love to. Even to talk on the phone.

meeting up

Hey guys,

I can meet up thursday after 12:30. does this work for anyone else?

Also, i have really no idea what i want to do my lesson on. I suppose I could do habitat and food. Have we decided what pet we are going to choose- virtual or real? What kind? And do we really have to know at this point what pet we are doing or can we decide that later?

Lesson Plan

I was thinking I could work on the virtual pet for this lesson plan, if that is okay. If you want to meet in person please give me a call. I work till 5pm today, then will be working out. But I have the next three days off...which I plan to be a beach bum since the weather will be so nice! *feel jelous!* But I can meet in person if you'd like. My number is 269-599-7780.

I love the idea of a virtual pet. I just read module 3 and I was hoping to get started on my lesson plan today because I leave for North Carolina on Friday. Kristin, I LOVE your idea on why the kids must wash their hands after they play with the animals. I work at a day camp and it is impossible to get all of the campers to wash their hands and they never understand why! If no one else wants to do that lesson plan, I would love to. I was also thinking about a lesson plan from the pets perspective, or choosing a perfect pet from a imaginary pet shop. Just some more ideas, I think we have a lot so we could start deciding who is doing what lesson plan!! Great job guys!!

Can I just say that I would much rather brainstorm in person. It is a lot less time consuming. This is so wierd without knowing any of you really or seeing faces.

lesson plan+ clueless

I have read the module and not further. I am very clueless as to what this stuff is so sorry Andrew but I am glad to see you say it is www for idiots. I am there.

Do we know what pet we are going to have? If not we could also have a lesson on choosing the pet. I also think that we need to know exacly wher we are headed with the unit so it all blends together. Yes we are obtaining the pet but, then what? What do we hope the students learn from this. What grade are we going to gear this to? Three of you are in Early Elementary so do we want to go with a younger grade, or Andrew is in Special Education is there an angle for that? I am game which ever we do. What subjects are we going to cover? Should we look over the Grade Level Content Expectations first?

Lesson Plan

Hey,
So I like the idea of a virtual pet too. Maybe that is what you can do your lesson plan on.
I don't know if anyone has any other ideas for lesson plans but some ideas I thought we could do a lesson plan on could deal with the pet's habitat, what they eat, diseases they may carry and why it is important to wash your hands after touching them, or a lesson on allergies. These are just suggestions but we will need to decide who will do what so we know no one is doing the same topic.

Virtual Pets responce

I was just thinking having the kids maintain one virtual pet together as a class would be a great way to see how mature they would be in a month or two (after taking care of that pet) if they could handle having a classroom pet. Of course then there would be the whole thing about what happens to that pet at the end of the year. We could always flush it down the toilet :)...JK.

But that was just one idea. I've actually already downloaded and installed Kidspiration...I know it will probably expire, I've got some work to do on my computer, so I might end up reformatting and stuff to reuse the software program....of course I could probably find a registry key to crack the software program, if anyone wants that :)

WWW lesson Plan

Okay, I've already been reading through Module #3. Sounds interesting....some of the links that they use to help us build this lesson plan feels like reading "how to use the WWW for dummies." Most of the information doesn't really even apply for teaching in the elementary class untill it actually start talking about how we can use the internet safely in our classrooms with student. Okay, I'm just bored at work and have nothing better to do, so sorry for bitching about this assignment this early in (no offence Kelsey).
But we need to talk about what lessons each person wants to be in charge of. We all need to be on the same page so that not two people are doing the same lesson. Maybe we could brain storm some possible ideas for a lesson right-a-way. Then we can each pick one of those to focus on. I think this would be a lot easier than all of us coming up with our own ideas and ending up two of us thinking about doing something the same or somewhat related.
We've got 5 people in this group...right? So, I don't know. I'll keep thinking about this and try to post something later tonight.

where do we go from here?

I will look over tomorrow next weeks stuff. Does anyone have an idea of what we are doing from here?

virtual pets

I like the idea of virtual pets. I think that the kids would be way ahead of us on that one though. My neices and nephews having something like that on thier portable game boy or whatever that thing is. I am so out of this stuff.

concept map

I am sure it is too late now but I have tried and have no idea how to add to our concept map. I have not downloaded to inspiration or kidspiration because of her warning about waiting our turn. I do see that Kristin did add my thoughts though.
By the way Kristin big thanks to you for setting this up. I have had so much trouble this week with just the other stuff I do not think I could have done this. Also good job on the concept map.
I did not download it to the e-learning because I have no idea how.

Concept Map

Ok...this concept map is a great start. Are we each suppose to create our own concept map or can we build of the one already start. I started doing my concept map and it looks pretty much just like the one already in our blog. If we can build or change this concept map, can someone please post the project file so that we can add to it in Kidspiration.
Thanks!

Websites

I thought some of these websites were really cool...well, I guess I though the last website was the coolest! Here's the list of websites a visited. I was thinking we could even incorporate virtual pets into the classroom before actually getting a real classroom pet. That way the students could learn how to take care of a pet virtually before getting a real pet for the classroom. Who knows, they might like this better, because the could go home and take care of their virtual pet.
www.slideshare.net
www.kinderart.com/teachers/pets.shtml
www.webkinz.com/us_en/

stuff due today

hey kristin,

i don't mean to put everything on you but you seem to have everything. did you post the url to the blog link in module #2? let me know where i can help out :)

Concept map

hey kristin,

i haave a few things to add to the concept map. i just wrote them onto the rough draft you had on the blog. i don't know how to post a picture, so i am going to email it to you. i'll cc: it to kelsey as well.

websites

www.proteacher.org/c/433_classroom_Pets.html
thoughts about the needs of the animal's care. Teeth for rodents, hampsters get out+. Things we do not have down yet.
www.Peta.org/forums/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=2123
idea about what some parents may think of the class pet.
www.english.unitecnology.ac.nz/resources/units/pets/home.html
maybe some unit plan ideas.

Sweetness!

I like everything I am seeing on here. I've been talking with some of the people at the Museum. Annette and Elizabeth have been giving me some really cool information about sites we can visit about how we can use technology in the classroom. I don't know how well this will help in actually "obtaining a classroom pet"...but who knows, maybe we'll research something from the information. Here's what I have so far:

museum and the web: google search
papers on teachers and eduction and web-based learning.
Nomenies for best of the web in this same thing
Slideshare.net: youtube thing for powerpoint presentions.
Twitter accounts for communication
Facebook.
Museum teachers forms to help teachers.

I don't know if any of this stuff will help us through the semester. I'll keep researching websites for obtaining a classroom pet

Concept Map

I like the concept map. How do we turn that in? Will she just look on our blog or do we copy and paste it somehow?

Yes this technology is tricky. I had to ask how to set up the g-mail and took two days to figure out how to post on the blog.

Do not forget to take the quiz guys.
I am checking into websites next. Do we also put our evaluations on the blog or just turn them in under the module?

Caption for last post

Ok so I added in your ideas. Here is what I have now!!

Another rough draft of the concept map

Concept Map

No, Erin you don't create your own. We have to create one concept map together. I was just brainstorming a little and then posted it on here for you guys to see. Any ideas are great!! Glad to see you made it on the blog. This technology can be tricky for sure!! :)

Hello everybody

I am very proud of myself for getting this far! i have learned alot about this technology business within the past couple weeks. So, here are some websites that i found

www.teacherwebshelf.com
www.kids4research.org
www.reacheverychild.com

Kristin, as far as adding to the concept map, do i create my own, or just tell you through this blog what to add?

I did it YEAH. Sorry

I may have gotten this

I have been trying to figure this out for a couple of days now .
I like the concept map. Wealso need to consider the cleaning od the cage with expenses.
We also need to consider who will do it, and how often. Who will be responsible for feeding and watering?
I live in Plainwell. It takes me 25 min to get to campus. I am there Mon.-Thur.

Kristin, I love the Concept Map! I was thinking we could add to pros and cons maybe to the "other considerations" such as;

Pros-

creates improved learning experiences

creates sense of responsibilities

excited participation

help student appreciate and respect animals



Cons-

animals need attention

The pet may become ill

Parents must be involved if the pet is sent home

Must stick to the animals diet

And also, here are a few more classroom pets that I have found..

Rats

Gerbils

Birds

Frogs

Just a few ideas! I really like it though. Really good sub-topics! :)

Rough Draft of a Concept Map

I hope this comes through ok. I started a concept map. I know it is a very rough draft of one but I wanted you guys to look at it and then add things if you have any ideas. I will continue to work on it as well!

Here are some of the websites I am going to evaluate:

http://www.kinderart.com/teachers/pets.shtml
http://www.lvma.org/petgen.html
http://www.humanesocietyyouth.org/resources/classroom_pets.asp

Kristin, I agree with all of your ideas! Has anyone downloaded Inspiration or Kidspiration yet? I downloaded Kidspiration today, so hopefully I can get working on a concept map!

So, what is it...do we just google search stuff to find websites we can use for our concept maps. I really haven't started reading that book yet, just kind of been plugging into the module assignments. I know I'll actually have to read to do the first quiz.

Anyway, if anyone is around west Michigan, maybe we could actually meet sometime in person. My communication skills are kind of limited whenever doing online communication.

More Ideas

Ok so I also thought, we could have a different student take the pet home each weekend and then they could keep a journal of what they did with the pet during that time.
Just an idea!

Web Sites and Ideas for Concept Map

ok, so some websites that I found to use are:
http://classroom-activities.suite101.com/article.cfm/selecting_the_right_classroom_pet
http://www.spca.bc.ca/Educators/rightpet.asp
http://www.hsmo.org/m_learn/classpets.php

For our concept map, I think that we should look at a variety of different pets a classroom can have. For example, we should look at the pros and cons of having pets such as hampsters, rabbits, turtles, fish, or guinea pigs. Then we should look into expensives for having a classroom pet, where the pet would go on weekends and holidays, habitats and food, and any other ways one must care for the animal. Also we should consider the student's allergies when determining what pet to have in the classroom.

Here are just some ideas. Let me know what you think.

Yay! im so happy I was able to post something! :) I have looked at a few websites, but not really sure what we are looking for exactly. Kristin, have you found any good websites or have any ideas?

Introduction

Hi group members,
I know that we don't have all of our members as followers of the blog but hopefully soon.
Anyone have any ideas for our project so far?