Below is my word cloud. This is just one of the six that I did. This is Level 6 of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Cognitive Domain.



We have to use the words in each level when we are writing up our lesson plans and learning objectives. I did a word cloud for all 6 levels and I would love to put these somewhere close when I am working on my lesson plans. I may put them in small frames on my desk, or use them on the outside of a notebook for easy reference.

Level 1 has words showing you are expecting the learner to REMEMBER an idea or fact the way they learned it.
Level 2 has words to describe the learner communicating that idea in a new and different way. The learner shows their UNDERSTANDING when they do this.
Level 3 has words that show the learner can APPLY this knowledge to solve new problems.
Level 4 has words that show the learner can ANALYZE, or break down into its steps, this new knowledge.
Level 5 has words that show the learner can CREATE by developing something new based on the knowledge they now have.
Level 6 has words that show the learner can EVALUATE and make decisions using critical thinking skills.

I would have to say that this technology enhances what a teacher can do to help students remember vocabulary words or key concepts. A word cloud is a graphic organizer that is visually appealing. I do wonder if research has been done to show that this tool can help students that have different learning styles.

Powtoon

Powtoon is so much fun to do! I would have to say that in the SAMR model this is definitely a transformation in the use of technology. They are always saying that humans learn things visually and in sound bites. That's why commercials are not longer than 60 seconds!

It redefines how a teacher can communicate important concepts with their students. I am thinking of using this at the beginning of each lesson to stress points throughout the year and to help my students remember key concepts. And just imagine what a student can do with this! Endless possibilities!

Pecha Kucha

I have finished the PowerPoint slides. I did one for a lesson plan I am doing on relationships in ecosystems. There are 20 slides because I am using the Pecha Kucha method. The Pecha Kucha method is using PowerPoint or Google Slides but having only 20 slides, each lasting only 20 seconds.
Unfortunately, in order to link this presentation to my blog, I had to move it into google slides and the sound, fonts and image enhancements I used in PowerPoint were lost. Here is a link to my presentation:

Relationships in Ecosystems Presentation

The first thing I did was to write the rough draft of my script. Then I created the 20 slides. It took quite a bit of time to find the appropriate images and to decide what words to have show on the slide. It is important to have the slides look visually appealing, but also to use few words. The narration should take care of sending the message you want your students to hear.

I did learn more about PowerPoint and I experimented with the edges on images and different fonts. I think next time I will work on changing the transitions between slides to fade into each other.

After the slides were completed, I re-wrote the script to keep it under 20 sections. I also practiced to get it to flow and to follow the animations. Then I recorded it. Turned out to be not as difficult as I thought as long as you plan and practice! Here is a link to my script:

Script for Relationships in Ecosystems

I put the presentation on screencast.com so you would be able to see it on my blog. But I had to download snagit first so I could get the full 7 minutes in. This tool is very useful for online learning presentations. It would be ideal for an assignment on google classrooms. I had difficulty with screencast.com so I posted this on YouTube. It took me all day to figure it out!!! Here is the presentation. Enjoy!


I would have to say that the Pecha Kucha model for presentations has transformed the way we can present information to students. Can it redefine how we use presentation tools? I was thinking that I could put this PowerPoint presentation online for my students. It would help those students who are visual learners and ELL students.

I would then assign them a species to do research on and they would have to report the relationships that particular species has in its ecosystem. They can use the Pecha Kucha form to present it, or they can try a graphic novel or comic strip. This is a new way to get information across to students using an old method. The old method is the way advertisers grab their audience with short sound bites that only last 30 seconds!

Corrections to APA style paper

I corrected my APA style paper. My tables were not supposed to have lines around them. I also cited the NCES in my introduction, which I hadn't done in the last paper. I waited to cite it in the methods section.

Here is the link to the corrected paper.

Corrections to APA style paper

The APA guidelines I used were found on the Purdue Owl site. The link to their website is here:

APA guidelines for tables and figures

The important thing to remember when creating your tables or reporting figures in your text is that the text is clear and concise and the table is clear when you look at it visually.

Self-Grading Form

Below is a self-grading form I created:





Here is the link to the spreadsheet I created that will auto-grade the quiz.

spreadsheet showing results

Here is a link that can take you to the form if you want:

Relationships in Ecosystems Quiz

Here is a link to show charts and graphs of the data

Data Analysis

This is definitely a useful tool to use. I was surprised at how easy it is to do. The ISTE NETS for teachers would address the following: I, A; II, E; III, D; IV, A, B, C; and V, C, D. The tool can be used to assess your students, to see how certain questions were answered correctly or incorrectly which can be used to modify your teaching or your assessment, and the tool can also be shared with parents and administrators.

I also feel we need to teach the students themselves to use this tool because it is a great way to collect and analyze data. They can use this in the workplace.

Google Forms Survey

I have created the following survey. I did have some difficulties, but I was able to figure them out and adjust (see notes below).



Here is a link to my spreadsheet:

How Social Are You spreadsheet

I will try next to see if I can put the form on a page and link to the page...

I cannot put a link to the survey because I took the survey and it recognizes my email so only the above screen shows. I should not have clicked on the check box that states you can only do the survey once. I will try to see if editing that makes a difference.Yes!!! I was able to edit and change the requirement so the survey can show above! I also created a page on my blog that anyone can go to and take the survey.

If you would like to take the survey, you can click on the link below:

Link to Survey

I can use these surveys for Girl Scouts and in the classroom. Sometimes I need to find out how many are going on a camping trip and what equipment they have at home. These surveys would also be useful to set up meetings with colleagues when you are trying to come up with a date where everyone can attend. I think I would like parents to take a survey also to see what their expectations are for the school year. I would do a survey at the end of the year also.

Some of the questions were not clear (the list option, for example) and I would probably not use some of the questions. I found useful the question that gave a scale, the check boxes, and the multiple choice. With parents, it would be useful to give them room to write a paragraph or so.

I embedded the survey in the blog, added a link and a page on my blog, so there are multiple ways you can get folks to view the survey.

This looks like the survey is a tool of the spreadsheet that collects and reports the data. In a way, it is a portal that links directly to your spreadsheet. The results show up directly into your spreadsheet. 

APA Paper with Discussion and References

This part of our assignment was to discuss the results and bring up any limitations we saw with the data used in this study. These questions make you think about your study and also encourage you to dig deeper into where the data is actually coming from. It is important to understand the parameters used when compiling the data.

The reference page was quite difficult to put together this time. When you are using data and articles from the Web, it is difficult to get a clear picture from the APA guidelines on what exactly you should be putting in your reference information.

I think it is important to keep in mind that the reference section should give anyone seeing it the information they need to find the article or data again.

Below is a link to the final paper. This was a good practice activity for me, especially doing the tables. It is good to know that APA format guidelines are online and accessible to everyone.

Final APA Paper

APA Paper with results

I finished the APA Paper with the results section. The link is below:

APA Paper with Results

It was difficult to keep it short, but I think what I said is clear. I look forward to the critique.

Natalia Beardsley critiqued my paper and gave me constructive feedback. Click on the link below to see her suggestions. She also sent me an email outlining her suggestions and why. It was extremely helpful and clarified so much for me.

APA Paper and Results with suggested corrections

When reading through the APA guidelines it was often difficult to understand their examples. You really have to pay attention to the details and read through it all more than once. Natalia obviously has a knack for noticing the details and it helped me to have her check my paper. I was glad she pointed out that my hypothesis sounded like it was based on opinion rather than any study and she suggested I look for an article or paper to back it up. Good idea! Even if it is someone else's "opinion," it would help to show researchers why we came up with the hypothesis in the first place.


Click on the link below to see the corrected copy of the APA paper with Results.

Corrected APA Paper with Results

APA Methods

This assignment took longer than I expected! When I went on the APA website, they had a note on there that they had some errors printed in the the 6th edition. I wasn't really sure I had all the correct information.

I printed out the pages I thought I needed for the APA guidelines and they were somewhat helpful. The link to my APA paper with the "Method" section added is below:

PMcBrideResearchPaperAPAMethods


This is extremely useful information to know. As educators, it is important for us to be able to guide our students on the correct format for research papers.

APA Format Examining State Differences

For this assignment, we had to write a title page and introduction for a research paper in APA format. We looked at the 2013 NAEP 8th grade mean math scores for all 50 states. We had to compare the mean scores of states that had Republican governors to the mean scores of states that had Democratic governors. We had to come up with a question, propose a hypothesis and indicate the independent and dependent variables.

We also compared the mean scores of states that banned the open carry of firearms to the mean scores of states that required a license to carry firearms in the open. Below is the link to my title page and introduction.

Examining State Differences

What I found difficult to do using the header/footer tab in word was that you cannot put "Running head" on the title page and NOT on the pages to follow. If anyone else has figured out how to do that, please let me know! I tried different ways and finally ended up making the top margin .05" and typing in the header and pages for each page. The APA guidelines were easy to follow. They give you examples, also, which really helps.

It was difficult to whittle down the introduction to 250 words!

Peer Review Activity

Well, this was an eye-opener for me! I reviewed Stephanie McLain's Blog and it was done extremely well. She made me realize that I did not hide my URLs in a hyperlink, and I probably should have done that because it looks better.

Here is the link to the google document of my review:

Stephanie's Blog

I went through the google document with the assignment and instructions, but also looked over the blog rubrics to make sure I was paying attention to the details. I do plan to go back and re-do my URLs to hide them with a hyperlink.

This peer review was a good idea because it requires all the students to pay attention to the details of the assignment.

Natalia Beardslee reviewed my blog and she pointed out that she was unable to view some of my documents. I had to go back and make sure I shared them with everyone at Shenandoah University.

The google map we did, I learned you have to go in and make sure the map itself is shared in google maps. Natalia was extremely helpful with her insights and suggestions.

Prezi Presentation

Natalia Beardslee and Stephanie McLain were my partners in this Prezi presentation. We decided to do a presentation on ecosystems and the impact of human activities on them. I have to do a complete lesson plan on ecosystems and this topic is something I can use in the classroom for direct instruction. My topic was water pollution. Natalia did soil pollution and Stephanie did air pollution.

I know I learned a lot by doing this assignment. Once you watch the tutorials, it was not difficult to work with Prezi. This is a visual explosion compared to PowerPoint! My only concern with using this format is being cautious with how much you put in your presentation. Sometimes you can get caught up in the "bells and whistles" and the students will lose sight of the information.

I have seen Prezi presentations that had too many words and a background color that made it difficult to read. I would say that Prezi is definitely a transformation in the SAMR model compared to PowerPoint. Students using this will be able to do things with this program that they cannot do with PowerPoint (redefinition).

The layout is more like a road-map where the student can make stops along the way and show what they know in new and exciting ways. They can rotate and zoom in and out and add a music score if they want! This is definitely a tool that can be used to motivate students to learn and I look forward to teaching my students how to use it.

Below is the link to our Prezi presentation or you can click on the presentation below the link.
 
Ecosystems Prezi

Prezume using Prezi

Prezi is a free site that allows you to create a presentation that is very visually appealing and it moves! You do have to pay if you want your presentations not to be available to the public.

You can click on the link below to visit the site:
Prezi Site

Prezi definitely transforms the way we can present information to an audience. New goals can be achieved with this software if you are comparing it to PowerPoint (SAMR model).

This was actually quite fun to do! I will be playing with it more to see how to change the colors and such. I like that you can rearrange the slides and you control how it is viewed by double-clicks on the page.

Numbers 1.6 Ethnicity and Reading

I was able to export the information from the NAEP website. Here is a link to my excel worksheet:

Excel Worksheet McBride

Here is a screen shot of my use of the online tool.






The p value is less than .05 which means we must reject the null hypothesis. There is a statistically significant difference between the NAEP mean scores of Black and Hispanic students on the 4th grade reading assessment.

Learning to export information from another source enhances and improves what we used to have to do by hand. I would not say we are modifying the task in anyway, just doing it more quickly and easily. (SAMR model).

Teachers need to use this skill for their own assessments and evaluations, but students need to know how to use these tools also. (ISTE, NETS-t, IIIC, IVB).

Google Maps

The link for google maps is below:

Google Maps

Below is the link to my website where I show how students can use their new knowledge about animal behaviors by observing those behaviors on a trip to the National Zoo.

Trip to Smithsonian National Zoo


Below is a link to my Google Map for the Smithsonian National Zoo:

Map for Smithsonian National Zoo Trip

Click on "Open Original Map" and then you should be able to zoom in and see the sites listed. There is also a walking route planned out so the students stick to the itinerary. I have also put an attachment on the page showing the chart the students should use for their observations.



This was an interesting assignment for me. I had just finished a lesson plan on animal behaviors for another class. This went very well with that lesson. It would be great if I would be able to take the students on a field trip and have them see these behaviors in the field.

This tool is definitely transforming the way we use maps in the classroom. Students would probably be able to get this on their phones or tablets and could just follow the path that way. Easy and they don't lose a piece of paper along the way! I would consider this a modification of map technology according to the SAMR model.

Google Maps is definitely a tool that allows a teacher to "apply technology to increase productivity." Though it was difficult for me to realize when I was saving the map I wanted, I finally figured it out. (ISTE, NETS t V, C).

Google Sheets and Hypothesis Testing Revised 02.20.15

Below is the link to my Google Sheets page showing how we performed a t-test on data collected from a survey given to students on the Ebola virus.

Google Sheet McBride

The hypothesis (or question) being asked was "Did a presentation given to the students on the Ebola virus have an influence on (or change) student responses to a survey?"

It should be noted here that only 6 questions (they were really statements) from the survey were analyzed. There were 103 students that took the survey on the Ebola virus before the presentation and then they were given the same survey after the presentation.

Each of the statements only had 4 possible answers ranging from "strongly agree" to "strongly disagree."

The independent variable in this experiment was the presentation. The dependent variable was the post survey responses.

The null hypothesis in this analysis would be that there was no statistical difference in the responses of the students to the survey after they saw the presentation. Any difference seen would be due to error in measurement or chance.

If the P value is less than .05, the null hypothesis must be rejected which would mean that there was a statistically significant difference between the survey given before the presentation (pre) and the survey given after the presentation (post). It was not chance or error. The presentation did make a difference in survey responses of the students.

If the P value is greater than .05, the null hypothesis cannot be rejected which would mean that though there is a difference between the pre-presentation and post-presentation survey results, that difference was caused by chance or error and is not statistically significant.





The results show that only questions 29 and 31 showed a statistically significant difference in the pre and post responses which would mean that the presentation did influence the students on those two questions.

Google Sheets are not as easy to use as Excel, but they are easier to share so that is a plus in education. Besides, it is easy to calculate in Excel and just copy and paste to Google Sheets.

I did learn how to add formulas in Google Sheets. When I put the equal sign in the formula line, and the first letter of the formula I wanted to use, choices showed up and I was able to choose most of the actions allowed in Excel.

Because we can cut and paste from Excel into Google Sheets which allows us to share our work, this would be considered an enhancement according to the SAMR model.

This would also be a useful tool when you are trying to analyze your data and share with your colleagues or the administration. (ISTE NETS t, IV B).

Jeopardy Labs

Jeopardy Labs is a great free website! It is difficult to get used to wording the answers correctly but I am sure a teacher would get the hang of it with practice.

It would be a good idea to write down your jeopardy answers as you go through a unit. I am working on an Ecosystems Unit for my curriculum class. I had assessment questions, but they weren't always usable in a Jeopardy format.

Here is the link to Jeopardy Labs: Jeopardy Labs

You can go to my Ecosystems Jeopardy Game with the following link:

Ecosystems Jeopardy

Jeopardy Labs is an augmentation (SAMR model). This makes it easier to use than designing the template by hand so it improves function, but there really isn't any transformation going on here.

This is a great way to assess and evaluate whether or not your students understand the material or not, but I do feel you have to be very clear in your "answers" for this. Not an easy task for teachers. (ISTE, NETS t IV, C).


My Jeopardy Template

Self-Portrait by Phyllis McBride

The site I went to for the self-portrait was Picasso Head. When I saved it, they sent me an email to my link on the site.

Phyllis McBride Self-Portrait

Next I clicked the Share button and had it posted to my blog, but that didn't seem to work. If you click on the link, it is a portrait someone else created! I wrote the following and the link below it is what showed up on my blog post:



Below is my self-portrait I created on www.picassohead.com!

Self-Portrait by Phyllis McBride

I do not think I will use this with my students, but it is good practice to learn to link and embed items. I am going to use  Jing to embed the portrait so you can see it. That seems to be the easiest for me to do.



I will say that this tool could be a transformation for many students, especially those students with disabilities. I can see where they could be successful here but not in a standard art class (SAMR model).

This tool would fall under II of the ISTE NETS t standards - "Teachers plan and design effective learning environments and experiences supported by technology."

Creating a Poll

I don't think I saw the email in time to vote. I would have voted for common core standards!

I did sign up and create my own poll. It will only be up for one day.


Poll McBride

Not sure if this link will work or not. It does work if you copy and paste in your browser though. And I did see where you can put it in a PowerPoint Presentation. You can also email the link which would work well with parents.

Hypothesis Testing

The hypothesis we were testing for this assignment was: Is ethnicity a factor in 8th grade reading performance?

The Null Hypothesis in this case would be that there was no statistically significant difference between each ethnic group of students' test scores. If the P-value is less than 5 % (0.05), it signifies that there is a statistically significant difference in their performances and we must reject the Null Hypothesis.

This means that if we were to do these exams again, all things being equal, we would get the same results. The differences would not be from chance or from an error in the measurement of their reading performance. I think people need to understand that when you are measuring values, you are just measuring numbers and how the numbers relate to each other. This does not answer the question of WHY there is a difference.

Below is the comparison between White and Black students. The P-values are shown to be zero which is less that 5%. This means that the difference between the values recorded for the two ethnic groups were statistically significant and could not be attributed to chance or an error in measurement.





The next two charts show the same results for White/Hispanic comparisons and Black/Hispanic comparisons. The difference between the reading performances recorded for White and Hispanic and the difference between the reading performances recorded for Black and Hispanic students was statistically significant. The difference in their scores was not due to error or chance.







I had always used Excel at work but never used the formula functions. My husband is an engineer and he said he used the functions often to let Excel "do the math" for him. I plan on teaching Middle School Science so this is a useful tool to use and introduce to students.

In the SAMR model, this tool is an augmentation that substitutes for what we used to have to do by hand or with a calculator when conducting experiments. This Excel tool definitely enhances the final product (looks professional) and the improvement is the speed. Excel saves us time!

If students want to go into the STEM fields, they will need to know how to use this tool (ISTE NETS, IB). The tool is also useful for teachers especially if we conduct our own studies of student performance in the classroom (ISTE NETS, IVB).

I did find out that you can reference a blog post in APA style. For this post, it would look like this in the text (PMcBride, 2015). The reference section would look like this:

PMcBride. (2015, February 10). Hypothesis Testing [Web log post]. Retrieved from  http://phyllismcbride.blogspot.com/.

If you are going to reference data from a table or graph in another publication, you have to be sure to put the page number where the table is located.