Blog Post 5 - Post Teaching Reflection 1

Instructional Decisions/Teaching (InTask Standard # 9):

What went well and what didn't go well during the implementation of your lesson? 

The biggest problems with my lesson came from using Google Earth. One student wasn't able to download Google Earth to their computer. There were also issues with Google Earth not wanting to zoom in and focus on some places which made it harder for the students to find what they were looking for. Students were able to use the pins and the search function with relative ease though, so that was good. 

How well was the alignment to objectives and standards maintained?

Pretty well, the standard was to locate and recognize physical and and human features of the map. The objective was for students to do the same. And that is exactly what the students were doing during the lesson. They used Google Earth to help them find features such as restaurants, stores, mountains, rivers, etc. 

Describe any modifications made during the implementation of the lesson

During the lesson, my modifications mostly came in the form of technological problems. One student could not get Google Earth downloaded so I had to modify and have them use Google Earth on my computer. Obviously in the classroom I would ensure that the iPads/computers the students use would already have Google Earth downloaded and ready to be used. One thing that I did not expect to happen that I had to adjust to was student's search range. I was expecting everyone to just search for things in Flagstaff in the local search, but there were many pins in California. This wide range of pins made the screenshot cover a larger range and made it harder for me to see where the pins are actually placed. Another possible modification would be to reduce the amount of searches for students who seem to be struggling. 

Mechanics:

What technologies did I use (for the teacher and the learner)?

• Google Earth

• Smartboard

• Email

How were the technologies used (by whom and in what manner)?

The basis of this lesson was Google Earth. Both the teacher and students used it. I used Google Earth to demonstrate to students what they would be doing. I used the smartboard to display Google Earth in a way that all students could easily see what they needed to do. Students used Google Earth to complete their activities. For the lesson with my peers they used email to send me their Google Earth screenshots, but I would not use that method with my students. Actual students would use the print function and a printer for this lesson. 

My lesson was within the correct time frame:

Yes, my lesson was in the correct time frame. Two of my peer students finished the lesson and started the survey within the time frame I was given, one did not. I just had that student stop where he was and move onto the survey so that we remained in the time frame. I thought that was ok though, because with students this activity would definitely take more time than I had for the lesson in this class. The peer student who did not finish was able to complete enough that he understood the lesson and had used some of the technology. 

Assessment of Learning (InTask Standard # 6): 

Include at least 2 digital artifacts that demonstrate what you or your students (peers) have created as a result of your lesson

Courtney's Screenshot of her map

Taylor's Screenshot of her map

Jeff's Screenshot of her map

Describe your students' level of success in achieving the standards and objectives for your lesson based on your assessment

All students exceeded on the first aspect of the rubric: Correctly found all four features of the local search (at least as far as I can tell). While I was observing during the lesson they were all correctly using the search and pin functions. Because of the zoomed out nature of their screenshots it makes it a little hard for me to see if the pins are actually on the things they say they are, but I assume they are. With actual students that wouldn't be as much of a problem. They would probably all search for things in a close vicinity. 

Describe the level of success you had in teaching the lesson

I'd say I was pretty successful. I felt that the students were not confused and that they understood the lesson objectives. 

How do your individual reflections support this?

As I have explained in this reflection, I felt prepared for this lesson. My objectives and standards were aligned with the activity that I had my students doing. We were adequately using technology. 

How do the comments from your classmates support this?

I had good comments from my classmates. They all said I was very prepared, that I was very successful in supporting students in learning content, that I was very successful integrating technology, and that the lesson was fun and engaging. Considering success in supporting individual needs two classmates said I was very successful and one said I was somewhat successful and that I should be less specific on what students need to find. I got two comments to have students download Google Earth before the lesson, which I already knew was a problem. 

What did you learn from designing and teaching this lesson and how will you use this in the creation of future lessons/learning activities.

I learned that the PO in the Social Studies standards are performance objectives and that I can use those as the objectives in my lesson. I do not have to create a differing set of objectives. 

I would also like to be more prepared somehow. I didn't like that I was having everyone download Google Earth during the lesson. It would have been nice if I could have everyone download it ahead of time. I definitely like Google Earth and think using it with students is helpful, it might be more helpful to use it in relation to a lesson about a specific place, in supplement with general map skills. 

Blog Post 4 - Lesson Plan 1

Shaelyn Jiron

ETC 447

Geography on Google Earth Pro

I. RATIONALE:

This lesson is part of a unit on Geography for second graders. The class has already worked with paper maps and globes to recognize grid lines, a compass rose, the key, and symbols. In this lesson students will begin to work with maps on the computer and practice locating physical and human features on Google Earth Pro. At a later point in this lesson students will need to use an online map creator to build their own map

II. OVERVIEW

Grade Level: 2^nd  

Subject(s): Social Studies

Topic of Study: The AZ College and Career Readiness Standards in Social Studies for Second

Grade: Strand 4: Geography – Concept 1: The World in Spatial Terms

This project is designed to help second graders become more familiar with use maps on the computer.

Time Allotment: 45 minutes - 1 hour

Standards:

·      AZCCRS Social Studies - Strand 4: Geography

o   Concept 1: The World in Spatial Terms

§  PO5. Recognize characteristics of human and physical features:

§  PO 6. Locate physical and human features using maps, illustrations, images, or globes:

·      physical (i.e., ocean, continent, river, lake, mountain range, coast, sea, desert)

·      human (i.e., equator Northern and Southern Hemispheres, North and South Poles, city, state, country)

·      AZ Educational Technology Standards

o   Strand 6: Technology Operations and Concepts

§  Concept 1: Understanding

·      PO 3. Identify and choose technology applications for a given activity/project.

Objectives: Students will be able to:

• Find various local human features on Google Earth
• Find various human features in the U.S. on Google Earth
• Find various physical features in the U.S. on Google Earth
• Locate and properly label the approximate location of various human and physical features on a blank U.S. map
• Use applications in Google Earth Pro to complete given task

III. IMPLEMENTATION

Whole Group Instruction:

• Teacher will begin by briefly reviewing with students what had previously been studied using paper maps and globes (i.e. compass rose, legend, physical features)
• Then the teacher will demonstrate how to use Google Earth Pro on the smartboard so all       students can see
•  She will show how to find the application and open it
• She will show how the zoom and rotation features can be used
• She will ask for a suggestion of something to search, and then show students how to use the search function
• She will show how to add a placemark, name it, and change the color
• She will show students how to look for physical features on the map and remind them of how they did that on physical maps

·      The teacher will explain that the students will be doing a scavenger hunt on Google Earth Pro and she will pass out the scavenger hunt paper and the blank U.S. map and students will get their iPads

   Individual Work:

• Students will begin their individual workEach student will use their scavenger hunt sheet to guide their use of Google Earth Pro
• They will search for things in Flagstaff, add placemarks, and then print that page from Google Earth Pro
• Next they will complete a search of more natural features in the U.S. and fill in a blank U.S. map with the features they find and turn that in
• The teacher will wander the classroom and observe students while they work
• Ask questions about what they are doing and if they need help

Technology Integration: This lesson is largely technology based. Students will be using Google Earth Pro as a map. They will have to use the search function, use the zoom feature, add placemarks, and otherwise navigate the map. They will also have to print from the computer.

Differentiated Instruction:

• Cognitive delay – Extra time can be added to this lesson for students who need it. Students could also find a smaller amount of items on the scavenger hunt and receive more guided help in using the Google Earth Pro applications
• Gifted – Gifted learners can use the whole earth for their second set of searches and may receive a blank world map to fill in their features
• ELL – English Language Learners will be provided with a scavenger hunt sheet that has more pictures to aid in understanding of what they should be searching for on Google Earth Pro

IV. ASSESSMENT

Procedure:

The teacher will conduct informal assessment while the students are working individually. By walking around and conversing with students about the project, the teacher will have a feel for how well students are understanding the prompt and completing the task. If it appears that few students understand, the teacher can pause the class and go over the assignment and using Google Earth again. If the teacher notices that a student(s) are particularly struggling, she can stop to aid them with their assignment and give them any one-on-one instruction that they might need.

Formative assessment will be based off the work students turn in from this lesson. The printed local search items will be turned in as well as the U.S. map that students filled in while working on the U.S. searches. The teacher will use the rubric below to assess student understanding and mastery of the objectives. The summative assessment for this unit will not be completed until later in this unit when students create their own map using an online application.

Instruments:

Criteria	Approaches	Meets	Exceeds
Find various local human features on Google Earth	Found 2-3 features on the local search, may not have found locations in the actual correct spot	Found 3-4 features of the local search, may not have found a location in the actual correct spot	Correctly found all four features of the local search
Find various human features in the U.S. on Google Earth	Correctly found one of the human features of the U.S. Search	Correctly found two of the human features of the U.S. search	Correctly found all three of the human features of the U.S. search
Find various physical features in the U.S. on Google Earth	Correctly found all three of the physical features of the U.S. search	Correctly found all three of the physical features of the U.S. search	Correctly found all three of the physical features of the U.S. search
Locate and properly label the approximate locations of various human and physical features on a blank U.S. map	Found 3-5 of the approximate locations of the U.S. search features, but incorrectly labeled them	Found 5-6 of the approximate locations of the U.S. search features, but may have incorrectly labeled them	Found the approximate locations of all six of the U.S. search features and labeled them correctly
Use applications in Google Earth Pro to complete given task	Was not able to follow the scavenger hunt directions and use the search, placemark, and print applications on Google Earth without significant help	Was able to follow the scavenger hunt directions and use the search, placemark, and print applications on Google Earth with little additional help	Was able to follow the scavenger hunt directions and use the search, placemark, and print applications on Google Earth without additional help

IIV. MATERIALS AND RESOURCES

·      Students will need access to iPads/computers with Google Earth Pro, as well as a printer

·      Students will also need a pencil, the Google Earth Scavenger Hunt sheet (see below), and a blank U.S. map