PowerPoint
I actually very recently created a PowerPoint slideshow for a class I'm currently taking, "The Middle School." Our assignment was to research the history of the middle school. I'll be certified to teach middle school math, so researching this topic was very beneficial to me. I grew up in an area where we had a middle school that was 5th-8th grade. I've learned that the configuration of grades varies. Many larger cities are going back to a K-8 system. In the PowerPoint there were slides comparing junior high and middle school. For this slideshow I used a PP program through my Windows Live account. There were several backgrounds available. I tried to pick a nondistracting template that I liked with neutral colors and a nice design. The background for the slides is darker with the words being in white which would hopefully allow for a good viewing opportunity. The resource section at the bottom of each slide was in a complementary bright green color. I liked the table presentation in some of the slides that compared junior and middle schools. I thought that would be a visually easy way to compare the two. If I were to compile these slides again I would most likely include more historical information on the middle school in the beginning of the slideshow. In this course we didn't actually present the material, we had to research then design the slides to show what we found.
In terms of the TED website videos I viewed, I provided several comments on the discussion board. I reviewed the comments left on my post and was encouraged to see that several classmates were concerned as I was with school lunches and math class presentation styles. The video I found regarding my content area was "Math Class Needs a Makeover" by Dan Meyer. I'm so glad I chose this video to watch as a new educator entering the math area. I would also recommend this to any other new or seasonsed math teacher. The speaker mentioned that it was a great time to be a math teacher. That was encouraging in itself. He said that we needed more patient problem solvers. This was an easy statement to understand when he related this to how patient our students are in today's society of instant gradification. I liked how he presented a problem that may be found in a textbook then takes away the distractions in the problem. He encourages the students to do substeps in the problem. Instead of a diagram of a figure in a problem, he actually took a picture of an actual object which makes sense so students can apply to a real life object.
The other TED video I chose out of personal interest was the school lunch talk given by Ann Cooper who is a school foodservice director. As a parent and Registered Dietitian I'm concerned about what the school system recognizes as a healthy meal to provide to our children. She talked about obtaining foods within our region and buying local. Including organic foods was also emphasized. I also advocate what she mentioned about that we are responsible for what our kids eat and that children can't be responsible, they're kids. The school she oversees now offers a sald bar which she was told when she began wouldn't be successful. She said kids young and older like it. The school offers cooking and gardening classes, which is wonderful. She encouraged child involvement as with the gardening, so they may be directly linked to what they are eating. Her dedication to her profession and school was admirable. She reported to work each morning at 4am to cook for the children she served.
In the technology explorations, the virtual manipulatives was interesting and a great resource for me as a future math educator. I will definitely keep this site on file to involve technology in my classroom. I'll be teaching middle school, but this is a resource for all educators K-12. Most math teachers would be likely to be interested to incorporate some visual aids into their lessons.
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