Posted by David Wetzel
How many times have you prepared an updated or new dynamic math or science PowerPoint or Keynote presentation for class and it would not open in school?
Also, how many times has it happened to your students when it’s time to give a class presentation? Now you need to postpone their presentation to another day, disrupting even the best planning.
You or your students do everything right – use compatible software, save it on a jump or flash drive, and it still would not open!
You think, well I will just open an older version of the presentation using Google Docs! You prepare to give your lesson – Bam! Google Docs is acting up or someone made a mistake and now your school is blocking Google Docs today!
When it rains it pours!
Solution: SlideShare
Now there is an alternative to the problems experienced above. How to overcome these problems is by using SlideShare – which is free!
This Web 2.0 tool allows you to upload presentations from PowerPoint, Keynote, OpenOffice, and Google Docs Presentation.
You can also embed these presentations in a class blog or wiki. This offers the ability to open your presentation on the class wiki or blog and give your lesson.
A good feature is the ability to embed appropriate YouTube or Teacher Tube videos within a presentation. This feature is a way of circumventing your school’s website blocking software.
You can even add audio to your presentations, to spice up a presentation and help hold your students’ interest.
You can even upload documents for creating slide presentations. SlideShare accepts documents from MS Word, iWork, Google Docs, PDF, and OpenOffice.
SlideShare also offers a new video feature which allows you to upload and share videos. They strictly enforce video copyright laws.
This Web 2.0 tool is also useful for professional development classes and workshops. You can share your presentations and student work without worrying about software compatibility issues.
Implementation: Strategies for Use in Science or Math Classes
Besides supporting teachers, SlideShare offers the ability for an individual or group of students to open their own account.
After creating a presentation for class, they can upload it to their own blog or class wiki. If these two options are not available, they can e-mail the link to their presentation to themselves or write down the link.
When students are absent, they can view a your presentations on the class blog or wiki. You also have the option to e-mail the link to absent student(s).
In classrooms using the one-to-one computer programs, students can access the SlideShare presentation on their computers and teachers free to roam the classroom ensuring students and following the presentation slides.
Students can use the presentations embedded on blogs or wikis as study guides when preparing for tests.
Uploading: Transferring Files
Several options are offered for uploading presentation or documents files. Examples include:
Firefox Universal FireUploader – offers a free Firefox plug-in for uploading files from your computer using a simple drag & drop interface. You can also edit the file details, set privacy, etc.
SlideShare Ribbon for Microsoft PowerPoint 2007 – is a free plugin for PowerPoint 2007. It lets you use most features of SlideShare from within PowerPoint. You can download and upload files.
This Web 2.0 tool offers the ability to overcome common problems both teachers and students have when giving presentations in class. This tool also provides the ability to eliminate the often used phrase - fear of using technology in the classroom. After spending time preparing a dynamic presentation providing a another level for overcoming technical difficulties are worth the effort.
Also, students are giving another way to prepare their class presentations. Eliminating often heard excuses of forgetting their jump drive at home, they lost their jump drive, or the dog ate it.
Additional Resources
PowerPoint Presentations Beyond Note Taking
Why Use Web 2.0 Tools When Teaching Science and Math?
Posted by David Wetzel
Google Docs offer an advanced set of collaboration and communication tools to help your students acquire the skills necessary to help them soar, in their education and out in the world. There is no hardware to maintain or software to install.
Unique features include:
- accessible from any computer anywhere with the Internet.
- multiple students or teachers can edit a document, spreadsheet, or presentation at the same time.
- the ability to embed videos from Vimeo and Animoto, along with images from Flickr or other sources.
- the ability to embed podcasts in presentations.
Science and Math Activities
The following are tips and ideas for using Google Docs in science and math classrooms.
Science Experiments - Students:
- write a collaborative lab report using Google Documents (word processing) and embed in a class website or Wiki.
- students collect scientific data (i.e., plant growth data) over a period of time using a Google Spreadsheet.
- prepare a group collaborative Google Presentation to present their findings and conclusions.
- they share their lab report, presentation, data, pictures, and spreadsheet with other students within their class, different classes in the school, and other schools in the district or across the country.
Math Investigations - Students:
- create a survey in Google Spreadsheets to ask other students to determine the number of times they send and receive text messages during a day.
- then they have two options - insert the data in another a Google Spreadsheet or allow the data to automatically update a spreadsheet as survey responses are received (teachers choice).
- prepare a group collaborative Google Presentation to present their findings and conclusions.
- they share their survey findings, presentation, and spreadsheet with other students within their class, different classes in the school, and other schools in the district or across the country.
The data collected from the survey has additional purposes such as determining mean, median, and mode.
Self Assessment Survey - Students complete an end of grading period or group project self-assessment survey using Google Spreadsheets created by their teacher. Their answers are automatically recorded in a spreadsheet which is only viewable by their teacher. Sample survey questions include:
- Thoughtfully completes work: Always, Mostly, Sometimes, or Never.
- Participates in class discussions: Always, Mostly, Sometimes, or Never.
- Contributes to group work and discussions: Always, Mostly, Sometimes, or Never.
- Gives best effort in class: Always, Mostly, Sometimes, or Never.
- Visits unapproved websites when using computers: Always, Mostly, Sometimes, or Never.
Additional Ideas for Using Google Docs in the Classroom
The following are ideas for classroom use.
- Group collaboration and creativity as students record their group projects together in a single document.
- Keep track of grades, attendance, or any other data you can think of using an easily accessible, always available spreadsheet.
- Create quizzes and tests using spreadsheets forms, your students’ timestamped answers will arrive neatly ordered in a spreadsheet.
- Encourage collaborative presentation skills by asking your students to work together on a shared presentation, then present it to the class.
- Collaborate on a document with colleagues to help track the status and success of students you share.
- Maintain, update and share lesson plans over time in a single document.
- Track and organize cumulative project data in a single spreadsheet.
How to Create a Survey
To create a survey form, either students or teacher, click on the “share” button on any Google Spreadsheet.
Then select the option “to fill out a form”.
Now start creating a survey form.
You can select multiple choices, text, choose from a list, paragraph text, or check boxes for options.
Answers are date and time stamped for validation.
Setting Up a Student Accounts
If your students already have email addresses, have them sign up for a Google Account using their own or school assigned e-mail account.
If your students do not have an email address, have students set up a free Gmail account (13 and older). You may want to consider signing up for the free Google Apps Education Edition (between now and July 31, 2010 to sign up students under age 13.
Keyboard Shortcuts
Google Docs Keyboard Short Cuts
Google Docs Keyboard Short Cuts for Spreadsheets
Additional Resource
Google Docs are a Free Online Educational Tool
Posted by David Wetzel
An algebra project focusing on a theme which interests students is more likely to engage them in the project, so lets take a look at sports. Many students participate in sports at some level, whether as part of a school team or a community team.
For the most part these same students do not understand the costs involved to host the sport. Also, they do not understand how much money is needed to ensure a profitable season so the sport can continue from year to year.
Sports Complex Project
This project is designed for using algebra as a basis for comparing expenses and income at a youth athletic complex to determine profitability.
Math students need to decide which fund raising activities will help their sports complex remain profitable.
The sports complex is not making enough money this year from concession stand sales to keep the complex open the last two months of this year’s sports season. The committee overseeing the sports complex project a $1,000.00 shortfall in funds to pay for lights, grass cutting, and maintenance.
Some members of the committee want to start a charging a $1.00 admission fee to everyone who enters the complex, this includes all fans and participants.
After much debate, the sports complex committee have decided to hold a carnival to avoid charging an admission fee. They also decided on the following two options for charging admission and ticket prices for the carnival.
- Option 1: $1.00 admission and $.25 per ticket.
- Option 2: no admission and $.50 per ticket.
Problem
Which of these two options will help raise enough money to avoid charging admission to everyone who uses the sports complex?
Facts needed to solve the problem:
- The sports complex committee has limited expenses to $600.00.
- An inflatable bungee run costs $250.00 to rent for rent for one day.
- A dunk tank costs $100.00 to rent for one day.
- A cotton candy machine costs $50.00 to rent for one day.
- An inflatable slide costs $100.00 to rent for one day.
Solving the Problem Complete the following to solve the problem. List at least 10 activities, including food booths, games, and rides. Other possibilities include food donations and activities which can be easily made such as a softball toss, soccer kick contest, baseball toss, basketball toss, or football toss.
Use Bubbl.us mapping software to create a organizational map to help solve the problem. Use the following as a guideline for solving the problem:
- For each option listed above, write equations to find the profit “y” of selling “x” tickets.
- What is the profit or loss for ticket sales based on attendance of 200 people, 300 people, and 400 people?
- Graph the equations.
- At what point, if any, will Option 1 and Option 2 be equal?
- Which option is the best for solving the problem and ensuring at least a $1,000.00 profit?
Alternative Solution
If Option 1 or Option 2 will not raise enough money to cover expenses and ensure enough profit to avoid an admission fee to the sports complex for everyone, what option to recommend to the sports complex committee to ensure the carnival raises enough money?
Survey
Create a survey using Google Docs Survey which which will be used to obtain a rough estimate of the number of people who will attend the carnival.
Presentation
Present your findings and recommendations to your classmates using one of the two following methods:
- Present your findings to you class using Google Docs Presentation.
- post your findings on the class Wiki for your class to view and parents can see. Ask for feedback and recommendations from all those who few your project findings on the class Wiki.
Project based learning in algebra allows students to transfer math knowledge to situations outside the classroom. Also the use of projects is often a motivational factor for students to learn algebra, as opposed to considering algebra as something they will never use in their lives.
Additional Readings on Project Based Learning in Math
Teaching Algebra: making Real World Connections
Solving Weaknesses in Math Using Project Based Learning
Pythagorean Theorem: Using Real World Applications
