Off to the races...

Yesterday was the first day of the new and improved unit on Respiration. My consultee wanted to begin with notes. I encouraged her to revamp her current notes. She agreed. They were way to detailed (wordy) and did not have enough examples for students. I suggested she embed some pictures and diagrams from the internet into a PowerPoint presentation for notes. I advised her that she could use the photos to help explain content to her students. One picture that was included showed the insides of a mitochondria. The photo showed the folds of the cristae. The importance of the cristae is the many folds that are inside. It allows for more surface area to make more ATP. It is sort of like human DNA and intestines, which have a lot of material included in a small space.
My consultee also included 7, yes 7, new videos (or short clips) to show her students during notes. I showed her how to use keepvid.com to download YouTube or other videos. Our school does not allow anyone to use YouTube, but students and teachers have found ways around it. We are told we are not to use those means either, so I have had to find other ways to use the great education videos included on YouTube. Keepvid.com allows the user to download the video and then it can be saved. I chose to save it as an mp4. The video can then be hyperlinked within the PowerPoint presentation so the teacher does not have to close one application and open another. I think it makes for a smooth transition and one does not need a DVD or VHS player. So, my consultee created her new presentation with a little help from me. I reviewed it. It looks pretty slick. I think it will be more interesting for the students. I also think it will create deeper student understanding as they can see what the teacher is talking about.
My consultee had all the necessary equipment: computer, mounted overhead projector, screen, even a presenter mouse, but we did not check her speakers. I guess she had always shown videos on a cart that had a DVD/VHS with speakers. Well when she began her first presentation and video she noticed that the mounted projector speakers were not very loud. I went down to look at the projector it is an older model projector and is not directly hooked up to any other speakers. It made it more difficult for her students to hear the video, but they made it through ok. She put in a tech request to have it fixed, but in the mean time I found and extra set of speakers for her. Another instance of things not going as planned, but that is the life of a teacher. You must be good at working on the fly. Other than that all went well and she really is enjoying her new and improved PowerPoint notes that include multimedia.

Videos

I have been working on providing my client with videos to make her PowerPoint presentation a multimedia presentation. My client said she like to show videos that go along with the content to help with students understanding of respiration, a fairly difficult topic. She stated that many times the videos are long, boring, and only parts of the video are valuable to student learning. I suggested she embed small short videos within her PowerPoint (PPT) presentation. I showed her some examples of what I have used in the past. I look for videos already made on YouTube, TeacherTube, or just out on the internet somewhere that are appropriate to the content and understandable. Of course, one could make their own videos, but I tend to like ones that are readily available. She does not know how to download videos, especially from YouTube. At our school we have to download videos ahead of time, because we are not allowed to stream videos. We technically we can stream videos but they are very slow and we are encouraged not to "slow down the server for videos". I showed my client how to use www.keepvid.com to download YouTube videos at home. Yes we have to download them at home because we do not have access to YouTube at school and the tech department will not open it up even for teacher use. I still need to work with her on how she can embed them into her PPT to make her presentations more professional, look nice, and flow seemlessly from information to video.
I also suggested we need to sit down and she needs to create her own flow chart, like the ones she wants her students to make with Inspiration. I have found that it is much easier to explain what you want students to do when you have done it yourself first. I am waiting for when she has time to get together with me. My client has been busy with organizing and attending baby showers and still has more to come.

One thing

Today I spent about 2 hours talking to my client. I had to make her narrow down what she really wants. She is like the rest of us, wants about 12 days worth of content and activities, shoved into about 5 days. Of course that won't happen. After looking at her objectives for the unit, I asked her what is the one thing you want your student to know about respiration. She stated, "I want them to know about the flow of energy." Flow, flow, I know. Why don't you have your students develop a concept map (flow chart) using Inspiration software. It is pretty intuitive and students will be motivated to use it. I showed her some examples of of flow charts or concept maps from inspiration and she thought it would be a good idea to have her students develop one after she has taught the content. She also thought it would be a great way to bring all the concepts she has taught together and would be useful for studying. I told her the mobile computer cart does not have Inspiration software so she would have to sign her classes for the computer lab. I suggested she make a list/rubric of what she wants the students to place (link) on the flow cart. I will also suggest that she makes one for herself. I will work with her on this.

My client usually starts every unit with vocabulary. The students copy the definition out of the book. Research has found that this strategy does not work well. I suggested that she continues what she has been doing but try adding two sections to her current structure: one for students to write the definition in their own words and two for students to draw a picture that represents the definition. She said she would give it a shot. She is resistant to too much change at this stage in the game.

She is working on making a PowerPoint(PPT) presentation for her notes to show to the class on her overhead projector. She has had notes on PPT before but needs to modify them. She usually shows videos on CD that are long. I suggested that she find some smaller video clips and we could embed them within her PPT. She was very excited. She like the idea and said she was willing to learn how to do this. GREAT!

We also discussed using the Personal Response System(PRS) to quiz the students on important concepts either as a review throughout or at the end of the unit. I think the PRS is a great asset that can be used everyday. I told her I would show her how to develop a few questions that she could use throughout. It can even be embedded within the PPT if she wanted.

All in all, I finally feel like I am getting somewhere. I think my client is willing to try new things. I feel like she needs my help to bring it all together for her and tell her that we cannot do everything. There is just too little time

Long time coming....

Wow! It seems as if I have been trying to narrow down the focus and needs of the unit for a long time. I have had many conversations back and forth between my client and myself. My client has not be able to narrow down exactly what she would like me to "do" for her. I have been working on what I could do with her photosynthesis unit. That was the last thing that we had talked about. I was making a PowerPoint presentation for her for the unit. I was looking at a couple of different WebQuests she could use also for the unit. Then I find out that she really wanted me to work on the Respiration unit, which is what she asked for in the first place. I guess she got a little confused. So now I will begin working on the Respiration unit. Per client request, it will be a unit consisting of 6 days(blocks). A final assessment will be given on the 6th day. The plans, as of now, are to begin the unit approximately on November 29 and finish the unit on December 14. As of now I have the state standards and am beginning to gather the new information so that I can provide her with a nice unit, based on inquiry and that integrates new technology. She would like to use a personal response system (PSR) and PowerPoint(PPT). She feels comfortable with the PPT but has not used the PSR. I will work with her on how to use it and upload the software to her computer. I will also really be discussing with her now exactly what she would like. I need to know more. I have asked questions almost weekly of her from September but have received very vague answers. We need to work "together" I have told her. This is as much about her, or her needs, as mine. It really is about her, what she would like to do, and what design would she like. I really hope to have much of the unit planned by this weekend or a good chunk.