Hello Nate and Ashton

Hi Nate and Ashton,

My name is Jena and I live in Maine. I have an older sister who is also my best friend. I also have a dog and a cat. I am really excited for winter and snow.

ACTEM Conference

I thought that the ACTEM conference was a great experience. I learned so much about how to incorporate technology into the classroom and use it to help students learn. After attending this conference and seeing how current teachers are successfully using technology in their classrooms today, it has increased my confidence and belief that one day I will also be able to successfully use technology in my own classroom. 

The first session that I attended was the Sspongebob Smartboard and student response system. In this session I learned how the Smartboard actually works. I knew what it was but I had never seen how they were used. The presenter showed how seamless it made lessons appear. I learned that links can be inserted into the slides so as the teacher talks about the topic they can touch the link and it will automatically go to the website. 

The second thing that I learned at this session was about the program Scratchpad. I had never heard of this program before and I learned that during a lesson it makes impromptu brainstorming permanent. In other words you can ask the class a question and you can write on the smartboard what it is that they say and then you can save that list and print it out later for tests and quizzes. I thought that this was a great idea to get the students involved with their learning and be able to print it out for later use. 

The third thing that I learned at this session was about the Senteo. I had also never heard of this tool before. I learned that a Senteo is a handheld device that allows the teacher to give the students a paperless quiz. This can be used as an excellent assessment tool. It allows the teacher to give true/false tests, yes/no questions, and multiple choice tests. I also learned that this is a helpful tool because it leads to differentiated learning/teaching. For example, the teacher can take the students who all missed certain questions on the quiz and work with them in small groups until they understand. Not to mention, the Senteo created student engagement so that the students actually looked forward to test taking.

The second session that I attended was about using Math programs to improve math scores. This session was a little more difficult to understand but I still learned a lot. The fourth thing I learned was about a program software called Geogebra which is a mathematics program that combines geometry, algebra, and calculus. It is an interactive program that allows students to learn how to measure using a movable broken ruler for example. Here is a link that gives more information about geogebra. http://www.geogebra.org/cms/

The fifth thing that I learned at this session was about Curriki. Curriki is an open educational resource as well that gives teachers access to all types of lessons. The site allows you to browse by subject or type in a specific key word. It gives teachers access to lesson plans, simulations, ideas, and worksheets. http://www.curriki.org

The sixth thing that I learned at this session was about the program Jing. Jing is a program that can be used to create a movie or screen shot of a students learning and thinking process. If a student is doing an online math exercise, jing can be used for the student to talk about what they are doing and the reasons why they are doing it that way. Then when the teacher looks at the students answers the teacher does not have to guess how the student got the answer they did. Instead the teacher can listen to the students reasoning and can see how the student is working. This tool gives better teacher incite on how the student is learning and where they may be struggling. 

The third session that I attended was Jim's Best of the Web. This was an absolutely amazing session. Jim talked about how to find great teacher and student websites to assist in learning. Not only did he give us a wonderful list of web resources he also offered great advice about using the technology in the classroom. I found this session the most helpful.

The seventh thing that I learned was that the number one problem with education is lack of creativity and inspiration. There are great websites out there that can be used to re-engage students in learning if they are used along with lessons. However, it is best if students use these websites to push the learning boundaries, not just as a tool to help fill out worksheets. For example, he showed us the website called Spelling City and explained that spelling does not really help students it is a waste of time, if you want good spellers then you must have them reading. However, if you use this website it can be a great tool that can get kids excited about spelling again, but have them explore with it and learn new words. http://www.spellingcity.com

The eighth thing that I learned was about a website called iknowthat.com. It is a great resource that kids can use and play interactive games and activities to get kids excited about learning. There are games and activities for every grade level in every subject. There is also great information available for teachers as well. He also talked about not using the term virtual when looking for an interactive lesson, instead use the term quick time virtual reality or QTVR instead. http://www.iknowthat.com/com

The ninth thing that I learned was less about technology and more about teaching. Jim said that we need to have kids become connected to the digital world but keep them engaged in the real world. technology is great for students to use but we need to connect it back to the real world. 

The final session I went to was less helpful. It was about a program called CREST that works with rural middle and high schools. The goal is to develop careers and life aspirations towards IT careers.

The tenth thing that I learned was about integrating technologies like the GIS, GPS, and web design into lessons that focused on solving a community problem. I learned what place-based education is. It is about taking the curriculum and making connections to the community. It is about using the community as a learning tool. 

Egyptian Mummy WebQuest

My goal for this WebQuest is to have students learn about the mummification and burial process in ancient Egypt. 

1. The Changing Mummy 

a. Topic: Mummification and burial in ancient Egypt was not always an exact science. Students will learn how the process changed from the very first mummies of the Pre-Dynastic Era to the Late Period.

b. Grade Level: 6th grade

c. Task: You are a group of historians who have been invited to present your findings at a major historical conference about the "Changing Mummy". In order to be ready for the conference you must gather all of your information about how mummification and burial has changed throughout history. Good luck at the conference!

d. Roles:

*Historian 1: Your job is to research mummification and burial during the Pre-Dynasitic Period and the Old Kingdom dynasties.

*Historian 2: Your job is to research mummification and burial during the Middle Kingdom and New Kindgom dynasties.

*Historian 3: Your job is to research mummification and burial during the Third Intermediate Period and the Late Period dynasties.

2. The Mystery and Curse of King Tut

a. There is so much mystery and myth surrounding the famous pharaoh, King Tut. By researching the death of the famous King Tut, students will learn about the mummification and burial process as well as why there is so much mystery, intrigue, and superstition surrounding King Tut. 

b. Grade Level: 6th grade

c. Task: Everyone want to know about the mystery of King Tut and you have been invited on an archaeological dig to explore his famous tomb in Egypt. You have assembled your team and you must enter his tomb and gather as much information as possible to present a detailed report of all of your discoveries to provide an explanation about the mysteries of King Tut.

d. Roles:

*Excavator: You get to open the tomb. You must explain how what you find in the famous pyramid and tomb of King Tut.   

*Medical Examiner: You get to perform an autopsy of the mummy. You must explain how the mummy is preserved and the way that the organs are preserved. How did King Tut die?

*Historian: Your expertise is ancient Egyptian mummies. You get to research the curse of King Tut and his burial process.

3. The Pharaoh is Dead! (I think I'm going to do this one)

a. Topic: Students will learn about the mummification and burial ceremony in ancient Egypt by researching the roles of different people who played a major part in preparing the ceremony and the body.  

b. Grade Level: 6th grade

c. Task: The Pharaoh is dead! And you have been asked to oversee the entire burial process from mummification to the sealing of the tomb. Your job is to organize the entire ceremony. Good luck!

d. Roles: 

*Priest: You must oversee all of religious ceremonies and cultural rituals for your Pharaoh as he is buried.

*Embalmer: Your job is to prepare the Pharaohs body using all of the current medical embalming techniques to create a mummy.

*Builder: You get the job of creating the pyramid and decorating the tomb that your Pharaoh will spend the rest of eternity in.

4. In the Morgue

a. Topic: In this quest students will focus on each individual step to mummification of a person. They will divide the body into different sections and learn how each particular body part was preserved. As a group they will all research the burial ceremony.

b. Grade Level: 6th grade

c. Task: The Great Pharaoh has died and the council wants the most qualified embalmers to perform the job. You are known throughout the land as one of the greatest embalmers and you have been chosen, based on your specialty, to preserve the Great Pharaoh. But before you are chosen you must pass an interview with the council. In the interview you must explain in detail how you would preserve the body parts you are assigned. Oh and since the council has a tight budget you will all work together and perform the burial ceremony as well, so you must look up information on this as well. Good luck!

d. Roles:

*Embalmer 1: Your job is to embalm the outside of the body, the arms, legs, and skin, and to wrap the body when embalming is complete.

*Embalmer 2: Your job is to embalm the inside of the body, and the organs such as of the head, such as the eyes and the brain.

*Embalmer 3: Your job is to embalm the major organs of the body minus from the neck down.

*All of you must research the burial ceremony