ABC COMMUNITY

SCHOOL

Melissa Villalba
Professor Steven Saladino
EDU-214
May, 6 2015
Melissa Villalba
May 10, 2015
EDU-214

Teaching and Learning with Technology

Dear Clark County School District,

On behalf of the staff at ABC Community School, it is unfortunate to hear the news of a
possible discontinued use of major technology in our schools. We should not abandon the use of
technology for multiple reasons I think which is why it is unfortunate to me. Most of us are
grateful to have the benefit of incorporating technology into our lessons in every school
department. Students have access to more information than they would have without technology
and teachers have more time to teach because they are not so fraught with encumbrances that a
simple computer could do way faster. Also in todays society the use of technology is extremely
ubiquitous for example cell phones, computers, music devices, etc. are everywhere one looks.
For our students here at ABC Community we have used technology such as online report cards,
lesson plans, laptops, scanners, graphic tablets, digital science probes, etc. to accomplish various
pedagogical lessons and to make them much easier to accomplish. As you can see we have a
variety of technology to draw from to create effective learners here on our campus as well as
every other. If schools get rid of it, it will be like asking a bunch of people to go back to horses
instead of cars, yes technology may be making us lazier but that remains to be proven
substantially and until then we should utilize what we have.
The term technology refers to advancements in the methods and tools we use to solve
problems or achieve a goal. In the classroom, technology can encompass all kinds of tools from
low-tech pencil, paper, and chalkboard, to the use of presentation software, or high-tech tablets,
online collaboration and conferencing tools, and more. The newest technologies allow us to try
things in physical and virtual classrooms that were not possible before. What you use depends
fundamentally on what you are trying to accomplish. I think defining technology and anything
is a good teaching practice and above defined is a good definition that people who love
technology, especially in schools would like because it captures the idea of technology well.
When technology first began it was when we were as a species called Homo Habilis which
means working with tools man. Now countries take pride when their respective countries and
especially schools have access to the best technology. Things that ancient peoples could not even
dream of are now teaching our children their addition and subtraction on the World Wide Web
and if we take this out of our schools our kids will not get the extra practice they need in studies
between their parents and teachers. Schools are almost dependent on technology these days and
our kids are learning faster because of it. In closing my arguments are not very convincing but
the people wanting to take technology out of our schools probably do not have good arguments
either and are probably just wanting to cut funding and spend it elsewhere. The teachers and
students will suffer in time if they do not have access to technology, and time is especially
precious these days because there is so much information.
Work Cited: Teaching with Technology. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2015, from
http://www.washington.edu/teaching/teaching-resources/engaging-students-in-learning/teaching-
with-technology-2
Melissa Villalba
May 10, 2015

EDU-214

LESSON PLAN

Name of lesson: Life Cycle PowerPoint

Grade Level Appropriateness: Sixth grade life science

Technology Content Standard Addressed:

ISTC Standards #3 Research and information fluency. Students apply digital tools
to gather, evaluate, and use information.
ISTC Standards - #4 Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making.
Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage problems,
solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and
resources.

Other Content Standard Addressed:

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.7
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with
other information in print and digital texts.

Objectives:

A. Receive insight for ourselves by learning through other people and gain another

perspective.
B. The whole class participates and learns more information about their individual

classmates cultural background and indirectly expand their cultural awareness while

creating an environment where everyone is comfortable to speak to each other in

classroom while doing a fun activity to build social action skills.

C. Use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research in order to make informed

decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.

D. Use digital tools to gather, evaluate and use information.

Materials needed to facilitate the lesson: 1.PowerPoint examples 2. Sheet of paper for
interview 3.Outline handout 4. Students will be using computers outside of class to complete the
project.
Suggested group size: Partners for interview questions and for partner presentation. Research
animal life cycle PowerPoint must be individual homework.

Teacher and Student Procedures:

A. (5min) Instruction: Begin with you the PowerPoint titled Warm Up 9/29 and pull it up

on the computer to the overhead projector before class begins. (Do not forget to change

the seating chart between periods found in the pictures, use insert image). Remind

students at the beginning of each period as they walk in to look up at the projector screen

before they sit down.

1. Students will silently read the warm up slide one as they come in and be reassigned

new seats after glancing over at the daily agenda

B. (10min) Instruction: PowerPoint 2nd Slide. After students are settled in their new seats, I

read the next slide and have students follow along. Ask your new assigned partner these

questions and write down their response on a piece of paper. 1. Where are you from? 2.

What are your hobbies? 3 What is your favorite thing about science? For example: This is

Melissa. She was born and raised in Santa Barbara. Melissa came to Las Vegas about five

years ago. Her hobbies include teaching her daughter about life, gardening, and hiking.

Her favorite thing about science is teaching sixth graders about science.

1. Students will follow along and volunteer to read a few slides out loud.

C. (20min) Instruction: PowerPoint 3rd slide. Explain that each pair of partners will come up

to the front of the class and introduce their new partner by reading the responses they

have written down. Students can come up to the front of the class or stand by their seats

to do this. Next remind them to speak loud and clear so that the class can hear. Then read
 an example from a Power Point.

1. Students will be introducing their partner out loud to the whole class.

D. (20min) Instruction: Change PowerPoint to My Anima Life Cycle Student Sample.

Explain to the students the project that is due in two weeks and pass out the outline. Read

out loud to the class the project student sample and ask for volunteers to read a few

slides. The handout is an outline of the Power Point project. If students fill out the

outline, they have the main requirements needed to complete this project and just need to

transport them into a PowerPoint. The second requirement is to include in the

PowerPoint, the use of the drawing tools, animations, transitions and images.
1. Students will create a PowerPoint presentation of an animal life cycle. Power point

project must include title page, introduction, life cycle stages, conclusion and

bibliography.
2. Students will use digital tools to create each slide, drawing tools, photos, animations

and transitions.
E. (5min) Instruction: Explain to students to pick a number out of the jar, in order,

beginning with student number one and come up to the board to choose a topic for their

project and so on. No duplicates allowed.

1. Students will choose and write down a topic for their project.
F. (35min) Closure Ask students if they have any questions about their project and to

clean up their areas. Dismiss class.

Assessment:

Interview partners- Four facts about a student on paper.-2 points

Introduce partners- Read the interview facts out loud to the class- 2 points

Animal Life Cycle Outline Due October 14, 2015 Complete the outline, topic, title page,

introduction, stages, conclusion, and bibliography - 5 points

Animal Life Cycle PowerPoint Project Due October 16, 2015- Complete PowerPoint, topic, title

page, introduction, stages, conclusion, and bibliography. Also must have use digital tools such as

animations, transitions, images, and drawing tools. - 25 points