CMSESMC-Podcasts.pdf (application/pdf Object)

http://www.sciencegeekgirl.com/documents/CMSESMC-Podcasts.pdf

This is a more general resource relating to podcasting.  It starts out by describing a podcast.  The author then discusses some useful mathematics and education podcast sites that she feels to be worthwhile.  Ending the article is a section that details how to make your own podcasts. Again, this resource would benefit me in understanding a podcast.  I can benefit from the useful tips that are presented and utilize them in my own classroom.

teaching & learning with podcasting

http://engage.wisc.edu/podcasting/teaching/index.html
 

This resource explains that podcasting is a new medium that enables you to easily incorporate on-demand audio recordings into your curriculum.  The author explains the five steps (in depth) that will get you started creating your first podcast.  They are: Step 1: select your content; Step 2: determine your instructional goal; Step 3: design your content; Step 4: produce your podcast; and Step 5: incorporate the podcast into your course.  This resource will be very useful to me in creating a podcast.  Since I have never done so before, I can follow his steps and utitilze the information that is provided. 

Using Podcasts to Teach Math « Design for Learning

http://nkilkenny.wordpress.com/2009/06/24/using-podcasts-to-teach-math

This resource discusses ten ways that podcasts could be used to teach math.  For example, students can share their own math stories and problems or, as a teacher, you could broadcast monthly updates to both parents and teachers on the types of math lessons and activities students will be focusing on.  The author of this article also posted two sites (that were interesting to him) with math related podcasts.  I feel this resource will be useful because I could hopefully incorporate some of the author's ways that podcasts can be used in my math classroom. 

Bloom's Digital Taxonomy

Although I have learned about Bloom’s Taxonomy before in an education class, I have to admit that this conceptual framework was very helpful to me.  I have learned about the original Bloom’s Taxonomy that included: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.  Honestly, after reading this material, I actually like Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy better.  Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy (remembering, understanding, applying, analyzing, evaluating, and creating) seems easier to comprehend.  Both taxonomies technically aim for the same goal (understanding the lower order thinking skills before you can understand higher order thinking skills).  This reading does a great job of explaining the key terms and giving many examples of the possible activities that can be used in describing the concepts.  I feel that Bloom’s Taxonomy is a resource that we definitely need to follow as teachers.  We cannot expect our students to analyze a story or apply a math concept if they don’t have the knowledge (or remembering) of the concept being learned.  Bloom’s Taxonomy is the step-ladder that is to be followed.  Students must remember, understand apply, analyze, and evaluate before they are able to create.  If they cannot master the lower order thinking skills, then there is no way they are able to master the higher order thinking skills.  As a teacher, it will be my job to make sure that my students understand the concept I am presenting before I expect them to do anything with that concept.  Until this class, I never realized how many useful technologies can be used not only in a math class, but for any class.  Even now, I can find some activity that incorporates technology for each area of Bloom's Taxonomy.

Project-Based Learning

Project-based learning is a great way to support 21st century skills.  Real-world scenarios make it much easier for students to understand what exactly they are learning and why.  When given the opportunity to experience problems hands-on, the subject/topic becomes more meaningful to students.  Working out of a book and just doing problems doesn’t help students want to learn because they don’t know why they are doing it.  Project-based learning emphasizes learning activities that are student-centered and integrated with real-world issues.
A project-based lesson in math could be a Geometry Map Project:  students are required to design a map that includes lines, angles, and triangles.  The map can be of a neighborhood town, city, or state.  The map must include the following as a minimum:  two sets of streets that are parallel, two sets of streets that are perpendicular, one street that intersects another street to form an obtuse angle, one street intersects another to form an acute angle, one street that is a line segment, one street that is a line, one street that is a ray, one building in the shape of an equilateral triangle, one building that is in the shape of a scalene triangle, and one building that combines three different geometric shapes in its design.  This project combines important words that are learned when studying Geometry.  Students must put together a Geometry Map that correctly portrays each idea.  Students may face some challenges if they do not thoroughly understand each geometrical concept.  Some students may also have trouble if they are not comfortable using a ruler and a protractor.  Those are necessary tools needed in order to construct the map properly.  Overall, this project-based learning activity will give great insight as to whether or not your students truly understand key geometrical concepts.  Completing this project will also help students understand why it is they have to learn about lines and shapes!