Using Technology in the Middle Grades A Tool for Powerful Learning!

Pre-assessment: Go to Take the pre-assessment

The Many and Varied Ways to Use Computers in the Classroom to Facilitate Powerful Learning! Create authentic products Interactive software Interaction with other students online Problem-based learning resource Cross-curriculum projects Compacting Extension and Enrichment Differentiation

Authentic Products Brochures Posters/Flyers Letters- Business, personal, letters to editor, cover-letters Scripts Artwork Advertisements Technical writing (directions, etc) Portfolios Presentations- PowerPoint, etc. Spreadsheets- Excel Newsletters, newspapers

What ideas do you have for authentic products?

Interactive Software CMap Tools at Inspiration Software Virtual Labs Music creation or animation creation

Collaboration and Interaction Message Boards- or (Math Forum). There are numerous others, but beware! pen-pals with other classes. (Teacher monitored, of course!)

Compacting Online Pre-assessments Assessments that can be printed out by student (Put in folder on computer desktop so students can find it.) PowerPoint Compacting assessment Performance assessment (Ex: GeoSpy to test knowledge of location of world countries)

Extension and Enrichment Using the computer as a center or station for students to complete or work on extension and enrichment projects. Can set it up in PowerPoint or student-directed Can have generic instructions set up in a file for the students

Following Directions Mathematical/Logical Follow the directions for completing this series of mathematical equations. Once you have finished, check your answer with mine! Linquistic/Verbal Read these directions for finding a hiding place in this room. In that hiding place, you will find a prize! After you have found your prize, write your own set of directions for finding your locker. BodilyKinesthetic At this station you will find the ingredients for a no-cook candy, peanut butter balls. Follow the directions I have given you. Bring your final product to me once you have finished. Be sure to wear your plastic gloves! Spatial Using the Legos and diagrams I have provided, follow the directions to see what the final product will be. (Students will end up with a train.) Now, using Legos, create your own product and develop a series of diagrams to show how to assemble your product. Ask another student to try it out! Student Free Choice Find a way to show me you can “follow directions.” Please run your ideas by me first, before you begin. Intrapersonal These directions will guide you in techniques for relaxing. (Especially good before tests!) Go to the chair outside the door to follow these directions. After you have finished, write a personal reflection in your journal on how you felt after the exercise. Interpersonal Pick a partner to work with. The two of you have been given a board game which I’m fairly certain you’ve never seen before. The directions are not in the game. Work together to create a set of directions. Once you’ve finished, you may play the game. Naturalist You have been given directions that require you to go to the courtyard right outside. Your directions will describe six distinct plants. As you find each plant, label them on the courtyard map. Musical You will need a sheet of blank paper and the cassette player. Play the cassette labeled “airplane.” It is a song giving directions on how to make a paper airplane. Once you have created your airplane, create your own song with directions on how to tie your shoe! Following Directions Mathematical/Logical Follow the directions for completing this series of mathematical equations. Once you have finished, check your answer with mine! Linquistic/Verbal Read these directions for finding a hiding place in this room. In that hiding place, you will find a prize! After you have found your prize, write your own set of directions for finding your locker. BodilyKinesthetic At this station you will find the ingredients for a no-cook candy, peanut butter balls. Follow the directions I have given you. Bring your final product to me once you have finished. Be sure to wear your plastic gloves! Spatial Using the Legos and diagrams I have provided, follow the directions to see what the final product will be. (Students will end up with a train.) Now, using Legos, create your own product and develop a series of diagrams to show how to assemble your product. Ask another student to try it out! Student Free Choice Find a way to show me you can “follow directions.” Please run your ideas by me first, before you begin. Intrapersonal These directions will guide you in techniques for relaxing. (Especially good before tests!) Go to the chair outside the door to follow these directions. After you have finished, write a personal reflection in your journal on how you felt after the exercise. Interpersonal Pick a partner to work with. The two of you have been given a board game which I’m fairly certain you’ve never seen before. The directions are not in the game. Work together to create a set of directions. Once you’ve finished, you may play the game. Naturalist You have been given directions that require you to go to the courtyard right outside. Your directions will describe six distinct plants. As you find each plant, label them on the courtyard map. Musical You will need a sheet of blank paper and the cassette player. Play the cassette labeled “airplane.” It is a song giving directions on how to make a paper airplane. Once you have created your airplane, create your own song with directions on how to tie your shoe! Following Directions Mathematical/Logical Follow the directions for completing this series of mathematical equations. Once you have finished, check your answer with mine! Linquistic/Verbal Read these directions for finding a hiding place in this room. In that hiding place, you will find a prize! After you have found your prize, write your own set of directions for finding your locker. BodilyKinesthetic At this station you will find the ingredients for a no-cook candy, peanut butter balls. Follow the directions I have given you. Bring your final product to me once you have finished. Be sure to wear your plastic gloves! Spatial Using the Legos and diagrams I have provided, follow the directions to see what the final product will be. (Students will end up with a train.) Now, using Legos, create your own product and develop a series of diagrams to show how to assemble your product. Ask another student to try it out! Student Free Choice Find a way to show me you can “follow directions.” Please run your ideas by me first, before you begin. Intrapersonal These directions will guide you in techniques for relaxing. (Especially good before tests!) Go to the chair outside the door to follow these directions. After you have finished, write a personal reflection in your journal on how you felt after the exercise. Interpersonal Pick a partner to work with. The two of you have been given a board game which I’m fairly certain you’ve never seen before. The directions are not in the game. Work together to create a set of directions. Once you’ve finished, you may play the game. Naturalist You have been given directions that require you to go to the courtyard right outside. Your directions will describe six distinct plants. As you find each plant, label them on the courtyard map. Musical You will need a sheet of blank paper and the cassette player. Play the cassette labeled “airplane.” It is a song giving directions on how to make a paper airplane. Once you have created your airplane, create your own song with directions on how to tie your shoe!

Differentiation Software for acceleration (Ex. English in a Flash for ESL) Think-Tac-Toes PowerPoint Instruction such as lessons found on Personal Agendas online or in a folder on the class computer (Ex. Day Planners online) Vocabulary differentiation

Additional Resources lhttp:// l desc.htmlhttp://mathforum.org/sum95/math.forum/middle.projects. desc.html The Math Forum is an online community for teachers, students, parents, and all who have an interest in math education. The web site features numerous resources and discussion forums including Ask Dr. Math, a question and answer service for K-12 math students and teachers, and the Teacher2Teacher (T2T) question-and-answer service.

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Questions? Comments?

Mathematical Instructions here!