Unit 4 – Reflecting What I Know

Chapter 7

Doesn’t word processing make the writing process too easy?

Some could say that it does but as a student working fulltime and going to school fulltime it doesn’t. When writing papers students must come up with the words I feel that is the hard part. The word processor makes it easy to correct your material instead of starting over so that saves time.

How can word processing be used to engage students in higher-level thinking?

From the SnapShot on page 174, Maria uses the word processor to write a letter that allowed her to increase her interest and engagement in writing, and enables her to enhance her letter beyond what is possible with paper and pencil (Morrison & Lowther, 2010).

In what ways are the individual needs of students met when their work is completed with a word processor?

Word processing has three key functions that can be used to enhance student learning: (1) entering and editing text, (2) organizing information with tables and graphs organizers, and (3) inserting objects and hyperlinks (Morrison & Lowther, 2010). My preschools are learning letters to form words and developing fine motor skills while using the word processors.

Morrison, G.R., Lowther D. L., (2010).  Integrating computer technology into the classroom: skills for the 21^st century. Pearson Education, Inc, 4^th Ed.

Chapter 8

Can you identify two types of data your students could collect as part of a lesson?

I engaged my preschoolers in a lesson where they could use the data on our discussion of frogs. The information would group frogs by size and would generate a graph. Another type of data that could be used with a lesson would be collecting information of how many boys and girls that came to school during a particular week.

How could your students manipulate the data to discover relationships or trends?

In the classroom we collected information everyday during the week and made a graph to show how many girls and boys. The students drew pictures of girls and boys to represent each student in the class. They learned math concepts during the week such as adding and subtracting.

Can you identify three graphs or charts your students could make that would help them develop a better understanding of the content?

Computerized spreadsheets offer students and teachers with a way to view data in various formats (pie charts, line graphs, bar graphs, and the like). When students and teachers are able to view data in various formats, they are able to make important visual discoveries about their data (http://www.saskschools.ca/curr_content/pd21byersj/prodtls/spreadsht.html).

Is it possible to create an interactive simulation or model with a spreadsheet?

Yes it is possible to create an interactive simulation or model with a spreadsheet. This following web site gives ideas and ways to create a simulation in using spreadsheets, agents and JAVA authorizing tools http://www.agentsheets.com/Documentation/Getting-Started.pdf.