Play Tech 4

Discuss the tools you explored, what you liked or disliked about each one and which one you selected one to continue to reflect on.

Below are a list of tools that I explored for my Play Tech 4 assignment.

Math playground is a site that has math problems that children will view as fun games. The games on this site require specific and complex skills, tutorial videos, logic puzzles, and many word problems.

http://www.mathplayground.com/buildingblocks.html

PhET is a suite of research-based interactive computer simulations for teaching and  learning physics, chemistry,  math, and other sciences.  The simulations are animated, interactive, and game-like environments where students learn through explorations.

http://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/forces-and-motion-basics

The tool that I explored and found  most helpful was on the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives.  This lesson is designed for K-2 grades.  Students will have an opportunity to use the manipulatives to create patterns.  As students create patterns, they can also change patterns, remove manipulatives, or erase the entire pattern.  In this particular lesson, six common geometric shapes are used to build patterns and solve problems.

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/grade_g_1.html

Describe how this content object that you selected might fit into the TPACK model. Specifically, describe the content, pedagogical and technological aspects of some student work that uses the creativity tool you selected. Make sure you discuss the type of work you would design around that tool so that students would learn the information required by the standards.

Creating patterns is one of our math standards.  It also teaches the basics for algebra.  Algebra is about seeing relationships and as our students recognize and create patterns they begin to see and understand how things work together.

This creative tool can be used to teach patterns, relationships, and algebraic thinking. Students will identify, extend, and create patterns  My students are in pre-k, I would begin by having my students copy an AB pattern that was previously created. I would explain to the students that an AB pattern consist of two shapes in this case. However, if we were using objects that were similar, there would only be two colors. As we continued in the lesson, I would eventually teach my students how to extend patterns to AABB, ABC, etc. I would have students recreate shapes such as a flower using this tool.  

I would extend the lesson by having students locate patterns in the classroom using their classmate. Students will observe each other and their surroundings and determine if they can create a short and tall pattern of the children, colors in the room, or patterns on the carpet.