Kreg+Locker's+Project

=Kreg Locker's Project Idea - Progress and Information= List your ideas here. Then as you narrow down your final idea(s) you will begin filling out the form below the comment section.


 * || Ideas for your Math/Technology Open ended Project .................................................................................................................................................................. ||
 * 1 || I would like to use an online design tool. I will have my students create an restaurant which they can use a website based design tool to see their actual product in a virtual representation. This gives them an opportunity to use the formulas they have been using all year to find the areas of their space in the restaurant and the area that the various sizes and shapes of furniture used. They will also have to create a budget in an excel which will require them to understand formulas involving variables ||
 * 2 || I want to create an itslearning website for my classroom. My goal with this is to transition to some flipped learning with the students, where they can learn the content through online lessons. I would like to do this with a unit like geometry which requires the use and understanding of many formulas in 7th grade. I believe this would be a good unit for this because I can get them the formulas at home so we could jump into example problems and real world scenarios in which they could apply their new skills and knowledge. The website would also be set up for them to respond with their questions and ideas through things like blogs or even some instant messaging. This way, even before they come to class I will have an understanding of what problems need to be addressed and what areas of strength they have. ||
 * 3 || I would like to use voicethread with certain math problems to give students and opportunity to see each other's work and give them a chance to collaborate on solving certain problems. This allows them to learn together. One area in particular I could see this as being helpful is for story problems. Take 2 step equation story problems for example. One student might not understand how to solve the problem, but he might be able to help out the class by understanding what the variable is in the problem. Another student using this knowledge might now realize how to set up the solution to the problem but still isn't sure how to solve 2 step equations. Perhaps a final student who didn't know how to set up the problem can now take this set up and quickly solve the problem. The students can then gather the information needed to solve that particular problem from all of their classmates instead of working alone or even with a single partner who might have the same struggles that they do. ||


 * **Name**

Place your name next to your comment here || **Comments ** ||
 * Sue Becker || I will make a comment on each and everyone of your ideas. I am hopeful that many of you will also comment on each others work as well. Collaboration is a 21st Century Skill and can be very helpful to everyone! ||
 * Sue Becker || Great project Kreg! You did not have to do this project this year. Just creating it to use next year is great. Nice work here! ||

Place your Final Open Ended Project Proposal Here --

 * __ Project Proposals __** – I have set up a page for everyone. Check out others work as well. We can all learn from what others are doing also.

Kreg Locker Waggoner Road Junior High School 7th Grade Math I will be developing the project after I see how some of my initial ideas worked for the current project I am doing with them. I will not be able to implement the project until next spring as I am using it as a cumulative project and they won't be doing it until they have covered certain 7th grade standards throughout the year.
 * Name: **
 * School: **
 * Grade Level and Class: **
 * Estimated time for development and implementation (if possible): **

I would like for students to become familiar with programs like excel as it is useful for creation of their own budgets in a real world sense. I would also like for students to get some exposure to design programs as it could spark a new interest in some students who previously have never seen or worked with anything like it. Even if they had no desire to go into a career field that involved design, it can be useful for personal home use when renovating a house which many of them will experience at some point in their lives.
 * Project Goal(s) and Objectives: **

Students should display a knowledge of formulas involving variables. They should also understand that they must consider taxes into their budget and how they can find out what those taxes will be.
 * Content Objectives: **

In geometry they will need to understand how to find the areas of basic shapes like rectangles, squares, trapezoids and circles. They will also need to find the areas of composite shapes.

Students will create a restaurant. They will have to shop online for a list materials with budget as a limiting factor. They will create an excel spreadsheet with formulas that will properly display their spending and where it puts them in regards to their budget.
 * Description of the Project: **

Once they have their materials found they will create a floorplan for their restaurant which includes all of the items that they have purchased. They will have so much space to use that they must create the outside shape of their restaurant and then space everything out in a way that an actual restaurant might use.

Finally they will take their physical floorplan and put it into a virtual program that will show them what their restaurant would actually look like.

I really want to focus the lesson on the budget and geometry parts of the lesson since they will pertain to the 7th grade standards the most. Students will need to know how to create and solve mathematical formulas and will have to know some of the area formulas they are required to know as a part of the 7th grade geometry standards. I usually have a mix of students that have different learning styles. I may consider offering them different ways of displaying their project in which they can demonstrate their learning using the various skills that they have.
 * Considerations **
 * Student Learning Outcomes:
 * Mathematical Content:
 * Pedagogical Considerations:

Excel - This is a program that most students probably have some limited experience with and will most likely use on their own outside of an educational setting. Online Virtual Design Tool - I can see this being something that students who have not used before might find interesting and valuable whether it be something that would give them an interest in a career that involves online design or even just something they enjoy doing as a hobby.
 * Technology Chosen and Why: **

Use of the schools computer lab for several days. I will be asking the school's technology teacher if they can integrate some work with excel into their class so that my students have a basic understanding of excel before they have to use it for the project.
 * Instructional and/or Technical Support You will Request from District Staff: **

I probably won't be able to do this until next spring. It will most likely take 2 to 3 weeks to do the project from start to finish. This is taking into account that I might have to give them time for; teaching how to use formulas in excel, "shop" online, create their excel spreadsheet, create their floorplan, teach them how to use the design tool and give them time to create their virtual restaurant.
 * Implementation Timeline (if appropriate): **


 * Project Submission Information should be updated as needed. **

Project Report Update by May 1st. Please try to update by answering the following questions regarding your Open Ended Project.
It is our hope that you will be updating your wiki progress at least 2 times during the next few months.

After you have begun to implement your project, please submit revisions here. Use this set of short questions to help guide you in your reporting about your progress. These include:

// How does TPACK play a role in your project or activity? // The project requires the students to use various forms of technology to solve a problem. It is presented to them in such a way that they must learn how to use the technology at the same time that they are learning about the specific concepts. I have tried to consider all of the possible ways that technology can be used to enhance the content and not overshadow it. What do you need to learn? Or need to know to help to complete the project? I will probably need to learn the best ways of teaching a program like excel to the students who for some of them may not have very much experience with the program. I am used to teaching math and any of the technologies I use the students are already fairly proficient in. I may not be able to bring the kids to the level of understanding they need to use excel and the online design tool. // Do you feel you have addressed these topics? // There are plenty of ways that I can differentiate the project based on what I may require each student to do individually. It may be that I help some get started on something while others I let explore on their own how to solve the given problem.
 * TPACK consideration
 * 21st Century skill development
 * Differentiation, digital natives or other course concepts

The digital natives should be comfortable in this project because many of them have shopped online or played a game like the Sims where they are manipulating a virtual environment.

The project also offers a level of constructivism as I am offering the students some real world boundaries and allowing them to explore and create their restaurant. They will run into their own individual problems and solve them on their own with my help as a facilitator. How does your project align with your Math objectives? In 7th grade the students must be able to:
 * Alignment with Math objectives
 * Find percentages
 * Solve for the area of compound shapes
 * Solve for the areas of simple shapes
 * Create and solve formulas based on a problem

This project will require these students to demonstrate these skills.

// How can you demonstrate that your learning plan is working? If possible, include artifacts showing results of the project. It would be wonderful if you could take photos and/or video, possible links or other resources to share with other members of this eTech project //
 * Transformative evidence of how this may or may not be working

My rubric will show how they are doing with the math concepts based on their performance.

// Why did you choose a particular technology tool? What worked and what did not work? // I chose the computers and the programs on them because I thought they would be user friendly and that they would be useful tools that the students could use both in class and outside of school. I feel like they really did a good job using creativity in the project especially with the online design tool but they did struggle on a few things. They did struggle at times with the creation of their restaurants and at times this caused oddities in their designs.
 * Reasoning for your choice of technology