Nick

__**Tech Final Project**__
My lesson is a first grade math lesson on sorting and graphing with the graphing taking place in Microsoft Excel. I wanted the students to be able to take data we gathered in class and sort it into a graph in Microsoft Excel using a formatted Microsoft Excel book. I wanted them to play around with the different formats of graphs and be creative with the title, axis, and colors. I then wanted the students to copy and paste their graphs into Microsoft Word and then print it out. Once their graph was printed out I wanted the students to write beneath their graph what their graph represented.

__Objective__:
The students will identify objects and the differences in each different object. The students will categorize the different objects into different groups. The students will create a graph in Microsoft Excel to compare the different objects. The students will transfer their graphs into Microsoft Word. The students will print out their graphs from Microsoft Word. The students will write underneath their graphs what their graphs represent.

__Math Standard__:
1.MD.4 Organize, represent, and interpret data with up to three categories; ask and answer questions about the total number of data points, how many in each category, and how many more or less are in one category than in another. __Technology Standard__: A.4.3 Use a computer and productivity software to organize and create information · identify and define basic word processing terminology (e.g., cursor, open, save, file, I-beam, window, document, cut, copy, paste) · produce a document using a word processing program · edit a word-processed document using a spell checker · demonstrate the text editing features of a word processing program (e.g., bold face, italics, underline, double spacing, different size and style of fonts) to produce a finished product · explore special formatting features (e.g., borders, shading, centering, justification) of a word processing program · identify a database and define basic database terms (e.g., file, record, field) · use a prepared database template to enter and edit data, and to locate records · identify a spreadsheet and explain basic spreadsheet terms (e.g., column, row, cell) · use a prepared spreadsheet template to enter and edit data, and to produce and interpret a simple graph or chart

__Narrative__:
I based this project off of the lesson I taught in my classroom that I observe on Fridays. The class I observe is a five-year-old kindergarten class and the lesson I taught was an introduction to the math unit sorting and graphing. I was given two worksheets the students would be filling out in class, so I based my lesson off of that. I looked on Smart Exchange for a fun SMART Board activity and I happened to find an interactive gumball machine. The students really enjoyed this in my lesson, however, it became rather distracting when I went to write in the graph and the students all focused on how funny it was that the gumball machine was on the back of my shirt. I had to make some adjustments to the lesson in order to include the technology aspect of the project. I changed the grade level to first grade and found a new sorting and graphing standard for the grade level. I found my new standard on the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics page and I found my technology standard on Wisconsin’s Model Academic Standards for Information and Technology Literacy page. I was able to make the lesson a little more challenging since I was no longer working with five-year-olds, which helped me meet the NETS Standards for Teachers as well as for the students to better complete the requirements laid out in the rubric. I made a formatted Microsoft Excel book for the students to fill in with data and then format into a graph. I made one from this formatted Microsoft Excel book and it worked quite well for me. This helped with the curricular standard, the technology standard, and the second NETS Standard for Teachers. I encouraged creativity by having the students try different formats for their graph, change the colors, and create their own title. I then added to the project that the students copy and paste their graph into Microsoft Word and make it look more appealing. This helped with the third NETS Standard for Teachers. Once the students had their graph looking the way they wanted it to I had them print it out and initial just below their graphs to create their own copyright. This fulfilled the fourth NETS Standard for Teachers. After that I had the students write beneath their graphs what their graphs represented which carried out the first NETS Standard for Teachers. Lastly, as I was grading their project, I reflected upon my own knowledge and compared that to the students’ fulfillment of the project objectives and wrote each student a comment. This fulfilled the fifth NETS Standard for Teachers. I came up with each of these adjustments as I was reading through the NETS Standards for Teachers and figured they would be a beneficial modification for the students and myself. This lesson is at the end of a math unit that focused on greater than and less than and comparing objects. This lesson took place in a first grade classroom of 22 students; 14 boys and 8 girls. In this computer lab the students are each assigned to their own computer. The computers are set up on two opposite sides of the room with the students’ backs facing each other; this makes it easy for the teacher to walk around and see every computer screen. The skills the students will need are to be able to compare using visual aids and mathematical data as well as being able to listen to directions and follow them on their own. To create my rubric I visited Rubistar where I generated a rubric with four criteria sections to meet. The first was to have a title; I wanted the students to create their own unique title for their graph. The second and third areas to fulfill were to label the x- and y-axis appropriately. The final area of fulfillment was for the project to be neat and attractive; I wanted the students to have fun with this project and become more acquainted with Microsoft Excel at the same time. I found that by doing this project I thought more about how to challenge my students and myself. I found the importance of not only my reflection, but the students’ reflections as well. The NETS Standards for Teachers were very helpful in completing the project and adding the finishing touches. I really enjoyed creating my rubric; Rubistar is definitely a resource I will use in the future. The Wiki was a useful tool as well for me to organize what I had so far and what I needed to work on still. It was good for me to have to do the activity in my project after creating the formatted Microsoft Excel book to see if it worked; it was also a lot of fun playing around on Microsoft Excel. Writing the narrative helped me reflect on my lesson and learn what other adjustments could have been made that would have benefitted the students.