VI.C

Artifacts

 Artifact #1:  These are resources that I have used to support the diverse of my students with regard to background, culture, and experiences.

Reflection

Identifies technology resources that affirm diversity, support the needs of students, and address an array of issues related to a variety of cultures, backgrounds, characteristics, and abilities
Amherst County is a very rural community.  We have a large immigrant population of Hispanic children and children of various Asian cultures.  We also have a huge number of children that receive free or reduced meals.  Many of the students that I have come in contact with are “church goers”; however, the religions they are familiar with are of protestant origin (Baptist, Methodist, etc).  The life experiences of these students are limited.  I use many resources to take my students into the world beyond Amherst County.  Some of my favorites are United Streaming, webcams, virtual tours, and digital photos.  On my artifact page I have listed under each of these some examples and have commented on how I have used these in my classroom to support diversity.  I have also provided links to searches on cultural diversity.  United Streaming provides streaming and downloadable videos on a variety of topics.  Virtual Tours, webcams, and digital images, like the downloadable videos provide visuals for students so that they will better understand cultures other than their own.  Being a believer of brain based learning; I feel that it is important for students to make connections to their own lives in order for them to understand a content or subject.  Having the visuals that the resources above provide makes it easier for a student to make these connections. 
   
Incorporates technology resources in learning experiences that reinforce the positive attributes of diverse learners with specific attention to those in the classroom
On the artifact above I have also listed several lesson plans that I have used in my classroom.  Two are Edsitement lessons which revolve around a virtual tour, La Familiar and Pompeii.  La Familiar teaches about Hispanic family life.  I am very excited over how this lesson came to be used.  We had student in the third grade of Hispanic origin that was well received by his classmates since he had been in the school since first grade.  Another Hispanic family moved into the school’s district.  This family did not speak English at all.  The teacher relied heavily on the first child to act like a translator.  The rest of the classmates began to develop a “them and us” attitude.  The child wanted to teach his classmates about the Hispanic culture so that the rest of the class could see that the differences were few.  I was asked to help.  The first child and I searched one afternoon and he found this Edsitement lesson.  I helped facilitate with the technology but the child actually taught the lesson!  It was an awesome experience!  We used the Pompeii lesson twice during the year, once with the third graders when they were learning about Rome and Greece.  The second time we pulled it out again when the fifth graders were learning about Volcanoes.  Each lesson had a different focus but with the visuals, both lessons were a success.  One of my favorite lessons was written by a TTI colleague, Barbara Moody.  Students have a fascination with Egypt and the Pyramids.  I changed the video that was used in the lesson to one that I found on United Streaming (the video I used is listed among my favorites on the artifact.)  We did use all the other math, technology, social studies, and language arts resources listed on the plan.  Students were allowed to “see Egypt” and then applied what they learned to learning measurement.  Measurement is a very difficult concept to teach to second graders.  Wet and Wildlands is a lesson I wrote.  It deals with Virginia’s Dismal Swamp.  I used this lesson at both Pleasant View and Temperance.  Both of these schools have a nearby water ecosystem within walking distance of the school.  We went on a “walking field trip”.  We made notes and took pictures of what we saw.  Then we came back and watched the Dismal Swamp video.  Afterwards we used the website to build our own water ecosystem.  Later as students began to look at other swamp habitats on online and hold classroom discussions, they were more able to accept the ideas and concepts presented.  The lesson on teaching with Asian Literature was a whole school deal at Temperance.  We used this chart to guide us as we planned and revolved the ideas around the teaching of character.  The music teacher and I found some Asian music online as well as some that she already had.  The art teacher asked me to help her use the COW to show examples of Asian art and then she had the students create their own art based on the Asian techniques.  Mapquest was used during computer lab and we even found a story on United Streaming as well as several videos that discuss the Asian culture.  The social studies teacher did an assembly for the students on how Asian peoples, especially those of Japanese descent, have been traditionally looked down on since Pearl Harbor.  Several students of Asian descent were allowed to talk about their traditions.  This lesson was a huge deal in the teaching of tolerance.
I am always looking for ways to bring in the subjects of culture and backgrounds in my lessons.  I have included some searches that demonstrate this search for resources. 

VI.D

Artifacts

Artifact #1:  Picture of PVES labArtifact #2:  Picture of TES lab Artifact #3:  AUP.doc Amherst AUP

Artifact #4:  My Online Pledge.doc My Online Pledge

Artifact #5:  lab rules.doc My Lab Rules

Artifact #6:  Netiquette.doc Netiquette Rules

Artifact #7:  PBS site used with 1st and 2nd graders

Artifact #8:  Copy a one child's web license

Reflection

Classroom safety procedures for technology resources are developed and enforced. Special attention is paid to students with special needs including the use of assistive devices.

VI.E

Artifacts