Danielle+Henderson

==My name is Danielle Henderson and I am a Elementary Education major at Clemson University. I am from Chapin, South Carolina where we have a ranch. Having grown up surrounded by animals its no surprise that i love them especially my German Shorthaired Pointer named Walker! My block placement is at Mt. Lebanon Elementary school with Mrs. Powell's 5th grade class!==



==I have been surrounded by technology since I was young and I am quick to adapt to new technology. Every class I have taken thus far has required some use of technology. I try to keep my self up to date with technology and I hope that as I start my teaching career I can use it to enhance my lessons.==

My class at Mt. Lebanon is equipped with a SMART board and there are multiple computers and lab available to the students through out the school.
==Edutopia is a wonderful website! I think the teacher blogs are very helpful but my favorite part of the website is that it is not just another website for teachers to find lesson plans but it actually has a place just for teacher development. Teacher development could mean a number of things and this website offers information on all of it especially technology integration.== ==== __**Math Extension Idea **__  I believe a perfect technology extension to the math classroom would be individual computers or workstations. I know it is not something that students can do every day, but giving students a chance to use a laptop or work at their own computer would give them access to all types of mathematics resources. Students would be able to do activities, work on sketch pads, and play learning games. Computers are a part of everyday life for all people including elementary aged children. Just the opportunity to use a computer would get them active in the lessons and if a teacher has access to the computers for any lesson it would help them to adapt the activity to the lesson plans. Although they are at a young age the students already know how to use a computer and most associate computers with fun and games. Almost all mathematics companies have software packages that give students a visual representation of shapes and numbers. Websites such as elementarysoftware.com, theteachersguide.com, and even tools like Kidspiration could be used to create lessons and download free games for students to play. What better way to introduce a student to this type of software than to let them use it. Students could draw shapes and work through problems using shapes and figures developed on the computer. Students could also play games that help them with simple math terms and problems. My students have already been introduced to these types of activities, but if they were used in the classroom more often they could be adapted to follow up lessons that were being taught in class. They would provide an assessment for the teacher and a tool for learning for the students. Although I did not get to create my own activity for using computers in the classroom I believe that using a math extension such as this would allow students to become accustomed with using computers and new software. I also believe that students would enjoy using the computers and be excited about learning any lesson because it would be new and different on the computer. I know activities such as these are being done more and more in the classroom and it would be a great benefit to the class if students had more individual time on the computer in their mathematics classroom. Example Sites: [] []   ==== Science Resource CHEM4KIDS URL: [] The Chem4kids website is a science based website designed specifically for kids. The site teaches children the basics of Matter, Atoms, Elements, Reactions, and Biochemistry. It is a very good website for children because it is tailored to their needs. The site is also very creative and colorful making it attractive to children. The website also does a good job explaining concepts in depth while making them easy for children to understand. This makes it useful for all ages. If I believe this would be a very useful resource if I ever need to teach these topics in my classroom. Social Studies Resource Discovery Kids URL: [] The discovery kids site is very informative and perfect for kids. One of the best qualities about the site is that it is always up-to-date with current events. Students will be able to relate what they are seeing in the news and on TV to what they are learning. It is also very kid friendly and has games and activities that can help students to learn. Although the website does not focus on one specific topic, it is very helpful in providing extra help related to many topics. I would love to use this resource in the classroom. I believe my students would love it and it would provide helpful tools for teaching.