TPACK for The Tech Savvy Teacher

Content:

From the Utah K 1,2 Core Standard 5, part f. After this activity the student should know how to observe, sort and classify objects (in this case, candy!)

Pedagogy:

• Observing
• Classifying, inferring, predicting, measuring
• Acquiring and processing data (constructing table of data)
  
• Analyzing data

This activity involves observing as the students take the candy out of the packages and looks at what is presented. It involves classifying because as a class we will look at color as the characteristic that we will be grouping by. A predicting game may be used to see what colors the students think will have the most units of candy. The students will then actually measure (count) how many are in each group. The students will then have the opportunity to create a table of data displaying the number found in each group - perhaps two tables - one for each candy type. The students will then be able to analyze the numbers they had collected and post the findings on the classroom blog.

Technology

The students will have the use of a digital camera (I'm thinking that the activity could be done as a class with several students involved in each step) That way, pictures will contain many members of the class and students will be more inclined to have parents look at the class blog. The students will also use the class computer in order to load all of this on the class blog. Powerpoint may also be employed in assisting the students display the table(s) of data on the projector.

The Tech Savvy Teacher

Our science experiment is based on the K,1,2 Core Intended Learning Outcome 5. which states
that students will understand and apply basic skills. In this activity we will be focusing on f. It
states that students will observe, sort and classify objects. In our activity, we have two packages of Starbursts and one package of Skittles. The packages will be opened and placed all over the table.

Once all of the candy was out on the table, it became the job of the students to sort all of the different candies into different piles with color being the quality that was used to sort all of the candy.

Once the candy was sorted, we counted the amount of pieces in each of the piles. We then made a chart and/or graph of the different colors and the number of times that they appeared in the package. It is interesting to note that in Starburst candies, there are exactly three of each of the four colors. In Skittles, it seems to be more of a random process.

Working with my class I would use the digital camera with my students. Students would be allowed to use the digital camera to document what they have done in the experiment, just as I have done. I would then have several students create posts on the class blog including the pictures of the experiment (just as I have done here.) This will give my students the opportunity to do something practical that they can do for themselves with a personal blog. I would help them understand what a blog is and get them excited about putting it on the internet. This would hopefully encourage students to help their parents visit the blog at home. This would in turn help parents see what is going on in the class and would allow myself (as the teacher) to post important announcements on the blog that the parents would see.










The candy pre-sorted









All Candy Sorted











Starbursts Sorted











Skittles Sorted!