Please edit this template to provide your colleagues with some info about you.  This page will also be the jumping off point for your Teach 21 project.

About Aaron Carr

Contact Info:

Lowndes Middle School

jcarr@lowndes.k12.ga.us

<SCHOOL TEL>229-316-1864

Blog: http://www.lowndes.k12.ga.us/alrowell

Website: http://www.lowndes.k12.ga.us/alrowell

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/locotech

About Me:

Just completed my 3rd year of teaching.  I teach 7th grade science and social studies.  I got my bachelors degree and masters degree from VSU and I'm planning on going back in the spring to start my ed. specialist degree online at VSU.

A Positive Experience with Instructional Technology:

This past year I was able to dissect frogs with my students and since I was busy floating around I didn't have time to dissect my own frog and show everyone how it is done.  Thanks to technology and my smartboard, I was able to show a presentation that guided my students through the process as I moved throughout the room without ever having to dissect my own frog.

Interests:

• Golf and other sports
• Just bought my first house!
• Being outside

My Teach 21 Project

Last year my students reenacted a court case involving my students and the different parts of the cell. The cell in this case has been murdered and someone is responsible.  The responsible party is one of the parts of the cell, the only problem is that we don't know what part and we must figure it out.   Each group of students were assigned a different part of the cell and they had to research that part of the cell, figure out the job and several facts of that part and also know the jobs of other parts of the cell in order to form their case.  At the end of the week we held the case in my class as I (the honorable Judge Carr) presided over the case titled The People vs. The Parts of the Cell. In the end there is a big twist because the students find out that all the parts of the cell are equally guilty because all the parts of the cell are needed and necessary in order for the cell to function properly.   Last year was great and my students did a WONDERFUL job of working on this project and they really showed their knowledge of their own part of the cell as well as all other parts.  Even though it was good, I want to improve it and make it even better with the use of technology.  Right now I'm planning on using PhotoStory so they students can present their opening arguments to the classroom through visuals and I will use a Wiki to have my students submit their evidence to the court.  If I used a Wiki I would have students post their findings on the Wiki where everyone could see.  If that was the case, the students could form counter arguments and be able to better prepare themselves for the case.  Anyhow, that's the basic idea of my project. 

Content Standard

S7L2: Students will describe the structure and function of cells, tissues, organs, and organ systems.

—  Relate cell structures to basic cell functions.

HOTS

Knowledge statements ask the student to recite the pledge. Example: “Say the pledge.”

-Students must know the parts of a cell.

Comprehension statements ask the student to explain the meaning of words contained in the pledge. Example: “Explain what indivisible, liberty, and justice mean.”

-Students must explain the function and job of the parts of a cell along with their location.

Application statements ask the student to apply understandings. Example: “Create your own pledge to something you believe in.”

-Students must apply their knowledge through a court case involving the parts of a cell.  They will develop a case to defend the innocence of their part of the cell.

Analysis statements ask the student to interpret word meanings in relation to context. Example: “Discuss the meaning of ‘and to the Republic for which it stands’ in terms of its importance to the pledge.”

-Students must be able to discuss the parts of a cell and communicate with me and their classmates the whereabouts of their part of the cell and why they believe their part of the cell is innocent and why someone else may be guilty.

Synthesis statements ask the student to apply concepts in a new setting. Example: “Write a contract between yourself and a friend that includes an allegiance to a symbol that stands for something you both believe in.”

-The students will be creating a Photo Story detailing information about their cell.

Evaluation statements ask the student to judge the relative merits of the content and concepts contained in the subject. Example: “Describe the purpose of the pledge and assess how well it achieves that purpose. Suggest improvements.”

-The students will write a paragraph detailing how all parts of the cell are important and necessary for the cell to function properly.  They will write another paragraph theorizing what might happen to the cell if their part of the cell ceased to function.

ISTE NETS-S

1. Creativity and Innovation

Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

Students:

a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

b. create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

c. use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues.

d. identify trends and forecast possibilities.

I want my students to creatively present a court case using Photo Story and other forms of technology such as laptops and the SmartBoard in order to demonstrate their knowledge of organelles and their functions.

2. Communication and Collaboration

Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.

Students:

a. interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

b. communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

c. develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.

d. contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

I want my students to communicate with their classmates and other observers what their part of the cell does and why it is innocent of the charged crime.  When they are finished with their project they will post to the wiki about the case and what they thought about the verdict.