Day 14

Another full day!  My friend and colleague, Mrs Billie Jean Fulton, led our morning session.  She instructed us on different technology to integrate into the classroom.  I am intrigued especially by Thinglink.  The Flat Stanley videos were a success.  Ruth and Hope were excellent partners.  Special thanks to Dr. Marcus.  The art project is pretty much finished.  I think it turned out well.  

Day 13

A packed day!  We began by exploring Adobe Spark - a program that I am very excited about using in the future.  Next, Dr. B showed us how to create videos using certain software.  Tomorrow we will use what we learned to create our Flat Stanley projects/videos.  After lunch, art with the amazing Angela.  We closed out the day with Dr. Lee, learning how to create a course using canvas.  Dr. Lee's instruction will definitely be the most beneficial part of this institute.

Day 12

Today we continued on with our webquests.  We began a flat stanley project.  More on that later.  Angela showed us how to cut glass.  Another great day at GAETI!

Day 11

Today we learned how to use Canvas in our classrooms.  This could be a game changer for me - I think I will like it better than google classroom.  The MSU library was once again well-represented by a knowledgeable speaker who gave us the rundown on copyright laws and the secondary classroom.    I made some serious progress on my art project.  Finally, we got into small groups to collaborate on designing a webquest.  Tony, Keith, and I are working together on a Cuban Missile Crisis webquest.

Day 10

Another great day at GAETI!  We continued to work on our art projects.  My inspiration was the Wars of the Roses.  Dr. B. taught us how to create board games using powerpoint and excel.  After lunch we had a session on formative assessments that will be extremely useful in the future.  Finally, we toured the TK Martin Center.

Day 8

Another good day.  Today we discussed the importance of planning in teaching.  Backwards design in lesson planning is the best way to achieve desired learning outcomes.  In fact, this is my favored approach in unit planning, and how I recommend new teachers plan as well.
1.  Decide on learning outcomes - connect with standards and frameworks
2.  Design assessments
3.  Gather resources
4.  Plan activities

Day 7

Today was a great day at GAETI.  We started the day exploring geologic time scale, complete with an interactive website and a hands-on activity that would be easy to adapt to a geography course.  Next, we worked on weather forecasting.  After lunch we had a really fun art session with Ms Angela, then an interesting talk on Native Americans by a MSU grad student.  Interesting day all around.

Day 6

Today we explored the museum in the geosciences building while completing a scavenger hunt.  Some of the  fossils were breathtakingly beautiful.  Next, we met with a representative from the meteorology department.  After lunch, we tried to find inspiration for our art projects.  Finally, we were back in the computer lab to search for games and simulations in our content areas.

Day 5

Finally Friday!  The day's theme was the importance of integrating technology into the classroom, and how to go about implementing said technology into our schools in a responsible manner.  We also learned how to create our own website on weebly.

Day 4

Field Trip Day!  We had a delightful tour of the Lignite Mine near Ackerman, MS.  It was incredible to see the process of mining and restoration.  Best day of the Institute so far.

Day 3

The sun made an appearance today...a welcome sight, though every drop of rain was appreciated.  Mississippi is at her most beautiful in lush hues of green.

Today we:

- mined for chocolate chips in preparation for our field trip to the coal mine in Choctaw County

-learned how to create our own maps with Google

-rotated and orbited

-created poems in groups from fragments of primary source materials

Day 2

Today we looked at types of maps and representations of the earth.  Propaganda maps were a highlight. Over at Mitchell Memorial Library an extremely talented instructor walked us through the basics of Excel.  Just wish we had Microsoft Office at school!

Day 1: Introduction

Today we learned about the MS Legislature funded MAGNOLIA program.  MAGNOLIA provides access to databases that most school districts could never afford.  This will literally revolutionize on-line research in my classes.  We also worked in groups to learn how to integrate state frameworks, MSCCRS, and ISTE standards into our lesson plans.