Classroom Blog and Website Creation Tools

Lesson Idea Name: What is Light?

Content Area: Science
Grade Level(s): 1st Grade
Content Standard Addressed: S1P1a- Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate light
and sound; use observations to construct an explanation of how light is required to make objects visible.

Technology Standard Addressed: 1- Empowered Learner

Selected Technology Tool:

☒ Blog ☐ Wiki ☐ Other: Website Creation Tool (list):

URL(s) to support the lesson (if applicable): http://mvaughn10.edublogs.org/

Bloom’s Taxonomy Level(s):

☒ Remembering ☒ Understanding ☒ Applying ☒ Analyzing ☐ Evaluating ☐ Creating

Levels of Technology Integration (LoTi Level):

☐ Level 1: Awareness ☐ Level 2: Exploration ☐ Level 3: Infusion ☒ Level 4: Integration
☐ Level 5: Expansion ☐ Level 6: Refinement

Universal Design for Learning (UDL):

Flipped classroom activities are an easy way to keep students involved at home. It is also a great way for
parents to be involved and see what we are doing in the classroom. All of my blog posts and podcasts can be
viewed on any electronic device and is easily accessible at home. My lesson plan gives students an
opportunity to learn at home and prepare for the classroom activities the next day. There is also a transcript
available for my ELL students who need to translate any podcast and receive the same content. As a future
educator, I will be able to see who has completed activities and who did not when they walk into class the
next day.

Lesson idea implementation: The purpose of my assignment is to allow students to get to know flipped
classroom. Flipped classroom is an instructional strategy that delivers content, offline, outside the classroom.
Before ending the class, students will be shown the new updates on our class blog. Over the next 2 weeks
students will be learning about the source of light and finding different ways that light shines. They will see
the new audio that has been provided and then given an explanation about the assignment and what I am
expecting them to do.
The students will be given the choice to either post a written blog post with the picture, or an audio recording
explaining the light source along with a picture. In the written or audio post, they will be asked to describe the
setting they are in and then describe the light. This assignment can be found in the flipped classroom tab on
the blog.
This assignment will be due in 2 weeks. This will give the students plenty of time to find at least 3 different
light sources. Parents will have to help the students when it comes to uploading their written or audio post.
This also gives the parents the opportunity to stay involved with their child as the year goes on. The final
products will be presented on the Monday after the due date. We will be having a “free” period to give the
students an opportunity to see what their peers came up with and relax after working so hard on this project.

Importance of technology: I used the website Edublogs to create my blog. This is where my students can find
audio messages, podcasts, and other technology tools. Students need technology access to view the blog and
to work on assignments. This project may be successful without technology, however, there are reasons why

Summer 2017_SJB
 Classroom Blog and Website Creation Tools
technology make this easier. By the time students get home, they may not remember what assignments were
given and their exact due dates. Parents also will not understand the proper explanation to assignments. By
using technology, parents also have the opportunity to stay involved in their child’s classroom by keeping up
with the news page for upcoming events.

Internet Safety and Student Privacy: When it comes to uploading items from the classroom, it’s crucial to
remember the Internet safety and student privacy. I have made the page where all of my students’ work is
shown private. This means that anyone who is trying to access this page must have the password I have
created for the class. Teachers need to be careful on any information they put on the classroom blog. Posting
your school location, grade level, or children pictures/names is a serious safety issue. Parents need to sign a
waiver that gives the teacher permission in general to post students work online. Because some parents do
not want their child on the internet at all, we as teachers need to find different ways for that student to
complete assignments (ex: printing out articles for the students who cannot access them online).

Students should always be monitored when using the Internet. One easy way to keep the students safe is not
allowing them to do open Google searches. Even though there are website restrictions, teachers should not
risk anything because you never know when an inappropriate site pops up. It’s important to invite parents
into the classroom one day just so they can see what their child is learning and see Internet safety come into
play. You can never be too careful when it comes to protecting your students in the classroom.

Reflective Practice: I feel that my lesson impacts the learning of students in many ways. By including my
flipped classroom not only am I giving children the opportunity to learn at home, but I’m also giving parents
the opportunity to work on assignments with their child. Having the parents be involved in their child’s work
and classroom benefits their child more than they know. If the student recognizes their parent’s involvement,
it can increase their desire to participate in the classroom activities. This project gives the students
opportunity to work outside the classroom instead of only doing school work during school hours. I designed
this lesson to be an introduction to our unit for the next couple of weeks. This allows students to be engaged
throughout the next few weekends by taking observations and uploading them to the classroom blog.

Summer 2017_SJB