ORC Lesson Plan
7th Grade Probability

This lesson plan will allow student to learn about probability.  It is developed for 7th grade math students.  Students will able to define theoretical and experimental probability and the differences between them.  Students will also be able to predict the outcomes of different probability exercises like rolling a dice, spinning a wheel, or flipping  a coin.

This lesson plan will cover the Ohio common core math standards 7.SP, lines 5, 6, and 7.  This standard covers statistics and probability by investigating chance processes and developing and using probability models to evaluate these processes.  This lesson will introduce the notation P(T) = 1/2, and how to develop models for predictions of the outcome of flipping coins.

I would implement this lesson in my classroom at the first lesson plan into probability.  I think the coin flipping will be the most successful because it is hands on and gives good visual learning.  I think that the Questions that recall what they have already learned will be trouble for some of the class, because recalling that prior knowledge might provide challenging so supplemental lesson might need to be included as a refresher.  The most part I would anticipate problems will be with the coin flipping, there might be some students who have never flipped a coin and some that will want to go crazy with flipping the coin everywhere but where they should be flipping.

http://www.achievementfirst.org/fileadmin/af/home/Get_Involved/Instructional_Resources/Middle/Seventh_Grade_Probability_Unit_Plan_121109.pdf

Ohio DL Schools

After looking at the following DL School choices, Connections Academy, ECOT, Ohio Virtual Academy, Virtual Community School of Ohio, and Virtual Schoolhouse, I decided that Ohio Virtual Academy might be the option I would consider for my child.  Ohio Virtual Academy had one of the better overall reviews from about 5 different websites.  I would be worried about my child not getting the social interaction as they would get in a normal school setting, but the academy provides many opportunities for interaction throughout the year.  There are still clubs, a student council, and even a parent boosters to help keep involvement within the school community.  Their report card isn't the best, but if I lived in a Columbus school district, then it is phenomenally better then sending my child to some of the public school choices.  

I do like that the Virtual Community School of Ohio has part-time classes so students can take extra classes to transfer to their school if they don't have the right amount of credits to graduate with their class, plus it too has good reviews.  ECOT doesn't have the best reviews but I do like that they have field trips that include Ohio attractions, family nights and even a senior prom.  ECOT has a very bad report card through and is very questionable based off of the Ohio Report.

To be completely honest, all of these schools have pretty bad report cards, with Ohio Virtual Academy just inching slightly higher than the others.  I think it takes a highly motivated student or a helicopter parent to have success at these schools.  Most only require 30 hours of school work a week, which is less than going to a physical school, where are at classes to learn, but then take the learning home for more instruction and reinforcement.

Picmonkey

So in my Education Technologies class one of our assignments was to modify a picture of our self in picmonkey.  Like more websites, they want you to pay for their premium service to get the full picture editor.  It was pretty easy to use, but if there was a instructional walk through it did not prompt me for it.  Just to use the free service, they give you some good tools to use including adding text and some silliness to your picture.  I might not see myself using this service again, but I do recommend it for what free stuff it does provide.  Below you will see my result, I hope you enjoy!

The Link if anyone is interested:  https://www.picmonkey.com

Classroom Presentations

Last Thursday I gave a power point presentation to my education class about why I wanted to become a teacher.  To recap the reason I want to become a teacher is to pass on all this knowledge I have been collecting over the years so that I can help the younger generation hopefully learn from my mistakes and hardships.  All of this amounts to my Grit, or what it takes to pick yourself back up after things don't go the way you planned.  This idea about Grit, I believe is one of the best things I can bestow upon my future students so that they know that no matter what as long as they can get back up, then they can find a another way or path to achieve.

Since I am coming from a construction background I thought it would be a clever idea to use a construction theme.  So, in my presentation I used terms like detour, building and merging.  The original plan I started out with in life lead to many detours and finally is merging together for me to become a middle childhood educator.  The cool thing about it is that I mentioned workshops in my presentation and this week coming up I have a woman's workshop to teach them to build crafts and also a kids workshop, where I can teach kids how to use simple tools to build pre-made kits.

I used Microsoft Power Point to make the visual aid to help me present.  I picked power point mostly because it is what I had access to at the time and also I am familiar with it.  I have tired prezzi before, but for some reason find power point more comfortable.  Some of the the prezzis in class were very nice, so I might try using that next time.

Three Great Teaching Blogs

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/teaching-ideas

- This one is great because it provides many points of view for different grade levels, so there is always something that can be found relevant to all teachers.

http://thejosevilson.com/

-  I like this blog because we are considering taking the teacher's grant from the government and so I would be required to teach in a low socio-economic school for 4 years.  This blog gives some good insight on how to approach topics and issues related to in a low income school.

http://www.weareteachers.com/blogs

-  Again this is a good sight that covers many grade levels and problems that can help all teachers.

Welcome to My Blog

Hello internet, my name is Patrick Morris and I am creating my first blog for EDUC 2200 at Columbus State Community College.  Since I am enrolled at Ohio University Lancaster in their Middle Childhood Education program, I am limited to taking classes here at CSCC, because out in the rural schools they mostly close down for the summer.  Luckily this class will transfer to OUL, and I will then be able to move on to my junior level classes this upcoming fall semester.

I originally transferred from CSCC almost a decade ago to Ohio State University to earn a degree in Civil Engineering.  However, I have learned that I am not the best at the higher level math needed to obtain said degree, so I switched to Construction Service Management.  Unfortunately I found out that I am too nice to be a construction manager, so with my wife's help we sat down and looked into what else I could do with my career.  Upon further research and deliberations, we decided that maybe teaching was something for me to consider.

I teach many home improvement workshops a month and my wife says I am good with kids, so we decided to put the two together and there was the start of my journey to becoming a teacher.  Ideally I would love to teach middle school social studies, but since I have the heavy background in mathematics already I am in a good position to pass on my years of hardship and knowledge to hopefully be able to help our youth succeed in their studies of math.

My wife and I really enjoy traveling and working out.  She is much better than me, but that's okay.  I also enjoy anything science fiction especially with the ideas of how humanity will look when it can finally leave Earth and explore the universe.