Infographics: Health Education--Stress Management

     I used Piktochart to make an infographic about mental health. I included a list of personal responsibilities that my students may have, as well as some that they may have in the future. I discussed the consequences of neglecting or completing responsibilities. Then I included some tips to managing and preventing stress. I also decided to include numbers for some mental health hotlines in order to offer my students a resource to help them if they do not feel comfortable talking about stress with family, teachers, or a doctor.

     I liked that I could use a wide variety of images to add some details to my infographic. I liked that it was easy to organize information and that I could easily move slides up or down the infographic depending on where I felt that they should go. It was easy to change the text and backgrounds of the template. I did not like that some of the tutorials kept popping up in my way while I was trying to work on something. It's pretty easy to navigate, so it was a little annoying when the pop-up tutorials would keep me from adjusting something.
     My students can use this tool for a nontraditional book report or to present information about a person from history that they are interested in. They can use it to discuss a scientific concept as well, or something from health education. They can use it for themselves as a creative study guide, including the main facts that they need to know for upcoming tests or quizzes.

Standards:

ISTE: Creative Communicator: "I communicate effectively and express myself creatively using different tools, styles, formats and digital media."

EdTech: Standard 5, "Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)."

UEN Content: Health Education--Healthy Self, Standard 1 "The students will learn ways to improve mental health and manage stress." Objective 1, "Demonstrate responsibility for self and actions." a. Identify personal responsibilities. b. Predict the consequences of neglecting responsibilities; e. g., increased stress, poor grades, punishment, no sense of accomplishment, impact on other people. c. Report the outcomes of completing responsibilities; e. g., sense of accomplishment, feeling good, contribution to cause, less stress. d. Determine how good decision making can help complete responsibilities.

Google Forms: Science--Earth and the Moon

      I used Google Forms to create an assessment in science, specifically regarding the Earth and moon. I used as many different question types as I could in order to experiment with different assessment types. I decided to ask a variety of questions in order to assess vocabulary, while also evaluating observation abilities and information recollection. For example, I have a question which requires them to select "revolves" as the answer instead of "walks" or "flies". I have students list three characteristics of the Earth, which they can come up with from an image of the Earth which I included. To assess memory recollection, I have a question in which they have to remember that it takes 28 days for the moon to orbit the Earth.
      I liked that there were many question types. Some questions are more beneficial if they are asked and answered in one way than another. I also liked that if you typed in a question, Google Forms would suggest a type of question that you could use. Sometimes I wasn't sure how I could pick a different kind of question, so it was a neat and helpful feature. I also liked that it was easy to set up all of the questions and the answers, and to add a background and other images. Like most Google products, it was very easy to use. I did not like that some of the questions did not have explanations for how to use the questions (like the multiple-choice grid). If I knew how to use some of the less common question types, I might have used them.
     My students can use this resource to create quizzes for each other as a way to study as a group. They can create quizzes for me to take as a project and, based on what they choose as the correct answers and how diverse their questions are, I will be able to evaluate their understanding. They can take quizzes repeatedly (though only the first take or two counts for grades) in order to study and master a concept if they have struggled with it.

Standards:
ISTE: Empowered Learner: "I use technology to set goals, work toward achieving them, and demonstrate my learning."
EdTech: Standard 5, "Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)."
UEN Content: Science--Standard 1, "Students will understand that the shape of Earth and the moon are spherical and that Earth rotates on its axis to produce the appearance of the sun and moon moving through the sky." Objective 1, "Describe the appearance of Earth and the moon." a. Describe the shape of Earth and the moon as spherical. b. Explain that the sun is the source of light that lights the moon. c. List the differences in the physical appearance of Earth and the moon as viewed from space. Objective 2, "Describe the movement of Earth and the moon and the apparent movement of other bodies through the sky." a. describe the motions of Earth (i.e., the rotation [spinning] of Earth on its axis, the revolution [orbit] of Earth around the sun). b. Use a chart to show that the moon orbits Earth approximately every 28 days. c. Use a model of Earth to demonstrate that Earth rotates on its axis once every 24 hours to produce the night and day cycle. d. Use a model to demonstrate why it seems to a person on Earth that the sun, planets, and stars appear to move across the sky.