November Entry
 This past month my students have exchanged story problems with other fifth grade classes in the county by faxing the problems since our server was down.  Each student made five word problems using the subtraction operation since some students have been having problems with borrowing or renaming in subtraction.  Then we divided into five groups, each group submitting what the group decided was the most challenging problem.  We then used the big screen to do the final problems to be sent to Susan Price’s group at Dandridge Elementary and Norma Yardley’s group at Piedmont.  They in turn sent problems to our class at Jefferson Elementary.   We sent Ms. Price’s problems back to her class for checking after the ditto was finished. Her students have made comments on the work of my students on their papers. 
 My students decided that Ms. Price’s class problems were pretty easy since it was the same operation of dividing into groups.  Ms. Yardley’s group mixed operations so they really had to think.  My top students were challenged while my others struggled.  The most perplexing problem had to do with 52 weeks in a year concerning salary since there are only 4 weeks in most months.  Another problem had extra information not needed for the solving of the problem, but it made the situation more interesting. 
 We used the graphing icon to see the percentage of the class who had all their work done on time and compared this on a daily basis. 
 The timed tests, we decided, would be the best with competition against our own previous performance rather than in competition with other classes. 

December Entry
We have used Math Forum from the Internet with the word problems.  Since we only are networked on one computer in the classroom, we printed out the word problem for these past two weeks.  The students are still working and some have been motivated to try some composing of their own problems.  They like to challenge their own parents with these word problems, and several who have gotten their own computers at home are searching the Internet for problems and journaling these experiences. 

We are still using the old computers for remedial work, and some of the students who are having problems with subtraction and addition are improving scores with the remediation work.. 

The Brain Teasers are used for the more advanced students and they find this more challenging than the day to day of Saxon.  Susan has mentioned that she is using a “candy shower” for her students who make 100 on their Saxon Math tests which seems to be a wonderful motivator, and they become more careful of not making careless mistakes. 
 Norma is using charts for motivation.  She gives a sticker on the chart to her students who solve the brain teasers.  I have used a reward system of stickers on a chart for the 100’s on the math tests, and when they receive ten 100’s the get a choice of rewards.  The choices are coming back to the room for lunch, sit where they would like to sit for a whole day, a chance at the grab bag, or teaching the subject of their choice. 

January  Entry

February Entry
We have been frustrated with the use of Accelerated Reader this past two months since this system has not been in use with the updating taking place.  Yesterday it was finally back in use and the students couldn’t wait to take some of their tests.  Since the terminology has changed from “tests” to “quizzes”, the students had to make this note in their journals.  The format of the page has changed as well, so that took some note taking time.  Several of the students were able to take  some of  their quizzes yesterday. 

I have two students who have been particularly adept at surfing the Internet for info on subjects introduced in class and with some instruction on what sites are available from the county web page.  The parents have used some of the county recommended sites for enrichment of math.  One parent in particular has been “turned on” with the research math questions “Problem of the Week” by Saxon, and she and her daughter have worked extensively with coming up with their own math problems. 

Another student who is very much interested in social studies has explored the Panama Canal building and used his math skills in subtracting dates to apply to explorers and the routes they used and why this building project made the western part of the United States more accessible to trade and commerce. 

I have used the large screen for Fabulous Friday game playing, using the math games offered at the online sites. 

March Entry
Our class continues to be challenged by the word problems in Saxon.  I am always amazed that it is not the best students who are challenged.  I have one student in particular, Steven, who is a marginal student, but when we do the challenge problems, he becomes a real Sherlock Holmes.  It seems that any computer project, particularly our Internet projects, he is interested immediately, and takes any opportunity to move to the computer for extra credit work.  I give points on final grades in decimal form to help with the understanding of decimals. 

One of my girls, Brittany, has a new computer in her home, and is always searching for new sites.  Her mom is a beautician and does not have a lot of time to help her with her projects, so she is teaching her mom about the sites.  Through this, she has learned the tenacity of independent work habits. 

Our new Accelerated Reader program continues to be a headache!  It has been down another week since we last tallied points, and it is so difficult to keep the students interested in the point keeping since they are frustrated with the message “Fatal Error”. 

April Entry
Integration of Technology 

I have incorporated the review for my Scholar’s Bowl representative and review for Terra Nova for all students by allowing the SB rep to lead the class in the review.  He has loved the leadership responsibility, but can’t believe that other students talk out of turn when he is leading! 

He has used the links created by Connie on the Jefferson County Web Page.  He particularly likes the Math Word Problems, and the students have been working in groups to solve these. 

Some of the more advanced students have been using their computers at home to find sites that they feel would be interesting to the class. 

In integrating science and math, we have done an International Food Fair, using various sites to find recipes.  Since we stressed the students bringing enough for a taste for the other students rather than a serving, we used the skills learned on division of fractions to divide large recipes proportions. 

May Entry
During the 1998-1999 school year, we used the computer to do the classroom               
   newspaper, dividing the class into groups, with each group writing the article of 
 their choice after class discussion on the most important news items.  We 
 then had a typist for each group after deciding on a format for the newspaper.

We used the Internet in searching for information on individual reports after taking journal notes on using various search engines.  Most students prefer the Ask Jeeves.

This past year, we have used the Internet on a daily basis to do math problems, using the Saxon Problem of  the Week. The A and B students were not always the ones who were interested in the challenge problems, although some were.  One particular student in my classroom has been a good math detective in figuring out some of the challenge problems, going to great lengths to research at home.  Parents have been involved with solving some of the problems.

We have used the one online computer for Accelerated Reader a great deal, so we could not always have as much access for Internet search programs as was needed.

Some of the virtual reality programs offered for Social Studies questions are always an enticement.

We have shared online math problem stories with Susan Price’s and Norma Yardley’s fifth grade classrooms in the county.  They found this interesting to communicate with other fifth graders in the county, and when we had county events, as the DARE graduation, my students tried to find some of the students who wrote the math problems they had solved.

We have used the ICQ at our school a lot since our school is so large.  We communicate messages about the school day within our fifth grade group since we have many events at grade level and there are six fifth grade teachers.  We have used email for communicating messages to the Tech Center and to get messages about class.

I have used my own Power Point presentations for math in teaching fractions and decimals this year, and have used a science presentation from Bay County,.Florida on “The Cell Story”.

My students have journaled instruction on using our county website which is also our classroom web site.  They have used the “Student Corner” for homework help, since several students have received computers for gifts this year either for birthday or Christmas.  I have a directory of  email parent addresses to communicate with parents for this past year, and some parents are emailing to ask about their child’s grades or activities.

The class has been invaluable for instruction in using the computer since we have so little free time to learn on our own.  

Technology has broadened my students' perspective of our world, and helped them appreciate other cultures.  When we did the International Food Festival for our science class, they were comfortable with searching for recipes and ideas from other cultures.

The most beneficial aspect of participating in this project for me is to feel more comfortable with the technology available to me, and to instruct the students in my classroom from my learning in Cyber Exchange.  I have shared some of the sites that we have discussed in class as well as feeling more literate with the exchange of ideas.  All teachers at our grade level have an ICQ number now and the ease of sending a message saves a lot of legwork and time.  

I would suggest in the future staff development projects of this type be mandatory for all teachers to attend.