Podcasting

= Title of the Project: 2009 Math Bee Tournament =

=** Math Standards and Technology Standards **=

__** VSC Math **__  Standard 1: Knowledge of Algebra, Patterns, and Functions Standard 2: Knowledge of Geometry Standard 3: Knowledge of Measurement Standard 4: Knowledge of Statistics Standard 5: Knowledge of Probability Standard 6: Knowledge of Number Relationships and Computation/Arithmetic

__**Technology**__ II. A. Use technology effectively and appropriately to interact electronically


 * __Description__** Inspired by the movie //Akeelah and the Bee,// I decided to host the first ever 2009 Math Bee Tournament at James Ryder Randall Elementary. The math bee is a tournament in which students in grades kindergarten through six compete to solve mathematical problems. Utilizing the Maryland Voluntary State Curriculum, I developed questions for students to answer in the final round of the math bee. Prior to students making it to the final round, each teacher was responsible for hosting their own "math off" competition. Teachers were encouraged to use math problems reviewed during the course of the year. The end result of the ‘math off' will be that representatives from the class that will advance to the finals.

On the podcast, you will receive a summary what the purpose of the math bee was, how it was setup, how the event turn out, and reaction from students and staff. The video in the podcast was created with the use of Photostory. On Monday, May 18th and Tuesday, May 19th, each finalist from each class squared off to compete for first, second, and third place. I was shocked of the response from the students, who were not only happy that we did the math bee, but wanted to know when the next one will be and whether there will be a spelling bee, social studies bee, and/or a science bee. Some even said that they will studied the areas they have missed so that next year they will win.
 * __Reflection__**

The podcast helped provide me an opportunity to hear students and staff's reaction to hosting the first Math Bee ever. I was amazed by the comments made and the suggestions that will help make the contest even better for future years to come. It is unknown whether or not we will do another math bee, but I am glad to see that overall everyone enjoyed themselves.

The podcast was nice to use and to expose to other people how we made this math bee become a reality. Although the program was easy to use, I was disappointed that students could not access the program to relay their comments unless they had an email address. Therefore, I had to have the students come to my office and share their thoughts. Hopefully, there is a podcast out there that can allow anyone to share their thoughts while the owner having the priviledge to screen which comments they want to keep or remove.

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