Kentucky Academy of Technology Education

Don't Be a Dope When It Comes to Slope!

Core Connections

submitted by : Ben Duncan, Math teacher at Stewart County High School, Dover Tenn.

Slope is defined as the ratio of the vertical change of a line divided by the horizontal change of a line. It is a mathematical necessity that is evident in all forms of real-life applications. Whether it is an engineer constructing a new building, a surveyor preparing for a new highway, or even the grounds crew for a major football stadium,understanding slope is required for success in all of these activities. Slope is the gradient change in all straight line shapes, which we refer to in mathematical terms as linear, and is used to measure the steepness and flatness of these lines.

Even though it is often ignored and taken for granted, slope is very closely related to many of our everyday activities. Imagine if all buildings were constructed with flat roofs. Water drainage would definitely be a problem and damaging leakage would more than likely occur within the interior of the structure. All major highways built are constructed with slope taken into consideration. Highways are not flat and in most instances slope is referred to as the grade while being surveyed. Highways, being one of the most critical pieces of American infrastructure have slope assisting in drainage. So whether it is to serve as an assist in the navigation progress, for more simplistic cases such as water drainage, or even to enhance fun activities such as snow skiing or sledding; slope is a critical part of our everyday lives and is extremely visible beyond the classroom.

Fun, Instructional and Easy to Use!!!

Instructional Illuminations

Fun, instructional and easy to use, three things that teachers love to hear about a new application.

Photo Story 3 from Microsoft meets these categories plus many others. An important element for teachers is that it is FREE! Photo Story 3 allows teachers and students to take still photos and bring them to life in interesting and exciting presentations.

Teachers could introduce a unit or tour a site that you could not actually visit with your students . Students can use this technology to create a video of their summer vacation or a topic that they can share with other students. Photo Story 3 lets you create a presentation that includes motion, voice narration and music. Just import your photos, customize them, add pan and zoom effects and your ready to go.

This link is a Photo Story 3 example created by Gena Maley, Art Teacher at Murray Middle School in Murray Kentucky.

Self Assessment and Careers

Core Connections

Submitted by Emily Redden, Graves County Middle School

Teaching practical living and vocational studies can be challenging because of the variety of subject material. The four sub domains are divided into health, physical education, consumerism, and jobs and careers. Although there is a wide range of topics to be mastered, each area has certain characteristics to make the content exciting and challenging to all students. One way to do this is by adding technology in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of lessons.

One area in particular, jobs and careers, has a myriad of websites that offer teachers lesson plans, interactive activities, and career assessments to assist instruction.

When teaching students about different jobs and careers, one of the first components we discuss is how to conduct a self assessment to determine what types of careers are best suited for your personality and capabilities. The Internet is a great resource for this. Many websites offer free career assessment, aptitude tests, and personality profiles. These sites are great opportunities for students to learn more about themselves as well as determine their personality types. The connection between personality and career choice will be evident when completing activities such as these.