BP4_YacaPaca

Answer to Sock Conundrum:

You have 8 white socks, 8 green socks and 8 yellow socks in your sock drawer.

How many socks must you remove (without looking to be sure) to have a matched pair?


You need to remove four socks to ensure that you have a pair!  There are 3 colors and anything past 3, will ensure that you have 2 of at least one color!




Today's Conundrum:


Monday, Audreanna had lunch with her only sibling's wife's father-in-law's only brother-in-law.  With whom did she have her meal?


Yaca Paca - The Free Blackboard Resource


Let me first begin by stating that the url http://www.onlinedegree.net/100-essential-2-0-tools-for-teachers/ has this resource listed wrong as Yapa Capa!, which only takes you to some sort of search engine.  The real "blackboard" type site is http://yacapaca.com and it is very simple to use.  First, you create a user profile, then you wait for the confirmation e-mail to come to your inbox (it took quite some time for me to receive it I might add).  Then, you follow the instructions and move into the ability to post assignments.  One of the first things you want to do is create a class list.  I made a fake list (using our class names), so I could post it here without using my real students' names, for privacy's sake (and so I don't lose my job).

It is easy to add new students.  You name the class and choose if you want them alphabetized by first or last name.

Once the class list is created, Yacapaca will automatically create teams of 4.  If there are not enough for 4 people per group, there will be a group without 4 people.  You have the option of rearranging the teams if you would like, because we all know there are certain students who do not work well together for the purpose of getting things done.  I like the ability to rearrange the teams as well, so I can be sure I am mixing up ability levels, just in case the stronger students al end up in one group.  

Teams - they are created for you, but you can rearrange students

I like the fact that it generates a username for each student for you, because that can get tedious.  I had to do it for a program I used this year with my Chemistry class as part of a research study in cooperation with Indiana University's Chemistry Department.  I only have 15 Chemistry students, so it was not that bad, but I also had them create a course for Anatomy for me and I hand entered usernames and passwords for all 107 students and that was a very time-consuming task.  

Student Set - Note the username that is generated for you!

There is a neat feature that allows you to see a progress chart for as many students as you would like at one time.  You choose the student name(s) on the left side of the window, and you can also choose the date at which you want the chart to begin n the slide bar at the bottom. My picture below does not have any lines, because no one has completed any assignments yet.

Progress Chart

I think that this is a great tool, because being able to assign and receive things electronically saves trees and the assessments are graded within the program.  This allows students to get immediate feedback and takes stress for time off of us as teachers/instructors.  It allows us to focus more on the content and lesson planning than grading exams and quizzes.  Sometimes, that can be a daunting task; especially when you have 107 students taking an exam in one day, like I do with my 4 Anatomy & Physiology Sections.  




As Alonia said in a comment on my Soshiku blog, since the end of the year is drawing near, I am looking forward to using this tool in class in the Fall.  I have a unique opportunity though, and I will be teaching Summer School, so I think I just might give it a whirl this Summer.