Reflection on Technology & Me
My best advice on using technology in the classroom is to start small and keep learning and adding technology to the curriculum based on your needs and your learners’ needs. Technology is such a vast field that one can quickly become overwhelmed if one tries to do everything possible all at once.
Technology will be part of my students future as well as my own. It is certainly in all of our best interests to keep pursuing new knowledge in this area. My students rarely are intimidated by the use of technology and usually find the use motivational and engaging. Using technology to teach all subject areas usually is a beneficial adventure.
I completed the Teacher’s Survey “Rubric for Advanced Computer Use (http:www.ed.gov/pubs/EdTechGuide/appc-7.html) and generally scored threes. I am comfortable using technology with my students and helping my coworkers with technology problems and projects. I still have room to grow to become a true “techno geek”.
I plan to continue my personal and professional growth in the field of technology in several ways. First, I just received a new iPod for my birthday. =) Now, I can experiment with podcasts more easily. Subscribing to a technology podcast will help to keep me aware of current advances in technology. I will also continue to read my RSS feeds involving technology: T.H.E Journal (http://thejournal.com ), Technology and Learning (http://www.techlearning.com )and Wired (http://www.wired.com/technology.html ), as they arrive as daily reminders on my computer. I will continue with classes focusing on technology at UIS. These classes have been very helpful with current technologies and applying them to my classroom. My district is also helpful in maintaining my tech awareness. I receive an online newsletter and attend tech facilitator meetings and SpICE (Springfield Illinois Computing Educators) (http://chapters.iceberg.org/spice ) meetings. Finally, Jason’s presentation reminded me that my school has a “Jeopardy type” response system in the wire closet. (Yes, the closet!) My goal is to get it out over winter break and see if it could be used with my students.
I will continue to add technology to my class curriculum and to enhance my personal life as a learn about new technologies and grow as a technology user.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Friday, December 01, 2006
My Topic - Trying, Reflecting, Refining
Technology Integration
On page 118, Coppola makes a statement about technology integration. She says, “The key to the elusive process we call technology integration is to evolve the technological uses at the same time as, and intertwined with, curriculum and instruction.” I was impressed with the talent that the teachers from Woodland School exhibited in their content area and with technology. I believe that when the teacher truly understands the content knowledge that he/she wants to share with the students then he/she can see the possibilities available with technology. I also believe in the “trying, reflecting, refining” method (p. 119-122). I have tried some projects with the technology that I have loved and continued using and I have attempted some projects that I abandoned for a different method.
For example, we are currently studying the phases of the moon. Many teaching guides suggest that the students observe the moon each night and make a calendar to demonstrate the changing look of the moon. I decided to check the Internet for pictures of the moon and found some great sites! This provided an option for those cloudy nights. It also made it possible for students to catch up. Even though this began as a “home project”, we have begun to check the moon phases each day during our calendar time. (http://imagiware.com/astro/moon.cgi ) This way the students without Internet access are included and the entire class has a daily reminder of their moon homework. This was a tiny simple integration that really raised the students’ interest and aided in their understanding.
We tried another project where we graphed temperature data. As part of our calendar math, the class checked the temperature of three cities and compared them by making a line graph. The students used a webpage that I created using “stickers” from www.wunderground.com to check the temperatures and we recorded the temperatures on a graph. When I learned about Pages and how it could make a line graph by typing in the temperatures, we tried it. It did not work as effectively as our paper and pencil created graph. We no longer had the daily opportunity to “round” numbers as we placed the temperatures on the graph. We didn’t have the actual graph hanging in the front of the room for ongoing observation. We could still compare the data, but were not gaining the actual graphing skills that were learned with the paper and pencil graph. I abandoned the line graph for this project in favor of the “old-fashioned” method.
According to Coppola, “It (trying, reflecting, and refining) is at the center of the developmental process by which the teachers created uses for classroom technology.” (p. 122) I think that most teachers informally complete this process all the time, for every lesson and project whether it involves technology or not. Taking time to reflect on teaching practices improves teaching methods. I plan to continue to learn about technology practices through my district’s technology facilitator meetings and through classes at UIS. As I learn more about technology, I plan to continue trying, reflecting and refining to meet the needs of my students.
Coppola, E. M. (2004). Powering up: Learning to teach well with technology. New York: Teachers College Press.
Technology Integration
On page 118, Coppola makes a statement about technology integration. She says, “The key to the elusive process we call technology integration is to evolve the technological uses at the same time as, and intertwined with, curriculum and instruction.” I was impressed with the talent that the teachers from Woodland School exhibited in their content area and with technology. I believe that when the teacher truly understands the content knowledge that he/she wants to share with the students then he/she can see the possibilities available with technology. I also believe in the “trying, reflecting, refining” method (p. 119-122). I have tried some projects with the technology that I have loved and continued using and I have attempted some projects that I abandoned for a different method.
For example, we are currently studying the phases of the moon. Many teaching guides suggest that the students observe the moon each night and make a calendar to demonstrate the changing look of the moon. I decided to check the Internet for pictures of the moon and found some great sites! This provided an option for those cloudy nights. It also made it possible for students to catch up. Even though this began as a “home project”, we have begun to check the moon phases each day during our calendar time. (http://imagiware.com/astro/moon.cgi ) This way the students without Internet access are included and the entire class has a daily reminder of their moon homework. This was a tiny simple integration that really raised the students’ interest and aided in their understanding.
We tried another project where we graphed temperature data. As part of our calendar math, the class checked the temperature of three cities and compared them by making a line graph. The students used a webpage that I created using “stickers” from www.wunderground.com to check the temperatures and we recorded the temperatures on a graph. When I learned about Pages and how it could make a line graph by typing in the temperatures, we tried it. It did not work as effectively as our paper and pencil created graph. We no longer had the daily opportunity to “round” numbers as we placed the temperatures on the graph. We didn’t have the actual graph hanging in the front of the room for ongoing observation. We could still compare the data, but were not gaining the actual graphing skills that were learned with the paper and pencil graph. I abandoned the line graph for this project in favor of the “old-fashioned” method.
According to Coppola, “It (trying, reflecting, and refining) is at the center of the developmental process by which the teachers created uses for classroom technology.” (p. 122) I think that most teachers informally complete this process all the time, for every lesson and project whether it involves technology or not. Taking time to reflect on teaching practices improves teaching methods. I plan to continue to learn about technology practices through my district’s technology facilitator meetings and through classes at UIS. As I learn more about technology, I plan to continue trying, reflecting and refining to meet the needs of my students.
Coppola, E. M. (2004). Powering up: Learning to teach well with technology. New York: Teachers College Press.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Resource Pages
My resource page (http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/teachers/apyle/links) is constantly growing and changing as we explore new curriculum. I think as more families obtain home access to the Internet a resource page will become even more valuable. I use it as a parent reference, a student reference and as an organizational tool for myself.
Student reference: My students are seven and eight years old and can not type accurately. I definitely do not want them typing addresses into the computer. It is too easy to make an error and open an unwanted website. I bookmark the sites that they are to use and then they just need to click on the bookmark. Each morning when they use the computers, they check the direction sheet and click on the appropriate bookmark.
When we complete beginning research projects, I also bookmark appropriate sites for the students to use. This not only keeps them from visiting unwanted sites, but also helps to focus them and saves them from hours of searching through unhelpful material.
Parent reference: I add links to our class web page for parents to explore with their children. These links help with reviewing concepts or extend activities that we complete in class. For example, the students need to be able to complete 100 addition problems in five minutes. This is very difficult for some students. The web page has several links for practicing math facts. We are also studying the moon currently. I added a link to the web page that explains the phases of the moon and another link that shows pictures of how the moon should appear each night in the sky.
Teacher reference: This resource page also helps me to organize the useful sites that I have found. I don’t have to find that scrap of paper or search through my bookmarks for the great website address that I remember from last year. It also helps other teachers in my building to find good websites without spending the search time. I also look at other second grade teachers’ resource pages to “borrow” great sites from them!
I can’t imagine using the Internet effectively without some sort of resource page. I could continue to bookmark sites, but I find the resource page more friendly and easy to use. When the resource page is a web page, it is convenient to share with other teachers saving some time searching for appropriate sites. It also becomes accessible by my students’ families at home. This helps to build that home-school connection that is a great asset to student success.
My resource page (http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/teachers/apyle/links) is constantly growing and changing as we explore new curriculum. I think as more families obtain home access to the Internet a resource page will become even more valuable. I use it as a parent reference, a student reference and as an organizational tool for myself.
Student reference: My students are seven and eight years old and can not type accurately. I definitely do not want them typing addresses into the computer. It is too easy to make an error and open an unwanted website. I bookmark the sites that they are to use and then they just need to click on the bookmark. Each morning when they use the computers, they check the direction sheet and click on the appropriate bookmark.
When we complete beginning research projects, I also bookmark appropriate sites for the students to use. This not only keeps them from visiting unwanted sites, but also helps to focus them and saves them from hours of searching through unhelpful material.
Parent reference: I add links to our class web page for parents to explore with their children. These links help with reviewing concepts or extend activities that we complete in class. For example, the students need to be able to complete 100 addition problems in five minutes. This is very difficult for some students. The web page has several links for practicing math facts. We are also studying the moon currently. I added a link to the web page that explains the phases of the moon and another link that shows pictures of how the moon should appear each night in the sky.
Teacher reference: This resource page also helps me to organize the useful sites that I have found. I don’t have to find that scrap of paper or search through my bookmarks for the great website address that I remember from last year. It also helps other teachers in my building to find good websites without spending the search time. I also look at other second grade teachers’ resource pages to “borrow” great sites from them!
I can’t imagine using the Internet effectively without some sort of resource page. I could continue to bookmark sites, but I find the resource page more friendly and easy to use. When the resource page is a web page, it is convenient to share with other teachers saving some time searching for appropriate sites. It also becomes accessible by my students’ families at home. This helps to build that home-school connection that is a great asset to student success.
Monday, November 06, 2006
Web 2.0 Applications
Wow! I certainly had no idea of the many Web 2.0 applications that are available for use on the Internet. I began by reading Ben Hunt’s article, The future web2.0 social experience. (http://www.webdesignfrom scratch.com/future-social-web-experience.cfm) Instead of giving me answers, I think it actually made me more confused. I read the article, Ajax: A New Approach to Web Applications and then skipped down to Dion Hinchcliffe’s Web 2.0 Blog. (http://web2.wsj2.com/the_best_web_20_software_of_2005.htm ) This article was very easy to read and offered many applications to try.
I began with Writely.com and soon discovered that it has been obtained by Google and is now called Google: Docs & Spreadsheets (http://docs.google.com ) It also doesn’t work yet with Safari, but I switched to FireFox and it worked fine. I am interested in this application because any person with access to the Internet could use this program and have a common word processor. It would make editing and collaboration easier, especially when the document is also stored on the Internet. I learned that documents that I create can be sent directly to my blog which could be handy. I don’t plan to use this particular application with my second graders, but I do see great uses for it with the teachers in my building. It would make sharing documents and spreadsheets much easier. If I had older students and several computers with access to the Internet, I could teach one word processor instead of several versions used by different computers in my room. I like the options that this program offers.
I also experimented with Doodle, an online polling application. (http://www.doodle.ch ) This program allows the user to create polls with a title, description, date and times. It could be really useful for scheduling meetings. The following is a screenshot of the example poll.
Each participant can log in and mark times that they are available to meet. I thought that this would be great for voting in the classroom and set up a poll for voting for the Illinois Governor on election day. The only drawback is that every participant can see the other results. This is great if you are setting up a meeting, but not so good if you want an anonymous poll. If they would add the option to see results or hide results, I could easily set up one computer station and rotate students through to collect data.
Hipcal (http://www.hipcal.com ) was my next adventure. This application allows the user to create an online calendar that can be shared with others. It also uses the calendar events to create a to - do list and can send alerts so you will not forget anything. It seemed very similar to iCal, a calendar program on my iBook. It allows you to view the calendar by day, week or month. Settings will allow you to add categories and subcategories and to color code each. All categories can be viewed or hidden as desired. For example, I listed school, church and work activities but could easily hide any of the three. There is a memo option for notes and an alert option for reminders. This calendar might be good for posting a school calendar or creating a printable calendar with due dates for a project.
Finally, I examined a movie site and a restaurant site. The movie site (http://www.criteo.com) allows the user to critique movies and find other users that enjoy the same movies thus creating suggestions for new movies. The restaurant guide (http://www.toeat.com ) is in the process of being created. Like Ben Hunt’s vision for Web 2.0, it requires users to participate by adding favorite restaurants and offering reviews of the food. Many people need to become involved in adding restaurants and reviewing them and then soon the site will include a plethora of restaurant information.
Although, I have not found many applications to use directly with my second graders. I have learned about some applications that could be useful to the organization of my classroom and the collaboration and sharing of information with peers which will affect the way I teach and how my students learn. Gaining this knowledge also made me more aware of using the Internet in new ways.
Wow! I certainly had no idea of the many Web 2.0 applications that are available for use on the Internet. I began by reading Ben Hunt’s article, The future web2.0 social experience. (http://www.webdesignfrom scratch.com/future-social-web-experience.cfm) Instead of giving me answers, I think it actually made me more confused. I read the article, Ajax: A New Approach to Web Applications and then skipped down to Dion Hinchcliffe’s Web 2.0 Blog. (http://web2.wsj2.com/the_best_web_20_software_of_2005.htm ) This article was very easy to read and offered many applications to try.
I began with Writely.com and soon discovered that it has been obtained by Google and is now called Google: Docs & Spreadsheets (http://docs.google.com ) It also doesn’t work yet with Safari, but I switched to FireFox and it worked fine. I am interested in this application because any person with access to the Internet could use this program and have a common word processor. It would make editing and collaboration easier, especially when the document is also stored on the Internet. I learned that documents that I create can be sent directly to my blog which could be handy. I don’t plan to use this particular application with my second graders, but I do see great uses for it with the teachers in my building. It would make sharing documents and spreadsheets much easier. If I had older students and several computers with access to the Internet, I could teach one word processor instead of several versions used by different computers in my room. I like the options that this program offers.
I also experimented with Doodle, an online polling application. (http://www.doodle.ch ) This program allows the user to create polls with a title, description, date and times. It could be really useful for scheduling meetings. The following is a screenshot of the example poll.
Each participant can log in and mark times that they are available to meet. I thought that this would be great for voting in the classroom and set up a poll for voting for the Illinois Governor on election day. The only drawback is that every participant can see the other results. This is great if you are setting up a meeting, but not so good if you want an anonymous poll. If they would add the option to see results or hide results, I could easily set up one computer station and rotate students through to collect data.
Hipcal (http://www.hipcal.com ) was my next adventure. This application allows the user to create an online calendar that can be shared with others. It also uses the calendar events to create a to - do list and can send alerts so you will not forget anything. It seemed very similar to iCal, a calendar program on my iBook. It allows you to view the calendar by day, week or month. Settings will allow you to add categories and subcategories and to color code each. All categories can be viewed or hidden as desired. For example, I listed school, church and work activities but could easily hide any of the three. There is a memo option for notes and an alert option for reminders. This calendar might be good for posting a school calendar or creating a printable calendar with due dates for a project.
Finally, I examined a movie site and a restaurant site. The movie site (http://www.criteo.com) allows the user to critique movies and find other users that enjoy the same movies thus creating suggestions for new movies. The restaurant guide (http://www.toeat.com ) is in the process of being created. Like Ben Hunt’s vision for Web 2.0, it requires users to participate by adding favorite restaurants and offering reviews of the food. Many people need to become involved in adding restaurants and reviewing them and then soon the site will include a plethora of restaurant information.
Although, I have not found many applications to use directly with my second graders. I have learned about some applications that could be useful to the organization of my classroom and the collaboration and sharing of information with peers which will affect the way I teach and how my students learn. Gaining this knowledge also made me more aware of using the Internet in new ways.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Problem-Solving
Click on the title to hear the audiofile.
Many times the second grade curriculum needs to be demonstrated or practiced in a concrete way so the students can understand the concept. Our current science unit is The Sun and Family. While the students can see the sun, most students assume that the sun is moving around the Earth because we see the sun rise in the east and set in the west. I demonstrate how the Earth rotates by setting up an overhead projecter to act as the sun and we use the globe for the Earth. Then the students can see the light from the projector/sun lighting one half of the globe/Earth at a time. They can see how the Earth’s rotation causes day and night.
To aid in this understanding, I have also found a site on the Internet to show this concept. (http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/school/tolstaprimary/dayandnight/) Sometimes the students need to practice the concept multiple times before the understanding is complete. I will quickly tire of spinning the globe around the overhead projector, but the computer will continue to play the same sequence over and over tirelessly. (I guess if I would find someone to videotape me spinning the globe I could become tireless too!)
I also search the Internet for graphics, video clips or short movies to demonstrate concepts of space. Unitedstreaming.com is a great source of videos and videoclips. Brainpop.com also offers great cartoon mini movies on many topics for a range of learners. Unfortunately, these sites are not free.
I believe that hands-on projects and simulations do help the students to learn more effectively. They become active participants in their own learning by performing the steps of the process. Hands-on experiments, computer simulations and videos can all aid in the students’ learning.
Many times the second grade curriculum needs to be demonstrated or practiced in a concrete way so the students can understand the concept. Our current science unit is The Sun and Family. While the students can see the sun, most students assume that the sun is moving around the Earth because we see the sun rise in the east and set in the west. I demonstrate how the Earth rotates by setting up an overhead projecter to act as the sun and we use the globe for the Earth. Then the students can see the light from the projector/sun lighting one half of the globe/Earth at a time. They can see how the Earth’s rotation causes day and night.
To aid in this understanding, I have also found a site on the Internet to show this concept. (http://www.cne-siar.gov.uk/school/tolstaprimary/dayandnight/) Sometimes the students need to practice the concept multiple times before the understanding is complete. I will quickly tire of spinning the globe around the overhead projector, but the computer will continue to play the same sequence over and over tirelessly. (I guess if I would find someone to videotape me spinning the globe I could become tireless too!)
I also search the Internet for graphics, video clips or short movies to demonstrate concepts of space. Unitedstreaming.com is a great source of videos and videoclips. Brainpop.com also offers great cartoon mini movies on many topics for a range of learners. Unfortunately, these sites are not free.
I believe that hands-on projects and simulations do help the students to learn more effectively. They become active participants in their own learning by performing the steps of the process. Hands-on experiments, computer simulations and videos can all aid in the students’ learning.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Video in the Classroom
Click on the title to view my mini-movie made using Jumpcut at Jumpcut.com.
In my second grade classroom, we have done some beginning steps leading up to video production but have not actually made any videos.
The class went on a field trip last week to Adams’ Wildlife Sanctuary. On this trip, each adult leader carried a digital camera. When the group stopped at a station, they were required to prove that they had completed the station by posing for a picture. These pictures were downloaded into iPhoto on a stationary iMac. A slideshow will be produced for the parents to watch while waiting for Parent/Teacher conferences this week. I will also use these pictures in our newsletter, upload some to our class web page and some will be used for writing workshop. Each child receives a picture and writes about it using complete sentences and details. Sometimes these are printed for a book. They could also be used in the storyboard for a movie retelling our field trip.
I used Jumpcut to practice making a very short movie with pictures from our trip, clipart and an audiofile. The clips and audio uploaded easily. It was simple to add titles and audio. I also changed the style. The only difficulty I experienced was impatience. I kept trying to change things while things were rendering or uploading. I was using my quick connection at school and not my modem at home! I have used iMovie in the past. Jumpcut seemed to work similarly.
My students would require quite a bit of supervision during a project like this. I have thought about trying some short videos showing the students completing an action. For example, some could hop and some could jump and some could swing. These could be put together into a short video about verbs. Hopefully, this would help them to understand a verb as an action word.
It is good to know that these movies can be saved and displayed on a web page. I would need to know how to condense the movie to make it open more easily using slower connections. Jeff had good suggestions regarding shooting video that I would need to consider during the preproduction, production and postproduction stages of video-making.
In my second grade classroom, we have done some beginning steps leading up to video production but have not actually made any videos.
The class went on a field trip last week to Adams’ Wildlife Sanctuary. On this trip, each adult leader carried a digital camera. When the group stopped at a station, they were required to prove that they had completed the station by posing for a picture. These pictures were downloaded into iPhoto on a stationary iMac. A slideshow will be produced for the parents to watch while waiting for Parent/Teacher conferences this week. I will also use these pictures in our newsletter, upload some to our class web page and some will be used for writing workshop. Each child receives a picture and writes about it using complete sentences and details. Sometimes these are printed for a book. They could also be used in the storyboard for a movie retelling our field trip.
I used Jumpcut to practice making a very short movie with pictures from our trip, clipart and an audiofile. The clips and audio uploaded easily. It was simple to add titles and audio. I also changed the style. The only difficulty I experienced was impatience. I kept trying to change things while things were rendering or uploading. I was using my quick connection at school and not my modem at home! I have used iMovie in the past. Jumpcut seemed to work similarly.
My students would require quite a bit of supervision during a project like this. I have thought about trying some short videos showing the students completing an action. For example, some could hop and some could jump and some could swing. These could be put together into a short video about verbs. Hopefully, this would help them to understand a verb as an action word.
It is good to know that these movies can be saved and displayed on a web page. I would need to know how to condense the movie to make it open more easily using slower connections. Jeff had good suggestions regarding shooting video that I would need to consider during the preproduction, production and postproduction stages of video-making.
Monday, October 16, 2006
PDA Articles
Click the title to hear the audiofile.
In the recent past, I thought that Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were only used by business people to keep track of appointments through a calendar and to organize the addresses and phone numbers of contacts. As I began reading this week, I learned about using PDAs on field trips to collect data using probes and taking notes with a writing program. I began to see uses for older students in classrooms.
PDAs can provide portability that is not as easily available with laptop computers. For several years we have taken a field trip to Adams’ Wildlife Sanctuary. Each group brings a digital camera to record their findings. Each child takes a pencil and “spy book” to record their data. Recording their thoughts on the trip makes it much easier for them to remember the trip when we return to the classroom. Taking PDAs on field trips would provide a similar option that could be downloaded into a computer or printed upon our return.
When I found the examples from elementary schools, I began to rethink my views on PDAs. On page 59 in the article, Palm Education Pioneers Program Final Report (www.palmgrants.sri.com/PEP_Final_Report.pdf), some ESL teachers began to use the word wall on PDAs. This provided a portable word wall. (A word wall is actually a place on the wall where words are placed that are highly used and difficult to spell or words that will aid in the spelling of other words.) It no longer matters where the student is sitting in the room or even if they want to write in the library or in a special teachers classroom. They can have the word wall with them.
I could also relate to the student from Arlington Public Schools that couldn’t write more than a few sentences but can finish a rough draft in one sitting using a PDA. (http://www.palm.com/us/education/studies/index.html) These students are using a program called FreeWrite to work through the steps of the writing process. The article said that editing and revising with peers became more popular when the writing could be “beamed” to a peer or traded on the PDA. The students also wrote more because they were interested in using the technology. I have a few students that probably would be affected in the same way.
Finally, reading some of the suggestions from the 101 Uses for Handhelds found at www.k12handhelds.com made me wonder why I had never purchased a PDA for myself. A PDA can also be a valuable resource for a teacher in the areas of grading, organization and web use. Learning about PDAs opened a new area of technology in the classroom for me.
In the recent past, I thought that Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) were only used by business people to keep track of appointments through a calendar and to organize the addresses and phone numbers of contacts. As I began reading this week, I learned about using PDAs on field trips to collect data using probes and taking notes with a writing program. I began to see uses for older students in classrooms.
PDAs can provide portability that is not as easily available with laptop computers. For several years we have taken a field trip to Adams’ Wildlife Sanctuary. Each group brings a digital camera to record their findings. Each child takes a pencil and “spy book” to record their data. Recording their thoughts on the trip makes it much easier for them to remember the trip when we return to the classroom. Taking PDAs on field trips would provide a similar option that could be downloaded into a computer or printed upon our return.
When I found the examples from elementary schools, I began to rethink my views on PDAs. On page 59 in the article, Palm Education Pioneers Program Final Report (www.palmgrants.sri.com/PEP_Final_Report.pdf), some ESL teachers began to use the word wall on PDAs. This provided a portable word wall. (A word wall is actually a place on the wall where words are placed that are highly used and difficult to spell or words that will aid in the spelling of other words.) It no longer matters where the student is sitting in the room or even if they want to write in the library or in a special teachers classroom. They can have the word wall with them.
I could also relate to the student from Arlington Public Schools that couldn’t write more than a few sentences but can finish a rough draft in one sitting using a PDA. (http://www.palm.com/us/education/studies/index.html) These students are using a program called FreeWrite to work through the steps of the writing process. The article said that editing and revising with peers became more popular when the writing could be “beamed” to a peer or traded on the PDA. The students also wrote more because they were interested in using the technology. I have a few students that probably would be affected in the same way.
Finally, reading some of the suggestions from the 101 Uses for Handhelds found at www.k12handhelds.com made me wonder why I had never purchased a PDA for myself. A PDA can also be a valuable resource for a teacher in the areas of grading, organization and web use. Learning about PDAs opened a new area of technology in the classroom for me.
Simulations, Gaming and Virtual Reality
Click on the title to hear the audiofile.
According to Ellen Wagner in the article, Enabling Mobile Learning, mobile learning will respond to the on-demand learning interests of connected citizens in an informationcentric world. (p. 44) My students are learning to multitask. It is part of their world. The television is usually on while a conversation is happening and everyone is eating dinner. Many students do their homework while listening to the television, radio or iPod and talking on the phone. This is our students’ life.
The Wikipedia article that contains information about the Croquet Project paraphases Papert in saying that children growing up in France naturally learn French. In the past, I had students in my classroom from other countries that did not speak English. The total immersion in an English speaking atmosphere helped them to quickly learn many Engish words. Therefore, if students could virtually visit other countries or time periods or even a land of math it seems that they could learn more quickly and easily through the experience.
At first, I thought there was no possible way to incorporate gaming into my classroom in the next six months. We don’t have enough updated equipment. I don’t know enough about creating or finding appropriate sites to correlate with the curriculum. But then I started to break the concept down into smaller more appropriate pieces.
Mimi Ito and Angela MacFarlane from the conference presentation last week stated that gaming is a social event. It is a good way for students to combine their talents and work together toward a common goal. Tom Snyder has developed some software based on simulations and a gaming concept. It divides the students into groups and provides a math or science problem that must be solved. The teams work together to solve the problem. The problem is presented through a computer or DVD interface. Many of the problems are geared toward older students, but I can check into this software and see if any is appropriate for second graders.
Staying with the theme of working together and multitasking, I can continue to provide some group projects. We usually do one or two a quarter and try to add more each year. Learning to work together with others is an important concept that can be built on in the future.
Finally, I know that there are some panoramic views already created on the Internet for use in the classroom. I will look for some that correlate with our curriculum and try to use them during instruction.
According to Ellen Wagner in the article, Enabling Mobile Learning, mobile learning will respond to the on-demand learning interests of connected citizens in an informationcentric world. (p. 44) My students are learning to multitask. It is part of their world. The television is usually on while a conversation is happening and everyone is eating dinner. Many students do their homework while listening to the television, radio or iPod and talking on the phone. This is our students’ life.
The Wikipedia article that contains information about the Croquet Project paraphases Papert in saying that children growing up in France naturally learn French. In the past, I had students in my classroom from other countries that did not speak English. The total immersion in an English speaking atmosphere helped them to quickly learn many Engish words. Therefore, if students could virtually visit other countries or time periods or even a land of math it seems that they could learn more quickly and easily through the experience.
At first, I thought there was no possible way to incorporate gaming into my classroom in the next six months. We don’t have enough updated equipment. I don’t know enough about creating or finding appropriate sites to correlate with the curriculum. But then I started to break the concept down into smaller more appropriate pieces.
Mimi Ito and Angela MacFarlane from the conference presentation last week stated that gaming is a social event. It is a good way for students to combine their talents and work together toward a common goal. Tom Snyder has developed some software based on simulations and a gaming concept. It divides the students into groups and provides a math or science problem that must be solved. The teams work together to solve the problem. The problem is presented through a computer or DVD interface. Many of the problems are geared toward older students, but I can check into this software and see if any is appropriate for second graders.
Staying with the theme of working together and multitasking, I can continue to provide some group projects. We usually do one or two a quarter and try to add more each year. Learning to work together with others is an important concept that can be built on in the future.
Finally, I know that there are some panoramic views already created on the Internet for use in the classroom. I will look for some that correlate with our curriculum and try to use them during instruction.
Monday, October 02, 2006
Article Review
Brain-Based Learning: Possible Implications for Online Instruction
URL - http://www.bucks.edu/IDlab/onlinetips_brainbased.htm
Author - This article was written by Stephanie A. Clemons, Associate Professor, Department of Design & Merchandising, Colorado State University. This article was published in the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.
Thesis - The author provides a correlation between brain-based learning and online learning. She also provides tips for online instruction based on ways the brain retains information.
Content -Clemons begins the article by reviewing the parts of the brain and how it functions. She also summarizes brain-based learning with websites provided for additional information. Then, she furnishes tips to enhance classroom instruction based on brain-based learning information.
Conclusions - Clemons believes that brain-based learning can aid in the memorization of information. All participants need to be actively involved in the learning process. The class needs to be structured to make meaningful connections for each learner and delivered in a learner centered environment. She also cautions instructors to carefully think about the brain, how students learn and their program of instruction considering the benefits of altering the current program.
I found Clemons’ tips worth considering for any class. For instance, I believe that establishing a safe environment is important in all learning situations and providing experiences based on different learning styles can reach more learners. These tips helped to relate the brain information to daily classroom instruction.
URL - http://www.bucks.edu/IDlab/onlinetips_brainbased.htm
Author - This article was written by Stephanie A. Clemons, Associate Professor, Department of Design & Merchandising, Colorado State University. This article was published in the International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning.
Thesis - The author provides a correlation between brain-based learning and online learning. She also provides tips for online instruction based on ways the brain retains information.
Content -Clemons begins the article by reviewing the parts of the brain and how it functions. She also summarizes brain-based learning with websites provided for additional information. Then, she furnishes tips to enhance classroom instruction based on brain-based learning information.
Conclusions - Clemons believes that brain-based learning can aid in the memorization of information. All participants need to be actively involved in the learning process. The class needs to be structured to make meaningful connections for each learner and delivered in a learner centered environment. She also cautions instructors to carefully think about the brain, how students learn and their program of instruction considering the benefits of altering the current program.
I found Clemons’ tips worth considering for any class. For instance, I believe that establishing a safe environment is important in all learning situations and providing experiences based on different learning styles can reach more learners. These tips helped to relate the brain information to daily classroom instruction.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Article Review
How All Students Can Participate in Internet Research and Distance Education
URL - http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=164302301
Authors - This article was written by Christine Y. Mason, Ph.D. Educational Consultant and President, Mason & Associates, Senior Research Scientist, New Editions, Inc., McLean, VA and Richard Dodds, Director of Instructional Technology, Lasell College, Newton, MA. Another article written by Mason and Dodds: Bridge the Digital Divide
for Educational Equity. Education Digest, 70, 25.
Thesis - Even though some students are limited by physical or learning disabilities, there are ways to provide adaptations which make the same Internet resources available to all students.
Content -The authors discuss the importance of the Internet in the classroom and the barriers that may be presented to some students. They provide some hardware and software solutions. A list of principles to consider to facilitate accessibility is included and several resources to aid in the provision of assistive technology.
Conclusions - Mason and Dodds state that it is possible to provide adaptations to technology to make Internet research and distance learning possible for all learners.
This article offered many suggestions that covered a wide range of factors that can affect a student’s ability to learn. The principles to consider that facilitate accessibility were helpful to me in my “regular education” classroom. Last year, one of my students was in a wheelchair with both legs in an a-frame brace. Since he could not pull up under most of our tables, it was much easier for him to use the laptop computer. Next year, there is a student that has limited physical ability. She has an adapted keyboard and scanner. Becoming familiar with resources and knowing that many adaptations are possible are beneficial for me and my students.
URL - http://www.techlearning.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=164302301
Authors - This article was written by Christine Y. Mason, Ph.D. Educational Consultant and President, Mason & Associates, Senior Research Scientist, New Editions, Inc., McLean, VA and Richard Dodds, Director of Instructional Technology, Lasell College, Newton, MA. Another article written by Mason and Dodds: Bridge the Digital Divide
for Educational Equity. Education Digest, 70, 25.
Thesis - Even though some students are limited by physical or learning disabilities, there are ways to provide adaptations which make the same Internet resources available to all students.
Content -The authors discuss the importance of the Internet in the classroom and the barriers that may be presented to some students. They provide some hardware and software solutions. A list of principles to consider to facilitate accessibility is included and several resources to aid in the provision of assistive technology.
Conclusions - Mason and Dodds state that it is possible to provide adaptations to technology to make Internet research and distance learning possible for all learners.
This article offered many suggestions that covered a wide range of factors that can affect a student’s ability to learn. The principles to consider that facilitate accessibility were helpful to me in my “regular education” classroom. Last year, one of my students was in a wheelchair with both legs in an a-frame brace. Since he could not pull up under most of our tables, it was much easier for him to use the laptop computer. Next year, there is a student that has limited physical ability. She has an adapted keyboard and scanner. Becoming familiar with resources and knowing that many adaptations are possible are beneficial for me and my students.
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
It's Me Again
I'm still blogging from Hardee's. I am impressed with their connection. It is very quick to connect and has been quite easy to use the Internet. I've been talking with the "powers that be" for the school district. They have been very good about giving me access to sites that I need for school in the past. I don't understand exactly how the "blocking/unblocking" works. If they block the word "blog", do they have to "unblock" each address individually?
I am interested in the software for blogging within schools that was mentioned on the discussion board last week. Maybe something like that could work for our district.
I am interested in the software for blogging within schools that was mentioned on the discussion board last week. Maybe something like that could work for our district.
Thursday, February 09, 2006
My First Blog
In the beginning, I could only get a message that informed me that the site that I needed was being blocked. After emailing the administrator twice and with my homework due date looming nearer, I picked up the phone and called only to learn that the administrator is out of the office until next Tuesday. Hmmmmm....so I called on some other district resources and learned that I needed to work at Hardees to avoid the school district's blocking of all blogs. After that it all seems pretty painless!
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