The Course
While I didn't enjoy it, the Spreadsheet and Database assignments were helpful. I needed to learn to use Excel and Access, but could never make myself spend the time. Now that I know the basics I will feel more comfortable using these programs in the future. I also found the blogging useful. This was my first experience blogging. I can understand why some people really like it. You can vent your frustrations, explore how you feel about a topic, or simply tell the cyberworld how you see things. However, I can see why some people don't care for it. I was always worried about writing about my school or my students or expressing an opinion that would not be viewed favorably by the administration. I also struggled sometimes when I was given a topic I didn't have a great deal of interest in.
My biggest struggle was finding the time to get the work done. I thought an online course would be easier for my schedule because I didn't have to go to class each week. However, when I'm in class, I'm there. My family can't bother me and it is time set aside for school. When I try to set aside time at home, my family easily distracts me.
Another thing that was hard for me was the discussion board. When I'm in a classroom I rarely say anything. The discussion boards force you to put your opinions out there and to comment on other people's discussions. I'm still not completely comfortable with putting my opinions out there for everyone to read.
The final struggle I encountered stems from not being a digital native. I need to print stuff. I need instructions to be in one place. It was difficult to do the assignments at first because the instructions were on one page, the information I needed was on another, and the space to enter your answer was on another. I'm getting better, though. Currently, I'm navigating between the blog instructions and my blog. I didn't print!
We've made a great deal of suggestions over the semester and Dr. Lan has been quite accomodating to our needs. I think it might have been easier if the course started with a face to face meeting. That way the instructor could explain the setup of the course on Blackboard and clarify any questions. It would also be helpful if assignment instructions, examples, and rubrics were all in the same folder.
Overall, I don't think I learned any more or any less content than I would have in a classroom setting. It was just different. I do think I've become a bit more comfortable conversing with my peers via the discussion boards. I learned a great deal about different types of technology through the assignments. The resources that I've aquired through the reading, suggested resources, and the blogs and discussion boards have been tremendously helpful. I don't think I would have acquired so many new ideas in a face to face class. Its much easier to click on a link than to ask somebody for a website and remember to look it up on your own time.
Overall, I don't think I learned any more or any less than I would have in a classroom setting. It was just different.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Topic 19. Sometimes It All Works
For some strange reason I cannot make myself unsubscribe to the AP World History listserve. There is something useful on the thing maybe once every month. Most of the time a bunch of middle aged, history teachers argue over things that have nothing to do with World History. In the midst of one such discussion, a teacher decided to try to change the subject by posting something useful. He suggested using the Miniature Earth video in class to give students some perspective as they embark on their Thanksgiving celebration. I watched the video and thought it would be a good thing to show. Of course, I figured it was political and probably had a few errors (what historian wouldn't), but the overall message can't be denied.
Of course, other teachers had the same thought and set out to debunk the usefulness of the video. A teacher posted a link to a site that pointed out all the mistakes in the Miniature Earth video. I went to the site and read the critique. I quickly realized the person who posted the critique site had not watched the Miniature Earth video posted. The Miniature Earth video has been around for a number of years and the critique site had been written several years ago. Apparently, the people who produced the video saw the critique and addressed the issues in an updated version. The updated version reflects the criticism. The new video makes more precise arguments rather than generalizations and has taken out several statistics that the site criticized as hard to prove (such as what percentage of the world population are homosexuals).
The cool thing about this exchange on the listserve was that the internet created this whole conversation and would create many more in the classroom. The video is circulated on the internet. The critique of the video was published on the internet, the producers read the critique, and then updated the video based on the critique. Teachers found the video online and then recommended it to other teachers through a listserve. Then teachers went online to examine the validity of the claims in the video. The teachers then shared the critiques with other teachers. I got a two fold lesson out of this video for my students. They learned they were pretty lucky in life and they learned about doing a little research on stuff you find online before you take it as truth.
Of course, other teachers had the same thought and set out to debunk the usefulness of the video. A teacher posted a link to a site that pointed out all the mistakes in the Miniature Earth video. I went to the site and read the critique. I quickly realized the person who posted the critique site had not watched the Miniature Earth video posted. The Miniature Earth video has been around for a number of years and the critique site had been written several years ago. Apparently, the people who produced the video saw the critique and addressed the issues in an updated version. The updated version reflects the criticism. The new video makes more precise arguments rather than generalizations and has taken out several statistics that the site criticized as hard to prove (such as what percentage of the world population are homosexuals).
The cool thing about this exchange on the listserve was that the internet created this whole conversation and would create many more in the classroom. The video is circulated on the internet. The critique of the video was published on the internet, the producers read the critique, and then updated the video based on the critique. Teachers found the video online and then recommended it to other teachers through a listserve. Then teachers went online to examine the validity of the claims in the video. The teachers then shared the critiques with other teachers. I got a two fold lesson out of this video for my students. They learned they were pretty lucky in life and they learned about doing a little research on stuff you find online before you take it as truth.
Topic 18. When Technology Goes Wrong
The last week at school has been completely frustrating. My computer became a little bit more human than anyone cares to believe. I'm not kidding. It refused to access any site hosted by my school district. It was in rebellion. I could google, use private e-mail, check my bank account, or access anything NOT hosted by our school district. No one could fix it until 8th period on Tuesday afternoon (15 minutes before the break).
Now this story is hilarious in retrospect but it made for a super stressful week. No one believed the problem. I had to log on to another computer to do all my attendance, grades, and posting to moodle which was inconvenient and I usually forgot. Then they kept interrupting my class to try to fix the darn thing. Most annoying was that they reimaged my computer without telling me. I lost an entire program and hours worth of work.
Technology is an amazing and wonderful thing. However, when it goes wrong it causes the teacher tons of stress, wastes hours of work, and creates more work. I share a room with another teacher who is not familiar with a lot of the technology in my room. When something doesn't work properly he lets a kid try to fix it. Many students are good with their own computer, but a networked computer is completely different. They are constantly messing with the settings on the Promethean and randomly pushing buttons. My 4th period class is always behind my other classes because I spend 20 minutes at least once a week trying to fix some sort of technology glitch.
Another frustration is reliability. At the beginning of the school year, we were all encouraged to use Moodle for assignments. The first night I wanted my students to access Moodle for their homework, the server crashed. The students were completely unprepared the next day. This went on for 2 more days. Luckily after the second crash I developed plan B.
Finally, using technology in the classroom is difficult because we are in transition as a society. While most of my students have wireless access at home, a computer, and the ability to use all sorts of programs, I have a few that are resistant. I can't assume everybody will be able to use the technology so I have to teach technology as well as history OR create another lesson plan. We have all sorts of technology that is supposed to help communicate with students and parents more effectively. However, we can't rely on it because some parents don't check their e-mail or use the online gradebook. Therefore, teachers have to use all the new technology and then the old fashioned approach as well.
Now this story is hilarious in retrospect but it made for a super stressful week. No one believed the problem. I had to log on to another computer to do all my attendance, grades, and posting to moodle which was inconvenient and I usually forgot. Then they kept interrupting my class to try to fix the darn thing. Most annoying was that they reimaged my computer without telling me. I lost an entire program and hours worth of work.
Technology is an amazing and wonderful thing. However, when it goes wrong it causes the teacher tons of stress, wastes hours of work, and creates more work. I share a room with another teacher who is not familiar with a lot of the technology in my room. When something doesn't work properly he lets a kid try to fix it. Many students are good with their own computer, but a networked computer is completely different. They are constantly messing with the settings on the Promethean and randomly pushing buttons. My 4th period class is always behind my other classes because I spend 20 minutes at least once a week trying to fix some sort of technology glitch.
Another frustration is reliability. At the beginning of the school year, we were all encouraged to use Moodle for assignments. The first night I wanted my students to access Moodle for their homework, the server crashed. The students were completely unprepared the next day. This went on for 2 more days. Luckily after the second crash I developed plan B.
Finally, using technology in the classroom is difficult because we are in transition as a society. While most of my students have wireless access at home, a computer, and the ability to use all sorts of programs, I have a few that are resistant. I can't assume everybody will be able to use the technology so I have to teach technology as well as history OR create another lesson plan. We have all sorts of technology that is supposed to help communicate with students and parents more effectively. However, we can't rely on it because some parents don't check their e-mail or use the online gradebook. Therefore, teachers have to use all the new technology and then the old fashioned approach as well.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Topic 17. World of Warcraft in the Classroom
I received my first T.H.E. Journal this week. I must admit I forgot that I had ordered it and I thought someone had sent me the journal as a joke. This week's "technology that is more interesting than me" for my students is Call of Duty. Somehow one of my class decided I play CoD and that is why their essays aren't graded (I wish I was playing video games). Anyway, I don't play CoD and have always been a bit wary of WoW.
Jennifer Demski's article "The WoW Factor" profiles a group of educators who play WoW. The educators not only play the game, but dialogue about educational matters. Most of the educators do not live in the same state and have never met face to face.
One benefit of playing WoW the article argues is the networking. Each person has an avatar which makes approaching people less threatening. People are also less threatened by position. For example, teachers will engage in educational discussions with superintendents. Superintendents will ask gaming questions of teachers because they have a higher point level on WoW, thus superior skills. The article implies this type of gaming and interaction could be used in the classroom. I'm not so sure I agree with this. While I think certain students shine when given a less threatening format (online discussions, etc), should we teach kids to hide behind an avatar? If education is preparing you for the real world, can you hide behind an avatar in your real life?
Another point in the article is that video games use many skills that are valuable in the classroom. One member of the group gave the example, "I need to to write all these ideas down, like doing a mathematics lesson based around a statistical comparison between one weapon versus another weapon, or this particular armor resistance and this particular armor resistance." While it probably is more interesting to teach statistical analysis using a video game, the point is to figure out how to most effectively kill someone. Not what I want my kid doing in school. I do think part of the point of the essay is to have kids write their own video games, but the article really implied using WoW.
I do think using some video games in the classroom might be effective, but I don't think WoW is an appropriate choice.
Jennifer Demski's article "The WoW Factor" profiles a group of educators who play WoW. The educators not only play the game, but dialogue about educational matters. Most of the educators do not live in the same state and have never met face to face.
One benefit of playing WoW the article argues is the networking. Each person has an avatar which makes approaching people less threatening. People are also less threatened by position. For example, teachers will engage in educational discussions with superintendents. Superintendents will ask gaming questions of teachers because they have a higher point level on WoW, thus superior skills. The article implies this type of gaming and interaction could be used in the classroom. I'm not so sure I agree with this. While I think certain students shine when given a less threatening format (online discussions, etc), should we teach kids to hide behind an avatar? If education is preparing you for the real world, can you hide behind an avatar in your real life?
Another point in the article is that video games use many skills that are valuable in the classroom. One member of the group gave the example, "I need to to write all these ideas down, like doing a mathematics lesson based around a statistical comparison between one weapon versus another weapon, or this particular armor resistance and this particular armor resistance." While it probably is more interesting to teach statistical analysis using a video game, the point is to figure out how to most effectively kill someone. Not what I want my kid doing in school. I do think part of the point of the essay is to have kids write their own video games, but the article really implied using WoW.
I do think using some video games in the classroom might be effective, but I don't think WoW is an appropriate choice.
Topic 16. Selling Lessons Online
I kind of ran out of ideas to write about on my blog, so I went to The New York Times' education page. I stumbled upon an article by Winnie Hu entitled, "Selling Lessons Online Raises Cash and Questions." The story explained teachers are not selling their lessons online at sites such as Teachers Pay Teachers. Some school districts are requiring teachers to give them a portion of the profits, claiming the teacher's work is their intellectual property.
As a sometimes very old school teacher, my first reaction was kind of negative to this story. After spending the last two years fielding requests for answer keys to quizzes and tests from my colleagues, I'm a bit sour on those who don't do their own work. However, I checked out the Teachers Pay Teachers site and there were a few lesson plans I would be interested in purchasing. I would probably tweak most of them, but there is something to be said for using what is available. One lesson was a station activity on the exchange of goods during 1450-1750. I was thinking of doing a similar activity and would benefit from somebody who has already worked out all the details. Although i would probably change things, why run into a bunch of problems I don't have to?
While I think most teachers would probably use these lessons as a guide, I do think some would use them without any consideration to their students abilities, their teaching schedule, state standards, etc. Several items for sale were tests and reviews. How can you give someone else's test or review without changes?
I see purchasing online lessons as a huge benefit for a teacher that does not have a mentor at their school or in their district. It would help the teacher know what other people were teaching and would save the teacher time. However, how quality are the lessons and resources available? I decided to preview a lesson I was interested in on Teachers Pay Teachers. The lesson was a "Who am I" review game. The idea is good, but the cards were filled with grammatical errors. My personal pet peeve, "Buddhism believes..." How does religion believe something? Buddhists believe, but not Buddhism. There are reviews but most are not very helpful. I enjoyed the one that complained, "there is no key provided." Beyond quality, are the lessons appropriate for the course? For instance, my class is a survey. We do not spend much time on one topic. There are lessons for AP World History that suggest spending 3 weeks on the Renaissance. The power points for sale provide WAY too much detail on the topics. They are probably good lessons but are entirely inappropriate for the course.
While I might not be offering up lessons for sale or buying them, I think they might be beneficial to some. What I find particularly interesting is the debate about intellectual property. While I know my school owns my computer and the technology in my classroom, I've never thought of my lessons as being their property. Honestly, most of my lessons are created at 2 a.m., long after I'm off their clock. Most of the teachers I know do the same thing. Furthermore, why would a school district begrudge its teachers some extra cash? Most of the lessons I saw were selling for $2-$3 its not like these teachers are getting rich. Would you sell your lessons online? Do you think your district would object?
As a sometimes very old school teacher, my first reaction was kind of negative to this story. After spending the last two years fielding requests for answer keys to quizzes and tests from my colleagues, I'm a bit sour on those who don't do their own work. However, I checked out the Teachers Pay Teachers site and there were a few lesson plans I would be interested in purchasing. I would probably tweak most of them, but there is something to be said for using what is available. One lesson was a station activity on the exchange of goods during 1450-1750. I was thinking of doing a similar activity and would benefit from somebody who has already worked out all the details. Although i would probably change things, why run into a bunch of problems I don't have to?
While I think most teachers would probably use these lessons as a guide, I do think some would use them without any consideration to their students abilities, their teaching schedule, state standards, etc. Several items for sale were tests and reviews. How can you give someone else's test or review without changes?
I see purchasing online lessons as a huge benefit for a teacher that does not have a mentor at their school or in their district. It would help the teacher know what other people were teaching and would save the teacher time. However, how quality are the lessons and resources available? I decided to preview a lesson I was interested in on Teachers Pay Teachers. The lesson was a "Who am I" review game. The idea is good, but the cards were filled with grammatical errors. My personal pet peeve, "Buddhism believes..." How does religion believe something? Buddhists believe, but not Buddhism. There are reviews but most are not very helpful. I enjoyed the one that complained, "there is no key provided." Beyond quality, are the lessons appropriate for the course? For instance, my class is a survey. We do not spend much time on one topic. There are lessons for AP World History that suggest spending 3 weeks on the Renaissance. The power points for sale provide WAY too much detail on the topics. They are probably good lessons but are entirely inappropriate for the course.
While I might not be offering up lessons for sale or buying them, I think they might be beneficial to some. What I find particularly interesting is the debate about intellectual property. While I know my school owns my computer and the technology in my classroom, I've never thought of my lessons as being their property. Honestly, most of my lessons are created at 2 a.m., long after I'm off their clock. Most of the teachers I know do the same thing. Furthermore, why would a school district begrudge its teachers some extra cash? Most of the lessons I saw were selling for $2-$3 its not like these teachers are getting rich. Would you sell your lessons online? Do you think your district would object?
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Topic 15. Google Docs
Teaching students to write essays for the AP exam is always a challenge. It takes forever and the students get bored. Each year I try a new approach. Most of the time, they flop. This year I want to try using Google Docs for editing essays. I've heard of the site, but never really checked it out.
Google Docs is basically an online storage for documents. You can compose documents, spreadsheets, or presentations. The documents can be saved online. Once you have created documents, you can invite people to view and/or edit your documents. Up to 200 people can be invited. Only 10 can actively edit at one time. Editors can highlight and comment on the document. If you give them permission, editors can also invite other people to edit.
I like the idea of using Google Docs to edit essays in my classroom. I can bring the COWs in the room and the students can edit on the laptops. We can use the Promethean Board to pull up the documents and discuss edits as a class. I will be able to access edits without file transfer or using a document camera. Using Google Docs will also prevent making copies. Once we have edited the documents in class, students can go back into Google Docs to view the documents when preparing for an essay.
Because only 10 students can edit a document at a time, multiple documents will have to be created in Google Docs. One way would be to save the same document with numbers after it. This way, groups of students could work on each document. My plan is to publish essays of different quality. One good, two okay, and one weak. I will invite all students to view the documents, but only give certain students editing privileges on each document. The students will have 20 minutes to edit the essay and then they will present their ideas to the class. Since all students have viewing privileges, all students can see the document for later review.
Another issue with Google Docs is logging in. To login to the site, students must have a Google account. Students will either have to create an account or use a dummy account created by the teacher. There is an option to allow people to view and edit your document without logging in. The problem with this would be you don't know who is making edits.
Topic 14. More Social Studies Resources
I was kind of disappointed in the Social Studies resources given in the book. I am not expert, but many of the sites seemed to be for elementary or were sites you had to pay for. Here are a few things that I've found for free that I use all the time.
Images and Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Much of their collection is available online. The museum also has pictures and descriptions of their current shows online. I'm disappointed I didn't see the samurai exhibit. My students would have really liked looking at that. I've used this site to show works of art, as part of webquests, or I've used the COWs and let students look through an exhibit. Many museums have similar features and I've used their sites as well. http://www.metmuseum.org/special/index.asp
Google images is a great source for pictures.
Documents
The Medieval Sourcebook is excellent for historical documents. I find all sorts of treasures to use as discussion starters, for analysis, or to give examples. http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/Sbook.html
Virtual Tours
As with art, many of the sites I want to talk about have incredibly comprehensive web sites. When we do Absolutism I have students visit the Versailles website and the Suleymaniye Mosque website. Both have virtual tours, pictures, and more information than I could ever present. The students answer questions related to the period of Absolutism while looking through the sites. Versailles site: http://en.chatequversailles.fr
Suleymaniye Mosque site: http://www.saudiarmcoworld.com/issue/2000605/sulymaniye/default.htm
Timelines
The book talked about several programs for creating timelines. If you can't afford those, use Word to create your own. The instructions are here: http://www.microsoft.com/education/TimelinesWord.mspx
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Post 13. Google Wave
My two sources of new technology are my husband and my students. It seems each week there is a new game, program, or gadget that is more interesting than me. This week my students found some Scrabble-like app that is not worth any more discussion and my husband found Google Wave. When I asked him what he was doing on the computer that was so much more important than doing the dishes, I didn't expect to be interested in the answer. However, I'm pretty excited to learn more about Google Wave.
My understanding of Google Wave is that is intended as a collaborative program. It is currently being rolled out by Google in a similar manner to the gmail rollout. One person receives an invite and then that person can invite a certain number of people. In the "wave" users can e-mail, instant message, and share pictures and documents. Users can invite other users who were not initially part of a wave to join the wave. Once a user joins a wave, they can playback the wave starting from the initial post in order to follow the conversation.
I see this particular program being very helpful with my team at school. We collaborate on tests, projects, and lessons all the time. Many times it takes us much longer than we would like to get something done because we have to wait until we can meet face to face to discuss. We've tried using the editing features in Word, but they get confusing after a while. Using e-mail can also become confusing if all the participants missed the original discussion. The wave would allow anyone joining the discussion to see all previous discussion. Users could also rewind the wave to see prior revisions.
Once I figure out how to use the wave with my colleagues, I'd like to try it with my students. I would have liked to use the wave when my students were collaborating on children's books. I think the quality of work might have been higher if the students had a central location to post, edit, and collaborate on the assignment when they could not work in the same room.
Topic 12. Technology Across the Senses
Existentialist and visual/spatial best describe my learning style. If I can find a link between the "real world" and what I'm learning, I can figure things out. I love to see how seemingly unconnected ideas fit together and how I can apply what I'm learning to my own life. My preference for the big picture probably explains why I love teaching AP World History so much. The course is all about making connections and identifying patterns. When looking for the big picture, I usually need to "see" it. I love to make charts and annotate maps. If I'm going to remember something it must be written down.
Although I like to think I try to meet the needs of all intelligences in my teaching, I probably teach most to the Visual/Spatial and the Interpersonal. The Visual/Spatial is probably due to my own process at arriving at the "big picture." If I want students to understand the key theme of 600-1450 was exchange of ideas, the best way I "see" that concept is through a map. The Promethean Board and LCD also contribute to my reliance on Visual/Spatial approaches. While I don't particularly learn well through interpersonal communication, it seems many of my students do. The quest for the "big picture" also lends itself to class or group discussions. Furthermore, the visual/spatial approaches I employ can also be combined into a group activity.
The objective for the lesson is for students to feel confident in their ability to organize and write a compare and contrast essay.
Verbal/Linguistic |
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Logical/Mathematical |
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Visual/Spatial |
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Bodily/Kinesthetic |
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Musical/Rhythmic |
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Intrapersonal |
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Interpersonal |
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Naturalist |
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Existentialist |
|
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Topic 11. Assistive Technology
There is certainly a great deal more information available about AT than I realized. Since the main resource we were given was for chidren ages 5-11, I searched for resources applicable to older students. I also looked for resources that would help students that I currently teach.
Assistive Technology for Children with Autism
http://www.specialed.us/autism/assist/asst10.htm
While I don't currently have any autistic students, I have in the past. This website is excellent. Like the podcast, the technology is divided into low, mid, and high tech. There are also suggestions for implementation.
University of Georgia Educational Technology Center Website
http://ttc.coe.uga.edu/link-high.html
This site has tons of links. Some are for AT and some are for technology that could be used in the classroom and perhaps adapted for AT. Many of the links are similar to ones found on other sites, but I like how they are all in one place. This is also geared for middle and high school teachers so it leaves out the technologies more appropriate for elementary.
Standard Technology Tools Checklist for Middle and High School
http://assistivetech.sf.k12.sd.us/middle_and_high.htm
This site is quite similar to the UGA site in terms of content; however, it sorts technology by subject and skill. You can scroll to Math or Social Skills and find all applicable technology. This is fabulous when looking for a technology to help a student with a certain skill.
Kurzweil 3000
http://www.kurzweiledu.com/kurz3000.aspx
Several of my dyslexic students use this program. I didn't really know much about how the program worked until I read the site. The students who use Kurzweil swear by it. If your district doesn't have it, encourage them to get it.
LD Online: Technology
http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/technology
I would imagine many parents and students use this site. There are links to articles, new products, and information about how to obtain AT. It is always good to know what the parents are reading and expect. The first article I read was about commercial products as AT. One suggestion was smart phones. I have been encouraging my students to use apps on their phone for organization, dictionary, etc. I've also seen several IEPs where students were supposed to be allowed access to organizational and instructional apps.
Assistive Technology for Children with Autism
http://www.specialed.us/autism/assist/asst10.htm
While I don't currently have any autistic students, I have in the past. This website is excellent. Like the podcast, the technology is divided into low, mid, and high tech. There are also suggestions for implementation.
University of Georgia Educational Technology Center Website
http://ttc.coe.uga.edu/link-high.html
This site has tons of links. Some are for AT and some are for technology that could be used in the classroom and perhaps adapted for AT. Many of the links are similar to ones found on other sites, but I like how they are all in one place. This is also geared for middle and high school teachers so it leaves out the technologies more appropriate for elementary.
Standard Technology Tools Checklist for Middle and High School
http://assistivetech.sf.k12.sd.us/middle_and_high.htm
This site is quite similar to the UGA site in terms of content; however, it sorts technology by subject and skill. You can scroll to Math or Social Skills and find all applicable technology. This is fabulous when looking for a technology to help a student with a certain skill.
Kurzweil 3000
http://www.kurzweiledu.com/kurz3000.aspx
Several of my dyslexic students use this program. I didn't really know much about how the program worked until I read the site. The students who use Kurzweil swear by it. If your district doesn't have it, encourage them to get it.
LD Online: Technology
http://www.ldonline.org/indepth/technology
I would imagine many parents and students use this site. There are links to articles, new products, and information about how to obtain AT. It is always good to know what the parents are reading and expect. The first article I read was about commercial products as AT. One suggestion was smart phones. I have been encouraging my students to use apps on their phone for organization, dictionary, etc. I've also seen several IEPs where students were supposed to be allowed access to organizational and instructional apps.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Topic 10. Tech Skills Outcomes
My tech skills were not highly advanced when I began this class, but I was not completely lacking them either. I'm fairly knowledgeable about Word, Promethean programs, and using the internet. The atomic learning survey led me to realize I needed to learn more about Excel and video editing.
Six weeks into this course, I think I've learned a great deal already. I've used atomic learning for tutorials on Promethean software in order to enhance my presentations. I'm also in the process of improving my spreadsheet and database skills using atomic learning. Earlier this week I gave a technology survey to my students. I'm in the process of organizing the data in a spreadsheet and database. Hopefully, I'll be able to share the results on the blog soon.
This course has made me think more about incorporating technology every few days. Through the textbooks, reading posts, and the e-mails I get from subscribing to technology sites, I've discovered a plethora of new technology ideas. I surveyed my students last week to see what technology they would like to use in class. I'm excited to start implementing some of their suggestions. I've also found I'm more willing to explore and figure things out with technology. In the past someone would recommend a website or I would have an idea, but I would file the suggestions or ideas away. Now I go directly to the site and check it out. The other day I though of a song the students would like that went along with the lesson. I immediately found the song on YouTube. Then I figured out how to turn a picture in my flipchart into an action button. When I clicked on the picture it launched the video! The students were impressed and I was excited.
Reading Angela's blog, I came up with an idea. One of the barriers to using technology for me is that the students don't have the technology skills we assume they do. I'm considering teaching a 5 minute lesson at the beginning of class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think my first topic will be opening and saving a file from Moodle. The second topic would be a few skills relating to formatting a document in Word that the students need for a project they will be doing. Has anyone tried this? Any suggestions?
I still have a great deal to learn, but I'm feeling more confident that I can do this.
Six weeks into this course, I think I've learned a great deal already. I've used atomic learning for tutorials on Promethean software in order to enhance my presentations. I'm also in the process of improving my spreadsheet and database skills using atomic learning. Earlier this week I gave a technology survey to my students. I'm in the process of organizing the data in a spreadsheet and database. Hopefully, I'll be able to share the results on the blog soon.
This course has made me think more about incorporating technology every few days. Through the textbooks, reading posts, and the e-mails I get from subscribing to technology sites, I've discovered a plethora of new technology ideas. I surveyed my students last week to see what technology they would like to use in class. I'm excited to start implementing some of their suggestions. I've also found I'm more willing to explore and figure things out with technology. In the past someone would recommend a website or I would have an idea, but I would file the suggestions or ideas away. Now I go directly to the site and check it out. The other day I though of a song the students would like that went along with the lesson. I immediately found the song on YouTube. Then I figured out how to turn a picture in my flipchart into an action button. When I clicked on the picture it launched the video! The students were impressed and I was excited.
Reading Angela's blog, I came up with an idea. One of the barriers to using technology for me is that the students don't have the technology skills we assume they do. I'm considering teaching a 5 minute lesson at the beginning of class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I think my first topic will be opening and saving a file from Moodle. The second topic would be a few skills relating to formatting a document in Word that the students need for a project they will be doing. Has anyone tried this? Any suggestions?
I still have a great deal to learn, but I'm feeling more confident that I can do this.
Topic 9. Ed Tech Journal 3
This week I had a completely inspiring SDAS* meeting. This was a complete shock as most SDAS meetings are a formality and the collective understanding is let's get this over with. The only people in the meeting were David Williams, geometry teacher Stacey Tekell, and myself. This is always fun because we have very similar teaching philosophies and love integrating technology. Stacey started talking about her topic and David and I almost started jumping up and down with excitement. She wants to switch up the way she teaches geometry. She wants the students to watch the lesson online for homework and use class time to practice the skills.
Stacey attended a technology conference in Boston last summer where this idea was presented. Her plan is to record her lessons using the Promethean Board record feature. She will then post the lesson online. Students will watch the lessons at home and take notes. The next day students will bring their notes to class for Stacey to check. She will then answer questions about the lesson and help students as they work problems. This structure allows her to be more of a facilitator.
Stacey, David, and I discussed the benefits and possible problems. We thought the benefits would be that students would practice working problems correctly rather than incorrectly at home. The teacher would be there to facilitate learning rather than lecture the students. This would hopefully decrease the amount of outside tutoring students would seek. Another benefit would be that math would be more like the other subjects where class time is for practice and homework is preparation. The possible problems are backlash to change, students not watching the lesson, and technological issues. While some students and parents may initially not like the new approach, they will accept it if the student is more successful. David assured Stacey the administration would support her with parents. Some students won't do the lesson at home, but they also wouldn't do homework. The student could always watch the lesson during class instead of receiving help with problems. David solved the technology problem by offering to make one of the computer labs open for 30 minutes before school each morning so students could watch the lesson at school.
While I'm not sure this approach would be as useful in my classroom, it was exciting to see another teacher and an administrator embrace something so different. Sometimes I feel people use technology to make the old way fancy or there is some complex project involved. This is definitely using technology in a completely different way but it makes sense. It is not anymore time consuming but it will help students be more successful. Now to get my name on next year's conference list...
*SDAS is HPISD's alternative teacher evaluation program to PDAS. Each teacher develops a question that they study throughout the year. The question must relate to improving student achievement. Teachers are divided into groups that meet 6 times throughout the year to discuss progress on their questions.
Stacey attended a technology conference in Boston last summer where this idea was presented. Her plan is to record her lessons using the Promethean Board record feature. She will then post the lesson online. Students will watch the lessons at home and take notes. The next day students will bring their notes to class for Stacey to check. She will then answer questions about the lesson and help students as they work problems. This structure allows her to be more of a facilitator.
Stacey, David, and I discussed the benefits and possible problems. We thought the benefits would be that students would practice working problems correctly rather than incorrectly at home. The teacher would be there to facilitate learning rather than lecture the students. This would hopefully decrease the amount of outside tutoring students would seek. Another benefit would be that math would be more like the other subjects where class time is for practice and homework is preparation. The possible problems are backlash to change, students not watching the lesson, and technological issues. While some students and parents may initially not like the new approach, they will accept it if the student is more successful. David assured Stacey the administration would support her with parents. Some students won't do the lesson at home, but they also wouldn't do homework. The student could always watch the lesson during class instead of receiving help with problems. David solved the technology problem by offering to make one of the computer labs open for 30 minutes before school each morning so students could watch the lesson at school.
While I'm not sure this approach would be as useful in my classroom, it was exciting to see another teacher and an administrator embrace something so different. Sometimes I feel people use technology to make the old way fancy or there is some complex project involved. This is definitely using technology in a completely different way but it makes sense. It is not anymore time consuming but it will help students be more successful. Now to get my name on next year's conference list...
*SDAS is HPISD's alternative teacher evaluation program to PDAS. Each teacher develops a question that they study throughout the year. The question must relate to improving student achievement. Teachers are divided into groups that meet 6 times throughout the year to discuss progress on their questions.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Topic 8. Ed Tech Journal 2
Several of the literature teachers in my building use the forum feature on Moodle for students to respond to literature. I have not seen the lesson plans for this assignment, but I’ve heard a great deal about it from students and the teachers. Forum discussions force students to form opinions about their reading and defend them. They also allow students to have a discussion using a format in which they are comfortable. I would really like to try using forums with my students.
The teachers assigns students to forum groups based on the book they are reading (this assignment is usually used for their required outside reading book). There is usually some time spent in class showing the students how to use the forum feature on Moodle. Some teachers assign certain discussion topics, some allow a mixture of assigned topics and student choice, and some teachers allow students to choose all discussion topics. The students are required to post to the forum a certain number of times for each section of the book. They are also required to respond to other threads. These posts are usually done as homework.
Teachers only hear about work other teachers assign if it is awesome or it is loathed. I have heard both about the forums. Several students have told me about the debates they are having over the literature and even checked with me about historical information relating to the story. Some students express shock at how insightful or combative a normally quiet student in class is on the forum. Other students do not like having to make nightly or weekly posts. Several others don’t like trying to respond to posts that are not of high quality in order to earn the grade they desire.
Many students think more insightfully about the literature because they are starting threads and thoughtfully responding to threads created by their peers. Some of these students may not have read the book but are inspired by the conversation. Other students flip through the book or Spark Notes to find something to write about. They do not engage in the book and the discussions do not interest them.
The students are given a grade for their participation on the forums. There is a rubric, but I have not seen it. From what I can gather, students are graded on the quality of their comments which include reference to the literature. They must complete a certain number of original posts and respond thoughtfully to a certain number of posts.
The teachers assigns students to forum groups based on the book they are reading (this assignment is usually used for their required outside reading book). There is usually some time spent in class showing the students how to use the forum feature on Moodle. Some teachers assign certain discussion topics, some allow a mixture of assigned topics and student choice, and some teachers allow students to choose all discussion topics. The students are required to post to the forum a certain number of times for each section of the book. They are also required to respond to other threads. These posts are usually done as homework.
Teachers only hear about work other teachers assign if it is awesome or it is loathed. I have heard both about the forums. Several students have told me about the debates they are having over the literature and even checked with me about historical information relating to the story. Some students express shock at how insightful or combative a normally quiet student in class is on the forum. Other students do not like having to make nightly or weekly posts. Several others don’t like trying to respond to posts that are not of high quality in order to earn the grade they desire.
Many students think more insightfully about the literature because they are starting threads and thoughtfully responding to threads created by their peers. Some of these students may not have read the book but are inspired by the conversation. Other students flip through the book or Spark Notes to find something to write about. They do not engage in the book and the discussions do not interest them.
The students are given a grade for their participation on the forums. There is a rubric, but I have not seen it. From what I can gather, students are graded on the quality of their comments which include reference to the literature. They must complete a certain number of original posts and respond thoughtfully to a certain number of posts.
Topic 7. Ed Teach Journal 1
The technology that I integrate the most is student response systems and the active board. I find them a useful tool for formative assessment. The students like them because they receive immediate feedback. An active board, a set of student response systems, LCD projector, and a computer are required.
The most recent lesson using the student response system was practicing with multiple choice questions and thesis statements. A few days before the first test, I could tell the students needed more practice with multiple choice strategies and writing thesis statements for change over time essays.
I gave the students a 5 question multiple choice quiz at the beginning of class. They completed the quiz on paper. Once all students were finished, I had the students text in their response to the first question. I then displayed the results. We noted which answers were most popular and then minimized the results. The question was already typed on the screen. I then modeled how to eliminate distractors to arrive at the correct answer. As we eliminated distractors, students were given feedback about why their answer was incorrect.
Since I know which voter each student is using, I can tell which students are consistently answering incorrectly. After class that day or the next day, I asked them what was happening during the practice quiz. Some said they simply didn’t know the information and realized they needed to study more. Other students struggled with the multiple choice questions, but said they felt more confident after the explanations I gave.
After we finished with the multiple choice quiz, I divided the students into groups and had them write thesis statements about political changes in India. The students had already been working on outlining this essay topic the day before. Each group was instructed to write a thesis statement. Each group then texted the thesis statement using the voter. I copied and pasted each statement onto a flipchart page. The groups then used the voters to rank the statements: 1. no credit, 2. partial credit, 3. full credit. After reviewing the results, students came to the board to suggest improvements to statements that did not score a 3.
Most of the statements ended up being 2s and a few were 3s. Students who scored 2s were able to see where they were making mistakes. Most of the students had a correct thesis or at least a correctly formatted thesis on their change over time essay later that week.
While this lesson took longer than going over the quiz and statements verbally, most students got more out of the lesson. Some of the students who are good at multiple choice were bored during that part of the lesson. However, the students seemed more engaged in the writing lesson than they normally are.
The most recent lesson using the student response system was practicing with multiple choice questions and thesis statements. A few days before the first test, I could tell the students needed more practice with multiple choice strategies and writing thesis statements for change over time essays.
I gave the students a 5 question multiple choice quiz at the beginning of class. They completed the quiz on paper. Once all students were finished, I had the students text in their response to the first question. I then displayed the results. We noted which answers were most popular and then minimized the results. The question was already typed on the screen. I then modeled how to eliminate distractors to arrive at the correct answer. As we eliminated distractors, students were given feedback about why their answer was incorrect.
Since I know which voter each student is using, I can tell which students are consistently answering incorrectly. After class that day or the next day, I asked them what was happening during the practice quiz. Some said they simply didn’t know the information and realized they needed to study more. Other students struggled with the multiple choice questions, but said they felt more confident after the explanations I gave.
After we finished with the multiple choice quiz, I divided the students into groups and had them write thesis statements about political changes in India. The students had already been working on outlining this essay topic the day before. Each group was instructed to write a thesis statement. Each group then texted the thesis statement using the voter. I copied and pasted each statement onto a flipchart page. The groups then used the voters to rank the statements: 1. no credit, 2. partial credit, 3. full credit. After reviewing the results, students came to the board to suggest improvements to statements that did not score a 3.
Most of the statements ended up being 2s and a few were 3s. Students who scored 2s were able to see where they were making mistakes. Most of the students had a correct thesis or at least a correctly formatted thesis on their change over time essay later that week.
While this lesson took longer than going over the quiz and statements verbally, most students got more out of the lesson. Some of the students who are good at multiple choice were bored during that part of the lesson. However, the students seemed more engaged in the writing lesson than they normally are.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Topic 6. Tech Skills: Database
Databases organize information. They also allow users to search for information within the database. Of the basic three, this was the program I knew the least about. I did not know the difference between a database and a spreadsheet before reading this chapter. Databases organize information while spreadsheets organize numerical data.
Most of my students use databases for research. Our school library has several different subscriptions that they can access from home rather than using books in the library. The databases allow students greater access to materials. Many of the articles available online are not available in our school library or the local public library. Random idea: Is itunes a sort of database? It organizes music and you can search it.
While I see my students using databases that are already created, I don't think many of them would know how to create a database on their own. I also don't know of any teachers in my building who use databases in their instruction. Databases do have a place in my course. Students are required to know about pretty much every civilization from the beginning of time. One of the AP essay questions is about change over time. If my classes created databases with each civilization and the basic features of each theme, students could use searches to analyze change over time in each theme.
Teachers also use databases for research. After learning what a database is, I realize we have several that we use at school for student data. While I am as comfortable with database technology as I am with word processing or even spreadsheets, I do believe databases help teachers be more efficient. They also could be beneficial as a review tool for my students.
Most of my students use databases for research. Our school library has several different subscriptions that they can access from home rather than using books in the library. The databases allow students greater access to materials. Many of the articles available online are not available in our school library or the local public library. Random idea: Is itunes a sort of database? It organizes music and you can search it.
While I see my students using databases that are already created, I don't think many of them would know how to create a database on their own. I also don't know of any teachers in my building who use databases in their instruction. Databases do have a place in my course. Students are required to know about pretty much every civilization from the beginning of time. One of the AP essay questions is about change over time. If my classes created databases with each civilization and the basic features of each theme, students could use searches to analyze change over time in each theme.
Teachers also use databases for research. After learning what a database is, I realize we have several that we use at school for student data. While I am as comfortable with database technology as I am with word processing or even spreadsheets, I do believe databases help teachers be more efficient. They also could be beneficial as a review tool for my students.
Topic 5. Tech Skill: Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet programs are primarily used when working with numerical data. Spreadsheets will perform calculations and produce graphic representations of the data. To be honest, I've never really known much about spreadsheet programs. This summer I became a bit more interested as I worked on learning my ActiveExpressions software. Reading the chapter in the Roblyer book and doing some research on my own, made me aware of multiple ways I could use spreadsheets in the classroom that I had not considered. Up to this point, I didn't think programs such as Excel had any value in a World History classroom.
Looking into spreadsheets this summer, I found that students could use Excel to create all sorts of products. One idea was to create trading cards with graphics and information about a topic. Using Excel allows several cards per page and maintains a uniform size. Another idea was to make propaganda posters using Excel to divide the image. Students can then print parts of the image on several pages and paste the pages together to make a poster.
In reading the Roblyer text, it is clear spreadsheets would be quite useful in math or science. I know I would have benefitted from visual representations of numerical data. The book also mentions students can make timelines in spreadsheets. This is something I would like to learn how to do. My students find timelines tremendously helpful, but they are difficult to create. I've tried several methods in Word, but I haven't found a format I like.
Spreadsheet programs are also useful to the teacher in analyzing student data. I'm currently trying to learn more about exporting the date from my ActiveExpressions to Excel in order to analyze student performance. I also just received the breakdown of how my students scored in different areas on the AP exam. Creating a chart comparing our scores to the national average would be a great motivator for students when introducing essay writing.
Looking into spreadsheets this summer, I found that students could use Excel to create all sorts of products. One idea was to create trading cards with graphics and information about a topic. Using Excel allows several cards per page and maintains a uniform size. Another idea was to make propaganda posters using Excel to divide the image. Students can then print parts of the image on several pages and paste the pages together to make a poster.
In reading the Roblyer text, it is clear spreadsheets would be quite useful in math or science. I know I would have benefitted from visual representations of numerical data. The book also mentions students can make timelines in spreadsheets. This is something I would like to learn how to do. My students find timelines tremendously helpful, but they are difficult to create. I've tried several methods in Word, but I haven't found a format I like.
Spreadsheet programs are also useful to the teacher in analyzing student data. I'm currently trying to learn more about exporting the date from my ActiveExpressions to Excel in order to analyze student performance. I also just received the breakdown of how my students scored in different areas on the AP exam. Creating a chart comparing our scores to the national average would be a great motivator for students when introducing essay writing.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Topic 4. Tech Skill: Word Processor
"Mamma T, you made this one didn't you?" "Oh, no. You wrote the quiz?" "This font makes me happy."
There are four people on our AP World History team. We take turns creating assignments and quizzes. When I'm going through old files, I can tell who wrote the lesson or quiz based on the style of the document. Based on the comments above, so can our students. This is why I really love the word processing program Word. I like that I can put a fun font or picture on an assignment or quiz and make a kid smile. My colleague loves using footers to add corny jokes to the bottom of quizzes (Did you know Mesopotamia talked a lot? They would Babylon and on.) I can pick out a certain students' homework by the font they use or the lack of formatting and upper case letters.
Word processing programs such as Word are primarily used for communicating through typed text. Word makes anything teachers produce look more professional and interesting. It also allows us to make small changes to lessons, notes, or assessments without rewriting the entire assignment. Working as a team, we can easily e-mail documents for proofing or critique. I've noticed more and more teachers are having students submit their papers electronically so that they can use the editing function in Word to critique papers. Many teachers who would not give students handwritten critiques are giving students specific critiques. Charts and pictures can be inserted into Word documents. I often create graphic organizers and flow charts that incorporate pictures to help students with complex topics.
For students, Word allows their teachers to produce notes that are legible and neatly organized. Documents created in a word processing program can also be shared on websites for easy student access. Word processing also allows students to express themselves in writing. Many students do not like to write, but are happy to do anything on the computer. Word processors usually have spell check and grammar check which help the students feel more confident about the quality of the product they are creating. These programs also have functions which help them easily format different kinds of documents and citations. My students enjoy creating notes or homework in Word. They like to change the fonts and font colors for different topics. I'm not sure if it helps them remember the information better, but they are more motivated to do the homework.
The concerns I see regarding the use of word processing programs is that cheating is a lot easier. Students can easily cut and paste text into a Word document. Students who create assignments in a word processing program can print copies for their friends as well. Students also don't see the need to learn to spell or write legibly because word processing software is so widely available. It seems more teachers provide notes for students because they are easy to produce and share. I often wonder if providing notes is more helpful or harmful to students.
There are four people on our AP World History team. We take turns creating assignments and quizzes. When I'm going through old files, I can tell who wrote the lesson or quiz based on the style of the document. Based on the comments above, so can our students. This is why I really love the word processing program Word. I like that I can put a fun font or picture on an assignment or quiz and make a kid smile. My colleague loves using footers to add corny jokes to the bottom of quizzes (Did you know Mesopotamia talked a lot? They would Babylon and on.) I can pick out a certain students' homework by the font they use or the lack of formatting and upper case letters.
Word processing programs such as Word are primarily used for communicating through typed text. Word makes anything teachers produce look more professional and interesting. It also allows us to make small changes to lessons, notes, or assessments without rewriting the entire assignment. Working as a team, we can easily e-mail documents for proofing or critique. I've noticed more and more teachers are having students submit their papers electronically so that they can use the editing function in Word to critique papers. Many teachers who would not give students handwritten critiques are giving students specific critiques. Charts and pictures can be inserted into Word documents. I often create graphic organizers and flow charts that incorporate pictures to help students with complex topics.
For students, Word allows their teachers to produce notes that are legible and neatly organized. Documents created in a word processing program can also be shared on websites for easy student access. Word processing also allows students to express themselves in writing. Many students do not like to write, but are happy to do anything on the computer. Word processors usually have spell check and grammar check which help the students feel more confident about the quality of the product they are creating. These programs also have functions which help them easily format different kinds of documents and citations. My students enjoy creating notes or homework in Word. They like to change the fonts and font colors for different topics. I'm not sure if it helps them remember the information better, but they are more motivated to do the homework.
The concerns I see regarding the use of word processing programs is that cheating is a lot easier. Students can easily cut and paste text into a Word document. Students who create assignments in a word processing program can print copies for their friends as well. Students also don't see the need to learn to spell or write legibly because word processing software is so widely available. It seems more teachers provide notes for students because they are easy to produce and share. I often wonder if providing notes is more helpful or harmful to students.
Topic 3. Model Classroom Lessons
This week I viewed three lessons on the Technology Applications Network site. I only found five secondary social studies lessons and only two were for World History. The World History lessons were “What an Age!” addressing different aspects of the Renaissance and “The Holocaust: Their Story.” The other lesson was a U.S. History lesson on “Major Events of the 20th Century.” The Renaissance and U.S. History lessons were quality lessons while the Holocaust lesson seemed a bit weak. My overall concern with the lessons is that they are all projects which require a great deal of time to complete.
The “What an Age!” lesson seemed to be a lesson I could incorporate on a much smaller scale in my classroom. The teacher devoted 5-6 days of class to planning and presenting while I only have one day for the Renaissance. I liked that the teacher gave the students choice about their topic and that the students presented the topic of the Renaissance rather than the teacher. I also liked that the students were required to provide visuals—you can’t teach the Renaissance without pictures.
If I were to use this project, I would use the portable laptops at my school and have the students create the presentation during one class period and present the next class period. The students are only given the option of a power point in the sample lesson plan, but I would probably allow Animoto or Moviemaker to make the presentation more interesting. The closure activities in the lesson suggest asking the students questions such as, “why did you include this?” or “what impact did that have?” These seem to be topics that should be covered in the required presentation.
The “Major Events of the 20th Century “ assignment would also be a project I would assign to my students with some modifications. Since my class is World History rather than U.S. I would change the requirement to world events rather than U.S. events. The students would be allowed to choose the technology they used to create their presentation as they are in the lesson plan. I would also require each group to develop a quiz for their presentation. Requiring students to take a quiz ensures they will pay attention and also gives groups feedback on how effective their presentation was. Like the Renaissance activity, students are encouraged to teach their peers while the teacher acts as facilitator. The extension suggestions for this activity were also quite valuable.
The project’s author estimates it will take 3-4 weeks to complete this project. This would work for my curriculum because the students could create the projects after the AP exam. The biggest criticism I have of this project is the option for students not to use technology. The lesson plan says, “this is not the time for teaching new computer skills.” The teacher should probably have one technology, such as power point, that would serve as a backup technology.
The last lesson plan I looked at was on the Holocaust. While I liked that the students were able to research a topic on their own, the product seems a bit weak. The students were to create a newsletter describing different peoples’ accounts of the camps. This seems pretty easy to plagiarize from existing websites. The assignment does not integrate the potential of desktop publishing software or what newsletters really look like. Pictures, announcements, and advertisements were not required. This would demonstrate further technology skills and creatively incorporate knowledge of the Holocaust. The presentation portion of the lesson plan was also quite weak. The suggestion was to make a news show or simply read the newsletter to the class. A trial, judging the newsletters, or making a movie in moviemaker would be more engaging.
Looking through these lessons I was shocked that there were so few lessons for high school social studies. I wondered if people were afraid to share or if they weren’t creating lessons such as these. Then I began to wonder why they were all projects. At this point, I answered my first question. I was concerned about projects because there is not time in my course to spend several days or weeks on the same topic. If this is my situation, then it is the situation of others in social studies. Now that I’ve answered that question—How can lessons incorporate technology without becoming projects that take days or weeks to complete?
The “What an Age!” lesson seemed to be a lesson I could incorporate on a much smaller scale in my classroom. The teacher devoted 5-6 days of class to planning and presenting while I only have one day for the Renaissance. I liked that the teacher gave the students choice about their topic and that the students presented the topic of the Renaissance rather than the teacher. I also liked that the students were required to provide visuals—you can’t teach the Renaissance without pictures.
If I were to use this project, I would use the portable laptops at my school and have the students create the presentation during one class period and present the next class period. The students are only given the option of a power point in the sample lesson plan, but I would probably allow Animoto or Moviemaker to make the presentation more interesting. The closure activities in the lesson suggest asking the students questions such as, “why did you include this?” or “what impact did that have?” These seem to be topics that should be covered in the required presentation.
The “Major Events of the 20th Century “ assignment would also be a project I would assign to my students with some modifications. Since my class is World History rather than U.S. I would change the requirement to world events rather than U.S. events. The students would be allowed to choose the technology they used to create their presentation as they are in the lesson plan. I would also require each group to develop a quiz for their presentation. Requiring students to take a quiz ensures they will pay attention and also gives groups feedback on how effective their presentation was. Like the Renaissance activity, students are encouraged to teach their peers while the teacher acts as facilitator. The extension suggestions for this activity were also quite valuable.
The project’s author estimates it will take 3-4 weeks to complete this project. This would work for my curriculum because the students could create the projects after the AP exam. The biggest criticism I have of this project is the option for students not to use technology. The lesson plan says, “this is not the time for teaching new computer skills.” The teacher should probably have one technology, such as power point, that would serve as a backup technology.
The last lesson plan I looked at was on the Holocaust. While I liked that the students were able to research a topic on their own, the product seems a bit weak. The students were to create a newsletter describing different peoples’ accounts of the camps. This seems pretty easy to plagiarize from existing websites. The assignment does not integrate the potential of desktop publishing software or what newsletters really look like. Pictures, announcements, and advertisements were not required. This would demonstrate further technology skills and creatively incorporate knowledge of the Holocaust. The presentation portion of the lesson plan was also quite weak. The suggestion was to make a news show or simply read the newsletter to the class. A trial, judging the newsletters, or making a movie in moviemaker would be more engaging.
Looking through these lessons I was shocked that there were so few lessons for high school social studies. I wondered if people were afraid to share or if they weren’t creating lessons such as these. Then I began to wonder why they were all projects. At this point, I answered my first question. I was concerned about projects because there is not time in my course to spend several days or weeks on the same topic. If this is my situation, then it is the situation of others in social studies. Now that I’ve answered that question—How can lessons incorporate technology without becoming projects that take days or weeks to complete?
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Topic 2: Technology Skills Individual Progress Plan
1. Excel: I'm familiar with its amazingness, but I've never been able to make amazingness happen.
- Plan of attack: tutorials on atomic learning, bug everyone who has ever told me of Excel's amazingness
- Products: Convert data from ActiveExpressions to Excel and analyze responses, create a home budget
2. Audio Files: I can download to itunes like its my job, challenged with doing anything else
- Plan of attack: tutorials on atomic learning, Promethean Planet or help to figure out how to add an audio file
- Product: add audio file to flipchart (I tried this today, but I think there is an easier way. My goals got ahead of my blogging)
3. Video #1: this was my weakest area. I don't know how to embed videos and I don't incorporate short clips.
- Plan of attack: tutorials on atomic learning, Promethean Planet, united streaming
- Product: embed a video in a flipchart to enhance a lesson
4. Video #2: clueless about how to use video editing software, kind of know how to use Animoto
- Plan of attack: tutorials on atomic learning, Animoto tutorials and set up account, iDVD tutorials
- Product: have students make an Animoto video, edit a home movie in iDVD
5. Communicate text, numbers, video, sound, images, etc: okay with this, but could be better
- Plan of attack: atomic learning tutorials, moodle help, figure out why PDF converter is not working, research google pages and google docs
- Product: provide several options for downloading a document on my moodle page, find a backup website or document storage site that is independent of the district server (it likes to crash)
Topic 1: Standards
NETS
The NETS establish technology standards for teachers rather than students. The NETS clearly establish the teacher as a facilitator rather than a giver of knowledge. The focus seems to be on creating deeper learning experiences through the use of technology. There also seems to be a strong emphasis on the teacher as a model. The standards encourage teachers to model ethical use of technology as well as model life long learning through continued professional development. By creating valuable learning experiences that meet the needs of each student and modeling life long learning, students are encouraged to become life long learners.
The goals set forth in the NETS are quite relevant in my classroom. My ultimate goal each year is to spark a little bit of curiosity in my students about something outside the United States. However, I don't think I do enough to encourage further research. I also doubt the students use the historical skills we use in class to evaluate modern sources or opinions. The repeated focus on creating a richer learning experience really resonates. I want to encourage my students to dig deeper into topics they are interested in, but the time constraints of the curriculum don't seem to allow it. There has got to be a way to do both, but I haven't found the answers yet.
The other NETS goals, such as modeling ethical behavior and professional development are also quite relevant. While teachers can't prevent all cheating, most of the internet cheating can be eliminated by creating assignments such as those called for in the NETS standards. Teachers must seek out quality professional development in technology. Districts tend to focus on the basic software training, but teachers really need ideas about effective implementation.
MTT
The MTT standards are standards set forth for teachers and are pretty similar to the NETS.
TEKS
The technology TEKS for high school are the standards for the technology courses offered at the high school level. The standards are written for the students, not the teachers. All of the TEKS and courses seem appropriate and relevant for high school students. All high school teachers probably don't need to be experts in animation or binary code, but it probably wouldn't hurt for all high school teachers to be able to pass the final exam for the basic computing course offered at their school. Teachers should know what kind of technology is available to students in the building in order to help students with projects. While it might seem that familiarity with the TEKS would help teachers gauge the technological abilities of their students, this is not the case. Students take technology courses at different grade levels and some have skills beyond the courses offered at school. Although my course does not require me to teach technology skills, I can reinforce skills taught at the lower grades and introduce relevant technology to my subject area.
The NETS establish technology standards for teachers rather than students. The NETS clearly establish the teacher as a facilitator rather than a giver of knowledge. The focus seems to be on creating deeper learning experiences through the use of technology. There also seems to be a strong emphasis on the teacher as a model. The standards encourage teachers to model ethical use of technology as well as model life long learning through continued professional development. By creating valuable learning experiences that meet the needs of each student and modeling life long learning, students are encouraged to become life long learners.
The goals set forth in the NETS are quite relevant in my classroom. My ultimate goal each year is to spark a little bit of curiosity in my students about something outside the United States. However, I don't think I do enough to encourage further research. I also doubt the students use the historical skills we use in class to evaluate modern sources or opinions. The repeated focus on creating a richer learning experience really resonates. I want to encourage my students to dig deeper into topics they are interested in, but the time constraints of the curriculum don't seem to allow it. There has got to be a way to do both, but I haven't found the answers yet.
The other NETS goals, such as modeling ethical behavior and professional development are also quite relevant. While teachers can't prevent all cheating, most of the internet cheating can be eliminated by creating assignments such as those called for in the NETS standards. Teachers must seek out quality professional development in technology. Districts tend to focus on the basic software training, but teachers really need ideas about effective implementation.
MTT
The MTT standards are standards set forth for teachers and are pretty similar to the NETS.
TEKS
The technology TEKS for high school are the standards for the technology courses offered at the high school level. The standards are written for the students, not the teachers. All of the TEKS and courses seem appropriate and relevant for high school students. All high school teachers probably don't need to be experts in animation or binary code, but it probably wouldn't hurt for all high school teachers to be able to pass the final exam for the basic computing course offered at their school. Teachers should know what kind of technology is available to students in the building in order to help students with projects. While it might seem that familiarity with the TEKS would help teachers gauge the technological abilities of their students, this is not the case. Students take technology courses at different grade levels and some have skills beyond the courses offered at school. Although my course does not require me to teach technology skills, I can reinforce skills taught at the lower grades and introduce relevant technology to my subject area.
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