Blogging demands a more careful approach to writing. Blogging is publishing. Blogging is risky. The likelihood of being misunderstood and/or judged may limit a person's desire to be vulnerable enough to share a frank thought. Coaxing some students to share, teaching them to shape their thoughts, and evaluating the contributions challenge the classroom teacher seeking to integrate blogging. Getting people to think before they speak is an age-old issue, but the consequences of hitting "send" or "post" at an unwise time may be even greater. If teachers and students can initially establish good posting parameters, practice netiquette, and present clear thoughts, then they can benefit greatly from blogging. Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous lines from his essay Self-Reliance may inspire shy or reluctant students to speak boldly:
"Speak what you think now in hard words and speak tomorrow what
tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything
you said today. -- 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' -- Is it so bad then to be misunderstood? To be great is to be misunderstood."
I can encourage productive blogging by presenting discussable topics, providing a clear purpose, establishing clear guidelines for posting, allowing a lot of room for students input, and considering the time requirements and accessibility. Since students are generally sociable, many may enjoy the sharing component of blogging and actually produce a higher quality and quantity of work than when journaling in isolation. Since students do not get better at writing unless they write, any incentive is welcome that encourages thinking, expressing thoughts, shaping thoughts, and effectively responding to others. Although the teacher monitors a student blog, he should let students assume ownership and show initiative. To play off of the title of a current best-seller, teachers must make sure they establish The Purpose-Driven Blog to achieve optimal results.
Concrete examples:
dialoguing with a group who is reading the same book
dialoguing with a group conducting the same experiments
dialoguing with a group who can convey details of a very different lifestyle
using RSS feeds to get the latest on certain topics
accessing others' excellent blogs for information, enrichment, ideas for posting
open possibility for exploration of personal interest; foster lifelong learning
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Blog #11 Excellent Blog Features
Although I hosted our group's portal blog, I did not have prior experience with blogging and felt somewhat inadequate. As I spent time investigating options, I looked for ways to provide an attractive, crisp, easily navigable site. The resulting design is basic, balanced and attractive and reflects the group's academic theme. I spent time investigating gadgets and added polls, a clock, a calendar, and some photos. Another member added the slide show --- which is my favorite addition since it provides several compressed photos without taking up a lot of room. I embedded a Voice Thread project so that members could post their reflections about VT on a VT and was pleased with the results. However, the primary function of blogs is not to look cute; rather, it is to provide a place for discussion. Regarding the discussion aspects, I benefited more from the class discussion postings; they seemed less contrived. However, I enjoyed setting up the group blog and plan to use this new skill and continue to investigate gadgets and ways to embed. I plan to add an RSS feed to a personal blog. I assume that the more I look, the more I will see and can make more sophisticated additions as I gain experience.
Blog #11 Personal Blog Benefits
Although books can be engrossing entertainment, even the best works seem to lose some of their gleam when imposed on students. My posting to the group blog has been somewhat like reading an assigned book: I realize blogging is a great thing, but because posting was one of many assignments, blogging often felt like a chore. I suspect that at least some of my group mates felt the same because several got behind in their postings. At least one benefit of this activity has helped me to see assignments from a student's perspective; being a student helps me to understand and anticipate my students' reactions. Students sometimes actually enjoy assigned books. Likewise, regarding both the discussion postings and the blog requirements, when I came across interesting topics and had something to contribute, the exchanges did not seem like assignments. Therefore, my goal as a teacher would be to use blogging at carefully selected times when the topics and exchanges would seem to be the most lively and engaging. Despite time constraints and a heavy workload, I realize what powerful communication tools blogs can be and look forward to using them in the future. Until I get a job, I will probably be the one adding to and monitoring a blog on my husband's church website. Learning is enhanced through sharing, and blogging provides a great opportunity to share.
Blogs appeal to me as educational tools for several reasons. One component is the asynchronous nature of blogs which allows people to participate at convenient times or when they have had time to mull over an idea. Blogs also create an audience whose presence may cause students to be more careful and intentional in their writing. Finally, blogs provide a record of who has responded and how ideas have evolved.
Blogs appeal to me as educational tools for several reasons. One component is the asynchronous nature of blogs which allows people to participate at convenient times or when they have had time to mull over an idea. Blogs also create an audience whose presence may cause students to be more careful and intentional in their writing. Finally, blogs provide a record of who has responded and how ideas have evolved.
Monday, November 16, 2009
PBL Introduction to Fantasy Baseball Math Broadcasts
Title: Fantasy Baseball Math Broadcasts
Goal: Students use Audacity or other tools such as MovieMaker to produce broadcast-style narrations that use their baseball statistics.
Introduction: An authentic way to assess student comprehension requires students to talk about what they are learning. If a student cannot clearly and concisely converse about a topic, he lacks either sufficient content knowledge or the vocabulary to package his ideas. The learning activity Fantasy Baseball Math Broadcasts provides an engaging way for students to speak both clearly and concisely about their content learning in math class and thereby further their comprehension of mathematics. Fantasy Baseball Math Broadcasts also provides an opportunity for students to develop their writing skills, public speaking skills and spoken vocabulary. Math and Language Arts teachers collaborate to determine the broadcasts' requirements based on the age and math level of the students; they also collaborate to develop rubrics and activities to showcase the broadcasts. Because students generally enjoy the activities inherent in Fantasy Baseball Math, this enriching language arts activity will generate further enthusiasm and provide an additional "real-world" activity that will bolster student learning. Activities for Fantasy Baseball Math Broadcasts address several of the Georgia Performance Standards for language arts and math.
Georgia Code 20-2-140 of the Georgia Department of Education provides for enriching curriculum
Georgia English Language standards (abbreviated):
ELA C1 -- use conventions of language
ELA LSV1 -- work in groups
ELA LSV2 -- delivers polished presentation
ELA W3 -- Uses research and technology to support writing
ELA RC3 -- acquires new vocabulary in each content area and uses it correctly
ELA RC4 -- establishes a context for information acquired by reading across subject areas
ELARL4 -- compose technical document
ELARL5 -- understand and acquire new vocabulary and use it correctly in . . . writing
Georgia Math standards
M6P3 Grades 6-8 -- Students will clearly communicate mathematical thinking and use the language of math to express mathematical ideas precisely.
M6P4 6-8 -- Students will make connections among math ideas and to other disciplines.
Goal: Students use Audacity or other tools such as MovieMaker to produce broadcast-style narrations that use their baseball statistics.
Introduction: An authentic way to assess student comprehension requires students to talk about what they are learning. If a student cannot clearly and concisely converse about a topic, he lacks either sufficient content knowledge or the vocabulary to package his ideas. The learning activity Fantasy Baseball Math Broadcasts provides an engaging way for students to speak both clearly and concisely about their content learning in math class and thereby further their comprehension of mathematics. Fantasy Baseball Math Broadcasts also provides an opportunity for students to develop their writing skills, public speaking skills and spoken vocabulary. Math and Language Arts teachers collaborate to determine the broadcasts' requirements based on the age and math level of the students; they also collaborate to develop rubrics and activities to showcase the broadcasts. Because students generally enjoy the activities inherent in Fantasy Baseball Math, this enriching language arts activity will generate further enthusiasm and provide an additional "real-world" activity that will bolster student learning. Activities for Fantasy Baseball Math Broadcasts address several of the Georgia Performance Standards for language arts and math.
Georgia Code 20-2-140 of the Georgia Department of Education provides for enriching curriculum
Georgia English Language standards (abbreviated):
ELA C1 -- use conventions of language
ELA LSV1 -- work in groups
ELA LSV2 -- delivers polished presentation
ELA W3 -- Uses research and technology to support writing
ELA RC3 -- acquires new vocabulary in each content area and uses it correctly
ELA RC4 -- establishes a context for information acquired by reading across subject areas
ELARL4 -- compose technical document
ELARL5 -- understand and acquire new vocabulary and use it correctly in . . . writing
Georgia Math standards
M6P3 Grades 6-8 -- Students will clearly communicate mathematical thinking and use the language of math to express mathematical ideas precisely.
M6P4 6-8 -- Students will make connections among math ideas and to other disciplines.
PBL Reflections
The most consistent theme throughout this project has been "making learning real." I have witnessed in high school seniors how much more interest college application essay assignments and interviewing units elicit than, say, a poetry analysis unit. These senior English students are looking for practical tools to help them reach their goals, so the relevance of a "real life" unit generates natural interest and promotes learning. The PBL experience emphasizes that well-planned, meaningful activities underlie authentic learning. Because it seems that many students lack a general respect for teachers and school, the integration of engaging technology in meaningful problem solving can be of benefit in multiple ways including behavior management. The Fantasy Baseball Math project is supported by research, good pedagogy, and enthusiastic testimony. Part of my contribution was to locate articles for my group's workshop plan. Partly because of our leader's enthusiasm, but also because of what I discovered in the articles, I enjoyed conducting the research and then sharing what I had learned with our group and even with colleagues from my former school. My personal experience is a microcosm of what I hope my students will experience when I introduce and direct PBL: their enthusiasm and interest will overshadow the fact that they are in school conducting research.
Because I am not currently teaching, I am not able to give my own lesson plan a test drive with actual students. I imagine that implementing this plan would involve careful planning with the math instructor(s), giving very clear directions (provided in the plan), and having some adult volunteers to assist students who would need to work outside of class to make their recordings while I was conducting class. The adult volunteers would mainly help to keep students on track and focused so that each group could make recordings in a timely way. My experience has shown that video cameras and microphones generate student enthusiasm, so I would expect that students would be very engaged.
Because I am not currently teaching, I am not able to give my own lesson plan a test drive with actual students. I imagine that implementing this plan would involve careful planning with the math instructor(s), giving very clear directions (provided in the plan), and having some adult volunteers to assist students who would need to work outside of class to make their recordings while I was conducting class. The adult volunteers would mainly help to keep students on track and focused so that each group could make recordings in a timely way. My experience has shown that video cameras and microphones generate student enthusiasm, so I would expect that students would be very engaged.
PBL Resources
Read and annotated by Jane and Zena, these ten articles support both Dan Flockart's Fantasy Sports Math program and general project-based learning. Add to the list with more articles or websites. Keep the ball rolling!
Barr, J. (2006, December 9). Fantasy football adds up. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2680335. Fantasy sports math, begun by Dan Flockhart, inspires and engages at-risk students. Math based on fantasy football helps students --- even girls and nonathletic students --- to engage by giving meaning to the math that they are supposed to be learning. Schools have reported increases as high as 45% on standardized tests after using Flockhart's method. Links to videos included in article.
Botkin, B. (n.d.). Play ball -- and be smarter than a fifth grader. The Times Standard. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from Fantasy Sports Math.com: http://www.fantasysportsmath.com/pdf/TimesStandardArticle.pdf. Dan Flockhart's fantasy sports math methods are progressive, effective, and fun. Fantasy sports math uses the statistics from real teams. Students plug these stats into formulas and equations. Flockhart created the method to "narrow the gap between the haves and the have nots" and feels that every inner city school should be using his program.
Chen, C. (2008). Why do teachers not practice what they believe regarding technology integration? Journal of Educational Research, 102(1), 65-75. Retrieved October 30, 2009, from http://search.ebscohost.com. The teacher is the key factor in technology integration in the classroom. Three reasons contribute to the inconsistencies found in teachers’ expressed beliefs and practice. The Ministry of Education in Taiwan encourages teachers to utilize technology by providing technology-rich environments. Teachers’ beliefs impact their decision-making process in choosing technology for the classroom.
Clyde, L. (2005). Educational blogging. Teacher Librarian, 32(3), 43-45. Retrieved October 30, 2009, http://search.ebscohost.com. Blogs can aid teacher-librarians in scaffolding communication and research skills for learning. Blogs also provide structure in communication in the way they are organized with the most recent communication posted first. Blogs are currently used as learning projects for the classroom. The quality of the blog provider should be considered prior to project implementation.
Dyrud, M., Worley, R., & Flatley, M. (2005). Blogging for enhanced teaching and learning. Business Communication Quarterly, 68(1), 77-80. Retrieved October 30, 2009 from http://search.ebscohost.com. Blogs are considered a mainstream communication tool that is both trendy and functional. Writers may link to other sites to support ideas. Add-on tools such as audio posts are also popular ways to link material to blog sites. Blogs may facilitate the sharing of ideas amongst students and efficiently manage time spent creating a blog.
Gilbert, A. (2005). Blogging 101—Web logs go to school. CNET Online News. Retrieved October 30, 2009, from CNET website http://news.cnet.com/Blogging-101--Web-logs-go-to-school/2100-1032_3-5895779.html. Teacher Clarence Fisher will update his students’ blogs in addition to his regular grading tasks. Fisher believes that his classroom’s blogging project will engage the students. Blogs must overcome being viewed only as journals but rather as learning tools. Fisher has experienced responses to posts from people locally and as far as South America.
Halpern, D.F., Aronson, J., Reimer, N., Simpkins, S., Star, J.R., & Wentzel, K.(2007). Encouraging girls in math and science. IES Practice Guide. National Center for Education Research 2007-2003. Retrieved from Galileo. This research study reports that one recommendation for encouraging girls in math centers on "sparking and maintaining greater interest" in math by providing experiences and an atmosphere that develops interest. Activities that avoid gender stereotypes are beneficial. Project-based learning requiring group work and novel tasks promotes long-term interest. The study provides a checklist for activities that a teacher can implement in his classroom without first necessitating system-wide change.
Lonergan, M. (2007, Spring). The case for creativity in math education. Horace , 23 (2). Retrieved from Galileo. While seeking to make math classes relevant and more effective, Mark Lonergan's math department at Boston Arts Academy infuses creativity into cohesive projects that include the four Cs: content, connection, choices, and co-authorship. Students respond well and cease to ask how will they use the math in the real world. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from Galileo.
McPherson, K. (2006, November 27). Football scores big in classroom. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from Fantasy Sports Math.com: http://www.fantasysportsmath.com/pdf/FootballScoresBig.pdf. One student enthusiastically says regarding fantasy sports math that "it's better than math because it's less about math and more about the yardage." Students learn about math by engaging in formulas and equations with sports statistics. They do not have to know about a sport to play; students who are familiar with a sport serve as team captains.
Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT blogging: A framework for blogging to promote higher order thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661. Retrieved October 30, 2009 from http://search.ebscohost.com. Blogging promotes Higher Order Thinking through a theoretical rationale that encourages students to approach technology autonomously. Blogs helps students to gather information to solve a problem. To begin a blog project involves a four-step process. Each step involves both traditional and higher order thinking levels.
Barr, J. (2006, December 9). Fantasy football adds up. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2680335. Fantasy sports math, begun by Dan Flockhart, inspires and engages at-risk students. Math based on fantasy football helps students --- even girls and nonathletic students --- to engage by giving meaning to the math that they are supposed to be learning. Schools have reported increases as high as 45% on standardized tests after using Flockhart's method. Links to videos included in article.
Botkin, B. (n.d.). Play ball -- and be smarter than a fifth grader. The Times Standard. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from Fantasy Sports Math.com: http://www.fantasysportsmath.com/pdf/TimesStandardArticle.pdf. Dan Flockhart's fantasy sports math methods are progressive, effective, and fun. Fantasy sports math uses the statistics from real teams. Students plug these stats into formulas and equations. Flockhart created the method to "narrow the gap between the haves and the have nots" and feels that every inner city school should be using his program.
Chen, C. (2008). Why do teachers not practice what they believe regarding technology integration? Journal of Educational Research, 102(1), 65-75. Retrieved October 30, 2009, from http://search.ebscohost.com. The teacher is the key factor in technology integration in the classroom. Three reasons contribute to the inconsistencies found in teachers’ expressed beliefs and practice. The Ministry of Education in Taiwan encourages teachers to utilize technology by providing technology-rich environments. Teachers’ beliefs impact their decision-making process in choosing technology for the classroom.
Clyde, L. (2005). Educational blogging. Teacher Librarian, 32(3), 43-45. Retrieved October 30, 2009, http://search.ebscohost.com. Blogs can aid teacher-librarians in scaffolding communication and research skills for learning. Blogs also provide structure in communication in the way they are organized with the most recent communication posted first. Blogs are currently used as learning projects for the classroom. The quality of the blog provider should be considered prior to project implementation.
Dyrud, M., Worley, R., & Flatley, M. (2005). Blogging for enhanced teaching and learning. Business Communication Quarterly, 68(1), 77-80. Retrieved October 30, 2009 from http://search.ebscohost.com. Blogs are considered a mainstream communication tool that is both trendy and functional. Writers may link to other sites to support ideas. Add-on tools such as audio posts are also popular ways to link material to blog sites. Blogs may facilitate the sharing of ideas amongst students and efficiently manage time spent creating a blog.
Gilbert, A. (2005). Blogging 101—Web logs go to school. CNET Online News. Retrieved October 30, 2009, from CNET website http://news.cnet.com/Blogging-101--Web-logs-go-to-school/2100-1032_3-5895779.html. Teacher Clarence Fisher will update his students’ blogs in addition to his regular grading tasks. Fisher believes that his classroom’s blogging project will engage the students. Blogs must overcome being viewed only as journals but rather as learning tools. Fisher has experienced responses to posts from people locally and as far as South America.
Halpern, D.F., Aronson, J., Reimer, N., Simpkins, S., Star, J.R., & Wentzel, K.(2007). Encouraging girls in math and science. IES Practice Guide. National Center for Education Research 2007-2003. Retrieved from Galileo. This research study reports that one recommendation for encouraging girls in math centers on "sparking and maintaining greater interest" in math by providing experiences and an atmosphere that develops interest. Activities that avoid gender stereotypes are beneficial. Project-based learning requiring group work and novel tasks promotes long-term interest. The study provides a checklist for activities that a teacher can implement in his classroom without first necessitating system-wide change.
Lonergan, M. (2007, Spring). The case for creativity in math education. Horace , 23 (2). Retrieved from Galileo. While seeking to make math classes relevant and more effective, Mark Lonergan's math department at Boston Arts Academy infuses creativity into cohesive projects that include the four Cs: content, connection, choices, and co-authorship. Students respond well and cease to ask how will they use the math in the real world. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from Galileo.
McPherson, K. (2006, November 27). Football scores big in classroom. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from Fantasy Sports Math.com: http://www.fantasysportsmath.com/pdf/FootballScoresBig.pdf. One student enthusiastically says regarding fantasy sports math that "it's better than math because it's less about math and more about the yardage." Students learn about math by engaging in formulas and equations with sports statistics. They do not have to know about a sport to play; students who are familiar with a sport serve as team captains.
Zawilinski, L. (2009). HOT blogging: A framework for blogging to promote higher order thinking. Reading Teacher, 62(8), 650-661. Retrieved October 30, 2009 from http://search.ebscohost.com. Blogging promotes Higher Order Thinking through a theoretical rationale that encourages students to approach technology autonomously. Blogs helps students to gather information to solve a problem. To begin a blog project involves a four-step process. Each step involves both traditional and higher order thinking levels.
Blog #10 Technology that Support Online Learning
Technology can provide valuable, authentic learning opportunities. Students can access people, classes, and information from sources formerly inaccessible. The possibilities are endless through thoughtful, principled use. My experience has revealed that a hybrid version of elearning is most helpful to students and is supported by Vygotsky's idea of a mentor guiding learning through ZPD. Students need modeling and guidance to make good decisions. Elearning can provide greater opportunities for some students to participate. Teachers new to integrating technology also need guidance and mentoring from veteran users of technology and/or useful websites such as those provided by Lindsay and Davis who term themselves "teacherpreneurs" (Boss & Krauss, 2007, p. 131). A novice needs to start small and let success build on success. As in most learning situations, teachers and students should start with the end in mind and make wise decisions about how to proceed. Because elearning involves discovery, teachers should be somewhat flexible with plans, the acquisition of information, and the direction of a project. However, careful planning at the beginning can prevent some problems --- a teacher should just expect to make some changes along the way. This openness to flexibility is consistent with the EAST model that promotes student leadership (p. 136).
PBL Article Blog #9
A benefit of project based learning is that it demands the sharing of knowledge and ideas. When students become more accustomed to talking about discoveries, this dialogue may continue away from school. When students get home after a day of passive receptivity (taking notes, listening, watching), it's little wonder that their answer to "How was school?" is a terse "Fine," or worse, "Boring." However, students engaged in PBL, or as Boss and Krauss (2007) term "passion based learning," may have more to talk about. For instance, Mark Lonergan in his article "The Case for Creativity in Math Education" reports how students stop asking how they will use math in the real world when he and his colleagues infuse their math classes with relevancy and creativity. Lonergan's math department at Boston Arts Academy infuses creativity into cohesive projects that include the four Cs: content, connection, choices, and co-authorship. Math students learn the content on a deeper level because of the connections to "real life" and because of the project based approach that promotes interest, discovery and interaction. A further example comes from Dan Flockhart's Fantasy Sports Math. Many testimonials and articles support how much more engaged both students and parents are when the math lessons and attached to statistics from fantasy sports teams. Both of these examples support how relevant, creative approaches to learning can stimulate interest and shared learning even among at-risk students.
Barr, J. (2006, December 9). Fantasy football adds up. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2680335.
Lonergan, M. (2007, Spring). The case for creativity in math education. Horace , 23 (2). Retrieved from Galileo.
Barr, J. (2006, December 9). Fantasy football adds up. Retrieved November 2, 2009, from ESPN: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=2680335.
Lonergan, M. (2007, Spring). The case for creativity in math education. Horace , 23 (2). Retrieved from Galileo.
Blog #8 Technology that Supports Creativity
Boss and Krauss (2007) ask if we can help students to help discover and tell their own stories (p. 50). Accessing information and creating a new product through technology can be very appealing. Because technology provides color, sound, motion, shape, and design, it offers endless possibilities. Tools such as Movie Maker, Voice Thread, Photoshop, and Comic Life provide new media for expression. Whether students are conveying academic information or telling a personal story, they can enhance their projects with technology. Seeing what a tool provides can unlock or prompt a student's creativity. I have found that although students want to use every "bell and whistle" of a new tool, they eventually make better design choices the longer they use something. Providing opportunities to explore and samples to observe allows students to make good choices to represent their ideas. Also, guidelines for good project construction can guide the inexperienced student. For example, the book that Dr. Bray required for his web design class had a lot of "before" and "after" pictures of web pages with editorial comments that helped me to catch on quickly to some aspects of design (Williams, R. & Tollet, J. (2006). The Non-Designer's Web Book, 3rd ed. Berkeley, CA: Peachpit Press).
Blog 6 Technology that Supports Critical Thinking and Problem Solving
Part of using technology to promote critical thinking and problem solving demands that students select appropriate tools to pursue learning. NETS.S delineates specific aspects including planning, conducting, and managing projects while considering a variety of approaches and tools (Boss & Krauss, 2007, p. 184). These specifications are neither surprising nor unusual. After all, when my husband decided to replace soffits and gutter boards, he had to assess, plan, and select tools to complete the project. Not every tool in the garage (or the neighbor's) was appropriate. Certain steps had to be carried out in a certain order. Sometimes Ron had to reassess for best results. He learned as he worked. Likewise, classroom students analyzing and constructing intangible knowledge also need these critical thinking skills. Providing concrete examples (such as carpentry) enables some to see that neither carpentry nor technology tools alone or not used well do not accomplish goals, whereas skillful use of appropriate tools can accomplish fantastic results. I will require students to include in their project proposals specific details about technology that they plan to use and how they plan to use it so that I can redirect them if necessary. I also want to offer tools such as Inspiration and Gliffy that can help them to create spatially-oriented documents that represent their thoughts.
Blog #4 Technology that Supports Collaboration and Communication
Boss & Krauss (2007) ask if "we can give students opportunities to get their own information, develop their own stories, and share these stories with others" (p. 50). The technology that we integrate to promote collaboration and communication into classroom learning addresses these basic literacy concerns and empowers students to discover and share , thereby enriching their knowledge and themselves. Because learning is a social activity, good collaborative and communication tools promote good learning. Teachers cannot know every available tool, but as teachers keep in mind the essential learning functions (p. 52), they can enable students to pursue "passion-based learning" with appropriate tools.
To help both me and my students to become more tech savvy, I will display a chart in my classroom that lists the eight essential learning functions with examples of suitable tools for each category (p. 54). As I make assignments throughout the year, I will also require students to discuss the best way to use technology and how to proceed with their assignments and projects. I expect to add to the chart as these discussions broaden the possibilities and as technological advances are made. Our goal will be to discover new tools, explore what they have to offer, and add to our chart. After students have used a tool, they will evaluate its tool effectiveness and appropriateness for the type of project for which it was used. Becoming "tool savvy" empowers students to get the information they need and to process it in the best way possible.
To help both me and my students to become more tech savvy, I will display a chart in my classroom that lists the eight essential learning functions with examples of suitable tools for each category (p. 54). As I make assignments throughout the year, I will also require students to discuss the best way to use technology and how to proceed with their assignments and projects. I expect to add to the chart as these discussions broaden the possibilities and as technological advances are made. Our goal will be to discover new tools, explore what they have to offer, and add to our chart. After students have used a tool, they will evaluate its tool effectiveness and appropriateness for the type of project for which it was used. Becoming "tool savvy" empowers students to get the information they need and to process it in the best way possible.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
PBL Presentation Pics
Coach White "wowing the audience" by breaking down the Fantasy Baseball strategy to improve math stats for Georgia's students.
TechnoLang team members, Jane and Leah looking on during the presentation.
Referencing instructional activities provided by the team...
Coach White wrapping up the presentation.
TechnoLang Team
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
DST Resources
These two sites are great resources for digital storytelling and other technology tools that teachers integrate in their classrooms. Take a peek, then add some more to the list!
(n.d.) Digital story telling: Using Photo Story 3. 21 Things for 21st Century Educators by CCRESA, IISD, MISD, SRESD. Retrieved from http://21things.weebly.com/9---digital-story-telling.html
This digital storytelling web page is one part of a very helpful, informative website that addresses several 21st-Century skills and technology. Links (including one to a copyright quiz) and charts accompany steps for completing a DST. This would be a good site to bookmark and share with students.
Center for Digital Storytelling.(n.d.)Retrieved from http://www.storycenter.org/memvoice/pages/tutorial_1a.html
If you haven't explored this site, it will be well worth your time. The tutorial pages describe the literary and technical concepts behind storytelling (i.e., point of view, emotional content, soundtrack) and guide the reader through the process of creating a story. The descriptions and definitions provide a teacher with precise ways to dialogue with students about DST. The pages also include descriptions of various types of stories, enabling teachers and students to envision what their end product can be like. Several links provide additional information and examples. The simple layout, explanations, and links provide a great reference source for novices and veterans.
(n.d.) Digital story telling: Using Photo Story 3. 21 Things for 21st Century Educators by CCRESA, IISD, MISD, SRESD. Retrieved from http://21things.weebly.com/9---digital-story-telling.html
This digital storytelling web page is one part of a very helpful, informative website that addresses several 21st-Century skills and technology. Links (including one to a copyright quiz) and charts accompany steps for completing a DST. This would be a good site to bookmark and share with students.
Center for Digital Storytelling.(n.d.)Retrieved from http://www.storycenter.org/memvoice/pages/tutorial_1a.html
If you haven't explored this site, it will be well worth your time. The tutorial pages describe the literary and technical concepts behind storytelling (i.e., point of view, emotional content, soundtrack) and guide the reader through the process of creating a story. The descriptions and definitions provide a teacher with precise ways to dialogue with students about DST. The pages also include descriptions of various types of stories, enabling teachers and students to envision what their end product can be like. Several links provide additional information and examples. The simple layout, explanations, and links provide a great reference source for novices and veterans.
DST reflections
Challenges
The challenges inherent to a DST project involve time and organization. I dealt with the following challenges while developing my project:
• keeping up with all of the various course readings, blog entries, and assignments while investing the time to create a DST project
• working with my older camera that will not download onto my newer computer
• borrowing a flip camera that took still shots instead of video; having to retake shots
• borrowing a third camera on two separate occasions
• when there was too much background noise on the raw video footage, figuring out how to mute the audio on the video and then add new narration
• ending with 3:50 and having to add more to make the 4:00 minimum
• stressing to make sure I correctly understood all of the directions
• wanting to continue to edit after I 'published'
• making changes to initial storyboard so that it matched the final video
Lessons learned about MovieMaker
Regardless of how user-friendly MovieMaker may be, students would still need a lot of time to use this exciting tool to produce a video. As has been recommended numerous times, I would start small with a project involving DST. One idea for an initial project would be for the class to produce one video and have individual students work on one or two slides. Students could work on a group storyboard if they used a wiki or googledoc. Once students were familiar with the process and MovieMaker, then they could advance to individual or small group projects. The value of DST should not be overridden by time-constraints.
Lessons learned about myself as a learner
I am feeling compassion for my students who often feel overwhelmed by the size (i.e., all of the items that have to be submitted) and detail of a project (i.e., how to format report pages, or all of the items on the storyboard). (. . . Somehow,it seems, storyboards reach a point when they stop being helpful to the student and become more about the instructor. I would want my students to start with a storyboard, but then follow the 80/20 rule, especially since everyone seems to vary from the storyboard once production actually starts. What is the point in going back to make sure the storyboard matches the finished video? . . . ) I am renewing my conviction to help students learn how to break down large projects into small steps. I feel energized by the content of the project but deflated by the detailed requirements. I enjoy checking off items from my to-do list. Even though our group agreed to abide by the 80/20 editing rule, I keep spending too much time on this project because we have to post on YouTube. If my name is on something, then I want to do a good job.
The challenges inherent to a DST project involve time and organization. I dealt with the following challenges while developing my project:
• keeping up with all of the various course readings, blog entries, and assignments while investing the time to create a DST project
• working with my older camera that will not download onto my newer computer
• borrowing a flip camera that took still shots instead of video; having to retake shots
• borrowing a third camera on two separate occasions
• when there was too much background noise on the raw video footage, figuring out how to mute the audio on the video and then add new narration
• ending with 3:50 and having to add more to make the 4:00 minimum
• stressing to make sure I correctly understood all of the directions
• wanting to continue to edit after I 'published'
• making changes to initial storyboard so that it matched the final video
Lessons learned about MovieMaker
Regardless of how user-friendly MovieMaker may be, students would still need a lot of time to use this exciting tool to produce a video. As has been recommended numerous times, I would start small with a project involving DST. One idea for an initial project would be for the class to produce one video and have individual students work on one or two slides. Students could work on a group storyboard if they used a wiki or googledoc. Once students were familiar with the process and MovieMaker, then they could advance to individual or small group projects. The value of DST should not be overridden by time-constraints.
Lessons learned about myself as a learner
I am feeling compassion for my students who often feel overwhelmed by the size (i.e., all of the items that have to be submitted) and detail of a project (i.e., how to format report pages, or all of the items on the storyboard). (. . . Somehow,it seems, storyboards reach a point when they stop being helpful to the student and become more about the instructor. I would want my students to start with a storyboard, but then follow the 80/20 rule, especially since everyone seems to vary from the storyboard once production actually starts. What is the point in going back to make sure the storyboard matches the finished video? . . . ) I am renewing my conviction to help students learn how to break down large projects into small steps. I feel energized by the content of the project but deflated by the detailed requirements. I enjoy checking off items from my to-do list. Even though our group agreed to abide by the 80/20 editing rule, I keep spending too much time on this project because we have to post on YouTube. If my name is on something, then I want to do a good job.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Digital Storytelling Workshop Introduction
The goal of TechnoLang's Digital Storytelling Workshop is to motivate secondary education teachers to take advantage of the benefits digital storytelling offers their instruction. To achieve this, TechnoLang will demonstrate effective teaching strategies used to promote student learning through a PowerPoint presentation including examples of instructional digital stories, sample rubrics, and informative literature. Through this workshop, TechnoLang will provide teachers with sufficient information on how to use Movie Maker and other digital storytelling software so they can implement it in the classroom.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Re-Submission: VoiceThread
VoiceThread is described as a multimedia tool in which subscribers may express thoughts, ideas and instruct on various topics. VoiceThread, can used as a multi-faceted blog tool for students. Richardson, W.(2006) asserts: “…learning specialists Fernette and Brock Eide’s research shows that blogging in its truest form has a great deal of potential positive impact on students” (pg.20).
TechnoLang has created a VoiceThread workshop for ELL and Special Needs Educators. Zena MaNais facilitates the workshop in a PowerPoint presentation that demonstrates how to use VoiceThread as a multimedia, collaboration tool. Included in the presentation are sample VoiceThreads created by fellow contributors: Jane Edwards, Cliff Kicklighter, Bethany Stiefel, and Matt "The Coach" White.
Please see the following link for the PowerPoint:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VTworkshop_zsm.ppt
To view the invitation flyer (created by a Word flyer template) go to link or copy paste:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VoiceThreadflyer_zsm.pdf
To view the survey (created by Googledocs) go to link or copy paste:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VTsurvey_zsm.htm
Digitally Speaking (2009) VoiceThread. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from PBWorks Website: http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com/Voicethread#TeachingStudentstoCreateandModerateThreads
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
VoiceThread. (2007) VoiceThread. Retrieved October 2, 2009. Website: http://www.voicethread.com
TechnoLang has created a VoiceThread workshop for ELL and Special Needs Educators. Zena MaNais facilitates the workshop in a PowerPoint presentation that demonstrates how to use VoiceThread as a multimedia, collaboration tool. Included in the presentation are sample VoiceThreads created by fellow contributors: Jane Edwards, Cliff Kicklighter, Bethany Stiefel, and Matt "The Coach" White.
Please see the following link for the PowerPoint:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VTworkshop_zsm.ppt
To view the invitation flyer (created by a Word flyer template) go to link or copy paste:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VoiceThreadflyer_zsm.pdf
To view the survey (created by Googledocs) go to link or copy paste:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VTsurvey_zsm.htm
Digitally Speaking (2009) VoiceThread. Retrieved October 2, 2009, from PBWorks Website: http://digitallyspeaking.pbworks.com/Voicethread#TeachingStudentstoCreateandModerateThreads
Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
VoiceThread. (2007) VoiceThread. Retrieved October 2, 2009. Website: http://www.voicethread.com
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Digital Storytelling article
Tom Banaszewski's frank account of the challenges and rewards of Digital Storytelling reflects a passionate teacher who successfully helps students to find their voices, confidence, sense of community, and technology skills. He recounts how DST elicits student emotion, commitment, and ownership. With some teacher prompting and organization, students add substance and shape to their initial ideas. He recommends that students begin with one anchor picture (for a place project) and develop a catchy introduction and conclusion to prevent the DSTs from becoming simple slide shows. Because students are interested, they help each other peer edit and develop trust as they take risks when they share their viewpoints and creations. Banaszewski strongly recommends that teachers create a model DST: one, they learn about the technological aspects of the project and develop solutions to glitches; two, they take the first risk-taking steps for students to follow. Although he warns that the sound is the hardest part, he counters that student voice is the most important component and says that the extra effort is worth the investment. He includes tips about recording voice with the video camera (cap on) and then importing and extracting the sound (on iMovie). He emphasizes that the technology is secondary to students' learning storytelling.
Banaszewski's observations and recommendations echo my brief experiences with DST. Making a video with two other focused, responsible teachers took hours longer than we had anticipated. However, as we worked, we became friends, developed trust and respect for each other's ideas, and had fun producing a video that can be used repeatedly by a lot of teachers as a model DST book report. The effort to use DST is worth it, but the wise teacher will solicit help, organize, and gather a lot of useful tips before starting.
Banaszewski, T. (2002, Jan/Feb). Digital storytelling finds its place in the classroom. Multimedia Schools.
Banaszewski's observations and recommendations echo my brief experiences with DST. Making a video with two other focused, responsible teachers took hours longer than we had anticipated. However, as we worked, we became friends, developed trust and respect for each other's ideas, and had fun producing a video that can be used repeatedly by a lot of teachers as a model DST book report. The effort to use DST is worth it, but the wise teacher will solicit help, organize, and gather a lot of useful tips before starting.
Banaszewski, T. (2002, Jan/Feb). Digital storytelling finds its place in the classroom. Multimedia Schools.
Introduction to Jane's DST project
SAT Prep: Reading to Read
As students approach their junior and senior years in high school, they and their parents often start to develop concern over their potential SAT or ACT scores. For years, parents and students have asked me, "Do you do SAT prep in English class?" and for years I have wanted to say, "Of course. Every day. Do you?" What I mean by my reply is this: "Have you been reading and thereby gaining reading experience and skills for the past several years?" If students have downloaded SparkNotes and watched movies to fulfill high school reading requirements, they very likely lack reading skills than they need to do well on the verbal and written sections of the SAT and/or ACT. More importantly, they probably lack the reading skills necessary to take on the independent reading required by most college classes. If a student has not been reading throughout his middle school and high school career, there's no magic formula, strategy, or tip that can make up for years of non-reading. As I tutor SAT students and ask them about their reading experiences, I find that students who have read a lot benefit to a higher degree from the strategies offered by the learning center. I see firsthand what parents pay for SAT specialized instruction and feel that a few trips to the public library could have saved them thousands of dollars. So, the purpose of my video is to promote reading to middle school and beginning high school students and their parents while these students still have time to gain reading experience that will enable them to succeed both on College Board tests and at college. And who knows, if any students accept my challenge to read more, some of them may find an interest that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IVMxADIMd4
As students approach their junior and senior years in high school, they and their parents often start to develop concern over their potential SAT or ACT scores. For years, parents and students have asked me, "Do you do SAT prep in English class?" and for years I have wanted to say, "Of course. Every day. Do you?" What I mean by my reply is this: "Have you been reading and thereby gaining reading experience and skills for the past several years?" If students have downloaded SparkNotes and watched movies to fulfill high school reading requirements, they very likely lack reading skills than they need to do well on the verbal and written sections of the SAT and/or ACT. More importantly, they probably lack the reading skills necessary to take on the independent reading required by most college classes. If a student has not been reading throughout his middle school and high school career, there's no magic formula, strategy, or tip that can make up for years of non-reading. As I tutor SAT students and ask them about their reading experiences, I find that students who have read a lot benefit to a higher degree from the strategies offered by the learning center. I see firsthand what parents pay for SAT specialized instruction and feel that a few trips to the public library could have saved them thousands of dollars. So, the purpose of my video is to promote reading to middle school and beginning high school students and their parents while these students still have time to gain reading experience that will enable them to succeed both on College Board tests and at college. And who knows, if any students accept my challenge to read more, some of them may find an interest that they can enjoy for the rest of their lives.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_IVMxADIMd4
Friday, October 2, 2009
How to Use Comic Life in the Classroom
How to Use Comic Life in the Classroom discussed the benfits of using comics to engage students in instruction. The author explains that there is a growing need in education to use every available tool to help students in their learning. Comics can benefit students of all ages and abilities. The article describes the different skills that can be improved by using comics in the classroom stating "comics can help students analyze, synthesize, and absorb content," (2007). According the How to Use Comic Life in the Classroom, the written components of a comic can help early readers connect words with pictures. Comics can also be used in ESOL classes, and for vocabulary introduction in any class to help students with language aquisition (2007). Comics can be used as "stepping-stone(s)" to help students with more complex work. It also provides students with an entertaining way to gain information that cannot be acheived in reading an essay. Comic Life helps provide students with the motivation they need to complete comprehesive projects.
Thacker, C. (2007). How to use comic life in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.macinstruct.com/node/69
Thacker, C. (2007). How to use comic life in the classroom. Retrieved from http://www.macinstruct.com/node/69
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Comic Life Resources
Add your favorite Comic Life resource sites ----
Here's one that I found helpful:
Courtis, A. (2008, October 18). Tech module: Using Comic Life in the classroom. Retrieved from Connections Website: http://cnx.org/content/m18037/1.1/
Amelia Courtis provides a succinct background and description of Comic Life, a discussion of the benefits and constraints, and links to tutorials and samples of Comic Life projects. Sample lessons cover a range of disciplines. The article's subheadings make it easy for the reader to find answers to specific concerns. The "Tips for Teachers" section lists valuable tips for first-time users.
Here's one that I found helpful:
Courtis, A. (2008, October 18). Tech module: Using Comic Life in the classroom. Retrieved from Connections Website: http://cnx.org/content/m18037/1.1/
Amelia Courtis provides a succinct background and description of Comic Life, a discussion of the benefits and constraints, and links to tutorials and samples of Comic Life projects. Sample lessons cover a range of disciplines. The article's subheadings make it easy for the reader to find answers to specific concerns. The "Tips for Teachers" section lists valuable tips for first-time users.
Comic Life Article
Author of several graphic novels and the instructional book Comics in Your Curriculum, Richard Jenkins describes how he worked closely with a classroom teacher to write his book that includes standards, rubrics, and practical lesson plans for a variety of disciplines. Jenkins promotes the use of comics in the classroom saying that comics are a "medium" rather than a genre, and as such, they adapt to a variety of situations. The strong appeal of comics' format makes them an appealing way to engage students in their learning. Comics are a "dual discipline" art form, combining "visual and verbal," "image and text" because the images are presented in sequence and are adjacent to the text. Jenkins explains that the versatility of the medium makes possible a huge variety of applications.
Because Comic Life is easy to use and is relatively inexpensive, it puts the appealing medium of comics in the hands of teachers and students who can use it to enhance learning and creativity. Elementary, middle, and high school students are enjoying graphic novels, so adapting a popular medium to present content material in a fresh way seems like a wise idea.
Tingley, S. (2005). Comics in your curriculum: An interview with Richard Jenkins. Comics in the Classroom.Retrieved from http://www.comicsintheclassroom.net/oolessonplans.htm
Because Comic Life is easy to use and is relatively inexpensive, it puts the appealing medium of comics in the hands of teachers and students who can use it to enhance learning and creativity. Elementary, middle, and high school students are enjoying graphic novels, so adapting a popular medium to present content material in a fresh way seems like a wise idea.
Tingley, S. (2005). Comics in your curriculum: An interview with Richard Jenkins. Comics in the Classroom.Retrieved from http://www.comicsintheclassroom.net/oolessonplans.htm
Comic Life Reflections
Because current students are very drawn to visual media and because boys seem especially drawn to the comic strip format, I look forward to using Comic Life both for instruction and for student-based projects. By the time I've sometimes caught on to a new technology, it's not so new to students. However, I haven't YET seen the comic strip medium being used in classrooms, so I expect that students would appreciate the novelty and the effectiveness of the what Comic Life can provide. And does anybody else smile at the Comic Life sound effects?
Introduction to Comic Life "Interviewing Tips"
(page 4 of my Comic Life project.)
During the time that I was researching the benefits of students and teachers using Comic Life, I subbed at a local high school and there was one of the male tenth grade students reading a graphic novel. This brief experience reinforces one of the values of Comic Life: boys read comics. Not to be gender-biased, but after living in a household with three teenage boys, I am continually on the lookout for what I call "boy books," and both articles and life experience confirm that the comic strip format appeals to males (and females!). Because Comic Life provides an appealing learning medium for all ages and subjects, I look forward to using it in the English classroom both for instruction and for student-based projects.
I developed the Comic Life project, "Interviewing Tips," to use as a springboard for students before they choose their own interviewing tips to illustrate using Comic Life. Experts predict that today's students will change jobs multiple times during their adult working years. Having several interviewing tips firmly established in their minds will help them to make the most of the interviews in which they can expect to engage. Many of my former speech students have reported back to me that the interview unit from speech class proved to be a valuable tool for them as they encountered both college and job interviews. So, using Comic Life to further strengthen this unit in speech or English class provides students with an engaging way to think about these "real life" situations.
As a side note, I decided to include a variety of style formats in my sample project so that students could begin to consider different effects for their own projects.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
VOICTHREAD Workshop via PowerPoint
TechnoLang has created a Voicethread workshop for ELL and Special Needs Educators. Zena MaNais facilitates the workshop in a PowerPoint presentation that demonstrates how to use VoiceThread as a multimedia, collaboration tool. Included in the presentation are resources for utilizing the tool in lesson planning along with sample VoiceThreads created by fellow contributors: Jane Edwards, Cliff Kicklighter, Bethany Stiefel, and Matt "The Coach" White.
Please see the following link for the video presentation (please excuse VTworkship typo; the video filing system wouldn't allow me to change it to VTworkshop):
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VTWorkship_zsm.wmv
To view the invitation flyer (created by a Word flyer template) go to link or copy paste:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VoiceThreadflyer_zsm.pdf
To view the survey (created by Googledocs) go to link or copy paste:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VTsurvey_zsm.htm
The rationale of creating a video for the workshop is so that the participants can take cds to review later. Sharing the cd of the workshop will be encourage so as to "spread the word" on VoiceThread.
Also, the workshop will be given live, but for purposes of sharing TechnoLang members VoiceThreads, creating a video facilitated that as well.
We hope you like it!
Please see the following link for the video presentation (please excuse VTworkship typo; the video filing system wouldn't allow me to change it to VTworkshop):
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VTWorkship_zsm.wmv
To view the invitation flyer (created by a Word flyer template) go to link or copy paste:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VoiceThreadflyer_zsm.pdf
To view the survey (created by Googledocs) go to link or copy paste:
http://martybray.net/zmanais1/7464_VTsurvey_zsm.htm
The rationale of creating a video for the workshop is so that the participants can take cds to review later. Sharing the cd of the workshop will be encourage so as to "spread the word" on VoiceThread.
Also, the workshop will be given live, but for purposes of sharing TechnoLang members VoiceThreads, creating a video facilitated that as well.
We hope you like it!
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Introduction to Diction Discovery Voice Thread
My Voice Thread project, "Diction Discovery," targets 4th and 5th grade Language Arts students and challenges them to select creative diction for a poem. Careful, deliberate word choice sits at the heart of all effective communication. Because of the nature of the Voice Thread program, students of various abilities will be able to participate. ELL can suggest words both in their primary language and in English. Students do not have to suggest words for every blank.
Students will
1. carefully read each stanza of the poem and look at the pictures to note details before contributing
creative, appropriate diction to fill in the blanks;
2. consider structural details in order to use correct parts of speech for the blanks;
3. consider the sounds, syllables, and connotations of their word choices;
4. comment on others' contributions and use others' ideas to spark their own creativity;
5. read aloud (to themselves if they choose to type their comments) to hear the rhythm of their word
choices;
6. participate in a collaborative project;
7. use technology to participate;
8. have an opportunity to use their vocabulary creatively.
Closure: After providing time and opportunity for all students to contribute to the poem, the students and teacher could select their favorite diction choices. The teacher can share her original poem and compare how her original choices compare to the students' choices. Students may then choose to write their own pet poems.
Diction Discovery addresses the following Georgia Performance Standards for fifth graders and NETS standards for elementary students. The teacher will evaluate each student's contributions as they relate to these standards. The teacher will construct and use a rubric to reflect each student's mastery of the listed objectives.
(See Georgia Performance Standards and NETS Standards listed in comments.)
Students will
1. carefully read each stanza of the poem and look at the pictures to note details before contributing
creative, appropriate diction to fill in the blanks;
2. consider structural details in order to use correct parts of speech for the blanks;
3. consider the sounds, syllables, and connotations of their word choices;
4. comment on others' contributions and use others' ideas to spark their own creativity;
5. read aloud (to themselves if they choose to type their comments) to hear the rhythm of their word
choices;
6. participate in a collaborative project;
7. use technology to participate;
8. have an opportunity to use their vocabulary creatively.
Closure: After providing time and opportunity for all students to contribute to the poem, the students and teacher could select their favorite diction choices. The teacher can share her original poem and compare how her original choices compare to the students' choices. Students may then choose to write their own pet poems.
Diction Discovery addresses the following Georgia Performance Standards for fifth graders and NETS standards for elementary students. The teacher will evaluate each student's contributions as they relate to these standards. The teacher will construct and use a rubric to reflect each student's mastery of the listed objectives.
(See Georgia Performance Standards and NETS Standards listed in comments.)
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Egbert's focus on integration, blog 2
Stephen Covey's "Beginning with the end in mind" habit is echoed in Joy Egbert's first chapter of Supporting Learning with Technology,and the end, according to Egbert, is student learning. I want to focus on student learning and have technology supplement or partner with me to accomplish that goal. Because teaching has been described as an "art," I have to realize that the way another teacher approaches a plan may not be what will work in my classroom with my students; it may be something that I admire from afar. However, dialoguing with an artful teacher may be enriching for both of us. One useful strategy for me will be to post the six "21st-century skills" in my plan book so that as I craft my own plans, I balance the emphasis I place on each of the outcomes. I like Egbert's use of the term "Principled Technology Use" to refer to thoughtful, appropriate use of technology.
Posting Requirements
Please add vivid, insightful, challenging comments in response to what you read and see.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Tech Integration Success
As part of a curriculum integration project, Simmons College student Caitlin Krauss selected Google Lit Trips, devised a lesson plan based on a student's language-based learning disability, and successfully implemented the strategies. The high school student's disabilities prevent her from easily learning vocabulary, understanding concepts, and remembering what she has read. The visual, auditory, and interactive components of Google Lit Trips provides helpful sensory components, and the content maps, images, and videos provide background information that serves as anchors for concepts in novels. Krauss supplies appropriate question samples and suggests that students with these types of disabilities use a two-column sheet of paper to record bits of information that they discover at each place on the map. Krauss notes that Google Lit Trips can be used in the general education classroom, and that pairing students with different sensory strengths would benefit all users because each student would focus in on different aspects.
Krauss' use of googlelittrips.com to aid a student with learning disabilities is an excellent example of appropriate integration of technology to benefit student learning. The site uses tools such as Google images, Google earth, maps, music, video, and web links to provide commentary on the travels of characters in novels. The information creates visual references that students may lack background to imagine, and it introduces real places in the world that provide a context for characters' adventures. The site provides interdisciplinary studies that include social studies, politics, geography, and literature. After using googlelittrips.com, advanced students could use technology to create their own lit trip. Teachers of both special and general education classes can benefit by using this resource.
Krauss, C. (2009, June). Google Lit Trips for students with language-based learning disabilities. Google lit trips home page. Retrieved September 9, 2009 from
Krauss' use of googlelittrips.com to aid a student with learning disabilities is an excellent example of appropriate integration of technology to benefit student learning. The site uses tools such as Google images, Google earth, maps, music, video, and web links to provide commentary on the travels of characters in novels. The information creates visual references that students may lack background to imagine, and it introduces real places in the world that provide a context for characters' adventures. The site provides interdisciplinary studies that include social studies, politics, geography, and literature. After using googlelittrips.com, advanced students could use technology to create their own lit trip. Teachers of both special and general education classes can benefit by using this resource.
Krauss, C. (2009, June). Google Lit Trips for students with language-based learning disabilities. Google lit trips home page. Retrieved September 9, 2009 from
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Edwards Technology Integration Definition
TechnoLang members share a clear vision of the technologically-integrated learning environment. Technology integration has been achieved in the secondary language arts classroom when the teacher confidently and wisely partners with technology as a natural component of achieving desired student learning and when students engage with technology in a way that also prepares them for their futures. Continual, thorough professional development that empowers the teacher will in turn empower the student. Empowered students will have the skills and discernment to access appropriate information, synthesize ideas, create, and collaborate to produce quality work that effectively demonstrates their learning.
What additional details would you add to clarify for your academic discipline?
What additional details would you add to clarify for your academic discipline?
Welcome
Welcome to TechnoLang, a collaborative group of five innovative, exciting graduate students who are seeking to promote the integration of technology with language and literature through shared resources, ideas, and experiences. Above all, the members strive to find practical, appropriate ways to enhance and motivate student learning. (See group members and their personal blogs listed on sidebar.)
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