JOURNAL #6: Presentation Tools

Classroom 2.0 is a web site set up to connect people interested in technological tools that could be used classrooms. It allows a sharing of resources with peers, students and others. Web 2.0 builds communities and allows one to discover like-minded individuals. In the “presentation” tool there are discussions about different programs and resources that could be used to make a presentation using technology. There were discussions of good PowerPoint presentations. Others included Flickr, Slideshare, and ZohoShow. There is help in building your presentation and in sharing your presentation with others. You also can find other presentations that have been done covering your subject. Another discussion for presentations mentioned that Google added a presentation tool to be used with Google docs. These discussions allow people to get feedback on the tools they have found and even instruction on how to use them from peers that may already have tried them before. Another discussion was started by a new math teacher looking for ideas on how to allow his students to create slideshows and movies covering math subjects and he was asking for ideas and input. He was getting all kinds of recommendations and instruction on how he could accomplish this. It’s amazing how many people will take the time to pass on knowledge to unknown others. This could allow anyone to get help in accomplishing many things in the classroom using technology.

JOURNAL #4

MAKING FIELD TRIPS PODTASTIC! – Use of handheld wireless Technology Alleviates isolation and Encourages Collaboration

Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar, and Paul McGuiness

This article describes a new possibility in interactive field trips to increase students time spent at each exhibit and increases the amount of thought put into each. The program was developed at Harvard in an attempt to improve student’s learning from outside sources, ie. field trips. Learning modules can be designed and customized by the educator and the students. The program uses podcasting which is a new hot trend. Podcasting uses a convenient format, delivery, and easy access to information. The students use a handheld computer like a Pocket PC. The use of a handheld computer allows the students to not only listen to the podcast, but also take digital photos and videos, record interviews, record notes to remember, and access additional information through the Internet. The authors tested their program at the Boston Museum of Science as part of their research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. The program uses a simulation of a monkey that lives at the museum to guide the students on the tour. As the students are guided from one exhibit to another may ask them questions about the exhibit or states facts about what the student is looking at. The value and knowledge gained from the exhibit it increases because the students explore the exhibits aurally, visually, and physically. This program is a way to not only customize learning for each child, but also support several national educational standards. By using technology tools in a traditional field trip, the National Technology Educational Standards are supported. The teachers can align the experience with national and state curriculum standards because they create the content. The model is set up to be simplistic and therefore can be very flexible in future applications.

Questions:

1. Does this program sound like something that could only be used in a money rich district? Unfortunately, the use of the handheld PC makes it a little out of reach for most I would believe. In addition, having even just 10-12 students on the field trip seems impossible for a school to have that many handheld PC’s. I would hope that there are programs where schools can get things like these donated by companies or can find sponsors that would buy them for a school.

2. What value would there be from this type of expenditure? The uses seem endless. The amount of additional knowledge gained and retained by the students is an important factor when looking at this program. Students are actively taking part in their learning in a way the I think students would think was “way kool.” The students understanding is also potentially increased

JOURNAL #3

WEB 2.0 - Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging

Julie Sturgeon

In this article the author poses five potential problems to blogging in the classroom. The first is “Don’t just dive in.” The importance here is to set up guidelines with both students and their parents making sure that both parties understand the blogging project and what sort of conduct will be tolerated when blogging. There should also be consequences such as losing Internet privileges if the conduct is not followed. Teachers should thoroughly research blogging by searching for interesting educational blogs and contacting the educators behind them for advice. It is important to recognize what blogging can do for students. It is a great way to get students to begin writing non-fiction works. Blogging allows students to use images, video, and music which enhances the students desire to write. The second “don’t” is “don’t confuse blogging with social networking.” You should remember that blogging is not for socializing. It should be used to assist student to get through there coursework with input from their peers. Students should be including thought provoking questions at the end of their entries to invite valuable comments. The next is “Don’t leap at the freebies.” Most of the free platforms do not offer the structure and safety that a school might need. They are often filled with advertisements which teachers have no ability to block out. Class Blogmeister is recommended because it filters each student’s entry through the teacher before posting. The fourth pitfall is “Don’t force a sequential style.” It is recommended to structure entries by topic rather than by time to help readers make more sense of the blog. Some good information might get buried among the blog structure. It is important to map out what is the important gain for students from the blog so that you don’t develop a product that does not have the impact it could have. The final is “don’t leave the blogging to the students.” Teachers need to be involved in the blogging both on the classroom blog and possibly even their own blog. It is important to be a part of the community that blogging creates.

Questions:

1. Should the potential problems mentioned in the article inhibit teachers from including blogging in their classrooms? I do not believe these problems should stop a teacher from starting a blog for the classroom. First these are potential problems and I think it is important for teachers to have a grasp of all the issues surrounding a class project in order to make it better. It is important to look at the rewards. Blogging allows teachers to see their students through another light. It gives children the opportunity to speak up when in regular classroom situations they might not. Blogging gives students the opportunity to read, write, and process information in an interesting way.

2. How can blogging help teacher to become better at their craft? The same way it is used to improve student’s learning, it could work the same for teachers.
By creating a blog that includes teaching artifact and tentative projects, a teacher can get feedback from others in the field. Suggestions can be made to improve the ideas and/or other ideas from a different point of view to enhance the teaching process

JOURNAL #2

Speaking Math – Using Chat

Janet Graham and Ted Hodgson

In this article the authors discuss using chat rooms and forums to help students understand math concepts and vocabulary. Chat rooms allow the students to question each other in real time and work together to solve a problem. The system they use does not allow math symbols so the students are forced to use math vocabulary and concepts. Each chat is started with an initial prompt and then students use their textbooks and lecture notes to answer the questions using specific target vocabulary items. Students help each other understand the math problems by reading and reacting to others posts. This forum is valuable to teachers because they can print the chat and forum interactions and analyze them at their own convenience. The teacher can then add classroom discussion to discuss issues it appears the students may not be getting. Another benefit of this type of interaction is that non-native speakers have time to plan their responses and it allows them to learn phrases by seeing them from other students. The authors compared the learning of the students using this forum to those who were in a traditional classroom and preliminarily it looks like this manner of learning appears to be assisting students in doing better in math. The teachers found that chats and forums were most effective during school hours where certain class periods or certain hours in a computer lab. The students who could benefit from this program the most usually do not have computer access at home. The teachers also found that forming small groups of four to five students was better than a larger group so that each student had opportunities to give their input and decrease the amount of confusion of a larger group. The teachers have even observed students “speaking math” during after- school hours. A benefit to whole group forums is effective in allowing students to seek out diversity that might not have been picked for them in a smaller group. Spanish speakers can write math notes to each other in Spanish and English speakers can improve their understanding of Spanish by communicating with the Spanish speakers.

Questions:

1. Could this technology be used in other subjects or in multi-subject classrooms of elementary school? I can see this technology used in almost any classroom. I see it as allowing students to step up to the plate while feeling protected from behind a computer screen. The idea that students can take their time in coming up with their questions and answers is a good way for students to become confident in their knowledge about subjects.

2. Is the benefit of this technology worth having to spend school time using computers because of the students that do not have access at home? The benefit to all students appears to make this type of learning valuable to all students. I can see team building and a feeling of belonging to a group in solving issues is of great value to all students. I also feel for those students that may be a little shy in a classroom setting may not feel they have valuable input, but in a situation like this they can see if they are thinking along the same lines as their peers and will then feel confident enough to add their thoughts and comments.