Monday June 19, 2006
Blog #6 Podcasting
Description of Tool/Resource/Strategy
According to Eash in ?Podcasting 101?, ?The New Oxford American Dictionary defines podcast as "a digital recording of a radio broadcast or similar program, made available on the Internet for downloading to a personal audio player."'-^ In other words, it's a digital audio file that's created, shared, and heard.? Podcast files can be audio, video or both. They can be downloaded and listened to immediately or saved for later.
Key Findings from Reading
Podcasting offers options for students with diverse learning needs, from the student who excels to the student who needs teacher materials and tutorials. If the files are video, it also offers the visual learner an option for repetition along with the audio learner. For the kinesthetic learner, a podcast can be played at home when movement is free. According to Eash, ?The podcast is a viable alternative for delivering research content or lessons to students who need remedial or extended support.? Podcasts offer another alternative to engage the digital student.
Reflection
The student profile for my programming courses vary from students who excel easily at everything to the student with an IEP requiring copies of teacher notes and extended time. Podcasting would offer a wonderful alternative for my students to review lessons with which they may have had trouble. The lesson could be repeated anywhere at anytime.
I would like to create audio-visual podcasts of the more difficult topics/skills in my classes. A student would then be able to review the process of creating a class structure or an array or whatever the skill is for that lesson. There are so many topics that I could cover in short lessons in a podcast. I would like to keep the podcast lessons very short and specific, just walking the student through the process for that particular skill. Students really do not need a long lesson. The student could then apply the lesson or re-run the lesson while they apply the skill.
All of the podcasts could be downloaded from my Blackboard class site while students are in class or before/after school. Most of my students have an MP3 player of some sort, if not the actual iPod. Those who did not could download and play the lesson on any computer, home or school.
Podcasting offers so many benefits for the initial investment of time. I plan to look at the lesson I teach for each programming language and pick the most difficult lessons for which to create my initial files. Eash offers great advice on how to create your own podcast from the practicality of finding the software and hardware to advice on production. I plan to start with the software as I have the needed hardware. Anyone with advice and/or experience with software, please let me know what you think. I would prefer a video file as I think it is very important for the student to actually see the skill being performed. If the podcasting does not work out, I will pursue the same concept with Camtasia.
Posted by lpkeller ( Jun 19 2006, 08:11:35 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Sunday June 18, 2006
Blog #5 Internet Research
Description of Tool/Resource/Strategy
The Internet as a research tool has evolved tremendously over the past ten years. Encyclopedias are obsolete for those with access to the Web. The Internet provides one with current, diverse information from many and varied sources. With the advent of mega-search engines and advanced searching techniques students can access information that would not have been available to those of us who went to school pre-Internet.
Key Findings from Reading
Valenza, in her article, ?Substantive Searching ? Thinking and Behaving Info-Fluently,? describes her experience with students? use of the Internet for research. She describes the information-fluent student and the skills/knowledge that student must have for success. Students must know what they are looking for, know there are search choices, know research holds, know evaluation strategies, and know about advanced searches and types of searching. Student must also know what is quality and be aware that the Internet is interactive. Valenza also tells teachers what they can do to encourage the student.
Reflection
The typical student in my class chooses to research for several assigned papers the easy way. They ?google? it. Whatever pops on Google is what the student uses. I think students need to be taught the abilities and behaviors listed by Valenza. While the student may know what they are looking for, I think they need to have a short lesson on the rest. I plan to put together a research lesson for my students. I typically assign only two or three papers (short) in programming, one for social/ethical issues in technology and one as a current event/issue in the programming industry. While I provide students with a rubric and many external links on the class Blackboard site, I don?t think students really make use of available resources.
In my new lesson, I need to review searching strategies, advanced search options, types of searching as well as evaluating the information/site. Students also need to be taught how to organize their information and plan their project. Many students appear to have never been taught how to organize, or they simply do not apply it in my class. After presenting this information, I would like to give students a current events research paper. The student will need to use multiple sources, including an industry site. After reviewing several sites, I would like students to present their topic and proposed sites before they begin their paper. I would provide scaffolding to the student with an electronic matrix they can use or a concept map option. I have searched out many sites where students can start. I could create a folder on my Blackboard site to provide students with all of this information as well as beginning appropriate sites for them to start their searching. In the product, I will have students annotate their Works-Cited list to encourage them to really think about their sources quality and appropriateness. Once the paper is complete, the student can turn everything in to me electronically with sources as hypertext links. Posted by lpkeller ( Jun 18 2006, 08:25:45 PM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Monday June 12, 2006
Blog #4 Hypermedia Design
Description of Tool/Resource/Strategy
Hypermedia design activities promote the use of technology by students to create interactive products, such as documents with hyperlinks created to teach others about a certain topic. This type of pedagogy exemplifies learning with technology. Technology is the tool used in the activity by the student to create an end product. Using the technology and the design process encourages the student to truly think about the topic and how that information/knowledge can be effectively transferred to others.
Key Findings from Reading
In Chen?s article, ?Moments of Joy: Student Engagement and Conceptual Learning in the Design of Hypermedia Documents,? a study is detailed whereby student levels of engagement and enjoyment of using this type of learning process were assessed. According to Chen, ?collaborative authorship in hypermedia design is often related to greater levels of student motivation, effort, satisfaction, and higher standards of student projects.? Chen notes that students not only learned the content, but also learned design skills. Chen also mentions that this type of assignment requires a ?substantial transformation of classroom settings.?
Reflection
Technology provides teachers and students with many tools in the hardware and software available to us to use. Having the time and tools needed to put together this type of project is not always possible for the teacher. I thoroughly agree with Chen that using tech tools does engage students and has the potential for increased depth of learning. My experience with having students use various technologies, such as PowerPoint and HTML, is that they will not only go further, but also seem to enjoy the process more.
For example, I give my students a final project, culminating the term, that encompasses all of the tools we have learned. The student can choose to design their project as they desire and can add new skills (extra points). I found many students would go beyond what they have learned and add new features to their product. Students would also talk with each other and teach each other the new skill, enhancing shared knowledge in the classroom and between different class periods. Giving students some creative license seems in many cases to set the student up to challenge him/herself. Not only do they create a unique product, they teach themselves and others new skills.
I will be coordinating my C++ programming class the student?s science class next year in creating a project where students will build knowledge from their science course and apply technology from my course, then end up with a product explaining relationships and outcomes. While I look forward to this type of exercise/activity and take the time to put it together, there are many teachers who either will not take the time and effort to create any type of project that uses technology to aide/encourage learning. It seems regardless of the potential benefits, some teachers will simply not design the type of project detailed in Chen?s paper.
Posted by lpkeller ( Jun 12 2006, 11:36:14 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Wednesday June 07, 2006
Blog #3 Software
Description of Tool/Resource/Strategy
Software applications enable the computer to become a useful tool/resource, providing capability and functionality. Software encompasses various types of applications including, but not limited to, simulations, functional applications (MS Office), drills and games. Software can be the means to an end, such as using an application to create a product, or the end itself. Software provides entertainment and edutainment. Educational software is designed and created for individuals to use at home and for teachers to use at school. Increasingly, applications are offered on the Internet, to be accessed from any computer with Internet access.
Key Findings from Reading
In the Williams' reading, "Teacher Beliefs About Educational Software: A Delphi Study," educational computer specialists and teachers (at the elementary, middle and high school levels) were surveyed regarding 1) perceived deficits in current educational software, 2) teaching modifications teachers routinely made to use the software, 3) suggestions for improving software, 4) what changes need to be made to meet today's needs and 5) their vision of future software. After consensus was reached, key findings from this study found teachers' major concerns to be "cost, curriculum, and instructional design issues."
Reflection
As a teacher of computer applications and programming, I am hostage to the applications required in my classes. Frustrating does not even begin to cover the feelings when the county selects an application to be used, then the applications does not install and work as promoted and promised. For example, when I taught Keyboarding, we were required to use a Glencoe product. Unfortunately, it did not install on our network in such a manner as to allow access to many of the applications functionality. With other applications, due to our network's security, the county's access control lists and the server's lack of space, the execution of the program can lag or freeze and some aspects of the program may not be enabled.
Aside from dealing with these practicalities, the cost can be prohibitive. As software may need to be installed in multiple rooms (traveling teachers), licensing issues arise. The costs of a site license versus a specific number of licenses can make the software unattainable. If you can get the licenses for your classroom, the student may not have it at home. For example, I teach computer programming. While in one class (AP Computer Science - Java), the software is free, in another (Computer Programming I - VB.NET) the cost of the software is more than a student or his/her parent/guardian may want to invest for a one-term class. The student can then only work on assignments at school, when the lab is available.
With regards to working the teaching around the software, I am again restricted by the textbook specific to the program and what the software can do (or is allowed to do). Customizing for my class is not possible. For example, my students could not add music to their application because access is not allowed or they cannot access a feature because is not available in our version. And unfortunately, our version is usually at least two versions behind the latest.
Meeting today's needs, matching curriculum and implementing good instructional design is most assuredly a challenge facing the companies creating and marketing their software to teachers. It is apparent these companies need to work more closely with teachers who are their potential users. Too often the purchasers of this software are administrators who have not been in the classroom in a while (or ever) and are out of touch with what is in actuality needed to support and encourage the student. As found in the paper, we need software to engage, to teach, to motivate, to explore and to support the student. Posted by lpkeller ( Jun 07 2006, 09:36:08 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Thursday June 01, 2006
Blog #2 Laptops
Description of Tool/Resource/Strategy
Every student having either a laptop or a tablet pc allows equal access to technology, both the hardware and the needed software. Students, regardless of socio-economics, would be able to use the laptop/tablet to complete assignments that some students would otherwise not have the resources to complete.
Key Findings from Reading
In the ?Research: What It Says About 1 to 1 Learning? document (Apple), research on 1 to 1 initiatives are reviewed. The 1 to 1 computing initiative is to put a computer in every student?s hands, in school and/or at home. There were many aspects of this initiative discussed, including initiative goals, implementation, training, support, and research to date. Various implementations were discussed with mostly positive outcomes. However, the substance of this paper implies the necessity of more rigorous research to substantiate the positive effects of 1 to 1 computing initiatives.
In the Bonifaz/Zucker paper, ?Lessons Learned About Providing Laptops for All Studenst?, 1 to 1 computing (or ubiquitous computing) is again addressed. Five areas of concern are addressed to increase the success for these types of initiatives. Planning, the first category discussed, focuses on setting goals and aligning your policies and support to those goals. Strong leadership, the second area, stresses the need for a strong team at all levels. Funding is the third area and centers around the need for a long-term commitment to financing the initiative. Fourth, the development of partnerships, within and without the school, is presented. Fifth, and last, is the need for careful logistical planning whereby dealing with the day-to-day issues of the hardware/software is discussed. The article also discusses the need for training, as professional development for teachers and education for parents. The article also details concerns with regards to hardware and software as well as the required infrastructure for the campus and for the human characteristic of distaining change.
Reflection
As a teacher that is restricted by the students? resources at home, I am very much in favor of 1 to 1 computing. The schools that have implemented this change are freeing many students to access resources previously unattainable at home by most students. My computer programming students do not have access to the software from my classes, even if they have a computer at home. Therefore, my students cannot work on my assignments anywhere except my classroom (due to software licensing, it is not even available in the media center). Students needing to work a little slower, or wanting to go a little farther are then restricted or put a disadvantage. If my students had a laptop with the required software, they could program anywhere, when it was convenient for them to do so. Allowing students this resource would enable them. The student who needed it could take more time on an assignment. For example, I have an ESL student who, due to the language, works a little slower. He is entirely capable, yet hampered by the lack of the hardware/software at home, in the media center and in his ESL classroom (where the computer will not support my software).
Posted by lpkeller ( Jun 01 2006, 09:28:19 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
Wednesday May 31, 2006
Blog #1 Geocaching
Description of Tool/Resource/Strategy
Geocaching is GPS (Global Positioning System) technology where a person can input coordinates into a handheld GPS device in order to find a cache (treasure) left by another. It is a ?high-tech, worldwide treasure hunt? according to Lynn M Lary. Geocaching is becoming a world-wide sport and offers an interesting application in the classroom.
The students use the GPS device as they input coordinates or access coordinates already entered. Students then use the assigned GPS device to locate the ?treasure? cache. The cache can be anything in a container, for example, a logbook, trinkets, or information left in a plastic box. The ?treasure? can be collected by the ?treasure hunters?, and then used to solve a puzzle or answer a problem. The ?treasure? could also be more clues to the next cache.
Key Findings from Reading
In her article, Hide and Seek, GPS and Geocaching in the Classroom (Learning & Leading with Technology, Volume 31, Number 6), Lary describes the technique of geocaching and offers examples of how to use this technology in the classroom. In using this technique at one middle school camp, Lary received positive feedback from not only the students, but the parents as well. In this example, clues where left in the cache leading students to the next find. Clues ranged from riddles to math problems.
While the article provided no statistical evidence of increased learning/assimilation of knowledge, the stories provided indicated enthusiasm for the activity and the new technology.
Reflection
I really like the idea of getting my students moving around (kinetically). As a computer programming teacher, my students sit at their computers all period (90 min) working on their exercises/projects. Any way I can make learning code less dry and monotonous is a plus. One way I think I could incorporate this technology is to have the cache provide programming statements, which the students would then put in order once all sites had been visited by the team. In having students assemble the statements, then enter them into the program. If the statements are assembled correctly, the code will run and the students will successfully complete the challenge.
I could also put programming problems in the cache then have a contest where students would solve the different problems. With the problems integrated into a project, students could build on each find and collaborate together as a team. Posted by lpkeller ( May 31 2006, 07:41:30 AM EDT ) Permalink Comments [0]
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