Cindy B. Allen
Session 12: Internet Part II: Student Creation of Online Resources
Session 12: Internet Part II: Student Creation of Online Resources, Weblogs
Description:
A weblog, also known as a ?blog?, is a tool students can use to discuss any topic on a weblog website. Weblogs have a website format where graphics and multimedia can be attached and look similar to text that would be written in an e-mail. However, anybody can post a blog without needing personal access. Teachers have incorporated blogging as a collaborative tool in their classrooms for students to utilize while learning about similar topics.
Key findings from readings: ?The Educator?s Guide to the Read/Write Web?, by Will Richardson
Cindy?s ideas to apply in my own teaching:
I have a few ideas about the ways I would like to incorporate weblogs into my classroom; one, for students to contact professionals. In my Business Law class we discuss several different types of law and their foundations. If students could build a weblog and post their questions about these different types of law and encourage legal professionals to respond, they would have a better understanding of why different laws were created and their purposes today. Next, in my Small Business Entrepreneurship class; I could get students to post information about writing a Business Plan. There are so many small businesses out there that either don?t have a plan or don?t know how to create one, that these ?getting started tips? would be helpful. The blogs could include parts of a business plan as well as resources for new entrepreneurs to utilize. Finally, I would like to use weblogs for the students we are going to partner with in
Posted at 06:25PM Jun 19, 2006 by cballen3 in General | Comments[0]
Session 11: Internet Part I: Access and Usage of Online Resources, Webquests
Session 11: Internet Part I: Access and Usage of Online Resources-WebQuest
Description:
A webquest is a tool organized by an instructor for his/her students to research a topic on the Internet. Teachers pick a topic, give students an activity sheet and have students research websites, answer questions, and / or give students further instruction from those sites.
Key findings from readings: ?Five Rules for Writing a Great Webquest?, by Bernie Dodge
Dodge gives the definition of a webquest as:
??an inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners? time well, to focus on using information rather than looking for it, and to support learners? thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.? (p. 7)
He also recommends how instructors can write an effective webquest based on 5 principles, using the acronym ?FOCUS?.
F ? Find Great Sites
O ? Orchestrate Learners and Resources
C ? Challenge Your Learners to Think
U ? Use the Medium
S ? Scaffold High Expectations
When teachers create a webquest, their first task should be finding the appropriate websites, saving them to a bookmark manager on the Internet, and then have students access the sites from there. Teachers shouldn?t blindly send their students onto the Internet without direction. Orchestrating the learners and resources means having your students work together on a webquest, especially if there are not enough computers for each student. Plus, students can work on developing their knowledge about the topic prior to getting on the computer too (if teachers are waiting for a computer lab appointment). All teachers have been given the task of teaching our students how to use higher order thinking skills (as with Bloom?s Taxonomy). The webquests can afford students this challenge based on what tasks the student are asked to perform with the information he/she finds on the Internet. Use the medium means using it to its fullest. The Internet and computers today can do more than create fancy PowerPoint slides or put together a well organized document, they can interact through educational games and connect students to primary sources (people and documents), even more; so have students use the medium to its fullest to find out as much possible, in different ways, about the topic they are researching. Scaffolding high expectations include three principles: reception, transformation, and production. Teachers should be mindful of the activities they ask students to perform with the webquest. Have the students looked for information on the Internet before, what are they going to do with the information they find, and how will they present what they have learned? Be sure to prepare students to get the best experience from the webquest.
Cindy?s ideas to apply in my own teaching:
I created webquests in the past and wondered why they didn?t go well? Now I know. First, I needed to organize the websites I found into a bookmark manager on the Internet, so my students could go directly to the bookmark manager to access the sites in the webquest. Normally, I had my students work independently because I have enough computers in my classroom; however they struggled a lot and probably would have worked better with a partner to help find information. Preparing students prior to accessing the Internet would have been invaluable and helped them know what they were looking for once at the sites. Plus, most of the websites I sent my students to were not interactive and the webquest would have been more fun if they had been. Finally, I did not ask higher order thinking questions nor did I get them to do high order thinking tasks with the information they found; my students are capable of higher expectations. In the future, I will incorporate what Mr. Dodge suggested and either use an Internet site with webquests already designed (incorporating FOCUS) or create my own making sure I use ?FOCUS? for the outline.
Posted at 10:09PM Jun 18, 2006 by cballen3 in General | Comments[0]
Session 10: Software Part IV: Tools for Student Audio-Video Production
Session 10: Software Part IV: Tools for Student Audio-Video Production
Description:
Students can learn more about a subject, or topic, through creating audio or video productions. Video Production is similar to recording a movie. Students find a topic of interest (normally influenced by their teacher), research the topic, find or create video about the topic, and organize it all into a video. Students use video production tools and discuss what they learned by doing the video and how they decided what to include in the video based on the topic.
Key findings from readings: ?Finding Compassion? by Janet Bremer and Marilyn Clark.
The basis for these video productions was students were required to complete 120 hours of service to graduate. Their teacher, Janet Bremer, decided to contact non-profit organizations to see if the students could work with them to create a video for their organization. Due to the lack of funding for these organizations, they were more than willing to allow the students to come in. Some of the organizations had the students to video about the programs they offered to raise money, recruit volunteers, and educate the public.
To create the video, the students had to go and learn more about the organization, find out what they did, what they wanted in the video, and choose the best format for the video. The organizations would provide this information to students through tours of their facilities, giving them background information, telling them who their audience would be for the video, and finally how long the video should last.
Once students gathered all their information they would return to school and form a storyboard to organize their ideas; the first item on the video was normally a virtual tour of the facility. Next, they would visit the non-profit organization and record one hour of video to ensure a few minutes of high quality footage. Then the teachers, students, and administration would look at the video and critique it accordingly. Finally some music was added (whether it was free music from the Internet or a student band within the school) and the video was edited for completion.
Cindy?s ideas to apply in my own teaching:
My principal asked me to be a part of ?The Center for International Understanding?; we will be coordinating with a school in
First, I thought we could do a virtual tour of the school and include several different samples of background music (that my students currently listen to) like country, rock, rap, and others. We could ask Wal-Mart if we could do some footage in their store since most foreign countries think Wal-Mart is an amazing place (even though they have opened stores in other countries now). Basically introduce the students in
Posted at 10:12PM Jun 13, 2006 by cballen3 in General | Comments[0]
Session 5 - Hardware Part II: Laptops/Tablets
Laptops ? Session 5, Hardware Part II: Laptops/Tablets
Description:
A Laptop computer is a small version of a large, desktop computer. A laptop can perform the same functions as a desktop including Microsoft Office packages, Internet connections, and more.
Key findings from readings: ?Lessons Learned for Providing Laptops for All Students? by Alejandra Bonifaz and Andrew Zucker
Several states are incorporating a 1:1 ratio of students to laptops. This particular article discussed the initiative in
There were four areas the authors specifically discussed for implementation, which were: (1) planning, (2) training and professional development, (3) managing change, and (4) monitoring and evaluation. In reviewing each of these steps; planning the goals for the initiative must be determined; for example, student learning and bridging the digital divide. Teachers and administrators need to be trained about issuing laptops to students, not only with the technology, but with curriculum integration too. Next, parents need to be trained in basic technical skills since students will bring the laptops home and parents need to be familiar with the code of conduct and rules with having the school?s laptop in their home. Change is never easy, so sufficient time needs to be given for technical integration along with teachers having time to become familiar with the technology. Students need to be taught basic keyboarding skills before being issued a laptop. The schools should also reach out to the community for awareness and support. The final step is monitoring and evaluation. Benchmarks should be created for implementation and reviewed during the monitoring and evaluation steps; special attention should be given to the curriculum, costs, benefits, and methods of delivery.
Cindy?s ideas to apply in my own teaching:
The article above already mentioned the majority of points I need to make to implement a 1:1 ratio of computers to students. I have summarized my personal initiative to bring this program to our school.
I teach in a low socioeconomic school. We truly have a digital divide between the wealthy and poor students. Our poorer students do not have a computer at home, they ride the bus to school, and cannot stay after school to work on the computers; this has truly affected their academic achievement.
To create this initiative in my school I would get the teachers, administration, and community involved to support the program and help find the funding; informing them of the benefits to help the lower socioeconomic students, improve student achievement, and increase Smithfield/Selma?s economic competitiveness. Our community truly wants the best for our school since we are one of the largest high schools in
Once we found the funding, the teachers and administrators would need to be trained about how the laptops can be incorporated into the curriculum. It would be crucial that teachers were trained adequately to feel comfortable with this technology in their classrooms and incorporating the laptops into their curriculum (or the initiative would be in vain). The parents would need to be trained on the technical and accountability end of their student bringing home a laptop from school. Definitely we would need to decide on an accountability policy and code of conduct for the students, per se, ?renting? the computers and insuring the laptops as well. Finally, students would need to be taught basic, keyboarding skills (which several lack coming into high school).
Surely we would set benchmarks for implementing and developing this program into our school and measuring our effectiveness along the way.
Posted at 08:32PM Jun 11, 2006 by cballen3 in General | Comments[1]
Session 7 - Software I and Multimedia
MERLOT ? Session 7 - Software Part I: Commercial CAI and Multimedia ? Commercial Software and Multimedia Websites
Description:
MERLOT is an acronym for Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching. The website includes several free tutorials and other helpful information for students and teachers. The MERLOT community consists of professionals in higher education that have created websites and supplied helpful information. Membership is free and MERLOT encourages active participation to benefit different curriculums.
Key findings from readings: ?Teacher Beliefs about Educational Software: A
In this article, the authors organized a group of teachers to evaluate educational software in the classroom. Some of the problems the teachers discussed about educational software included: 1) instructional design issues 2) curriculum 3) materials 4) cost 5) meeting specific needs. The instructional design issues are the software is not always user friendly for the teacher or student since the designers of the software never asked a teacher or student what they needed. Teachers must teach the curriculum and software does not always meet those curriculum needs. Plus, materials and other helpful information (ex: help desk) are not always available to assist the teacher about how to use the software. Cost is another factor since schools have to purchase a site license to use the software which can be very expensive. Finally, unlike textbooks, worksheets, and other ?hard copy? material, a teacher cannot pick and choose what he/she wants to teach from the software nor can it be easily manipulated to fit into the curriculum. MERLOT has taken all these needs into consideration and organized their website into subject area so teachers can easily access their field of study. Once the field of study has been assessed the teachers will find several, free websites (that teachers and professors have created) they can use to enhance learning in their classroom. The websites include multimedia production (ex: PowerPoint and sound), real-life simulations (ex: leadership and accounting), and quizzes or flash cards to assist students with studying.
Cindy?s ideas to apply in my own teaching: Currently I teach Business Education classes that include Principles of Business and Personal Finance, Business Law, and Computerized Accounting I and II. When I visited the MERLOT website, I chose the topic, business. Under business I chose ?Accounting? and found two great websites for my students to use. The first website was created by Michael Worthington from The second website was created by Professor Jim Formosa from Nashville State Tech. His website gave an introduction (with voice) and an acronym (ALCIE) for students to remember what accounts are debited, credited, and their normal balance side. This is one area my Computerized Accounting I students have tremendous difficulty with. Once I have taught my students this concept, I will allow them to get on the computers and access this website to learn the acronym, ALCIE, listen to Professor Formosa (instead of me), and let them practice his quiz at the end to see if they comprehended what we both said.
Posted at 04:53PM Jun 11, 2006 by cballen3 in General | Comments[0]
Session 6 - Hardware - Classroom Response System
Description:
A Classroom Response System (CRS) is a type of hardware (supplemented by software) used in colleges and elementary to high school classrooms today to measure how well students understand what is being taught in class. With the CRS, students are given (or purchase) what looks like a television remote (also known as a keypad). When a teacher asks a question, students can submit their answers via the remote and the teacher instantly can see student results about whether or not they understood the concept he/she is teaching.
Key findings from readings: ?Get Answers ? Using Student Response Systems to See Students? Thinking?, by David Johnson and Scott McLeod
In this article the authors discussed all the different teaching strategies that teachers could use in the classroom with CRS, besides just asking questions. Two CRS introduced were the Discourse System and TurningPoint System.
The teacher using the Discourse System played games with her students incorporating vocabulary. A student would leave the room, she would give a word to the class, the student would return, and his/her classmates would give hints about the word via their keyboard with their hints displayed on the TV monitor. Another teacher had students journal for ten minutes, she could see their writings and correct their work as they wrote. Both these examples were in elementary schools.
The teacher using TurningPoint was in a college setting. Using PowerPoint, he could give a presentation, incorporate ?question? slides, ask students to respond and discuss their answers with each other prior to showing the class? answer, and then give the results.
The benefits to this software are: (1) helps focus attention for students with attention deficit disorders, (2) increases student to teacher communication, (3) encourages ?shy? student participation, (4) gives students and teachers quick feedback which allows timely remediation, (5) teachers have less paperwork because scores can be recorded automatically, and (6) stimulates a classroom community.
To utilize a CRS, schools need to purchase hardware and software. Hardware includes the keypads (or remotes for each student) and a receiver hooked to the teachers? computer to receive answers. Software is the CRS and teachers could choose according to their needs. CRS vary in price from free to $8,499, the article compared different types of CRS and keypad efficiency.
Cindy?s ideas to apply in my own teaching:
There are several ways I could apply CRS in my classroom. First, I have students? record VoCATS questions everyday in their notebooks and answer a ?Thought for the Day?. If students submitted their work through this system I could easily see if they had taken shortcuts, answered the ?Thought for the Day?, make comments to them, and have the system record their work.
Next, when I give PowerPoint presentations that are included in my curriculum, I could incorporate ?question? slides, have students respond and discuss their answers with each other, and then display the class? results.
Finally, the CRS would be helpful when reviewing for exams or tests. I could instantly see what concepts the students did and did not understand and discuss the material right then instead of waiting to see where their weaknesses are on the exam (which is normally too late).
Posted at 04:40AM Jun 09, 2006 by cballen3 in General | Comments[0]