"Beginning the Journey Fire-Year-Olds drive their own PBL Projects, “was a very interesting video. I was impressed with how much discovery learning was going on and the excitement in the students. They were energized, interested, and engaged because they had a say and choice in what they were learning. Their learning was driven from their own interests and pure curiosity. For example when they were learning about Brazil, the teacher asked the students to consider how one might get to Brazil from where they were living.
The students had to gather background knowledge, connecting skills and also critical thinking to solve such a problem. Ideas of transportation were considered and then to make the concepts more concrete, the student actually created a plane and passports. They went through the process of security at an airport by creating passports and lines for students to pass through. They even had chairs set up to model the plane, control panels for the captains and a speech created where the captain claimed there wouldn't be too much turbulence. While the teacher guided instruction, each step of the way was first considered by the students. It was up to the students to problem solve and decide what needed to be done at each step of the process. Students tend to be more engaged when they feel like they have a voice in their classroom. Plus one of the teachers mentioned that they covered all of the standards and core subjects through such projects. The difference was that teaching problem-based learning allowed the students to apply all content areas into one instead of in isolation.
Technology helped launch lifelong learning because the students were able to use the internet to find maps of the concepts they were problem solving and information through the internet. Such access to technology showed the students how easy it was to find information and encouraged them to get excited about learning new things. Since they problem solved their way through projects, they felt a stronger sense of accomplishment when they were done. Problem solving projects are student-centered with mini goals along the way. The school also had smart boards and that made the internet technology learning more interactive and hands on. I can only imagine how much planning must go into this project for the teachers. Also since they are driven by the students, the teachers on some level probably have to acquire materials and planning as they go. I'm sure the teachers guide the students towards certain topics that lead to the standards and their curriculum.
The main elements of problem based learning are critical thinking, inquiry, problem solving, collaboration, communication, student choice and feedback. I think it is very important at any level for students to get feedback because it provides the encouragement and positive reinforcement needed to keep them going. Critical thinking and inquiry allows them to think outside the box, brainstorm, tap into prior knowledge and not depend on the teacher for the answer. Lastly collaboration and communication is key with problem-solving because it allows a variety of students to discuss and consider the possibilities and work together.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Chapter 5 and 6
While reading through chapters 5 and 6, I was happy to notice that I have used many technological tools beyond the basic programs. That being said, there are still many programs that I would like to learn more about. The programs that I am not as familiar with are PDA's, GPS -for the classroom use, animation, adding sounds / graphics, and also desktop publishing. I am interested in learning more about desktop publishing and finding ways to allow my students to create documents in more creative ways.
Over the last few years, my district has done a good job when it comes to teaching us how to use data collection tools. We have been provided with step-by-step instructions on how to insert grades into our electronic gradebook, open access for parents to view, publish grades, add comments and make reports. If there are problems with anything, teachers and administration are there to assist. We use a program called SchoolMax and I noticed that it was mentioned in the textbook. This program includes the electronic gradebook and student information such as name, date of birth, phone numbers, address, medical information and class schedules. Having all of this information within the SchoolMax system makes it very easy to access necessary information whenever it is needed. All the teachers have to do is login to the system from any computer.
We just started an online computer-based testing program called Discovery Education. This program allows teachers to give the students the tests three times a year and gauge their reading progress. It not only gives individual scores but also allows teachers to see the percentages of students who exceeded, met and or were below standards. This information is collected and available to the teachers as soon as the students finish the online test. This instant data allows the teachers to guide and drive their instruction based on their students’ areas of need. I also have the students read nightly and fill out a daily summary. At the end of two weeks, they take a quiz on a free on-line program called www.bookadventure.com. The only drawback is that the students can only choose books that are on the Book Adventure Quiz list. It is somewhat limiting but the list grows all of the time. They can take the quiz two times and I take the highest score. Each student is assigned a number and later I can go into the system to record their scores.
Near the end of the year I teach my students researching skills in order for them to write an Expository paper on a country of their choice. I believe that they should know how to use an index and table of contents while looking through a book or encyclopedia. At the same time, I also provide them with strategies on how to effectively search for information on the Internet. I use websites such as www.onekey.com, country database websites, and also electronic encyclopedias (World Book), atlases and dictionaries. The technology allows the students to have an abundance of information at their fingertips. Yet with all of this information, the students and myself included, can become overwhelmed. Part of allowing the students to use the technology includes teaching them how to filter through all of the information in order to find out what is important and specific to their topic. Using keywords and creating questions they'd like to have answered helps.
Next year my school will be starting a new reading series in which the textbook and other supported materials will be available online as an ebook through a program called Think Central-Story Town. I think this will help students stay more accountable because they can access any textbook reading homework from a home computer. Not every student has internet connections / a computer, but this prevents many students from saying that they forgot their textbook at school. The stories within Think Central also have an auditory feature that can read the selection to the students. This will help differentiate instruction for students who learn best by hearing the text and or reading it from a computer screen. This could be similar to what the girl, Sam did in the video about Digital Natives.
I feel that these types of technologies help not only the student, but also the teacher and sometimes the parent. SchoolMax saves me time and keeps information organized. Having online grades allows the parents to be updated on their child's progress and tends to provide them with the information necessary to help their child improve. Technology tends to be engaging for students and also a time saver for teachers. This allows teachers to spend more time planning interactive lessons and teaching in general. Also I introduce the year teaching geography and therefore I'd like to incorporate Google Earth into the unit.
Visual Picture Dictionary:
http://visual.merriam-webster.com/search-results.php?s_search_box=pomegranate&s_search_result=pomegranate
This website provides visual ways to express new concepts and I plan on using this next year.
Over the last few years, my district has done a good job when it comes to teaching us how to use data collection tools. We have been provided with step-by-step instructions on how to insert grades into our electronic gradebook, open access for parents to view, publish grades, add comments and make reports. If there are problems with anything, teachers and administration are there to assist. We use a program called SchoolMax and I noticed that it was mentioned in the textbook. This program includes the electronic gradebook and student information such as name, date of birth, phone numbers, address, medical information and class schedules. Having all of this information within the SchoolMax system makes it very easy to access necessary information whenever it is needed. All the teachers have to do is login to the system from any computer.
We just started an online computer-based testing program called Discovery Education. This program allows teachers to give the students the tests three times a year and gauge their reading progress. It not only gives individual scores but also allows teachers to see the percentages of students who exceeded, met and or were below standards. This information is collected and available to the teachers as soon as the students finish the online test. This instant data allows the teachers to guide and drive their instruction based on their students’ areas of need. I also have the students read nightly and fill out a daily summary. At the end of two weeks, they take a quiz on a free on-line program called www.bookadventure.com. The only drawback is that the students can only choose books that are on the Book Adventure Quiz list. It is somewhat limiting but the list grows all of the time. They can take the quiz two times and I take the highest score. Each student is assigned a number and later I can go into the system to record their scores.
Near the end of the year I teach my students researching skills in order for them to write an Expository paper on a country of their choice. I believe that they should know how to use an index and table of contents while looking through a book or encyclopedia. At the same time, I also provide them with strategies on how to effectively search for information on the Internet. I use websites such as www.onekey.com, country database websites, and also electronic encyclopedias (World Book), atlases and dictionaries. The technology allows the students to have an abundance of information at their fingertips. Yet with all of this information, the students and myself included, can become overwhelmed. Part of allowing the students to use the technology includes teaching them how to filter through all of the information in order to find out what is important and specific to their topic. Using keywords and creating questions they'd like to have answered helps.
Next year my school will be starting a new reading series in which the textbook and other supported materials will be available online as an ebook through a program called Think Central-Story Town. I think this will help students stay more accountable because they can access any textbook reading homework from a home computer. Not every student has internet connections / a computer, but this prevents many students from saying that they forgot their textbook at school. The stories within Think Central also have an auditory feature that can read the selection to the students. This will help differentiate instruction for students who learn best by hearing the text and or reading it from a computer screen. This could be similar to what the girl, Sam did in the video about Digital Natives.
I feel that these types of technologies help not only the student, but also the teacher and sometimes the parent. SchoolMax saves me time and keeps information organized. Having online grades allows the parents to be updated on their child's progress and tends to provide them with the information necessary to help their child improve. Technology tends to be engaging for students and also a time saver for teachers. This allows teachers to spend more time planning interactive lessons and teaching in general. Also I introduce the year teaching geography and therefore I'd like to incorporate Google Earth into the unit.
Visual Picture Dictionary:
http://visual.merriam-webster.com/search-results.php?s_search_box=pomegranate&s_search_result=pomegranate
This website provides visual ways to express new concepts and I plan on using this next year.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Engaging Digital Natives
I think that contemporary instructional software helps engage "Digital Natives" because it lets them be actively involved in their learning. Higher-order thinking occurs when such software requires students to make informed decisions and consider all of their options. Also such software programs or online simulations require the students to draw on prior knowledge from class and therefore students would hopefully see the connections and real-life purposes of the concepts they learned in class. I think that students are mostly engaged when they can see the relevance of what they are learning and an answer to, "Why do I need to learn this?"
Many times simply adding a game feature, colorful graphics and sounds to an educational program adds a sense of competition, excitement and interest. Sam from the video said that technology was her second life and therefore she'd probably be more motivated to learn at school if technology was integrated. Her teachers said that she always added her own creative style to projects with the use of technology. The article mentioned that since technology is so accessible to many students, they will most likely expect it in school and learn more effectively through their "native language."
I found the term "Digital Natives" to be very fitting and the term in itself helped simplify the concepts. I always felt as if I was pretty good at technology because I grew up in school with it. Yet the technology that is available for students today is much more advanced than my first black and white apple computer. My students would probably gasp to hear that the Internet wasn't in common use when I was born. I tutor students at a local library and I see 5 year-olds playing computer learning games. So what I'm trying to say here is even though I'm more advanced in technology than others, my students probably know things in which they could teach me. I like step-by-step instructions and yet Sam from the video, "Digital Youth Portrait: Sam" mentioned how she finds technology to be like trial and error. If one thing doesn't work, she'll try something else. Honestly I think that's what makes students like Sam "Digital Natives" because as the "Schools Use of Games for Learning and Assessment Video" mentioned, the students are becoming designers of technology instead of merely passive consumers. As mentioned above higher order thinking occurs when students have to trouble shoot their way through a process and learn problem solving skills.
Technology integration can help with the usually difficult concept of differentiation because many software programs build with difficulty level as they are played. Also some allow students to choose the level of difficulty in order to start at a level in which is not frustrating or too easy. This flexibility allows the students to work at their own pace and level. Sometimes students will finish an assignment early and instead of sitting around or doing busy work, this would allow them to work on an engaging activity.
In an ideal teaching situation technology would be very beneficial for enhancing the content. The students would be given opportunities to think outside the box, be more creative and apply what they have learned. Its one thing to have the students memorize historical facts, but much more important if they can apply those facts to a hands-on critical thinking simulation. The downfalls of technology are even though some software programs have levels, not all students have had the same exposure to technology and some will need detailed instruction. According to the Prensky article, these students were immigrants because they would overwhelmed and unaccustomed to such a digital language that surrounds so many aspects of other student's lives. While that is true, it just emphasizes how important it is to reach as many students as possible. Plus just like Sam taught her mother's college students, kids tend to learn a lot from their peers.
I found two interesting links that would be interactive for teaching Latitude and Longitude and also for history teachers a link about digging for ancient artifacts.
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-games/latitude-longitude-map-game.php
http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/interactives/DigIntoHistory.html
Oh and also a favorite of mine: www.freerice.com
Many times simply adding a game feature, colorful graphics and sounds to an educational program adds a sense of competition, excitement and interest. Sam from the video said that technology was her second life and therefore she'd probably be more motivated to learn at school if technology was integrated. Her teachers said that she always added her own creative style to projects with the use of technology. The article mentioned that since technology is so accessible to many students, they will most likely expect it in school and learn more effectively through their "native language."
I found the term "Digital Natives" to be very fitting and the term in itself helped simplify the concepts. I always felt as if I was pretty good at technology because I grew up in school with it. Yet the technology that is available for students today is much more advanced than my first black and white apple computer. My students would probably gasp to hear that the Internet wasn't in common use when I was born. I tutor students at a local library and I see 5 year-olds playing computer learning games. So what I'm trying to say here is even though I'm more advanced in technology than others, my students probably know things in which they could teach me. I like step-by-step instructions and yet Sam from the video, "Digital Youth Portrait: Sam" mentioned how she finds technology to be like trial and error. If one thing doesn't work, she'll try something else. Honestly I think that's what makes students like Sam "Digital Natives" because as the "Schools Use of Games for Learning and Assessment Video" mentioned, the students are becoming designers of technology instead of merely passive consumers. As mentioned above higher order thinking occurs when students have to trouble shoot their way through a process and learn problem solving skills.
Technology integration can help with the usually difficult concept of differentiation because many software programs build with difficulty level as they are played. Also some allow students to choose the level of difficulty in order to start at a level in which is not frustrating or too easy. This flexibility allows the students to work at their own pace and level. Sometimes students will finish an assignment early and instead of sitting around or doing busy work, this would allow them to work on an engaging activity.
In an ideal teaching situation technology would be very beneficial for enhancing the content. The students would be given opportunities to think outside the box, be more creative and apply what they have learned. Its one thing to have the students memorize historical facts, but much more important if they can apply those facts to a hands-on critical thinking simulation. The downfalls of technology are even though some software programs have levels, not all students have had the same exposure to technology and some will need detailed instruction. According to the Prensky article, these students were immigrants because they would overwhelmed and unaccustomed to such a digital language that surrounds so many aspects of other student's lives. While that is true, it just emphasizes how important it is to reach as many students as possible. Plus just like Sam taught her mother's college students, kids tend to learn a lot from their peers.
I found two interesting links that would be interactive for teaching Latitude and Longitude and also for history teachers a link about digging for ancient artifacts.
http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-games/latitude-longitude-map-game.php
http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/interactives/DigIntoHistory.html
Oh and also a favorite of mine: www.freerice.com
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Integrating Technology
The concept of a "blog" has been around for awhile, but it's something I've never really done. So to start off technology is something that I've always enjoyed as long as it "works" and doesn't get that frustrating. Being that I teach Reading / Language Arts and Ancient History, those topics tend to be of interest. For reading my school has purchased a new reading series called Storytown. There is a large on-line component in which the students will be able to leave their textbook at home and read a story on-line. The story / lesson can also be read to them. My teacher edition and any other workbooks / resources are available to me on-line. This will allow me to easily post / attach assignments for absent students / those who "forget" their homework at school.
I'm very interested in using technology to better link the partnership between parents and teachers. Currently I have a calendar webpage in which parents can view homework assignments, attachments for worksheets / handouts from class and also announcements. Throughout the last few years I have really started to understand how important it is for parents to have a place to be informed and know how they can try to ensure that their child gets their work done. This is something that I plan to update more often in the coming year. I'm excited to learn more from this class and find ways to make my website more user friendly and effective.
Having a blog or space for parents and teachers to ask questions / clarification might be nice as long as it is used just for help with homework and or classwork. Also if one student has a question about something, my answer might help others. Maybe on one of my sites I could post educational games / websites for students. I would have to let parents and teachers know that I will check in occasionally but not all the time.
Also so far I use technology in my classroom by using my proxima to project handouts, worksheets and short readings so that my students can visually follow along. I also use a program called Journal Writer to highlight sections and write notes. I can scan in any document that I want and then project it on a whiteboard. This has allowed me to get away from the traditional overhead projector. For grammar occasionally I show clips from a website http://www.brainpop.com/. It has short videos that through cartoon characters explain grammar topics and many other subjects. This was something that was purchased by my school and has grabbed my student's attention. Also as simple as it sounds I always try to find pictures and or websites to reinforce a topic or concept mentioned in a story we are reading. For example one time we were talking about Adobe houses that are made out of mud and clay. The textbook didn't give the best pictures so I found some on-line to help the students visually better understand what they were learning.
Lastly while it's not something I know a lot about, I'm interested in WIKI's. From what I understand they can be used to allow students to comment / discuss books or stories they are reading. I think if I learn more about it and understand how to make sure the students take the posts seriously, this could be a great way for them to reflect and think about what they have read. In addition it could help with their typing skills and social interaction!
I'm very interested in using technology to better link the partnership between parents and teachers. Currently I have a calendar webpage in which parents can view homework assignments, attachments for worksheets / handouts from class and also announcements. Throughout the last few years I have really started to understand how important it is for parents to have a place to be informed and know how they can try to ensure that their child gets their work done. This is something that I plan to update more often in the coming year. I'm excited to learn more from this class and find ways to make my website more user friendly and effective.
Having a blog or space for parents and teachers to ask questions / clarification might be nice as long as it is used just for help with homework and or classwork. Also if one student has a question about something, my answer might help others. Maybe on one of my sites I could post educational games / websites for students. I would have to let parents and teachers know that I will check in occasionally but not all the time.
Also so far I use technology in my classroom by using my proxima to project handouts, worksheets and short readings so that my students can visually follow along. I also use a program called Journal Writer to highlight sections and write notes. I can scan in any document that I want and then project it on a whiteboard. This has allowed me to get away from the traditional overhead projector. For grammar occasionally I show clips from a website http://www.brainpop.com/. It has short videos that through cartoon characters explain grammar topics and many other subjects. This was something that was purchased by my school and has grabbed my student's attention. Also as simple as it sounds I always try to find pictures and or websites to reinforce a topic or concept mentioned in a story we are reading. For example one time we were talking about Adobe houses that are made out of mud and clay. The textbook didn't give the best pictures so I found some on-line to help the students visually better understand what they were learning.
Lastly while it's not something I know a lot about, I'm interested in WIKI's. From what I understand they can be used to allow students to comment / discuss books or stories they are reading. I think if I learn more about it and understand how to make sure the students take the posts seriously, this could be a great way for them to reflect and think about what they have read. In addition it could help with their typing skills and social interaction!
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