Journal 10: “Making History”

Shein, Esther (10/15/2008). Making History. T.H.E. Journal, Retrieved 1/6/2009, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23394

In Esther Shein’s article “Making History,” the author discusses the use of podcasts in a ninth grade U.S. History course in Pennsylvania. The podcasts were to be “old” breaking news stories from World War II. The students were given a list of major events to choose from, and were instructed to create news broadcasts as if those events were happening live. Research for the news stories was done in class using the internet, school library, and numerous textbooks. This innovative use of technology in the classroom gave students a break from the monotony of lectures and textbooks, and gave them something tangible to review for the final exam. Shein also discusses the story of a second teacher in Colorado who sought out and utilized a computer software game simulation which allowed “introduction to business” students create and run their own multi-million dollar company. In this simulation, students learned best from their mistakes when analyzing how to fix the loss of profit or other problems that may have developed along the way. This teacher used additional technology when requesting the students create a power point presentation as a wrap up of the simulation. A third teacher used a software program offered by school supply company Mead called Mead Maps in order to have the students create a product. In all three instances, technology was used to help students better understand information, work as a group, and use critical thinking and analytical skills.

Question 1: How can a teacher with a limited budget utilize these programs in similar ways?
Teachers should look into grants for using technology in the classroom. Many technology companies are willing to donate supplies, materials and money in order for students to be introduced to technology. Additionally, some software companies may give discounts to under-funded schools.

Question 2: Can similar projects be used in classrooms other than business, history and marketing?
Similar projects, such as creating podcasts, could be utilized in many class settings, including English were students could create podcasts about literature. The programs used in the business and marketing classes may be geared more towards those content areas, but there are many software programs out there, surely something for each subject.

Journal 9: Avoiding the 5 Most Common Mistakes in Using Blogs with Students

Reynard, Ph.D., Ruth (10/15/2008). Avoiding the 4 most common mistakes in using blogs with students. T.H.E. Journal, Retrieved 1/6/2009, from http://www.thejournal.com/articles/23434_1

In her article “Avoiding the 5 Most Common Mistakes in Using Blogs with Students,” Dr. Ruth Reynard discusses her five year history of utilizing blogs as part of her coursework. The aim of the article is to guide teachers who would like to use blogs as a way of learning, and help them to avoid the most common mistakes that she has come across. The first mistake that the author discusses is “ineffective contextualization,” or failing to make the students understand the benefit in using blogs in the classroom. She advises using blogs as a self-reflection tool, and therefore students must be prepared and taught how to reflect before beginning a blog. The second mistake is “unclear learning outcomes.” Teachers should focus on the overall outcome of the course for each individual student before deciding to use any particular tools in the classroom. The third common mistake is when teachers try to use the blog for something other than what it is. It is an individual publication, not a discussion forum, and should be utilized as such. Another mistake made when using blogs in the classroom is similar to problems with other tools and assessments: students are not given a clear rubric for the grading process. The last mistake that the author discusses is not allocating proper time for students to complete the blogging projects. As in any other assignment, students should be given a flexible amount of time to complete projects that will be graded.

Question 1: How can I expect all of my students to have the facilities to blog?
The author does not make any mention of how she expects students to have access to the internet and blogging sites. Many students in primary school do not have access to the internet or even a computer outside of school. In order to utilize this tool with my students, I would have to allow for time out of class in the computer lab, or have ready access for students inside the classroom.

Question 2: Would creating a class wiki be more productive since it would facilitate open communication amongst all students?
There is a place for both tools in the classroom. The blog should be used for journaling and self-reflection only, not as a means of open communication amongst the students. If the teacher would like to facilitate a more open forum for discussion of class topics, a wiki or some other forum would be more useful.

Journal 8: A '"Fantastic Super" Use of Technology: Closing the Digital Divide

In the article “A ‘Fantastic Super’ Use of Technology: Closing the Digital Divide,” author Diane Curtis introduces us to Mary Scroggs Elementary School in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This relatively new school, built in 1999, has a technological focus, which they are able to provide their students because of a grant by Bell-South. Each classroom has laptops and computers with wireless internet for use by students. The school runs a closed-circuit television stations which produces a daily news report. Additionally, the school was built with technology and collaboration in mind. Teachers have their own offices which are connected to their classroom where they have access to computers, internet and telephones. They share this office space with a “matched teacher,” where less experienced teachers are placed with more experienced teachers for a mentor relationship.
In the agreement with Bell-South to receive the funds for the school and its technology, Mary Scroggs Elementary has promised to make the learning environment full of innovation and digital use. Each teacher has a webpage which is updated daily. They use electronic equipment in class to review the day’s lessons. They communicate with each other, students, and parents primarily through email. The students at Scroggs are becoming technologically savvy and everyone is benefitting from the advancement.

Question 1: How can the school ensure that all students and parents have access to the technology at home?
Part of the grant from Bell-South is used by the school to supply families without a computer at home a device which can be used to access email, class websites and other specific internet sites useful in education. Every student and parent/caretaker has the ability to be made aware of what is going on in the classroom on a daily basis.
Question 2: How could I integrate some of these programs in my classroom without funding from a company like Bell-South?
While not all students will have internet/computer access at home, each student should be able to find a local library, school computer lab or friend or neighbors house where they can periodically utilize the internet for educational purposes. Additionally, I may be able to find local programs that donate computers to families or schools, or provide access at a reduced price.

Curtis, D. (2002, ). A '. Retrieved January 5, 2009, from http://www.edutopia.org/fantastic-super-use-technology

Journal 7: Classroom 2.0: GAMING

Gaming is defined as the use of interactive games, specifically video games, for educational purposes. These games are often simulations which engage the senses and allow for critical thinking and reactions by the students. Games which are used in the classroom setting vary from online games to software programs and even “old fashioned” board games.
I found one thread of discussions about gaming, called simply "Gaming in the Classroom," to be very interesting particularly because the topic was mostly focused on using gaming in the social science setting, which is the subject that I will be teaching. Even more interesting was the fact that a couple of teachers had used games to introduce and help the students understand the beginning of World War I, focusing primarily on the alliance system. I just taught this portion of history to a ninth grade World History class, and one of these games would have been an incredible tool to use with the students. Students easily confuse the alliance system, and a game would be a great way for them to be able to visually see the system and thus understand it better. This discussion thread also provided other gaming ideas for different social science areas and will be a great place for me to seek help and ideas from other teachers in this area. I would love to be able to incorporate gaming into my social science courses in the future.

Journal 6a: Inspiration

1. I loved using Inspiration software! This is an extremely helpful tool for planning or organizing thoughts. I believe this could be very useful both to students and to teachers. Teachers could utilize this program to create a variety of colorful and inventive graphic organizers for students, while students could use it to map out thoughts or plans for projects. It is user friendly and allows for easy "reversal" of any steps. Because this program is not free, I believe it is not truly accessible for all students. The cost is the one downside to the program.

2. As a teacher, I could use this program to create colorful and inventive graphic organizers for my students to use in class which will help them retain information. For students, this program can be used to map out thoughts from notes and textbook reading, or to plan for projects.

3. I did not utilize Atomic Learning for this software. I was able to learn how to use Inspiration through the in-class tutorial. Additionally, it was extremely user friendly and easy to pick up on.

Journal 6b - iMovie

1. I found iMovie to be a very detailed and complete program. It allows the user to create a movie and add useul things such as audio, visual and audio effects, and to edit. However, I think that a first time user of this software would greatly benefit from a tutorial. I found the software to be slightly confusing with not a lot of explanation. It allowed you to change things without previewing how the change would appear. Once something was changed, it was too difficult to reverse it. The great thing about this software program is that it is free, which makes it highly accessible to all students.

2. I can think of many ways that this program can be used in the classroom. For example, in a history class, students could create a video re-enactment of a historical event. They could utilize iMovie for editing and adding audio and effects.

3. I did not use Atomic Learning for this software.

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