Sorry, I just wanted to start a serious topic by getting everyone thinking about Cuba Gooding, Jr.
There are so many excellent applications of technology in education, finding the funding to support technology initiatives is always on the minds of district technology directors. Usually, this involves hours spent "burning the midnight oil" grantwriting, so when potentially good news comes out of Washington regarding Federal funding it is like a birthday present.
The March 2008 issue of the Consortium of School Networking (CoSN) newsletter (Vol. 10, No. 3) provides the good news that both the House and Senate have adopted versions of the 2009 Congressional Budget Resolution that reject President Bush's proposed reduction in funding for the U.S. Department of Education. The Senate's version of the Resolution would provide an additional $5.4 billion dollars than the President's proposal (representing an 8% increase over the the actual FY08 funding level); the House's FY09 budget resolution would provide an additional $7.1 billion dollars.
As noted by CoSN, it is important to remember that these are "big picture documents" that neither directly fund specific programs nor carry the weight of law because they are not enacted by the President, and in cases of conflict there is always the possibility of a showdown between the President and Congress over appropriations. However, it does indicate a broad-based support of increased, not decreased, education and training funding.
As our district treasurer so correctly observes, you can never be absolutely certain of anything when it comes to funding. As always, this process will be interesting as it unfolds. Stay tuned.
Sunday, March 30, 2008
On a Quest
Note: This is a very basic webquest based on a more detailed model lesson I developed for the Ohio Department of Education during the development of their Instructional Management System. The ODE's IMS (we technology people live for acronyms) is an excellent resource that provides professionally developed and reviewed lesson and unit plans aligned with Ohio's academic content standards. If you are not already familiar with this great resource, you should visit their site to find information not only on lesson plans, but also information on standards-based education, assessments, programmatic improvement, and other tools (including "OAT Toolkits" for Science and Social Studies).
Course Topic: Transportation Systems
This abbreviated lesson targets the elementary school student learning about the development of transportation technology and its impact on the exploration and settlement of Ohio. This topic could be dry and boring, as it was for me when I studied it in elementary school, but could be much more engaging for students actively involved in performing online research. Elementary eachers new to web quests can use this outline as a quick start guide, but remember that it barely scratches the surface of what a web quest can offer in terms of technology and content integration opportunities.
If you are a Whitehall teacher and would like assistance with the development of a web quest, whether based on this outline or not, please feel free to contact me at extension 5014 to arrange a time that's convenient for you to discuss options.
Instruction Strategies
The lesson should begin as any “offline” classroom lesson with background information, general concepts, and a review of the goals of the lesson. Since this example could be a student’s first experience with a web quest, I would suggest starting with a quick review of how to perform an online search, why the students should not accept every web site as authoritative, and provide a few clues about determining a site’s credibility.
All the elementary schools at Whitehall have media center computer labs with at least 30 workstations, so I would arrange a time with the media specialist when I could take my entire class to the media center so that each student could have his or her own research station. Use the media center's computer/projector/SMARTboard teacher station to introduce your students to two authoritative sites you have selected that provide credible core information and provide the opportunity to point out indicators for the quality of website the students are seeking. Students will later be required to cite information gathered from these two sources, and from four other sources they have found on their own using search engines and/or links from the original two sites, in their research results.
Since one of the factors cited as a barrier to the integration of online research is the fact that it can take longer to deliver a lesson plan, be sure to allow sufficient time for your students to become familiar with the online process. Time constraints also may not allow each student to present his or her research results in class, and there would be a lot of repetition as multiple students covered the same information. To preserve this critical classroom discussion component, you could select students with good results on a few key concepts (possibly 3 - 4, depending on the quality of the research and the number of presentations required to fully cover the core concepts) to present their findings as part of a whole class dialog.
Students could also produce a 1-2 page written report of their findings that includes a list of at least 6 websites consulted in the research (the two teacher provided sites, plus at least 4 discovered by the student).
The “Five Questions”
Coulter, et al. (2000), suggest five key questions that should be considered by teachers planning an online class (a full citation is at the bottom of this post for those who are interested).
1. What is the curriculum-related purpose of the activity?
It is important to remember that the focus of the lesson is the content, not the Internet. Activities should address real learning needs based upon your curricular objectives.
This lesson, as presented, would address the following State Standards (Ohio) and, with only slight expansion, could easily include a range of additional standards.
Standard: Nature of Technology
Benchmark: B. Identify, describe and discuss the core concepts of technology.
Indicator: 3. Cite examples of how tools and machines extend human capabilities (e.g., automobiles are more efficient than walking great distances).
Standard: Technology and Society Interaction
Benchmark: E. Identify development patterns and examine the influence of technology on the world.
Indicator: 1. Classify collected information in order to identify technology development patterns.
Technology and Information Literacy: Designed World
Benchmark A: Develop an understanding of how physical technologies enhance our lives.
Indicator 4: Discuss how modes of transportation have changed over the years in Ohio.
Science: Science and Technology
Benchmark A: Describe how technology affects human life.
Indicator 1: Explain how technology from different areas (e.g., transportation, communication, nutrition, healthcare, agriculture, entertainment and manufacturing) has improved human lives.
Indicator 2: Investigate how technology and inventions change to meet peoples’ needs and wants.
2. Does the Internet enhance the activity?
A frequently offered criterion for using the Internet is the simple question, "Can this be done without the Internet?" For some reviewers, the answer is just as simple: If the Internet is not required, don't use it. Personally, I don't always agree with that because to me there is a lot of "multiple intelligences" flavor to the Internet; a subgroup of your students will learn better precisely because the Internet is involved.
While it is possible to present this lesson without the online component, access Internet resources definitely offers benefits to the students both in terms of the scope and breadth of materials available and in the increased student engagement in the active learning process. Our district’s media centers offer a wide range of materials and students are well served by the media specialist’s materials selection processes, but even the best centers are enhanced by the plethora of information available online, which offers increased and simple access to multimedia (without the “A/V Cart”), current materials, and more. Even the basic problems, such as every student trying to access the single hardcopy of a resource at the same time, are alleviated when using online resources that allow access by multiple users.
3. How will students use online resources?
Aa above, the goal of the lesson is not to simply find resources on the Internet, it is using the information gathered from these resources to address educational needs; unless, of course, the title of your lesson is "Googling the Internet."
A side "idle thought:" a current topic of discussion among Ohio technology directors is whether or not Google's Terms of Service, particularly section 2.3 which stipulates "You may not use the Services and may not accept the Terms if (a) you are not of legal age to form a binding contract with Google," actually prevent those under 18 from legally using Google. Some notes on the legal intracacies of K-12 technology programs will be introduced in a later post.
The best research includes online sources as a component of the whole, which includes “offline” materials available to the student in the school’s media center and media center specialist (if the school is lucky enough to have one), local library, and other sources. However, since we are stressing online research in this lesson, students will be using the information from these online resources as the core of their investigation. As such, they will use the information gathered in their online search as their primary source material for a 1-2 page written report of their research findings and for the in-class discussion. Students will be required to include a reference list that includes the correct web address for the two sites provided by the teacher and an additional 4 sites of their own discovery.
Since this is an elementary lesson and may be the class’ first experience with a basic webquest, and since our primary goal is to promote the student’s active learning of the core lesson, I would not include a deep critique of the sites consulted and their usefulness in this particular experience. It would be of value to the class, however, to remind students about the indicators of site authority, such as the significance of site extensions such as .edu, .org, .gov, and .com, as the opportunity arises in the general flow of the in-class review.
4. Do students have the necessary information analysis/information synthesis skills?
As noted earlier, we're not questing for the sake of the quest; we're using it to gather information that the student will analyze and synthesize into an understanding of the curricular driver of the lesson. The teacher must consider whether the students have the prerequisite knowledge and skills to do that, or if those must be developed as part of the lesson. However, since this may be an introductory experience focused on developing enthusiasm for the subject and the active learning of online research, although information analysis and synthesis are expected the teacher may choose not to hold the students to the same standard of higher level tasks that would be expected from a more advanced group.
Since performing online research is also a focus of this lesson, you should include an analysis of the webquest process itself. Why did you consider the two sites you presented to the class “authoritative?” Was there a particular benefit to the hyperlinks on the teacher-provided sites? What are the benefits / drawbacks of using a search engine to locate websites for your research? What are the benefits / drawbacks of using links from sites you’ve already found? What is the significance of a site’s domain type identifier?
In our district, we have the benefit of media centers with trained media specialists in all our buildings; make sure you utilize this resource and her knowledge of online materials available to our students (INFOhio resources available for free to all Ohio schools and students, free and subscription sites purchased by the districts that students can access, and so on).
5. Do I have the necessary time and support for the activity?
Two factors are often cited as barriers to the success of online learning strategies; they can take longer than traditional learning strategies, and technical problems can derail the lesson plan. While neither of these two issues will ever be eliminated, they should not result in missing the opportunity to provide an excellent learning option to your students and the likelihood of encountering these barriers can be minimized by some proactive planning.
Time is always an issue, as teachers are expected to teach more material to a higher level of understanding in a smaller time window, but using technology for webquests offers a way to integrate the additional "technology education" standard into an existing lesson to increase student performance on both. Once familiar with webquests, you will become proficient at identifying even further opportunities for integration that may actually reduce the total time needed to address these multiple areas. For instance, the lesson framework presented could easily integrate additional information literacy, history, math, geography, and other standards.
In Whitehall, the media specialists can also resolve many of the technical issues that might be encountered during a webquest, which is another reason I would utilize the media center to perform the online project. Since there are more computers in the lab than students in the classroom, should a problem be encountered on one workstation the students would be able to move to a working computer without interrupting the lesson. Short of a total network or Internet connection outage, which is very rare, technical problems should not be an issue.
I would, however, confirm prior to the class that the websites I know I will be visiting are accessible. Since the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA - another legal issue worthy of consideration in a later post) requires that districts have web filters, there is always the possibility that a site you have found valuable at home may be blocked for the district. For example, we have one teacher in our district who would like to access YouTube for geometry lessons, but the site is blocked due to the inappropriate materials it contains. Protecting the students is paramount, so facts such as these are unfortunately a fact of life in schools. Taking proactive measures like checking the site prior to class use will ensure that the site is accessible through the filter. Checking the site in advance will also ensure that it doesn’t require specific add-ons, such as a specific version of Flash or Shockwave, that is not installed on the district computers, and provide time to find an alternative to that sitesite.
REFERENCE:
Coulter, B., Feldman, A., & Konold, C. (2000). Rethinking online adventures. Learning & Leading with Technology, 28(1), 42-47.
Course Topic: Transportation Systems
This abbreviated lesson targets the elementary school student learning about the development of transportation technology and its impact on the exploration and settlement of Ohio. This topic could be dry and boring, as it was for me when I studied it in elementary school, but could be much more engaging for students actively involved in performing online research. Elementary eachers new to web quests can use this outline as a quick start guide, but remember that it barely scratches the surface of what a web quest can offer in terms of technology and content integration opportunities.
If you are a Whitehall teacher and would like assistance with the development of a web quest, whether based on this outline or not, please feel free to contact me at extension 5014 to arrange a time that's convenient for you to discuss options.
Instruction Strategies
The lesson should begin as any “offline” classroom lesson with background information, general concepts, and a review of the goals of the lesson. Since this example could be a student’s first experience with a web quest, I would suggest starting with a quick review of how to perform an online search, why the students should not accept every web site as authoritative, and provide a few clues about determining a site’s credibility.
All the elementary schools at Whitehall have media center computer labs with at least 30 workstations, so I would arrange a time with the media specialist when I could take my entire class to the media center so that each student could have his or her own research station. Use the media center's computer/projector/SMARTboard teacher station to introduce your students to two authoritative sites you have selected that provide credible core information and provide the opportunity to point out indicators for the quality of website the students are seeking. Students will later be required to cite information gathered from these two sources, and from four other sources they have found on their own using search engines and/or links from the original two sites, in their research results.
Since one of the factors cited as a barrier to the integration of online research is the fact that it can take longer to deliver a lesson plan, be sure to allow sufficient time for your students to become familiar with the online process. Time constraints also may not allow each student to present his or her research results in class, and there would be a lot of repetition as multiple students covered the same information. To preserve this critical classroom discussion component, you could select students with good results on a few key concepts (possibly 3 - 4, depending on the quality of the research and the number of presentations required to fully cover the core concepts) to present their findings as part of a whole class dialog.
Students could also produce a 1-2 page written report of their findings that includes a list of at least 6 websites consulted in the research (the two teacher provided sites, plus at least 4 discovered by the student).
The “Five Questions”
Coulter, et al. (2000), suggest five key questions that should be considered by teachers planning an online class (a full citation is at the bottom of this post for those who are interested).
1. What is the curriculum-related purpose of the activity?
It is important to remember that the focus of the lesson is the content, not the Internet. Activities should address real learning needs based upon your curricular objectives.
This lesson, as presented, would address the following State Standards (Ohio) and, with only slight expansion, could easily include a range of additional standards.
Standard: Nature of Technology
Benchmark: B. Identify, describe and discuss the core concepts of technology.
Indicator: 3. Cite examples of how tools and machines extend human capabilities (e.g., automobiles are more efficient than walking great distances).
Standard: Technology and Society Interaction
Benchmark: E. Identify development patterns and examine the influence of technology on the world.
Indicator: 1. Classify collected information in order to identify technology development patterns.
Technology and Information Literacy: Designed World
Benchmark A: Develop an understanding of how physical technologies enhance our lives.
Indicator 4: Discuss how modes of transportation have changed over the years in Ohio.
Science: Science and Technology
Benchmark A: Describe how technology affects human life.
Indicator 1: Explain how technology from different areas (e.g., transportation, communication, nutrition, healthcare, agriculture, entertainment and manufacturing) has improved human lives.
Indicator 2: Investigate how technology and inventions change to meet peoples’ needs and wants.
2. Does the Internet enhance the activity?
A frequently offered criterion for using the Internet is the simple question, "Can this be done without the Internet?" For some reviewers, the answer is just as simple: If the Internet is not required, don't use it. Personally, I don't always agree with that because to me there is a lot of "multiple intelligences" flavor to the Internet; a subgroup of your students will learn better precisely because the Internet is involved.
While it is possible to present this lesson without the online component, access Internet resources definitely offers benefits to the students both in terms of the scope and breadth of materials available and in the increased student engagement in the active learning process. Our district’s media centers offer a wide range of materials and students are well served by the media specialist’s materials selection processes, but even the best centers are enhanced by the plethora of information available online, which offers increased and simple access to multimedia (without the “A/V Cart”), current materials, and more. Even the basic problems, such as every student trying to access the single hardcopy of a resource at the same time, are alleviated when using online resources that allow access by multiple users.
3. How will students use online resources?
Aa above, the goal of the lesson is not to simply find resources on the Internet, it is using the information gathered from these resources to address educational needs; unless, of course, the title of your lesson is "Googling the Internet."
A side "idle thought:" a current topic of discussion among Ohio technology directors is whether or not Google's Terms of Service, particularly section 2.3 which stipulates "You may not use the Services and may not accept the Terms if (a) you are not of legal age to form a binding contract with Google," actually prevent those under 18 from legally using Google. Some notes on the legal intracacies of K-12 technology programs will be introduced in a later post.
The best research includes online sources as a component of the whole, which includes “offline” materials available to the student in the school’s media center and media center specialist (if the school is lucky enough to have one), local library, and other sources. However, since we are stressing online research in this lesson, students will be using the information from these online resources as the core of their investigation. As such, they will use the information gathered in their online search as their primary source material for a 1-2 page written report of their research findings and for the in-class discussion. Students will be required to include a reference list that includes the correct web address for the two sites provided by the teacher and an additional 4 sites of their own discovery.
Since this is an elementary lesson and may be the class’ first experience with a basic webquest, and since our primary goal is to promote the student’s active learning of the core lesson, I would not include a deep critique of the sites consulted and their usefulness in this particular experience. It would be of value to the class, however, to remind students about the indicators of site authority, such as the significance of site extensions such as .edu, .org, .gov, and .com, as the opportunity arises in the general flow of the in-class review.
4. Do students have the necessary information analysis/information synthesis skills?
As noted earlier, we're not questing for the sake of the quest; we're using it to gather information that the student will analyze and synthesize into an understanding of the curricular driver of the lesson. The teacher must consider whether the students have the prerequisite knowledge and skills to do that, or if those must be developed as part of the lesson. However, since this may be an introductory experience focused on developing enthusiasm for the subject and the active learning of online research, although information analysis and synthesis are expected the teacher may choose not to hold the students to the same standard of higher level tasks that would be expected from a more advanced group.
Since performing online research is also a focus of this lesson, you should include an analysis of the webquest process itself. Why did you consider the two sites you presented to the class “authoritative?” Was there a particular benefit to the hyperlinks on the teacher-provided sites? What are the benefits / drawbacks of using a search engine to locate websites for your research? What are the benefits / drawbacks of using links from sites you’ve already found? What is the significance of a site’s domain type identifier?
In our district, we have the benefit of media centers with trained media specialists in all our buildings; make sure you utilize this resource and her knowledge of online materials available to our students (INFOhio resources available for free to all Ohio schools and students, free and subscription sites purchased by the districts that students can access, and so on).
5. Do I have the necessary time and support for the activity?
Two factors are often cited as barriers to the success of online learning strategies; they can take longer than traditional learning strategies, and technical problems can derail the lesson plan. While neither of these two issues will ever be eliminated, they should not result in missing the opportunity to provide an excellent learning option to your students and the likelihood of encountering these barriers can be minimized by some proactive planning.
Time is always an issue, as teachers are expected to teach more material to a higher level of understanding in a smaller time window, but using technology for webquests offers a way to integrate the additional "technology education" standard into an existing lesson to increase student performance on both. Once familiar with webquests, you will become proficient at identifying even further opportunities for integration that may actually reduce the total time needed to address these multiple areas. For instance, the lesson framework presented could easily integrate additional information literacy, history, math, geography, and other standards.
In Whitehall, the media specialists can also resolve many of the technical issues that might be encountered during a webquest, which is another reason I would utilize the media center to perform the online project. Since there are more computers in the lab than students in the classroom, should a problem be encountered on one workstation the students would be able to move to a working computer without interrupting the lesson. Short of a total network or Internet connection outage, which is very rare, technical problems should not be an issue.
I would, however, confirm prior to the class that the websites I know I will be visiting are accessible. Since the Child Internet Protection Act (CIPA - another legal issue worthy of consideration in a later post) requires that districts have web filters, there is always the possibility that a site you have found valuable at home may be blocked for the district. For example, we have one teacher in our district who would like to access YouTube for geometry lessons, but the site is blocked due to the inappropriate materials it contains. Protecting the students is paramount, so facts such as these are unfortunately a fact of life in schools. Taking proactive measures like checking the site prior to class use will ensure that the site is accessible through the filter. Checking the site in advance will also ensure that it doesn’t require specific add-ons, such as a specific version of Flash or Shockwave, that is not installed on the district computers, and provide time to find an alternative to that sitesite.
REFERENCE:
Coulter, B., Feldman, A., & Konold, C. (2000). Rethinking online adventures. Learning & Leading with Technology, 28(1), 42-47.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Leadership Lessons from Pygmalion and Clever Hans
Classical Literature 101, condensed version:
The Roman poet Ovid's Metamorphoses, X, tells the story of the sculptor Pygmalion who created a sculpture of the perfect woman, Galatea. Even though he had turned his back on women, his sculpture was so perfect he fell in love with it, and eventually Venus (Aphrodite) took pity on him and brought the sculpture to life.
The Pygmalion Effect, condensed version:
Expectation impacts results.
In the early 1960s, Dr. Robert Rosenthal, then at Harvard and currently Professor of Social Psychology at the University of California (Riverside), began to suspect that researcher expectations were influencing the results of research studies. Although this may not be big news in 2008, and in fact even in the 1960s was an extension of a 1911 study of a horse named Clever Hans, it was the stimulus for several hundred studies to test his hypothesis. One of the more interesting investigations was one he conducted in the South San Francisco Unified School District after being contacted by elementary school principal Lenore F. Jacobsen who was intrigued by his hypothesis and offered her school for the testing ground.
In this “typical” elementary school, Rosenthal chose random children and told their teachers that those children had scored very high on a test that showed they were educational bloomers who would perform very well in class. Those children actually did better than their peers, with the only variable being teacher expectation. They expected better performance, and got it, probably because they treated them as “performers.”
In another study involving a vocational class for the “hardcore unemployed,” welding instructors were told some of the students had scored exceptionally high on a welding aptitude test. Those students learned twice as fast, scored 10 points higher on an exit exam, and were even absent less than the other students.
Pygmalion “Expectation Cycle:"
1. We form expectations of others.
2. We communicate our expectations (verbally and nonverbally, consciously and subconsciously).
3. Others respond to the cues we provide by adjusting their behavior to match our expectations.
4. Our original expectation comes true in a classic self-fulfilling prophecy, reinforcing our belief in our original assessment.
In the classroom, establishing high expectations for students with the anticipation of success increases student performance, but it is important to remember that the converse is also true. If the teacher has low expectations that are consciously or unconsciously transmitted to the student(s), lessened performance is the result. It is also important to remember that this applies not only to teacher - student relationships, but to supervisor – subordinate and peer – peer relationships as well.
According to Dr. Rosenthal, the Pygmalion Effect is composed of four main factors, listed below in oversimplified form, that apply both to students in the classroom and staff in any organization.
1. Climate. If you expect good things from people, you create a more positive interpersonal climate for them and the result is increased performance.
Positive: Being supportive and encouraging is important, but we also transmit signals with tone of voice, eye contact, facial expression, and body posture, that help create a positive environment that fosters success.
Negative: Being negative and discouraging removes the structures necessary to support success, and produces substandard performance.
2. Input. We teach more to those from whom we expect more due to the increased amount and quality of the input we give them.
Positive: We communicate our positive expectations of others by giving them important and challenging assignments that encourage them to expand their skills, and the information they need to perform their task well.
Negative: Negative expectations result in a dismissive attitude and a “just do it” approach that does not provide needed information and hinders chances for success.
3. Output. We give more opportunity to the “good” student (or employee) to ask questions of and communicate with us.
Positive: Opportunities to speak, offer their opinions, even the opportunity to disagree with our opinions are provided and foster student development.
Negative: We may consciously or subconsciously discourage output from the student from whom we expect less than stellar output, and since we don’t give them the opportunity for that stellar output, we create a classic self-fulfilling prophecy.
4. Feedback. The quality of the feedback we provide can vary based on what we expect from the student.
Positive: We give more feedback to the “good” student, not just by telling them what they’ve done well and giving them a pat on the back for the good work, but also by more thoroughly reviewing areas that offer opportunities for improvement.
Negative: When expectations are low, we may not make sufficient effort provide useful feedback. This can easily cause a student or staff member confusion over what is expected, and the cycle continues when that confusion is taken for confirmation that the student or staff member is a low performer.
For More:
http://www.psych.ucr.edu/faculty/rosenthal/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenore_Jacobson
http://www.kidsource.com/education/pygmalion.html
http://psychology.wikia.com/wiki/Pygmalion_effect
http://www.accel-team.com/pygmalion/
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
SMARTboards
NOTE: There are several companies that produce interactive whiteboards, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. We chose SMARTboards due to our district’s specific needs and they may not be the best match for your district, but much of what is written below applies to other interactive whiteboards as well. These thoughts came out of our most recent round of SMARTboard training for our elementary school teachers.
The interactive whiteboard is certainly a technology tool that has reached critical mass. Over the last year we have added over a dozen boards, and during this year’s budget proposals, each building principal asked for several more boards for his or her teachers.
SMARTboards are used with two primary software applications: SMART Notebook and Essentials for Educators. Both of these programs can be downloaded for free from the SMART Technologies web site so that teachers can create lessons at home, and both offer some value to the classroom even without the SMARTboard.
Anything you can do on a computer, you can do via the SMARTboard; in fact, you can think of the SMARTboard as an overgrown touchscreen monitor. This makes the board a great tool when you have more students than computers, as they can share a single computer via the large SMARTboard screen.
When you pick up a pen from the SMARTboard tray, a floating toolbar that gives you access to SMARTboard features will automatically appear. You can then use the pen to highlight areas of the screen and write notes, just as you would if you were writing on a transparency, and you can use the SMARTboard eraser to erase specific areas or simply touch the screen to erase everything. However, unlike a transparency, everything you write or put on the SMARTboard is an object that can be moved around the screen. This offers some great opportunities in the classroom, such as having students arrange words into a grammatically correct sentence or numbers into a correct mathematical equation.
The SMART Notebook software works very much like the Microsoft Office programs, so if you are familiar with PowerPoint it isn’t difficult to use the presentation creator component of SMART Notebook. The icons are also intuitive to use; you click the icon of the disk to save, delete text by highlighting it and clicking the red “X” to delete it, and so on.
After using the SMARTboard for a classroom presentation, you can select FILE – SAVE AS to save the presentation with all annotations that you can then print, post to a web site, or e-mail to a student who was absent that day. Note: If you are concerned that students may modify your notes, you can do a FILE – EXPORT – PDF to create a PDF file of your presentation. You can also export to other common formats, such as PowerPoint.
Writing on the Board
Simply pick up one of the colored “pens” from the tray to write in that color. If you have a student who has trouble gripping the pen, you can write with anything (a finger, a tennis ball). Just touch the pen icon at the top of the screen, then use the object as the writing instrument. You can also change the “ink trail” to anything from dotted lines to a line composed of smiley faces. There is even a handwriting recognition feature that is surprisingly accurate – it can even read my handwriting.
If you are one of the 3 people on the planet who has handwriting worse than mine, you can activate an onscreen keyboard and then using your finger or pen to “type” the text.
Using the Screen Shade Feature
Touching the icon on the top toolbar that looks like an old fashioned window shade allows you to selectively cover parts of the screen. A good use might be when you are leading a class discussion about an event or procedural sequence. Before class, you could create a sequence in order from top to bottom, then activate the shade and pull it up from the bottom of the screen. In class you could prompt, “What comes next,” and reveal the next step when a student provides the correct response.
Using the Capture Feature
Teachers can easily add impact to their classes by including graphics, web pages, sections of web pages, and more in SMARTboard lessons by using the capture feature, which is activated by clicking the various camera icons.
1. Bring up the capture toolbar with the camera icons.
2. Bring up the Web page or other screen you would like to “photograph.” The camera icon toolbar will follow you to that page.
3. Touch the leftmost camera icon to snap the photo, and then use your finger to drag a box around what you want to copy.
4. You can now use the graphic as part of a page, write on it, and so on.
5. Cool feature! If you want to use an Internet video in your class, after capturing the start picture you can use the down arrow and choose Link – Import to create a link to that video. Then when you touch the picture, it launches the video.
Note that the different “cameras” have different functions. The first takes a snapshot of a generally rectangular area that you define, the second captures the entire main content screen of a web site. The third captures the entire screen (particularly useful if you want to capture an entire web page, including the title bar), and you can tap the fourth icon to use your finger to draw outlines around irregularly shaped areas. If you have just captured something you want to save for use in other lessons, you can save it to your “gallery” so it is available to you later.
Using Microsoft Files with SMARTboard
If you are in a Microsoft application such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you can save the document for SMARTboard use by “printing” it with FILE – PRINT – SMART Notebook print capture. This will convert the file to one that can be read by the SMARTboard software to let you easily use Word, Excel, PDF, and other files with your SMARTboard. Each Word page, Excel worksheet page, PowerPoint slide, and PDF page are captured as separate slides in the SMART Notebook software.
OR, in SMART Notebook, choose FILE – OPEN and select a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file, and it will be automatically converted for SMART Notebook use.
When moving through a PowerPoint, tap left, then right and you move forward to the next slide. To reverse, tap right then left.
Random Notes of Particular Interest to Elementary Teachers
Elementary teachers working on sentence construction can write words on the SMARTboard, and students can touch and drag the words to create grammatically correct sentences. However, since the SMART Notebook software is designed to recognize words written left to write as a sentence and will automatically group them. To keep the words separate, you should write them in a column on the board. Math teachers may want to enter 5 6 7 8 9 10 30 = X , and ask the students to touch and drag elements to create the correct formula of 6 X 5 = 30.
The Keyboard option contains text and number keypads.
Lined paper is available from the Gallery for use when students are doing on-board writing projects. The gallery is a very important tool to learn, as there are many backgrounds, graph paper, and pre-made interactive lessons that are aligned to subject and grade level standards. Going through the Gallery and selecting Online Options will allow you to search even more pre-made lessons available via the Internet, which is a great way to start using your SMARTboard without having to reinvent the wheel.
Click on the downward pointing triangle on a page in the page sorter area, and choose clone to make a duplicate of that page (so you get the same background, etc.)
You can “right click” the board by touching it for 3 seconds, and then make selections from the popup menu.
When using the pen, you can write a word, tap it, use the down arrow at the top right of the selection, and select GROUPING - UNGROUP to “ungroup” the letters in the word so they can be moved independently for an onscreen spelling lesson. You can also select the letters, and choose GROUPING – GROUP to group them again.
VIEW – ZOOM – DUAL PAGE to see two pages at once. VIEW – ZOOM – SINGLE PAGE to go back to a single page view.
There is a fantastic interactive protractor in the Essentials for Educators software, under Shapes – Angles. Choose the “Flash” protractor (identified by the FLASH icon), and you can use the interactive protractor to measure or demonstrate fractions.
…and when the inevitable happens…
If you inadvertently write on the SMARTboard with a dry erase or permanent marker, you can clean the board with EXPO cleaner, but that can leave a film on the board so it is better to not get into the habit of pointing with markers other than the ones included with the board – or that tennis ball.
For More:
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-us/
http://www.scholastic.com/interactivewhiteboards/
http://www.computerlab.kids.new.net
http://eduscapes.com/sessions/smartboard/
http://itmc.cesa5.k12.wi.us/digitaltools/Smartboard.htm
http://itmc.cesa5.k12.wi.us/digitaltools/Smartboard.htm
http://technology.usd259.org/resources/whiteboards/smartlessons.htm
http://www.theteachersguide.com/SmartBoards.htm
The interactive whiteboard is certainly a technology tool that has reached critical mass. Over the last year we have added over a dozen boards, and during this year’s budget proposals, each building principal asked for several more boards for his or her teachers.
SMARTboards are used with two primary software applications: SMART Notebook and Essentials for Educators. Both of these programs can be downloaded for free from the SMART Technologies web site so that teachers can create lessons at home, and both offer some value to the classroom even without the SMARTboard.
Anything you can do on a computer, you can do via the SMARTboard; in fact, you can think of the SMARTboard as an overgrown touchscreen monitor. This makes the board a great tool when you have more students than computers, as they can share a single computer via the large SMARTboard screen.
When you pick up a pen from the SMARTboard tray, a floating toolbar that gives you access to SMARTboard features will automatically appear. You can then use the pen to highlight areas of the screen and write notes, just as you would if you were writing on a transparency, and you can use the SMARTboard eraser to erase specific areas or simply touch the screen to erase everything. However, unlike a transparency, everything you write or put on the SMARTboard is an object that can be moved around the screen. This offers some great opportunities in the classroom, such as having students arrange words into a grammatically correct sentence or numbers into a correct mathematical equation.
The SMART Notebook software works very much like the Microsoft Office programs, so if you are familiar with PowerPoint it isn’t difficult to use the presentation creator component of SMART Notebook. The icons are also intuitive to use; you click the icon of the disk to save, delete text by highlighting it and clicking the red “X” to delete it, and so on.
After using the SMARTboard for a classroom presentation, you can select FILE – SAVE AS to save the presentation with all annotations that you can then print, post to a web site, or e-mail to a student who was absent that day. Note: If you are concerned that students may modify your notes, you can do a FILE – EXPORT – PDF to create a PDF file of your presentation. You can also export to other common formats, such as PowerPoint.
Writing on the Board
Simply pick up one of the colored “pens” from the tray to write in that color. If you have a student who has trouble gripping the pen, you can write with anything (a finger, a tennis ball). Just touch the pen icon at the top of the screen, then use the object as the writing instrument. You can also change the “ink trail” to anything from dotted lines to a line composed of smiley faces. There is even a handwriting recognition feature that is surprisingly accurate – it can even read my handwriting.
If you are one of the 3 people on the planet who has handwriting worse than mine, you can activate an onscreen keyboard and then using your finger or pen to “type” the text.
Using the Screen Shade Feature
Touching the icon on the top toolbar that looks like an old fashioned window shade allows you to selectively cover parts of the screen. A good use might be when you are leading a class discussion about an event or procedural sequence. Before class, you could create a sequence in order from top to bottom, then activate the shade and pull it up from the bottom of the screen. In class you could prompt, “What comes next,” and reveal the next step when a student provides the correct response.
Using the Capture Feature
Teachers can easily add impact to their classes by including graphics, web pages, sections of web pages, and more in SMARTboard lessons by using the capture feature, which is activated by clicking the various camera icons.
1. Bring up the capture toolbar with the camera icons.
2. Bring up the Web page or other screen you would like to “photograph.” The camera icon toolbar will follow you to that page.
3. Touch the leftmost camera icon to snap the photo, and then use your finger to drag a box around what you want to copy.
4. You can now use the graphic as part of a page, write on it, and so on.
5. Cool feature! If you want to use an Internet video in your class, after capturing the start picture you can use the down arrow and choose Link – Import to create a link to that video. Then when you touch the picture, it launches the video.
Note that the different “cameras” have different functions. The first takes a snapshot of a generally rectangular area that you define, the second captures the entire main content screen of a web site. The third captures the entire screen (particularly useful if you want to capture an entire web page, including the title bar), and you can tap the fourth icon to use your finger to draw outlines around irregularly shaped areas. If you have just captured something you want to save for use in other lessons, you can save it to your “gallery” so it is available to you later.
Using Microsoft Files with SMARTboard
If you are in a Microsoft application such as Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you can save the document for SMARTboard use by “printing” it with FILE – PRINT – SMART Notebook print capture. This will convert the file to one that can be read by the SMARTboard software to let you easily use Word, Excel, PDF, and other files with your SMARTboard. Each Word page, Excel worksheet page, PowerPoint slide, and PDF page are captured as separate slides in the SMART Notebook software.
OR, in SMART Notebook, choose FILE – OPEN and select a Word, Excel, or PowerPoint file, and it will be automatically converted for SMART Notebook use.
When moving through a PowerPoint, tap left, then right and you move forward to the next slide. To reverse, tap right then left.
Random Notes of Particular Interest to Elementary Teachers
Elementary teachers working on sentence construction can write words on the SMARTboard, and students can touch and drag the words to create grammatically correct sentences. However, since the SMART Notebook software is designed to recognize words written left to write as a sentence and will automatically group them. To keep the words separate, you should write them in a column on the board. Math teachers may want to enter 5 6 7 8 9 10 30 = X , and ask the students to touch and drag elements to create the correct formula of 6 X 5 = 30.
The Keyboard option contains text and number keypads.
Lined paper is available from the Gallery for use when students are doing on-board writing projects. The gallery is a very important tool to learn, as there are many backgrounds, graph paper, and pre-made interactive lessons that are aligned to subject and grade level standards. Going through the Gallery and selecting Online Options will allow you to search even more pre-made lessons available via the Internet, which is a great way to start using your SMARTboard without having to reinvent the wheel.
Click on the downward pointing triangle on a page in the page sorter area, and choose clone to make a duplicate of that page (so you get the same background, etc.)
You can “right click” the board by touching it for 3 seconds, and then make selections from the popup menu.
When using the pen, you can write a word, tap it, use the down arrow at the top right of the selection, and select GROUPING - UNGROUP to “ungroup” the letters in the word so they can be moved independently for an onscreen spelling lesson. You can also select the letters, and choose GROUPING – GROUP to group them again.
VIEW – ZOOM – DUAL PAGE to see two pages at once. VIEW – ZOOM – SINGLE PAGE to go back to a single page view.
There is a fantastic interactive protractor in the Essentials for Educators software, under Shapes – Angles. Choose the “Flash” protractor (identified by the FLASH icon), and you can use the interactive protractor to measure or demonstrate fractions.
…and when the inevitable happens…
If you inadvertently write on the SMARTboard with a dry erase or permanent marker, you can clean the board with EXPO cleaner, but that can leave a film on the board so it is better to not get into the habit of pointing with markers other than the ones included with the board – or that tennis ball.
For More:
http://education.smarttech.com/ste/en-us/
http://www.scholastic.com/interactivewhiteboards/
http://www.computerlab.kids.new.net
http://eduscapes.com/sessions/smartboard/
http://itmc.cesa5.k12.wi.us/digitaltools/Smartboard.htm
http://itmc.cesa5.k12.wi.us/digitaltools/Smartboard.htm
http://technology.usd259.org/resources/whiteboards/smartlessons.htm
http://www.theteachersguide.com/SmartBoards.htm
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Online Classes - Top Ten Tips
Many public K-12 students, particularly at the high school level, are now utilizing e-learning to address specific individual needs. For some, a required class was offered at a time that conflicted with other classes or outside responsibilities, while others may be using e-learning for credit recovery necessary to address graduation requirements. Some are taking advantage of an online option to take a class not available in their home district (has anyone else noticed that the old example of a Japanese language class has now become a Chinese language class). Teachers and other staff are increasingly turning to online coursework to address licensure, IPDP, or other requirements as an option that also allows them to fulfill not only their professional needs but their employment and family obligations as well.
E-learning courses may be offered onsite using the district's technology to provide individualized instruction, or via an online course developed and delivered elsewhere. In both cases, since the learning is more self-directed by the student than in the traditional classroom, there are some skills that are particularly critical for success with this educational delivery method. The following have been my personal "Top Ten Tips."
Be Clear on Why You Are Taking the Course
Motivation is the prime driver for everything we do, so it is important that you clarify your purpose for taking the course. Are you doing it to become qualified for employment, to increase your value to your current employer, or simply due to a long standing interest? When challenges arise, reminding yourself of your motivations will help encourage you to meet those challenges.
Be Prepared
While online coursework offers many benefits, there can be unanticipated challenges that can only be addressed by advanced preparation. For instance, if you are an on-campus university student and need to purchase textbooks, that requirement is normally addressed by a simple stop at the campus bookstore. However, if you are an “online student” and live hundreds (or thousands) of miles from campus, an obscure textbook can cause serious challenges. If possible, contact the professor well in advance of the course start date to determine if any textbooks or other materials are needed. If they are unavailable to you locally, you may need to arrange to have them shipped from the university’s bookseller.
Since your computer and Internet connection will be your crucial link to the online class, if you do not have an understanding of computer and modem troubleshooting you might want to find someone willing to help you if problems arise. A high school classmate or college/university campus support technician might be worth cultivating as a friend, because we all know technology “glitches” occur at the worst possible time. Advanced planning might give you someone to turn to should a problem arise when you are desperately trying to meet a course deadline.
It is also more important to be prepared for an online course than a traditional “face to face” course due to the more limited opportunity for teacher/professor and student interaction.
Polish Your Writing Skills
The majority of communication in an online class is written, so it is critical that you have good written communication skills. While tools like online chat allow for back-and-forth discourse, typing is slower than speaking for even the most texting-addicted students so it is important to be as clear as possible. Tools such as discussion boards take asynchronous communications to even greater extremes, so “precise and concise” is even more critical here. Imagine the classic “Who’s on First” comedy routine by Abbott and Costello on a discussion board with hours – or days – between lines as they strive for understanding.
“Touch Base” Regularly
Remember to check your e-mail regularly to keep up with communications from your professor and the other students in your class. If you are using an e-learning tool such as Blackboard or Sakai, make sure you log onto those frequently as well. Your only communication conduit is electronic; do not neglect it.
Participate!
Simply showing up for class and warming a seat isn’t sufficient for success in the traditional classroom, and participation is even more critical in the online environment. If your professor uses online chats and/or discussion boards to encourage interaction, you must participate both for your own benefit and for that of the other students.
Schedule “Class Time”
Many students prefer the online learning experience because it allows them to flex their learning schedule to accommodate fulltime work, family, and other commitments. However, the lack of a defined schedule can also make it tempting to put off your coursework until a “better time.” To avoid this temptation, establish a set schedule that accommodates your other commitments, but also assures attention to regular class participation and study.
Also, make sure you schedule enough dedicated time for your course. Some students participating in their first online class expect the class to be a “breeze” because you don’t have to encounter the leader face-to-face. Once in the class, however, you may well find that your online course requires more time than a traditional class as you develop the new skills required for this learning modality. Some sources suggest you plan to spend 9 – 12 (or more) hours per week on each class.
Stay Focused
During your defined class schedule, be sure to stay focused. In traditional classes, it is not acceptable for your friends to drop in suggest going out for pizza. Don’t let this occur in your e-learning experience, either. It is also not conducive to learning to multi-task your coursework and the “Matrix Marathon” on the Sci-Fi Channel. Unlike the traditional classroom where your teacher or professor and the rest of the class – even the structured class itself - helped you stay focused on the task at hand, in the virtual class environment this responsibility is yours alone.
Carefully Read and Complete All Assignments – On Time!
Due to the lack of face-to-face communication and discussion, it is critical that you carefully read and understand all instructions to avoid misunderstandings about assignment parameters and deadlines. Make sure you complete and understand all assigned readings and other supplemental materials (web sites, electronic presentations, videos, and so on). Do not fall into the trap of letting the lack of definite class times translate into a lassiez-faire attitude toward your assignment deadlines; these are typically non-negotiable and, if anything, it is in your best interest to submit assignments early so that a last-minute submission isn’t prevented by a technical issue such as an Internet connection problem.
Organize Your Work
Online classes are electronically-based, and require that you have (or develop) certain skills. You should always keep copies of everything you submit online, for your own reference and also as a protection against files that are lost or corrupted during transmission.
Design an electronic file structure that helps you locate your files when needed. You will want to create a directory for each class, and a subdirectory for each module within that class. In an increasingly mobile world, you may be able to save electronic course materials such as assignment sheets, assignment templates, documents, PowerPoint presentation files, and more to your notebook computer so that you can access them any time you have some spare time – even if you are away from Internet access. Many programs, such as the Backpack program for Blackboard, exist to help you automate this process. You can then save all materials related to a specific module in the appropriate directory so you can find them easily. You will also want to save any files you produce for submission in response to this module in the same directory so you will have a copy in case one of the electronic dogs “eats” your homework.
For extra protection, also remember to backup your computer. You can save your files to a USB thumb drive, burn them to a CD, back them up to an external USB hard drive, or even just print everything out in hardcopy - whatever is your backup process of choice. It doesn’t matter how you do the backups, but in the immortal words of Nike, “Just Do It.”
Communicate with Your Teacher or Professor
You may not be able to raise your hand, but you can send an e-mail. Make sure you communicate questions and problems with your class leader, just as you would in a traditional class. This is particularly important because in the virtual classroom your leader can not see if you are confused or frustrated.
Some students have told me they actually do this better in the slightly more anonymous online class because it causes them less embarrassment than discussing questions and problems in front of others in a traditional classroom. I have also heard positive comments about the immediacy of responses, as a question posted at 1:00 am may be responded to at 1:03am. Your teachers and professors do, however, have lives outside the classroom, so do not expect this immediate response as the norm. Most class leaders try to respond to all messages within 24 – 48 hours, but even these teachers may take longer over weekends and breaks.
E-learning courses may be offered onsite using the district's technology to provide individualized instruction, or via an online course developed and delivered elsewhere. In both cases, since the learning is more self-directed by the student than in the traditional classroom, there are some skills that are particularly critical for success with this educational delivery method. The following have been my personal "Top Ten Tips."
Be Clear on Why You Are Taking the Course
Motivation is the prime driver for everything we do, so it is important that you clarify your purpose for taking the course. Are you doing it to become qualified for employment, to increase your value to your current employer, or simply due to a long standing interest? When challenges arise, reminding yourself of your motivations will help encourage you to meet those challenges.
Be Prepared
While online coursework offers many benefits, there can be unanticipated challenges that can only be addressed by advanced preparation. For instance, if you are an on-campus university student and need to purchase textbooks, that requirement is normally addressed by a simple stop at the campus bookstore. However, if you are an “online student” and live hundreds (or thousands) of miles from campus, an obscure textbook can cause serious challenges. If possible, contact the professor well in advance of the course start date to determine if any textbooks or other materials are needed. If they are unavailable to you locally, you may need to arrange to have them shipped from the university’s bookseller.
Since your computer and Internet connection will be your crucial link to the online class, if you do not have an understanding of computer and modem troubleshooting you might want to find someone willing to help you if problems arise. A high school classmate or college/university campus support technician might be worth cultivating as a friend, because we all know technology “glitches” occur at the worst possible time. Advanced planning might give you someone to turn to should a problem arise when you are desperately trying to meet a course deadline.
It is also more important to be prepared for an online course than a traditional “face to face” course due to the more limited opportunity for teacher/professor and student interaction.
Polish Your Writing Skills
The majority of communication in an online class is written, so it is critical that you have good written communication skills. While tools like online chat allow for back-and-forth discourse, typing is slower than speaking for even the most texting-addicted students so it is important to be as clear as possible. Tools such as discussion boards take asynchronous communications to even greater extremes, so “precise and concise” is even more critical here. Imagine the classic “Who’s on First” comedy routine by Abbott and Costello on a discussion board with hours – or days – between lines as they strive for understanding.
“Touch Base” Regularly
Remember to check your e-mail regularly to keep up with communications from your professor and the other students in your class. If you are using an e-learning tool such as Blackboard or Sakai, make sure you log onto those frequently as well. Your only communication conduit is electronic; do not neglect it.
Participate!
Simply showing up for class and warming a seat isn’t sufficient for success in the traditional classroom, and participation is even more critical in the online environment. If your professor uses online chats and/or discussion boards to encourage interaction, you must participate both for your own benefit and for that of the other students.
Schedule “Class Time”
Many students prefer the online learning experience because it allows them to flex their learning schedule to accommodate fulltime work, family, and other commitments. However, the lack of a defined schedule can also make it tempting to put off your coursework until a “better time.” To avoid this temptation, establish a set schedule that accommodates your other commitments, but also assures attention to regular class participation and study.
Also, make sure you schedule enough dedicated time for your course. Some students participating in their first online class expect the class to be a “breeze” because you don’t have to encounter the leader face-to-face. Once in the class, however, you may well find that your online course requires more time than a traditional class as you develop the new skills required for this learning modality. Some sources suggest you plan to spend 9 – 12 (or more) hours per week on each class.
Stay Focused
During your defined class schedule, be sure to stay focused. In traditional classes, it is not acceptable for your friends to drop in suggest going out for pizza. Don’t let this occur in your e-learning experience, either. It is also not conducive to learning to multi-task your coursework and the “Matrix Marathon” on the Sci-Fi Channel. Unlike the traditional classroom where your teacher or professor and the rest of the class – even the structured class itself - helped you stay focused on the task at hand, in the virtual class environment this responsibility is yours alone.
Carefully Read and Complete All Assignments – On Time!
Due to the lack of face-to-face communication and discussion, it is critical that you carefully read and understand all instructions to avoid misunderstandings about assignment parameters and deadlines. Make sure you complete and understand all assigned readings and other supplemental materials (web sites, electronic presentations, videos, and so on). Do not fall into the trap of letting the lack of definite class times translate into a lassiez-faire attitude toward your assignment deadlines; these are typically non-negotiable and, if anything, it is in your best interest to submit assignments early so that a last-minute submission isn’t prevented by a technical issue such as an Internet connection problem.
Organize Your Work
Online classes are electronically-based, and require that you have (or develop) certain skills. You should always keep copies of everything you submit online, for your own reference and also as a protection against files that are lost or corrupted during transmission.
Design an electronic file structure that helps you locate your files when needed. You will want to create a directory for each class, and a subdirectory for each module within that class. In an increasingly mobile world, you may be able to save electronic course materials such as assignment sheets, assignment templates, documents, PowerPoint presentation files, and more to your notebook computer so that you can access them any time you have some spare time – even if you are away from Internet access. Many programs, such as the Backpack program for Blackboard, exist to help you automate this process. You can then save all materials related to a specific module in the appropriate directory so you can find them easily. You will also want to save any files you produce for submission in response to this module in the same directory so you will have a copy in case one of the electronic dogs “eats” your homework.
For extra protection, also remember to backup your computer. You can save your files to a USB thumb drive, burn them to a CD, back them up to an external USB hard drive, or even just print everything out in hardcopy - whatever is your backup process of choice. It doesn’t matter how you do the backups, but in the immortal words of Nike, “Just Do It.”
Communicate with Your Teacher or Professor
You may not be able to raise your hand, but you can send an e-mail. Make sure you communicate questions and problems with your class leader, just as you would in a traditional class. This is particularly important because in the virtual classroom your leader can not see if you are confused or frustrated.
Some students have told me they actually do this better in the slightly more anonymous online class because it causes them less embarrassment than discussing questions and problems in front of others in a traditional classroom. I have also heard positive comments about the immediacy of responses, as a question posted at 1:00 am may be responded to at 1:03am. Your teachers and professors do, however, have lives outside the classroom, so do not expect this immediate response as the norm. Most class leaders try to respond to all messages within 24 – 48 hours, but even these teachers may take longer over weekends and breaks.
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