Play a Little this Summer
I just read this interesting piece of insight on David Warlick’s blog about learning to run software. It’s basically about a veteran teacher who asked her son to teach her how to use some software. When she pulled out a notepad and pencil to take notes, he told her to put it away. What the teacher soon found out was that the best way to learn software is to “play” with it and figure out how to run the software, not to simply follow steps.
The best way to learn to use difficult software is to spend time playing with it. Of course, I’m not talking about only using the software at our training sessions. You have to open up that software on a regular basis to really know how to run it.
I thought about my own knowledge of software. Most of what I know was from “messing around” with the software. Take my ability to use Publisher as an example. I used to make mix tapes all the time in college and in the years following. I went so far as to design special cassette packaging using the program. This allowed me to figure out how to use templates, play around with text styles, take images from the Internet, etc. This doesn’t mention how I’ve learned most of the software I now train you all to use. I have mostly been self-taught, and that may be the best way to learn.
So, this summer, while you sit on your porch enjoying a cool glass of iced tea, open up that laptop and play around a little. I know that Dreamweaver and Fireworks have caused a lot of headaches for many of you. These would be great programs with which to play. You could design a website for your family or design a logo for your church choir on Fireworks. Have a little fun with it and in the meantime, you might learn to use this software more effectively.
**As a side-note…In order to keep your lap cool while using your computer, try filling a hot water bottle with cold water. It gives an adjustable pad on which your laptop to rest and keeps your legs from heating up. (courtesy of Life Hacker)
Top Ten Things to Consider When Writing a WebQuest
As you all begin the process of writing your WebQuests, I thought I would impart some knowledge and helpful tips to keep in mind.
10. Be creative. We really have to think outside of the box when writing WebQuests. David Warlick recently posted on his blog, 2¢ Worth, that the creativity we need to encourage in our students “will not come from lessons about creativity, but from a different kind of lesson that makes room for, invites, and values creativity.” Think outside the box and find ways to help your students do the same.
9. Think: What do adults do with this information? Think of your WebQuest as an opportunity for the students to practice applying what they learn in school to the real world. Thinking this way can also help you understand why the topics you teach are so important for preparing students for their adult lives.
8. Web 2.0 is your WebQuest’s friend. Not only can you provide resources from which your students can gather information, but you can also utilize all the great tools online for their WebQuest work. Wikis, like those at Edublogs or PBWiki, can be useful for group plans, note-taking, and even final products. Additionally, there are always things like blogs (Edublogs, Blogger, etc.), Moodle, various media hosting sites (TeacherTube, Switchpod), online productivity tools (Google Docs), and even social networks ( Youth Twitter, Edmodo).
7. WebQuests are best accomplished in groups. Here is your chance to put together a cooperative learning activity that is positively interdependent, able to hold each individual accountable, provides equal participation, and gets all the group members simultaneously active. However, WebQuests could also be valuable as tools for distance learning or independent studies.
6. Hook your students’ interest with great role-play. This doesn’t only mean you have to come up with great scenarios and characters for the students to carry out. You can also incorporate some “fake” email addresses for the students to contact clients, mysterious informants, or any character needed to make the project feel real.
5. Provide scaffolding for the learning whenever you see fit. It’s OK to link graphic organizers to the WebQuest that help students organize their learning. This could be a good opportunity to use software like SMART Ides or Inspiration. Just remember that this sort of work is to help the process, not to give you something to grade. You could also add a section for “learning advice” that could suggest techniques for organizing or how to aggregate the information.
4. Include brief descriptions of each of your resources with the links. This will allow students to know exactly what sites they should be researching. It’s sort of a preview of the site that prepares them for the other side of the hyperlink.
3. Be clear. Whether it’s the task, process, or expectations, you will want to be crystal clear for your students to be as successful as possible.
2. Consider including a teacher page in your WebQuest. A teacher page can provide others who want to use your WebQuest with contact information or tips for implementation. It may also be a good place for you to keep notes for the next time you use the WebQuest.
1. A WebQuest is a work-in-progress. Just because you assign a WebQuest to your class and they complete the task doesn’t mean that you are done with it. A WebQuest can be revised over and over in order to keep the links updated, the task fresh, and the strategies effective. If something doesn’t go smoothly, change it before you use it again. If you see a way that it could be altered to give students different perspectives, make the revisions. It’s your creation for you to mold into the perfect learning experience.
A WebQuest is a great way to provide real, student-led inquiry in your classroom. The best part is that it is also something that you can create to fit your students’ unique needs and gifts.
Earth Day Suggestions
Earth Day is approaching and I figured many of you would like some suggestions of how to utilize your new machines for this very timely event.
Carbonrally offers its users an opportunity to challenge each other in carbon-reduction behavior. Challenge the classroom down the hall to recycle paper or turn the lights off when not in the classroom and measure the effect on the environment. Middle school and high school students could probably run their own challenges, while the site is better used between entire elementary classes or families.
EarthLab, according to their website, “is a leading climate crisis community that provides a practical guide to green living through community interaction, exclusive environmental news, advice from experts and key analysis.” What does EarthLab have to offer? Where do I begin? They have the carbon calculator, a survey that determines an
Tox Town allows students to look at various human environments and the environmental factors that affect them. It is geared toward middle and high school students, but the interface is inviting to upper elementary.
EcoKids contains many interactive games with environmental content. However, beware of the trap to just set students free on the games. What are you goals for using games? What content do you want the students to gain from using class time playing games? This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use games to teach the content; it just means be careful and purposeful. Your friendly, neighborhood EPA also has a site with environmental games at EPA Environmental Kids Club.
I hope these resources will give you some ideas for Earth Day. It’s important to address these issues throughout the school year, but Earth Day provides a great opportunity to peak student interest.
[Picture of Earth source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:Earth-Erde.jpg]
Assess this!
With the mad rush to cram all kinds of information into our students’ heads before MAP testing, I thought it might be important to think of some other, less threatening ways to assess our students’ learning.
Emmet Rosenfeld wrote a blog post on formative assessment. Like its summative step-brother, it can tell a teacher where a student is in his/her development. However, formative assessment can do so much more and can be a vital part of a student-centered classroom.
Rosenfeld identifies some key characteristics of formative assessment that make its value quite clear…
1. It’s ongoing. Kids don’t always know it’s happening; and teachers aren’t always trying to distill it to a number.
2. It’s dialogic. Evaluation is characterized by dialogue; standards are often negotiated, rather than handed down. The discussion about value is as important as the assigning of value; and even that is a task frequently done by self- and peer-assessment.
3. There is a feedback loop. The teacher often assumes a coaching role. Low-risk practice leads to perfect.
4. It’s metacognitive. Self-reflection is cultivated so that a learner can understand how he learned, not just what was learned. Every student becomes their own teacher.
For more on formative assessment, read Rosenfeld’s blog, Eduholic.
We-Blog, You Blog
Ruth did a nice job presenting classroom communication Wednesday night. However, it was too bad that Edublogs did not want to cooperate. I just wanted to supplement a few of the issues and key points brought up in Ruth’s session.
Blogging is something near and dear to my heart as some of you have gathered. I am an avid blogger and have had some success with this tool in the classroom. In researching a conference presentation I’ve found many, many examples of blogs that support good learning. The interactive and literacy possibilities are unlimited. I don’t want our struggles Wednesday night to discourage us from using blogs as a classroom tool.
The safety issue can’t be stressed enough. All this means is make sure you’re able to monitor what your students post, whether that be posts or comments. Also, having kids post in anonymity is essential. Using initials, first names only, or screen names are easy ways to accomplish this.
Some teachers expressed that they would like to see some other blogs that have been successfully used in classrooms. Like I mentioned before, I have found several examples while researching for my conference presentation that could better demonstrate the effectiveness of the blog. Check this link which is a list of classroom blogs that demonstrate various approaches to blogging.
Also, Yvonne shared with me some great ideas for making blogs work in the real classroom. One option could be to limit the number of students blogging to a few each day so as not to overload the system. Then, the rest of the class could comment on what a few students have to say. Another idea Yvonne had was to simply make links on your websites to student papers. This doesn’t supply the interactivity that a blog does through comments, but it does make it possible to publish student work online.
There are plenty of other resources and ideas out there on blogging. As you know, I love to use and tout my delicious account. This link has a list of the resources I used to prepare my presentation on blogging. You can also read the blog set up for my presentation (that I was unable to use due to a death in the family). Also, this link will take you to a list of ten ways you can use a blog in the classroom.
One other thing…It suddenly occurred to me the other evening how an RSS feed could be utilized in the classroom. When students set up their own blogs, subscribe to those blogs and have the students also subscribe to blogs, requiring them to read and comment on what their peers were writing. The virtual conversations that take place can extend the learning well beyond the time you have in class. You can use Bloglines, but I use my Google account to set up a reader.
Whatever you do, don’t give up on blogging yet. I think it is the most interactive and revolutionary tool of Web 2.0. Let me know on your classroom visits if you want me to help you set up your own blog. In the meantime, read some blogs and make up your own mind.
More Online Tools
I thought I’d take some time and share a few online resources that are free. (I bet that got your attention.)
In keeping with our last module (Tools for Thinking), the first resource is bubbl.us. This website allows you or your students to create webs and brainstorm online. You can save and share this work on bubbl.us, print it out, or even embed it onto your website or blog. It’s very easy to use and is somewhat similar to the mapping software with which we have already worked.
Quizlet is a vocabulary tool that when used for good (and not evil) can greatly enhance vocabulary skills in any and all subject areas. There are flashcard tools, instant quizzes, and (eMINTS friendly) collaborative tools. Think of the collaborative All you have to do is enter or upload your vocabulary list and let the kids go to work.
ClassTools.net allows for teachers personalize flash games, graphic organizers, and lesson templates all for free! This tool gives a teacher plenty of opportunities to create interactive learning activities that take the content to new levels.
Click here for full screen version
The State of Handwriting
We are at a crossroads in education. As we move further into the 21st century, the way we teach and learn is evolving. Some subjects and skills once thought to be essential to succeeding have now become obsolete. The art of handwriting is one of those disciplines.
Technology has made the handwritten word unnecessary. Whole novels are written on cell phones. Some of those novels have even topped best-seller lists. Other professional authors often type or use voice-recognition software to write their books, not the pen. Our governor, Matt Blunt, has made a sincere commitment to improving technology in the classroom. Many people do not even write personal letters anymore with the advent of email. Applications for most jobs are now primarily done electronically. (You’ve seen the kiosks at Target and Wal-Mart, I’m sure.) The art of penmanship is slowly fading.
Sure, there is a solid argument in support of handwriting. We do not exclusively use computers to communicate even as advanced as we have become. It is important to have a unique signature and many jobs do require hand-written notes and records. Also, until we go completely electronic, a premium has to be put on a student’s ability to write clearly.
However important handwriting is to you as a teacher, you have to ask what is the real purpose of being able to write beautifully with a pen or pencil. Isn’t the goal for a student to write a clearly stated and well-supported thesis? Does it matter if the writer properly constructs a cursive “v”? Or is it more important to write clear message with concrete examples?
I recently read an article in Good Magazine on this very topic. The author, who is an English professor at a prestigious college, laments her son’s struggles with handwriting. The teachers have frustrated the young boy over the appearance of his writing instead of concentrating on the validity of his arguments. The result? The student now hates to write. Was this the intention to make a student hate to write? Shouldn’t the intention be to improve the structure and eloquence of his written work?
As testing season draws nearer, consider how you are using your time. Is the learning in your classroom advancing their thought processes? Are they partaking in the “drill and kill” of memorization and basic skill preparation? Are they learning to think for themselves?
Where does handwriting fit in the eMINTS model? Are we focusing on form over function? Which GLE addresses cursive handwriting?
Consider these ideas as you plan your days and weeks completing this school year. Use your time wisely. I’m not completely trashing handwriting, but we must consider its proper place in our facilitation of student learning.
A Busy Week to Come
Geesh! I have not been posting here very often. That’s about to change. The week ahead brings with it many, many events…for me at least.
Monday:
We have our all-day website work…er…day…all…um…day long. (Sorry for the redundancy.) The goal is to have every-one’s website ready to post with all the pages and links set up. There is no set agenda except to work on our sites. This has me so excited that I’ve finally updated my site. I also plan on figuring out drop down menus for the few people who have inquired about them. If you have any other skills or features you’d like covered, post it on the comments of this blog or ask me during the session. Angie, the woman from the module cover, will be there through the morning to assist. Ruth may stop in as well.
Tuesday-Wednesday:
I will not be out to your schools since I have a conference presentation on which to work (more on that later) and to visit two university classes in order to present on blogging. One class is a Web 2.0 writing course taught by my wife’s colleague, Donna. The Wednesday class is actually at Ohio State-Marion. I’ll be talking to my friend Ben’s first-year writing class via iChat on the same topic. My mentioning this is to demonstrate the direction writing at the college level is heading. Your work with eMINTS in using technology in your classrooms will have effects on your students’ future academic endeavors!
Thursday-Friday:
The eMINTS Winter Conference takes place over two days. This is a conference you all attend in your second year in eMINTS. Some of you may even be inclined to present…nudge, nudge, wink, wink.
I was volunteer…I mean, I offered up my services to present on classroom blogging. The hope is that the bandwidth at our conference’s hotel will hold up so that 44-46 people will be able to read and comment on a blog I’m setting up just for the conference. If all goes well, I will have to do very little talking, the participants will experience blogging, guide their own learning, and start their own blogs.
If you are interested in the blogging going on in my session, check here later in the week.
Besides updating my website, I have reorganized my del.icio.us account to include bundles of the tags. Bundles are one way to better organize your bookmarks. It’s sort of like grouping your bookmarks into multiple folders tagged with a theme and then grouping those folders again in multiple folders. It should make my del.icio.us account easier to navigate.
The week is going to end with a weekend long film festival here in Columbia. True/False features documentary films from all over the world that cover a wide range of topics from issues of globalization to teenage angst. My wife and I plan to attend 14 films! I should be ready to get back to the calm serenity of classroom visits and training sessions on March 4th.
More Creating & Editing Digital Images
After Monday’s training session, I felt that there were some holes in the content and instruction I provided. In keeping with the purpose of this blog which is to supplement your trainings, I am providing the following links for you refer as you prepare your images for our website building day.
For basic information about Adobe Fireworks, go here. You can check for updates as well as search the help topics. The help portion of the website as well as online manuals can be accessed here. Boston College has made a useful tutorial website complete with basic instructions and screen shots. Just click here. The secrets behind the vector and bitmap images can be easily explained in Sue Chastain’s article on the subject here. SmartWebby provides some useful tips and tricks at this location. SmartWebby also provides some fantastic design tutorials here. There are also some video tutorials at this site where you can sign up for a free thirty-day trial.
I know that some of you have not had the opportunity to search for right clip art for your sites. Remember that my boss (Stephanie Bengston) has a vast list of resources that should now be filter-proof…at least in Wellsville.
In the meantime, keep working on your images and graphics. They will be needed for next Wednesday’s all-day session.
Why Visual Literacy?
To many of us, “literacy” has always meant reading and writing, but it means so much more. Literacy is how we read or create almost any form of communication. There is literacy in understanding a friend’s emotional state or interpreting a great piece of art. Literacy is not confined to the written word, and neither is illiteracy.
My partner, who is a college professor at Mizzou in English and Gender & Women’s Studies, focuses much of her work on images. She is a rhetorician, specifically, who looks at how images are used to make arguments. Often times, she assigns students images to read or alter in order to make their own meaning. Visual literacy is a definite reality at the college level, and if we are preparing our students for college, we must include visual literacy.
One of the most discussed examples of visual literacy has revolved around the photographs in National Geographic. Often times, NG uses images to convey a sense of exoticism even though the accompanying articles have little to do with the photos.
One example of this use of an image to demonstrate the exotic is found in Steve McCurry’s picture of the Afghan girl (seen below). The photo provides a sense of wonder as to the life of this wild-eyed girl in a strange, war-torn land. The topic is both intriguing and problematic. It is intriguing in that NG uses images like this over and over to give their readers a sense that the publication opens the reader to strange, new worlds of exotic beauty and wonder. It is problematic in that the images are of real people with real histories and issues that stretch far beyond these depictions and should not be limited to the perceptions of the publisher and reader. In other words, it’s very complicated. We need to prepare our students for these complexities in society. We need to make our students visually literate.
