Technology+That+Works

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Chapter 1
Jethro - I used a KWHL chart with my students after reading this chapter and I realized that they didn't have nearly as much background information as I thought they did. The book talks about setting objectives and I still have a hard time with that. I know in my mind what I want the kids to achieve, but it is difficult to get it out and stated clearly.

Melinda - I liked the idea of using an online KWHL chart to test student's prior knowledge of curriculum content and to help them set their own goals of what they want to learn for a unit. I also liked the idea of using a survey to accomplish the same thing. I used Survey Monkey today to make a survey for our accreditation team because I remembered it from the book. It was easy to use and there is a tab that collects survey results and analyzes the data. I think surveys could be useful before a test review. I would ask my students how they felt about each concept and then base my review or study guide on their responses.

Matt- Like Melinda, I was drawn to the idea of Survey Monkey in my classroom. I finally got a chance to try it out (by doing a teacher survey for accreditation) and I am planning on using it this week and next for my social studies class. Students will vote anonymously on 2 things: 1) who they'd vote for in the presidential race and 2) which SWAT team teacher is most likely to end up insane: myself, Melinda, or Jethro. Suckers, don't even try to campaign because I've won every year I've taught! (Just like FDR, only death will slow me down!)


 * Chapter 2**

Jethro - Track Changes is one of the greatest inventions ever, but it is very rarely used. The students don't really know how to use that, and it requires some additional upfront training. It is an important thing to give feedback and it is even better to do it using technology. One of my goals for this year is to use the clickers that we have immediate feedback in the form of formative assessments. It takes so much more time to prepare for those formative assessments, though, and that is a big hurdle for me.

Matt- Out of this chapter, BrainPOP sounded interesting to me because it has Flash movies on social studies subjects. The only concern I have (as usual) is that most of the videos and activities will not be directly related to my subject area--Utah Studies. But I have yet to search, so maybe I will be wrong.

Melinda - I liked the idea of video conferencing from this chapter. Especially with science, it's hard to have the students really grasp how the specific concepts would be applicable to real people. I am planning on having my second cousin who is a nuclear physicist hold a video conference with one of my classes. I will prep all period for the conference by having them brainstorm a list of questions they have about atoms, molecules, and matter. Even though only one period would be able to hold the actual conference with the scientist, he would still be addressing everyone's questions. Afterward, I would like to record the conference and show it to my other periods as well.

I also like the concept of using games and simulations to teach. When we get to our cell unit, we focus a lot on memorizing the different organelles in a cell as well as their functions. It would be good to use a matching game (if I can find one) as a fun way to learn these concepts. We also learn about organ systems in the human body. I know that there is dissection software from Carolina Biological supply and other companies that has games that you can use. If I had enough money for the program and site license I would strongly consider using this for a lab or assignment.


 * Chapter 3**

Jethro - I think that it would be cool if our Web site were better to use it as a platform for recognition of good work. We could have videos, examples of student work and plenty of other stuff. The only problem we run into is parent permission. We can show examples of stuff to our students without any problems, but posting on the web is another issue. I think that if we just get permission from all the parents, it would be fine.

Matt- I guess the video conferencing idea seemed the best for me out of this chapter. I have friends who are going to come and guest speak at my school for Stretch activities. I have mentioned that if they don't want to come all the way to Herriman from SLC, then we could set up a video conference. Sadly, they are hippies like me who actually are excited at the idea of coming out to a school and actually directly interacting with kids. Plus a lot of them have props they want to show off. Melinda mentioned that maybe we could figure out a way to get Yoshiko Uchida (author of __Journey to Topaz__ about Japanese internment during WWII) to speak from out of state. This will take a lot of leg work, but it would be sweet! If not this year, than next maybe.

Melinda - I need to work on the praise and recognition part mentioned in this chapter. I don't have a lot of wall space that I can put staples on in my room. This means that I usually don't display very much student work. I have noticed that students do better when I show them an example of A+ work. Using the student online galleries would be a great way for me to show parents, teachers, and students the outstanding work from each of my classes. I would post a link to the gallery on my blog. Now I just need a really nice scanner. ..

Chapter 4
Jethro - I think advance organizers are important, and would be good for lectures and exploratory-type learning. I feel like Inspiration, the software that we got for the Engaged Classroom is not that intuitive for me and I have really struggled introducing that to my students. I feel like it would be harder to have them use that than it would be worth. Brainpop sounds pretty neat, too.

I have used and heard of graphic organizers before, but this chapter definitely gave me some good ways to use them that I hadn't heard of before. I liked the idea of using Advance organizers (graphic or not) that help you prepare students for learning a topic. I also liked the idea of those being PowerPoints, videos, and student projects to prepare students for what they will learn.

Matt-Whoever wrote what is above, it's interesting but I don't trust strangers with candy. (Is that you Melinda?) Worst thing about the internet is the ability to be academic without citations or author disclosure. (Unless someone is exposing government transgressions--that's always fun to do anonymously!)

Anyways I have heard about [|www.unitedstreaming.com] but never checked it out yet. My dad, an old guy, uses it a lot and really likes it for history vids. Of course, he teaches US history. But I think I may check it out very soon!

Melinda - One thing that I really liked about chapter 4 was the reminder to use rubrics for projects. I do have a super detailed rubric for science fair, but that's about it. I think posting/handing out a rubric along with the student work gallery mentioned in chapter 3 would be a wonderful way to show students what you expect from them. Again, I would post it on my blog as well because kids lose anything they're expected to keep longer than 1 day. I especially liked the idea of making a brochure of research before a field trip. I've wanted to do little local nature walks before, but have been a little afraid because I'm always thinking the students will (yes, they most definitely would) goof off and talk to friends the whole time. Creating a research brochure would let the students have some background information about the things or places we would see on the trip and hopefully have them more interested. Also, having them fill out the brochure with some information would help ensure they are not just messing around. I would also count the brochure for a grade to turn in after the trip.


 * Chapter 5**

Jethro - This chapter was pretty heavy on the Inspiration stuff, and it has helped me see some new uses. I still feel it would be hard to incorporate into my class, though. I think one thing that might work for me as we read novels is using the software to create cause/effect diagrams showing how the choices the characters made will affect them and what the effect of those decisions is. I think that using the microscope to take pictures of magnified things and write stories about them would be pretty cool.

Matt- Well, in this chapter the idea of a cause-effect pattern organizer in Microsoft Word sounds very useful to a history teacher, needless to say. But I wouldn't put this as a high priority to learn in comparison to Survey Monkey, Google Earth, or United Streaming. Why? Because I like to draw on the board! And my kids always think I am such a good artist. I can impress them with a drawing of a rifle! They tell me I should teach art (and that strokes my ego)! But seriously, I think the aforementioned programs would serve me much better.


 * Chapter 6**

Jethro - This is where I think technology really helps. I like the idea of using a computer to teach kids how to take notes and summarize what they are learning/hearing. Using the outline view in a word processing program will make it very easy for the students to see how things work. It would be fun to have a lecture focusing just on that, to just give them the practice. I could use something like "A Light History of English", that I found in our library the other day. It would be great to use the summarize command in Microsoft Word to help them get a handle on summarizing.

Matt- A chapter about notetaking and summarizing? Kind of a snoozer! To be honest, this book points out a lot of creative options for Inspiration, but I don't feel strongly about taking all the time to learn that kind of complex program when I could draw those pictures 10 times faster on a paper and make photocopies for students to use with note-taking. But I also recognize that I have a weakness in the creativity department of the brain when it comes to conceptualizing how to use technology.


 * Chapter 7**

Jethro - I know that MCREL says that I shouldn't group kids based on ability, but I do that a lot. I will work on that. I think that multimedia and webquests are the best for cooperative learning. I think that the way they say it "Cooperative learning is not learning to cooperate, but learning by cooperating." I think that is very important, and I am guilty of seeing it in the wrong light all the time. In addition, using Skype to have my students communicate with other students in other states is a great way for them to do some sweet, sweet cooperative learning.

Matt- To me the idea of a WebQuest (inquiry-based learning) is very intriguing. I mean, why not let kids explore their own interests within the boundaries of my Utah Studies core curriculum? But the fear that I have (I have never tried this on a large scale so I can say I know from experience) is that this will take up a whole lot more time than I am willing to allot. Which is kind of silly since I teach this 1/2 year course for a full year. I am toying with option of reconstructing our school's Utah Studies curriculum map to create an inquiry-based learning project into the schedule. The WebQuest could be useful, but I know that web-based resources for Utah Studies are hard to find!


 * Chapter 8**

Jethro - This lovey-dovey stuff about giving them an E for effort isn't really my style. I expect them to exert great amounts of effort in any class, including mine. It is not worthwhile to go to school if they aren't going to put some effort into it. Although, after reading this chapter, I can see the value in helping kids understand that effort is important. I would like to be better about this. I thought it was particularly worthwhile for the students to fill out an effort rubric, because they can at least think about their effort and then they can make a choice after that.

Matt- This chapter, on "Reinforcing Effort," was interesting. The discussions of showing students data to reinforce that they have learned more with extended effort than without extended effort reminded me of all the data we collected for Rise and Stretch. I thought about showing the students the results of those surveys but I honestly don't know where to fit it in! All other social studies teachers I talk to tell me how it is so hard to fill a whole year up solely on Utah Studies, but I always am wanting more time! Because of that I don't like to take the time to show them data, for example, even though it might benefit them. I guess my problem is that I love my subject too much and I find almost everything about history interesting. As a result I don't discern well between "useful" and "not so useful." So maybe at some point I will show the kids our Rise and Stretch Data! After all, it might make believers out of them!


 * Chapter 9**

Jethro - For identifying similarities and differences, I think the best way to do it is to use an interactive whiteboard because the students will be able to feel and touch things. The problems with Venn diagrams on computers is that it can be so difficult to fill in the circles. You can do it much easier with a whiteboard and have the students write them in the circles.

Matt- I agree that identifying similarities and differences (the power to "discern and discriminate") is an essential tool in our society, as is learning to use technology to help us discern and discriminate. Using visual organizers of data effectively can make or break a persuasive argument in the adult world. I just need to take the time to learn how to create these computer-based visual organizers myself so that I can someday teach the kids that same skill.


 * Chapter 10**

Jethro - I think that my homework should be reviewing my lessons from the day. That would be very beneficial. The good thing about using technology for homework is that students in my school have computers and the Internet at home. Well, not all of them, but many of them. I don't teach math, but that battlegraph game looks sweet. I want to modify that and use it for English. Also, Yourdraft.com looks like a pretty neat idea. I

Matt- When I use technology for homework assignments I give the students a variety of choices, not all of which involve using technology. I do this for 2 reasons: 1) with my homework, student choice allows students (hopefully) to find something that interests them. Sometimes that does not involve technology; and 2) I know that some kids do not have access which is not necessarily any fault of their own than I feel giving options is more equitable. Luckily at my school, this is not a problem with most kids, but that is not the case everywhere. Of course, kids have access to computers in the library, etc. which is a good thing. One other thing I would like to comment on is that I want to figure out how to use Google Docs on-line.


 * Chapter 11**

Jethro - I don't know that this section is very applicable to me. I think it is important, but in English, we don't generate and test hypotheses. I thought the stuff was interesting, but not applicable to me.

Matt- We teachers--especially those of us who believe that analyzing data and results can be helpful--are the ones who really need these probeware and applets first! It could guide our instruction so much. But also, I was way excited to see some of the online simulation games for history and social issues: I especially want to check out www.making-history.com for the World War II simulation!