Response to Keethai Regarding Weary Teachers

Keethai,
It is insteresting that you say teachers are getting weary or using/learning to use SMART boards. I am assuming that is because, as you say, it is something else they have to learn and not the technology itself.
My board too is starting to push further into the use of SMART board technology and on the surface it sounds great but I think it comes with hurdles.
The cost prohibits schools for purchasing one per classroom or even grade level so only one is purchased. That leads to scheduling problems who gets to use it an when (signouts always leave some people feeling ripped off). So now if it is signed out it probably means it is a portable system so where is it stored because now there is an expensive data projector that is roaming the hallways. What happens if your school is two floors because there is now way to take the SMART Board up and down stairs, you would need a service elevator. And, like you say, you end up with a bunch of weary teachers because they have to go through the training for something that they may rarely get to use and is a pain to signout and transport.

Little Kids Rock

Not only do I like the mission but I love the ideas I got from the site. In the third term I would like to make iMovies with different student groups and I was tinkering with the idea of creating different music videos. I can also see how I might incorporate video podcasting as an add-on to the project.

http://www.littlekidsrock.org/hearkids/videos.html

Response to Patricia

This article also makes me think about how this technology might change the way online courses are run. While some schools and universities in northern or more remote areas have access to video conferencing this type of everyday technology could really take online conferencing/courses to a new level.
The ability to hear and see who is talking, and presenting ideas and information, and to then to be able to instantly and verbally respond would be appealing for many students.
Perhaps this way online courses would cater to all types of learners.
Interesting article Patricia, I liked her comment that now all she needs to give a presentation anywhere in the world is "an internet connection, a laptop and her cellphone". Amazing isn't it, what a way to globally connect with people everywhere.

All the stuff out there

My students have used Kidspiration many times before especially for mind maps or concept maps. I have to admit that I have never thought of using this application as a presentation tool. Thanks for sharing the article Patricia.
There are so many options for software out there that I think sometimes it becomes a bit overwhelming. Somebody said in an earlier post words to the effect, "why can't we all agree on on platform?". Sometimes I feel the same about software. Teachers are bombarded with all different applications that as soon as they become comfortable with one application their computers get a new OS which won't support it anymore or 5 new products have come out to replace it. I have never been a big fan of being told what to do but, if we have a standard curriculum and reporting system in the province is it crazy to think that a standard software image for schools is unrealistic?

New Version of Keynote

In response to David's post

I looked at the new version of Keynote on the Apple site. It looks great!!! I watched the demo of the move feature and I agree with you David it's a hit. I like the fact that they have also added the ability to create narration within Keynote itself. At the moment I have the 2.0.2 version and I'm looking forward to upgrading soon. Trouble is that all the Macs at the school run the older version as well so until they catch up I won't be able to use the new bells and whistles for class presentations.

Comics and Keynote

Creating comics with speech bubbles and imported digital images is a fun way to create a presentation for sure!!!. Students can take it that extra step by adding their own sound track to the presentation as special effects. Another neat idea might be to use the ComicLife Software to produce your comic (eBook) and then import it into the presentation software this way you can take advantage of the best of both worlds (ComicLife's grahics and fonts and Keynote's presentation functionality). I played around with this earlier and found that the easiest way was to create the comic and export it directly into iPhoto the import the image into Keynote. I thought the final product turned out pretty well.

Peer Editing Presentations

Having students Peer Edit their presentations is a must as they are often the best critics when it comes to "you are using too much animation" or "I couldn't understand your presentation because your slides were moving too fast". One of the great things about peer editing/critique of presentations is that the computer lab provides an ideal space to manage and control the activity from a teachers perspective. In the third term I do a presentation project with my grade 5's (topics vary). They spend about a month putting together a presentation that is about 5 to 8 slides long. As we near the end of the month I usually have about a couple of Peer Critiquing Sessions. During this time I have the students run their presentations on a loop and go on a gallery walk around the other computers. They take with them a pencil and stickie notes. As they watch a presentation students are encourage to provide positive and specific feedback by writing on the stickie note and putting on the computer. I usually give them about 20 minutes and have the rule that a maximum of 2 people can be watching a particular presentation at one time. Works pretty well and of course the session creates a fair bit of discussion about visual presentation as well as content.

Where is the line??

Like with many pieces of technology today, the intended uses for hardware or software applications do not always follow the straight and narrow. Mark makes an interesting point about camera phones being used as a way to document and perhaps even prevent bullying. On the other hand the camera phone can be the tool in the bullying behaviour itself. A quick surf of You Tube will present any number of fights and incidents of bullying of students or teachers that have been posted not to prevent the act but rather to promote it.
The concept of MySpace or Facebook started out simply enough as a way to connect with others. Now privacy issues and people with nefarious intent prise the waves.
I think it is difficult to keep up with how technology is being used and to have a common set of rules and responsibilities which govern how technology is to be used. Take for instance the case going on at the moment concerning the Ryerson student who is facing expulsion for having an online study group through Facebook. Seems to me the student is doing exactly what university students have been doing for years, except now they are doing it electronically.

eBook Online Library of sorts

I took a quick look around this site, you are right Michael there is a lot to filter through. There is however quite a bit of really neat stuff. Good links to ideas for lessons around classroom theatre, good variety of text for all ages. I think most people could find several useful links to use themselves or to pass along to colleagues and parents.

http://drscavanaugh.org/ebooks/libraries/ebook_libraries.htm

Free-Ware/Not so free applications

Great site Keethai, thanks for sharing!! I could see using this site with younger students as a way of introducing them to creating their own comics. I agree with Michael that it does have some limitations. For a fee site it is a great site. Might also want to think in terms of using this site as a warm upto using ComicLife. Students could also do a comparison between free-ware applications and those that are licensed. With all the talk of Google suites and other all access applications, having students compare functionality and reliability of free vs pay for application would be interesting.

Mac vs Windows

In my school board the majority of elementary schools use Macs, while PCs seem to be the platform of choice in the secondary schools. At present our board is at a bit of a crossroads. The board has a computer "infusion" plan on the go whereby they want to create a sustainable standard and staff/student ratio of computer workstations. The problem is that the windows based machines are significantly less expensive than the Macs. At present the board is conducting open meetings, both online and public, for staff to give their opinions for or against continuing to be a dual platform board or switching to Windows. As you can imagine the secondary panel is fine with going strictly windows, however some in the elementary panel are almost beside themselves at the thought.
Having used both my two cents are that there is often a reason that one product is much cheaper and it doesn't always relate to economies of scale.

PowerPoint Handouts-When to use them

Interesting article Christine found. I thought the point about finding time during the lecture (presentation) to "pause and poll" the students was important. This point reminds me that the presentation itself is not the message but rather a means to communicate with students. Taking time to check for understanding is important in assessing for learning.
The examples of PPT handouts in the article gave me some ideas for the future. Seems to me that it is important to understand in your own mind what it is you want your audience to go away with after your presentation before you decide on a handout format.

Keynote vs PowerPoint

In response to Mark's Post

Mark,
I used the same approach you did, started on PowerPoint then converted to Keynote. Too much frustration using PowerPoint. The one advantage that PP had over the version of Keynote that I was using, was the ability to create narration within the software. In my Keynote presentation I used GarageBand to record my narration which I then had to export to iTunes and finally embed the narration in Keynote. It sounds like a lot of work but the reality is that by using GarageBand I was also able to include some background music to accompany my narration. In the end I think the product turned out way better than if I would have used PP.
I also went on the Apple website to take a look at the latest version of Keynote and it looks like they have added the function adding narration through Keynote itself.

Keynote and Creating ebooks

I found what I thought was a pretty good, and concise manual directed towards teachers on how to use/navigate Keynote. As the author says, you can download the nearly 200 page user guide but the reality is that most users will not need that much information. I also liked the visuals that he added to the pdf making it much easier to follow. Have a look and see what you think.

http://www.mattjfuller.com/ice/Keynote_3_Book-draft_quality.pdf

I also tried making a quick ebook using Keynote and found that the only drawback was not being able to create and insert audio within the slideware. Instead I needed to use GarageBand and iTunes to record and insert audio through the media inspector creating an extra step. Not a terrible inconvenience but if all I want to do is narrate the text I believe that PowerPoint has the edge on function.

Apparently Not Everyone is a Fan of Slideware

This post comes in response to a link that I found at the bottom of a site that Christine had posted regarding the evaluation of presentations....

At the bottom of the site there was one article that caught my eye, PowerPoint is Evil by Edward Tufte. In the article Tufte made some interesting points that although directed towards the business world, are messages that teachers and their students should consider. His big idea is that the presentation is really about the content and that boring content can not be saved through some version of slideware(PowerPoint, Keynote). He talks in terms of the presentation itself not taking away from the content and at it's worst a slideware, "style routinely disrupts, dominates, and trivializes content."
This article just emphasizes the care that presenters (teachers and students) need to take when building presentations.
It was a fun read check it out if you like:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt2.

Spirit Reading

I was reading the discussion some people were having regarding reading to students and having them read. It reminds of an activity I have used with some effectiveness in my classroom call spirit reading. In a nutshell what happens is that when we are reading a piece of text together one person reads of a bit and then stops and whoever "feels the spirit to read" picks up where the last person left off. This takes a bit of getting used to and co-operation from all members of the class. In the beginning you will find that the same folks want to dominate and some will never read, but like with most classroom activities investing a bit of time brings out great results. Even my reluctant readers are taking turns, they don't read for as long as some others but they are now feeling confident enough to read aloud.

Keynote vs PowerPoint

In the ongoing battle of Mac vs PC, I would have to agree that Keynote is a much more user friendly application to create presentations. Another plus for Keynote is that you can easily convert your Keynote presentation to a PowerPoint, thus having the flexibility to make the platform irrelevant when you go to present. The one caution that I would add is there exists the possibility of some formatting adjustments to be made after the conversion.

Technology and the Visual Learner

Doing research on the visual learner created a couple of “a-ha” moments for me. First was the claim that the number of visual learners in our classrooms is increasing year over year. Added to that comment was the fact that there seems to be a resistance from adults (teachers) to this fact and that in response we are trying to “rewire” students brains back to the way they “used to be”. As I processed what the author had to say in her article and I asked the questions why, as the author claims, are there are more visual/right brain learners in our classroom and are we really trying to “rewire” their learning style back to a more traditional method of learning?
On reflection and through my experience I would have to say that the author is correct that there appear to be more students who would self-identify themselves as visual learners (through a Multiple Intelligence survey). Visual learners need colour, images, maps, diagrams, overheads, multimedia presentations in order to create meaning from what they are being taught. Auditory messages, copious words on pages and step by step instructions do not fit well with this type of learner. Visual/right brain learners today are able to deal with and process and multi-task, according to the author of this article, far better then students in the past. A great example of this would be having my 12 year old nephew over with his Xbox 360. Last Christmas he got two new games, without reading the rather thick and extensive user’s manual he dove right into the game and quickly became rather proficient at it. I, on the other hand, was experiencing tremendous difficulty being able to receive information from the screen and manipulate the controller at the same time and in the end found myself frequently having to turn to the user manual. Another characteristic of the visual learner is that they like to learn in chunks, the interesting correlation to video games I have come to notice is how the games themselves are “chunked” either by stages or levels. With the increasing amount of exposure to entertainment technologies that cater to and benefit visual learners it stands to reason that schools are seeing an increase in this type of student in our classroom. Educators therefore have a responsibility not only to recognize but also to adapt their teaching practices to accommodate these, and all, learners.
Which brings me to the author’s second point about adults trying to “rewire” students brains to accept more traditional methods of learning. I believe that anywhere there would be a conscious effort to do this however, the technology sometimes moves faster than the pedagogy can keep up. Once the pedagogy catches up there is a scramble to find the funds to support new best practices.
In this respect with visual learners and digital imagery I believe that the technology, the pedagogy and the technical know how of educators is on a level playing field. Digital cameras and digital imaging storage and manipulation software are so common place and the cost associated with the technology so reasonable that the transition to everyday classroom practices can be made quite easily. What I have discovered is that teachers do not need to reinvent their lessons and throw past best practices out the window instead they can incorporate the use of digital imagery and visualization into their current assignments.

MATH
In our school every Friday we have Learning Buddies. During one period all of our junior classrooms are matched up with a primary class and the topics covered span the curriculum.
Overview:
In this lesson I would have my grade 5 students match up with students from a grade one class to create a book about 2D and 3D shapes. Groups would consist of 4/6 grade fives and 4 grade ones (due to class sizes). Each group would have a scavenger hunt page which would show the 2D and 3D shapes that the group needs to find in the school/yard and photograph. Students would later load these images onto a computer and use them make a PowerPoint (Keynote) presentation. This would take 4 lessons based on the knowledge that the grade 5 students are already familiar with the use of the camera and the software technology. As they say, “You only truly know you understand something when you find you can effectively teach what you know to someone else.” The idea being that not only would the younger students have an opportunity to use technology but the older students would benefit from consolidating their own prior knowledge and passing it along to younger students.
Lesson 1:
Split students into groups and distribute the cameras (5 cameras required). Provide students with a clipboard and scavenger hunt page showing (Shapes Hiding in Our School) them which 2D and 3D shapes they have to find (each group would have a different set of shapes to find e.g., Group 1 – circle/sphere, Group 2 – square/cube). Go over any safety rules, behaviour expectations and timing you have for the lesson.(This might also be shared by the grade fives using images on a PowerPoint presentation they created previously).
The goal will be to have students take pictures and download them to a computer in one lesson.
Lesson 2/3:
Students will get back into their groups and work on putting together 4 slide presentation.
Slide One – Title includes names of both shapes and a picture
Slide Two – 2 D shape includes pictures of the shape and a sentence about the attributes
Slide Three – 3 D shape includes pictures of the shape and a sentence about the attributes
Slide Four – Closing Credits includes picture of the group and their names

Early finishers can work on adding transitions/effects, narration and music (Garage Band) to their presentation. This will allow those truly visual/right brain people a chance to shine.
Lesson 4:
Will be a celebration and presentation of the completed projects. Projects can be linked to class conference or to the school website.

Social Studies
Overview: Grade five students are studying Ancient Civilizations and are required to show how innovations made by various early civilizations have influenced the modern world. Students will be required to research and find modern examples of an early innovation that is in use in our community (e.g., architecture – pyramids, columns) and then take digital pictures of them. The presentation should take the form of a report and be completed on a desktop publishing program such as Pages for Mac. The tricky element would be making sure that students have access to a digital camera. Possibilities might be to where possible bring in objects (e.g., calendars, clocks, models etc) and photograph them. Another alternative would be to go on a walking tour of the community to see what can be encountered (irrigation systems, hydrants, community centres etc). Last possibility might be to sign out cameras for students to take home this however does come with possible problems namely the insurance that the equipment is cared for. The benefit will be in making the students really think and search out items/objects that are part of our everyday existence that we benefit from due to an early civilization.
Show students the example below


Language
Overview:
As an on going class project one of the simplest ways to involve students in using digital imagery is to have a class newsletter that is published electronically one a month. Different groups of students would be responsible for writing, capturing the digital imagery and publishing the paper using a program such as Comic Life or Pages. The completed version would then be published on the class intranet conference. By having the newspaper as an ongoing activity provides the students opportunities to reflect on what they and others have done. In turn students will have an opportunity to stretch their skills and creativity using photo editors and desktop publishing. Moving from capturing the digital image to the visualization of the final product.
The paper could include pictures of school, class or community events and interviews or photo essays on any subject. The benefit of an ongoing assignment like this is that it creates a level playing field for those with physical limitations both physical and intellectual with minimal support from teachers or EAs. Contributions can be made to the paper in a variety of ways and the technology allows for a common end product.

What I find interesting, although not entirely surprising, is that it is difficult to talk about different types of learners and the benefits of digital imagery in isolation for one particular learner or for that matter one particular technology. In the end all learners benefit from using technology and I find it almost impossible to use one piece of technology in isolation. Last assignment centred around digital storytelling but digital imagery goes hand in hand with that. Our next assignment looks at presentation programs like PowerPoint again if you create a narrated presentation incorporating digital imagery the end product is an activity or lesson that will appeal to many types of learners.

Inferencing and Digital Pictures

At my school, in the junior division, we are presently focusing on inferencing in our shared reading. To do this we are showing students a single picture from a sequence of pictures from which they will make their inferences. As teachers we have decided on a common Pre and Post picture to use with our classes, but gave ourselves the flexibility to use pictures of our choice in the middle teaching weeks.
Keethai's post, and David's website, made me think that rather than finding pictures myself I could give students a digital camera and they could take the picture that we would use (or one which another class could use). Neat idea.

Keethai, in a follow up post asked if our school was an OFIP school. We are not, but we got our idea from using Strategies That Work by Harvey, our DRA results and our board has just this year purchased the Literacy in Action program which includes lots of great visuals and opportunities to work on reading strategies through images. The digital camera idea to generate new images is just a bonus.

Comic Life....again

I choose to do my software evaluation on Comic Life in a previous assignment but I thought it might be worth mentioning again during this block with regard to digital imagery and visual learners.
Visual learners, as has been posted, find success when the information they receive and the method that they communicate their learning is done visually with aid of graphs, charts, organizers etc. This type of learner needs the visual representation to help organize their thoughts and understand information.
I see the software and technology that is available to students today as a great way of helping students organize and communicate their understanding without frustrations.
Comic Life is one piece of software that "easily" allows students to import images taken using digital cameras, built in webcams or video cameras right into the program. Students have a wide range of formats, text, colour and editing options to choose from when creating their final product. Although the software is call Comic Life, the is an endless amount of cross-curricular opportunities to be had.
• Retells
• All About Me
• A Day in the Life...
• A series of images that develop a skill in Phys. Ed.
All in all I think this program provides the visual learner opportunities to organize and communicate messages and understanding in a super easy and creative way.

Here is a link that I have posted before that looks at different ways of using Comic Life in the classroom plus provides a quick tutorial on its use:

http://www.countrymeadows.district96.k12.il.us/Comic_Life_site/CLresources.html

Ideas for Digital Cameras and Bio-Poems

This is a great idea. I usually begin the year with students creating a (auto)Bio-Poem as a way of introducing themselves to the class. I post these or our Program Night in September and they are always a hit with parents and then I tuck them away until the end of the year. I provide the students with a choice of nice stationary which they use to print out their poem. Next year I think that I'll incorporate the use of digital cameras and have the students create their final product using a publishing software like Pages or PrintShop for MACs (I'm not sure the name of the desktop publisher for PCs).
I use Bio-Poems throughout the year in different subject areas because I find them a great way to get students to really think and communicate more than a superficial understanding of a person.
For example they could create a Bio-Poem for: a character in a book, a past Prime Minister, a craftsman in Ancient Egypt, a present for Mother's/Father's Day, a geometric shape.
I have done most of these and they have been a hit, I think the addition of the digital camera and the publishing programs will make these activities even better.

Visual Learner and Web 2.0

http://www.veaweteach.org/articles_vje_detail.asp?ContentID=2707

I thought this was an interesting article in that the authors included some statistics which demonstrate the extent of student technology use. They state that according to the new era of Web 2.0 (which I understand refers to the mass availability of software that allows for creation, storage and interactive communication of ideas and information online) the environment for the visual learner has never been so conducive and supportive.
Citing a report by Pew Internet and American Life Project 93% of American teens use the internet (makes me wonder why the other 7% aren't) and 63% of those users are web content creators. Those are amazing numbers and within those numbers the needs of visual learners are being addressed.
The authors key in on the idea that this is a new technological age where the opportunity exists(Web 2.0) for so many people to access free internet sites which allow the user the opportunity to create, store and share their ideas. There is a great example in the article which demonstrates the ability to create the same digital story using 50 different free online applications. I have included the url, which provides links to all 50 applications.

http://cogdogroo.wikispaces.com/StoryTools

Visual Learners

http://www.futurelab.org.uk/resources/publications_reports_articles/web_articles/Web_Article556

This article has already cited about with regards to the the benefits of Interactive White Boards, and other visual display technologies, allowing students to become immersed in their learning environment. I agree with this completely. When I think about the last round of IEPs that I completed, nearly every student that was on an IEP due to a learning disorder had the accommodation of visual cueing systems/organizers. In understanding what works best for those who are visual learners that appropriate use of VDTs only enhances what classroom teachers are already doing to support these kids.
There was a great quote by Alan Kay at the end of the article that I really enjoyed. It said, "The music is not inside the piano". I thought Kay's remarks were a great reminder that access to technology is only a the first step. Understanding how to make best use of the technology is just as important.
This article was from 2004 and cited the infusion of money and technology into the British public school system, particularly around IWBs. I remember in 2002 a delegation of British elementary school principals visiting our school to find out how we were using technology in our classrooms. I remember them being amazed at what we were doing, which in hindsight wasn't overly spectacular. I also remember them saying that all of there classrooms had been outfitted with IWBs but they weren't being used because nobody knew what to do with them, hence the reason for their trip to Canada.

$$$$$??????

Christine,

You raise some interesting points, especially when you ask the question as to what your board or any other board is doing to address the funding of technologies which support visual learners. Recognizing that there is a finite amount of dollars for funding education, the choices that the ministry and boards are left with is how to divide up that money.
I get the feeling lately that education dollars are being spent more and more on new initiatives that don't really address student learning but rather deal with student behaviours (e.g., School Based Bullying Committees, character education). I believe that if the ministry and boards were more focused, and directed our limited resources on keeping students engaged in their learning and addressing their specific learning styles that some of the additional issues that we are presently dealing with externally to our curriculum instruction would be dealt with.

A bit off topic I know, but throughout this course I have often wondered where the dollars are eventually going to come from to provide the funds for technology.

Digital Photography/Shared Reading

This is in response to posts by Christine and David:

At my school, in the junior division, we are presently focusing on inferencing in our shared reading. To do this we are showing students a single picture from a sequence of pictures from which they will make their inferences. As teachers we have decided on a common Pre and Post picture to use with our classes, but gave ourselves the flexibility to use pictures of our choice in the middle teaching weeks.

Chrisine's post, and David's website, made me think that rather than finding pictures myself I could give students a digital camera and they could take the picture that we would use (or one which another class could use). Neat idea.

Rant....

This is in response to Christine's post:

I wonder if school boards will or have considered give us some professional development on a PA day about digital storytelling?


I agree Christine!!
When I think about what I have learned so far in this course in terms of ways to engage my students in the curriculum through technology, it makes me wonder why my school board is not promoting/exposing its teachers to this technology.

I have to believe that it is not for lack of knowledge or trying. In the end I believe it most likely comes down to resources (human, dollars, software and hardware) and choosing which battles to fight. Over the course of this assignment I noticed one particular website that kept coming up:

donorschoose.org

At this site teachers from around the States can post proposals for projects they would like to do in their classrooms/schools and include the cost to run the projects. Philanthropists can then view all the proposals and decide whether or not they would like to fund whole or part of the project. Very cool idea, 24% of donor gifts have gone to funding technology based projects. One downfall is that it is not available in Canada.

My point is that I think that teachers have a greater responsibility to keep up with technology on their own, I personally don't think that school boards are equipped under current funding models to provide adequate support. I also think that either government or boards should facilitate(subsidized tuition, greater tax break) teachers taking these types of AQ courses instead of the half day/full day inservices.

Speaking for myself, after I reach A4 there is almost no chance that I would be willing to pay nearly $1000 out of my own pocket to take another AQ.

Its not a perfect world but I do think that there has to be a way to keep educators as in the loop when it comes to technology in the classroom.

Podcasts Vs PowerPoint

I was reading Christine's post about using PowerPoint (Keynote for Macs) as a great way of introducing her students to podcasting (DS).  I thought that the idea of using PowerPoint was a great idea, especially in that presentation technologies are far more familiar to most teachers than software like iMovie or Audacity might be.  In addition I recently found out that it is very easy to create a narrated presentation through PowerPoint (never knew the option existed before).  This way of including audio is simple, the software is included with the presentation program and you don't need any extra hardware to make it work.  

DS Through a Teacher's Eyes

I found this page interesting in that it journalled a teacher's experience with completing a DS project with his class.

He made several interesting points about managing technical resources and provided hints on how to work around obstacles.

I felt that the author had a good message in that although the technology is great and exciting for the students, we can't lose site of the fact the story(and the writing of the story) is the focus of the activity. He is just using technology to help students express there thoughts and feelings as writers.

Click here to access the webpage.

Interesting Clearing House of Information

Found this site which I thought was fairly interesting. Basically it is a comprehensive "How To.." site, dealing with hardware and software related to podcasting and digital storytelling.
The author has created links to just about anything that you need to know about digital media. There are lots of great links to tutorials and to manufacture's sites that provide technical details on hardware. He has also included several links to program ideas.
 

Click here to visit the site or use the Digital Media Resources link in the sidebar.

SlideShow

I found a neat slideshow on educational podcasting. Click on the link at the side to view it.

Basically the slide show provides so ideas for podcasting uses in the schools. The idea of having Kindergarten students take home iPods with their vocabulary words on podcast was interesting.

Podcasts/Digital Storytelling (DS)

As I have been going through the vast amount of information on podcasting and digital storytelling (DS), one thing has become abundantly clear, there is absolutely no limit to what can be done using DS in the classroom. I do not believe that there is one curriculum area that can't be explored using this technology, nor is DS specific to any particular grade. The possibilities appear to be endless when thinking about how this technology can be used within our classrooms. Therein lies the problem for some educators, the technology no matter how good or simple to use is getting in the way.

For many educators, and I include myself, see huge benefits to our student's engagement and enthusiasm in their learning. Teachers see these wonderful podcasts, iMovies, digital stories that can be created and are quite willing to join the technological parade. However, this is where sometimes I can see problems occurring. Wanting to run before we can walk can quickly stall or collapse a wonderful lesson.

The KISS principle really works here; start with what you want your kids to learn and work backwards:
1) Start with what curriculum expectation
2) How you want the students to communicate their knowledge and understanding
3) Where are the students starting from - schema, background
4) How much time do you have
5) What resources will you need to support students - technological, print, human etc
6) What will the lesson cycle look like

I really liked this podcast and its message for teachers when thinking about how to set up a podcast in the classroom.

Auditory Learners/Differentiated Instruction

With all the attention presently being given to Differentiated Instruction in the classroom, understanding our students and how they learn is a must in order to differentiate effectively.
Howard Gardiner's Multiple Intelligences identifies those who have strengths in the Verbal-Linguistic and Musical-Rhythmic subcapacities as being highly auditory. Getting students and teachers to understand and identify what strengths are found in a classroom of learners will help generate a more engaged learning community, in the end, that is what differentiation is all about. Coming up with a "Choice Board" which does not take into account the learning styles in the classroom is a waste of the teacher's time and a cause of frustration for the students.
Those who are auditory learners can benefit from listening to a passage rather than reading it themselves. A podcast that is well mastered with musical intros will be far more appealing to some students, and create an opportunity for success, which may not have been present before.
In terms of the students who benefit from auditory material and instructions, I also think about some of my struggling readers/writers. I often have one particular student use Kurzweil3000 software that scans and reads the text that the rest of the class is working on. I also have a couple of students that use DragonNaturally Speaking to "dictate" their responses, which are then printed out later.
In the end even though technology seems to be moving faster than we can keep up with it, the exciting reality is that more than ever before we have the technological tools which will allow all of our students and opportunity to take meaning and communicate and share their understanding of the material we are teaching

ESL and Podcasts

I found it interesting that Apple has a podcasting area for English as a Second Language (ESL). I believe these types of resources for our ESL students broaden not only the student’s grasp of the English language but can also be shared with other family members to expand (if desired) the whole family’s English language skills. Having the ability to do vocabulary practice through podcasting reminds me a bit of the “Learn to speak…” tapes that we used to be able to get. Apple’s ESL podcasts are mostly free of charge, there are over 100 trendy podcasts to choose from (they seem to be suited for an adult audience but perhaps useful in adult education settings) and they average about 20 minutes in length.

Lingo....

I’m assuming that Vodcasts are the same as video podcasts and Screencasts are…the same as video podcasts? Arg, this is frustrating to get the lingo down.

I did find it interesting that screencasts/vod casts/video podcasts/digital storytelling are popular enough to warrant an elementary film festival in the States. http://t4.jordan.k12.ut.us/t4/content/view/233/38/

Displays a neat variety of student generated digital storytelling...

Comment on Software Rubric Criteria

I agree with the potential rubric criteria that have been listed in postings. I’d like to add my opinions and expand on some of the comments.

Re: Support Documentation - this should be available for both students and instructors. I would love the opportunity to plan using the teacher’s book to ensure I’m getting the software package into the best possible spot in my class’ curriculum.

Re: Cultural Sensitivity – I also think consideration needs to be given to gender and different family composition. I also feel that I want Canadian content when possible including references, spellings and pronunciations. For pronunciations, I feel it is important to have those little sound byte buttons for students to use to help with appropriate Canadian pronunciations.

Re: Is the software current or out of date – I’d also like to know if there are plans for this software’s future (add ons, updates, revisions) so that our school/school board is making a sound investment

Re: Educational based programs vs. game based programs – Does it truly need to be one or the other? I think that some game based programs are educational such as ***. I agree that if it is game based, it needs to be curriculum aligned as mentioned in multiple postings. I always like to think of the theory of “flow” (Csikszentmihalyi, M.). I’ve borrowed this information from the following website: http://www.616.ips.k12.in.us/Theories/Flow/default.aspx
What is meant by the term "flow?" The state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter, totally unaware of your surroundings but enjoying the task and having fun while doing so. Where people are highly motivated or intrinsically motivated. Sometimes students understand the simpler meaning " getting into the rhythm of things"
How do we get students intrinsically or self motivated? By offering activities, (games, puzzles, manipulatives and other challenges in the symbol system) in the multiple intelligences, by getting them to understand they can have fun and learn at the same time. The activities are learning tools for them. This is a choice time, where they are in control of their own actions and decisions and they can gain some confidence by making decisions on their own.
Re: Surrogate teacher vs. Self-directed/Tutorials – The other David (☺) proposed that software should not be a surrogate teacher but should be able to be self-directed. Could these two concepts be at odds with each other? Sometimes, we need the computer software to be a surrogate teacher and our role is to enhance the learning from the software. When I’m in our computer lab with my class, I’m glad that some students are engrossed in a program that is challenging them at the level they need to be. This allows me to ensure that students are engaging in something that challenges them and it’s something that is appropriate. I don’t feel because a software program is teaching my students that I’ve abdicated my role or responsibility for the class.

OSAPAC

Visiting the OSAPAC website was an interesting experience. I had knowledge of the "Ministry Licensed CD" and understood that in many cases this CD was the backbone of many of the the software programs that we were using on our computers. What I didn't know was that the site provides some upgrades, and grade specific ideas on what to do with these programs. Great service, but like some good things, few people know about it and perhaps even fewer take advantage of it.

The board that I'm with has been working with a standard image for it Mac computers for a couple of years and is, I understand, in the process of developing an image for PCs. With all the discussion around "standardization" in education, I wonder if there will ever be a standard image for Ontario schools? If OSAPAC is made up of teachers and computer people from around the province is this an unreasonable thought? Does it make sense?

There are one or two programs that we have on our standard image that do not appear on the OSAPAC site, so I am assuming that our board has purchased the license for the software. It so happens that I believe it (Comic Life) is a great piece of software and I'm glad that our board has it. In the end if we are all teaching the same curriculum using the same reporting system would it make sense that we have access to the same resources.

Great piece of software...

This is the software application that I used for Assignment 2. Comic Life has been on our school board's standard image for Mac computers for a couple of years now. Basically it is a program that allows you to make "Comics". On Mac computers it links up with the iPhoto application which allows users to drag and drop photos into their comic. Users can also capture images from a video camera or iSight and place them directly into their comic.
The great thing about this program is that you can use the comic as a jumping off point for whatever you want to do in your class. Make book reports more interesting, great way to create a "How To..." chart, make the water cycle that much more interesting, demonstrate the life cycle of a frog or butterfly. I have recently begun to use this application with my Grade 5 class and they love it.
A little bit of research online turned up some neat sites that can provide educators with a multitude of ways to incorporate this application into lessons which are appropriate for different grade levels.

This is one of the better ones: (I posted the links below but they don't seem appear when I publish so I have also posted them in the sidebar)



If you want to test Comic Life out, you can get a 30 day trial download for either Mac or Win based machines.
Here is the link:

I'm Back...

Sorry that I have been out of touch for a while. Looks as if lots of good discussions going on!!!
I'll try and get up to speed.

Dave

Did You Know/Shift Happens

I originally saw a version of this video a couple of years ago, this is an updated version that I found on YouTube.

Thought this video created some perspective on technology and how we approach our teaching...
Any thoughts??????

Dave

Okay, now what????

Okay, I like it.  I have read blogs before and even have commented on a couple, but this is my first foray into the hosting section.  Setting this blog up was a extremely easy process and I have had fun exploring different ways to customize the site.  It is very interesting to see how simple it seems to evolve your blog from a visually plain information exchange into an eye catching money maker (AdSense).  

I have always viewed blogs as an ongoing conversation with the world.  With that concept in mind, what part will blogs play within the scope of an elementary school setting?  Seems as if there is a fair amount of personal information that is shared or has the potential to be shared on the web. Unless the access to the blog is limited to invited bloggers, I believe this can be done, I would have some reservations incorporating this type of technology with my grade 5 students.

If the point of blogging is to engage in ongoing and open conversation with, and between students then the environment which facilitates this should be safe and secure.  Our board's intranet provides opportunities for teachers to set up and moderate class conferences.  The scope of these conferences allow for the exchange of messages(emails), instant messaging and through editable documents a form of blogging.  Benefits of class conferences are that the teacher can moderate closely the content and also limit access to students and teachers within the board or school.

I am not closed to the idea of blogging but I would appreciate ideas/thoughts on how it could effectively and safely be incorporated into an elementary school setting.

Dave

Dave's Intro

Hello 

I hope that everyone had a good holiday! Writing this intro is my slow way of jumping back into the reality of getting back into school mode.

My teaching experience has taken me from the TDSB, where I started my career, to my present location of Halton. I have had lots of fun teaching grades 1,5 and 6. Starting in the new year my assignment changes slightly to include being the Teacher Librarian at my school. Being the new T-L is part of my motivation for taking this course as I hope to compliment the .5 position in the Library with an additional .5 of planning time that is dedicated to IT. Giving up my classroom is tough, but the new opportunities and challenges I'm sure will keep me busy.

I love using technology to deliver lessons and provide students with interesting ways to engage in their learning. Despite my interest, I don't always feel very confident that I am using the technology to its full potential. In the end, what I want to get out of this course are practical ideas for the use of technology and the confidence to incorporate technology to a greater extent in my classroom.

Looking forward to the course,

Dave Buddell