Comprehensive Assignment 8

With this weeks reading, we begin to consider the behind the scenes components of adding technology into the classroom, or the school.  Having easy access to the internet can be a blessing and a curse.  The ability to incorporate up-to-date information at the click of a button is wonderful, but there are sinister caveats to this world of plenty.  The reality is that even though the school may have altruistic uses for the internet, they have to prepare their network and its users for the minefield that the internet can be.  Acceptable use policies, avoidance of inappropriate materials for users, firewalls, spyware/virus detectors, and proper equipment that will allow ALL students access are just a few things to keep in mind when making the school internet ready.  The book recommends creating a strategic plan that will help the school consider all of its needs and make a plan that will keep them on task, on time, and on budget.

Though I am currently not teaching, I have spent a short time in a classroom in Madison Central High School, in Madison County, as a part of a class, and my husband also works in the IT department for Madison Central.  So, I was able to get a little bit of an inside look behind the scenes.  I am not sure if this is the case for all schools in Madison County, but at the high school, they use Norton Anti-virus to help protect the individual computers.  The system is also set-up with a proxy server, which prevents access to social networking sites, pornographic sites, game websites, and many others.  Additionally, you must have system administrator access in order to download any programs to the individual computers—this also includes updating any current software on the system.

Of course, there could always be more protection.  To my knowledge, the computers do not currently have firewalls set-up except for what Norton may provide.  I also think that have multiple means to hunt out malicious materials already downloaded to you system is a good preventative measure, just in case something does manage to get through and prevents the computer from being accessed.  This could be necessary in instances when a teacher, student, or administrator use a jump drive in order to access materials that they could not download from their email.  Since viruses, worms, and Trojan horses can still be introduced to new systems through the use of an external hard drive, or even a cd/dvd with corrupted material, it may become important to have those additional levels of protection to prevent the malware from spreading throughout the entire network.

Week 7 Comprehensive Assignment

This week we read two chapters one about using the web for teaching and learning and another about audiovisual technologies.  The web options that were discussed in the first chapter are some of the more advanced options for use.  Specifically, I have been interested in wikis, which I found out more about this week.  It is great to see how other educators use this sophisticated, and yet easily accessible, forum for learning and communication.  The wiki allows all participants to provide information, make corrections, and basically communicate with a group of interested people.  This means that faculty, staff and students can work on a joint wiki focused on a topic of choice; they can also incorporate community members, even other classrooms or communities across the country or the world to have them contribute to the overall process.  Wikis are very versatile because they allow everyone to have a means of impacting the final result.  The wiki allows for input, correction, and tracking of both to show how one’s students might, or might not, be participating.  The beauty of the wiki is its fluidity.  When used properly, the wiki is almost a life of it’s own that evolves with interaction from all of its participants.

Keeping this information in mind, there are some basic software programs that I will most likely use in the classroom when I start teaching.   First, and probably most commonly, I imagine I will use Microsoft Word.  Secondly, I foresee using Microsoft PowerPoint fairly regularly.  Both pieces of software are easily accessible within a majority of homes that have computers, and are readily available within the computer labs, and classrooms.  The primary reason for use of these applications is the need for the student to become familiar with both programs’ use before going on to college, where both are used heavily.

Used as a presentation tool, PowerPoint can be great or dismal.  Obviously, when used correctly, PowerPoint can be a great way to add visuals into a class discussion, a means of creating an interactive lesson, or even be used as a component of an exam when certain physical media is not available.  When used incorrectly, as happens too often, it can be a great way to put your audience to sleep.  Luckily, I happen to have had a lot of experience with this program and will hopefully be able to avoid the common pitfalls of excessive text, inappropriate visuals, reading from the screen, and poor color or background choices.

Week 6 Comprehensive Assignment

There are a plethora of online tools to help the teacher educate.  Of course there are basic resources like dictionaries, thesauruses, maps, all sorts of reference material; on top of that you can find video and audio files that can explain a topic in colorful and catchy ways.  Finally, there are multitudes of websites, good and bad, that can delve into specific subjects that the teacher may not have the ability to do in a classroom setting.  This week, I learned about one tool that can help bring all of that info together into one neat and interactive package.  It is called a webquest.  The webquest is the brain child of Dr. Bernie Dodge, who, in 1995, wanted to find an interactive option for additional or alternative learning opportunities.  As he said on the website he created to help teachers with this media tool, Questgarden, Dodge’s goal “was [and is] to create lessons that make good use of the web, engage learners in applying higher level thinking to authentic problems, and use everyone's time well.”

So you may ask, what is creating a webquest like?  Well, it is probably one of the most grueling assignments I have ever worked on.  Depending on your discipline and age group coming up with a webquest idea may not be too hard.  Unfortunately, being a science teacher to high schoolers, does not easily lend itself to useable topics.  The idea of a webquest needs to not be strictly data/fact based memorization, which tends to be much of the subject matter for that grade level.  So, I had to step outside of the box.  Honestly, I don’t know that what I created could ever really be used in any classroom setting, but there are components of it that I am very proud of, and would love to see the results!  I found the most difficult part of the creation process to be working with the site itself.  Some aspects of Questgarden are quite user-friendly, while others are infuriating to deal with.  All in all, I would have to say that, once I was more familiar and comfortable with the site’s quirks, I was able to come up with a webquest that I am very proud of.  After much deliberation, and with some help of my co-workers, I was able to incorporate the recent discover of Gliese 581g, a little planet 20 light years away, into a quest of discovery about current Earth population, and its affects on the planet’s ecosystem.  The quest is set in the future, and the students are set on a task to research a planet for repopulation.  If you would like to see my work you can go to: http://questgarden.com/109/78/6/101003114741/ .

Week 5 Comprehensive Assignment

The reading this week was more informative then I thought it might be.  I knew that academia had snatched and repurposed many computer programs like DTPs and WP as well as database and spreadsheet software, but it was refreshing to see how many other programs were in use for many different reasons.  There is software to help the sight-impaired by vocalizing information on the screen or making it larger.  There are different academic games, including one of my favorites from many moons ago Oregon Trail, which still helps with problem solving and “promote discovery learning.”  But, I am assuming the graphics are a lot better than they were in 198X (withheld for my own sanity).  Of course there is also the plethora of reference materials like dictionaries, thesauruses, maps, etc.  One thing I did not consider as academic software is “authoring” software, which helps the user create websites. 

As a homework assignment, we had to look into different forms of online communication that might be used within the classroom.  As I am not a teacher, I have not used online communication tools with any students.  However, as a student at a very tech savvy undergraduate school, I used email with my professors and fellow students all the time.  It was a very regular and convenient form of communication for the busy student and professor alike.  Mostly email was used a way of sending in homework, keep up-to-date with last minute changes to our schedule, as well as mode of asking questions between class sessions.

Don’t get me wrong, I like email, but it is a very linear and even a little slow by today’s standards.  For our assignment, I looked in using twitter for the classroom.  Most instances I saw of its use were in college classrooms.  One professor was using it as a means to make her 90+ class seem smaller by have the kids tweet during the discussion & having the website up on the screen at the same time as she was talking.  Many of the students expressed how much it made it easier for them to participate because they did not feel so intimidated.  Another professor discussed how using twitter helped expand the discussion past the class time.  Personally, I envision using twitter as a means of reminding students of homework assignments, and upcoming dates of interest.  I can also see it being used as a way for students to ask questions about homework or answer questions posed by others.  It would also be a great way for the parents to participate, and possibly understand what their children are doing during class. 

Week 4 Comprehensive Assignment

The reading this week was at times almost comical because of how rudimentary it broke down all of the components of the computer’s hardware and software.  I guess it is because I am so familiar and comfortable with computers that I tend to forget that there are those people who are unfamiliar and even scared of computers and sometimes technology in general.  One thing I did appreciate about the chapter was some of the little tidbits of trivia that I never knew.  Specifically, the term “booting up,” meaning to start a computer, comes from the old phrase, “picking oneself up by your bootstraps.”  Though I have always disliked this saying, because it is physically impossible and therefore a ridiculous goal to set for someone, it was interesting to find out the lineage of that common tech term.  I also was glad to see that the chapter addressed the ever evolving complexity that is associated with networking, intranets, and file sharing—all of which are important for the modern age of education.

The PowerPoint (PPT) I created—for use during a tutoring experience at the local high school while I was in college—was for a lesson experiment construction and identification of a control, a dependent and an independent variable, and the hypothesis.  I took four different scenarios, and after reading through the experiment I let the students work on identifying the control and the variables.  Then I also made sure that they were able to assess the results to determine if there could have been a better method for constructing the experiment.  With the first three, I went around the class and looked over the students work to give immediate feedback.  The fourth scenario, I allowed the class to spend time and focus on the process without feedback until we went over it as a class.  Then as a wrap-up, and an opportunity to provide the students’ a chance to put their knowledge to action, I let the students create an experiment based on a question, which they would turn in for some extra credit.

The whole PPT revolved around “The Simpsons.”  The different characters were used as a familiar, funny touch and the circumstances where humorous.  The PPT background was yellow, but not too bright to be painful to the eye.  The text was black, so that it could be easily read.  The text was generally big enough that the students didn’t have to squint, or get lost in the words.  All the students that spoke up said that they really appreciated the experience because it helped to clarify questions for them.  Also, it made the experience a little less stuffy, because they were able to laugh at some of the experiments.  If there was anything I would like to fix, it would be maybe change the background to something a little more neutral, even though it was a Simpsons yellow.  Also, I would like to be able to print out the slides so that the students did not have to write out some of the info to make the initial process between slides a little more speedy.

Week 3 comprehensive Assignment

All of this reading on the uses of modern technology, in particular word processing (WP) and desktop publishing (DTP), has really made me think of how I have used both applications in the past as well as ways I might try to incorporate both within the high school Biology classroom. For obvious reasons, WP is immensely useful to any student and teacher. The power to write quickly, and successfully, is inherent in the make-up of programs like MS Word. The streamline nature of the user interface and the adaptability of the application allow the most advanced as well as the least comfortable computer users equal opportunity to create thoughtful and useful documents. One more important feature of the WP program the built in editing and correction functions. Things like spell check, cut/paste, and grammar wizard help the fledgling writer become more fluent while giving them the freedom to move text and minimize the paralysis that can set in when fear of making a mistake tempers the creative juices. Because the anxiety is alleviated, the student who feels they have no voice can find a route to personal expression that does not judge them on their knowledge of the English language, their speed at writing their thoughts, or their capability to utilize technology.

Using DTP is not quite as user friendly as WP, but it can allow the more visual thinker the chance to use a creative outlet. The capability of adding color, pictures, diagrams, charts, graphs, clip art, and text to document to make a more complete document can provide the teacher and the student more freedom of expression. It can also open a window of understanding for the parent, they may be given calendars of events pertinent to their child, they may see the result of a class project, and they may even witness their child’s thought process allowing them a better understanding. All of these results, and many others, make DTP programs like Adobe InDesign and QuarkExpress useful classroom technology. Another thing that can not be forgotten is the widespread use of these programs in the world post-high school. I personally did not have much experience with DTP until I worked for my college’s newspaper, where we used QuarkExpress extensively. I also found that InDesign was pretty comparable in its design and uses.

On the whole, I guess what I am saying is that both have their place in academia, and I have every intention of using both for paper composition, project creation, and personal communiqué once I finally have a class of my own. Attached you will find a picture I created as a spoof on a magazine cover. I found the template online and used Publisher to manipulate the picture and the text.

Week 2 Comprehensive Assignment

The first website that shows up when you run a Google search for “spreadsheets and databases in the classroom” is http://www.trumbull.k12.oh.us/teachers/resources/usingss.htm.  It is a very useful site that provides multiple links to different sites, templates, strategies, and lesson plans to help the teacher implement the use of databases and spreadsheets in the classroom. It is a very thorough and useful site that was assembled by a school system. The use of technology to help others incorporate technology is such a wonderful thing about our modern society. Whether one may be a tech savvy teacher or a novice, it is great to know that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel when trying to establish the use of practical classroom management applications.

Though databases and spreadsheets generally fall into the category of classroom management, the applications can be repurposed in some very unique ways. I never would have thought of using Excel to create a crossword puzzle or a word search, but both are possible and great ways to work on vocabulary. They can also be used for games like Jeopardy, which allow the students to test their trivia skills. Another use I never considered was the creation of a timeline, which could be very useful for the student who needs to grasp the cause and affect of actions through a specific period in time. Of course, I have used Excel extensively in my Biology, Chemistry, Agriculture, and Business classes in college to make graphs, charts, and tables, which I will definitely try to bring into the high school classroom when I begin teaching. This use of Excel can lend a visual component to numbers, statistics, and other data, in such a quick and colorful way, that it’s ease of use is hard to deny.
With all the reading we had this week, I have begun to understand how important it is to learn the unique learning styles of all the kids in the class. Understanding, how they learn really impacts how successful a lesson may be. It also affects how useful certain types of technology are with regards to enhancing the students learning experience. I also never realized just how complicated the lesson plan creation process really is. As I have begun to learn about the standards expected of the students and the teachers, I have begun to wonder just how feasible it is to incorporate everything expected. The time constraints, the level of information that needs to be conveyed, and limitations of human beings, make the use of technology a bridge to help cover some of the gaps.