3-2-14
I should
begin with a short history of how I have gotten to where I am in regards to
technology in my classroom. This is my 5th
year in the Park Hill School District and my 25th year of teaching.
Wow, time has flown by and technology is in such a different place than when I
began my teaching career.
As a
beginning teacher we didn’t have computers.
Within a few years the “typing” teacher replaced the type writers with
computers and students learned how to use the keyboard to create documents on
the computer at school. It was difficult
to have students complete a project for individual classes because there were
only about 25 computers in the middle school building for students 5th-8th
grade and they were all in the computer/typing classroom.
At home I
had access to a Commodore 64 and began trying to put all of my grades into an
excel sheet. Lot’s of frustration
because the only computer experience I had was with punch cards in a college
computer class. By trial and error I
finally succeeded and was then blessed with a desktop at school. I read a book to learn how to use the
“Gradebook” on the computer for teachers which was a major undertaking at the
time. I had three little ones of my own
and no one at my school had learned to use it yet. There were quite a few glitches back then but
we trudged forward. We all finally
started using “Gradebook”.
Moving ahead
about 5 years society was transitioning from the bag phone (of which I could
not afford at the time) to hand held cell phones, from typewriters to a small
amount of computers for the entire school, and from Pong to more advanced video
games that students played at home. I
learned how to email and to type everything on the computer instead of a typewriter
that I had been using. With the teaching
position that I had at the time, I also starting using flash-drives to store
information (doesn’t seem like a lot now but at the time it was a big deal to
me).
Why share my
technology background? I can only hope
that those who feel as helpless with technology as I have and still do some
times, will gain confidence from knowing that a seasoned (old) teacher can
learn “new tricks”. It takes me longer
than young people sometimes because my brain doesn’t wrap around concepts as quickly
as others in this new arena of technology but I can see so many positives that
I am confident that I want this tool in my teaching arsenal so that students
will benefit and will have the opportunity to learn in a way that best suits
their learning capabilities.
Will I use
the computer all day everyday? No. However, myself and the students use it quite
a bit. I have found that it has been beneficial not only to the students who
are in class but also to those who have been absent.
Here’s how
I’ve used it so far:
1. Before the Flip program I was concerned that
I didn’t know enough about the newest technologies so I checked out computers
and had students try learning various ways of taking notes on the computer such
as: Word, Onenote, etc. I hadn’t used Google Docs yet but we would
eventually.
2. I began using Blackboard and set up my class
by units. I learned how to insert links,
download Prezis, PowerPoint’s, word docs, video clips, science games, and set
students up with threaded discussion questions.
I also put a few formative assessments on Blackboard for students to
take.
3. I had students use Edmoto for a discussion
but found that I liked using the threaded discussion on Blackboard better
because it kept everything in the same location.
4. As Park Hill switched over to D2L I found
that much of the work that I had done to find sites to put on Blackboard (a
lot) had to be done over again because the videos, science game sites, etc.
were lost when my class was moved over.
To my amazement it was not as much work because I felt MUCH more
comfortable with D2L since I had already learned Blackboard. In fact, many of the processes are much
easier to carry out on D2L than they were on Blackboard.
5. In the 2013/2014 school year I have had
students use D2L on a regular basis as an information repository for each
unit. By knowing that the units each
have video clips that relate to the learning goal as well as PowerPoint’s that
we go over in class (they can go back to these anytime they want to), songs
detailing key points, games that allow them practice with specific pieces of
the unit as well as work sheets and labs that are downloaded as word docs so
that they can print them if they are absent or print another if they misplace
theirs. I haven’t done as good a job as I’ve wanted to this year with putting
all of the word docs on D2L.
6. Besides using D2L as a repository I’ve used
parts of it with PBL’s this year. One of
the projects students completed was a Crime Scene investigation. They used their knowledge from labs and
classwork on physical and chemical properties of matter to solve a crime.
Each of my
four classes had a different crime scene scenario. I set up the crime scene in my room as well
as the “Investigation Offices”, i.e. footprints, fingerprints, hair samples,
powders, photos/sketches/video, timeline, handwriting/fiber samples and central
command headquarters. I collected
“evidence” from the crime scenes and presented it to the class as we went over the scenarios. Teachers, custodians, Vice Principal,
Principal and Media Center Specialists were involved in the scenarios. Students collaborated in their own “offices”
as they collected samples from suspects throughout the building and compared
the samples to what was collected at the crime scene. To communicate with central command,
students used D2L (Threaded
Discussion). It was great reading their
professional communications which included the physical and chemical
information they had learned in class.
Officer Macey came in as a guest speaker several days prior to the
investigation and then came in during the investigation to help guide
students. His presence reinforced the
relevance? Students collaborated as an
entire unit (class) the last day of the investigation to decide who they
thought committed the crime based on the evidence. My science investigators were interviewed by
Dr. Richardson’s Language Arts reporters for newspaper articles. The project took 3 – 42 minute class times.
7. I have started working closely with Becky
Bledsoe at Russell Jones on Science projects.
We have used the Park Hill Lync site to visit with one another and
students remotely. I have shared my D2L
science class with Becky so that she can use any the materials that I’ve put on
it in her class.
8. I had students use SmartArt in word to
organize their thoughts on the computer when we were learning characteristics
of minerals.
9. Students have begun using Google Share as
they read informational text, annotate the material, and share thoughts. They have also made power points on google
that they are able to share in real time with their teams.
10. I had students produce infographics on atomic
structure and the periodic table using an infographic website. I was pleasantly surprised at the depth of
knowledge they had and the various ways that students chose to organize it.
11. Students use computers regularly to research
information on the various units in the 8th grade science
curriculum. They are getting much better
at choosing sites that contain reliable information.
12. I recently received some base knowledge on
Examview and intend to work on it more fully to implement formative and
summative evaluations on D2L.
13. I am excited to use Powtoons or a similar
site with our unit on Geologic Time and/or Body Systems.
14. I am
preparing for another PBL using the computers and a socratic seminar while I
incorporate Geologic time/Crime Scene Investigation/Rocks/Fossils. I have the general idea in my head at present
but will need help with the socratic seminar and setting up D2L to work with
it. More to come on this one. . . . .
15. After attending the METC conference I began
videotaping myself for in-class instruction.
I learned how to use my phone (I just got a smart phone) and love the
fact that students are watching me on screen so that I can move around the room
and help students, keep everyone on task, and not forget what I have told
another class because I’m just replaying the video each hour. This method helps me move forward much more
efficiently.
16. After students had watched my videos for over
a week I told them that instead of the verbal test that I always give for the
Plate Tectonics/Layers of the Earth unit I would have the produce a videonote
and submit it to the dropbox. They
practiced one day in class and submitted their practice videos and will be
completing the video test this week.
They can use the foldable (manipulative) that we made in class, any of
the visual aides that I have in class or make their own diagrams or props to
explain the concepts on the test so that I know they know the information. They were given a scoring guide as well as
in-class instruction, homework, and guided time with all of the information I
provided on D2L. I look forward to
grading this test in a new way.
I
continue to be excited to learn more. I
know it doesn’t come to me easily but I also know that current technologies are
good for my students and their learning.
I hope that as they see me struggle and not give up that each one will
take to heart that we ALL are life long learners.
