Education has found yet another way in which technology can aid the learning of students. Digital storytelling has transformed the art of storytelling which has been around for ages. It allows for pictures, music, and narration to be added to the story. It can be used in a variety of ways in the field of Education and has several positives. Students will write a multiple different stories throughout their educational careers, and digital storytelling can take those stories to a new level. This is not to say that every time a story is written it has to be done digitally, but occasionally this does add to the excitement for the students. Students will also better their technological skills while creating their story digitally. Digital storytelling can also be a good outlet for shy students who would otherwise be hesitant to express their story to others. This type of storytelling allows for the story to be told without a student ever having to get in front of a large crowd of peers. They are simple to make as well. Its as easy as 3 steps: 1) Creat your story, 2) Find media to go along with it, and 3) Choose the technological source in which you will creat your digital story. Because of the simplicity in this new way of telling stories, teachers could use digital storytelling in a variety of different ways. Some possible ways in which I would use digital storytelling for my own classroom are listed below.
I could picture using digital storytelling in a variety of ways for my future classes. Digital storytelling would be a great group activity for students to get engaged in as well as for teachers to present content to their students. I can picture for a future English class assigning a group digitial storytelling project. Each group is assigned a common book to read and the entire group must produce a book review together to present to the class. A teacher could use digital storytelling to introduce a new concept, explain a complex idea to the class, or to summarize an entire unit before a big test. I think that it could best be used to explain a complex idea. Different students learn in different ways. This is one thing that all teachers must learn. A digital story could be a way that some students learn particular things better than a normal lecture. I also could envision a unit review being a nice way to use digital storytelling. Both the review and the explanation of a complex topic are ways that individual students could use the recorded digital story as needed to learn or review concepts.
Overall, I think that digital storytelling can be a great way to enhance learning for students of all ages. While the elementary level may be the best to use digital storytelling on, I also think that it could be used effectively at the middle and high school levels if used properly. More information about digital storytelling can be found by viewing this short Video Clip.
Monday, April 9, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Web Quest Review
Web Quests can be great educational tools in any classroom. I had never really had the opportunity to view and learn about Web Quests until this year, and so far I am sold on the idea of them. While they may take a bit of time to develop, teachers will be able to use the Web Quest over and over again with their students. Web Quests are also not limited to any particular subjects. They may sometimes work better with particular subjects, but teachers can develop one about any subject they choose. Another great thing about them is that they can work well with almost any grade level. The other thing that may be an issue is if students are too young to not properly know how to use the computer. Either way, it is important for the teacher to be sure that the content within the Web Quest is on the appropriate grade level for the students.
One great website to get Web Quest ideas from is QuestGarden.com. The site contains a variety of different Web Quests in different core subjects as well as different grade levels. Most of them are free to use and alter by other teachers. I had the chance to explore the website a bit and to review one Web Quest. The title of it is "The Who and What of Oral Tradition" by Amanda Lloyd of Berrien Middle School. Overall, I am very pleased with how this English subject Web Quest would engage students. The students are given a clear sense of purpose in what they are doing. The instructions are clear and detailed under two different tabs in the Web Quest. The students also have an opportunity to be the "teacher" by the end of the Web Quest in which they will be teaching their peers about their particular topics. The Web Quest also includes a clear rubric in which the students will be graded on. With the rubric attached, the students should know what to expect. There are also questions attached in a conclusion tab in which the students should be able to answer upon completion of the assignment. The aspects of this Web Quest that I did not like were very minor. I am not a big fan of the color choice in this Web Quest. The pink background color is a no go. The color of the hyperlinks are also very hard to see and read. There was also a picture on the front page that did not load. Overall, the information and process included in the Web Quest is great. I would just change a few areas of the overall makeup of the Web Quest.
These are just my thoughts on it. Every teacher/potential teacher has their different opinions on the effectiveness of teaching methods. The website is definitely a worth a look though. It has TONS of example Web Quests for teachers of all subjects and grades!
More information and examples can be found about Web Quests at http://www.questgarden.com/
One great website to get Web Quest ideas from is QuestGarden.com. The site contains a variety of different Web Quests in different core subjects as well as different grade levels. Most of them are free to use and alter by other teachers. I had the chance to explore the website a bit and to review one Web Quest. The title of it is "The Who and What of Oral Tradition" by Amanda Lloyd of Berrien Middle School. Overall, I am very pleased with how this English subject Web Quest would engage students. The students are given a clear sense of purpose in what they are doing. The instructions are clear and detailed under two different tabs in the Web Quest. The students also have an opportunity to be the "teacher" by the end of the Web Quest in which they will be teaching their peers about their particular topics. The Web Quest also includes a clear rubric in which the students will be graded on. With the rubric attached, the students should know what to expect. There are also questions attached in a conclusion tab in which the students should be able to answer upon completion of the assignment. The aspects of this Web Quest that I did not like were very minor. I am not a big fan of the color choice in this Web Quest. The pink background color is a no go. The color of the hyperlinks are also very hard to see and read. There was also a picture on the front page that did not load. Overall, the information and process included in the Web Quest is great. I would just change a few areas of the overall makeup of the Web Quest.
These are just my thoughts on it. Every teacher/potential teacher has their different opinions on the effectiveness of teaching methods. The website is definitely a worth a look though. It has TONS of example Web Quests for teachers of all subjects and grades!
More information and examples can be found about Web Quests at http://www.questgarden.com/
Sunday, February 12, 2012
And the Webby goes to...
Recently I had the opportunity to explore The Webby Awards website (see link below). This website contains the "best" websites, apps, interactive advertising, online videos, and more from each year as far back at 1997. The awards are broken down into several categories, one of which is education. The 2011 winner for best education website was TED.com (it also won the People's Voice Winner for education). It does not surprise me that TED.com was the winner. I have had the opportunity to watch "TED Talks" during several of my education classes as well as in my own free time. The site is very informative, and I would suggest it to fellow educators as well as parents and/or students.
TED started out in 1984 and was meant to bring together three different areas: Technology (T), Entertainment (E), and Design (D). Since then the project has came to include many different areas, one of which is education. The main objective of TED is to display "ideas worth spreading". TED allows users to search their vast array of talks using tags. Currently under the education tag, there are 103 talks available to view. Talks can last upwards of 20 minutes or as little as 3 minutes, and they are about a variety of different ideas in the world of education. With myself currently being in teacher education courses, I have mainly viewed TED talks dealing with different ways to go about educating children as well as differentiation. One of my favorite speakers is Sir Ken Robinson. He offers great insight into a variety of topics in a funny, yet educational way. Overall, the website would benefit any teacher, whether they are a veteran or beginner, because the world of education is constantly changing. Teachers must always continue learning to be effective in their profession.
The possibilities with TED does not stop there however. Teachers could looks up TED talks on a variety of different topics to use in their class to start up an engaging debate. Students and parents could also use the TED website to explore any possible interests that they have dealings with the primary topics invested in the TED website. While people may not agree with all the opinions displayed on the website, they are still indeed ideas worth sharing.
More information can be found about TED at http://www.ted.com/ . More information on the Webby's can be found at http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php .
TED started out in 1984 and was meant to bring together three different areas: Technology (T), Entertainment (E), and Design (D). Since then the project has came to include many different areas, one of which is education. The main objective of TED is to display "ideas worth spreading". TED allows users to search their vast array of talks using tags. Currently under the education tag, there are 103 talks available to view. Talks can last upwards of 20 minutes or as little as 3 minutes, and they are about a variety of different ideas in the world of education. With myself currently being in teacher education courses, I have mainly viewed TED talks dealing with different ways to go about educating children as well as differentiation. One of my favorite speakers is Sir Ken Robinson. He offers great insight into a variety of topics in a funny, yet educational way. Overall, the website would benefit any teacher, whether they are a veteran or beginner, because the world of education is constantly changing. Teachers must always continue learning to be effective in their profession.
The possibilities with TED does not stop there however. Teachers could looks up TED talks on a variety of different topics to use in their class to start up an engaging debate. Students and parents could also use the TED website to explore any possible interests that they have dealings with the primary topics invested in the TED website. While people may not agree with all the opinions displayed on the website, they are still indeed ideas worth sharing.
More information can be found about TED at http://www.ted.com/ . More information on the Webby's can be found at http://www.webbyawards.com/webbys/current.php .
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Emerging Technological Tools for Teachers
In an article I recently had the opportunity to read on the Education World website, I was able to learn of several recent advances in educational technology that allow teachers the opportunity to engage more students in learning. More and more teachers are turning to the field of technology to enhance their teaching styles.
Elementary to High School teachers use a variety of new technological teaching tools, but none quite as important as the SMART boards. The SMART boards make the learning interactive for the students. Students have the ability to hear, read, and touch the SMART board on their way to mastering any topic. Teachers can save and share their lesson plans with teachers in their own schools and all over the worlds. The sharing of SMART board lessons allow for teachers to not only potentially improve their own teaching, but to also improve the teaching of other teachers all over the world. The SMART board is not the only new piece of technology however. Teachers in many different grades use the technologies that best suits their own students.
Many elementary school teachers use Kidspiration and Inspiration as educational tools in their classrooms. The programs are easy to use and allow the students an alternative way to learn and organize information. It can be useful for character studies, book/movie comparisons, history lesson, grammar lessons, current events, and a variety of other uses. The software also works easily with the SMART board software to allow teachers to project the creations from Kidspiration/Inspiration on the big screen. Teachers also reference the use of iMovie as a great technological reference for the lower to middle grades. The students use the program to make different types of movies, depending the subject, in small groups. By allowing the students the opportunity to film their own movie, they are further engaged in their learning. The Flip Video Cams would work well with this. Many new advances in technology will work well in any classroom if the teacher knows the best possible ways to implement them.
It is important for all grade school teachers to inform their students in the basic skills of Word, Excel, and Power Point. All three of these programs can be used beneficially in any grade. Many may believe that smaller children could not handle some of these programs, but students will surprise you. Even if it is just introducing them to the basics, it will benefit them. Students often use Excel for mathematics courses, Word to type English papers in, and Power Point to create a variety of presentations in a range of classes. Teachers also use all three of these tools almost daily and should be proficient in each of them.
The technological field concerning education is growing every day. Teachers and students are becoming better connected through fields such as email programs and software such as Blackboard CourseWeb. Schools that are fortunate enough to have the funds to have any of the programs mentioned in this blog post should consider themselves lucky. We are in a technological world and teaching has benefited from it. Teachers can use technology to engage their students in learning in ways that they could not before. The Education World Tech Team is a great resource for staying up-to-date on the newest technological resources for teachers.
Other programs mentioned in the article are: Skype, Wikispaces, Bloglines (you choose the information you want to read!), and FunBrain (interactive game site). You can find more information on these items and read the entire ariticle at http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech234.shtml
Elementary to High School teachers use a variety of new technological teaching tools, but none quite as important as the SMART boards. The SMART boards make the learning interactive for the students. Students have the ability to hear, read, and touch the SMART board on their way to mastering any topic. Teachers can save and share their lesson plans with teachers in their own schools and all over the worlds. The sharing of SMART board lessons allow for teachers to not only potentially improve their own teaching, but to also improve the teaching of other teachers all over the world. The SMART board is not the only new piece of technology however. Teachers in many different grades use the technologies that best suits their own students.
Many elementary school teachers use Kidspiration and Inspiration as educational tools in their classrooms. The programs are easy to use and allow the students an alternative way to learn and organize information. It can be useful for character studies, book/movie comparisons, history lesson, grammar lessons, current events, and a variety of other uses. The software also works easily with the SMART board software to allow teachers to project the creations from Kidspiration/Inspiration on the big screen. Teachers also reference the use of iMovie as a great technological reference for the lower to middle grades. The students use the program to make different types of movies, depending the subject, in small groups. By allowing the students the opportunity to film their own movie, they are further engaged in their learning. The Flip Video Cams would work well with this. Many new advances in technology will work well in any classroom if the teacher knows the best possible ways to implement them.
It is important for all grade school teachers to inform their students in the basic skills of Word, Excel, and Power Point. All three of these programs can be used beneficially in any grade. Many may believe that smaller children could not handle some of these programs, but students will surprise you. Even if it is just introducing them to the basics, it will benefit them. Students often use Excel for mathematics courses, Word to type English papers in, and Power Point to create a variety of presentations in a range of classes. Teachers also use all three of these tools almost daily and should be proficient in each of them.
The technological field concerning education is growing every day. Teachers and students are becoming better connected through fields such as email programs and software such as Blackboard CourseWeb. Schools that are fortunate enough to have the funds to have any of the programs mentioned in this blog post should consider themselves lucky. We are in a technological world and teaching has benefited from it. Teachers can use technology to engage their students in learning in ways that they could not before. The Education World Tech Team is a great resource for staying up-to-date on the newest technological resources for teachers.
Other programs mentioned in the article are: Skype, Wikispaces, Bloglines (you choose the information you want to read!), and FunBrain (interactive game site). You can find more information on these items and read the entire ariticle at http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech/tech234.shtml
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Open-Ended Response Systems
Technology is continuing to improve the field of education. The idea of an open-ended response system has the ability to enhance any classroom lecture, but with many ideas within technology, it has its ups and downs. An open-ended response system is an electronic forum in which students have the ability to enter text responses during a class lecture or discussion. Students can enter their text responses in a variety of different ways which include using mobile phones, laptops, or ipads. Their responses are then shown up on a projected image in front of the entire class during the lecture or it can be viewed on the laptops/ipads/mobile phones that each individual student has. Wi-Fi is often needed for this to work however. The open-ended response system has a variety of positive and negative aspects that go along with it.
The idea of an electronic forum is not a new one as teachers have been using "clickers" in class for such things as attendance or quizzes. The open-ended response system has the capability to add much more to a classroom lecture however. During the lecture students will be able to post questions, sometimes anonymously depending the program, for the class to view and vote on. Whichever questions receive the most votes the teacher can take the time to go over with the class. With the ability to post anonymously, this will encourage some of the more shy students to participate in the lecture as well as give all students a chance to post. Sometimes during a lecture it is hard to find the right time to ask a particular question. This difficulty could leave a lot of good questions left unasked. The system is not only beneficial during a class lecture however. Even after the lecture, the teacher can view the transcripts from that particular class period to review all posts by students to assess their learning during the lecture. If it appears that the students did not understand one concept particularly well, the teacher can go back and review that concept during the next class. The teacher will also be able to see from the transcripts which students were participating in the lecture/class discussion. (Even if the posts were anonymous only the teacher will be able to see who posted what). Even during a lecture that may be longer than a students' attention span, the open-ended response system could keep the students engaged in what is being discussed. It also has the potential to have the opposite effect however.
Currently the open-ended response system is mainly used within companies as well as several colleges and universities. Therefore, the current audience for this system is 18 years and up. That does not mean it cannot be used with younger people however. It just has yet to be done. I could see where younger students could be distracted by such a system. Or where a school system does not have the financial support to buy such a system as well as laptops or ipads to use it on with some type of Wi-Fi included. Both companies and colleges probably have that financial support. This does not mean that it cannot be done however. If the system has be proven effective, schools would take a chance on them. It is very important for each individual teacher to find the most effective ways to use the program however. I would think that the program could not be used in any grades lower than middle school. I would also think that it would be most beneficial in subjects such as history and English, as these topics could provide the most interesting lectures for the students. The open-ended response system definitely has some flaws that would have to be worked out by each individual school system.
Overall, I find the idea of a open-ended response system very interesting. I feel like in certain settings it could be very beneficial for the students AND the teacher. I do, however, feel as if there are a variety factors that could deter some schools from investing in the system. The system does have great upside however. I would support a trial experiment with the system to see how students respond. As with many new technological ideas dealing with education, if it is used correctly the results could be great!
More information can be found at http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7068.pdf
The idea of an electronic forum is not a new one as teachers have been using "clickers" in class for such things as attendance or quizzes. The open-ended response system has the capability to add much more to a classroom lecture however. During the lecture students will be able to post questions, sometimes anonymously depending the program, for the class to view and vote on. Whichever questions receive the most votes the teacher can take the time to go over with the class. With the ability to post anonymously, this will encourage some of the more shy students to participate in the lecture as well as give all students a chance to post. Sometimes during a lecture it is hard to find the right time to ask a particular question. This difficulty could leave a lot of good questions left unasked. The system is not only beneficial during a class lecture however. Even after the lecture, the teacher can view the transcripts from that particular class period to review all posts by students to assess their learning during the lecture. If it appears that the students did not understand one concept particularly well, the teacher can go back and review that concept during the next class. The teacher will also be able to see from the transcripts which students were participating in the lecture/class discussion. (Even if the posts were anonymous only the teacher will be able to see who posted what). Even during a lecture that may be longer than a students' attention span, the open-ended response system could keep the students engaged in what is being discussed. It also has the potential to have the opposite effect however.
Currently the open-ended response system is mainly used within companies as well as several colleges and universities. Therefore, the current audience for this system is 18 years and up. That does not mean it cannot be used with younger people however. It just has yet to be done. I could see where younger students could be distracted by such a system. Or where a school system does not have the financial support to buy such a system as well as laptops or ipads to use it on with some type of Wi-Fi included. Both companies and colleges probably have that financial support. This does not mean that it cannot be done however. If the system has be proven effective, schools would take a chance on them. It is very important for each individual teacher to find the most effective ways to use the program however. I would think that the program could not be used in any grades lower than middle school. I would also think that it would be most beneficial in subjects such as history and English, as these topics could provide the most interesting lectures for the students. The open-ended response system definitely has some flaws that would have to be worked out by each individual school system.
Overall, I find the idea of a open-ended response system very interesting. I feel like in certain settings it could be very beneficial for the students AND the teacher. I do, however, feel as if there are a variety factors that could deter some schools from investing in the system. The system does have great upside however. I would support a trial experiment with the system to see how students respond. As with many new technological ideas dealing with education, if it is used correctly the results could be great!
More information can be found at http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7068.pdf
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