Structuring Online Research

I initially thought that these projects would be a fun and informative way for students to explore the web and learn about the content matter. However, while I think this would be a great way to use the Internet in the classroom, I think it also takes a significant amount of planning and time. The models are very useful in this respect, because they will cut down on planning time, because they provide a way for teachers to structure and create an activity for their students

Based on the group discussion, it seems that we are all in agreement that these projects are great resources for students and will be an effective tool to use in the classroom. However, we differed on what the best one was, and what aspects are absolutely necessary to use in the project. Overall, I think we agreed that structure is the most important part so students do not get overwhelmed when working through the activity, and so they know what they should be doing on the Internet, and do not get distracted. The structure also ensures that teachers get across what they want the students to come away with, and helps them assess what the students learned.

I see myself using the historical investigation project the most, because primary sources are so important to learning history, and this project really provides a great way for students to work with them and use online research at the same time. I would also try to incorporate online research activities like this into a research paper. Research papers are often assigned in classrooms, and are a staple of classes. Providing guided research like this would help students learn to research on the web, and would help them with their papers. It is also a great hands on learning tool.

Digital Moviemaking in the Classroom

In a history or social studies classroom, I think there are many ways that digital movie making could be incorporated in the classroom. For example, as mentioned in the Kearney and Schuck article, making a newscast could be a fun learning experience. The students could pick a time period, or use the time period being studied in the class, such as World War II and act as new reporters from that era, and pick topics to give a news report about, like D-Day or Pearl Harbor. Similar to a newscast, students could create a talk show. They could have one host, and invite historical figures from all eras, or from a specific one, and interview them on the show. If they chose a specific era, such as the 1960s, they could use people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Lyndon Johnson, Henry Kissinger, Nixon, or General Westmoreland, and interview them separately, but with similar questions to get all the sides of the story. One last project could be to create a program from the History Channel. This is more open-ended because it could be a biography or a program about a certain event in history. They could chose a program from the History Channel and model theirs after it on their topic of choice. This would require some research and script writing to narrate what they present in their program.

Structuring the project is a little difficult because it is challenging to ensure that the project is enriching students’ understanding of the topic, and not simply acting as a filler project that is seen as a creative outlet. By detailing the requirements and objectives teachers can ensure that their assignments will be educational. In addition, assessment should include the clearness of the message the students communicated, and include other assignments, such as a journal or response paper, so students can reflect on what they learned. Similarly, the assignment should require some analysis or observation; all three projects listed above would require analysis and observation because the students would need to decide who/what and why they wanted to include what they did (perhaps they could write about this in their journals) and write a script to represent their message, which would include some analysis. Assessment should also take place frequently, with planning, revision, and the actual product all graded so students have room to improve on their beginning concept.

Using digital movie making in the classroom can be a fun and enriching project, especially today with so much emphasis on television and other media outlets for movies, such as You-Tube. However, too much use of it, as always, or a project using movie making just for the sake of using the technology will be detrimental to the learning process and will take away from the material. When used responsibly and organized well, it can be a very useful tool in the classroom. Although I think these types of projects are fun for the students, and will increase their understanding, I do not agree with George Lucas because a history class is not a theatre, production, or directing class. Our focus is on the material, and while learning to use this technology is a benefit of these products, I do not believe it should ever be the main focus of the project or the majority of the grade. Rather, the material, the way it is presented, and the accuracy should be the focal point of the assignment.

Generative Technology in the Classroom

Internet technology has greatly changed over the past few years, becoming more user friendly. For example, in the past, one had to know how to write code, such as html, before posing online. However, with the inception of generative technology, or pages that can be added to by multiple people with relative ease, the face of personal web pages has changed. Almost anyone can access the wide variety of choices and add their own two-cents about whatever topic they chose. Sites such as You Tube, blooger.com, wikispaces, and wikipedia are only a few examples. As Dr. Hofer described in his podcast, students have already embraced this technology, with more than half of 12-17 year-olds writing their own blogs and editing them weekly. In addition, Dr. Hofer explained how useful, when used in moderation and appropriately, this technology can be in the classroom.

As a teacher, I could see how these websites could be very helpful in the classroom. Students have a tendency to forget their homework, or forget to write it down, and a course website or wiki site would be an excellent way to help. For example, with a course wiki, all the students can subscribe to it, and I could post the assignments for the day and any worksheets, etc. In addition, I would give parents the address as well, so they could help their children with their homework and make sure the work is getting done. The websites also have great educational purposes as well; videos and pictures of topics being discussed are readily available and can be used to present the material in a variety of ways. For example, in a history class, when discussing WWII, we could find the propaganda videos that were played before movies during the war. In addition, students can use the websites for projects; they could make a website about a historical topic of their choice, and they would need to check their facts since it is being published to the world, or we could set parameters so only the class could see it. Similarly, if each student made a page about a chapter in the textbook, the pages could be used as study guides for tests. The 613 social studies blog is also a really great example of how to use generative technology in the classroom. It provides notes, information about the topics they are covering, and most importantly it connects the students with each other by linking the students' pages to the homepage. I also like how the teacher encouraged the students to post over vacations and to respond to each other. This really created a community feeling and I think that it would really promote student involvement and excitement, and encourage the students to write more and write more thoughtful responses because they know their peers are reading what they write.

There are many advantages to using this technology, especially now that they are so easy to use. They get students involved and motivated to produce something for a wider audience, and it is a more hands-on approach to learning. However, when overused, these websites loss their appeal and are no longer as effective, thus, just as any other new form of technology, they must be used in moderation.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

In today's increasingly diverse schools teachers are having difficulties adapting their teaching styles to the varying learning styles of their students. In addition, teachers are being held more accountable for their students, with an emphasis on state and national standards. To accommodate students with special needs, ranging from limited English, learning disabilities, attention disorders, physical disabilities, and even gifted students, teachers are turning to the Universal Design for Learning (UDL). According Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age, UDL is a set of principles based on research that forms guidelines and provides a framework for teachers to use technology to maximize learning opportunities for each student. UDL intersects different teaching styles, learning styles, intelligences, assessment techniques, and technology to help students minimize their barriers and increase their learning. In order for teachers to use UDL effectively they must be flexible in their teaching strategies and creative with their materials to accommodate each student. By applying UDL to their classrooms, teachers will transform the traditional classroom model, and help students of all backgrounds and abilities learn more effectively.

Using UDL in a history classroom will not be very difficult, and I believe it will increase the learning of my students greatly because it will allow students to experience history from more than just a textbook or document. Students will be able to use forms of technology, such as online field trips to experience the places and eras their books describe. In addition, reading resources that are now available will be extremely helpful for students with lower reading levels, or with physical disabilities. Students could use reading software not just to read the textbook, but to read primary source documents which are often difficult to read because they use a different style of English. The software could help breakdown the sentences and words, and pronunciations to enable to students to read and analyze the documents. In addition, instead of writing essays, students could use other forms of media and technology to present the material they've learned, such as a slide show, movie, or website. Similarly, for students with difficultly spelling, poor handwriting, etc., they could use laptops or a computer lab to type up their essays for a test rather than hand writing them, which would cut back on grammatical and spelling mistakes, as well as possibly help some students finish in the time limit more easily than if they were hand writing their papers.

Using Digital Images in the Classroom

The Bull & Thompson article, "Establishing a Framework for Digital Images in the School Curriculum," from the May 2004 Learning & Leading with Technology described many positive uses of digital images in the classroom and explained the rise in importance of these images. Before the digital camera, it was costly to use cameras and film often, and it was also not as convenient. However, with today's integration of images in word-processing reports or personal websites, digital images can be used in classroom projects easier than their predecessors, and are generally less expensive because an infinite number of pictures can be taken and they never have to be printed, they can just be stored on the computer.

The four steps the article laid out of acquiring, analyzing, creating, and communicating with digital images are good starting points, and good guidelines for using images in the classroom. However, the analysis of the images must be the central aspect of the project; otherwise it is similar to putting together a scrapbook or photo album. The students will not fully understand why they are finding and using the images unless they understand the significance of the pictures. For example, in a history classroom, putting together a time line could be a fun and enriching assignment because students could find pictures from certain decades and explain what cues in the picture represent the decade it is from, and why. Thus, they are understanding the pictures rather than just using them.

The subject specific portion of the article was very helpful in providing ideas for uses of digital images in a history classroom. I see great potential for using digital pictures in a history class because it is often difficult to connect with the past, and using pictures can help bridge this gap, and hopefully make the subject more tangible. By providing images of who we are studying, or the period we are studying, I will help my students visualize the past rather than just read about it. In addition, the volume of primary sources available on the Internet is extremely helpful for analyzing history. Learning from primary documents and learning to analyze them is one of the major components of history, and with the resources available now it will be easy and fun to find documents, such as the Virginia Gazette from 1776, and read and learn about historical events first hand. The students will be able to get more involved with learning about history than ever before. One lesson I liked from the article involved giving students pictures from different time periods and asking them to put them in chronological order, and hypothesize about the date, and explain why they picked that date. These are only some examples of the potential of digital images in a classroom. They are a valuable resource, and I will incorporate them into my lessons to help students connect more with the material.

What is Your Vision of the Appropriate Use of Technology in High Schools Today?

Technology should be used in high schools to supplement learning. The computer can be used for many things, such as power point, word processing, or accessing the Internet. The Internet is an extremely valuable resource that can be used to find information on almost every subject. In addition, many primary soure. Using the internet for tasks such as this is something that teachers can really take advantage of, because it saves time and is much eaiser to use than other older archives.

Computers are also extremely useful for homework, as are numerous websites on the internet. Students can type all their assignments, submit them electronically, and sites like blackboard can also allow students to access their assignments and grades, which are all useful, especially if students forget their assignment at school, or if their parents want to keep track of how they are performing in the class. Many websites also offer online quizzes, and textbooks generally have companion websites, which are very helpful when studying for a quiz or test. These resources could be very valuable study aids. In the classroom, programs such as powerpoint are also effective tools because they help students take notes, and provide visual interest.

I believe technology is a very useful tool for students and teachers, and should be used often to supplement lessons. However, there must be a balance, it cannot be overused, and students can not rely too heavily on the Internet. Research should also still take place in libraries, and I do not think students should have access to laptops at all times, unless preemptive measures are taken to ensure they can not be used for Instant Messaging or surfing the Internet during class.