Disabled Bodies, Able Minds: Giving Voice, Movement, and Independence to the Physically Challenged. By Diane Curtis
The article is focused on assistive technology, and the fact that students who don’t have full mobility can still participate because of this assistive technology. The article gives examples of certain students who are benefiting from a district wide program called TACLE, which stands for Technology and Augmentative Communication for Learning Enhancement. These particular students are in a special-education class at Redwood Heights Elementary School in Oakland, Ca. They use speech generation devices to communicate, and the article cites one student who communicates with a computer using his eyebrows and another student who uses her cheek. The article also talks about DO-IT, which stands for Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology, an advocacy program for disabled students at Washington University. The article points out that through organizations like DO-IT there seems to now be more of an effort to see that disabled people be included in all activities. The article then gives the example of Lucas, who due to a birth defect has limited use of his arms and legs, but thanks to a joystick has been able to join the school band and be like everyone else. This assistive technology allows him to play the euphonium, and according to his mom has allowed him to stretch himself and her to feel like now she doesn’t always have to tell him no you can’t but rather just let him pursue whatever he is interested in.
Questions:
1. What may be the drawbacks of this kind of assistive technology?
The only real drawback to assistive technology I can see is that it may cost more than a school or district can afford. However, I am sure with grants and programs it is probably something that isn’t outside the realm of affordability. The major thing about this is that it is a necessity for those it benefits and ways to make it accessible for those people is crucial. The only minus I can see is that perhaps it isn’t in the hands of all the people that could benefit from it, and that needs to be fixed.
2. How does assistive technology benefit able bodied students, and not just the disabled students it directly benefits?
I think this assistive technology also benefits able bodied students because it gives them more interaction with disabled students and opens the lines of communication. This type of technology can allow for the able bodied students a better opportunity to interact and communicate, while also letting them realize that disabled students when given a way to communicate are a valuable and needed part of the school community.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Journal #8
Are Schools Inhibiting 21st Century Learning?
By Dave Nagel
In this article Dave Nagel focuses on the findings of the 2007 Speak Up survey released by Project Tomorrow. This survey polled 367,000 education stakeholders (which means parents, students, teachers and administrators) and is given to assess viewpoints on current issues in education. The results of the Speak Up survey are then shared with state and federal policy leaders. The article then talks about some of the survey’s findings in regards to technology and education, and shows some contrasting results on certain topics. For example, in regards to local schools doing a good job preparing students for jobs and careers of the future, 66 percent of administrators, 43 percent of parents, and 47 percent of teachers agreed. On the flip side 40 percent of middle and high school students felt that teachers are limiting their use of technology in schools and 45 percent also felt that school security practices were limiting their ability to use technology and take advantage of it. The article also discusses how educational gaming is something most students and teachers feel is a great way to learn and teach, but that currently only 11 percent of the teachers surveyed used educational gaming in their classrooms. The article also explains how students use of technology is often far ahead of their teachers and that mobile technology is a way that needs to be utilized in regards to education.
Questions:
1. What is a way I can benefit from knowing about this survey?
I think for me the best bit of knowledge I can take out of the survey is what the students are saying they want, and what gets in their way. The survey allows me to see what some of the roadblocks are and also what are the things they like. Educational gaming is a good example of this, because from the survey I can tell that is a way that students feel they can learn effectively.
2. How can a school allow students more access to technology?
I think based on the article this can be done by having knowledgeable staff and teachers in the field of technology. In order to take some of the restraints off the students the teachers need to have knowledge of the technology so they can feel comfortable letting the kids explore. We also have to be aware that this field is constantly changing and needs to be more of a focus.
By Dave Nagel
In this article Dave Nagel focuses on the findings of the 2007 Speak Up survey released by Project Tomorrow. This survey polled 367,000 education stakeholders (which means parents, students, teachers and administrators) and is given to assess viewpoints on current issues in education. The results of the Speak Up survey are then shared with state and federal policy leaders. The article then talks about some of the survey’s findings in regards to technology and education, and shows some contrasting results on certain topics. For example, in regards to local schools doing a good job preparing students for jobs and careers of the future, 66 percent of administrators, 43 percent of parents, and 47 percent of teachers agreed. On the flip side 40 percent of middle and high school students felt that teachers are limiting their use of technology in schools and 45 percent also felt that school security practices were limiting their ability to use technology and take advantage of it. The article also discusses how educational gaming is something most students and teachers feel is a great way to learn and teach, but that currently only 11 percent of the teachers surveyed used educational gaming in their classrooms. The article also explains how students use of technology is often far ahead of their teachers and that mobile technology is a way that needs to be utilized in regards to education.
Questions:
1. What is a way I can benefit from knowing about this survey?
I think for me the best bit of knowledge I can take out of the survey is what the students are saying they want, and what gets in their way. The survey allows me to see what some of the roadblocks are and also what are the things they like. Educational gaming is a good example of this, because from the survey I can tell that is a way that students feel they can learn effectively.
2. How can a school allow students more access to technology?
I think based on the article this can be done by having knowledgeable staff and teachers in the field of technology. In order to take some of the restraints off the students the teachers need to have knowledge of the technology so they can feel comfortable letting the kids explore. We also have to be aware that this field is constantly changing and needs to be more of a focus.
Journal #7
Envisioning the Future of Education.
By Mark Van’t Hooft
This article by Mark Van’t Hooft deals with how technology impacts education, and how it is changing the way students learn. The article also touches on how there is a concept now of learning while mobile. The neat thing about the “learning while mobile” concept is that kids are getting in touch with environments and information that would not be accessible to them in any other form. Learning while mobile according to the article lets students and teachers also have more interactions and conversations than would take place in a traditional classroom. The article also brings up the fact that the way people learn now and the way formal education teaches are very much on opposite ends of the spectrum. The idea being that more and more knowledge is being found in areas outside of schools and that people are learning in different ways than before.
Questions:
1. What is the major drawback of learning while mobile?
The biggest negative aspect of learning while mobile is the participation gap. Not everyone can access what others have access to, so it may be up to the schools or government to try and make sure everyone can have access and learn in all the ways the more privileged members of society can.
2. Is there ways to make learning while mobile accessible to everyone?
I think the article points out that best way to combat this aspect is to be creative and look for ways to get everyone involved. The idea is that we can find technologies or programs that everyone can be able to use.
By Mark Van’t Hooft
This article by Mark Van’t Hooft deals with how technology impacts education, and how it is changing the way students learn. The article also touches on how there is a concept now of learning while mobile. The neat thing about the “learning while mobile” concept is that kids are getting in touch with environments and information that would not be accessible to them in any other form. Learning while mobile according to the article lets students and teachers also have more interactions and conversations than would take place in a traditional classroom. The article also brings up the fact that the way people learn now and the way formal education teaches are very much on opposite ends of the spectrum. The idea being that more and more knowledge is being found in areas outside of schools and that people are learning in different ways than before.
Questions:
1. What is the major drawback of learning while mobile?
The biggest negative aspect of learning while mobile is the participation gap. Not everyone can access what others have access to, so it may be up to the schools or government to try and make sure everyone can have access and learn in all the ways the more privileged members of society can.
2. Is there ways to make learning while mobile accessible to everyone?
I think the article points out that best way to combat this aspect is to be creative and look for ways to get everyone involved. The idea is that we can find technologies or programs that everyone can be able to use.
Friday, March 28, 2008
Journal #6: Podcasting
Podcasting is a way to post and distribute electronic media files online. Podcasts are of interest because they provide an easy way to get engaging multimedia content out to a dispersed group of people, who can listen to it whenever and wherever they like on a variety of readily-available platforms. Podcasting is becoming increasingly important in the field of education because it is a new way for teachers and students to relay information back and forth. Teachers especially can benefit as podcasting is a great way to keep the learning interesting and also make it accessible to parents.
The Classroom 2.0 discussions on podcasting were all very interesting and informative in regards to how one might implement podcasting in the classroom. One of the discussion boards titled, “Your Web Review Series #3: Podcasting Software and Services” was particularly informative as it addressed the best hardware to use, what to record/edit audio with, what service to use and so on. In this particular discussion all types of programs were listed including: Audacity, GarageBand, Sony Acid 3.0 and Camtasia to record and edit audio. Itunes, Virb, and Feedburner were also recommended to manage or host the podcast feeds. The nice thing about this discussion and the others I read was the fact that while they explained how to podcast and what a teacher would need, they also gave links and ideas for interesting projects one could use in their classroom. Another discussion titled “Teacher’s use of podcasts as a teaching tool!” was great in that one poster laid out a step by step guide on the basics of using Audacity to podcast. Another teacher spoke of how to use Camtasia studio and shared a link to a series on creating podcasts. In closing the discussions under the tools section in Classroom 2.0 are great for teachers in that they provide an excellent resource for using different technologies in the classroom
The Classroom 2.0 discussions on podcasting were all very interesting and informative in regards to how one might implement podcasting in the classroom. One of the discussion boards titled, “Your Web Review Series #3: Podcasting Software and Services” was particularly informative as it addressed the best hardware to use, what to record/edit audio with, what service to use and so on. In this particular discussion all types of programs were listed including: Audacity, GarageBand, Sony Acid 3.0 and Camtasia to record and edit audio. Itunes, Virb, and Feedburner were also recommended to manage or host the podcast feeds. The nice thing about this discussion and the others I read was the fact that while they explained how to podcast and what a teacher would need, they also gave links and ideas for interesting projects one could use in their classroom. Another discussion titled “Teacher’s use of podcasts as a teaching tool!” was great in that one poster laid out a step by step guide on the basics of using Audacity to podcast. Another teacher spoke of how to use Camtasia studio and shared a link to a series on creating podcasts. In closing the discussions under the tools section in Classroom 2.0 are great for teachers in that they provide an excellent resource for using different technologies in the classroom
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Journal #5
Making Field Trips Podtastic!
By Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar, and Paul McGuinness
The article starts off explaining how Jay is taking part in a wireless, handheld field trip at the Boston Museum of Science. This fieldtrip incorporates a mix of podcasts, student multimedia creation, Web research, and interviewing based on one specific theme. The interactive field trips were created to have students time spent and engagement levels at exhibits increase. The article then talks about podcasting, and that in the museum setting it can be used to encourage collaboration and human interaction. By using a handheld PC device the students can walk around and experience the podcast. According to the article this idea has the ability to reduce active instruction during a field trip, while at the same time increasing student engagement. In this article the authors designed this program as part of their research and posted a video about the project online. They way the project works is that students can then experience museum exhibits in a guided way, but also explore it further on their own. They also talked about how in order to access the next piece of the podcast the students could take a short quiz that when answered correctly would unlock the next podcast.
Questions:
1. What is the benefit to making a fieldtrip podtastic?
In reading the article I saw two things that I really liked about this kind of set up. First, the students can individually learn as they go, and they can’t continue until they show they have learned the current material (a short quiz after each exhibit). Second, it means that students will get a more involved and personal look at the exhibits and material they are being presented, instead of just browsing each station.
2. What makes this type of field trip hard to successfully pull off?The article states clearly that in order to do something of this magnitude it would require a large amount of time from the teacher in advance of the event. The other thing that confused me was that I would not have the proper knowledge to know how to set up something of this quality. I think it is a great opportunity, but in order to work it would have to be something that could be learned in a seminar or online tutorial. The other thing is materials, I don’t know if access to what you would need would be plausible.
By Aliece M. Weller, John C. Bickar, and Paul McGuinness
The article starts off explaining how Jay is taking part in a wireless, handheld field trip at the Boston Museum of Science. This fieldtrip incorporates a mix of podcasts, student multimedia creation, Web research, and interviewing based on one specific theme. The interactive field trips were created to have students time spent and engagement levels at exhibits increase. The article then talks about podcasting, and that in the museum setting it can be used to encourage collaboration and human interaction. By using a handheld PC device the students can walk around and experience the podcast. According to the article this idea has the ability to reduce active instruction during a field trip, while at the same time increasing student engagement. In this article the authors designed this program as part of their research and posted a video about the project online. They way the project works is that students can then experience museum exhibits in a guided way, but also explore it further on their own. They also talked about how in order to access the next piece of the podcast the students could take a short quiz that when answered correctly would unlock the next podcast.
Questions:
1. What is the benefit to making a fieldtrip podtastic?
In reading the article I saw two things that I really liked about this kind of set up. First, the students can individually learn as they go, and they can’t continue until they show they have learned the current material (a short quiz after each exhibit). Second, it means that students will get a more involved and personal look at the exhibits and material they are being presented, instead of just browsing each station.
2. What makes this type of field trip hard to successfully pull off?The article states clearly that in order to do something of this magnitude it would require a large amount of time from the teacher in advance of the event. The other thing that confused me was that I would not have the proper knowledge to know how to set up something of this quality. I think it is a great opportunity, but in order to work it would have to be something that could be learned in a seminar or online tutorial. The other thing is materials, I don’t know if access to what you would need would be plausible.
Journal #4
Storytelling in the Web 2.0 Era
By Glen Bull
The article begins by talking about how Web 2.0 (which is technological advances and user participation facilitated by these advances) is giving people the opportunity to connect socially and participate together in new ways. The article then discusses how the Web can now be used as a platform, how it also is producing user generated content (examples being MySpace, YouTube, etc…), allowing sharing and remixing, and contributing economic and educational value. Next, the article cites YouTube as an example of all four of the previously discussed trends. The article then talks about Alan Devine, who because of the diverse Web 2.0 tools available, produced the same story using 50 different Web 2.0 storytelling tools. Levine also lists many tools he feels can greatly help educators. For example he feels Slideshow Tools, Timeline Tools, Mapping Tools, Comic Tools, Scrapbook Tools, Media Tools, and Mixer Tools can all be of great value for teachers. Lastly, the article discusses how due to budget constraints it is hard for schools to get teachers and students certain software. The Web 2.0 tools however are almost always free, and since they can be accessed on the web with some imagination and determination they can be integrated into any classroom.
Questions:
1. What are some Web 2.0 tools I could use in my class?
If I were teaching social studies I could use a mapping tool to help in the course content. The fact that I would have the ability to set things up chronologically would be a great tool to take advantage of in my class. In fact the article talks about Xtimeline, which is a mapping tool that could this exact function for my curriculum.
2. What is the most exciting thing about Web 2.0 tools?
In my opinion the most exciting thing is that Web 2.0 tools are essentially free, and therefore if one takes the time and effort to try and integrate them as educational programs they can be extremely helpful. The fact that as a teacher I know that Web 2.0 allows me to access tools I can use to create better and more diverse learning opportunities for my students. The main benefit is that it requires only the time and effort to figure out ways to use it in your classroom.
By Glen Bull
The article begins by talking about how Web 2.0 (which is technological advances and user participation facilitated by these advances) is giving people the opportunity to connect socially and participate together in new ways. The article then discusses how the Web can now be used as a platform, how it also is producing user generated content (examples being MySpace, YouTube, etc…), allowing sharing and remixing, and contributing economic and educational value. Next, the article cites YouTube as an example of all four of the previously discussed trends. The article then talks about Alan Devine, who because of the diverse Web 2.0 tools available, produced the same story using 50 different Web 2.0 storytelling tools. Levine also lists many tools he feels can greatly help educators. For example he feels Slideshow Tools, Timeline Tools, Mapping Tools, Comic Tools, Scrapbook Tools, Media Tools, and Mixer Tools can all be of great value for teachers. Lastly, the article discusses how due to budget constraints it is hard for schools to get teachers and students certain software. The Web 2.0 tools however are almost always free, and since they can be accessed on the web with some imagination and determination they can be integrated into any classroom.
Questions:
1. What are some Web 2.0 tools I could use in my class?
If I were teaching social studies I could use a mapping tool to help in the course content. The fact that I would have the ability to set things up chronologically would be a great tool to take advantage of in my class. In fact the article talks about Xtimeline, which is a mapping tool that could this exact function for my curriculum.
2. What is the most exciting thing about Web 2.0 tools?
In my opinion the most exciting thing is that Web 2.0 tools are essentially free, and therefore if one takes the time and effort to try and integrate them as educational programs they can be extremely helpful. The fact that as a teacher I know that Web 2.0 allows me to access tools I can use to create better and more diverse learning opportunities for my students. The main benefit is that it requires only the time and effort to figure out ways to use it in your classroom.
Journal # 3
Five Don’ts of Classroom Blogging.
By Julie Sturgeon
In the article Julie talks about the five things teachers should not do when it comes to blogging in the classroom. The first thing to avoid is just diving in, according to the author you have to set up guidelines with the students and inform their parents as to what is going on in the classroom. The next blogging don’t is not to confuse it with social networking, the idea being that a true educational blog is more about students helping each other with schoolwork and getting together academically. The third blogging don’t is to not leap at the blogging freebies like Blogger.com or Typepad.com. The problem is these free sites don’t give the teacher enough control over the students, and they are full of advertisements and access to all sorts of harmful blogging for the students. The next don’t in regards to blogging is not to force a sequential style. The better choice is to structure entries by topic rather than putting them by chronological order, this way you can have a maximum impact. The fifth and final blogging don’t is not to leave the blogging to the students. This is important because teachers can get to know their students in other ways and be a part of the community.
Questions:
1. What is the most important thing to remember when it comes to setting up an educational blog in the classroom?
In my opinion the most important thing about setting up an educational blog for my students would be that I take the time to actively and frequently participate in it. I understand that there are other things I need to be aware of, however for me the key is that I can connect and interact with my students through the blog. If I am constantly interacting and participating in the community then to me the blog will be a much more effective tool to help me teach the class.
2. What is the one thing I would be most concerned with when using a classroom blog to teach students?
The area I would be most concerned about when using a blog for the class is that the students would use it in inappropriate ways and that it would be used primarily for socializing instead of education. However, I think I could deter this problem by hopefully having a good system of guidelines to lay down exactly what to use the blog for and what not to do.
By Julie Sturgeon
In the article Julie talks about the five things teachers should not do when it comes to blogging in the classroom. The first thing to avoid is just diving in, according to the author you have to set up guidelines with the students and inform their parents as to what is going on in the classroom. The next blogging don’t is not to confuse it with social networking, the idea being that a true educational blog is more about students helping each other with schoolwork and getting together academically. The third blogging don’t is to not leap at the blogging freebies like Blogger.com or Typepad.com. The problem is these free sites don’t give the teacher enough control over the students, and they are full of advertisements and access to all sorts of harmful blogging for the students. The next don’t in regards to blogging is not to force a sequential style. The better choice is to structure entries by topic rather than putting them by chronological order, this way you can have a maximum impact. The fifth and final blogging don’t is not to leave the blogging to the students. This is important because teachers can get to know their students in other ways and be a part of the community.
Questions:
1. What is the most important thing to remember when it comes to setting up an educational blog in the classroom?
In my opinion the most important thing about setting up an educational blog for my students would be that I take the time to actively and frequently participate in it. I understand that there are other things I need to be aware of, however for me the key is that I can connect and interact with my students through the blog. If I am constantly interacting and participating in the community then to me the blog will be a much more effective tool to help me teach the class.
2. What is the one thing I would be most concerned with when using a classroom blog to teach students?
The area I would be most concerned about when using a blog for the class is that the students would use it in inappropriate ways and that it would be used primarily for socializing instead of education. However, I think I could deter this problem by hopefully having a good system of guidelines to lay down exactly what to use the blog for and what not to do.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
