Project-Based Learning, team building, active teaching and learning, literacy bowls reading in digital, and the use of integrated curriculum are all a part Of the Expeditionary Learning approach, that is taking place in schools throughout the United States. In reading more about the expeditionary learning approach, a project based system of learning, there seems to be much planning that has to go into it for it to be successful. Teachers being trained, along with the community in small learning communities, I would think must take place for this type of program to be successful.
After reading the article about the Maine middle school adapting expeditionary learning, investigated the link on expeditionary learning and read more about it. Unlike the possibilities of what project learning in details for students, but this isn't something that we take place overnight. Like any sort of school change, you must make sure that there is a client from the staff and community and to do this. You must have faculty meetings and community meetings in which research-based information must be shared, distributed, and gone over by the stakeholders.
I like the idea of a portfolio-based, cross curricular, team centered, technology project that would enhance student learning. Hate to throw a but in there, but, much planning needs to take place to make sure of the success of this type of project.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Website Evaluation
In going over both articles on how to evaluate websites,the first just being a list of criteria for evaluating websites, the second by Kathy Schrock, a world renowned authority on educational technology, there are two points that stood out to me. The first one was the definition of what digital literacy is by Paul Gilster "the ability to understand and use information in multiple formats from a wide range of sources when it is presented via computers", and Schrock's statement to teach students the best way to critically evaluate the information that they find in relation to the purpose at hand". Having students to be critical evaluators of websites is as Shrock states, a lifelong learning process.
Schrock gives in detail the skills necessary to evaluate websites, most of which is based on the criteria from the previous article. In this day and age our educational system must incorporate the proper use of an evaluation of websites for accurate sources in research is more more schools are going to standard base criteria they use of the Internet and collaborative projects are going to become more important. Students and teachers need to have the skills to be able to value it websites for their authenticity.
Schrock gives in detail the skills necessary to evaluate websites, most of which is based on the criteria from the previous article. In this day and age our educational system must incorporate the proper use of an evaluation of websites for accurate sources in research is more more schools are going to standard base criteria they use of the Internet and collaborative projects are going to become more important. Students and teachers need to have the skills to be able to value it websites for their authenticity.
School Webpages
the two articles I read about creating school webpages all come with the general guidelines:
-relevancy: does your staff feel that a school website is relevant.
-planning: the planning of the school website incorporates many different features. Planning involves getting together a qualified team to put the webpages together,planning involves the design of the website, planning involves what is going to be in the website, planning involves what resources are available, monetarily and technically, to make the website, and planning involves who is going to be in charge of the website and its upkeep.
I like the idea of field testing a new website to check out possible problems. Maybe some new ideas from those are going to be using it is a good idea. In coming up with a new website for school. There will be many changes that will take place during the first year of implementation. What looks like at the start, might not be the way it looks like at the end of the school year. But this is a natural progression to any new website that school uses. in coming up with a school website. Do not underestimate the help from students who have a background in webpage design. Or possibly making a class of webpage design. This will help in having resource for the upkeep of the webpage.
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-relevancy: does your staff feel that a school website is relevant.
-planning: the planning of the school website incorporates many different features. Planning involves getting together a qualified team to put the webpages together,planning involves the design of the website, planning involves what is going to be in the website, planning involves what resources are available, monetarily and technically, to make the website, and planning involves who is going to be in charge of the website and its upkeep.
I like the idea of field testing a new website to check out possible problems. Maybe some new ideas from those are going to be using it is a good idea. In coming up with a new website for school. There will be many changes that will take place during the first year of implementation. What looks like at the start, might not be the way it looks like at the end of the school year. But this is a natural progression to any new website that school uses. in coming up with a school website. Do not underestimate the help from students who have a background in webpage design. Or possibly making a class of webpage design. This will help in having resource for the upkeep of the webpage.
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Global Learning Communities
Two years ago I was introduced to young men from Germany looking into how schools are run in the United States. He was in the equivalent of our sixth grade. And he was doing a project on American schools. In 2006 Sunnyslope was in Newsweek's top 1000 schools nationally, and this is how he got interested in Sunnyslope. So he e-mailed me questions dealing with the school life of high school students. His English for the most part was pretty good, and I could communicate the information that he needed. This got to be a weekly event, and I look forward to his correspondence. I got to think of what this would've been like if I had been back in the classroom teaching and to have my class correspond to this young man on life in Germany, I think would be an exciting venture for all involved.
You have opportunities for young people, some of whom may never even travel to another part of United States, would have an opportunity to link up and work with students in other countries. These are planned projects are also cross curricular. Using mathematics, science and social studies to investigate the findings from areas around the world.
I'm thinking of an idea in which a computer in the classroom. A class using Skype video and an Internet camera can relay a videophone conversation with a class across the world with using a setup of similar technology. shooing the research and information on a smart board in relaying data across the globe would be exciting venture to all involved.
You have opportunities for young people, some of whom may never even travel to another part of United States, would have an opportunity to link up and work with students in other countries. These are planned projects are also cross curricular. Using mathematics, science and social studies to investigate the findings from areas around the world.
I'm thinking of an idea in which a computer in the classroom. A class using Skype video and an Internet camera can relay a videophone conversation with a class across the world with using a setup of similar technology. shooing the research and information on a smart board in relaying data across the globe would be exciting venture to all involved.
Digital Divide
This article on the digital divide brings about some interesting questions. Since this article is over six years old, there has been an increase in the number of homes and schools that now have Internet resources. At this time, in my opinion, I don't think the digital divide is as vast as it was six years ago. There are many federal programs that bring in millions of dollars into the schools for technology. Now into the homes, I think the digital divide is also getting smaller. There is this debate between the haves and have-nots. But like the author says, the haves and the want-nots. one site to look at for information on Internet usage in America go to: Internet Usage Stats at http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats14.htm
This site shows that the number of Americans use the Internet is close to 90%. This shows that the digital divide is not as fast as it used to be six years ago, though it is still a problem is in parts of the United States in lower socioeconomic areas. Both schools in these areas do have Internet access in lower income communities do have access to their community schools. So at this time, I don't think the digital divide is as big as a problem and some six years ago.
This site shows that the number of Americans use the Internet is close to 90%. This shows that the digital divide is not as fast as it used to be six years ago, though it is still a problem is in parts of the United States in lower socioeconomic areas. Both schools in these areas do have Internet access in lower income communities do have access to their community schools. So at this time, I don't think the digital divide is as big as a problem and some six years ago.
Teachings Act to Think.
In the article from November Learning. The writer gives a great example of how students sometimes look at the Internet when researching a topic.there has to be a greater emphasis on those in education, to take the time to teach the right way to research topics on the Internet.
I like his idea on how to evaluate a a good source on the Internet. putting information into the three categories of purpose, author and meta-web information will help the learner determine if the website is giving factual information.
1. The purpose: Teaching kids to see what the purpose of the website is to help them determine if the website is giving authentic information. This is something that has to be taught.
2. The author: students doing a research project need to take the time to use websites to determine an author's background.
3. Meta-Web Information: the author shows examples of websites that are personal or professionally made. any site, whose URL has the author's name in its has to be taken with a grain of salt. These URLs are usually from websites that are connected to personal ISPs such as Cox or Qwest. Cox and Qwest will give out space for personal websites in which people can put anything they want on. These are sites that students need to be aware of and be careful of. In doing research. They need to see if the information on the sides is accurate and truthful. I like how the author gives some ideas on how to go about doing this. This is an article that I will end out to teachers who use the computer labs to do research. This is a vital piece of information. vital piece of information
In the article from November Learning. The writer gives a great example of how students sometimes look at the Internet when researching a topic.there has to be a greater emphasis on those in education, to take the time to teach the right way to research topics on the Internet.
I like his idea on how to evaluate a a good source on the Internet. putting information into the three categories of purpose, author and meta-web information will help the learner determine if the website is giving factual information.
1. The purpose: Teaching kids to see what the purpose of the website is to help them determine if the website is giving authentic information. This is something that has to be taught.
2. The author: students doing a research project need to take the time to use websites to determine an author's background.
3. Meta-Web Information: the author shows examples of websites that are personal or professionally made. any site, whose URL has the author's name in its has to be taken with a grain of salt. These URLs are usually from websites that are connected to personal ISPs such as Cox or Qwest. Cox and Qwest will give out space for personal websites in which people can put anything they want on. These are sites that students need to be aware of and be careful of. In doing research. They need to see if the information on the sides is accurate and truthful. I like how the author gives some ideas on how to go about doing this. This is an article that I will end out to teachers who use the computer labs to do research. This is a vital piece of information. vital piece of information
A Cyber Pilot's License
In reading a cyberpilot's license I agree that creating and using an AUP (Acceptable Use Policy)in the classroom should be done as an educational tool. I really don't agree with all the yada yada stuff that went on with his paper. Because most AUP's have come up against the legal system in which schools need to protect themselves from those that take advantage of the use of technology, specifically the Internet at school.
To me, some of his ramblings, and in a sense they were ramblings, were brought about from somebody who has been out of the country for what seems like a period of time in which the educational community has changed because of and with the use of the Internet. Schools do need to protect themselves and an AUP, though a" Band-Aid" solution is a start. Most schools and school districts do just hand out their AUP at the beginning of the school year with many other papers that has to be signed. It probably would be a good idea to take the time to explain an AUP to students before they went into a lab to do research so that they understand the consequences of their actions.
To me, some of his ramblings, and in a sense they were ramblings, were brought about from somebody who has been out of the country for what seems like a period of time in which the educational community has changed because of and with the use of the Internet. Schools do need to protect themselves and an AUP, though a" Band-Aid" solution is a start. Most schools and school districts do just hand out their AUP at the beginning of the school year with many other papers that has to be signed. It probably would be a good idea to take the time to explain an AUP to students before they went into a lab to do research so that they understand the consequences of their actions.
A Remarkable Transformation
A Remarkable Transformation
Union City New Jersey schools under a threat of state takeover felt that if they didn't make some changes in their school system that the state of New Jersey would take over their schools. Was interesting to know is that this was happening in the late 90s. This was a time of major educational reforms throughout the United States. What this shows is that there was a problem at the top of the Union City school district in the test scores and other educational competencies were so low.
Yet to give the union city school District credit for getting the right people to institute changes were the success rates were so overwhelming.
What Union City did was tried-and-true methods that has helped other school districts and other schools also achieve what we Arizona call excelling status. They didn't throw money around. They put money in the right place. It looks like they didn't just throw technology in the district is that they actually had training to use it correctly. Not only did they have professional development for technology but also professional development. In looking at the standards in interdisciplinary projects. Giving teachers a chance to come together is important, if there's going to be a buy in in new teaching techniques and practices.
The school board and other teachers also saw the need to create a climate of high expectations. This was essential in getting the school to achieve. It looks like they just didn't see poor Latino community. They sought community that can thrive in in growth if given the right circumstances and leadership. It's refreshing to see that the use of technology, and when a school district can do. When teachers are given the opportunity to be trained in hands-on environment and come up with teaching strategies that be beneficial for the students. This is something that doesn't occur in all school districts. Some school districts just roll computers and teachers and say, have a good year without any type of training whatsoever.
edit
So the buying and owning closer teachers and students with the community as they saw the benefits and rewards for the money that was being spent. The community now has a face in the schools now on sugar is more principle involved went. Which of course helps all students in their education.
Plagiarism
Writing-plagiarism advice for lessons.
This is from the Apple learning exchange teaching and learning website.
Catching students, who plagiarizes often a difficult task specific teachers at a time crunch it with their lessons are training at 250 papers. Now granted a simple cut-and-paste of an encyclopedia or encyclopedia website is easy to catch as stated in the article. Nowadays, school districts are paying for anti-plagiarism websites in which teachers through the use of scanning software can have papers turned in by students check to see if there is a likelihood of plagiarism taking place.
But I don't exactly call 12 or 13 suggestions a few, but these are some very good suggestions, some of which are being used in classrooms today as writing across the curriculum and writing as part of standards-based testing is becoming the norm.
Especially in high school, assuming that students know how to research on the Internet can lead to plagiarism problems developing a lesson on how to search on the Internet out to gather information and how to use primary source materials would be the very very beneficial before actual writing does take place. I like the idea that that educating parents is also very beneficial. In keeping students from plagiarizing. Now, will this ever stop the problem, no but it is a good start.
This is from the Apple learning exchange teaching and learning website.
Catching students, who plagiarizes often a difficult task specific teachers at a time crunch it with their lessons are training at 250 papers. Now granted a simple cut-and-paste of an encyclopedia or encyclopedia website is easy to catch as stated in the article. Nowadays, school districts are paying for anti-plagiarism websites in which teachers through the use of scanning software can have papers turned in by students check to see if there is a likelihood of plagiarism taking place.
But I don't exactly call 12 or 13 suggestions a few, but these are some very good suggestions, some of which are being used in classrooms today as writing across the curriculum and writing as part of standards-based testing is becoming the norm.
Especially in high school, assuming that students know how to research on the Internet can lead to plagiarism problems developing a lesson on how to search on the Internet out to gather information and how to use primary source materials would be the very very beneficial before actual writing does take place. I like the idea that that educating parents is also very beneficial. In keeping students from plagiarizing. Now, will this ever stop the problem, no but it is a good start.
day 4
The new plagiarism.
When Jamie McKenzie writes about is becoming more prevalent in schools as kids become more techno-savvy. Using the seven antidotes that she has written about can also be used in WebQuests.
While going over some of my old WebQuests I developed in the late 90s, I see that some of them are nothing more than just information gathering that there was no higher learning required.
One must take a look at the level of learning that is required when having students engaged in a research project. The use of these different techniques to bring about original thought from students can help curb the use of plagiarism in the class. There are also websites that teachers can use to find out if a student is plagiarizing.
www.iThenticate.com
Plagiarism online
Plagiarism detection solution for
publishers, lawyers and authors
www.iThenticate.com
Plagiarism website
Turnitin stops student plagiarism
In use in 90 countries since 1996.
www.Turnitin.com
Understanding what plagiarism is: here is a couple of sites to help students understand what plagiarism is.
From Iowa State University
http://lib.iastate.edu:9050/resources/facultyguides/plagiarism/websites.html
From the University of Toronto
http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html
When Jamie McKenzie writes about is becoming more prevalent in schools as kids become more techno-savvy. Using the seven antidotes that she has written about can also be used in WebQuests.
While going over some of my old WebQuests I developed in the late 90s, I see that some of them are nothing more than just information gathering that there was no higher learning required.
One must take a look at the level of learning that is required when having students engaged in a research project. The use of these different techniques to bring about original thought from students can help curb the use of plagiarism in the class. There are also websites that teachers can use to find out if a student is plagiarizing.
www.iThenticate.com
Plagiarism online
Plagiarism detection solution for
publishers, lawyers and authors
www.iThenticate.com
Plagiarism website
Turnitin stops student plagiarism
In use in 90 countries since 1996.
www.Turnitin.com
Understanding what plagiarism is: here is a couple of sites to help students understand what plagiarism is.
From Iowa State University
http://lib.iastate.edu:9050/resources/facultyguides/plagiarism/websites.html
From the University of Toronto
http://www.utoronto.ca/writing/plagsep.html
day 4
Locating and evaluating WebQuests.
Since the late 1990s, the use of technology, and in classrooms has expanded by leaps and bounds. Part of the problem has been the lack of teacher training in the use of this new technology. In many instances, teachers taking their classes to the computer lab has been the same as some teachers showing and irrelevant movie in a classroom just to take a break. Teachers giving their students a list of topics, and then asking them to just Google it is nothing more than just wasting time. WebQuests can be used as the environment as it says in the website marmot for problem solving teambuilding and a good use of Internet resources. The preparation and planning is vitally important to the success of a classroom WebQuests.
There are many new and wonderful WebQuests on the Internet. Nowadays, with standards-based testing, WebQuests can help students and teachers cover a particularly hard topic. The aspect of working smarter not harder. Can come in to play when looking at a topic for a WebQuests. This article on locating evaluating WebQuests can be a valuable tool to any teacher looking to use a WebQuests in their classroom.
Since the late 1990s, the use of technology, and in classrooms has expanded by leaps and bounds. Part of the problem has been the lack of teacher training in the use of this new technology. In many instances, teachers taking their classes to the computer lab has been the same as some teachers showing and irrelevant movie in a classroom just to take a break. Teachers giving their students a list of topics, and then asking them to just Google it is nothing more than just wasting time. WebQuests can be used as the environment as it says in the website marmot for problem solving teambuilding and a good use of Internet resources. The preparation and planning is vitally important to the success of a classroom WebQuests.
There are many new and wonderful WebQuests on the Internet. Nowadays, with standards-based testing, WebQuests can help students and teachers cover a particularly hard topic. The aspect of working smarter not harder. Can come in to play when looking at a topic for a WebQuests. This article on locating evaluating WebQuests can be a valuable tool to any teacher looking to use a WebQuests in their classroom.
Day 3
How to search the Internet effectively
In education, the Internet is as important to our students as books are. But knowing how to travel throughout the Internet is just as important as learning how to comprehend words in the book.
Teachers need to prepare for their classes to be able to search on the Internet. To allow students who might have some technology ability to just go out in search will be a futile and frustrating experience not only for the students, but the teacher also. Most students will spend their time searching around websites that are not productive .
Before students are asked to go to a computer lab to search for information lesson that teachers should prepare as a lesson, how to search on the Internet. Use Boolean, keywords, and quotation marks are important for successful searches. A lesson to prepare the students in this manner will help the teacher throughout the year and the students to be successful in any type of research through the Internet that they might have.
In education, the Internet is as important to our students as books are. But knowing how to travel throughout the Internet is just as important as learning how to comprehend words in the book.
Teachers need to prepare for their classes to be able to search on the Internet. To allow students who might have some technology ability to just go out in search will be a futile and frustrating experience not only for the students, but the teacher also. Most students will spend their time searching around websites that are not productive .
Before students are asked to go to a computer lab to search for information lesson that teachers should prepare as a lesson, how to search on the Internet. Use Boolean, keywords, and quotation marks are important for successful searches. A lesson to prepare the students in this manner will help the teacher throughout the year and the students to be successful in any type of research through the Internet that they might have.
Day 2
Beyond technology beyond technology: the end of the job at the beginning of digital work.
In the new age of technology, computer literacy productivity in the workforce is going to change drastically. Workers will be using their computers at home more telecommuting than they ever have before. In light of this newo computer literacy there will have to be a new learning that goes on within the educational community for our workers of the 21st century and beyond.
Students will be told, not what to do but given the boundaries on how to do things with their own time and at their own pace and four results to be the more high-stakes than they have before.
New skills will have to be learned, older workers who have been on the job for years. Under the old ways of production will have to learn new ways to produce with the use of technology or lose their jobs to younger workers were not only younger and cheaper. Problem in the upcoming years as it has been in the past as we move away from traditional ways of production in to the use of more technology.
In the new age of technology, computer literacy productivity in the workforce is going to change drastically. Workers will be using their computers at home more telecommuting than they ever have before. In light of this newo computer literacy there will have to be a new learning that goes on within the educational community for our workers of the 21st century and beyond.
Students will be told, not what to do but given the boundaries on how to do things with their own time and at their own pace and four results to be the more high-stakes than they have before.
New skills will have to be learned, older workers who have been on the job for years. Under the old ways of production will have to learn new ways to produce with the use of technology or lose their jobs to younger workers were not only younger and cheaper. Problem in the upcoming years as it has been in the past as we move away from traditional ways of production in to the use of more technology.
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