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Archive for technology

In With The New, Out With The Old

November 13, 2007 at 5:42 am · Filed under technology and tagged:

I love Pinnacle.  What is Pinnacle you ask?  It is an automated software grading system.   You can view your class grades from anywhere as long as you have it downloaded to your computer.  It is very similar to a Microsoft Word Excel spreadsheet in the sense that you plug in the percentages and weight for how you want your different categories calculated.  That is where the similarities end.

Since Pinnacle is viewed from the Internet, as soon as you put in the grades anyone who has access can view the information instantaneously.  Which means this is a great tool for parents to keep on top of their children.  As a parent myself, whose child is currently on this grading system, I check on her grades daily to see her progress.  My daughter hates that!  As a parent though, it is very helpful. 

Keeping up with grading has come a long way since I started teaching just 9 years ago.  I remember when I used to do all my calculation by hand and kept track in a grade book.  I can’t believe some teachers are still doing it that way.    

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RSS Feeds

November 13, 2007 at 3:18 am · Filed under technology and tagged:

Aggregator, RSS feeds, Pageflakes, what?  I had no idea what my professor was talking about when we started our lesson.  Apparently, there are these sites (called aggregators) that store all of your favorite websites for easy, convenient reading.  All you have to do is join the free membership and they will allow you to create your very own personalized page of websites.  It’s works like your “favorite” tool on your internet page.  Well, not quiet.  That would be like comparing a Cadillac to a Ford Fiesta. 

When you open your web-site (Pageflakes is one of many aggregators) you have all of your favorite sites right there at your disposal.  You can see the different headlines or breaking news before deciding to go to the site.  Everything is updated as the news breaks.  The site is extremely easy to set up and control.  Whatever you can think of, you can add it on your page.  E-mail, blogs, photo’s, music, whatever! 

There’s one hitch.  The sites you put onto your aggregator must have an RSS feed.  Yeah, I didn’t know what that was either, but I’m sure you’ve seen them everywhere without even knowing it.

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Social Bookmarking

November 13, 2007 at 2:54 am · Filed under technology and tagged:

I remember a few years ago I used to put all of my collected web-sites on a “Hot-list”.  Basically it was a Microsoft Word document that I hyperlinked all of the sites to.  Crude, but effective.  I made different headings and categories and every time I found another good site, I added to my existing links.  If I didn’t have a site that fit into a specific category, I made a new heading.  It was a lot of maintenance. 

During a technology course I am taking, my professor introduced us to a website that allows you to store, find and share websites in the same manner as described above.  The difference is you can view sites tagged by other people.  It’s called “Social Bookmarking”.  What happens is you copy the URL address to your page, title it and give a brief description of the site for easy reference.  You can also “tag” a site.  This allows you to categorize your sites by its content.  The other great thing about these sites (del.icio.us and ma.gnolia) is that you can look through the other tagged items and find  new websites without even surfing the net.  It also shows the viewer how many people have tagged a particular site.  This is a great feature because it lets you see if the site is any good.  It’s like your own personal website of categorized links. 

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Video Game Tests

November 13, 2007 at 2:15 am · Filed under technology and tagged:

What I’m about to tell you are true events.  These are not a lies or a gimmicks to get you to read my blog.  My 6th grade students love taking tests.  In fact, they get disappointed when I tell them we’re not taking a test.  I had a student actually beg me to take a test the other day.  One of my students said to me once, “I used to hate taking tests but now I actually look forward to them”.  Like I said, these are all true events. 

            Here’s the catch.  The students are not taking tests the traditional way with pencil and paper.  Oh no, no, they are taking it with remote controls.  Ahh, now you see the ingeniousness of it all.  It’s called E-Instruction or CPS.  It is a computerized form of test taking.  One of my students calls it “the video game” test. 

            Here’s how it works.  Each student is given a remote control.  The test is viewed  from a data projector hooked up from your computer.  The tests are created either from a Power Point presentation or from any computerized test generator like “Exam View”.  Once your test is linked to the CPS program, the students are able to view each question from the data projector and answer the questions using their personal remote.  The information is stored in the program and can be viewed at a later time or shown to the students then and there for review. 

            You can see how motivating and exciting this can be for students.  Now, I don’t have the time to get into all the things you can do with this program (partially because I don’t know half the things you can do) but I can give you the basics.  My absolute favorite feature is that the program grades the tests for you.  Once the test is complete, it’s graded.  There is also a feature that allows you to play a jeopardy-like game for reviewing concepts.  Oh yeah, you don’t have to use it for just test taking.  It can be a good tool for reviewing information.  Another great aspect of the program is the teacher can see instantaneously which students placed their answers, did not or is pressing a buttons not corresponding to one of the answers.

            I know it sounds like it is a system catering to the digital needs of students today.  The fact is though, students are motivated, engaged and excited to take tests and review material.  

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