Wishfull bloggin
Just another WordPress.com weblogDo you have the Audacity?
Of all the technology that I thought I would be using in my classroom, Podcasting was probably going to be the last one that came to mind. I was thinking of Podcasting in the wrong context. Listening to a podcast doesn’t seem to be that interesting and I don’t think students would be all that impressed. On the other hand, having students create a The possibilities for podcasting with students is as wide and varied as the teachers imagination. Recently in my class I had my students write a newsletter on ancient and contemporary Africa. They wrote the newsletter using Microsoft Publisher. The hard part was already complete. The students had their thoughts written down and all we had to do was record their voices. The students had a mixture of anxiety and excitement during the project. Once we started recording though all of their fears were washed away. They had the comfort of knowing that the material was already finished. All they had to do was practice reading it a few times and when their time came, read aloud into the microphone.
All you need to get started is a computer, a microphone and a software system for recording. There are many software systems out there. Audacity is an easy, user friendly program. The hardest part of podcasting, however, are the intangibles that come with any project. Even though my students were prepared to record their voices, there were many times when the students stuttered, laughed or just plain froze. To be honest, that was the only frustrating aspect of podcasting. podcast would open up many possibilities for enhancing students’ learning.
Once the students get over the embarrassing aspect of having their voices recorded, they will hopefully see that it can be very motivating and easy to accomplish. Students need to be communicating their ideas and thoughts in different modes. Podcasting allows students the opportunity to use technology in a manner that enhances their understanding of real world applications.
Who’s using Wikipedia.com anyway?
Although Wikipedia is a very detailed and comprehensive on-line encyclopedia, it is not suitable for most non-collegiate students. First of all, there are many controversial topics regarding Wikipedia. The main issue with the site is that some of the information can be unreliable. I understand there are tools for users to edit any vandalism or inaccurate information, but there are still many circumstances where students are getting misleading information. Even Jimmy Wales, the founder of the site, has stated that it shouldn’t be used as a definitive source for class projects and research papers because some of the data might not be accurate.
With all of that aside, my main issue with Wikipedia is that it is not kid friendly. I always hear people say that it is a good starting point for students to research information. Maybe they are referring to college students because I’ve never once thought to have my students visit the site because the reading level is just too high for them (I teach 6th grade). It seems to me that some of the people who edit the site are taking it just a little too far with trying to sound like experts on the topics. I mean, what’s a “complex language isolate” anyway or are my students really going to understand that the word “Egypt” comes from the Latin word Aegyptus derived from the ancient Greek word Aígyptos (Αίγυπτος) and that “the adjective aigýpti was borrowed into Coptic as gyptios, kyptios, and from there into Arabic as qubṭī, back formed into qubṭ.” What? O.k. that’s a bit of an extreme example, but my point is that most students will have an extremely hard time, not only reading the information, but comprehending it. In turn, they won’t know what is considered relevant or not.
Hoggin the computer lab
It’s obvious that technology is a fantastic motivating tool, as well as, a great source for students across all curriculums. That is if you can get into the computer lab! Has this ever happened to you? You have a great idea for your students to show their knowledge of geographical features of the African Sub-Sahara. You need them in the computer lab because…it’s time to move on to the next indicator in the curriculum. The problem is, the computer lab is booked solid. Not just for a few days, but for the next three weeks! To rub more salt in the wound, the teachers hoggin’ the lab are having their students work on “Type To Learn”, researching and typing up reports. That’s all great, but I’ve got big plans for that lab! Can you feel my pain. Of course you can. We’ve all been there before. The question is, what can we do about it? How do we integrate technology in our class if our peers are hoggin’ it up?
I try to use E-Instruction, Power Points, United Streaming and use the Internet through my data projector as a means to facilitate the information but nothing compares to having each student on a computer. I’ve tried the mobile lab but teachers are getting wise to the availability of that and it is now just as hard to reserve a spot with the mobile lab. So, what should I do? What have you done?
United Streaming
United Streaming is an on-line video site that should supplant the way videos are shown in the classroom. For any of you who have shown movies the traditional ways, you know it can be an annoying, tedious process. Before you can even show the movie, you have to get the approval of your principal by filling out that annoying permission form. Many times (depending on your principal) they question you on how it follows the curriculum and how you are going to use it. When you finally get approval, often times, parts of the movie are not applicable or you have to fast forward and skip to the part(s) you want to show.
With United Streaming, you don’t have to worry about these issues. That’s because United Streaming is maintained by an off-shoot of the Discovery Channel called Discovery Education and all of the movies are “G’ rated. Also, in most cases, if your county has approved United Streaming you shouldn’t have to get a permission form every time you show a movie or clip.
Another great feature of United Streaming is that you can show certain clips of the movies. The clips are numbered and have a brief identification of the information shown in the clip. You can go directly to that clip without worrying about finding the spot in the movie you want to show. If this isn’t enough to get you on board with United Streaming, most movies will have tests or worksheets that go along with the movie.
All you need to do is put in your search word and the data base will pull up all of the movies that fall into that category. You can find any category you want ranging from L.A. to Health and you can even do a search based on grade level. You can also use the Discovery Education Atlas to focus your search on specific clips based on government, culture, history and natural world.
In the 8 years I have been teaching, I have shown only a handful of movies. Along with the aforementioned issues with showing movies in the classroom, most movies that schools have in the media center are just not worth showing. Ever since our county has approved and made United Streaming available, I have shown countless clips (sometimes only 2-3 minutes long) that allow my students to have a nice visual on the information being learned.
If MSA Were Tested, We’d Have 3 Computer Labs At Our School.
In 2009, our middle school will be completely renovated. They are tearing it down and re-modeling it. We will have new heating systems, new lighting, an upgraded cafeteria, the office will have new surveliance technology and a new security system, brand new flooring, bigger more spacious classrooms, a whole new wing for the 8th graders will be added. Everything! Everything that is except for new computer labs! We currently have one computer lab with brand new Dell computers. Don’t get me wrong, the lab is state of the art! The problem is you have to reserve a spot a month in advance if you want to get in. And if you don’t finish in the time frame you reserved for, oh well! Better luck next month.
My point is, I don’t think the powers that be really want us in the computer lab. If they did, we would have one for every grade level. Now, if technology was MSA tested, you better believe we would have readily available access to the lab or multiple labs. Our school’s main focus is Language Arts and Math. If you’re not learning how to write an effective BCR or hitting every single one of those curriculum indicators, then we can’t worry about you. The politics of the whole situation is extremenly evident when meeting after meeting all we ever discuss is how to get those kids achieving at a higher level. Hello, having access to computers is extremely motivated and students can learn the same skills using technology.
Students can hone in on their writing skills by creating classroom Blogs or Podcasts after the writing process. Math teachers can have their students create a Wiki page to share mathematical concepts. Social studies teachers can use Photostory or Movie Maker to create a newsbroadcast of what they learned about Africa. The possibilities are endless.
Unfortunately, the students at our school might never be introduced to any of these wonderful programs.
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