Visiting Daphne High School ACCESS Lab

I visited the ACCESS lab at Daphne High School. Their lab was located in newest addition to the school. This building has once been a church and the high school was able to purchase this property which allowed them to have the space for this lab. John Roh heads up the ACCESS lab at Daphne and he gave us a grand tour by demonstrating the technology in the lab.

The room was set up with rows on rectangular tables and chairs. There was a white board on the right wall of the room and a promethean board in the front of the class. Also, there was a camera suspended from the ceiling and a large desk in the front of the room with laptop. In the back of the room was a storage closet where 24 student laptops are stored.

This is such as awesome form of technology. A student getting the opportunity to take subjects that are not taught at his high schools is so important. Especially if these students are college bound and need the subject to help them prepare for their major. For example if a student wants to major in engineering but can only take up to Pre-Cal then that is a problem when he goes to college. He will have needed to take Calculus also or else he will be playing catch up his freshman math classes. With the ACCESS lab and distance learning available it is possible for students to get the classes needed. However, there are problems that can arise with scheduling. Mr. Roh explained that bell schedules do not always match with other schools and sometimes breaks do not either such as spring break and Christmas break. These are some of the issues that must be worked out when using this program.

Mr. Roh showed us how to use the promethean board and how a teacher can go online and pull up a lesson on a particular topic for her subject area and grade level. This can really get a student’s attention and keep him focused. Mr. Roh also showed us the website for his distance learning class AP Biology. He is teaching students that are in a small high school in north Alabama. He showed us how the site worked and how he goes in and checks on the student’s progress. However there are a few problems with this also. The lessons are all located online and will refer to particular websites. Sometimes when students go to these websites, they are no longer active. This creates a problem because quizzes and test questions come from these websites. For the most part, the opportunity to use this technology is so beneficial for students and I believe as time passes, these problems will be resolved and more and more students will be using the ACCESS lab.

"The Edible School Yard" and "A Night in the Global Village"

The first podcast I listen to was “The Edible School Yard.” This podcast was recorded at the Martin Luther King Junior Middle School in Berkley, California. In this video podcast a garden is the center of learning. Middle school students are not just sitting at a desk and doing worksheets to learn math and science but outside doing “hands on” activities. Students work in their garden growing food then learn to cook the food they have grown. These students are not only learning about the water cycle and the stages of plant life but life skills. This is a great example of “hands on” leaning.

The second podcast I listen to was “A Night in the Global Village.” This video podcast was recorded at Heifer Ranch in Perryville, Arkansas. In this podcast students and teachers are given the chance to experience life as someone who must deal with poverty.
Heifer Ranch is set up to close resemble life in third world countries such as Guatemala, and Zambia. Students and teachers visit these campsites and spend time there learning to survive on the minimal resources they are given. They learn to trade resources for resources. Later everyone is given a time to express how this experience has affected them.

I loved these podcasts because it took learning outside the classroom and dealt with real life issues. I believe when students can really get their “hands dirty” in learning it is an awesome experience. In both of these podcasts that is exactly what the students were being able to do. The life lessons they gained were extremely valuable. Teachers need to constantly be looking for ways to do this.

Podcasts are such a great technology tool for the classroom today. Just being able to show these podcasts to students in the classroom is a great idea. This would even give students any opportunity to think of other ways to get out of the classroom to learn. I plan to use this type of technology in the future in my classroom. I am anxious to see what my own students would come up with.

Blogging

I have learned so much in this class this semester and learning what and how to blog is one of the things I have found to be very useful. I knew what blogs were and have many friends who are bloggers but had never really thought about it being a useful tool in the classroom. I know for me this is just a different way of journaling thoughts and ideas which is something I always had my students do in my class. However what makes blogging more interesting is it can be share with so many others. Not just others in the same class, but other classes in other schools in other parts of not only the state or country but the world. What an awesome opportunity students have today to have the ability to do this.

Blogging have so many advantages. First it gets the students thinking and putting his or hers ideas in words. Students really seem to connect more to a computer than to just pen and paper. Teachers can use blogs to not only get students to answer and discuss particular topics but also have class discussions with other classes studying the same thing. For example as an English teacher, my students always had a novel to be reading. I love the idea of having my students blogging about the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. This is a piece of southern literature that students from another part of the country may have differing opinions about the book than my students here in the South. How great is it that my students could discuss this with a class of students from somewhere in the north or Midwest part of the country.

The only thing I can think of as a minus or disadvantage to blogging would be some students being more reluctant to share their thoughts or ideas because it is “out there” for everyone to see and read. This could be quite intimidating for students who tend to be on the shy side. I remember when teaching and I would ask students to journal about a certain topic. I was almost always asked the question if anyone besides me would be reading their journal or if I would be reading it aloud to the class. It may seem strange that high school students would be this shy or insecure, but it does happen.

I read Briana Browder’s class blog and thought she did an excellent job with all the topics. Each one was well researched and well written. One of the things that she had mentioned in her blog on International Blogs was the use of Skype. This is another great technology tool. I have used Skype in communicating with my sister who lives in Barcelona, Spain. I had never thought about it being used in the classroom as a technology tool to communicate with other students. I think all of us have learned a great deal about technology in the classroom and are now better prepared to incorporate it in with our teaching styles.

Podcasts from EDM 310

The first podcast I listened to was “Burp Back Education: How It Can Be Eliminated” by Nikki Hunter, Christi Turner and Tiffany Blocker. They begin by explaining “burp back” education and what that means. This is a technique that teachers have used for years in the classroom. The teacher lectures or uses handouts for students to basically memorize and then later be tested on this material. It has been shown through research that students do not retain this information for very long. It is stored in short term memory and is soon forgotten after being tested. Their suggestions that are discussed are using alternative ways of presenting the information through games or other interactive activities. Using different speakers in the classroom is also suggested. These are ways that students can focus in on what is being taught instead of just memorizing the information. Most teachers are aware that this is not the best way to teach, however, with the growing pressure of standardized testing; sometimes there is not enough time to use the alternative methods which are more time consuming.

The second podcast I listened to was ACCESS Distance Learning: A Work in Progress by Henryetta Alexander, April Jones and Ashley Reed. They begin by explaining What ACCESS which is a website that connects all Alabama high school statewide. This is a way for students to be able to take courses that are not available at their school because of the lack of certified teachers. These are courses for advanced students who are seeking courses in dual enrollment and advanced placement. This is one way of getting 9th grade students on the college track and helping them stay there. This also provides a way for students to better individualize their education. Students do not need to feel limited because there school does not offer what they need for college. ACCESS has also added courses for remedial students. These students can take a basic reading class and not feel pressure from a teacher or other students. This can help these students “catch up.”

Both of these podcasts were well done. The students researched their topics and seemed very knowledgeable. They were interesting and kept my attention while listening. I did notice that there were some pauses that probably could have been avoided and the use of “um” and “and um.” When recording a podcast, I do not even think you are aware of how many times this can happen. Also making sure you are using a conversational tone instead of sounding like you are reading off the page. The only other suggestion I could make would be to be careful about pronouncing certain words such as “thing” sounding like “thang.” Overall, I think both podcasts were good.

Technology and the Math Classroom

The first podcast I listened to was “Mathematics with Technology” from the Maine University and recorded by Judy Chandler. In this podcast Chandler is discussing how many teachers, especially math, are reluctant to include technology in the classroom. Some of their reasons being it is too time consuming, it is additional work to use, not necessary, and students are successful enough. However, technology is essential even in the math classroom. These technology tools for enhancing math skills are tools that engage the students. The tools demonstrate learning and give them authentic experiences. All of this together promotes greater understanding which is what every teacher should be striving for in their classroom.

The second podcast was “Thinking Mathematically.” This podcast was also recorded by Judy Chandler. Again Chandler is discussing how teachers of math should use technology in the classroom because it is effective learning. Students are more engaged when using technology instead of going from page to page in a math book. Technology helps the subject come “alive.” Students use “hands on” techniques to learning new concepts. Teachers should always be looking for new and better way to teach their content. Technology is one of these ways.

I feel that technology is extremely important today. It should be used in very subject area taught. Today’s world is surrounded by technology so for us as teachers to give our students the best education possible we must implement technology tools where ever we can. I feel that using technology in the classroom does help a student focus more on the task at hand. “Hands On” learning has been proven over and over again to be the most effective learning and technology provides this in some many ways. Chandler also discusses how technology can motivate students who may not be interested in the subject otherwise.

When teaching I remember hearing teachers say how they did not have enough time to learn a new computer program or some new technology tool. However, I feel that as teachers it is our job to stay current with any new ideas that promote better understanding. I know that is class has helped me tremendously understand what is available in technology. I feel I will be better equipped to go back into the classroom and make use of some of these tools.

“Growth vs. “Fixed” Minds – Stanford University Challenge

This video podcast “Growth” vs. “Fixed” Minds is a part of a Stanford University series. In this video podcast two different mindsets regarding learning were discussed. One was the “fixed” mindset and the other “growth” mindset. One group of students believed that their intelligence was based on a fixed trait and that no growth was involved in learning. These students worried about how smart they were and were they smart enough to complete a particular task. The other group of students believed that learning has to do with growth. They believed that learning is a process and were given the example of a baby. Babies must learn but in order to do that, they must grow also.

In the group of “fixed” mindset, students were given a set of study skills in order to complete certain learning tasks. However, the students’ grades ended up declining instead of improving because of the lack of motivation. The students that were in the “growth” mindset group excelled in their learning and their grades increased. They applied the concepts of learning comes through growth. When combined in class, teachers could actually tell which students came from which group. These learning concepts have not only been applied to students but also to race car drivers and people in the business world. People who have the mindset of learning comes through growth make better managers and race car drivers because they are not afraid to make mistakes and know how to overcome them.

I think that it is very important that teachers impress on their students that learning is a process. Students should not be afraid to make mistakes and teachers need to teach students how to overcome their mistakes when they are made. I want my students to be curious and motivated to learn new things. This comes through the “growth” mindset. I want them to always be yearning for more. This is also a good reminder for teachers also. Teachers need to realize that they also need to have a “growth” mindset. Learning never stops for anyone.

iTunes Video Podcast

I watched and listened to the video podcast Top 50 Things about SMARTboard with David Sladkey and Scott Miller. I really liked this video podcast because I am fascinated with SMARTboard. I cannot believe all the things this can do and how much it enhances teaching. In this podcast, there are slides with the list of the top 50 reasons SMARTboard is awesome. As the speakers are going through the list they are able to demonstrate all the capabilities of the SMARTboard. I loved being able to see what they were talking about rather than just hearing it.

Some of the great features that were discussed about SMARTboard were the magic pen that also can spotlight items, the fun pen that adds colors and graphics, a gallery that stores photos, and a virtual calculator. With almost any lesson, the teacher can also magnify things that need to be emphasized, clone items, and even add sound links from an MP3 player. Talk about keeping a students attention! The SMARTboard also includes a camera. This camera allows the teacher to be able to take a picture of anything on the internet and be able to use it in the lesson. Importing and exporting other documents from other places is so simple with SMARTboard. Color and different fonts are also great features to make a lesson eye-catching. My feature that I think is really valuable is being able to record a screencast. This is a great feature for substitute teachers. I would love to be able to record myself teaching the lesson when having to use a substitute teacher.

This video podcast was very informative and helped me understand SMARTboard even better. I feel that podcasts are very useful in the classroom and adding slides or video to these enhance student learning even more. There are so many new forms of technology for the classroom. It makes me very excited to think about all the different ways lessons can be presented to students. Today’s student seems to be so visual and hands on learning because of all the technology they are surrounded with in cell phones, mp3 players and video games. To be able to keep a students attention and focused, teachers have got to use the technology available to them. I know that I will be incorporating many of these ways in my class. I especially hope to be able to use a SMARTboard.