Lisa Maxvill-Day 1 - CTA JMU

The Content Teaching Academy at James Madison University is exciting.  We are learning many great technology tools that I can use with my students in the classroom.

My Keyboarding Students using Kidblog

This blog is safe, simple and easy to use

Students, look up your Keyboarding Kidblog class URL:

Here you go!

Each Kidblog class gets its own unique URL (e.g. kidblog.org/MyClass). Users simply choosetheir name from a list of class members.

Bookmark the link(s) below or add them to the classroom website so you don't need to search.

• Keyboarding-Block 5-Mrs. Maxvillhttp://kidblog.org/Keyboarding-Block5-MrsMaxvill/
• Mrs. Maxvill's Keyboarding- 7th Blockhttp://kidblog.org/MrsMaxvillsKeyboarding-7thBlock/
• Mrs. Maxvill's Keyboarding Class- Block 8http://kidblog.org/MrsMaxvillsKeyboardingClass-Block8/
• Mrs. Maxvill's -Keyboarding Class- Block 1http://kidblog.org/MrsMaxvills-KeyboardingClass-Block1/
• Mrs. Maxvill's Keyboarding Class- Block 2http://kidblog.org/MrsMaxvillsKeyboardingClass-Block2/
• Mrs. Maxvill's Keyboarding Class- Block 3http://kidblog.org/MrsMaxvillsKeyboardingClass-Block3/
• Mrs. Maxvill's Keyboarding Class- Block 4http://kidblog.org/MrsMaxvillsKeyboardingClass-Block4/

Intel's Ranking Tool-What is the impact of technology?

What has been the impact of using technology?

Bell Labs Model 1 Relay Computer C. 1940

  This question is relevant and connected to a learning unit and Click here for Technology Invention Lesson Plan Unit for my students showing the flow of history of technology and transportation. I would allow students to explore directed websites to search for answers to this question.  One website example that I would have students to view is by going to this website Flow of History - Computer History.

Students would click on the Timeline of Technology Inventions as shown on PBS and compare Technology of Inventions -Timeline

 How has the ease of inventions for our transportation and technology changed human beings and how has it been a tremendous improvement to our daily lives? I would have the students to Click on the 10 choices on the link provided below and tell me how they would rank each category of these inventions in our world.   I  have spent a good part of the day trying to come up with a visual ranking  to show this to my students.  By creating a username and password in my teacher workspace with Intel I was able to master this.  Intel's Visual Ranking Tool allows teachers to create projects and then save them for future viewing by their students.

By using Intel's Ranking Tool this would add to the lesson plan derived for this unit:
Click here to see my Visual Ranking Tool -What is the impact of Technology as an Invention?


Lessons created with this Visual Ranking Tool meet the first 4 ISTE NETS S standards: 

1.) Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
2.) Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments
3.) Model Digital Age Work and Learning
4.) Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

Getting to Know Intel Thinking Tools

Getting to Know Intel Thinking Tools

I first became a student as instructed to do in order to find out how to properly see how this Visual Ranking Tool works.  I was fascinated by this technology and was interested in seeing what I could come up with for my class since my class is a Keyboarding class. I was able to view the inventions project and saw how this ultimately could work with students.  Then, I created my own which was I felt I would create similiar, yet different from the sample provided on Inventions.  I decided to take this a step further and create a Visual Ranking Tool that was for Technology Inventions.  This was easy to create and manipulate once I was able to retrieve my username and password.  I think that this Visual Ranking Tool can be used very well and effectively in the classroom.  This particular assignment satisfys for students NETS with creativity, problem solving and critical thinking skills.

APA Writing Sample

APA Writing Sample -Click on this link

This is supposed to be an APA writing sample that was derived by looking at the National Center for Education Statistics, Nations Report Card.  By surveying 4th grade students from various educational systems, the NCES has come up with the Nations Report Card.

Creativity, Wrath of Khan and Carpe Diem

These ideas and concepts started from individuals who are in the midst of changing the future of education by showing us new, creative and exciting ways to rethink education and reach out to take a look at how we need to develop innovative ways to come across to students, as opposed to the traditional ways of how we use to interact with our students.


Creativity:

The first person we take a look and listen to is Ken Robinson. He is from England and came to Los Angeles with his ideas of education zoning on what we as teachers should do to enhance creativity with young people instead of overlooking students individual creativity that we all have.  It is wonderful to listen to other adults who share the same feeling about how creativity needs to be enhanced and cultivated in students.

Ken Robinson shares his views through motivational speaking.  This one is called creativity:

http://www.ted.com/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

The Wrath of Kahn: click to view khan academy

The next person we need to take a look at and listen to is Salzman Kahn.   Mr. Kahn talks about how he started Kahn Academy using Math to share with the world by creating You tube videos of showing how to do math using interactive technology.  He is flipping the traditional classroom with video lectures that students and teachers can   

view from home or in the classroom.  What use to be homework, for some students can now be done in the classroom with peer help as well as teacher input.  This is truly an amazing concept that is helping to revolutionize the way we have initially taught in our public and private schools.  In my opinion this is an excellent way for teachers to communicate effectively with all levels of students.  Whether the student is a lower level student all the way to those students who are gifted and talented because it allows the students to work at their own pace in order to grasp concepts.  It does not stop nor stunt their learning as they progress.  There have been numerous support and responses that Mr. Kahn has received for creating these videos and now he has his own non-profit organization Kahn Academy to help other facets of subjects.  His goal is to change the way that we think about education as well as developing new ways to interact with our students of today.  He is truly marvelous.

Carpe Diem: The last one we will take a look at is Carpe Diem. 
Click here to view

Carpe Diem is a latin poem written by Quintus Horatius Flaccus also known as Horace that means "sieze the day." According to, An Elementary Latin Dictionary and Quintus Horatius Flaccus,

1. ^ Lewis, Charlton T. (1890). "carpō". An Elementary Latin Dictionary. New York, Cincinnati, and Chicago: American Book Company.
2. ^ [1], Ode I-XI: Carpe Diem by Quintus Horatius Flaccus.

 Latin poem by Quintus Horatius Flaccus (65 BC – 8 BC), more widely known as Horace. The poem is in Horace's Odes Book 1, number 11. The phrase is popularly translated as "seize the day" and has become an aphorism.

An example of a Cape Diem School is one in Arizona click here to view

1.)    How prepared are you to engage in each type of learning (Carpe Diem vs St. Marys)?  I am fully prepared to engage in each type of learning because I see the value of both, Carpe Diem and St. Marys.  However, the environment in which I work mostly caters to the Carpe Diem because of the fact that it is a computer lab environment that I work in. But, having students to be engaged in a learning pedagogical environment where they can share ideas is also expressed in my keyboarding classroom as well. This is accomplished by the assignments that I specifically ask for sharing to be involved however, this would not normally occur in my classroom setting because normally the keyboarding teachers are only required to work from the microtype software that the students do individually.

2.)   Provide specific examples including devices and apps or software, of what you currently doing in each model if you are teaching.

My model is more like the Carpe Diem, because my keyboarding classroom is a computer lab environment. So, with that being said, specifically what I am doing in the classroom is that I have sought to create a goal of teaching my students to use google docs in the classroom.  Google docs is software created by Google.  I have already achieved this because I have for example created on technology lesson plans where my students are to go on the specific websites to have research a technology current event, students have to summarize the article they found, and type it up using google docs.  Then, I have taken it as step further and offer  students the chance to come up and share their technology current event to the entire class via the promethean board. Those students who prefer not to come up and share it to the class, simply send me their current event via sharing it with me via google docs. I am able to give feedback to the student by making comments to them on google docs. The students are able to see the feedback that I have given them which in turn, allows the student to get instant feedback from the teacher via technology, which is exciting. This is incredible because they love and enjoy this and my students are in the 6^th grade and they also are enthusiastic about this assignment.  I think that the students are interested in discovery new and creativity using technology such as computers and internet in the classroom.

3.) If you are not in class now, what would you suggest teachers in your field  based on current knowledge of mobile/wireless device.

My recommendation for teachers in my field would be to use the mobile/wireless device in the classroom if possible, especially if the school is a high school environment.  The reason that I said this is that in some middle schools such as mine the student is not allowed to use their mobile device in the classroom because it is against school policy.  However, I can show the students an example via my mobile device or Ipad. 

4.) What would you recommend in terms of a school wide initiative to improve teaching and learning at this point if you were in a position to do so?

I would make it mandatory for all schools within the particular school system, to have professional development courses available for teachers and staff about the use of integrating technology in the classroom, in hopes that every teacher will reshape their classroom in order to facilitate learning in a more technology environment.


5.) A mixture of the 2 models (Carpe Diem vs St. Marys) is probably in everyone’s future. How do you see executing your version of the blend in your field? In your class. How could you emulate/approximate the Rocketship model?  What I am and will be continuing to use in the future is trying to engage my students.  For example, when they come into my class everyday I always try to ask them how they are doing today and how their weekend was, or how their week is going.  I try to find a common ground with my students so that they feel comfortable enough to work for me in my class. I also offer a 2 minute break every class after the first 35 minutes of their working on the computers.  This is my way of keeping them engaged so that they want to learn.  I also have them work in the class as well as home, this is called, "Google Drive" and my students love working with their google drive products such as google docs or presentation because their work is saved automatically and they can communicate with me by sharing their work with me when they are finished.  Our school system has implemented this and I use it in my classroom.  For example, when I have students to type up their documents to me they type it up using Google Docs and then they press the share button and send me their work.  I in turn, receive it instantly and then I am able to make comments on how well the student did. I then have the students present their projects orally via the Promethean board. So, they learn in my classroom via the computer keyboard but they also have the enjoyment of interacting via presenting via the Promethean board.

Voki

 

CLICK ON THIS LINK

 to view the google document.

Self Intro in Google Docs

This activity for teachers meets at least one of the ISTE NETS *T (2008)

Standard 2 - Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS*S.

VOKI= http://www.voki.com/  

Writing is an essential tool for any student's success inside and out of the classroom.This particular type of technology can be used as a very good digital tool that would promote student learning and creativity.  The Voki uses a person's recorded voice and matches it with the movement of the avatar's lips to create a unique artifact of student work. Kids will think this is cool while learning something new and exciting in school.

In my opinion, this really looks like a great tool for all types of teachers since it appears in a cartoon like form, it by design, seems to adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.