Is New Technology the Future of Classrooms?

(Today’s guest blogger is Donna Scott. Donna went to school and graduated from UH in Houston as an English major. Then she worked in a PR Firm in Houston but decided it wasn't for her and now freelances for an online education website. Thank you Donna for a great post!)

The massive technological advances of the past decade – faster computers, smaller cell phones, cleaner cars – seem to have infiltrated and revolutionized every aspect of our lives. That is, except for education. Still stuck with dusty chalkboards and dried-out Expo markers, education has fallen behind as everything else marches ahead. But a few promising tools have been developed to nudge our classrooms onward and forward into the future. The question is, are our classrooms ready for the push?

The SMART Board, an interactive whiteboard, has already found its way into more than 900,000 classrooms worldwide, according to Texas’ The Katy Times. The SMART Board projects the teacher’s computer screen onto a large surface and responds to the touch of a stylus, much like how a computer responds to the click of a mouse. The touch technology can turn learning into a game, such as allowing students to drag state shapes onto a blank map. One teacher uses it to give her students a virtual tour of Verona when she teaches Shakespeare. Lauded for its ability to capture the attention of restless students, the SMART Board undoubtedly makes a fine addition to any classroom. But each board costs $3,000 to $3,600, and teachers have to be trained to use them. Although a welcome addition, it is a costly one.

The game show-inspired clicker has also sprung up in many classrooms. The University of Texas in Austin uses them regularly for large lab classes, and even handed out 600 of the i>clicker devices to high school honors students to demonstrate the technology, according to THE Journal. The clicker allows students to confidentially click in answers to questions, and the teacher can see in real-time on his or her computer screen what concepts need further explanation if there is a popular incorrect answer clicked in. Even the shyest of students can receive the help he or she needs without having to raise a hand.

In making learning more interactive and inclusive, teachers have found that students are more interested in lessons. Unfortunately, the available technology will not be able to make its way into every American classroom. With low funding for the poorer districts in the nation, many schools can barely afford to install a single computer in each classroom, never mind a $3,000 SMART Board or clickers for every student. Luckily, the technology also shows that students respond to novel new ways of learning lessons. While not every teacher can have the latest in educational technology, he or she can still engage students with interactive and innovative lesson planning.

This post was contributed by Donna Scott, who writes about the online colleges. She welcomes your feedback at DonnaScott9929@yahoo.com

Original image: 'GHCA's Computer Lab Running Gentoo Linux' http://www.flickr.com/photos/27315689@N00/408727666 by: Michael Surran

EduCarnival v2 8/26/09

EduCarnival v2 is up on the midway at Epic Adventures are Often Uncomfortable. Don’t miss out on all the fun! See what is going on in the Edusphere. My article on Easing Teachers' Anxieties is there but there are lots of other great articles to read too! See you there and don’t eat too much cotton candy!

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 8/28/09

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my Personal Learning Network (PLN). As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Gauging Your Distraction - “new studies show that drivers overestimate their ability to multitask behind the wheel. This game measures how your reaction time is affected by external distractions.”

Education Blogs by Discipline – great collection of blogs!

It’s My Life – “deals with (you guessed it!) life and the stuff we deal with every day. Whatever problem you’re dealing with, believe it or not, other kids and teens have gone through the same thing. Here at It’s My Life, you can rad informative articles, share your stories, play games and activities, take quizzes and polls, watch video clips of other kids talking about their feelings and experiences, get advice from older kids and experts, and contribute your own comments and questions. It’s My Life also features interviews with celebrities about stuff they had to go through when they were kids.”

Shape Collage – (download required); “Make picture collages in less than a minute with just a few mouse clicks”

Science Books Online – “lists free science e-books, textbooks, lecture notes, monographs, and other science related documents. All texts are available for free reading online, or for downloading in various formats.”

Original image: 'Wrenches' http://www.flickr.com/photos/27311060@N00/2435107204

Developing a Study Plan

Meaghan Montrose from TutorFi has a great post about Study Tips and Learning Strategies for the New School Year. She compiled a list of links to previous posts that will help students be more successful. These are great suggestions and I started to wonder how I could teach students in the classroom how to create better study habits.

I think the most important thing is to teach them a routine. My students do better if I can actually post a regular routine for them to follow. This type of checklist helps them do things in order of priority. Since my students have disabilities, organization is one of the major obstacles in their life. Before they can even begin to study, they have to prepare for this. Many times I have heard teachers tell students, go home and study but the students have no clue what this means. Even after meeting with parents, they tell me that their child studies and they can’t understand why their child is not progressing. Further investigation shows that they don’t know what their child is doing when they say their child is “studying.”

Now, I could work out a routine with the parents, but I find a routine is more successful if the student has input and control of this routine. I like to discuss the routine with the whole class and then work individually with each student to fine tune the routine. After a routine is developed with the student, we agree to discuss this with the parent together and sign a contract. The parent is able to give input and make changes at this point if something in the student plan is not feasible. If the student has ownership of the plan, I find they are more likely to follow it and take responsibility for it. It is a lot like when I try to develop a new habit. I can read all the books and articles but until I make it my own plan, I usually am not successful with it. I want my students to be successful.

These are the points that I discuss with the students. I need to come up with a daily plan of what I need to do before I start studying.

1. Location: There needs to be one spot set aside for studying. It should be away from a lot of movement that can be distracting. This should be the same spot that is used every day. I think it is a way to train the brain that this is the time and place for studying and can help keep distractions at a minimum.

2. Time: I believe the same time every day should be set aside for studying. This needs to develop into a habit. I do this for my exercising so that I don’t come up with excuses why I can’t do it. If my brain knows that the same time every day is for this activity, I will be more likely to follow it.

3. Duration: I need to decide how long I will do this activity each day. I might study for 2 hours or I might break it up into 2 – one hour segments. If I break it up into two segments, I need to set a specific time and stick to it.

4. Materials: I need to have my materials there waiting for me. When I’m done studying for the evening, I will make sure my materials are there for me for the next day. I will have a couple of pens, pencils, erasers, rulers, calculator, dictionary etc. This is important so that I don’t have to interrupt my train of thought in the middle of studying to find these things. They are all there at my finger tips.

5. Breaks: I think taking a break every 15-20 minutes is reasonable. It is a good time to refill my water bottle, use the bathroom, or just stretch. I also think it is important to keep the breaks short and do not get involved in any other activity.

6. Obstacles: If there is something that is giving me a problem, I will put it aside and come back to it. Sometimes seeing it with a fresh mind helps it suddenly become clear to me. If I get too frustrated with it, I find it almost impossible to come up with an answer.

7. Support: Know who to go to if you need help. This might be parents, teacher, computer, peers. If I use peers, I need to make sure that it doesn’t turn out to be a social event and keep it to getting the help I need for this assignment. This should also be a last resort when nothing else works.

8. Assignments: I like to keep a list of assignments and when they are do. Then I prioritize which assignment is due the soonest and I know that is what I need to work on first. If all of them are due the same time, I like to get the hardest assignment out of the way first while I still feel fresh and energetic. After the hardest one is finished, it is easy to get the other ones out of the way.

After this discussion, I have students add any other things they think are important. Then I have them actually right out a personal plan that they can follow. They come up with the actual location, time, duration, list of materials, break time, and a list of support people including phone numbers if necessary. This is a great time for them to talk to their friends and agree to help each other.

I give them a sample list of assignments with assorted due dates and let them actually learn how to prioritize them. Then we discuss how each student did this and why they chose to do it this way. There may be more than one answer to how this is done. I also give them a sample list of assignments with no due date and ask them to prioritize these. Again we discuss the reasons. We might actually do this more than one time.

After the students feel comfortable with their plan, I encourage them to talk about it with their parents and then arrange a time for us to meet and discuss it. The parents are encouraged by an actual plan rather than just telling them that their child needs to study. The students feel proud because they came up with it rather than being told it is one more thing they have to follow. I just see it as a win-win situation for all that will help the student be more successful.

Would you add anything to the list? Do you have a way that you teach this? I’d love to hear about it if you do.

Original image: 'Oops' http://www.flickr.com/photos/65768710@N00/3209636742 by: Francisco Martins

Let the Fun Times Begin!

I have always disliked the first week of school, even though I was excited about school starting back. I’m not talking about the abundance of paperwork, learning new school procedures, assigned monitoring duties, getting textbooks, or organizing my classroom. I’m talking about the “Stepford Students.” Now, if you aren’t old enough to remember the movie “The Stepford Wives,” then let me tell you about the “Stepford Students.” These students are wearing their new clothes and tennis shoes, have brand new notebooks, pencils, book bags, and possibly hair styles. When these students arrive, they are usually on their best behavior, don’t have many friends, and may be a little timid about new changes happening in their lives. Most of these students are eager to follow my directions and try hard to follow every rule. Now maybe you are thinking this is an ideal situation but I don’t.

During that first week, I have so many “wants.” I want to see my real students. I want to know about their real personalities and what they think. I want to know about their lives, their background, and their motivations. I want to see how they react to situations and cope with the changes going on in their lives. I want to know what they can and can’t do and how they cope with frustration. I want them to believe that I can help them and I want them to believe in themselves too.

By the second week, I’m usually more comfortable because the “Stepford Students” are disappearing. My students are wearing clothes they are comfortable in and have started to make new friends. The students who will challenge me have shown their true colors and the meek mild mannered students may really be withdrawn and depressed. Finally, these students begin to feel more comfortable and start to test limits. They want to know the boundaries and how far they can go. They have to feel that they are in a safe environment before they can trust me to teach them. When the “Stepford Students” finally disappear totally, I can be a teacher and really do my job.

When I get to know my real students, I am able to laugh with them and learn with them. I can’t teach the “Stepford Students” effectively but I can teach the real students. These are the students who may grasp a concept today but tomorrow will act like they never saw it before. These are the students who have real life issues that get in the way of their learning. These are the students who make me recognize that everyone can’t learn the same way and at the same speed. These are the students who make me feel like I really make a difference.

So, when I make it through the second week, I usually can tell that my year will be successful. It will have the usual uphill struggles but the journey is usually exciting and well worth the work!

Original image: 'Join us' http://www.flickr.com/photos/44124473190@N01/40830510 by: John Watson