Here are some websites that some may find useful for using smartboards and airliners:
http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/tutorials.asp
http://ilt.camden.k12.ga.us/documents/Technology/Smartboard/airlinerqr.pdf
If you type smartboard into a google search, there are a number of quick hits right off the bat which include short videos on how to use them and (yes) even podcasts on how to use smartboards.
Cheers,
Dan
Monday, June 1, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
What is my personal style?
Understanding one's personal style is important to knowing how and what type of presentation technology to use.
My style is relaxed, good use of humour. The rapport in the classroom is based on trust, but we still have our distinct roles. I am still the teacher.
I use the chalkboard quite a bit. A quick sketch can enhance a student's understanding of a topic. It may not be as technically correct as a photograph or a slide show. But even a badly drawn sketch can be funny and add to the atmosphere in the class.
Interestingly enough, I have a student who is allergic to chalk.
I like to use technology in the classroom, but to augment what I am doing or saying, not to replace me as the teacher. I have one film that I show about the island of Crete, but I mute the volume and do all the speaking myself. I emphasize different points than the original voice actor.
I stop films all the time to emphasize what students are looking at. I have a number of powerpoint presentations, but they are mostly pictures and I provide the narrative.
Student centred learning is very important. Inquiry models, group research, debates, culminating activities, are all ways for students to learn on their own. This is directed learning because we give them skills and direction and the students find things out on their own.
The key is to vary the style and the form of delivery. Seatwork, games (Latin pictionary), puzzles etc. are all very good. I do have students present fairly often. In Junior Latin class they must present with some form of AV (does not need to be computer or ppt.) In CHW3M1 (world history to the 16th century) the students will do one 2 min presentation (oral, no AV), one 5 min presentation (oral, more polished, a photo of a famous person). One 5 min presentation with limited AV. One 15 min presentation with complete AV.
At no time do I require students to use presentation software. Students may present in skits, interviews, formally, or other ways (films).
But many students opt to use ppt. because it is relatively easy to master and can produce nice results.
Over the last several years I have kept a number of student presentations because many are quite good. I have also been putting some more complicated lessons onto .ppt so that they will save me time in class in the long run (less prep, less time at the board, clearer presentation.
A chief concern is whether changing technology will make some of my hard work obsolete in the future.
For now this is my style.
Cheers,
Dan
My style is relaxed, good use of humour. The rapport in the classroom is based on trust, but we still have our distinct roles. I am still the teacher.
I use the chalkboard quite a bit. A quick sketch can enhance a student's understanding of a topic. It may not be as technically correct as a photograph or a slide show. But even a badly drawn sketch can be funny and add to the atmosphere in the class.
Interestingly enough, I have a student who is allergic to chalk.
I like to use technology in the classroom, but to augment what I am doing or saying, not to replace me as the teacher. I have one film that I show about the island of Crete, but I mute the volume and do all the speaking myself. I emphasize different points than the original voice actor.
I stop films all the time to emphasize what students are looking at. I have a number of powerpoint presentations, but they are mostly pictures and I provide the narrative.
Student centred learning is very important. Inquiry models, group research, debates, culminating activities, are all ways for students to learn on their own. This is directed learning because we give them skills and direction and the students find things out on their own.
The key is to vary the style and the form of delivery. Seatwork, games (Latin pictionary), puzzles etc. are all very good. I do have students present fairly often. In Junior Latin class they must present with some form of AV (does not need to be computer or ppt.) In CHW3M1 (world history to the 16th century) the students will do one 2 min presentation (oral, no AV), one 5 min presentation (oral, more polished, a photo of a famous person). One 5 min presentation with limited AV. One 15 min presentation with complete AV.
At no time do I require students to use presentation software. Students may present in skits, interviews, formally, or other ways (films).
But many students opt to use ppt. because it is relatively easy to master and can produce nice results.
Over the last several years I have kept a number of student presentations because many are quite good. I have also been putting some more complicated lessons onto .ppt so that they will save me time in class in the long run (less prep, less time at the board, clearer presentation.
A chief concern is whether changing technology will make some of my hard work obsolete in the future.
For now this is my style.
Cheers,
Dan
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
More on Digital Photography
When we think about digital cameras, most of us think still photos. But Peter has reminded us that many cameras now can take video. My Nikon D90 (yes I am bragging) can take up to 5 min of straight digital video.
Digital video can be invaluable in phys-ed class to capture movements of athletes. Skiers, gymnasts, baseball batters, track and field javelin throwers can all benefit from a minute of video capturing their movements. Most will deny that they have done anything wrong. But show them the video.....
And since our project is about how students can use cameras, you can have the students do the taping.
How about in language arts class? Have students tape each other during mini presentations. A student may not be aware that they have said "um...er....okay" a thousand times during a presentation. But when you play it back they cannot deny the evidence. This helps to build better public speakers.
In Geography class: have the students plan routes where all the major turns are illustrated with photographs of the intersections. Students take the pictures.
For Drama/construction class: have the students build sets for the school play and get the students to take pictures of relevant buildings for inspiration and ideas.
For media arts: story board before a film is made. Have the students make the storyboard with digital still photos.
For media arts and language arts: have the students make a mini film (some editing required). For some students this option is FAR preferable to actually standing in front of the class. And if they demonstrate their expectations in a mini-film.....do they need to present in person?
In Latin/ancient history class: Have students take pictures of buildings which have classical/neo-classical architecture. Or pictures of statues.
In history class: have students take photos of historic sites/landmarks. Have students do a photo essay of the battle of queenston heights or the battle of chippewa creek.
In family studies classes, have students do research using digital photography into restaurant layouts, ergonomics, and effective seating. Compare menu layouts. How about fashion? Have the students put on a fashion show (remember to get permission for photographing students).
How about fun-photography. Take pictues of the back of teachers' heads and have a fund raiser to see who can guess the most heads. Or how about teachers' shoes. Do the same with students' shoes or backpacks.
Cheers,
Dan
Monday, May 11, 2009
Digital Photography
As a teacher of history, I can think of incredible uses for digital photography (my own and other photos).
I incorporate slides routinely into power point presentations showing things from around the ancient world. Having travelled through the Mediterranean several times, I now have quite a library of things to show the students. Some of my photos are "artsy", but many are of wierd things . . . things that you will not find pictures of when searching online. I photograph pieces of temples, individual blocks, individual vases, items in musuems (when allowed), roads, sewer covers (SPQR in Rome), street and shop signs (Latin based), obelisks, writing on temples, grafitti and other things which are not splashy enough to make it into most web pages. But these items are relevant enough to show students. All are related to expectations, but many photos are cute and quirky, interresting but bizarre. And they often illustrate things from a peculiar angle or perspective to mesh with my lesson.
Take for expample close-up shots of the entrance to the acropolis in Athens...much restoration....
Or photos from the British Museum showing scouring marks on a metope panel. Hard to find shots of these things online.
Cheers,
Dan
I incorporate slides routinely into power point presentations showing things from around the ancient world. Having travelled through the Mediterranean several times, I now have quite a library of things to show the students. Some of my photos are "artsy", but many are of wierd things . . . things that you will not find pictures of when searching online. I photograph pieces of temples, individual blocks, individual vases, items in musuems (when allowed), roads, sewer covers (SPQR in Rome), street and shop signs (Latin based), obelisks, writing on temples, grafitti and other things which are not splashy enough to make it into most web pages. But these items are relevant enough to show students. All are related to expectations, but many photos are cute and quirky, interresting but bizarre. And they often illustrate things from a peculiar angle or perspective to mesh with my lesson.
Take for expample close-up shots of the entrance to the acropolis in Athens...much restoration....
Or photos from the British Museum showing scouring marks on a metope panel. Hard to find shots of these things online.
Cheers,
Dan
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A response
http://www.parentcentral.ca/parent/article/626067
On April 29 Kristin Rushowy wrote the article above. The gist is that we need to get more technology into classrooms. Quotes from Howard Goodman (hmmm ... who used to own a software company) are used to support this premise.
I think we need to put the brakes on a wee bit and examine the real issues. What I have seen happen is this:
Someone who is computer proficient comes up with a zany way to teach a skill or a lesson and then they suggest that all teachers should do it their way. This is...well...it is silly. If someone is trying to put forth a hypothesis or a premise that students learn better when using technology, I think they need to give their head a shake.
On the contrary, I would be prepared to make an argument that technology is not used efficiently and that dollar-for-dollar, hour-for-hour, lessons using technology actually achieve less in many instances than a chalk-talk in a classroom.
More computers will not make students smarter. More computers will not "reach" students better. The article suggests that cheap laptops can make text books obsolete. What? Even if you can get a computer cheaply, can you find all of the material in the textbook online? Maybe, but who is going to find it? And the activities and exercises? Who is going to look them up? And what happens when those links become obsolete? Who is going to update them? The teacher?
Who is the do-good techno wizard that is suggesting that teachers should now invest ridiculous amounts of time to search for relevant stuff online when it is easily contained in a book? Have you ever dropped a lap-top? I haven't, but I have surely dropped a book or two. What happens when students smash or spill pop on their expensive laptops? It is more expensive to replace than a book. Who replaces the lap-top? The parents? Parents are not happy when they have to replace a $40.00 lost book. How will they feel when you ask them to replace a lap-top? Or do you devalue the lap-top because it was used.
Or how about this: we use texts for more than 10 years. That $500.00 lap-top will not last 10 years. The software will be out of date in 5 and will need upgrading or replacing. So it is not really a $500.00 lap-top. It is $500 + + +.
So please. Let's not smile and pretend that this is that when it is not. Some schools (mostly private) do have one laptop per student, but the parents also pay a ridiculous amount of money to send those kids to those schools.
There are many things that we do with computers that take up unnecessary time. Consider the average power point presentation. All text. How many of these have you sat through? Tonnes. But the amount of time that it took to put that presentation together is often a waste. Add some colour and some animation. Heck, it would be faster to simply print it and tell me to read it. Power point is one of the most misused programs around. Period. But it takes time to learn and time to present. And that time could be spent learning other skills.
I have a vocabulary program called centaur software (read below another blog about it). It is good. But honestly it is a bit of a pain. And, there is little that I can accomplish with the program that I could not accomplish with cue cards. In fact, one of the most fun (funnest) activities that I do with my students is to have them do a vocabulary contest with pictionary. We use nothing more than chalk, the chalkboard, and a bell. Dollar-for-dollar it is highly effective and it is incredibly cheap.
Have you ever seen a teacher with a new smart board? Spending hours and hours on a lesson which could be taught in 5 minutes?
Now don't get me wrong. This is not about being anti-technology. It is about being prudent, financially responsible, and effective. We need teachers who are dynamic and creative. We need them to engage students. Let's be honest, this is often best done with games, activities, contests, and an animated classroom. You do NOT need technology to engage kids.
The key to technology, I think, is to use it in a way to level-up the students. Use it in effective ways to teach them things that they may not get in other ways. Use technology for variety and for challenge. Use programs which are unique and which accomplish things more efficiently (how about differentiated instruction?) A program can give 30 students feedback faster than you can walk around the room.
So there is a time and a place for technology. Teachers need to engage the technology just like we engage our students.
The first moderated comment suggests that because we do not hand in hand-written resumes we need more technology in the classroom. This is...again...silly. People didn't hand in hand-written resumes before computers were even invented. So the apparent relationship between technology which we use and the imperative to use it in the classroom is a false premise. It is kind of like my hydro company encouraging me to take receipt of an e-bill instead of a paper bill. They claim it is to help the environment. But who is kidding whom. It is about cost. The fewer bills they mail, the more money they will make. I haven't checked, but I reckon they are not giving money to salvage the environment from all of the paper bills that they produce.
So let's keep focussed on the real issues. There is a real need to educate students about technology. We need to protect them. We need to teach them how to research. We need to teach them how to communicate effectively. We need to teach them how to present. And among all that we can find games and fun activities. But it is not an all-or-nothing gambit. It is not a case of all technology vs no technology. The trick is to find the most effective balance. I take books camping and I read books in my floating chair in the pool. I'm not sure that a text-book-less environment serves everyone the best.
Cheers,
Dan
On April 29 Kristin Rushowy wrote the article above. The gist is that we need to get more technology into classrooms. Quotes from Howard Goodman (hmmm ... who used to own a software company) are used to support this premise.
I think we need to put the brakes on a wee bit and examine the real issues. What I have seen happen is this:
Someone who is computer proficient comes up with a zany way to teach a skill or a lesson and then they suggest that all teachers should do it their way. This is...well...it is silly. If someone is trying to put forth a hypothesis or a premise that students learn better when using technology, I think they need to give their head a shake.
On the contrary, I would be prepared to make an argument that technology is not used efficiently and that dollar-for-dollar, hour-for-hour, lessons using technology actually achieve less in many instances than a chalk-talk in a classroom.
More computers will not make students smarter. More computers will not "reach" students better. The article suggests that cheap laptops can make text books obsolete. What? Even if you can get a computer cheaply, can you find all of the material in the textbook online? Maybe, but who is going to find it? And the activities and exercises? Who is going to look them up? And what happens when those links become obsolete? Who is going to update them? The teacher?
Who is the do-good techno wizard that is suggesting that teachers should now invest ridiculous amounts of time to search for relevant stuff online when it is easily contained in a book? Have you ever dropped a lap-top? I haven't, but I have surely dropped a book or two. What happens when students smash or spill pop on their expensive laptops? It is more expensive to replace than a book. Who replaces the lap-top? The parents? Parents are not happy when they have to replace a $40.00 lost book. How will they feel when you ask them to replace a lap-top? Or do you devalue the lap-top because it was used.
Or how about this: we use texts for more than 10 years. That $500.00 lap-top will not last 10 years. The software will be out of date in 5 and will need upgrading or replacing. So it is not really a $500.00 lap-top. It is $500 + + +.
So please. Let's not smile and pretend that this is that when it is not. Some schools (mostly private) do have one laptop per student, but the parents also pay a ridiculous amount of money to send those kids to those schools.
There are many things that we do with computers that take up unnecessary time. Consider the average power point presentation. All text. How many of these have you sat through? Tonnes. But the amount of time that it took to put that presentation together is often a waste. Add some colour and some animation. Heck, it would be faster to simply print it and tell me to read it. Power point is one of the most misused programs around. Period. But it takes time to learn and time to present. And that time could be spent learning other skills.
I have a vocabulary program called centaur software (read below another blog about it). It is good. But honestly it is a bit of a pain. And, there is little that I can accomplish with the program that I could not accomplish with cue cards. In fact, one of the most fun (funnest) activities that I do with my students is to have them do a vocabulary contest with pictionary. We use nothing more than chalk, the chalkboard, and a bell. Dollar-for-dollar it is highly effective and it is incredibly cheap.
Have you ever seen a teacher with a new smart board? Spending hours and hours on a lesson which could be taught in 5 minutes?
Now don't get me wrong. This is not about being anti-technology. It is about being prudent, financially responsible, and effective. We need teachers who are dynamic and creative. We need them to engage students. Let's be honest, this is often best done with games, activities, contests, and an animated classroom. You do NOT need technology to engage kids.
The key to technology, I think, is to use it in a way to level-up the students. Use it in effective ways to teach them things that they may not get in other ways. Use technology for variety and for challenge. Use programs which are unique and which accomplish things more efficiently (how about differentiated instruction?) A program can give 30 students feedback faster than you can walk around the room.
So there is a time and a place for technology. Teachers need to engage the technology just like we engage our students.
The first moderated comment suggests that because we do not hand in hand-written resumes we need more technology in the classroom. This is...again...silly. People didn't hand in hand-written resumes before computers were even invented. So the apparent relationship between technology which we use and the imperative to use it in the classroom is a false premise. It is kind of like my hydro company encouraging me to take receipt of an e-bill instead of a paper bill. They claim it is to help the environment. But who is kidding whom. It is about cost. The fewer bills they mail, the more money they will make. I haven't checked, but I reckon they are not giving money to salvage the environment from all of the paper bills that they produce.
So let's keep focussed on the real issues. There is a real need to educate students about technology. We need to protect them. We need to teach them how to research. We need to teach them how to communicate effectively. We need to teach them how to present. And among all that we can find games and fun activities. But it is not an all-or-nothing gambit. It is not a case of all technology vs no technology. The trick is to find the most effective balance. I take books camping and I read books in my floating chair in the pool. I'm not sure that a text-book-less environment serves everyone the best.
Cheers,
Dan
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Researching Podcasts
Well there is no shortage of stuff on podcasts out there, that is for sure.
Here is another list of things that teachers can do with Podcasts:
responses to literature
role play with different voices (like a Simpsons episode)
interviews
book talks (critiques of novels, movies, music
poetry sharing
school news
speeches
reading of creative writing
web reviews
world news
jokes
advertisements
persuade someone to join a group
I'd like to take a moment to talk about advertising. I used to teach an English media course under the old curriculum and it involved quite a bit dealing with advertising. English courses have mandated media units and so advertising fits in nicely. It also works with entrepreneurship (spelling?) classes and even philosophy. When I teach logic, I always start with advertising, because it is something that the students are readily able to identify with. Podcasts can be a nice way to explore advertising and logic.
In addition to Audacity software that has already been mentioned, there is a product called Garageband that may also be used.
One nice website that I found is:
http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/Podcasting%20in%20Education
It includes links to many useful supplementary sites, links to get audacity software and it includes checklists for teachers to follow before staring a podcast in their classroom.
Another useful site I found was:
http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/infolit/edupodcast/#topofpage
There are a number of links on this page, but I also found that not all of the links worked, so you must look around.
Cheers,
Dan
Here is another list of things that teachers can do with Podcasts:
responses to literature
role play with different voices (like a Simpsons episode)
interviews
book talks (critiques of novels, movies, music
poetry sharing
school news
speeches
reading of creative writing
web reviews
world news
jokes
advertisements
persuade someone to join a group
I'd like to take a moment to talk about advertising. I used to teach an English media course under the old curriculum and it involved quite a bit dealing with advertising. English courses have mandated media units and so advertising fits in nicely. It also works with entrepreneurship (spelling?) classes and even philosophy. When I teach logic, I always start with advertising, because it is something that the students are readily able to identify with. Podcasts can be a nice way to explore advertising and logic.
In addition to Audacity software that has already been mentioned, there is a product called Garageband that may also be used.
One nice website that I found is:
http://chatt.hdsb.ca/~magps/boylit/Podcasting%20in%20Education
It includes links to many useful supplementary sites, links to get audacity software and it includes checklists for teachers to follow before staring a podcast in their classroom.
Another useful site I found was:
http://www.shambles.net/pages/learning/infolit/edupodcast/#topofpage
There are a number of links on this page, but I also found that not all of the links worked, so you must look around.
Cheers,
Dan
Monday, April 27, 2009
on PODCASTs
First of all, I'd like to credit the source that I used for much of this post.
Joe Dale is a teacher on the Isle of Wight. See www.joedale.typepad.com
So what are the benefits of podcasts? Why use them in the classroom. There are many sites online which discuss this question. Some are...well...fuzzy. One New Zealand teacher suggests that it shows students' "true potential"....whatever that means. I think this is somewhat of a non-statement in that it pretty well means whatever you want it to mean. I recall a book on logic that I read once:
A writer says, "The most discerning people subscribe to XXX magazine." What do we mean by "discerning" here? What kind of person would make such a statement?.... the most discerning type. It is somewhat of a meaningless, yet self-fulfilling statement.
***rant off***
Anyhow, audio publishing allows a wide variety to subsribe to content. Accessibility is granted through computers and where our students are concerned, through their MP3 players.
Podcasts can:
Students can access the files anywhere. They can listen on the bus, while they walk the dog, doing the dishes, walking to or from school. They can also repeat the podcast if they need to listen to it again. Some students will find it more relaxing and easier than reading.
For students who are recording, rehearsals are essential. While they sound very very easy to make, they will be more successful with additional planning. Some teachers find that students are more self critical when they put together podcasts....more self critical than they would be than if they were handing in a written essay.
The larger (and potential) international audience is appealing. Now people can actually take guitar lessons online from podcasts which might otherwise cost hundreds of dollars. And much content is available for free.
This is an inexpensive way to broadcast which doesn't require all of the additional equipment and/or considerations which accompany an actual film.
Cheers,
Dan
Joe Dale is a teacher on the Isle of Wight. See www.joedale.typepad.com
So what are the benefits of podcasts? Why use them in the classroom. There are many sites online which discuss this question. Some are...well...fuzzy. One New Zealand teacher suggests that it shows students' "true potential"....whatever that means. I think this is somewhat of a non-statement in that it pretty well means whatever you want it to mean. I recall a book on logic that I read once:
A writer says, "The most discerning people subscribe to XXX magazine." What do we mean by "discerning" here? What kind of person would make such a statement?.... the most discerning type. It is somewhat of a meaningless, yet self-fulfilling statement.
***rant off***
Anyhow, audio publishing allows a wide variety to subsribe to content. Accessibility is granted through computers and where our students are concerned, through their MP3 players.
Podcasts can:
- promote creativity
- be shared with a real audience
- encourage active listening
- scripting helps with written work
- team scripting helps with team work
- provides an outlet for shy students who will not stand up in front of a class
Students can access the files anywhere. They can listen on the bus, while they walk the dog, doing the dishes, walking to or from school. They can also repeat the podcast if they need to listen to it again. Some students will find it more relaxing and easier than reading.
For students who are recording, rehearsals are essential. While they sound very very easy to make, they will be more successful with additional planning. Some teachers find that students are more self critical when they put together podcasts....more self critical than they would be than if they were handing in a written essay.
The larger (and potential) international audience is appealing. Now people can actually take guitar lessons online from podcasts which might otherwise cost hundreds of dollars. And much content is available for free.
This is an inexpensive way to broadcast which doesn't require all of the additional equipment and/or considerations which accompany an actual film.
Cheers,
Dan
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