EDU 290 By Kelly Allen Technology in the Classroom: Need I be afraid?

Is the merry-go-round being replaced by a mouse? “Preschoolers are likely to spend as much time in front of the television or computer as they are playing outside” “Children aged 6 and under spend an average of two hours a day playing video games, using computers and watching TV and videos…That amount is about three times the average 49 minutes spent reading or being read to.

Ideas for the Classroom Virtual Field Trips – Chicago Museum of Science and Industry, The Louvre Webquests – USB Probes/Microscopes Interactive software – Games – Nintendo Wii Podcasting Social Networking – MySpace, YouTube Online supplemental learning

Virtual Field Trips Chicago Museum of Science and Industry The Louvre le=en le=en

Webquests According to Dodge, WebQuests contain the following six parts: Introduction: The introduction provides an overview and background information of the lesson. It should be interesting and motivate the students to want to go on. Task: The purpose of this section is to focus the students on what they are going to do as the culminating product or performance. Process: This section outlines how the student will accomplish the task in a step-by-step fashion. Links to reviewed & on-line resources will be given along with links to Web pages. Evaluation: This section describes the evaluation criteria that will be used to grade the student. Conclusion: This section encourages reflection and brings closure to the WebQuest. Resources: This section consists of Internet links that the teacher preselects. “An inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web. WebQuests are designed to use learners’ time well, to focus on using information rather that looking for it, and to support learners’ thinking at the levels of analysis, synthesis, and evaluation”

USB Probes & Microscopes

Interactive Software

Educational Games PowerPoint Jeopardy Nintendo Wii

Podcasting

Social Networking/You Tube

Online Supplemental Learning Anytime, anywhere. Economies of scale, provides comprehensive and consistent content coverage of a specific topic. Easily updated as standards change. Reduction in travel and out-of-classroom time. Self-paced and self directed. Educator-facilitated, educator-led, combination educator/online (hybrid) or asynchronous.

Laptops For Students Why do students need laptops? ‘Being a child today is an entirely different proposition compared with the past. Technology is changing childhood and the nature of growing up.’

The Purpose: To expand and enhance student learning opportunities To improve student achievement, creativity, and motivation To further integrate advanced computer technology into classroom instruction and learning at home To better prepare students for a lifetime of success in a technology-rich world

Measuring the Impact of the Laptops Four academic areas most often reported by students as being positively affected by the use of laptops: Spelling Writing Math Reading Percent of student accrediting academic gains to use of laptops 60% 48% Subject

Student Use of Computers—Obvious but Encouraging Findings Student use of computers (% students reporting use) Use a computer a lot at school Use a computer at home for school work Before laptop project After laptop project 15% 30% 75% 97%

Teacher Self-Report Data Three ways teachers were most often using laptops the end of year one. Ranking Reinforce Lessons Personal Research Preparation of Materials

Most teachers (89%) believed that the laptops had contributed to improved student writing skills, and a majority of parents (54%) agreed. Furthermore, a majority of teachers (53%) thought that the computers were a factor in students' improved reading skills. Many of the project's students, parents, and teachers also felt that the use of the laptops contributed to improvement in other academic areas, though not to the extent it did in spelling, writing, math, and reading.

Believe it, or not, wireless technology has created a ‘paperless’ classroom! Students take their class notes directly on their computers. No more need for loose leaf sheets or notebooks! Assignments, handouts, work sheets, etc. are given out electronically. No more need for the copy machine! Teachers can then collect homework by wirelessly logging into designated folders on each of the students’ laptops. No more lugging around heavy bags to and from your home!

Students Actually Use the Internet for Education New research released by the National School Boards Association reveals data showing we all might need to reevaluate our assumptions: It turns out kids are actually using the Internet for educational purposes. In fact, according to the study, "Creating & Connecting: Research and Guidelines on Online Social--and Educational--Networking," the percentage of children specifically discussing schoolwork online outpaces the percentage that spend time downloading music.

Students Actually Use the Internet for Education Sample: 1, to 17-year-olds, 1,039 parents, and 250 school district leaders

Students Actually Use the Internet for Education Further, these students are spending almost as much time on the Internet visiting websites and social networking services (nine hours per week for teens) as they spend watching television (10 hours). A full 96 percent of students surveyed responded that they use the Internet for social networking purposes, including Facebook, MySpace, Webkins, and Nick.com chat. Seventy-one percent said they use these services at least on a weekly basis.

Students Actually Use the Internet for Education

The question is: What’s next?! First it was the telegraph, then it was the telephone. digital cameras, laptop computers, These days it is the cellular phones,

Camera, cell phone, mp3 player, and wireless applications all in one! Check this out!

Starbucks customers like this one are able to tune-in to “hot spots” located in their coffee shops.

References revious/2003/STF201.html laptops.ap/index.html view/index.html l__new_tricks_01a.html Katie Brezina, Thanks to: Kelly Allen, Katie Brezina, Katy Koroleski

Questions? “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” -William Arthur Ward “Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.” -William Butler Yeats