Web Anywhere

When I first was reading about and listening to the movie Web Anywhere released I thought what a great device for those with limited or no vision.  This AT is available at any location and it is free!  What could be wrong with that?  As I did some more investigating I found more cons then pros so that is how I will do this post.

CONS:

The system uses a computer voice, the one I had was an English voice and as it read it was very difficult to under stand.
Along that same thought the computer has a hard time with word pronunciation so as I was listening and trying to understand I would not be able to keep up because I was processing and trying to get what computer is saying.  It was weird to hear how google was pronounced.
I tried to load several everyday pages I use.  First was facebook, nothing happened.  Next was my gmail account, I was able to get to google but when I tried to sign in, nothing happened.  And finally, I went to CNN, it opened the main page but when I went into a specific article, the page loaded but nothing audio happened.  Not sure if or what I did but it did not read me the article.
I did not like how it said page loaded and read everything a bit at a time.

PROS:
I liked the the page to Web Anywhere loaded so quickly and started reading right way.
I like that this is available to everyone and that it is free.
I like that you can use with any device that is connected to the internet.

I would have loved to meet someone with vision difficulties and see what their take on Web Anywhere would be.  I am a seeing person playing around with the program, it would be nice to see if a person that is not seeing thought along the same lines as me or whether they liked or disliked the program.

*thanks for sharing the cite, I found it really interesting.

Mod 13 reflection on Assistive Tech

Of all the articles, I liked the Understood article best because it starts off stating "Assistive technology can't "cure" learning and attention issues, but it can help kids work . . . ."  If I were in a classroom I would have a copy of this article for every parent of a child that needs AT in class.  Why you ask, well I want parents to understand that AT is there to help their kids not be the end all be all to handling a disability.  Many times I think parents want their teachers and AT device to fix their kids, that is not going to happen.  We (parents, staff, teachers) have to find ways to help kids adapt in the classroom and then succeed from their.
The next bullet point in the same article is that not all AT's are high tech.  Again a great thing for parents to learn.  AT's don't have to be electronic or expensive, it can be as simple as images from the web or someone reading out loud for their student.  As long as it works for the student and is planned in whatever IEP or 504 plan it will be allowed in the classroom.
I think parents (and teachers) have to do their research on AT's.  Find something that works best for your child and then introduce to teachers and the student.  Get information from specialist but find what works best for your situation.  Just because it is the newest and greatest AT does not mean it will be best for your child.  Don't fall into the trap of spending tons of money and your child not feeling comfortable or disliking the AT.
I have no personal experience with AT in any of my student teaching experiences.  I did have several students with severe allergies in my classrooms but that just required careful planning on what came in and out of the classroom.  I did have a college course where we were introduced to a family dealing with a child who lost her muscle control and speech abilities as she had gotten older.  The name of the disorder escapes me at this time but there was a computer that recognized eye movements to alert parents to a child's need or give the child a way to communicate.  The computer was rather expensive and insurance did not cover.  I found that unacceptable, if a child needs it, it should be made available to them.  I think that is something that has to be fixed with our insurance companies, stop making devices that will help our sick kids so impossible to get.
I think AT's are great for kids and as long as the classroom staff is trained how to use to the benefit of the child they should be part of the classroom like pencils and paper.

Article review Mod 12

MOD 12 post

The article on putting computers in every teacher and student’s hands was very similar to what my daughter’s charter school did when they started the ipad initiative.  What I liked the most about the article was allowing teachers and administrators more time with the devices and then letting students have them.  Giving teachers and admin more time to learn to use properly and take professional develop courses with the devices means that there is less time used during class when an issue may arise and less running to the tech person if an issue comes up.  Also, when a teacher is familiar with the possibilities of a device uses they can build lesson plans and classroom activities around that device and have another tool in their arsenal for teaching effectively.  Other issues that the article brought up that I agreed with are:

            -ensuring the building was built to handle wireless-are all locations going to be able to connect properly?  If not make sure to make the necessary changes so no one is left out

            -having a plan in place that all parents and students agree to when it comes to:

                        -usage

                        -safety in transportation

                        -proper insurance

                        -guidelines are well stated and understood by all

                        -procedures in place for broken or forgotten devices

I think with the availability of devices today and the way we are moving to more technological advances it makes perfect sense to have students using laptops/tablets in the classroom.  Educators need all the best tools to teach their kids and kids relate to these devices more than the traditional chalkboard and overhead projector.  

Mod 12 troubleshooting table

Problem No sound coming out of students speakers: No network connection: Computer keeps freezing up: Printer won’t print: SMARTboard pens not working:

Solution Are speaker wires connected to computer Is the speaker switch turned on and turned up Check the internal volume application If there is still no volume go to the Control Panel-Sounds and Audio Devices and check for speakers volume Buy new speakers Are you using correct user/password Make sure the caps button is not on and that you are using correct case for user/password Make sure you are not logged in on another computer, if so log off and try logging in where you are having issues again Computer may be low on internal memory and you cannot fix this, only tech You may need to update Windows or have a patch that tech can do Check to make sure printer cables are hooked up Make sure you are connected to network Make sure CORRECT printer is on and that you are sending document to that printer Make sure there are no paper jams and that you are not low on ink Make sure no jobs stuck in queue if so you will have to delete all docs in queue and try printing them again Make sure the board is on and calibrated Make sure pens are in the pen tray recess correctly

I think when issues come up we (the student and I) would try to fix the problems together so that they have experience troubleshooting.  This should be a group effort not just one person taking over.

I would keep this website address handy to help me BEFORE I call tech:  http://webpage.pace.edu/ms16182p/troubleshooting/home.html

GINA HECKEL'S VITUAL TOUR

GINA HECKEL’S

TOLEDO SPAIN VITUAL TOUR

Start out by watching this video on

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gopnmLCLUQo

(ProudBasque, Jan. 14, 2012, Toledo A walking tour around the city / Un paseo por la ciudad, retrieved from https://youtu.be/gopnmLCLUQo )

Then visit the following sites: 

http://www.toledo-turismo.com/en/the-well-of-el-salvador_140 under the what to see tab  you can gather information on museums, monuments and other historical buildings. 

From there go to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo,_Spain#Politics to read up on the history of Toledo Spain.

https://travel.sygic.com/Spain/Castile-La-Mancha/Toledo-Spain/Toledo-City-Hall/ is the last site to visit and as you scroll down the page there is a map that allows you to click on bubbles to get more information on a spot in Toledo. 

I decided to do Toledo Spain because of my previous experience and only getting information from encyclopedias and from our teacher.  The sites I used will give students pictures and information of the various structures in this beautiful city.  I would combine this virtual tour with a worksheet or some sort of research project so student build their knowledge of the City. 

Mod 11 article review and virtual tour review

Gina Heckel Mod 11

The global issue document was interesting to read and I did agree with much of what was written but I am not sure teachers could realistically prepare students to think and act “globally”.  This is why, first getting students to think about others and not just how something affects them is big.  This generation is more me oriented (though I see a little shift away from that train of thought).  Teaching students to think about consequences and to have empathy is difficult. 

Diversity has been taught in schools for a while now, but are students making connections between of why learning about diversity is important.  Do they understand that the differences and similarities of different cultures are important to understand so that we can relate and tolerate differences and work together to make world decisions?  After all, we share one planet and all our actions affect this world. 

The final piece that had me thinking is here in the U.S. teachers often are limited to the time they have to teach more in depth “global competencies” because we are required to cover “tested” subjects.  Making sure our students do well on those core subjects is hard enough.  Can teachers go back to teaching without pressure on tested curriculum and then you could find teachers that are able to integrate global competence into their lessons.  

The sister city/sister school was short and sweet, the biggest point being that with the technology has provided teachers with a greater opportunity explore and connect with a city and/or school.  With the invention of the internet, facetime and skype the connection is as simple as a mouse click or phone call.  During my 5^th/6^th grade year my school did a sister city project with Toledo, Spain and the El Greco art exhibit visit to the Toledo Museum of Art.  The teachers had us write a letter to a school, we did a mini time capsule with items from our school and town and then went to the Toledo Museum of Art’s El Greco exhibit.  It is something I remember to this day and hope that the students of our sister city do too!  I believe this gives students a look at oversea schools/cities and provide that global connectedness the article discusses. 

I went on several virtual tours on the listed page, I liked the Louvre best because you did not have to join anything and you just clicked and saw different rooms in the Louvre.  I don’t want to have to register with every site just to explore!  This particular tour would be wonderful for art students and could give those that love art but can’t afford to travel overseas a way to experience the museum.  I wish more museums had such an easy and great virtual page to share.  

Mod 10

Gina Heckel Mod 10

As I read the “Tweeting” article I was surprised that tweeting was even part of a educators tool box but as I continued through the article I understood some of the usefulness.  The authors discuss how using this informal communication (tweeting) would enhance student/teacher relationship by providing insight to each other outside of the traditional relationship perimeters.  This gives each group a glimpse of what happens outside school walls and gives each a way of relating to each other on another level.  I have to admit, I feel I have a better relationship with many of my grad professors because of the sharing we have done in the past.  I feel that this friendship has helped me stay invested in my education. 

But I believe as with any tool used in the classroom, we have to “rules” in place.  I think if you are using twitter in the classroom, it should have time restraints on responses, it should not be used to “share” information and should be monitored by teacher regularly.  By monitoring you can make sure no bullying or bashing is occurring and make sure students are using correctly. 

And when Dunlap and Lowenthal mentioned that bad grammar could be a drawback because of the 140 character limit I was happy.  Students need to be encouraged to at all times, to use proper grammar and grammar rules!

I LOVED THE IDEAS IN THE HERRINGTON, HERRINGTON, KERVIN AND FERRY ARTICLE!  I think the Austrian Department of Education has developed and designed a program to help new teachers and retain them.  The online support for novice teachers has to be an awesome tool and give these new teachers another place to look for help.  The BEST program that the University of Wollongong put into place is something the States should consider.  I know after we graduate (in Ohio) there is a mentoring program but I think the BEST program is more intense.  Students are actually paired up with mentors while student teaching and in their final college courses.  I think this is a great way to build self confidence in new teachers and give them someplace to go with questions.  I believe with these tools new teachers could do nothing but succeed.

O’Brien’s post on what parents want from communications with their school and school officials brought back memories of trying to find and get information from my daughter’s school.  We had to either call or rely on the brown envelope for information.  I agree that schools should have some sort of email system in place because this would provide privacy to sender and receiver and not put it out in the public events and such.  I don’t think that schools should not share too much information because you are just giving those that may prey on kids more information than they need.  The big point in the article that I liked that O’Brien brought up was all information shared with parents has to be accurate!!  Whether you post on some sort of social media or emails the information has to be true because parents need to know fact not hearsay.

O’Keefe’s article on school communities needing to build partnerships with the businesses they share space with I think is very important.  I really think this is something that has changed in the last 50 years; if you look at how those without children in school now vote for levies and how businesses are not involved as in the past you can see how schools have lost out on money, support and knowledge.   O’Keefe reminds us that we are all stakeholders in a child’s future and how the school need to again reach out to the resources around them.  Again, we want to give our students all the tools to succeed.    

Mod 9 Post

Gina Heckel Mod 9

            I am going to start with the last two articles first.  These articles addressed how the LGBT and minority groups are now using the internet (via blogging and podcasts) to find their voice or make their voice heard.  King addresses how with no real restrictions on podcasts the LGBT community podcasters can address the real issues of what LGBT means and address any problems within that community.  But this article was written in 2008 and in my opinion I do not believe the LGBT community is in “hiding” or shunned as they may have been in the past.  (Again, this is my opinion.)  With regards to podcasting and adult learning, King states that adult learning is in the form of language learning.  I find it fascinating that this tool was not considered earlier after all, hearing the language and how it works is a great teaching tool.  To be able to hear a conversation taking place is much better than learning vocabulary and hoping to use it correctly. 

            I read Wright’s article all the way through and yes the read was difficult but I think the jest of her research is how minority women (namely Black Women) need to find a space and voice of their own.  Wright argues while there are sites that are useful in representing Blacks they are not representative of Black Women and what their concerns are within society today.  I am not sure how to fix this issue but the read was interesting. 

            The “Laptop” videos were interesting and I love that there are groups trying to help under privileged nations educate their children.  A few questions I had as watching the videos were how do you connect really remote areas.  Quite a few countries have very rough and varied terrains, how do you connect in those areas.  And do the children succeed after receiving these laptops?  I would have concern in if the “adults” teaching the children know how to use the laptops effectively and make the laptops a learning tool.  I believe if you are going to give the laptops to kids you have to make sure the adults teaching them are properly trained to use as a teaching tool. 

            The Hargittai and Walejko article was a discussion on how men and women share creations, data, music, etc. on the internet.  This was interesting to me because just recently in the news there was discussion on how women and men differ when posting on social media.  Women, when they do post, post in more gentle, well received language where men often post with harsh language (cussing words).  Similar to what Hargittai and Walejko found in their research-women post more thoughtful works when they post.  There was a paragraph in the article that stated through participation and creation in digital media will enhance the participants “people skills”.  I DISAGREE!  I think because we are becoming buried in our devices and using less and less verbal skills and common pleasantries.  If we want to be able to relate to people we have to actually spend time and INTERACT with people.  Another result of Hargittai and Walejko’s research was that socioeconomics is the main factor in who shares their creative works.  This makes sense, people with money can put more time, energy and money into their works and want to share because of what they have produced.  I have to say, I have never really thought about the research questions posed;  interesting research.

            Finally, the Digital Divide 2.0 article is mostly about how these digital tools are becoming more and more part of student’s and TEACHER’S rapport.  And if as teachers we are not familiar with them we better learn quick.  Students these days have more digital tools available to them with just the cell phone they carry in their hands.  If educators don’t take advantage of these tools, they are losing an opportunity to hook our students’ interest.  I found the article interesting and hope that all those in education will find ways to link students learning and internet use.  

mod 8 Creative Commons/Fair Use Website

https://sites.google.com/site/heckelmod8/

Mod 7 Copyright

Gina Heckel

Mod 7 Post

Fair Use Index

I found this an interesting read, and as I read the article my question was, is this some place I would ask my students to go to make sure the graph, picture and/or information was not protected by a copyright?  It seems that the index is a database for decisions but is it easy to use and search.  I will honestly confess that I did not search anything to see how user friendly this site truly is so I can’t answer my own question.  But this could be a great resource.

Education World

I think as more and more students head to the internet for research we as teachers have to remind students that the work of others needs to be cited and needs to be used legally if it is copyrighted.  I would at the beginning of a year when going over class rules also go over copyright rules and introduce them to creative commons where works can be used without “asking” permission.  But again, students have to cite the work.  This is not only a good practice at the elementary/high school level but gives students practice for college writing. 

As for teachers using other’s work, I had always assumed that as an educator you were protected but that is not the case.  So if I were looking for a visual aid or something to support a topic we are studying, I think I would search creative commons first, just to make sure I am not breaking any copyright rules.  I did see that a certain amount of work can be used for a certain time frame but it cannot be copied and distributed legally.  Teachers need to be examples and following copyright rules and citation practices are great ways to be examples.

What I found interesting is how the article mentioned that technology has changed the way teachers teach, that statement could not be truer!!  The information accessible to students is vast and we have to make sure usage is above board.  (Same for teachers.)

Creative Commons

I had a class where we were introduced to Creative Commons (limited introduction).  We were able to look around and we actually have to insert a picture and give it copyright limits.  I think that is a great site and knowing that there is educational material on the site could be a treasure trove for teachers.  It would be a great lesson for students with their own computer (or school computer) to explore the site as a class and give the students practice of what can be used without permission as long as they copyright is listed as such and what needs permission to be used in research. 

I think if I was a teacher with limited funds creative commons education resource would be where I would go to find materials that I could use and copy and most importantly distribute!  Sharing information with students is so important and finding places where we can copy and share is so useful.  

Mod 6 Scenario 2

Scenario 2

Dear Ms. Benedict,

I am aware of the incident you are responding to and I have checked with our IT person as to whether we can further our filters and totally block this particular Wikipedia page.  Ms. Brown (the head of our IT department) is personally looking into the issue and I should have an answer for you in a few days regarding this.  She is also looking into the deleting the inappropriate information from the “rock cycle” article.  I will follow up when I have any information for you. 

I am truly sorry this happen and will check wiki pages more carefully in the future so it does not happen again.  I allow students to start with wiki pages for their research because there is good information on many topics.  It is my rule though, that are not to be the only source of information for their research and the students know this.  I will make sure to check the wiki pages we will be using in the future but please understand, I can check something one day and the same day someone can insert inappropriate material to that wiki page and I would not know it.  (Wikipedia calls this vandalism.) 

Again, I am sorry this happened.

Miss Richards

Mod 6 post

Digital Citizenship

As I read this article and the Elements I kept thinking to myself this is all common sense stuff that parents should be discussing and monitoring with their kids.  I know when I was going through this with my daughter it was not just hand her a device and that was it.  We had discussions on how to behave online; Facebook friends were just that real people that she knows; she was not to buy anything online and if we did buy something it was always from a reputable site (Amazon mostly); and finally, when on a school or public computer you are to do what work is expected not goof off and surf.
When my daughter attended a school that had ipads she did almost all her work on the computer.  Parents were included in a meeting with the tech support person and were ensured that questionable sites would not be able to be accessed on the ipad and that these computers were for school nothing else.  I liked that added security.
The one element that stood out to me was Digital Law, this has got to be an ever changing subject. As there is more and more access to the internet and computers there has to be more and more people trying to get around the legal way to use and fraud many companies.
Also, the part about inappropriate images should be read to every student in every school and the school should remind students what the punishment will be.  They think they are being clever but it is just wrong!  I believe punishment should be dealt to the student from the school and the police.  Because schools are using devices more I believe there should be rules for using technology posted in each classroom and part of the student handbook.  And the parents as well as the students have to agree to follow the rules and parents monitor their kids.  (I had to sign a sheet saying I read the rules and would monitor my child.)

Cyberbullying
Again, we as parents have to monitor our kids computer use and social accounts and have to remember we are not their best friends, we are their parents and have to act that way!  I just heard of an incident at a local school where a student set up a twitter account that was solely for gossip at their school.  The parent that found out about it was a mother of one of the students being bullied on the account.  The mother knew some of the students involved and went to the school but the school was not that much help the first time.  She did go back and demand something be done and it seems the issue has been solved (at least for now) but the twitter account is still up.  If I was the school I would have that account closed.  I would inform the entire 7th and 8th grade classes if they do not convince the person the account belongs to to close it down then punishment will be instituted on the entire group.  These kids know who it belongs to and need to understand that this behavior is wrong and will be punished.  And I also believe that schools need to be more aggressive in their dealings with cyberbullying~they can no longer sit back and do nothing, if it is brought to their attention then there needs to be some sort of punishment and teachers/aides and parents need to speak up! This behavior has to stop, we are losing to many of our children to bullying and cyberbullying!

Video Games
I really found this article interesting, I have never really thought of video games becoming addicting.  I have known people that spend a lot of time playing but not skipping classes or being holed up in their room for days on end.
I was impressed by Will who had been with the program for about a year and is thinking about the future and how to hold a job and use the internet SAFELY.  He knows he will have to set limits on the time he is on the internet and he knows he cannot get other devices that will give him internet (like a smart phone).  I really think with addiction (regardless of what type) you have to admit that you have a problem and find ways to work through that problem (as Will has done).
So many people have been playing online games for years with no thought of what or how that may effect them.  I think if you limit yourself to gaming you limit your interact with live people.  This limits how you interact with the real world and how you learn to communicate with the real world.  As parents we have to set limits so our kids don't get trapped in this addiction.

Blended learning post

Blended learning

The concept of blended learning to me sounds wonderful, but I would love the opportunity to sit in one of these classrooms and see it in action.

What I like about the concept is that you are addressing each student’s learning needs.  And you are making the students more responsible for their learning is something that helps them move higher function learning.

If I were in a school with blended learning I think my classroom would be a mixed of the Flipped classroom with students watching lectures at home and practicing in my classroom; and the station rotation which has various learning centers throughout the classroom and area for group instruction if need be. 

I like these two choices because as a teacher you already have centers that you have used in the past, these centers can be modified and put into use again within the needs of your students.  Of course all these activities and home instruction has to provide authentic exercises that make sense and can build on prior learning. 

As for the flipped classroom, there are plenty of resources teachers can find to have students learn at home with their technology and then provide practice and even individual instruction for those that need it in the classroom. 

My only fear with blended classrooms is that student that just may feel overwhelmed and not get the attention they need.   Each learner is different and every household is different.  If I rely on a student to get on the computer at home and watch a lecture or video on how to do a math problem but that student is not motivated or does not have the tech tools they need, what do I do then?  How do I get students motivated to follow through at home?  And how do I get my students to be at about the same level?  These are things that worry me. 

Although I love the concept, I would be extremely nervous and would use the resources I listed on the resource page to prepare me for what I have to do.  

*****Just so you know the schoology page kept crashing on me, I had to get out and back in 2x's and got very frustrated with the page, I did not post this in schoology.*****************

Mod 5 Reflective post

Mod 5 Reflective post

The Anderson article was interesting because as I was reading I could relate to the different on-line teachers I have had here at Findlay.  I am particularly drawn to the teacher that uses both real-time face time with students to introduce the subject matter and themselves to the students at first, gives us the low down on how the course will work and then sends us to tackle the course.  This type of teacher makes sure we understand that they are available for questions or comments and even sets up times for online meeting for any issues that may arise during the semester.  As we work through the course (in the case of Findlay it was usually Modules) we do different types of assignments and watch videos to gain knowledge.  This makes us responsible for our learning but not lost because we always have some place to go for questions.  This to me I the best type of online course. 

As the article discusses on-line teaching presence cannot be one way and cannot be stagnate you have to incorporate different learning objectives, with different types of assessment and you have to refine and change the course as needed all the time. If you do not balance these different learning activities and do the same thing over and over again the course then becomes boring and useless.

I am a huge fan of on-line learning, I have been part of Findlay’s online community for 4 years now.  I think there are benefits beyond not having to travel to campus but I also think you need to be disciplined as a learner to take such courses.  If you can’t do what is expected then you should be in the more traditional on campus class structure.  

Collective Intelligence activity

For the Collective Intelligence activity I found the overall product to be very unorganized and difficult to follow.  It is difficult for me to see how all students could benefit for something like this when we know that not every brain learns the same way, this I think would be confusing and cause anxiety to some students.
It is an interesting idea to use in a classroom but I would do a little different.  I would use a way to introduce a new topic and have all the student collaborate with me facilitating when they get stuck.  I would do as a whole class activity and use it so students could get a more concrete understanding of what we will be working on.  But again as a tool not a new way to teach@!

Mod 4 reflections on articles/video

I will start with the Lynn Ilon article on collective intelligence while I find the reading very interesting there was thing that kept creeping in my mind, what if someone inserts bogus or incorrect information into the collective and no one sees it.  You are just perpetuating bad information.  If schools as this point do not consider Wikipedia a valuable resource for students (and Wikipedia is a collective intelligence) then how can we assume it is good for our schools.  What I see collective intelligence being useful is a tool in the classroom.  I would use it as an activity to get students collaborating on a new subject, bounce ideas around and have them condense this collaborating down to what they need to know and use that to gain even better understanding of the subject.  But I would only use it as a tool. 

Bullock’s article was a good read, he is questioning how collective intelligence is affecting the new teachers and the educators educating these new teachers.  It is interesting that in the article Bullock never really states what side he lies on but he does say with all the new technologies out there EVERYONE needs to figure out how they fit into their schools and use these tools.  Bullock states in the last paragraph “these questions demand rigorous investigation. . .” (47) which says to me before we just throw all this new technology into a classroom we have to find out teach those that need to be taught, how the technology will be used and make sure we are not just using to use, it has to be a strong tool for the classroom. 

The Educause article starts with a scenario that has the student using blogging, RSS feeds, networking sites and sharing work to be critiqued; honestly, none of this is new to me, I have been introduced to all of these things at Findlay.  I think if the tool fits a need in the classroom then it should be used.  Again, we can’t just make students go to networking sites just because that is what everyone else is doing.  All of these applications need to have authentic uses and help students produce great work.  (I think I am kinda tired of typing that.)

I thought to myself when I was watching the video this girl knows how to organize a desktop and maximize apps and such.  I want her to teach me how to use my pad more efficiently!  But I am still more of a paper and pen person.  I read the research take notes and then write according to my notes, if that is not productive, sorry.  I know there are lots of students like this 7^th grader but I am not one of them but as I type this I don’t think I would discourage my students as long as they were using their PLE appropriately and not playing games.

This was a tough subject for me, I kept thinking as I was reading these are tools not new ways for schools to structure themselves or teachers to completely teach this way.  It was hard to see them any other way.  So interesting reads yes, but I would need much more convincing to not use as tools in my classroom.

Lesson Plan

4th Grade, OHIO History

I believe this is a constructivist lesson because the lesson builds on the little knowledge students may have on Ohio Canals.  The lesson provides ways to see what the canal boats looked like, what the canals did, and how they worked.  It even provides students with 2 different Canal spots still in existence to visit and expand their knowledge.  

https://hti.osu.edu/connect/classroom-activities/lessonplan/OhioandErieCanal

The Ohio and Erie Canal

Grade Level:  4-6

Estimated Duration of Lesson:  30-45 minutes

 Standards & Indicators:

 Grade 4 

History #5: Explain how canals changed settlement patterns in Ohio.  

Study Skills and Methods #3:  Use primary and secondary sources to answer questions about Ohio History.

Lesson Summary:

 The students will travel the Ohio and Erie Canal using primary sources and draw conclusions as to how the canals were built and operated, construction of the canal boats, and the purpose of the canal system.

Instructional Steps to Implement the Lesson:

1. Class Starter: Students will complete a pretest using a primary source relating to the canal system. Distribute one historic photograph to each student—print out several copies of each of the photos above so students will be looking at a variety of images.

2. Guided Lesson: 

Canals: What were they? Where were they? How did they change Ohio? Use the PowerPoint found here to explain the history of the Ohio and Erie Canal

(For some reason I can’t get the Powerpoint to transfer here.)

For historical content, review these sources:

Ohio and Erie Canal from Ohio History Central 

Canal Lands: Ohio Division of Natural Resources 

At appropriate point in the PowerPoint, show the video “Canal Movie.”

Here, students will visit three stops on the Ohio and Erie Canal. 

Stop 1 Lock 38 – View a video clip explaining how the lock system works and construction of locks.  

Stop 2 Boston Lock 29 – Construction of canal boats.

Stop 3 Canal Fulton Lock 4 – Traveling the canal in a canal boat.

3. Closing:  Think-Pair-Share Strategy. Students will share something they learned or found interesting at one of the stops first with a partner then the entire class.

Another resource for lesson plan. 

The Ohio Canal System 

ORC RESOURCE ID: 14674

GO TO RESOURCE >>

http:​/​/www​.canalsocietyohio​.org​/ohio_map​.html

PROFESSIONAL COMMENTARY

The interactive Ohio Canal System map by The Canal Society of Ohio allows users to click on 25 different Ohio locations to learn how the canal system impacted settlement and the economy of various communities in the Buckeye State. Fourth graders and their teachers will be able to use this content resource to meet the state fourth grade history standard. Not only is information just a mouse click away, but users also have access to a colorful Ohio map with a useful key. While this resource does not cover railroads or give much information on how Ohio's politcal status changed, it does provide teachers with enough background information for general discussion. Students could use this site for research projects.

SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS (2001)

History

Grade Level Indicators (Grade 4)

5.

Explain how canals and railroads changed settlement patterns in Ohio and Ohio's economic and political status in the United States.

Mod 3 article reviews

OM GOODNESS!  The Clark article was some of the most difficult reading I have ever done.  I kept thinking to myself is this guy for real.  How can you not think media (whatever that media may be) does not help some students learn?  Any student in education knows that every student learns differently, because of this every student that needs media to learn benefits from this media. 

The hardest part for me is what did Clark specifically define media as?  To me, media TV, computers, computer programs, etc. but I am not sure what he meant.  He mentions TV several times in the first part of the article and then in the latter part of the article he mentions computers.  Not sure which was his “media”. 

Also, it seems as you read the article, that regardless of what the research says, Clark does not and will not believe the results.  On page 447, Clark has it set in his mind that all research in this field is confounded and if the research states otherwise then it is not a good study.  You can’t just write off any research that you do not like, I don’t get his stance.   

Now the Kozma article was great!  He picked apart Clark’s stance and provided research that proved that media is beneficial to learners.  Kozma states that some learners may not need or even benefit from media there are learners (as the research he presents in the article) that will use a media and construct knowledge which is what we as educators want.  We want to give students whatever tools they need and can use to build their knowledge.  These devices (whatever they may be) are tools teachers can use to reach those that need help and provide ways to build on what they know already. 

I liked Kozma, he makes sense.

I think with Jonassen’s article, he was presenting yet another way to present information in the classroom.  His last paragraph states teachers need to apply components of strategies they have at their disposal in order to best teach and foster student learning.  With constructivism it means taking what know, collaborate with others and build a meaning on those collaborations.  It means teachers have to facilitate more and “teach” less.  Not a bad idea.

The last article by Chapman was mainly giving educators ideas of how to provide technology to all students.  Having tech centers and/or clubs available to all students so they have access to technology.  These particular centers had 3D printers and software to edit and make movies.  Some schools can’t afford such items so forming centers and clubs can still get students involved but outside of the school setting.  Great thing if it can be implemented in school systems that have very little money.

EDx

As I browsed though the EDx "school" I thought it was very easy to manage, there is plenty of places to go for help to find out what you need and the short videos were very informative.
I think if EDx is successful in launching this as a real time online school it could succeed.

I like how the dashboard on top of the screen directing you the steps and what to do next keeps students on track and lets them work at the pace they are comfortable with and hopefully do well.

Overall, this would be an interesting and well thought out way to take true college courses when (and if) they get it up and running.

MOOCs BYOD

Mod 2 Post 1 RE:  MOOCs and BYOD

As I read through the articles and watched the videos on MOOCs and BYOD I was hopeful that these innovators had found a way to make college less expensive for future generations.  This is not the case now but it sure seems that there is a genuine push towards this outcome.

As the articles states, MOOC is not a school or online course, what it is is a platform to connect like thinking individuals to collaborate on the subjects they like. 

When reading the Wikipedia information on MOOCs it seems the biggest problem facing these schools and companies interested in starting MOOCs is the platform it will run on and the monies it takes to run but that is not the only issue that comes to mind for me.  When problems like cheating, sharing information among those in class, copy and pasting information to answer questions and will all courses be proctored or just complete and move on to the next class.  Then you have to wonder where does a student go with questions or arguments?  Is there a recourse for a bad grade? 

So overall, my opinion of the whole MOOC movement is that it is a promise if the developers find ways to ensure content is whole and true, plug up any problems there may be with cheating and make sure licensing issues get resolved.  I would love to have a way to have future students save on college, we all know how expensive college can be.

The BYOD movement I loved!!!  Why not let kids use the devices they are so used to using?  How can this be wrong?  They are comfortable using these devices, they know how to use these devices and have mastered these devices so they will know how to find information, find a video on youtube.com, watch a video from somewhere else, make movies and many other applications so I think you should let them use what they know. 

There are several schools here in my area that provide ipads for students for their school careers, it helps the students stay competitive with other schools, allows them master the device and hopefully do better in school. 

I could not agree more with this trend!

I think I did GOOD on this reflective post.  

Heckel Blog #1 EDFI 575 Spring 2016

Heckel Blog #1 EDFI 575 Spring 2016

            After reading Prensky’s article I was bit angry.  Why angry you ask, well because as I read more and more of the article it seemed to me that Prensky seemed to think that teachers today have not tried to adapt the way they teach for the learners today.  I have been in school (college) for over 20 years (at various levels obviously) and it is amazing how teaching teachers has changed.  It is no longer black and white, we have to be able to adjust to every learner we have in our classroom.  We have to find ways to connect to these learners so that they will stay interested and want to learn.  So for a teacher in a classroom now, that means finding ways of pulling technology into the everyday curriculum so we don’t have kids turning off. 

           

            I understand that Prensky was trying to wake up educators who may not be aware of the changes in students today, but I firmly believe any teacher who is in the classroom today knows students are different have been different for many years.

           

            When first answering the question, are students fundamentally different today, my response was YES!  Students today have so many ways to learn and find the information they may be looking to for to answer a query.  But it is not only that, we know so much about how a young person’s brain works compared to 20 years ago and we can take that information and help our students become critical thinkers. 

           

            Also, the opportunities parents have to provide educational enrichment to young students (before they are actually in school) is dramatically different compared to when I was a little one.  And many of these enrichment activities are on some sort of technology so you are introducing kids to learning technology to give them a leg up when they get into school.

            I agree that teachers today have to be speaking the language of learners today, they have to find ways to be fluent in the technology and languages students use today and find ways to adapt the daily curriculum to fit this new age.  But I think many teachers already do this.  Every teacher, no but I do believe many teachers do.