ISM’s Pre K - 12 technology standards will be based on the NETS standards from ISTE, and we are currently in the process of formulating indicators for the standards. As the school gets standards in place for the various subject areas and departments start entering units into Atlas Rubicon, all teachers will need to become more familiar with the NETS standards, as meeting these will require some integration of technology use in other subjects.
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Archive for Teaching ideas
On Monday this week, we started the new semester with the now annual IT @ ISM Expo. The feedback after the event was good, and many seemed inspired by what they had seen and heard, whether the new ideas came from the intended topic or just something that came up incidentally during conversations. There were several sessions devoted to podcasting, and a number of classes have started experimenting with this over the last couple of months.
One concern brought up by a presenter afterwards was the risk that you might end up preaching to the converted, as some attendees seem to select topics they already know they’re interested in, when part of the intention is to expose teachers to new ideas. However, ideas often come bubbling forth anyway, through conversations with other teachers. The interactive format with small groups gives rise to conversations with people you may not otherwise have talked to, often from other grade levels, departments and divisions.
Another concern was the timing, as some seem to have prioritized report writing over the chance to learn from each other. This is a pity of course, and we can try to avoid that for next year’s event. For those who missed a topic they would have liked to learn about, there is a folder in Staff Resources with resource files/handouts from most of the events (please note that this link only works if you are logged on to the network - if not, you have to log in and navigate to Staff Resources >> CommonFolders >> IT Expo 08 via the public site).
Thanks to all the presenters!
Social bookmarking - ever heard of it? It’s yet another example of a powerful new way of collaborating. In the immortal words of Herry Monster, two heads are better than one. Here’s why and how…
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In a previous post, Fred posted some shownotes from his recent Wednesday morning in-service on web skills. I’d just like to expand on this a bit. If you’re an MS or HS teacher and plan for your students to do research on a topic, you can share the below hints with your students before they start. Effective web searching involves a whole set of skills that need reinforcing over time.
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What makes a good presentation? What are some design tips for presenters? Are there examples of good or bad presentations? If you have any resources on these topics, please share them here for the benefit of all of us.
This site has a great presentation that discusses good design by demonstrating what not to do. There seem to be 2 general sets of guidelines for designing effective presentations:
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Okay, I’ll really try to keep it shorter this time!
Regular exercise or study is much more effective than intense but irregular bursts of effort (what we call ‘cramming’). Stephen Covey refers to this as “the Law of the Farm”: you can’t cram on the farm - only steady day-to-day work will provide a full harvest. Similarly, ongoing (well considered) ICT use in the day-to-day classroom environment offers more powerful and longer-lasting benefits than one-off, intensive projects.
I like to visualize this as the difference between a point and a line:
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Traditional education tends to relegate students to the role of consumers, of passive recipients of knowledge, which is seen as something to be delivered by the teacher (with the aid of secondary sources such as authoritative textbooks). Over the years, the underlying assumptions of this model about how learning takes place have increasingly come under criticism, but while many call for an overhaul of the teacher’s role - from “Sage on the Stage” to “Guide on the Side” - this is still effectively the model according to which many classrooms operate. The critics further argue that schools need to upgrade the students’ role to active co-producers of learning and knowledge.
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This morning, a student forwarded this article to me about iPods in schools. While the article mentions iPods, this could in fact apply to any mp3 player. A couple of quotes really stood out such as:
“You know the No. 1 complaint about school is that it’s boring because the traditional way it’s taught relies on passive learning,” Mr. Noguera said. “It’s not interactive enough.”
“…students seemed bored by their English-language textbooks…which they found outdated and irrelevant”
Fortunately, this is not necessarily the case at our school, however, the article made me reflect on how we are using mp3 players at ISM. In the HS, how are mp3 players used in the classroom to facilitate learning? Why are mp3 players not allowed in the MS? Now, aside from the obvious concerns about theft and loss, I think there could be real value in allowing students to bring iPods to school, however, it would require a well thought out vision that clearly outlines how iPods could be utilized and training for teachers on how to integrate this technology into the class. The groundwork for integration has already started. Training on podcasting has been offered to several departments in the school. Mp3 recorders are being used at the IB level for oral exams. The Music and Modern Language departments are recording student work for playback and self evaluation. Many of the students are already familiar with the technology and possess the tools to use it. Where do we go from here?
I love programming. I love how you can make something useful from scratch, and in very little time. I love it because it’s logical, and I’ve always been one for logic puzzles. And I especially love it because it’s fun.
As a computer science teacher I want everyone to love it. It’s an uphill battle. People tend to see programming as completely alien, difficult, and frustrating to understand. And especially as something that has very little use in their lives. Why worry about what goes on behind the scenes of a program? You’re just using the program, right?
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image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wastrel/184559565/ |
Wednesday’s presentation to HS Faculty, reported yesterday on this blog, seems to have led to a few questions (offline, not in blog comments). The topic - “Efficient use of computer labs” - came about as a result of many teachers reporting difficulties getting into labs in some areas of the school. While the original intent was to seek improvements to the booking system for computer labs (other than the MC labs, where the system is working fine), a potential additional benefit discussed was ways to also improve the quality of lab usage. I raised the issue with some hesitation, as I know well that many of our teachers put great care (and skill) into designing their units and lessons. However, I hoped my intent would be clear: initiating changes to the booking system to improve access to resources for all, and offering support to those who feel unsure how best to maximize the learning impact of lab time.
One subsequent query in particular interested (and surprised) me:
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