This week I thought I would share just a couple of websites I learned about during the MACE conference. In the weeks ahead I will provide even more from this conference with details on how to use them. But to get started I’m trying to provide a few easy one’s you can explore.
#1. Twitter your Congressmen … Many of you are familiar with Plurk. The social network site Kevin Honeycutt showed us back in January. Twitter is a much larger social networking site. http://www.twitter.com. But my post is not for Twitter but instead a way you can follow the Congressmen of your choice as they use twitter. Please note not all Congressmen have moved into the 21st century yet but the number is growing daily. Simply visit http://tweetcongress.org/ Then enter the zip code of your area (this gives you our two senators and Lynn Jenkins) or enter the Congressmen by name. At the time of my posting only Lynn Jenkins is twittering. But you can expect our Senators will be doing so soon. Oh yes, you can find a couple of links to polls and/or survey’s which Congressmen collect the opinion of the voters.
#2 Classtools.net allows you to create free educational games, activities and diagrams in a Flash! Host them on your own blog, website or intranet! No signup, no passwords, no charge! http://www.classtools.net. This includes templates which you can use. The following list are the most popular templates on the site as I write this blog post.
- Arcade Game Generator!
- Flashcard Generator [new]
- Countdown Timer
- Random Name Picker
- Dustbin Game
- Post It
- Diamond 9
- Fishbone (Ishikawa)
- Venn Diagram [updated]
- Animated Book [new]
- Timeline
- Lights Out
- Target
- Hamburger
- Living Graph
- Learning Cycle
- Jigsaw Diagram
- Priority Chart
- Source Analyser
#3 iEARN.com … It was difficult for me to figure out what the third post should be here. I wanted to keep this post simple but so many good sites were shared at MACE. For this one I decided to introduce you to a site that allows teachers and students to partner up with teachers and students from around the world. Before you run away think of the different perspectives your students could have talking with others around the world. Whether it is a historical event, science project, piece of literature or application of math. Whether it was singing together, or sharing different cultural foods. The list here can go on and on! Once you visit this site you do have to create a free account. Doing this will place your name out there for teachers to find you as well as you being able to search the world for others. You go on to create a class account and setup students with their own log – ins. It’s difficult for me to show you more because it depends on what you decide to do that will lead to the next step. You can find samples of projects on the site, news related to the site, and professional development you can do online. Take a peak what do you have to loose short of opening the world to your students.
“Thought” … ask your students how many people they talk to now outside Holton, Ks. With online gaming I bet there are number of students who now communicate with friends in different parts of the country. How do they communicate? Text, phone, online systems, Skye, virtual chat, etc. etc. etc.
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1)CHALLENGES: Students having laptops out at inappropriate times. Wanting to be on their laptops to check e-mail, surf, etc.
2) POSITIVES: Allowed better communication of upcoming events, assignments and meetings. Also allowed students to research in class items I wanted them to find, specifically the history of a composer, song, genre.
3) DONE DIFFERENTLY: More responsibility placed on the student. More consequences set up (and followed through on) for students who abused their internet access or e-mail access. Limited the ability of student computers to have “hot corners” or the ability to hide what was/is on their screen.
4)WHAT DID WE DO WELL: The excitement over the computers was great. The instruction the students received was tremendous as well. Explaining care and being responsible was very well done (IMO) at the beginning. Many of the students feel ownership of their computer and that is key.
5) WHAT WOULD I CHANGE: Again, I think much stiffer “punishment” for students who were caught using their computer for something other than its intended use in the classroom. If a student knew that if they were caught using e-mail without permission, or were on YouTube (or other sites) without permission that they would lose their computer for a week it would make a difference. IF they were caught a second time they’d lose if for a month. A third time, they’d get no computer and forfeit any deposit they had made for it. We talk about teaching kids responsibility, and how to use technology and then pretty much castrate that technology while they are here at school.
6) WOULDN’T CHANGE: I think the teachers in Holton do a remarkable job instilling a sense of curiosity in our students. We have students who want to see what’s out there, to experience it. We prepare them very well for what happens after High School. For the most part we graduate students who care about more than just themselves. Not only do we do a great job instilling “the three R’s” but our students (I believe) graduate knowing they CAN have purpose and meaning, and that they can constitute change around them.
1)CHALLENGES: Students having laptops out at inappropriate times. Most students take care of their laptops but some are pretty careless with them.
2) POSITIVES: Allowed better communication of upcoming events, assignments and meetings. Allowed immediate access to word processing and online sites and assignments on Moodle as well as iCal, dictionaries and thesauruses. Probably could cut down on books purchased eventually. I could easily get ahold of a student and that student could contact me.
3) DONE DIFFERENTLY: Added even more training and TIME FOR TEACHERS to prepare lessons, research possibilities and develop interactive lesson plans to best utilize technology.
4)WHAT DID WE DO WELL: Allowed access to computer technology to all students. Prepared them for 21st century skills. Many will be communicating and learning online throughout their lives. They are well prepared for college.
5) WHAT WOULD I CHANGE: Be sure to have even more computer support. Gloria is always very busy fixing computers, taking care of warranties etc.
6) WOULDN’T CHANGE: I would not change allowing students to have the technology. They will need to demonstrate competency with technology (no matter how it changes) all their lives. They will need to learn what is and is not appropriate and when and when not to access certain information. They will need to be fluent in this technology.
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? Students want to listen to music with head sets. In AEP they think they need to have them open when we have reading time.
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? They can do google sketch in drafting.
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? More drafting programs. Maybe some software for budgets in the construction dept.
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Putting a computer in the hands of every student. Make them show a little responsibility
5. What would you change now if you could? Bring back Spyware.
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I agree with Karen Ford. I could not say it any better.” I would not change allowing students to have the technology. They will need to demonstrate competency with technology (no matter how it changes) all their lives. They will need to learn what is and is not appropriate and when and when not to access certain information. They will need to be fluent in this technology.”
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? None really, restricted access of students has made it harder. You can no longer have them look up help sites or videos. I think we need to be teaching our kids how to use the internet for learning.
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? In geometry we use sketchpad on a regular basis, are experimenting with google sketch up, create blueprints for 3-d figures and can also use it as a form of communication. We used to research resources to assist in developing definitions and concepts.
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? Not much. It just takes time and experience for the teacher more than the student. Finding resources and software for the classroom is important. Schools should also seek textbooks from the beginning that are easily accessible online. Teachers need to share more how they are using the computer as a resource.
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Give teachers freedom to use or not use the computer. Let them work at comfort level.
5. What would you change now if you could? Get rid of the whitelist. Takes away any flow of a class, limits resources, limits open ended learning. Teachers cannot begin to have the time to research all the sites capable of helping a class or individual.
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I would not get rid of the computers. Their comfort and guidance puts them way ahead of other kids in college and in the work force.
Brenda // January 28, 2009 at 3:06 pm (edit)
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom?— Having the laptops causes me to have another classroom rule to enforce. However, generally it is not a huge problem.
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops?—As a world language teacher, having the Internet accessible allows my students to “visit” Spanish-speaking countries. The tools such as iCal and Quia are very helpful. In general, students become knowledgeable and comfortable with technology. It is especially helpful for students who would otherwise not have access to a computer.
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1?–Sorry, not here at launch time.
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1?–N/A
5. What would you change now if you could?–The Whitelist does feel restrictive at times though it has its merits. Would there be a way we could turn it off and on? How about having computers in the library that use a blacklist or having one or two in each classroom to be used for research? (Is my green showing?) The students seem to appreciate them less than when they were first introduced and perhaps mistreat them more.
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now?–Speaking as a mom as well as a teacher, I believe that the computers/technology we have at Holton is a big plus for them when they graduate no matter what they end up doing.
1. CHALLENGES: Initially, the challenge was with email and random surfing when students should have been researching. This year, the challenge has been accommodating research while being hindered by the white list. I’m very annoyed by the white list — the point of researching becomes moot if I have preselected all the sites where they can find the information and placed them on the white list. Students don’t have total access to email this year, and that has worked much better. They do still have access to some games, and some students abuse that.
2. POSITIVES: I think teachers are integrating technology into the curriculum much more through the laptops — powerpoint, keynote, pages – these are all programs students and teachers can use for projects and instruction. The possibilities are really endless (except for the confines of the white list).
3. CHANGES: I think students should be better trained at the beginning of the year as to what is one their computer as far as programs and uses. They should also have small group training about rights, privileges, etc. of computer use. When this is done in a large group setting, I think it diminishes its importance. Bring back spyware.
4. THINGS DONE RIGHT: I think just the fact that we have a 1 to 1 initiative is wonderful. It equals the field for many students who may not be able to afford to have a computer at home.
5. CHANGE NOW: Take out the white list and use a black list like we did before. Continue to explore new uses and resources with teachers so we can make them available to our students. Spyware…
6. DON’T CHANGE: I definitely think that we need the laptops. It is a teaching tool that is endless. Don’t ever take them back!
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? The biggest challenge I have in art class is the student who hasn’t remembered to charge his computer and wants to use a plug in. If they listen to music the computer can only be open two inches. Student computers are not set up to print to the printer in the art room downstairs.
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? It has made it easier to do the artist reports. It gives students the chance to look beyond an assignment to gain greater knowledge in the area of art. I see students on their computers after and before school so they are gathering some new information.
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? Looking back on the amount of money spent on the computers and the amount of money we are short, maybe we should have been more selective as to who was to have them when.
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? We provided excellent training on how to use.
5. What would you change now if you could? I don’t believe that I would change anything, except a stiffer punishment for misuse.
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I think they are an instructional tool that goes beyond anything we have ever had before.
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? I think my challenges have included keeping kids focused on the task at hand, and not distracted with other sites, emails, games, etc. There have been concerns with the way some students treat their computers and also the problem of not charging them at night. I also have been concerned with the level of research – obtaining information JUST by googling or using wikipedia is not teaching good research skills. Students need to understand other ways to obtain information, and how to critically think about what they are reading and the accuracy or bias of the information. I have also been concerned with insufficient tech assistance when problems arise.
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? The wealth of information at their fingertips is amazing!! It is wonderful to be able to access information in an instant, to type right in the classroom and to create multimedia projects. Laptops have enhanced communication tremendously.
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? I would like to have seen more consistency in handling issues with misuse in the classrooms. We, as teachers, have not all been responsible to keep students on task. I would like to have seen the tech staff increased to handle the increase in technology within the school.
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Had good initial training. Have had good sharing among teachers to develop ideas.
5. What would you change now if you could? I think we need to keep encouraging students to be responsible in the treatment of the laptops – many seem to be taking the laptops for granted and don’t always appreciate the importance of caring for them properly. I would like to see teachers and students check with me for research help and suggestions so that students are learning better skills that will help them in college – this is even more important if we go back to the black list rather than the white list. I would like to see additional assistance for tech problems that come up – ongoing challenges with printing, etc.
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I would not ever go back to “no laptops.” It is so nice to see everyone on an equal level, no matter what the home situation is, and also no matter which classroom. I would not change the ongoing training and sharing of ideas among staff (exploring and sharing ways to incorporate technology into the instruction and assessment in the classroom.)
I forgot to mention that it is frustrating to be using a site that has been added to the white list, then without notice it is taken away. I placed quizlet on the whitelist, had students enter information that is state assessed so they could play games and test themselves over the information in preparation for the final, and then it was removed without notice to me or the students because some students were using the chat feature. I felt it was unfair to the students who were using it correctly, and it was unfair to remove it without notice to the teacher who placed it on the whitelist in the first place (me). There needs to be some kind of system for entering sites and removing them.
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? Not being able to access enough resources because of the whitelist, students not understanding the delicacy of the machines and the lack of headphones.
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? I agree that students who wouldn’t normally be able to afford them is a huge positive. For special ed, simply having easy to use word processors helps tremendously. I also think it brings a little normalcy for special education students. They can interact with their peers more easily with technology.
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? N/A
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? N/A
5. What would you change now if you could? Eliminate the white list and develop a monitoring system that could help hold students accountable when they violate the technology policy.
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? Losing the laptops!
If you were asked the following how would you respond?
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? When a program is not working properly the time spent waiting for the program to work instead of moving on and doing something else. Kids with F’s to my notion are not being helped by the use of all day access or helped by listening to music. (In tutor we do not allow music unless you have A’s and B’s). Kids say they have only been told once or twice on how to get to something such as moodle sites,etc…and later can’t remember how to find it. Kids can’t remember passwords and spend time getting out of class to go find out. Some students use the computer as a zone out. It is harder for me to tell if they are actually doing the assignment or surfing around. Some kids get way too overwhelmed with the wealth of information on the net and have trouble focusing in on the task at hand. Kids stare at powerschool grades longer than looking at a planner. I have kids ask for planners. Although I like having a book online when a child says, “I don’t have a book here at school,” I find kids as well as myself struggling to read online. Some prefer reading sitting back holding the book. Heres a thought: When a child is young and learns to use the technology of scissors you start out slowly and only have them use them with supervision and when necessary. If the scissors are abused they are taken away. Gradually the child learns to use sharper scissors with more complex activities. You would never give a child who wasn’t prepared a pair of sharp scissors to carry around all day. Some can handle it and some can not. Not all kids are mature enough to handle the responsibility of 24/7 computer usage.
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? Typing programs, surfing for research purposes, communication between students and teachers. Better prepared for college and giving presentations and the creativity it allows. I like that a typing program lets a kid know when the spelling is wrong and lets them see the right spelling. Of course, Hernandez and Hummel classes are great tools for adult life application whether you go to college or not. Able to send assignments to teachers’ boxes. I like Quia, United Streaming, Powerpoint, Moodle, Pages, calculator on desktops, announcements, printer usage, I-Cal
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? More extensive teaching of different programs. Once is not enough. I think how it was launched was great. Maybe more training on all the different programs? You will always find out problems after the fact. Thats normal. I do think the tech people could have used more help.
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? There were computers in all kids hands in a very timely manner. I like that kids signed an agreement.
5. What would you change now if you could? I would like the kids to know that just because the school gives you a laptop does not mean it is yours to do as you wish. It is a privilege. I don’t know if this is even possible but maybe having a lock and unlock to the net and email on each computer. The teacher would put in the unlock password for their individual class. I also strongly believed if a student is getting an F in a class, that student does not need to be on a computer period in that class. Obviously it hasn’t helped them thus far. I feel the same with iPods.
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? We need each kid to have the opportunity to use a computer to its fullest to better their education. I love that Holton is advanced in computer usage, sending our kids off to college and into the world.
If you were asked the following how would your respond?
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? One challenge I have had is the student who doesn’t charge his or her computer. That drives me crazy! Obviously, bringing the charger to school would help, but who thinks of that? Another challenge has been students not being able to print in my classroom. They have to go upstairs to pick up assignments and frankly, I don’t think 20 kids should be running around grabbing assignments. (They tend to stray.) I try to have 1 or 2 grab as many as they can, but sometimes documents don’t print or they send it to the wrong place, etc. (And I know we are on a budget, so I’m trying to limit the amount of printing at this point, but it has been a big concern for us down here.)
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? Each student can work at their own pace. Huge positive! I have a lot of students who might need extra time due to IEP issues and having their own laptop helps them feel like they are still doing the same work without being singled out. Also, I think it has allowed students to be more creative. We are getting ready to start interior design and I would love for the kids to use google sketch-up when we get into that unit.
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? I wasn’t here at that point.
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Again, I wasn’t here.
5. What would you change now if you could? Sorry, but I hate the whitelist! I have heard many students say they can’t research anything because they can’t get on Google. I realize this isn’t the case, but I don’t feel I have the time or energy to hunt through all the websites that could be used on assignments. Would like to give a little of that responsibility to the students. That’s part of what we should be teaching…Internet safety and responsibility, right?
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? Preparing students for this ever-changing world of technology. They have the opportunity to learn skills and techniques that a lot of students don’t get until the are in college. This is a great opportunity…we just need to remind them once in a while, to take advantage of it!
I see computers as another tool for educators to reach kids. I don’t feel that every student does well with computer assignments but some do and in that case, it is a good thing. Teachers have different teaching styles and some teachers do well using the computer as a tool and others… not so much. I like the opportunities we have as teachers to learn about new websites and programs we can use to enhance our teaching approach but I also feel that sometimes there is added pressure to use things that work well for some and it is expected for it to work well for all. Sometimes, what’s best for some is not always best for all.
Computers in the hands of kids is a good thing. Mandating use in the classroom is not so good.
We all have our individual preferences and I think that is important to remember.
1. CHALLENGES Some of the challenges I faced in my classroom were making sure students stayed on task and did not spend their time on email and surfing the web. They would also occasionally come to class without the laptops charged or without their chargers.
2. POSITIVES This is their language and their future. This generation understands technology and it is going to be a part of their daily lives and almost any type of employment they have after high school. It helped to engage some in learning that might not otherwise be as interested.
3. DONE DIFFERENTLY I think maybe more training with faculty on different ways to incorporate the technology into their classrooms and ways to keep the students on task with it would have helped.
4. DONE RIGHT Providing all students with the lap tops and not just the seniors or juniors. This allowed all students to see the importance of technology.
5. CHANGE Since the laptops are beginning to show normal wear and tear I would have liked us to offer them for sale to the graduating seniors. This would provide some income to replace the computers and provide the students with their own technology.
1. What were some of the challenges you faced with students having laptops in your classroom? Computers not working properly. Students having to restart constantly, get into applications, go to the tech people for help very often. Also, now that we are out of loaners it is tough for a student to be without a computer even if it was not their fault or they pay the $100.
2. What are some of the positives you’ve seen by having students with laptops? iCal has been a HUGE positive in keeping kids on task and up to date also when communicating when a sub is there. Use of Quia and moodle is a big benefit. Lots of positives too numerous to list. I cannot imagine my classroom without them anymore.
3. What would you like to have seen done differently in launching the 1 to 1? I think the first summer back caused more problems than we realize. I thought the spring release when we first did them went really smooth and was productive, but that first summer/fall start caused a lot of problems. When kids had so many problems with them from the start of that school year I think many kids lost “respect” for them and saw them more as a piece of junk. I think that has been really hard to overcome.
4. What did we do right when we launched the 1 to 1? Got them to every student and did not start by class… seniors only, or no freshman got them, etc. Also, having the resources available iCal, Moodle, Quia, interwrite boards, etc.
5. What would you change now if you could?
I would have more loaner computers and stiffer penalties for students who abuse their computers.
6. What wouldn’t you change that we are doing now? I would keep 1:1 no matter what. The benefits for students is amazing. We need to be more assertive in smoothing out wrinkles and problems for students/teachers.