Bruce Wilson
Language Arts and Technology
eSchoolNews.com
October, 2007
Current Event # 2
SRA/ McGraw hill has announced that it is keeping up with 21st century skills ( specifically critical thinking skills) with a new reading and language arts curriculum called Imagine It! What is different about this curriculum is that it uses technology to teach elementary school students reading through virtual role playing.
Students can pretend to be a newsreporter researching another country, a fashion designer for an ancient civilization or a entrepeneur creating a new business. With each role students have to do research on the internet as well as practice their writing.According to McGraw hill the program also has a set of tools to make teaching, planning and assessment more efficient. Click to preview it
In reviewing this program I was impressed that the program assessed children to make for differentiated instruction. The program teaches writing through SRSD (self regulated strategy development) This program guides children through higher level cognitive processes in writing. The alliance for excellence in education praised this writing system as the most effective.
I also liked that the program incorporates the smartboard and guides the students through preset websites. I am going to ask for a demo so I can look at it more closely.
To view the article New technology-based curriculum teaches students language arts and critical thinking.
To view Imagine It!
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Teaching Secrets: Organizing Middle Schoolers
Iulian Irimina
Language Arts and Technology
Current Event 2
Title: Teaching Secrets: Organizing Middle Schoolers
Author: Laurie Wasserman
Resource: Teacher Magazine
Publication Date: October 3, 2007
The article I have chosen for this blog refers to how to help middle-school students become more accountable and organized in class. As a middle school teacher I see on a daily basis that my students need to be reminded things and need help with organizing themselves in class. For example, 10/15 min later after the period started, one or two students realize they did not place the homework in the homework basket, or do not have pencil or need to go to the locker to get their loose leaf papers, etc.
The author of this article, who is also a teacher, provides some tips for the teacher to help the students manage better their working time, supplies, locker time, homework etc.
The transition from elementary to middle school is perceived as a big change for students and all of a sudden they see that they have more teachers, more assignments, more requirements and, of course, they are expected to do more. Here are a few things that a teacher could do to improve the overall organization and management of the class.
1. Agenda books are considered a solution for copying the next day homework assignment from the board. The author says that many schools provide their students a basic agenda where they could have the homework assignments for the following day.
2. Schoolnotes.com is a website where teachers can use space for posting homework assignments and different other school related projects. This is mostly for parents who want to check their child's homework for any day, even they are not at home and need to stay late to work.
3. Preparation Grade is a part of the overall grade given for how the student prepares for class. The writer of the article says " I allow them to go to their lockers, if they forget a book or a pencil. But each trip to the locker costs them 1 point from their preparation grade. It sounds harsh (and most of my students have ADD/ADHD), but I find if they know my policy ahead of time, and I’m consistent with it, they learn by trial and error".
4. The Absent-Student Crate is a way of helping students what assignments they have missed while they were absent. This gives the kids a running record of what assignments they have missed and they are able to find these missing assignments in a 3 ring binder titled "Schoolnotes".
5. The I.O.U. Board is basically a space on the board where the teacher posts the missing assignments/tests that that a student owe.
6. Pocket folders, a cheap way to help kids requires every student to a have a pocket folder with drafts and assignments in progress. On one side of the folder they could write TO DO meaning they need to work on certain assignments and on the other they could put down COMPLETED, which is the completed work.
Language Arts and Technology
Current Event 2
Title: Teaching Secrets: Organizing Middle Schoolers
Author: Laurie Wasserman
Resource: Teacher Magazine
Publication Date: October 3, 2007
The article I have chosen for this blog refers to how to help middle-school students become more accountable and organized in class. As a middle school teacher I see on a daily basis that my students need to be reminded things and need help with organizing themselves in class. For example, 10/15 min later after the period started, one or two students realize they did not place the homework in the homework basket, or do not have pencil or need to go to the locker to get their loose leaf papers, etc.
The author of this article, who is also a teacher, provides some tips for the teacher to help the students manage better their working time, supplies, locker time, homework etc.
The transition from elementary to middle school is perceived as a big change for students and all of a sudden they see that they have more teachers, more assignments, more requirements and, of course, they are expected to do more. Here are a few things that a teacher could do to improve the overall organization and management of the class.
1. Agenda books are considered a solution for copying the next day homework assignment from the board. The author says that many schools provide their students a basic agenda where they could have the homework assignments for the following day.
2. Schoolnotes.com is a website where teachers can use space for posting homework assignments and different other school related projects. This is mostly for parents who want to check their child's homework for any day, even they are not at home and need to stay late to work.
3. Preparation Grade is a part of the overall grade given for how the student prepares for class. The writer of the article says " I allow them to go to their lockers, if they forget a book or a pencil. But each trip to the locker costs them 1 point from their preparation grade. It sounds harsh (and most of my students have ADD/ADHD), but I find if they know my policy ahead of time, and I’m consistent with it, they learn by trial and error".
4. The Absent-Student Crate is a way of helping students what assignments they have missed while they were absent. This gives the kids a running record of what assignments they have missed and they are able to find these missing assignments in a 3 ring binder titled "Schoolnotes".
5. The I.O.U. Board is basically a space on the board where the teacher posts the missing assignments/tests that that a student owe.
6. Pocket folders, a cheap way to help kids requires every student to a have a pocket folder with drafts and assignments in progress. On one side of the folder they could write TO DO meaning they need to work on certain assignments and on the other they could put down COMPLETED, which is the completed work.
Varying Standards May Hurt "No Child"
Current Event # 2
Lauren Edmonds
Varying Standards May Hurt "No Child"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/03/AR2007100302481.html?nav=rss_education
This article points out the need for national testing standards. The core mission of NCLB is to "to push all students to score well in reading and math." However, each state has different testing methods and some are much easier than others. According to this article "93 percent of students who took the MAP exam would have passed Colorado's third-grade reading test, while 39 percent would have passed California's." The basic idea of NCLB can't operate efficiently unless all students are held to the same standards. National standards are going to take a lot of work to create and implement, but in the end it will be beneficial to the students countrywide. A great quote from Michael J. Petrilli, vice president for national programs and policy, wrote in the study. "What is the meaning of measurable academic gains . . . if the yardstick is elastic?"
My first question is, why after several years after implementing the NCLB haven't there been nation standards. This should have been stage one in creating NCLB.
I remember when Bloomberg was up for re-election how easy the test was. I had been a teacher for 3 years and I had seen the tests in previous years. This ELA exam was one of the easiest exams I had come across. Not only was it the easiest State Exam, but even the practice exams I had given to my students. That year every student passed in my class. And by "passed" I mean got a 2 or above. There were students in that class that had an average of 14. But they passed the test so they passed the year. If there were national standards these students might have been held to a higher standard and would have been forced to pass the exam before going to the next grade.
If the tests are so much easier in one state than in the next, how are week going to ensure the literacy across the country in the future? Maryland has one of the easiest exams in the country. They claim that they hold their students to a high standard. But if they are ranked 22 out of 26, how is that possible? Having national goals for every child would benefit the future of our country's literacy.
Even though it is going to be a great challenge to impose national standards now, wouldn't it be more difficult to do it in 10, 15 or 20 years from now? Why wait to see what will happen? National standards should be implemented as soon as possible.
Lauren Edmonds
Varying Standards May Hurt "No Child"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/03/AR2007100302481.html?nav=rss_education
This article points out the need for national testing standards. The core mission of NCLB is to "to push all students to score well in reading and math." However, each state has different testing methods and some are much easier than others. According to this article "93 percent of students who took the MAP exam would have passed Colorado's third-grade reading test, while 39 percent would have passed California's." The basic idea of NCLB can't operate efficiently unless all students are held to the same standards. National standards are going to take a lot of work to create and implement, but in the end it will be beneficial to the students countrywide. A great quote from Michael J. Petrilli, vice president for national programs and policy, wrote in the study. "What is the meaning of measurable academic gains . . . if the yardstick is elastic?"
My first question is, why after several years after implementing the NCLB haven't there been nation standards. This should have been stage one in creating NCLB.
I remember when Bloomberg was up for re-election how easy the test was. I had been a teacher for 3 years and I had seen the tests in previous years. This ELA exam was one of the easiest exams I had come across. Not only was it the easiest State Exam, but even the practice exams I had given to my students. That year every student passed in my class. And by "passed" I mean got a 2 or above. There were students in that class that had an average of 14. But they passed the test so they passed the year. If there were national standards these students might have been held to a higher standard and would have been forced to pass the exam before going to the next grade.
If the tests are so much easier in one state than in the next, how are week going to ensure the literacy across the country in the future? Maryland has one of the easiest exams in the country. They claim that they hold their students to a high standard. But if they are ranked 22 out of 26, how is that possible? Having national goals for every child would benefit the future of our country's literacy.
Even though it is going to be a great challenge to impose national standards now, wouldn't it be more difficult to do it in 10, 15 or 20 years from now? Why wait to see what will happen? National standards should be implemented as soon as possible.
Saturday, October 6, 2007
In the Classroom, Blazing a Path From Fidgeting to Focus
Current Issue #2 - Justin Fox
EDLA 615 - Language Arts and Technology
In the Classroom, Blazing a Path From Fidgeting to Focus (title linked to article)
By SUSAN ENGEL
New York Times, Education Section, October 3, 2007
“Together she and the children put the written and spoken sentences onto PowerPoint, along with the illustrations. Each child’s work became a multimedia slide show about his or her daydreaming.”
Some of the items that they children stated directly related to their own abilities in completing tasks within the class, such as the length of time it takes them to write, or their own difficulties in concentrating upon the lesson at hand. The teacher feels that , “by describing their daydreams, children are “able to figure out not only what went wrong, but what kinds of thoughts and tricks could help them concentrate.”
I think this is a wonderful idea for how to deal with the concept of student daydreaming, yet may not be applicable everywhere. It is often that teachers tend to simply become angry when students become distracted in class, and expect all students to pay attention at all points of the lesson. Student attention spans, as with most Americans, are quite short, and students can thus be expected to be distracted by something else occurring within their environment at that point in time, or within their own mind.
What this article is basically saying, though, is not the only way in which students can be cajoled into becoming more focused during a lesson, but is merely one method. I like the fact, primarily, that the teacher is introducing higher-level, useful technology applications to students at such a young age. The fact that she is making students realize what is causing their distractions, and verbalizing them, allows students to possibly correct the issue.
Interestingly, my own AP brought this up this very issue to me the other day, quoting research that stated how students have a tendency to be able to concentrate on one topic for only 20 minutes. Her method is quite different, yet is much more well designed for the high-school level, and actually quite common. She stated how she designs class time to be spent in segments: 10 minutes for presentation (with student involvement as a whole-class activity), 10 minutes for group work (requiring students to shift their focus to each other, thus “resetting” their attention span), 10 minutes for a group presentation (resetting the attention once again, by shifting focus), then the remainder on homework review (student-centered). It relates a bit to the article, in how she realizes the presence of distractions, and creates constructive activities to combat such distractions. In her method however, and mainly because a Trigonometry class does not really lend itself to the “realization/self-recognition” method stated in the article, the distractions are controlled by the simple organization of class time.
Spreading Homework Out So Even Parents Have Some
Ernest A. Poole
EDLA 615
Current Issue #2
Title: Spreading Homework Out So Even Parents Have Some
Author: Tina Kelley
Published: October 4, 2007 - New York Times
Permalink
While not specifically an article on literacy, this entry is about a 9th grade English teacher in Montclair who requires his student's parents to read and comment on their child's assignment on a blog he has set up.
This section is noteworthy:
If the parents do not comply, Mr. Frye tells them, their child’s grade may suffer — a threat on which he has made good only once in the three years he has been making such assignments.
Carol Jago, the incoming vice president of the National Council of Teachers of English is quoted as saying, "It has to do with what we talk to our students about, and what kind of models we are for our children as readers," and continues, "Common educational wisdom is that you don’t assign homework that kids can’t do on their own."
EDLA 615
Current Issue #2
Title: Spreading Homework Out So Even Parents Have Some
Author: Tina Kelley
Published: October 4, 2007 - New York Times
Permalink
While not specifically an article on literacy, this entry is about a 9th grade English teacher in Montclair who requires his student's parents to read and comment on their child's assignment on a blog he has set up.
This section is noteworthy:
If the parents do not comply, Mr. Frye tells them, their child’s grade may suffer — a threat on which he has made good only once in the three years he has been making such assignments.
The point, he said, is to keep parents involved in their children’s ’ education well into high school. Studies have shown that parental involvement improves the quality of the education a student receives, but teenagers seldom invite that involvement. So, Mr. Frye said, he decided to help out.
“Parents complain about never getting to see their kids’ work,” he said. “Now they have to.”
Some parents, he added, seem happy to revisit their high school years.
“There was one parent last year who would write pages and pages of stuff. It was great, so good to read,” said Mr. Frye, who graduated from Montclair High in 1994.
Others are more resistant. “When my daughter told me about the homework, I looked at her and said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me. I graduated. I’m done,’” said Lydia Bishop, a local real estate broker whose daughter Vanessa was in Mr. Frye’s class last year. “I did it very resentfully, but I did it.”
This policy has led to an increase in intellectual dialogue between parents and their children. Parental involvement has increased by default.Carol Jago, the incoming vice president of the National Council of Teachers of English is quoted as saying, "It has to do with what we talk to our students about, and what kind of models we are for our children as readers," and continues, "Common educational wisdom is that you don’t assign homework that kids can’t do on their own."
Friday, October 5, 2007
Current Event 2
Nicole Dagro
Language Arts and Technology
Current Event 2
Due 10.09.07
Title: Inquiry-Based Learning and Technology: Designing and Exploring Webquests
Author: Jan Lacina
Resource: Childhood Education: Volume 83, Issue 4 (Found using Proquest)
Publication Date: Summer 2007
This article discussed webquests. It explored the questions “What is a webquest?” “How can you design a webquest?” and “What are the essential features of a webquest?” It also provided advice on how to implement them and use them efficiently and sources you can refer to.
The article stated that a webquest is an “inquiry-based technology activity.” Its purpose is to get users to extract information from the Internet. It is also used to promote higher thinking and for students to construct their own opinions and conclusions based on the information they explore.
The article also discussed the five essential components of a webquest. These include the introduction (introduction to the subject and grabbing the student’s attention), the task you want them to do, the resources, the process, and the evaluation (assessing understanding). The article then provides useful advice on things like time spent designing, being organized, and checking links to make sure they still exist. Also, the teacher should take on the role of “guide,” and always have a back-up plan in case the technology does not work that day.
Throughout this course we have discussed how to improve literacy using technology. Even last week, we learned about Internet Workshops and how they can improve a student’s educational experience. This article shows that webquests can be a wonderful tool to enhance learning. Students can access information and make inferences from that information. This information and what they are forced to do with it can help improve a student’s literacy skills. They are reading, analyzing, writing, and forming conclusions from this activity. With anything else, skills improve with practice and webquests are a great way to practice literacy skills.
This article not only has relevance to this course because it discusses an activity that can help literacy skills, but it also provides us with information on how to implement it. Through this information, we can now use this activity in Language Arts and other classes to aid our students in improving their literacy skills. I think that everyone enrolled in this course can benefit from the information provided in this article.
I believe that webquests can be a useful learning tool. They motivate students, deal with literacy skills, and engage the students in their learning. These are all important factors to develop a student. I think this article was informative and got you thinking how you can use this in your classroom. I have seen webquests used before, but this article allowed me to use that prior information and add to it in order to create my own webquests. Every teacher today should know how to and use webquests in their classroom.
Language Arts and Technology
Current Event 2
Due 10.09.07
Title: Inquiry-Based Learning and Technology: Designing and Exploring Webquests
Author: Jan Lacina
Resource: Childhood Education: Volume 83, Issue 4 (Found using Proquest)
Publication Date: Summer 2007
This article discussed webquests. It explored the questions “What is a webquest?” “How can you design a webquest?” and “What are the essential features of a webquest?” It also provided advice on how to implement them and use them efficiently and sources you can refer to.
The article stated that a webquest is an “inquiry-based technology activity.” Its purpose is to get users to extract information from the Internet. It is also used to promote higher thinking and for students to construct their own opinions and conclusions based on the information they explore.
The article also discussed the five essential components of a webquest. These include the introduction (introduction to the subject and grabbing the student’s attention), the task you want them to do, the resources, the process, and the evaluation (assessing understanding). The article then provides useful advice on things like time spent designing, being organized, and checking links to make sure they still exist. Also, the teacher should take on the role of “guide,” and always have a back-up plan in case the technology does not work that day.
Throughout this course we have discussed how to improve literacy using technology. Even last week, we learned about Internet Workshops and how they can improve a student’s educational experience. This article shows that webquests can be a wonderful tool to enhance learning. Students can access information and make inferences from that information. This information and what they are forced to do with it can help improve a student’s literacy skills. They are reading, analyzing, writing, and forming conclusions from this activity. With anything else, skills improve with practice and webquests are a great way to practice literacy skills.
This article not only has relevance to this course because it discusses an activity that can help literacy skills, but it also provides us with information on how to implement it. Through this information, we can now use this activity in Language Arts and other classes to aid our students in improving their literacy skills. I think that everyone enrolled in this course can benefit from the information provided in this article.
I believe that webquests can be a useful learning tool. They motivate students, deal with literacy skills, and engage the students in their learning. These are all important factors to develop a student. I think this article was informative and got you thinking how you can use this in your classroom. I have seen webquests used before, but this article allowed me to use that prior information and add to it in order to create my own webquests. Every teacher today should know how to and use webquests in their classroom.
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Feds tout computerized tests for key skills
Ray Jashembowski
EDLA615 Language Arts and Technology
10/03/07
Current Issue 2
Title: Feds tout computerized tests for key skills
Publisher: eSchool News online
Date of Publication: October 3, 2007
Author: Meris Stansbury, Assistant Editor, eSchool News
Link: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=7424&page=1
Summary: We now have ways to test 21st century skills according to this article. The article was based on a 2003 study funded by the National Center for Education Statistics which is a division of the U.S. Department of Education. The study explored two computer based scenarios for measuring 21st century skills that couldn’t be done by traditional pencil and paper or multiple choice exams. Examples of these 21st century skills include problem solving and synthesizing information. Eighth graders, approximately 2000 of them from U.S. public schools were chosen under the assumptions they would have basic computer skills, basic exposure to scientific inquiry and concepts, and the ability to read scientifically orientated material at a sixth grade level. The scenario had students’ research information about scientific helium balloons from a simulated World Wide Web setting. The students were required to “conduct experiments of increasing complexity about relationships among buoyancy, mass, volume, and it was designed to assess their scientific exploration, scientific synthesis, and computer skills.” Researchers mentioned that the U.S. is probably five years away from adapting this type of assessment. Authors also mentioned that these scenarios are testing skills that are needed in college and the workplace. The exams were done on school computers or laptops brought in to test computer based problems and performed well for as assessments. The results did show large differences regarding race, ethnic background, parent education, and socioeconomic groups. These differences were mentioned could be trouble if they continued to show up in both scenarios. All in all, 21st century skills can be tested and the researchers stated they should be incorporated into the state mandated tests under No Child Left Behind.
The use of computer based testing is a direct connection to integrating technology into language arts for improving student learning.
My perspective is that we need these skills now and to have methods of testing them almost available to teachers is an excellent development. The study was done in 2003 and the article stated technology is only getting better for these tests to succeed. Whether our curriculum has technology integrated in it or not, more and more of us are using technology to prepare our students, thus we should be testing based on the technology as well. Skills needed to succeed in college or the workplace should be taught and tested, by doing so the testing will also help with the ethical issues surrounding students using technology. This could be part of the answer we are all looking for.
EDLA615 Language Arts and Technology
10/03/07
Current Issue 2
Title: Feds tout computerized tests for key skills
Publisher: eSchool News online
Date of Publication: October 3, 2007
Author: Meris Stansbury, Assistant Editor, eSchool News
Link: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=7424&page=1
Summary: We now have ways to test 21st century skills according to this article. The article was based on a 2003 study funded by the National Center for Education Statistics which is a division of the U.S. Department of Education. The study explored two computer based scenarios for measuring 21st century skills that couldn’t be done by traditional pencil and paper or multiple choice exams. Examples of these 21st century skills include problem solving and synthesizing information. Eighth graders, approximately 2000 of them from U.S. public schools were chosen under the assumptions they would have basic computer skills, basic exposure to scientific inquiry and concepts, and the ability to read scientifically orientated material at a sixth grade level. The scenario had students’ research information about scientific helium balloons from a simulated World Wide Web setting. The students were required to “conduct experiments of increasing complexity about relationships among buoyancy, mass, volume, and it was designed to assess their scientific exploration, scientific synthesis, and computer skills.” Researchers mentioned that the U.S. is probably five years away from adapting this type of assessment. Authors also mentioned that these scenarios are testing skills that are needed in college and the workplace. The exams were done on school computers or laptops brought in to test computer based problems and performed well for as assessments. The results did show large differences regarding race, ethnic background, parent education, and socioeconomic groups. These differences were mentioned could be trouble if they continued to show up in both scenarios. All in all, 21st century skills can be tested and the researchers stated they should be incorporated into the state mandated tests under No Child Left Behind.
The use of computer based testing is a direct connection to integrating technology into language arts for improving student learning.
My perspective is that we need these skills now and to have methods of testing them almost available to teachers is an excellent development. The study was done in 2003 and the article stated technology is only getting better for these tests to succeed. Whether our curriculum has technology integrated in it or not, more and more of us are using technology to prepare our students, thus we should be testing based on the technology as well. Skills needed to succeed in college or the workplace should be taught and tested, by doing so the testing will also help with the ethical issues surrounding students using technology. This could be part of the answer we are all looking for.
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