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Thoughs on Digital Projectors . . .

Last Friday, September 21st, I was walking by a Biology class on Bothell Senior High-School campus, where I am doing my student-teaching observations. I happened to stick my head into the door, which was open, and I saw the biology teacher using a digital projector. I've only seen one before: Prof. Garrett showed our class how to use them one day in Instructional Design very briefly. I thought it was really neat the day she first showed it, but it was a totally different thing to see it actually being used in a classroom setting.

The teacher was using it to project notes on photosynthesis onto a large projector screen, and was able to freeze her writing while removing the sheet she was writing on. She had a picture of the leaves that she was describing projected along-side her writing.

As I walked away from the classroom, I was struck by how much the classroom and teaching itself has changed only in the last five years since I graduated. Technology empowers teachers to unfold information effectively and efficiently. It likewise empowers students to grapple with ideas and take hold of information in ways that are often much more interactive than previous generations allowed. With the advance of technology, communicative ability of expression and creativity is likewise enhanced . . . and only provides a stronger foundation for the students of today to lead into tomorrow.

I love SMART Board!

I have to be honest . . . the SMART Board made me pretty nervous at first. It's big . . . and intimidating . . . and intelligent . . . but I guess the key is that I just have to be SMARTer than the Board. And now, I love it!

It's great to have the opportunity to play around with it during class; there are so many different features that we have only begun to tap into. It's fun inventing and creating with so many other pre-teachers who are all kind of in the same boat as far as dreaming about ways to use it in the classroom.

At the high-school I'm observing at, I asked if SMART Boards were available for the use of the teachers. Currently, I was told that there are a few different SMART Boards mostly located in the science dept. and the technology/graphics dept. However, the school is currently under-going a lot of construction . . . they are constructing a complete new building, and hoping to place SMART Boards in every class-room! How exciting!!

So, as far as English/Lanuage Arts . . . I can use the Board for writing queues, grammar exercises, brain-storming ideas for papers, diagramming sentences, etc. And there are SO many games that I can use the SMART Board to form for the class as well!!

In Biology/Anatomy and Physiology, the sky's the LIMIT as far as all of the ways I could use it! I could project a map of the human body on it . . . different systems, and use the pens to highlight, circle, identify different areas or regions. I could project pictures of eco-systems, rock layers, oh . . . all sorts of different things . . . and use the SMART Board to ask my students to identify different things on the projected pictures. We could probably even make interactive tutorial videos!

And these are only a few of the grass-roots level ideas. I'm excited to continue learning more about the SMART Board so that I can cast even more vision as I identify various different functions that it serves. Yeah for SMART Boards!

Is Technology Important in the Classroom?

1. Yes. Definitely. In fact, in this generation, a classroom that lacks technology is most likely not benefitting its students or allowing them to acquire cultural proficiency on any great scale. Within middle and upper class society, almost all jobs in professional arenas require the use of technology, and more than likely are looking for employees who have attained some measure of technological rhetoric. Consequently, a classroom without technology is a classroom that is not preparing students for holistic success in society and life.

Understanding this basic premise, we can see that technology not only aids in learning but is critical to learning. Computers, power points, SMART board, and other such tools greatly implement the effective teaching and learning of basic skills involving reading, writing, math, history, the sciences, etc. Even more, technology stands alone as an entirely new subject that is equally vital to the success of students. Knowledge acquired in any of these other basic subjects is nearly irrelevant without a student who is capable of communicating that knowledge through the use of current technology.

2. Fortunately, many students are learning much about technology outside of the classroom which can then be incorporated into the classroom setting. They are learning technology through the use of resources at home: computers, the internet, technological programs, video-games, software, and various other tools. I hope to tap into the knowledge they already possess and allow them to continue developing it by remaining "technologically relevant." I desire to use a SMART board for classroom lessons, perhaps to set up classroom discussions via the internet and some sort of class blog, to acquire classroom software to expand their knowledge of the sciences and grammar, and to allow them freedom to produce videos, etc. for class projects in order to integrate technology and learning.

3. Although I have not begun doing classroom observations at this point, I have been informed that I will begin Practicum I at Bothell High School. Because I have not yet had the opportunity to visit the classroom, I am not sure what level of technology that my students have access to. However, reading about the 3 Tiers of Technological Use in the Classroom was very informative. I am intrigued by the ideas mentioned in Tier 3, especially the concept of allowing students to "invent products through programming." I am not sure what the "Marco Polo" software is, but it was referred to in each of the 3 Tiers as a Teacher Lesson Resource, and I would love to learn more about it. I think it would be incredible to use on-line tools to provide lessons and activities for my students. The only difficulty I can foresee with this level of technological advancement is a fear of leaving behind those students who may not have computer/internet access at home.

4. I enjoyed looking at the GLE's for technology in education, and I have come up with a variety of lessons that I could incorporate into meeting these standards:

A) "Reading GLE 3.3.1 - Apply appropriate reading strategies for interpreting technical and non-technical documents used in job-related settings.
Read professional-level materials, including electronic information, that match career or academic interests and demonstrate understanding of the content."

To incorporate this GLE into my classroom, I could assign a class project based on identifying a career that my students are interested in researching. I could ask them to research 3 different sources on-line, and provide information on the web-site's credibility. Then, I could ask them to set up a web-site which incorporates the information that they have accumulated, why the career interests them, and steps that they would need to take in order to enter the specified career of their choice.

B) "Writing GLE 1.3.1 - Revises text, including changes in words, sentences, paragraphs, and ideas.
Selects and uses effective revision tools or strategies based on project (e.g., sentence analysis form, revision criteria checklist, “find-and- replace” or “track changes” functions of word processing program)."

In order to teach my students about writing in technology, I can assign class papers in which I require them not only to use such things as the grammar and spell check, but also require them to post their papers on our classroom blog. At that point, I could require them to take part in peer-editing, and use the high-lighting and editing tools on the word processor which would allow them to make and track changes in one another's papers, while learning about grammar and writing structures as well.

C) "Writing GLE 1.5.1 - Publishes in formats that are appropriate for specific audiences and purposes.
Selects from a variety of publishing options keeping in mind audience and purpose (e.g., website, literary magazines, blogs, local newspaper).
Publishes using a range of graphics and illustrative material (e.g., time lines, flow charts, political cartoons, diagrams)."

This GLE excites me because I can learn alongside my students! I can require them to use Microsoft tools outside of a simple word processor, such as Power Point, Excel, and other resources in order to develop various projects that they can then share with the class. I would love to also assign them topics which would encourage them to learn how to incorporate short videos/music/etc. into their learning. I feel that these would benefit their development of technological skills and also be entertaining and fun for them.

5) For spreadsheet concerning Technological Competency, see:

http://www.box.net/shared/1c07tln3mv

Sample Writings . . .

I don't just teach writing . . . I LOVE writing!! Want to read some samples of what I write in my free time?

http://hannahjbryant.googlepages.com/home

Ingraham High School: Home of the Rams

The Ingraham Rams

"Since the Fall of 1959, North Seattle’s Ingraham High School has helped develop
the knowledge, skills and attitudes of tens of thousands of Seattle-area youth.
We take great pride in our history and alumni, as well as our safe and positive
school climate. Come see why Ingraham is becomingSeattle’s new School of Choice." http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/ingraham/

My favorite part about Ingraham's web-site was the Daily Bulletin! Lists of clubs and activities, ways to get involved, and up-coming events, along with the daily lunch menu and a quote from Mother Teresa, characterized the Ram's news . . . all infused with school pride. It made me excited to get involved and be a part of the student's lives and community.

I also found the pictures on the Homepage very appealing; cheer squad photos, funny friends, and class-room snapshots gave any viewer a bit of insight into the lives of Ingraham students. It's very clearly a highly multi-cultural school, and I again got the idea that the Rams really took pride in their school and their community.

I really appreciated also that the school had a lot of information on PTSA, which is the Parent Teacher Student Association. Clearly, the institution really values holistic education and desires to build a learning community not only between teacher and student, but also between parent and teacher, and parent and student. I definitely agree with and support this model of education.

Although the web-site was well organized and had a lot of information on sports, events, academics, and student life, the school's demographics were not listed on the web-site at all (or at least not easy to find). I felt that adding those would be helpful, not only for teachers but even more for parents who are looking into schools and interested in the educational health of the institution they choose for their own children.

All in all, I felt that the web-site provided a lot of seeker-friendly information, and a welcoming atmosphere for parents and students to become involved in the education that Ingraham high-school offers. I look forward to hopefully building relationships with both teachers and students in the Rams' community!

The Digital DIVIDE!!

Contemporary western society is saturated with technology. Social and economic realities are engrossed with technological advances that have apparently paved the way into the future for my generation, and even more for the generation immediately following my own. However, though I often feel quite drowned in the wake of all these fundamental changes to education, communication, and society as a whole, I am well aware that I am not the only one who is feeling my way through digital darkness. Technology has fundamentally transformed society, and, in so doing, has torn asunder two cultures: the digitally fluent . . . and all who came before. After reading Prensky's article "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," I emerged with three questions: am I a native or an immigrant; is it healthy and beneficial for students to learn primarily through video games; and what is the role of "legacy" content in "future" learning?



According to Prensky, a new generation has emerged: the "N (net) - generation" or the "D (digital) - generation. He explains that these new digital learners have grown up in a world of technology, where television has for the most part completely replaced book learning, and the internet provides learner's primary source for information and research while encyclopedias and the Dewey Decimal System are as dead as Latin. However, as I read through his article, I found myself repeatedly questioning whether I was a part of this generation, or the one that came before. I remember life without the internet, but only vaguely. And even if it cost me my life, I could not tell you what 500-600 stands for in the Dewey Decimal System. Though I grew up with a deep love for reading and consider myself fluent in the classics, I am likewise enclosed in a media-driven society and I am well aware of popular television shows and sufficiently scripted in film and music. Though I am not by any means a technological guru, I feel comfortable and quite dependent on computer language and technology. I will admit that I find a world without computers, or even without my cell phone, quite frightening and night-marish. Therefore, I cannot entirely associate with those of the past generation. At the same time, I feel that my learning style has been molded by a society not yet technologically savy, and therefore my teaching models are stuck in the past century. At the same time, I am well aware that the average high-school freshman knows literally worlds more than I can even fit my mind around as far as computer programming and state-of-the-art technology. Where do I fit, then? Am I a Digital Native . . . or a Digital Immigrant? Or would I be considered an outsider: born into the old world, but who has lived in this new digital realm for long enough to have only a small accent?



My second question: is it really a reality to think that students will learn better if all of their lesson plans are forged into video-games? Call me old fashioned, but I definitely struggle with this idea. I will admit, video-games have never been an addiction (or even much of an interest) of mine; however, I find it difficult to believe that effective learning can take place strictly in video-game settings. Prensky believes, "We need to invent Digital Native methodologies for all subjects, at all levels, using our students to guide us. The process has already begun – I know college professors inventing games for teaching subjects ranging from math to engineering to the Spanish Inquisition." I agree that video-games can be a great supplement to teaching; however, I struggle with the idea of using them as the primary content matter. I understand his premise that the minds of student's in this generation are fundamentally different because of the technology that they have been saturated with. Still, technological advancement should not be equated with complete technological dependency. I fear that students who become too relient upon the technology of their environment will become lazy, and unable to exercise full mental capacity because their computers become, in essence, their brains.



This, then, leads me to my third question: what is the role of "legacy" content in "future" learning. Prensky sub-divides content areas into that of legacy: past learning pre-digital revolution, and future: obviously future learning during and post-digital revolution. I am well aware that changes in the fundamental structure of the education system will take a very long time (much longer, in fact, than would be ideal for today's learners). However, as we (as educators) begin to mold structures and organize frame-work for the "future learning" of the "N-gen," I am interested to know what role past learning content will play. Reading is clearly still necessary, but what about writing? Will computer screens replace our students need for paper and pen? And what about cursive? What need do we have for scripted writing when type is the future of learning, and even digital signatures can be created technologically. What is the role of text books, when the internet is literally right at our finger tips? And who needs higher level math classes when computers are so much more efficient than mentally sweating through the quadratic formula? However, I feel that I speak for all Digital Immigrants when I express my fear and even frustration with the fact that, though technology is great, we will surely lose many valued educational tools through the transformation into this new digital world. Just as ancient oral story-tellers were able to memorize an unbelievable amount of information before the development of written language, so we who were and are forced to learn in a more tedious and perhaps less efficient manner also take with us something that those who are handed everything through technology will never experience.

In my struggle, then, to grapple through this digital divide and the pros and cons faced by the "N-gen" and new educational models catered to their needs, I find myself wavering back and forth. Looking ahead to the future, I definitely see a lot of bright and positive potential to the changes happening in educaiton. At the same time, I feel that somethings may be sacrificed through the digital divide that future generations may really mourn the loss of.