Wiki Activity

http://iae-pedia.org/Talk:Good_Math_Lesson_Plans

Comment by Melanie Baggett

I read the article about calculators in mathematics education. The author of the article mentioned that although calculators were important tools in education, the benefits of calculators had a negative tone. The author also mentioned that elementary school aged students should learn how to use them. However, as a teacher I would fear that using calculators would teach my students to depend on a 'computer' to do the thinking instead of themselves. I can think of many reasons that a student should be taught to think independently of a calculator. For example, when going to the grocery store, I add up the cost of the items so I will know about how much money I will need to spend. I also take into consideration the mileage it takes to get to places and how much gasoline it will take to get me there. In the evenings when I cook, I often double recipes depending on how many people I will be feeding. All of these daily computations are done without a calculator. I see value in being able to compute numbers withouth depending on a calculator. I think if children were taught with a calculator to compute numbers, then they would not be able to make sense of number in the real world. The goal of teaching is for my students to be able to think for themselves. I want my students to be productive citizens.

More Group 1 Discussions

Learning Theories

• Much of the table is repetitive... can it be condensed into 4 categories, cognitivism, behaviorism, constructivism, social constructivism? I like the idea of "Mind Tools" at the bottom.
  I think it was neat that 2 of us gave the example of "Turn and Talk" as a constructivist teaching style.
  Thanks for putting it all together for us. It was easy for me to read.
• Also, the Computer Usage activities under Constructivism did not seem 'Computer' based. They were great activities, but should they be activities a student would do on the computer?

Lesson Plan Development

• Before I got my projector, that's how I would do it too! You have to work with what you are given. I do think the projector idea is better though. Keep asking your technology person at your school for a projector. I bugged mine so much that he finally gave me a projector and a stand for it to go on with an attached DVD/VCR player.
• I really like your assessment because it is a "constructivist approach" to assessment. I also like Candace's format of her lesson plan because it was very direct and straight to the point. Do you think you could number the lesson plan parts according to Dr. Wang's assignment for our lesson plan? That is the only suggestion I have. Google Earth is so interesting!!!!!

More Discussion Contributions

Definition of Learning - Due on March 11

• My colleagues and I were discussing this the other day! I think a student learns if he remembers what it taught. And I also think that he will remember what it taught if his current perspective is challenged. For example, a small child may think that everything round is a ball until he realizes that not all round things bounce. Does this make sense?
• Good point Candace. My fellow graduate students were commenting on how funny it is that we do not want our own students to cram for a test and forget what they have stored in short term memory. So, I think that students have 'learned something' when that knowledge is stored in long-term memory. Some graduate level courses require you to regurgitate information for an exam, and then we forget that information shortly after the test. The class where I learned the most has been Conni Kami's math class. We did not have any tests in that class, but I think I learned the most and I remember what I learned and apply the constructivist approach to my daily teaching.
• I disagree... you have not learned something if is it not in your memory. For example, someone may tell you how to change a tire, and someone may even show you how to change a tire. However, you will not have learned how to change a tire until you have done it yourself! Like you said, if learning new material is not applied, you will not learn it.
• I also like this definition:
  An exercise of constructing personal knowledge that requires the learner to be mentally active rather than passively interpreting when recording information.www.maine.gov/education/higher ed.Glossary/Glossary.htm( I like the words actively interpreting...)
  Do you think that we should include that learning is 'making connections' with our memories? I know we've had a hard time deciding if memory is a part of learning, but I think they go hand in hand. A student cannot learn material if they do not remember what they learned. One of my students baffles me. She receives modified tests, and can perform very well on them, especially spelling tests. However, when she does not have modifications for a test for the same set of spelling words, she cannot spell any of them. Has she learned the words? I do not think so. If she cannot apply it in a different setting, then I do not think she has learned them.
• People learn when they are challenged... this discussion has definitely challenged my views of 'learning'. I have talked with students in other groups in our class, and no group is having the discussion like ours that I have spoken with! This is good.
• I would consider the behaviorist approach as extrinsic learning. Students are motivated to learn by external forces, such as rewards or punishments.
  I would consider the cognitive approach to include constructive learning. Students who are taught constructively are most likely intrinsic learners. Your definition included constructive learning under the humanistic approach. Is that right? I didn't see Piaget's name under this list either, and he views learning as a constructivist approach.
  However, great points made about how we as a group are having a hard time coming up with a unified definition of learning. Many psychologists who have made contributions to the field of education cannot agree on a unified definition of learning either.
• This definition is too long. I think it would read better if it were broken up into more than one sentence.
  Original:
  Learning consists of acquiring a new skill, process, or knowledge and can be acquired by making new connections with prior experience and knowledge, thus creating new understanding and ability to apply newly acquired information.
  My proposition:
  Learning consists of acquiring new skills, processes, or knowledge. Learning can be acquired by making new connections with prior experiences and knowledge, thus creating new understanding and ability to apply newly acquired information.
  Does this read better?

Typing Classes

The chapter on Technology in English and Language Arts Instruction raised a good point about typing classes. Should typing/keyboarding classes be required of students as a prerequisite to the use of computers for other writing classes? I asked my husband, who graduated from Mountain Brook High School in 1992, if he had to take a typing class and it was not a requirement for him. However, I graduated from Jefferson County International Baccalaureate School and it was a requirement for me in the ninth grade. Our textbook argued that students will learn bad typing habits if they do not take a typing course, which will inhibit students from typing fluently and accurately. Our textbook also reported that some people view keyboarding instruction as unnessecary and it takes up valuable student time and school resources. Can people succeed using the computer if they only know the basic keyboard familiarization?

I have been thinking which side of the keyboarding arguement I am for and I am convinced that typing classes are not a waste of time and are very valuable to the students. First of all, computers are used more in high schools today than they were even 10 years ago when I graduated. If students do not get keyboard instruction, they will struggle to type quickly and may become frustrated with their assignment. Students today use computers for classroom use, research, and communication. If they are slow to type and find letters, it would be difficult for them to use the computer for its designed purposes. I took a typing class and I am very efficient at typing. My husband has not taken typing, and he still does not know the proper hand placement for the keyboard. He told me that he does get frustrated with typing long assignments for class, and wishes he had taken a typing course.

Taking a typing class and learning where the keys are and learning correct hand placements on the keyboard is similar to learning how to hold a pencil. There are correct ways to hold a pencil for steady and quick writing, and I think it is just as important to show a child how to hold a pencil as it would be to show a student where to place their hands on a keyboard. Children who do not hold their pencil correctly struggle to write quickly and their writing is often hard to read. Writing, whether it be with a pencil or a keyboard, should be taught so students can do it fluently and accurately.

Current Pitfalls in Internet Use

Roblyer (2006) reports five current pitfalls in Internet use.
1. Accessing sites with inappropriate materials.
One way that I prevent my student from going to inappropriate websites is by creating a link on the computer desktop to the webpage that I want my students to access. I know that first graders are still learning how to operate the computer mouse and finding letters on the keyboard. Creating a link makes it easier for my students to access the Internet site.This link also ensures that the students access a website.
2. Safety and privacy issues for students.
The webpage coordinator where I work has a privacy policy on our school webpage that states if a parent does not want their child's picture on the webpage to contact him and he will remove the picture. Our school however, encourages us to post pictures of our students on our individual teacher pages. As long as the children's pictures are not labeled with names, our students are insured privacy. What is your school's policy on student pictures being posted on the Internet?
3. Fraud on the Internet.
I do not think that teachers have to be worried about fraud on the Internet at school. For one thing, teachers should not be purchasing items online from a school computer. Secondly, students would not be purchasing items either since children do not have credit cards!
4. Computer viruses and hacking.
Our technology coordinator at the school where I teach instructs teachers every year to NOT open emails with attachments from people we do not know. I still do not like opening attachments from people I know. I have had a virus on my computer before and I sent the virus to other people through email attachments without knowing it. I think it is safe to not open any attachments in an email.
5. Copyright and plagiarism issues.
As a first grade teacher, I do not have to worry about plagiarism. However, my brother who teaches high school deals with this every semester as his student turn in their term paper. He tells his students that they have to print out every Internet source they use and turn it in with their assignments. Hopefully, this will deter his students from copying sources as their own.

Distance Learning

Chapter 7 in Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching discussed the positive and negative impacts of Distance Learning on education reform. According to Russell (1992), students who are learning through instructional television have the same achievement as those learning through face to face instruction. Russell (1997) later found that there was no overall difference in learning by distance learning courses or face to face courses. I find these results may be biased. Russell did not report the age group that he studied for distance learning achievement. Roblyer and Marshall (2002-2003) did state that students who take online or distance courses need to be more self-motivated and have better organization skills than students who take face to face courses. This technology class that we are in now is considered a distance learning class because our classwork is done at our convenience, and we do not have face to face meetings.

I think Russell studied graduate students when he was researching the effectiveness of distance education on achievement. Graduate students for the most part are already self-motivated, or they would not pursue a higher degree in education. If Russell's research is based on graduate students, I would have to believe that his findings are not valid. I prefer the face to face instruction better than distance learning. I did my undergraduate studies at Birmingham-Southern College where the class sizes were very small in the education department. We had 10-15 students in a class, which allowed for better teacher/student and student/student relationships to develop. Distance Learning courses minimize relationships, which I believe is crucial to learning.

The Internet was very new in 1997 when Russell did his research. I did not even have email in 1997, much less know what distance learning was about. The textbook also mentions that distance learning is becoming popular for home school students K-12. I do not think that elementary aged students are capable of being self-motivated enough to benefit from distance learning. Self-motivated and organized elementary aged students are RARE!

Impact of Multimedia and Hypermedia Systems

Roblyer (1999) stated that "Hypermedia's benefits seem to center on its ability to offer students multiple channels through which to process information" (p. 188). Hypermedia refers to linked media or interactive media, such as Web Quest, PowerPoint, Hyper studio, Web pages, the Internet, etc. I agree with Roblyer's statement because hypermedia allows students to receive instruction in both visual and verbal formats, instead of receiving instruction through lecture format only. Roblyer also suggested that students who are taught through visual and verbal instruction tended to perform more creatively on problem-solving tests. Other studies on the impact of multimedia and hypermedia systems found that students showed greater retention of material when the material was accompanied with spoken words and pictures. Hypermedia systems are capable of this type of instruction. I know that Hyper studio, PowerPoint, Web Quests, and Photo Story have the capability to incorporate audio clips in its systems, so the students can hear and see the material being taught.
I had never heard of the word "Hypermedia" until I read Chapter 6 in Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. However, after reading about this type of technology, I realized that I already use hypermedia on my classroom. I use PowerPoint on a daily basis to review sight words, phrases, and word families with my first grade students. In the Power Points are pictures and audio clips to reinforce the words that my students are reviewing. Although the Power Points take quite some time to prepare, I am sure that my students are learning because of this type of hypermedia. This type of technology also offers my students a different and exciting way to review words.

Teaching With Software Tools

As I was reading Chapter 5 in Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, I realized I use more Software Tools in my classroom than I had thought. The text describes six different types of Software support tools: materials generators, data collection and analysis tools, graphics tools, planning and organizing tools, research and reference tools, and content-area tools. Of these six, I use materials generators, data collection, graphics software tools , and planning/organizing tools the most.

I use materials generator software such as:

• Puzzlemaker (http://puzzlemaker.school.discrovery.com/) to create word searches or cross word puzzles for my first graders to enjoy.
• Worksheet Generator (http://school.discovery.com/teachingtools/worksheetgenerator/) to create take home practice tests in reading, language, and math.

I use data collection software (STI) for grade entry. STI also generates student averages for report cards.

I use graphics software tools like Art Explosion, to help reinforce language and vocabulary skills for students learning English.

I use planning and organization tools such as Kidspiration (http://www.uwstout.edu/soe/profdev/conceptmap/50uses.html) to create picture schedules for my special needs students.

Software Tools help teachers organize data, create quick assessments, and create meaningful lessons that they would have had to spend hours on if it weren't for the computer.

Word Processing

Word processing on the computer has advanced dramatically in the last 15 years. I remember typing up projects for elementary school as early as second grade using a typewriter or Print Shop on our computer. I remember then changing from using Print Shop to Microsoft Works, then Microsoft Word for typing papers in high school. I am grateful for my parents because they always refused to type my papers for me when I was in school. I do remember getting upset with them because my friends' parents would type their papers for them. However, I had the advantage when I took my typing class because I was already used to the keyboard format. I had to get used to publishing my thoughts on the computer without writing them on paper first. Now, I can type just as fast as I think. Word processing saves me lots of time on publishing work.
I use Microsoft Word almost everyday. I use it for graduate school assignments, lesson planning for my job, creating assessments for my students, and creating agendas for the biweekly BBSST meetings. When we bought our first Apple computer, I was worried that it would not be compatible with Microsoft Office. However, the Mac does offer Microsoft Office on its computer.

Discussion Contributions

Lesson Plan Critique

• Jill- your lesson plan critique is very easy to read. I like the format you used. The italicized words made it easy for me to see your thoughts verses the actual lesson plan. I also agree that the WebQuest is the best way to make sure your students are on task when they search the Internet. I know that my school has blocks on webpages with inappropriate materials. A teacher made WebQuest will assure the student appropriate Internet material! I think the lesson is great- my only concern is having access to a computer lab. I know most schools have one. I noticed that you said this lesson could be adaptable to First through Third grades, but what is the target grade level for the lesson?
  Great job!
• Candace, as I was reading your critique, I was reminded of a software program I use with my students. It is called Art Explosion. The software comes with 7 CDs, each with THOUSANDS of photographs. The photographs are categorized on each CD into categories such as Zoo Animals, Food, Basketball, etc. I think the kids could also use this software instead of the Internet to find pictures or clipart of the three types of bears and copy and paste these pictures into MicroSoft Word. It could also be a form of assessment, to see if the students could pick out the correct bears (brown, black, and polar) from a group of zoo animal photographs. I prefer Art Explosion over browsing the Internet for pictures because you NEVER know what you will get if you type "bear" into the image search engine.
  I also found two APA reference errors. I am not sure if Dr. Wong wants us to use APA format, but this is what I found in your critique:
  “there is so much to learn about the Internet in education that many educators find it difficult to know where to begin”(226). I think the (226) is the page number? If so, it should be correctly written as (p. 226) since you are using a direct quote.
  
  “The (Internet) activity should accomplish some objective or purpose in required school curriculum” (252). Same- (252) should be (p. 252).

Comments on other groups' lists - categories of digital technologies

• At first glance, group 2's venn diagram definitely shows me that students do not get to use technology as much as teachers or administrators do. Isn't this true though, that we as teachers are afraid that the children may break things and don't want them to touch 'our' equipment!!! I teach first grade and I had 2 LeapFrogs in my classroom this year, as I always have in the past 3 years. I thought that I had taught and reviewed with my students on how to properly turn them on and turn them off and how to treat the LeapFrog correctly. However, during the 3rd week of letting my students use them independently, both of them broke! One of my students volunteered to bring us his LeapFrog that he had at home, but I was too afraid to let anyone use it since the other 2 had not been taken care of. Needless to say, my broken LeapFrogs are no longer used by my students, and they are stored away in my closet. I want my students to be able to use technology in the classroom, but how do I get over my fear of them breaking expensive equipment?!?!?
  
• I had a hard time reading all of the graphs unless I printed them. Group 3's graph was a bit overwhelming at first, but it really shows that the Hoover School system uses technology as an Instructional Tool! This is great!!! Also, none of the schools listed on the Group 3 Sort had as much Software as Paula's work at ADP-Dealers Services. When I think of technology, I normally do not consider software as a category. Maybe our next survey should be what software do your schools use.
  
• Group 5's Sort was very easy to read, but I do not think it was as thorough as Group 3. One reason is that Group 3 listed technology that could be used with special needs children. If I did not know what technology to use with special needs children, I could not pick it out on Group 5's list. I teach special needs children, so I think that's why I look for it on the group sorts. I think that Group 3 did a great job on showing how each technology is used by listing the subgroups. For someone not up to date on technology knowledge, this would be a great tool to use.
  
• Group 4's sort was very easy to read. I think that this would be a great handout to parents at an Open House, to let them know what type of technology is available in the school. The Distance Learning Section is very important, because it is an alternative communication method between the home and the school.

Technology Affordance

• I think this may help for your affordance list:
  Email is a confidential form of communication
  Email is free (as opposed to paying $0.41 for a stamp).
  Email is quick (as opposed to waiting 2-3 days for a letter to arrive to its destination).
  Blog is a public form of written communication on the internet.
  Blog is an online journal, kept in reverse chronological order from most recent entry to oldest.
  Blog excels at easily adding new posts or new entries with minimal editing skills.
  
• Stephanie, you are very creative and good at making things visually pleasing! Great graphics on your table. I see that you have ‘book reports’ as learning activities on both Microsoft Word and Paper/Pencil. Which of these tools is a better use for making book reports? I think the whole idea of having ‘affordances’ is to show that one is a better tool for an activity than the other. Maybe this activity can be narrowed down to grade specific activities. I think K-2 would have a harder time typing a book report than 3-12; K-2 does book reports with paper/pencil and 3-12 does book reports with Microsoft Word. Does this make sense?
  
• I read your Blog and I thought of an affordance for using a Poster. You can hang posters on the wall, and posters are very lightweight. :)
  
• Nice pictures! One thing: swap your affordances- your chart shows affordances for email under blog and vice versa.