Holocaust Web Quest: SpiderScribe

Students created a concept map using www.spiderscribe.com after exploring the U.S National Holocaust Museum Web Site.


http://www.spiderscribe.net/app/?f0e0542611f6bd6c9165b3bf56c5939d

Student Created Voice Thread : News from Around the World

This is a Voice Threat my seventh grade students are creating on a current event from his or her country. The project began as a podcast but we decided to publish all the stories together. More will be added as the year progresses so that students will be ready to present at the end of the year. 


Just highlight the link, right mouse click, and choose go to .....
https://voicethread.com/share/2702732/

Student Work 2011-2012 School Year

These are a few student created Book Trailers my seventh grade reading students created after reading an independent novel. Students wrote a script, added images ( one student starred in his own video!), chose music,  peer edited, then used PhotoStory3 to create the book trailers. I hope you enjoy them as much as my students did! 

Final Thoughts on Bridging Learning Theories, Instruction, and Technology

At the beginning of the Bridging Learning Theory, Instruction, and Technology course, I immediately identified with the Cognitive Learning Theories as discussed by Dr. Michael Orey explaining that information is processed through sensory input moves to short-term memory and finally settles in long-term memory (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011a). In my classroom, I have used technology and cooperative learning on a regular basis, but I am now focusing more on making sure the majority of activities are student-centered. What I mean by that is just putting my students on the computer is not enough. Using technology as a learning tool will aid my students in taking information from short-term to long-term memory. Technology as a learning tool will allow students to focus on the actual learning and not on the technology device (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011b). My understanding of technology as a learning tool versus technology as an instructional tool has become clearer. Using websites sites such as www.bbc.uk/skillswise.com to allow students to practice grammar skills is fine, but I must understand this is a practice tool. Homework and practice are important and technology is readily available (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, & Malenoski, 2007, p. 189). I add the links to the URLs on my school web page and encourage my students to “play” when they are at home.

After watching Dr. Patricia Wolfe discuss how the brain is the only organ that is changed by experience, I shifted my teaching approach to make sure my students have good, positive experiences in my class (Laureate Education, Inc., 2011c). I look for opportunities that allow students to socialize, have fun, and work together. Simple things like having students work in small groups to present information to the class create an experience. Using www.spiderscribe.net was one of my favorite technology tools in this course. It taught my students use an advance graphic organizer which helped them organize information from a web quest. Advanced graphic organizers help students to understand new content and make classifications (Pitzler et al, 2007, p. 73.) I also had great success with www.voicethread.com when I had my students create a newscast based on news around the world. Using power points for presentations have become ordinary for the students and they like the ease of recording and uploading each slide. The feature they liked best was adding comments to one another’s news story slides. Students could record the comment or write the comment. Both Spiderscribe and VT were great additions to the technology tools I use in my classroom.

Two long-term goals for my instructional practice would include the use of technology as a learning tool and to create more experiences.  I am good at finding fun web sites for the students to do “drill and practice,” but I will use www.voicethread.com  as a way for students to present and create artifacts together. With every unit or project my students complete, VT will be one of the choices students will have. Technology is an integral part of my language arts classroom. With every novel the students read, technology tools can be a piece of the puzzle, not the focus. Students can become proficient writers but use technology to showcase that writing. My instructional practices have changed in that all activities are student-centered experiences to help change those brains and allow students to think outside the box. I want them to dazzle the world with what they know, not just with what they can do on the computer.

References

 Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011a). Program five: Cognitive learning theory [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011b). Program thirteen: Technology: Instructional tool vs. learning tool [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2011c). Program two: Brain research and learning [Video webcast]. Bridging learning theory, instruction and technology. Retrieved from http://laureate.ecollege.com/ec/crs/default.learn?CourseID=5700267&CPURL=laureate.ecollege.com&Survey=1&47=2594577&ClientNodeID=984650&coursenav=0&bhcp=1

Pitler H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.