Structured External Assignment
Technology MAS 8604
Peggy Bell Cole
INTRODUCTION
Technology has always been present in the classroom, even if it meant slate
chalkboards and lead pencils. However, since the advent of the digital age, the
acceleration of technology into the classroom has increased, with teachers now able to use
computers, the Internet, cameras, etc. in their lesson plans. This paper discusses three
aspects of technology in the classroom; the use of technology for teachers to manage
student information, technology integrated into the instruction given to students, and how
to review and evaluate technology for instructional value.
Use technology to access and manage information
Never has it been easier for teachers and administrators to manage student
information such as attendance, grades, test scores, and communications with parents.
Numerous tools have been developed specifically for these tasks, and Internet applications
have been adapted for teacher use. Several examples are listed below.
Electronic gradebook software, which is usually provided by the school or
district, enables the classroom teacher to keep grades current and accessible to students
and parents. It can be used to keep track of student assignments, tests, quizzes and
projects. If it is set up so that parents and students can access the data, it improves
communications between school and home; there should be no surprises when the report
card comes home. Since the grades are kept electronically, there is no worry about losing
a paper gradebook; the grades are always available. Once in place, parents and students
come to rely on it, so it is important that the information stays current. There may be a
need for an administration policy to ensure it is updated frequently, and also to provide
technology support for teachers to be able to use it.
Many websites that catalog lesson plans have developed over the past few years,
and have become extremely valuable for both new and experienced teachers. It is now
very easy to search for a specific lesson plan, or to look for ways to improve an existing
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lesson plan. As with many websites, it falls upon the user to evaluate how useful the
information is, but once a good website is found, it is very easy to bookmark it, and use it
for lesson plan development. The best lesson plan websites list the resources required to
run the lesson, as well as amount of time to allow for lesson. The Pathwise lesson plan is
a good template to use for evaluating and improving a lesson plan found online.
A teacher Wiki can be a great place for storing resource links for lesson plans,
class activities, electronic field trips, etc. A page can be used to lay out weekly lesson
plans for a particular class or subject. The teacher can then comment on how well the plan
worked, and make suggestions for how to improve it. Use of a Wiki can be very valuable
when a teacher is absent, and a substitute teacher needs to use the lesson plans.
Most schools and teachers have developed teacher website pages as the primary
means for keeping students informed of homework assignments, upcoming quizzes and
test dates, field trip forms, and other forms. It can be linked to the school or district
calendar, as well as to other teacher webpages, so that parents and students can easily
access all the information they need. Once these pages are set up, it becomes critical to
keep them current, especially since many schools have abandoned paper newsletters and
forms in lieu of web-based communications. Again, the school or district may need to set
a policy on how often these need to be updated. In many cases, full time or part time web
administrators may need to be hired to help teachers keep this information current.
Several software programs have been developed over the past few years to assist
teachers and administrators in their efforts to measure and monitor student
performance. One that has been fairly widely used is NWEA’s Measures of Academic
Progress, or MAP, testing. This is a computer based assessment tool, whereby the
questions are adjusted based on student responses; i.e. they get harder as the student
answers them correctly, easier if they do not answer them correctly. Data can be stored
and plotted for each student, which then allows students and parents to review progress
over a period of time. The teacher and school can use the data to develop customized
lesson plans for individual students. A teacher can also use results to group students for
project or group work, based on what the assessment showed as students’ strong or weak
points.
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Integrating Technology in Student Instruction
The use of computers and the Internet has greatly enhanced student instruction. As
students have become accustomed to greater levels of technology at home (video games,
computer games, digital cameras, etc.), they have come to expect the same level of
technology (some might read entertainment) at school. Fortunately, many tools have been
developed to aid teachers in this area.
An example of a lesson plan using technology was illustrated in my lesson plan
assignment for this class. The lesson was how to develop a scatter plot, interpret it, and
determine line of best fit. The plan used several different technologies; a YouTube video
describing how to plot the points was shown, a Smartboard was used to actually plot the
points, and calculate line of best fit. Additional websites and software programs could be
used to plot the points and calculate slope/intercept. An expansion of the plan would be to
have students create their own video explaining this technique, or to have them do their
own research on Internet to extend the lesson into finding how many 7th grade teachers
there are (the original data set was on the number of 7th graders from 1960 to present.)
Many textbooks have companion websites that can be used to expand upon the
material in their books. One example is the Carnegie Cognitive Tutor program, which
is used to supplement middle school math instruction. It enables the students to practice
their problem solving skills, and expand upon course material. This program can be used
on a daily basis in computer labs at the school, or completed as home study. In addition to
giving students a way to practice skills using a favorite medium, it also gives teacher a
means to monitor student progress.
A number of websites with instructional video appropriate for students have been
developed in the past several years. One popular site is BrainPOP, which features short
videos with cartoon characters explaining key concepts, followed by optional quizzes and
practice sessions. Since the videos are short, they hold the attention span of the students,
and the practice questions allow for instant feedback on how well the student grasped the
material. These videos are a great way to introduce new material.
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Students have long been asked to journal in most of their subjects as a way to
continue the language arts development throughout all their classes. Blogs are a more
technologically advanced method of journaling, and are more fun for the students. In
addition to individual blogs, a classroom blog can be created to advance discussion on
relevant topics. The teacher needs to moderate the blog to make sure it stays on topic.
Many tools to enable students to learn math concepts have been developed. One
that I like is the National Library of Virtual Manipulatives (NLVM), which has a
complete set of computer games that use visual images to illustrate concepts ranging from
probability to geometry to algebra to deductive reasoning. Each concept is presented for
four different grade levels (if appropriate), and the examples are interesting, interactive
and sometimes challenging enough to grab even the most jaded student. This software
could be loaded onto a classroom computer, to be used by students when they need to
review a particular concept.
Evaluation of technology
With all the different tools and websites available for teachers to use to enhance
student learning, it is necessary to determine a means for evaluating whether or not a tool
will be appropriate for a particular group of students. Not all websites have valuable
information, and not all software works as advertised. This last section discusses several
ways to evaluate teaching technology to determine its usefulness.
All software to be considered for school use must be determined if it is age or
grade appropriate. If the program is too easy or basic, the students may get bored and
tune out. If it is too difficult, they get frustrated and stop working. The software needs to
fit within zone of proximal development (ZPD), as developed by Zygotsky. It has to
provide enough stimulation to keep them engaged, but not so much that it detracts from
the lesson to be learned.
In addition, the software has to be compatible with the current system in place.
This can be a big planning issue for the teacher. They must work with building or district
technology experts to make sure licenses can be obtained in time for the lesson, as well as
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make sure the computer can run the program. The technology team has to make sure the
software doesn’t negatively impact other functions on the system, as well as ensure all
users can use it at the appropriate time. Storage of any data files must be determined in
advance of using the program.
The software or website being considered must cover appropriate national and
state standards; just because something is interesting and fun to use, doesn’t mean that it
is appropriate for classroom use. An example might be a PE class using the wii fit for
certain parts of their PE program – perhaps to teach yoga poses. The PE teacher must be
careful to make sure that students stay focused on just what is being covered, and do not
stray into other sections of wii (like bowling, etc).
The explosion of the World Wide Web has meant there are an overwhelming
number of sites to choose from for either teacher use in instruction, or student use in
independent work. In both cases, it’s important to develop criteria for evaluating the
quality of the website in question. The first criteria should be how objective is the
website; this helps determine how accurate and appropriate the data is. Questions to ask
are: Can you see who the authors are? What is their motivation in creating the website?
How can you determine if the information is objective? Are there any statements of
belief, etc? Several matrices have been developed to help student and teacher to evaluate
the site, or one can be developed by the student or class to use.
Another key element to consider in evaluating the website is to determine how
current it is. This is especially important for gathering data that is likely to change
(social studies, current events in science, etc.) Questions to ask here are: Is the website
current? How many links are dead? Is the material that is dated showing a current date?
Are you able to find any dates?
Conclusion
We are in an exciting time for integrating technology into the classroom – both in
how teachers organize and develop their curriculum, as well as how students can learn or
practice their knowledge using that technology. A savvy teacher will continue to keep
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abreast of developments here in order to add more tools to their teaching toolbox,
including tools aimed at evaluating the effectiveness and appropriateness of those tools.
Bibliography
Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching, Fifth Edition. M.D. Roblyer and
Aaron H. Doering, published by Allyn & Bacon, 2010, Pages 147-148, 154-155, 198,
263-266
http://www.nwea.org/products-services/computer-based-adaptive-assessments/map
http://www.carnegielearning.com/products.cfm
www.brainpop.com
http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vLibrary.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zone_of_proximal_development
http://technology7604.wikispaces.com/file/view/pathwiseformat.doc
http://bellcoletechnology7604.wikispaces.com/file/view/scatter+plot+lesson+plan+pathwise+format.doc
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