Teaching in the Switched On Classroom:
An Introduction to Engaged Learning and Technology
Dennis F. Ricke
Scenario
Subject/Content Area: Introductory Technology Class
Target Audience:
Target Audience/Project
Goals/Learner Outcomes/Final
Presentation
The computer room at Wredling Middle School is available for 6th, 7th, and
8 th graders from 7:30 a.m. until 4 p.m. The student population consists
of higher income and lower income families, with a minimum of middle income
students. The room itself is designed with plethora of different technologies
ranging from scanners to Quicktake cameras, all readily available to students.
Eighth graders have some choice as to whether they wish to take the course
or not. At the end of their 7th grade year they have several electives from
which to choose from, one of which is advanced computer skills. The room
has 22 networked DOS Compatible Macs that are modality transparent with
a large variety of other technologies in support. In addition there are
two power stations with advanced capabilities for student production. These
latter two machines each have 40 megs of memory, access to the Internet,
color printers, Connectix color video cameras, and scanners. Students in
the class are heterogeneously mixed. A concern for skewed scheduling does
exist. A core element of gifted kids seem to be scheduled in one nine weeks
unit. An opposite core of behavior problems seems to hit as well. The typical
classroom has a wide variety of technologies for kids to explore at their
pace. The only time constraint is that the class runs for 9 weeks, but this
is flexible for the first three quarters if the child wishes to continue
working and receive her/his grader later. These present mini units include
the following:
- Windows 3.11 (Word Processing, Card File, Calendar, and Painting)
(Required)
- Introduction to America On Line
- Advanced ClarisWorks including Draw, Paint, Database, and Spreadsheet,
and Slide Show (Required)
- Videography
- Quick take Camera and altering digitized photographs
- Scanning (Required)
- Introduction to the Search Engines
- Email
- Netscape, ftp, archie, etc.
- Newsgroups
- List Servers
- Cnet Central
Not all students will have the opportunity to work on all units. They will
describe a problem they would like to solve one of the earth's major concerns.
The unit must have practical solutions for a real problem facing the planet.
It may not be trivial and must tap into higher level thinking skills. Concerns
for hunger, war in Bosnia, or gangland murders would be a few examples.
The St. Charles Strategic plan prepares students to use computer technology
for school work and personal use, for accessing and applying information,
for problem solving, and for communicating ideas and data. The curriculum
also includes objectives for students to understand the societal uses and
impact of technology and to exhibit ethical behavior in using technology.
It is the District wish to integrate technology units into the main academic
core courses.
The objectives for grades 6-8 form a curricular framework which builds on
the skills from the previous grades and which establishes technology skills
for students to use in other curriculum areas. The goal is to have basic
keyboarding and computer basics taught in the elementary level. By the end
of the middle school experience students are expected to use appropriate
advanced keyboarding skills and be independent curriculum software users.
They should know what technology will serve them best and be able to present
their projects in the appropriate technology.
Project Goals
The program outcomes for Computer Skills have been defined as those that
will result in students who are problem solvers, information seekers and
users, and effective communicators. Such students will have the skills,
knowledge, and attitudes necessary to be collaborative workers, community
participants, and be ethical technology users who can solve problems.
Students who successfully complete a computer skills program based on the
goals and mission statement of District 303 should be:
Complex thinkers who can use computer technology and software to:
- define problems
- gather information
- analyze data and information
- interpret and generalize results
- think critically
Quality producers and communicators who:
- use a variety of technologies and computer skills effectively
- work collaboratively to plan and produce a product
- recognize appropriate use and benefits of computer technology to communicate
information, ideas, and data
Self-directed learners who can independently use computer technology to:
- acquire knowledge, develop skills, and communicate
- access, analyze, interpret, and use information and data
- transfer computer skills learned from one activity to a different
activity
- contributing citizens who understand the ethical use and societal
impact of computer technology such that they exhibit ethical behavior in
the use of computer technology
- recognize and use computer technology as a tool for accessing and
communicating information, ideas, and data
- identify and analyze the impact of advanced and emerging computer
technologies on society and on the global community
Learner Outcomes:
As a result of the project, the students will prepare a multimedia presentation,
describing a solution to a complex problem affecting their world. This presentation
will be given orally in class in a format chosen by the students. They may
use slide shows, videotapes, or web pages as possible presentation tools.
Each student will prepare a daily log of concerns and explain their progress
toward the goal which will be reviewed by their group and teacher daily.
Final Presentation Components
Students will prepare a multimedia presentation that demonstrates a variety
of solutions to a world problem they have defined, demonstrate harm, researched
alternative answers, offer a final solution and assessment of their own
project. This could be done in Digital Chisel, Claris Slide Show, Videography,
Animation, or any other methodology they choose.
Subject/Content Area
All. This project will work in tandem with an interdisciplinary unit
developed in 8th grade that ties social studies, science, math, and language
arts.
Purpose/Goal
The main goal is to add a significant depth to presentations that will
engage students and to offer further resources for students as they produce
their electronic magazine known as "ezines" at the end of the
school year. These students will be role models for other middle school
students and future students and offer minimum examples as I expect more
depth and relevance is expected as the year's progress.
Context/Setting/Environment
With the natural blend at Wredling between the LRC and the computer
labs, we hope kids see no separation between the wide variety of mediums.
This natural environment allows students to explore the card catalog on
any computer in the building, gain access to WWW, and software packages
that they all can use including electronic encyclopedias, InfoTrac, for
gathering information from magazines, and explore a wide variety of other
software in a variety of mediums. Computers are all networked to one server
and have the ability to share information with each other. Puzzle pieces
can be put together very neatly - all without a disk in their hand from
anywhere in the building.
Time Frame for Carrying Out Project
Students will have nine weeks to complete this first phase of the project.
They have one hour each day and a large variety of times that the computer
labs will be opened. Their projects will not be finished until the last
two weeks of school as they finish their ezines. This ezines will be a another
instrument to assess the culmination of all skills developed.
Project Description
The Project Description includes assignments,
tutorials, and evaluations.
These are special links to help you with this project. It is suggested you
visit these sites as you need them.
Final Presentation Aides
Videotaping Sites to Visit
Basic
Videography
Camera
Shots
Guidelines
for Classroom Video
How
to Dress for Videotaping
Operating
a Video Camcorder
Planning
Video Productions
Video
Delivery Systems
Video
Directing
Video
Editing
Video
Graphics
Video
Lighting
Video
Production Personnel
Video
Project Budgeting
Video
Script Guidelines
Video
Script Writing
Video
Special Effects
Video
System Components
There is also a CD available entitled "Shoot Video Like A Pro"
available in the Resource Area of Room 400.
Eastman
Kodak does an excellent job on photography with good hints that help
videographers.
An excellent summary on the Seven
Deadly Sins of Videotaping is also available. Check it out because it
is the key areas of your videography that will be evaluated.
A self evalution rubric of your videotaping should
be filled out now.
Web Page Writing
There is an excellent tutorial on writing your own Web page. It is called
Writing HTML.
Adobe Pagemill is a software you have available on your hard drive for writing
web pages. It is a simpler way of writing web pages.
There is a tutorial available to help you understand web page writing as
well. It is called The Adobe Pagemill Handbook. Check out the CD
available in our Resource area.
Digital Chisel or Slide Show
One of the software packages for presenting your final presentation
is called Digital Chisel. It allows you to make a slide show or Hypercard
type show on your computer. There is a manual available to learn Digital
Chisel.
A step by step set of directions on running Digital Chisel is called Getting
Started With Digital Chisel.
Another software package is built right into your Clarisworks program. It
is called Slide Show and is available under "View" in Clarisworks
word processing.
Learner Description
Class size is 22 students at grade 8. They are heterogeneously grouped.
We have an interesting dichotomy of very affluent students and very poor
kids. Very few middle income families makeup the demographics. All students
ranging from BD to gifted are in the class and they generally elect to take
the class. Motivation and discipline are minor concerns.
Learner Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- define a world wide problem that must be relevant and seriously jeopardize
a large population of people.
- they must demonstrate that the problem creates harm as they research
their project.
- while demonstrating this, students will be able to use a variety of
search engines and explain the strengths and weaknesses of each. Why did
one search engine appeal to them?
- students will be able to propose a variety of solutions to the problem
they have selected.
- each solution must explain consequences and a cost analysis is also
necessary.
- also they must explain the social costs as part of their presentation.
Social costs are preceived harm to the society in general. Kids quiting
school to raise money for the family might be considered such a loss. Artists
unable to paint because the society no longer values art would be a loss.
- finally students will find the "best" solution and demonstrate
evaluative techniques as to why they have selected this solution and of
course apply those equal standards to evaluating themselves and their group.
Underling all of these outcomes students will be able to:
- demonstrate their mastery of five internet areas: email, browser utility,
usenet groups, search engines, and America On Line. This is a vital component
of assessment. They should be able to explain in their final presentation
how they used each component.
Assessment of Students
The final project will be assessed against a rubric
that they have access to as it will be linked in their project web page.
The rubric does include technical skills, cooperative learning skills, and
conceptual development skills.
A daily electronic log is also evaluated each night. This diary allows them
to explain at the beginning of the period their daily goal. They also explain
how close they came to their goal, and concerns I must address to make the
course go smoothly. It is a key ingredient for me to keep them headed to
the completion of their solutions. It must be emailed to the teacher each
day.
Grades and time scheduling have become less important for me as I go into
the newer areas of best practice. Being able to redo, having control of
your education, cooperation, self evaluation, and being responsible have
moved to the forefront. These I evaluate with a more critical eye.
My weakest area so far is allowing kids to write evaluation tools. I get
too much silly stuff with little personal challenge for many. A few will
truly tap their energies and push too hard, but many do not. I have trouble
releasing this area. I still see my job is to personally engage them.
Evaluation of the Project
Did my kids produce a project they enjoyed and learned how to use the
tools to develop a project with greater depth. That is the beauty of the
technology. It can enhance and add a massive new depth to everything they
do - given proper motivation and more importantly assistance from other
kids and me. If the child hates computers or technology regardless of the
quality they produced I have failed. My fire should be starting little fires
everywhere.
- Are the problems significantly engaging and real world focused?
- Do the diaries indicate that they are making daily and weekly progress?
- Do the kids carry on with the technologies outside of the technology
class?
- Do student evaluation sheets indicate the projects and class time
were engaging and relevant?
- Are the solutions presented indicative of a reflective mind that considers
brainstorming, research, and experimentation along with peer evaluation?
- Does the rubric clearly indicate what is needed to do an excellent
project?
What will I have to change?
I suspect my rubric will never stay to be the same from 9 weeks to 9 weeks.
It has changed every time I have taught the class.
I hopefully will be able to dump units like Windows 3.11 and even ClarisWorks
by the time they hit 8th grade. I will be able to do this when I can dump
"rote" learning units into academic grades. This will introduce
vital skills much earlier, allow me to be available for teachers and classes
more, and keep equipment up to date in a timely fashion.
I will need to continue reading extensively on engaged learning.
Engaged Learning Sources
The following are good introductory pages into what engaged learning
is all about:
Policy Issues
in Using Technology For Engaged Learning. This section identifies several
sets of policy issues that affect a school's ability to use technology for
engaged learning experiences.
Meaningful, Engaged
Learning. In recent years, a strong consensus has been forming from research
on the importance of engaged, meaningful learning and on what constitutes
engaged learning in schools and classrooms.
Frequently Asked
Questions about Engaged Learning. This is a excellent little chart that
discovers in a nutshell grouping, goals, etc. of engaged learning.
Final Note: I may be a little slow but I'm getting there.
Where there is, I have no idea.
Have a question? Just email Dennis Ricke.
Copyright @1996
The following is an experimental Form1 experiment in
CGI format. Wish me luck!