Technology in Education

I had a Voki on my blog until I noticed that it included unsolicited advertising that I did not like. While looking at widgets I noticed one for Flickr and decided that it would be a nice addition to my page. It took awhile to find the Flickr URL to my photos, but I finally found it. To add Flickr images to your blog view your photostream, scroll down and click on the RSS icon, then select “view feed properties” which appears on the right side of the window (this is the link I did not notice). Copy and paste the address into Flickr RSS URL in the widget.

How many of us read the user manual before digging into a new software program? I confess that I do not. I usually work through the program, and then go to the user manual to clarify and extend my knowledge.

Recently I used Audacity with students for the first time, and of course did not read the reference material ahead of time. Third grade students wrote news stories that they recorded; sixth grade students wrote and illustrated stories in HyperStudio and used Audacity to record parts of the stories.

Recording was intuitive for the students, but they ran into a few snags when they came back to listen to their recordings. When students opened their file, many inadvertently went to the project folder and panicked when they discovered bits and pieces of their recording rather than the entire piece. I quickly realized that when you save an Audacity project, the program automatically saves the Audacity project file with the .aup extension AND a project data folder which contains small segments of the recording. Users should look for the .aup, Audacity project file, which contains the Audacity icon when editing a recording.

Yes, this information is in the user manual, but I would still be perusing the guide and not using the tool if I had not been willing to dig in and try it.

The video production class Joe Fatheree and Craig Lindvahl developed and co-teach in Effingham, IL is more than curriculum, it is a culture in which high school students feel comfortable to express themselves creatively and openly through film making. I had the opportunity to attend the fifth annual Aha Film Festival highlighting the top 29 films the evening of March 31. My favorites included a documentary on “Plow Day;” a deeply moving film on the life of a man after killing a young child in a drunk driving accident; a young teen dealing with her mother’s diagnosis of cancer; and a stirring interview with a student who shares her obsessive compulsive disorder of pulling her hair out.

The day of the event Mr. Fatheree, Mr. Lindvahl, their students, and guest speakers shared ideas in a variety of workshops. I attended a workshop by Apple and another with Mr. Fatheree in which he shared the growth of his program from a few outdated PC’s to where it is today. Joe Fatheree is passionate about the program, would like to see other schools embrace it in their curriculum, and is willing to help in any way he can.

Read about the festival and films here: http://www.effingham.k12.il.us/aha/.

Our sixth grade is participating in the “Square of Life” collaboration project sponsored by CIESE (http://www.k12science.org/curriculum/squareproj/index.htm) this spring. Students will work in groups of three to identify living and non-living things they find in their “square” and share their findings with member schools. The project addresses many curricular standards, is not time consuming, and connects students to others around the world. I am anxious to see the impact world-wide collaboration has on learning.

Recently I attended a reading conference with two great workshops on the use of technology in education; one on blogging and the other on the use of online resources. Both presenters provided a piece of paper with a list of links to web resources they referred to in their presentations. I found it interesting that they did not refer to a social bookmarking site for their resources. Sometimes Web 2.0 tools are right under our nose and we do not realize it. So… I came home, reviewed the sites, and added those of interest to my del.icio.us favorites. Delve in and see if any interest you.

This week our daily broadcasts included lost-and-found fashion shows. Each day two students wore attire that had been left in the lost-and-found. To encourage students to claim their items, they provided detailed descriptions, and turned so that the audience could see the front and back. Denim jackets, scarves, hats, and lunch boxes were among the items highlighted in the fashion show. And, yes, it worked.

A group of second grade students created amazing stories using Microsoft Photo Story 3. Story elements included text, digital photographs, movement, and music that fit their story line. As I pondered how to print the stories so that students had a “tangible” piece of paper to show their work I came to the realization that they did not need to be printed. In fact the students never asked for a printed copy; I was the one who desired that final published piece of work to put on the bulletin board and send home to parents. Are other teachers coming to “ah ha” moments like this as teaching changes with the digital age?

I want this blog to be relevant to K-12 teachers; therefore my first entries will focus on the topic of our school’s “video production studio.” The broadcasts provide a venue for students to be creative. Most of the ideas come from the students, and are done spontaneously within 20 minutes of the broadcast. Musical jingles on an old CD have been the inspiration behind many of the shows. Students started one newscast with a “50’s” dance to 70’s music (they didn’t know) and another with a spy theme in which they snuck up to the anchor desks as spies. Monthly school themes have also provided inspiration. During “math” month they shared tricks for learning math facts such as “I ate and I ate until I got sick on the floor,” a rhyme to help students remember that 8 x 8 = 64. They have also “dressed” for the theme, wearing hats with math facts. We have had sports casts, school sing-a-longs, and advertisements for lost and found items. As I look at the skills identified by the Partnership for 21^st Century it is apparent that our daily broadcasts provide the environment for students to learn Creativity and Innovation, Communication and Collaboration, Media Literacy, and Life and Career Skills. I never envisioned the impact that a five minute show would have on students; both those involved behind the scenes and those viewing the broadcast.

Video production in our kindergarten through sixth grade school has provided learning experiences for students that have exceeded my wildest expectations. They are writing for a purpose, taking responsibility for the shows, and learning how to present to an audience. This year we purchased televisions for classrooms where students view daily live broadcasts. Behind the scenes students work in a small room where we have one video camera, anchor desks, and a computer with PowerPoint that is used as a teleprompter. A typical broadcast begins with a welcome and then moves into the Pledge of Allegiance that is done by two different students each day. The Pledge is followed by the weather forecast and lunch choices. Our principal is introduced with what the students have termed “Birthday-O-Rama” to recognize birthdays and any other announcements. Broadcasts have included sports, interviews, school sing-a-longs, skits, riddles, weird facts, jokes, mini-lessons, and read-a-louds since our first broadcast in November of 2007. Most broadcasts take approximately five minutes. Students are responsible for the entire production: generating ideas for the content, writing and editing the scripts, operating the camera and computer, presenting the news, and directing the broadcast. I am always amazed at their enthusiasm and initiative to create a show that is interesting for the other students in the school.