Integrating Technology Into Your
Classroom
We are now at a point where we must educate our children in
what no one knew yesterday; and prepare our schools for what no one knows yet.
Margaret
Mead
WHY INTEGRATE?
l NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND ACT
l Technology integration component--required
l Must be Implemented by December 31, 2006
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND:
What Does it say?
STATE
EDUCATION AGENCIES WILL:
“(1)
Ensure ongoing integration of
technology into school curricula and instructional strategies in all schools in
the state, so that technology will be fully integrated into the curricula and
instruction of the schools by December 31, 2006;
“(2) Develop long - term strategies for improving student
academic achievement, including
technology literacy, through effective use of technology in classrooms throughout the state, including
through improving the capacity of
teachers to integrate technology effectively into curricula and instruction;
What Do We Mean by “Integration”?
l The use of technology tools by students and teachers within
the classroom environment to support existing curricular goals and objectives
in a variety of learning activities
In other words…
• Using
available technology as a tool in the classroom. The same as you would use a
book or a manipulative.
• NOT
“playing” a computer game when a child finishes his/her work.
• NOT as an
“add-on”
• Goal
should be to use technology in every phase of your curriculum.
Where do I start?
l Set up Computer Groups
l Rules and Expectations
l Schedule technology use into the Classroom
l Collaborate with others who teach
l
Explore a one Computer Classroom
What to do with ONE Computer?
l
Teachers can…
•
Use the computer for classroom presentations and
demonstrations
•
Introduce new concepts
•
Maintain class records, access the Internet and do research
•
Use computer as teaching assistant
•
Foster group and cooperative learning
l Students can…
•
Internet access
•
Use Multimedia software
•
Write an ongoing story
•
Class newsletter
•
Use it to present assignments,
projects, and research activities to the entire class
Computer Labs: How to
Enhance Traditional Classroom Instruction
•
All students have hands-on
experience
•
Often used to teach technology
skills or subject-specific skills
•
Integrate specific software into subject
area content
•
Research with the Internet
Information Collecting and Research
l
The
Internet provides a vast array or resources for students.
l
Students
need to develop the skills to identify the information required and how to get
it.
l
Internet
skills need to be developed, so all students are skilled at using the Internet
to gain information.
Three ways to help integrate the Internet
l
Guided Tours
l
Scavenger Hunts
l
WebQuests
Why?
l
Because students need…
•
Direction
•
To be efficient in finding information
•
To have different learning activities to match their manner
of learning
•
To rise to the challenge
l
Because computers are fascinating
to students
l
Because the bottom line is
student interest and achievement
Edgar Dale’s Cone of Experience states…
More Engagement=More
Learning
Guided Tours
What is unique about a Guided Tour?
l
The tour will focus the student on a specific content and
offers limited choices.
l
The teacher creates the tour to lead the student to sites
that are predetermined.
l
The student answers the questions as they visit a site or
link.
l
There may be one site or two or three specific sites.
l
Questions can be answered at that site. No further searching
is necessary.
Characteristics
l
Like Guided Practice
l
Teacher guides the student through new material
l
Limits the need to use search engines
l
Focuses the student on a specific content and offers
opportunities for the student to make limited choices by limiting the number of
sites to be visited.
l
Most like textbook activity but has higher interest because
done on computer
Guided Tour Websites
l
Steps to create a guided tour
l
JFK Tour
l
Inventions
l
Vietnam War
l
The Constitution
Create Guided
Tours at TrackStar http://scrtec.org/track/
Scavenger
Hunts
l
are a means for students to
collect information on a topic.
l
encourage use of appropriate
search strategies.
l
are a step up from random
surfing.
l
require teachers to formulate
questions for the students to answer.
l create focus for each student.
l create a model for searching on the Internet.
l create an accountability method.
Scavenger Hunt Sites
http://www.utc.edu/~tpa/mcallister/students/f96novak.html#two
WebQuests
The Scoop on WebQuests
l
Inquiry-Oriented
l
Usually interdisciplinary
l
Usually include Reading &
Writing tasks
l
HOTS
l
Frequently include Teacher notes
& rubrics
l
Usually require group work
WebQuests
l Virginia Focus http://scott.k12.va.us/martha2/
WEBQUESTS
l Webquests
Matrix of quests
Samples and directions
Kathy Schrock
Guide to WebQuests
Some Caveats
l
Use prep time to familiarize
yourself with someone else’s plan from the Internet
• Is the
task appropriate?
• Do the
links work?
• How are
you going to teach it?
l
Don’t ask the kids to do it if
you are clueless!
l
Have “fillers” available
l
Supervise! Supervise! Supervise!
In a
WEBQUESTS
•
Each role has responsibilities, questions to answer and
websites that they use to find the answers
•
Every WebQuest has a concluding activity that draws the
information together. Such as, each of
the role-players get together to design one board game that maps out the
journey of Lewis and Clark.
•
The WebQuest uses websites, online maps, interviews, primary
documents, anything available on the web.
How do
you assess student’s learning during a Quest?
l
What
did we Learn?
Journal entries
l
Short
Talks about
discoveries
l Weekly Quiz
l
Portfolio
Write-up every
Friday
l
Research
Project -
long term assessment
How to Develop
a Great Web Quest - F.O.C.U.S
l
Find great sites
l
Orchestrate your learners and resources
l
Challenge your learners to think
l
Use the medium
l
Scaffold high expectations
Make your Own Web
Quest
l
Introduction
- Write a short paragraph to introduce the activity. The purpose of this
section is to ‘hook’ the student.
l
Set
the stage to motivate the students
l
e.g.
Mary Stone is arriving in the colony of Virginia. The year is 1619 and she eagerly…
The Task
l
The
Task could be:
l
A
problem or mystery to be solved
l
Product
to be designed
l
Facts
to be examined
l
Summary
to be created
l
A
Journal to be written
l
A
Creative piece of work
l
Anything
that requires the learners to process and transform the information they have
gathered
Integration
l Remember—the computer is NOT the focus
l It is the tool used in teaching, learning, and evaluation.
Bottom
line?
• Integrating technology is not about the tool...
It’s
about what is done with the tool
l The technology-using teacher’s job is to find the right tool
for the task
Where to Go for Info?
l On-line list of Internet integration ideas and resources
Teacher’s Task
l
Think student use as well
as teacher use
l
Engage your students in
the planning
l Do it!
•
Look for what you want
•
Look for file types, i.e., PowerPoint .ppt
•
Never go to second search page if not found on first page
Resources
l
History Gateways
Subject Specific
Unit Plans
•
Subscription Required
l
WebQuests
•
The ultimate plan
Lesson Plans
Activities
l
Online Projects
l
Telecommunications
l
Events and Expeditions
HOTS
l
Higher Order Thinking Skills
•
Already in most well-written materials
Search Engines
Yahooligans www.yahooligans.com
Google www.google.com
Education Planet http://educationplanet.com
The Amazing Picture Machine http://www.ncrtec.org/picture.htm
Teacher Files www.teacherfiles.com/clip_art.htm
Digital Age
Children are native to the digital age … adults are
immigrants.
Cheryl
Lemke
Searching
for Information
l
Carnegie Library’s site www.clpgh.org
and/or your library’s catalog, either online or card
•
Online searching and books work
together
l
Student friendly search engines
l
Search terms should be specific
Project Checklist
Students Assessment
Resources
l
Thematic Units: http://atozteacherstuff.com/themes/
l
Evaluating Internet
Research Sources:
Print Sources:
l
Berger, Pam Internet for
Active Learners: Curriculum Based Strategies for K.12 American Library
Association,1998.
l
Chirinian,Alain.Internet
Activities for Sciecne. Westminster CA. Teacher Created Materials,Inc.1999
l
Chirinian,Alain.Simple
Internet Activities-Intermediate Ed. Sharon Croan Westminster,CA.Teacher
Created Materials, Inc. 1999
l
Gimotty, Susan. Computer
Activities Through the Year. Westminster CA.Teacher Created Materials,
Inc.1999
l
Joseph, Linda C.Net Curriculum:
An Educator’s Guide to Using the Internet, Information Today, Inc.1999
l
Kelly, Deidre Web Hunts and
Virtual Field Trips. Teacher Created Materials, Inc.2001
l
Kopp, Kathleen. Internet
Activities for Social Studies-Intermediate.Westminster,CA. Teacher Created
Materials, Inc.1998.
l
Kopp, Kathleen.Internet
Activities for Social Studies-Primary. Westminster CA.Teacher Created
Materials, Inc. 1998