Internet Resources-3 Great Sites

The Science Spot is a site I use regularly for my middle school science class, technology and high school biology classes.  It is created by a middle school science teacher in Illinois. Her units are well supported with differentiation and a variety of media: powerpoints, website links, interactive links, supply resources and worksheets.  

The Biology Project features problem sets and tutorials.  It is currently being updated to be compatible for people using assistive technology!  The students like to use the site because 

the text is considerate and they don't feel like they have to wade through paragraph after paragraph.  It is also supplemented with inter-active tutorials.

Nobel Prize My students are used to me saying "let's go visit the folks over at the Nobel Prize".  They like the educational games there and I have busted students playing them when they are not supposed to be.  The site contains lots of information about all of the prizes and their laureates, and of course lots of fun scientific games.

Article Assessment-2

Megan Fitzpatrick  mfitzpatick@sisd.org  March 11, 2009

Assistive Technology for Reading by Hasselbring and Bausch

Overview of the Article

For students with learning disabilities, assistive technologies can act as a lifeline.  The two areas of assistive technology discussed are Reading Support and Reading Intervention.  Reading Support software helps students with learning disabilities get through reading material for their grade-level.  It supports the students as they read.  Reading Intervention is a form of assistive technology in that it helps students improve skills with background videos and after-reading support for word pronunciation and spelling. Text-Reader Software is a tool many schools use.  It uses a sythentic voice to read text to students with the words highlighted as it reads. Some schools choose their textbooks based on the compatibility of the text with these programs.  Of course, learning is best based on quality instruction not just the medium through which it is delivered.

Reference Points

• One brand of Reading Support Software is Read & Write Gold which features word prediction to speed students ahead in their writing.
• Reading Intervention Software mentioned in the article was READ 180 featuring anchor videos and instruction on difficult words.
• Read Write and Gold is an example of Text-Reader Software.  
• Word prediction is a feature of this software that suggests words when students pause in typing.  
• Textbooks with digital versions get preference when schools go to make purchases so they may be compatible with these programs.
• After use of Read 180, 18% of students in the study no longer needed special education services.  
• Video incorporated with the text aids in activating prior knowledge
• Remember the technology is just a medium for delivery, not the teacher.

Reflection

As soon as I read this article, I searched for the synthetic voice tools on my Mac that I have messed around with before.  The students also use these often, but I have never thought of trying to use it with their virtual textbooks.  Textbook reading is so loathsome to most of them, that having a synthetic voice read it to them may make it worse. 

Article Assessment-1

Megan Fitzpatrick    mfitzpatrick@sisd.org   February 4, 2009

The Overdominance of Computers  by Lowell Monke

Overview of the Article

Monke argues the common assumption that students will not be prepared for the 21st century unless they have access to computers in school.  He states  "preparation does not necessarily warrant early participation".  Educational focus should be on Inner Resources.  Computer use should be limited in elementary and increased just before graduation.  Class time should primarily be spent compensating students for the screen time they have outside of school with critical thinking skills.  The logic he implements is the analogy of driving a car.  We let 3rd graders drive cars because they are necessary for survival in the 21st century, there for we shouldn't let students drive a computer, an equally powerful technology, until they are capable of making informed emotional and technical decisions.

Reference Points

• Inner Resources include:  Self discipline, Moral Judgement, Empathy
• Unless students have knowledge of the physical world and community relationships, they are unable to infuse depth and meaning to their work
• The more students have access to computers the lower their tests scores (based on one international test)
• screen time needs to be compensated with real time
• Students don't lack technical skills, they need more qualities like parental care, community support, teacher competency, hope, compassion, enthusiasm
• students need to learn how to deal with the mess of technology's waste: nuclear, automobiles, antibiotics, and decisions related with technology like genetic engineering
• Do Jut-In-Time instruction before graduation
• Elementary school tools should be simple

Reflection and Significance

It would be interesting to title the units in my science and technology classes as empathy, discipline, moral judgement and use the content of cellular respiration, energy flow in ecosystems, and spreadsheets as ways to support these important "Inner Resources". Monke seems to consider all computers to be part of a network, which is often the case and is a real source of danger for students and computer use.  In our elementary classes, I see computers being used for maybe 30 minutes a few times a week.  These computers are only used for specific software. I agree that undirected computer use can be abused by students . I spend hours a week monitoring students explicitly and anonymously and sometimes disciplining them. The car analogy has its obvious weakness, we don't let young students drive but they do ride with us. Likewise we need to be guides of appropriate computer behavior and technique to students.

Creating an Ed Philosophy Video

This is a video I created last semester and lost with my hard drive.  The school has given me a new improved computer (and my own domain name for my class websites), but alas I must still work within the parameters of their rules, ie. No YouTube.  For the the TechCulture Assignment, I posted to the server. Using the server is out, too, as I am relocated right now so can not re-synch my computer with the school's server.  So here is my first successful video upload to blogger.