Thursday, November 20, 2003
Hi Ladies,
When I arrived today, I was pleased to find that Claudette had burned all of the drives in Christen's room and would be working her way through the rest of the teacher in the next few days. They are now faster and we can begin working with with 3DWriter and managing the web site.
Today during prep periods we discussed where we are and where we are going. Everyone agrees that they want to get comfortable with what we have covered to date. That includes creating simple web based activities, using 3DWriter, managing the web site, and using Alpha Smarts.
There was also general concern expressed about the pressure of state testing, the need to prepare the students for the test and the difficulty in working technology into that picture. The key is to look at what you would be doing to prepare students for the test if you had no technology at all and then look at how technology can help you do that better.
For example, I was working with Kelly and discussing Kidspiration. We went over a few simple examples of things students could do with it. However, she pointed out that without enough computers, it would take too long and even if there were enough computers it would still take much longer than she would take if she made the concept maps on the board.
She was ABSOLUTELY right. If you can do things better without technology, then using technology to do it is a bad idea. However, I pointed out that it doesn't have to be a student activity. As students become familiar with concept maps, the teacher could use Kidspiration to create partial maps that could be printed out and completed by students. Let the curriculum drive the use of the technology. The more you use it, the more creative uses you will find for it.
Brook is doing a wonderful job of creating printed material to accompany the web based activities she is posting. This too can be a tie in to state testing. Finding sites that will allow you to develop printed material that reinforces state testing material is the tough part. It's just a question of time. ;->
Thanksgiving is next week, but because we got a good start on FTP and web site management with the 3rd grade teachers and the 4th grade teachers expressed a wish to do more with the Alpha Smarts, I'm going to come in on Tues. of next week.
The primary focus on Tues will be working with Lisa and getting student work done on the Alpha Smarts printed. We also want to make sure Brook's new Palm is syncing properly.
In the slight snags department, there are two items. First the question arose about the Palms that have not yet been delivered. Second, the drives burned in Janine's room are not printing to her printer. That will have to be addressed. It also raises the question as to whether that problem will crop up elsewhere.
See you Tuesday.
Art
When I arrived today, I was pleased to find that Claudette had burned all of the drives in Christen's room and would be working her way through the rest of the teacher in the next few days. They are now faster and we can begin working with with 3DWriter and managing the web site.
Today during prep periods we discussed where we are and where we are going. Everyone agrees that they want to get comfortable with what we have covered to date. That includes creating simple web based activities, using 3DWriter, managing the web site, and using Alpha Smarts.
There was also general concern expressed about the pressure of state testing, the need to prepare the students for the test and the difficulty in working technology into that picture. The key is to look at what you would be doing to prepare students for the test if you had no technology at all and then look at how technology can help you do that better.
For example, I was working with Kelly and discussing Kidspiration. We went over a few simple examples of things students could do with it. However, she pointed out that without enough computers, it would take too long and even if there were enough computers it would still take much longer than she would take if she made the concept maps on the board.
She was ABSOLUTELY right. If you can do things better without technology, then using technology to do it is a bad idea. However, I pointed out that it doesn't have to be a student activity. As students become familiar with concept maps, the teacher could use Kidspiration to create partial maps that could be printed out and completed by students. Let the curriculum drive the use of the technology. The more you use it, the more creative uses you will find for it.
Brook is doing a wonderful job of creating printed material to accompany the web based activities she is posting. This too can be a tie in to state testing. Finding sites that will allow you to develop printed material that reinforces state testing material is the tough part. It's just a question of time. ;->
Thanksgiving is next week, but because we got a good start on FTP and web site management with the 3rd grade teachers and the 4th grade teachers expressed a wish to do more with the Alpha Smarts, I'm going to come in on Tues. of next week.
The primary focus on Tues will be working with Lisa and getting student work done on the Alpha Smarts printed. We also want to make sure Brook's new Palm is syncing properly.
In the slight snags department, there are two items. First the question arose about the Palms that have not yet been delivered. Second, the drives burned in Janine's room are not printing to her printer. That will have to be addressed. It also raises the question as to whether that problem will crop up elsewhere.
See you Tuesday.
Art
