“My students know that word processing enables kids to write at a higher level, and they are more likely to make corrections and rewrites when using a word processor. A word processor is not a typewriter. We write in a word-processing world and our students should learn in the same way. My students also know that this is my strong belief. However, I could not fault my student, since it is not her choice for the students, but that of their teacher. I have been burned in the past when I approached cooperating teachers on some ill-conceived methods used in class. I have learned to smile, say thanks, leave, and then have a long talk with my students in the safety of my own classroom.”
“It is too easy to use technology without understanding and find fault with it not fulfilling the implied promise. We assume everyone understands that computers collect, manipulate, and communicate data in any form needed. We assume everyone understands the power of computers in regard to writing, publishing, and communicating the written word. Unfortunately, I have come to believe that we cannot make these assumptions. We need to educate or educators if we are to have any hope to educate or children.”
I found Little Bird Tales and it is cool! This would go with K-5 instruction with ELA Common Core Writing. Awesome!
Little Bird Tales: Capture the Voice of Childhood. We offer a fun, unique way to create, record and share stories online. Kids can make drawings, upload photos or artwork and record their voice online, creating a slideshow format book, then share it with family and friends as gifts or a keepsake. Environmentally friendly and great for schools, too.
The Khan Academy is an organization on a mission. They are a not-for-profit with the goal of changing education for the better by providing a free world-class education to anyone anywhere.
All of the site’s resources are available to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a student, teacher, home-schooler, principal, adult returning to the classroom after 20 years, or a friendly alien just trying to get a leg up in earthly biology. The Khan Academy’s materials and resources are available to you completely free of charge.
I first posted this about three years ago. It was a culmination project of several folks sitting around brainstorming and many of my own thoughts through hours of reading and study. As I revisited this list, I made some additions to the list. After reading through the list, I began to see how how dated some of my thinking was and how it has change with how the world of technology and the Internet was changed. Enjoy the list and would love to hear your thoughts and your ideas for an updated list. Take a look at the videos as the end! Thanks everyone.
Bill
Advantages of implementing multimedia in the classroom include:
• Teachers themselves must be proficient in not only the technology but also the integration of the technology or it will be lost. If students aren’t involved in project based learning, using the technology becomes simply “old wine in a new bottle.” In order to do this, teachers typically create and reach out to their Personal Learning Networks whether it be the teacher’s lounge at their school, collaborative projects with other teachers, reading and commenting on blogs and getting in on those conversations, attending and presenting at conferences, and/or using social networking sites such as Twitter. Once teachers become involved in these PLNs, the advantages to their professional learning is too many to mention. I think that is a huge advantage!
• Multimedia allows students to gather data and “construct” this information into presentations of their own. It also allows teachers to teach what they have taught year after year in new ways with new information A science teacher reading about man walking on the moon certainly enhances the lesson with students seeing a video clip with a voice saying.” the Eagle has landed..while watching men walk on the moon. So much is possible with all of the sources on the Internet.
• In our Web 2.0 world, cloud computing, and open-source software movement; students have more opportunities to create multimedia. Students have the opportunity to create knowledge through mash-ups of many sources of media. This is the highest level of learning when students are engaged in the creation of knowledge via multimedia.
• The creation of multimedia is cheap and reachable for everyone who has access to the Internet.
• Useful free tools: Audacity, Voicethread, Ipadio, etc.
• It allows students to have a real audience.
• Presentation is important. Allows students to polish skills at presenting information.
• Multimedia in the classroom encourages students to work with each other, developing teamwork skills and learning from their peers.
• Traditional methods of teaching, such as one-sided lectures, can leave students feeling passive and uninvolved. Using multimedia gives students active, participatory roles in the classroom. They have independence to make decisions and control technology, which leads to more personal investment in the project.
• You can make learning more relevant and authentic for the student.
• It allows students to showcase their work! And it makes it easier to create a digital portfolio.
• Motivation – This is important, as we have learned that we must first engage the attention of our students before they are ready to learn.
• Learning styles addressed – Multimedia allows teachers to address various learning styles in the classroom. Students can see, hear, and imagine what things feel like as multimedia is used to bring a subject to life.
• Technology standards addressed – Technology is an important aspect of life today. Students must be ready to compete in a highly technological world.
• Access to limitless resources for teaching and learning – Teachers are no longer limited to textbooks as vast amounts of knowledge and teaching ideas may be explored.
• Student centered learning – Students will show accountability for learning when collaborative activities or project based learning is implemented through technology.
• One reason to implement multimedia into the classroom is because it is engaging. Multimedia allows us to make our lessons entertaining, therefore grabbing the attention of our students.
• The second reason is that it allows us to provide differentiated instruction. Having different ways to present information to our students allows teachers to meet the needs of all students.
• The third reason is that multimedia is a great way to make sure our lessons are organized. There are many tools that we can use to help organize our presentation, therefore making it easier to understand.
• The fourth reason is that we are exposing our students to the real world. Our students are going to be required to use multimedia in their jobs one day and by exposing them at an early age we are preparing them for the future.
• The last reason to use multimedia is that is can enhance concepts that are not as interesting as others. There are many ways that the web can turn a not so interesting topic into something the students are willing to learn.
• Students relate to visual interactions, especially if there is a game like atmosphere to the presentation. This method helps the students become more engaged in the project.
• Life long skills. Many of the skills required to participate in a multimedia project are the same used on a daily basis outside of school and in college.
• Higher level thinking skills. Multimedia projects can raise the level of understanding and application of a subject matter.
• Pictures speak a thousand words. ELL learners or learners with other disabilities can get a lot out of the project by possibly listening to part of the information while seeing a picture that relates to the words.
• Classroom management. Class web sites can provide “one stop shopping.” Handouts, assignments, rubrics can all be accessible to students whenever they may need further information. This is also handy for students to complete their work whenever it is convenient for them.
• Motivation- Students find the use of multimedia very motivating and entertaining.
• Addresses multiple learning styles- Material is presented using various learning styles simultaneously. For example auditory and visual approaches.
• Improves Traditional Audio-Video Presentations- Audiences are more attentive to multimedia messages than traditional presentations done with slides or overhead transparencies.
• Increase in comprehension- Full interaction with the user which creates greater comprehension and higher level thinking skills.
• Preparation for the future- Exposing students to this type of presentation will prepare them to use and understand this type of technology in the future.
• It is a media that our students can relate to. Many of our students have Ipods. When we use them in the classroom then we get their attention and they are willing to work harder.
• Teachers are able to step back and be the facilitator while students are engaged in the group projects.
• Helps to prepare the teacher. A quality multimedia presentation makes sure that preparation has been done a head of time so that class instruction will be organized, include a variety of learning types, and be relevant.
• Teaches skills that will help our students become life-long learners and prepared for the job force.
• Helps students to retain and increase the learning because they are engaged, using more than one sense, provides scaffolding, visuals, and higher order thinking.
• 1. For the student who is consistently absent (guidance, sickness, ISS, OSS), having multimedia presentations means that they can see the materials when they finally do get to class, thereby receiving the same opportunities for learning.
• Since multimedia presentations are relatively new, they replace antiquated materials that students today lose interest very quickly. This is great for mainstreamed classrooms. The students at all levels of the learning spectrum can identify and use information in a meaningful way to them.
• Educators can adapt the multimedia presentation for those students that may be physically challenged. Students with hearing impairments, or physical disabilities will be able to use the hardware adaptations necessary to succeed with the programs.
• Using any of the language transition facilities, thereby allowing students to use their knowledge in their own language and then translate for the educator to understand or vice-versa, can knock down language barriers.
• Multimedia presentations allow students to work at their own pace; teachers are able to implement IEPs more easily. Teaching assistants and non- teaching assistants can help differentiated during special tutoring time.
• Motivation: Today’s students need to be motivated to learn now more than ever before. Multi media incorporates learning with entertainment. For the most part, students just enjoy working on computers thereby making learning fun.
• Learning styles: Multi media addresses many different learning styles simultaneously. It is a built in way to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of many students.
• Drill and practice: Students enjoy practicing and studying much more when they can do so through a multi-media game.
• Word Processing and Presentations: Final products are much cleaner and neater. It is also a much faster process than writing things out longhand.
• Exploration: The use of multi=media allows students to explore areas of interest. It is much easier to jump online to research a topic than to drag oneself to the library and read a book.
Advantages of implementing multimedia in the classroom include:
Motivation – This is important as we have learned that we must first engage the attention of our students before they are ready to learn.
Learning styles addressed – Multimedia allows teachers to address various learning styles in the classroom. Students can see, hear, and imagine what things feel like as multimedia is used to bring a subject to life.
Technology standards addressed – Technology is an important aspect of life today. Students must be ready to compete in a highly technological world.
Access to limitless resources for teaching and learning – Teachers are no longer limited to textbooks as vast amounts of knowledge and teaching ideas may be explored.
Student centered learning – Students will show accountability for learning when collaborative activities or project based learning is implemented through technology.
One reason to implement multimedia into the classroom is because it is engaging. Multimedia allows us to make our lessons entertaining, therefore grabbing the attention of our students.
The second reason is that it allows us to provide differentiated instruction. Having different ways to present information to our students allows teachers to meet the needs of all students.
The third reason is that multimedia is a great way to make sure our lessons are organized. There are many tools that we can use to help organize our presentation, therefore making it easier to understand.
The fourth reason is that we are exposing our students to the real world. Our students are going to be required to use multimedia in their jobs one day and by exposing them at an early age we are preparing them for the future.
The last reason to use multimedia is that is can enhance concepts that are not as interesting as others. There are many ways that the web can turn a not so interesting topic into something the students are willing to learn.
Students relate to visual interactions, especially if there is a game like atmosphere to the presentation. This method helps the students become more engaged in the project.
Life long skills. Many of the skills required to participate in a multimedia project are the same used on a daily basis outside of school and in college.
Higher level thinking skills. Multimedia projects can raise the level of understanding and application of a subject matter.
Pictures speak a thousand words. ELL learners or learners with other disabilities can get a lot out of the project by possibly listening to part of the information while seeing a picture that relates to the words.
Classroom management. Class web sites can provide “one stop shopping.” Handouts, assignments, rubrics can all be accessible to students whenever they may need further information. This is also handy for students to complete their work whenever it is convenient for them.
1. Motivation- Students find the use of multimedia very motivating and entertaining.
Addresses multiple learning styles- Material is presented using various learning styles simultaneously. For example auditory and visual approaches.
Improves Traditional Audio-Video Presentations- Audiences are more attentive to multimedia messages than traditional presentations done with slides or overhead transparencies.
Increase in comprehension- Full interaction with the user which creates greater comprehension and higher level thinking skills.
Preparation for the future- Exposing students to this type of presentation will prepare them to use and understand this type of technology in the future.
It is a media that our students can relate to. Many of our students have Ipods. When we use them in the classroom then we get their attention and they are willing to work harder.
Teachers are able to step back and be the facilitator while students are engaged in group projects.
Helps to prepare the teacher. A quality multimedia presentation makes sure that preparation has been done a head of time so that class instruction will be organized, include a variety of learning types, and be relevant.
Teaches skills that will help our students become life-long learners and prepared for the job force.
Helps students to retain and increase the learning because they are engaged, using more than one sense, provides scaffolding, visuals, and higher order thinking.
1. For the student who is consistently absent (guidance, sickness, ISS, OSS), having multimedia presentations means that they can see the materials when they finally do get to class, thereby receiving the same opportunities for learning.
Since multimedia presentations are relatively new, they replace antiquated materials that students today lose interest very quickly. This is great for mainstreamed classrooms. The students at all levels of the learning spectrum can identify and use information in a meaningful way to them.
Educators can adapt the multimedia presentation for those students that may be physically challenged. Students with hearing impairments, or physical disabilities will be able to use the hardware adaptations necessary to succeed with the programs.
Language barriers can be knocked down by using any of the language transition facilities, thereby allowing students to use their knowledge in their own language and then translate for the educator to understand or vice-versa.
Multimedia presentations allow students to work at their own pace, teachers are able to implement IEPs more easily. Teaching assistants and non- teaching assistants can help differentiated during special tutoring time.
Motivation: Today’s students need to be motivated to learn now more than ever before. Multi media incorporates learning with entertainment. For the most part, students just enjoy working on computers thereby making learning fun.
Learning styles: Multi media addresses many different learning styles simultaneously. It is a built in way to differentiate instruction to meet the needs of many students.
Drill and practice: Students enjoy practicing and studying much more when they can do so through a multi media game.
Word Processing and Presentations: Final products are much cleaner and neater. It is also a much faster process than writing things out longhand.
Exploration: The use of multi=media allows students to explore areas of interest. It is much easier to jump online to research a topic than to drag oneself to the library and read a book.
It has been said to me by many teachers that teaching non-fiction writing is the hardest thing they have to teach. From hearing those statement has really pushed my thinking about why I find non-fiction writing so enjoyable to teach. I have learned that it is only through the act of writing that we can show students that we value writing and that I see it as both an interest and an essential skill that I use outside the academic classroom. We have to see ourselves as writers if we are to teach writing well.
I write all the time! I have written course syllabuses, brochures, blog post, journal writing, emails, newsletters, thank-you notes, commenting in blogs, lists, brainstorms, organizing a calendar, letters, and more. Many of these things I do daily! I do a lot of writing in a journal and that is different from the writing I do at work. With all that I do, I have to see myself as a writer.
I have to push myself to examine closely how I think, compose, revise, edit and publish. This informs me in my teaching practice. I have to grasp that all learner don’t do this the same way. Some writers their composing and thinking may be lists, thoughts in their head, using Ipadio or an audio recorder or using Voicethread to gather your thoughts over a period of time. My composing and thinking might involve other people by engaging others in face to face conversations, reading from books, magazine, or online references, seeking opinions from bloggers or my Twitter friends, or engaging in collaboration using a VoiceThread.
I might blog my initial thoughts as a way of thinking out loud. This will allow refining my thinking and help organize my idea. It helps me understand what I am trying to learn. My blog then can be revised or used later in revising or composing another non-fiction writing that I am doing for work or pleasure. The bloggers in my Writing in a Digital Classroom had to do a podcast using Ipadio. How many of these learners listened to my podcast or other classmates as a model for digital composition.
The other day I read George Ella Lyon’s poem “Where I’m from” with my Writing in a Digital Classroom as a lead into a quick write. Several participants used Lyon’s poem as mentor text for their digital story.
Writing is reciprocal with reading. We have to teach our learners to find models for good writing. Teaching non-fiction writing we have to surround/immerse writers with genres from different text including print material and digital base. Writing in a Digital Classroom participants learned quickly about blogging by reading and commenting to other bloggers. They had to be immersed in the genre to understand how to write a blog. Quickly they learned how relaxed and sometimes unfinished a blog post may be as educational blogger share their thoughts, what they learning, and their view in the world of education.
By doing lots of nonfiction writing through reading it helps the learner to acquire a deeper, analytical reading skill. They have the edge of developing into skilled reader. Reading nonfiction leads us to read widely, ask questions, and seek out other experts. It is the reading that will take them far into the 21st century. The process allows learner the chance to struggle and be challenged!
Two days ago I watched on the nightly news about a new school in a local school district opening their doors and the principal of this new school was raving about how wonderful the new school was with all the technology in classroom. He proudly bragged about the new Smart Boards in every classroom. He was opening a school of the 21st century!
And I worked in a district that has a Smart Board in every classroom and a few years back, I was one of the first new teachers to get a Promethean Board. I was so excited about this new technology coming to my classroom! I thought wild thoughts about the interactive lessons I could create for one kid at a time to come to the board to “interact” while the rest of my darlings sat there and watched and pretended to pay attention. I can still feel the chills in my bones from that experience.
Later in the year, the district instructional tech coordinator told me she wanted people to visit my classroom so I could put on a show of how I was transforming learning in my classroom. Needless to say there was never any interest in digital writing workshop happening daily with every student with an Alpha Smarts in hand and kids conducting inquiry projects. They were never interested that there were many tasks happening at one time. They were never interested that I only spend an average of 15-20 a class period standing in the front of the room at the board. They were never interested that every student was engaged in learning and learning was differentiated to meet the need of the learner. They were never interested to drop in when my students were writing digital stories or presenting a digit project. But they came to watch me allow one child to interact with the great IWB.
What bothers me the most, like Bill Ferriter , The Tempered Radical, states in a recent blog post “leaders don’t really care whether or not whiteboards change instruction in meaningful ways in their classrooms because whiteboards aren’t an instructional tool in their eyes. Instead, whiteboards have become a PR tool—a tangible representation of innovation that can be shown off to supervisors and parents alike. “ (Bill Ferriter)
Mr. H. Songhai share the Google presentation on his blog Songhai Concepts. He emphasizes a great point that the valuable tool that we all have in our pockets to help us remember. I recently visited an outstanding school in the Horry County School District to learn about their strong literacy and social studies program at Green Sea Floyd Elementary School. As I walked the hall and listened to three wonderful educators talk about the program, I used my cell phone to take pictures content walls, word walls, standards in the box kits, essential questions, anchor charts, social studies notebooks and much more. The other day as I was walking through Pier One Imports- Christmas Shopping- I snapped a picture of an item I might get for my wife for Christmas.
Hats off to Mr. Songhai for sharing his presentation…..
I can make inferences of why the telephone that Alexander Graham Bell began with a sketch. This visual image before it became reality held the knowledge and a great level of inquiry as his invention became reality. This visual image represents knowledge that produced a new technology that changed how we communicate. It serves to connect past learning with future learning. Sure for Mr. Bell it helped organized his thinking for him to go the next step.
“As far as I can remember these are the first drawings made of my telephone–or ‘instrument for the transmission of vocal utterances by telegraph.’” Alexander Graham Bell
How does visual representations hold so much thinking? How does it hold knowledge in place? How does visual representations produce future learning?
We cannot deny that visual representations are so important in the learning process. In so many classrooms it is such a misused teaching tool- especially in the day and age of Interactive Whiteboard and the World Wide Web. Robert Marzono discusses the importance of using visuals in his book What Works in Classroom Instruction. It is the not visual alone but the process that makes the visual meaningful. Mr. Bell’s sketch has a different meaning for me.
In many classrooms today, we find little to hold the thinking and learning that occurred in that room. Many times we find the lack of evidence that learning ever existed.
Mr. Bell’s sketch obviously anchored his thinking for his research. Today it holds his evidence of his thinking.
What evidence of learning do we see when we walk into classrooms? Seriously what do we see when we walk into the mainstream classroom- Cutesy bulletin board, posters-(may be related to present learning but not really), occasional student work, student narrative hanging on the walls, etc.
If our classrooms are learning environments, should they not show case the learning that is happening. Should not students have created artifacts that demonstrate their understanding of standards?
students aren’t involved in project based learning, using the technology becomes simply “old wine in a new bottle.” In order to do this, teachers typically create and reach out to their Personal Learning Networks whether it be the teacher’s lounge at their school, collaborative projects with other teachers, reading and commenting on blogs and getting in on those conversations, attending and presenting at conferences, and/or using social networking sites such as Twitter. Once teachers become involved in these PLNs, the advantages to their professional learning is too many to mention. I think that is a huge advantage!
It has been said to me by many teachers that teaching non-fiction writing is the hardest thing they have to teach. From hearing those statement has really pushed my thinking about why I find non-fiction writing so enjoyable to teach. I have learned that it is only through the act of writing that we can show students that we value writing and that I see it as both an interest and an essential skill that I use outside the academic classroom. We have to see ourselves as writers if we are to teach writing well.
