edu-tastic

The task of using technology in the classroom seemed really daunting at first, because of the number of tools, subjects, and how easy it would be to just replace, rather than supplement, instruction with computer games. My practicum assignment now has computers and projectors and microscopes and Interwrite tablets available in every classroom, but I realize that not all schools will have access to all these tools. One of the easiest technological tools to implement in the classroom would be webquests. They are easily accessible for any school with a computer lab or any classroom with a projector. Webquests are important, then, because they can be used practically everywhere and cover so many topics. Another great thing: there’s tons already made. Having a collection of resources is great because you can use and modify them according to your needs. In my practicum classes, they used subscription sites, like BrainPop, quite frequently. The disadvantage to this, of course, is the paid subscription. My cooperating teacher took full advantage of trial periods and multiple registered email addresses though. Using technology in the classroom also increases student responsibility in their learning because of their interactive nature, whether working through a webquest, posting to a blog, or typing on DANAs. Writing the technology lesson plans also helped in understanding how technology could be implemented in the classroom, as well as the potential problems that could arise. The teachers I talked with about using technology generally had the same idea, “If it works, it’s great, but always have Plan B.”

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After reading the article about digital game-based learning, I tried to remember when games in the classroom ever aided student learning. My elementary and middle schools didn’t have much access to computers, most of my educational game playing happened at home, with ridiculously slow games with math and robots. It’s also a tricky task trying to give every student equal access to the computer game. I remember this game about a kid lost in a museum that was installed on the two computers in our fourth grade classroom. If you did well in class or on assignments, you got a fifteen minute coupon at the computer during recess or lunch. Our teacher didn’t take into account that the game took ten minutes to load and that we were greedy little ten-year-olds who would do anything to get another computer fix. This was a good motivation strategy; behavior and performance on assignments improved, but to such a degree that there were two-week waiting lists to use the computer. Our teacher tried to put us in groups, but that ended quickly with a mouse-throwing incident. That was the last day the game was on the computer. But now, with increased access to technology and multiple computers in every classroom, it would be beneficial to include educational games in instruction and review, as long as you have a fair use policy implemented.

The first website that came up when I searched for educational online games was FunBrain. It’s a very misleading name. The games are good for the classroom setting because they’re just straightforward math and language arts drills with some dinky clip-art thrown in, but they’re not that exciting for kids. The only games with animation, of course, are the arcade games.

FunSchool had a good selection of educational games, as well as some bonus arcade games and printable worksheets teachers could use in the classroom. The games are divided into math, social studies, and language arts; each of the categories contains several activity centers about a certain topic, like dinosaurs or pirates; in each of these centers, there are bonus games (Pirate Puke, anyone?) as well as quizzes.

PBS Kids would also be a good website to have bookmarked on classroom computers. There are games that tie into shows that younger students will have already seen, as well as stories and videos. This site would be great because teachers know all of the content is appropriate and it addresses all subject areas.

This one I just included for nostalgia, BrainQuest, which I would spend hours playing. It didn’t seem so nerdy and sad back then, but I didn’t know their reassuring slogan: “It’s OK to Be Smart!” You can smell the vengeance. They should have  added, “Got that, Bobby McKelty from third grade?!”

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I found a webquest called Changing Matter that deals with the a few grade science objectives. Students are, at this point, supposed to understand that matter can take different forms, to recognize the different characteristics of each form of matter, and to understand how matter can change forms. The webquest is an interactive model of particles in each form of matter. It first shows how increasing temperature causes vibrations between the particles in a solid ice cube, then how they move apart from each other as they melt into a liquid, and how eventually the particles turn into vapors. This process is illustrated with water, a thermometer, and a chart. When the process is finished, the webquest poses extra questions, but never answers them. They are intended, I guess, to promote discussion and further learning. It would have been more effective if it had offered explanations to these question, links to other sources, or at least incorporated the research into some activity. Overall, I think it’s a good model of changing matter. It’s easy to understand and the explanations are helpful for a younger student. The fact that it is just a website application makes it easily accessible for most classrooms. In a classroom, the webquest could be a supplement to a lesson about changing matter. It seems like it should only be used with younger grades; there is no real activity, it is only a model that kind of replaces the activity. It is also more practical and safe than actually using a Bunsen burner in an elementary school, especially with younger grades.

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When skimming through the classroom blogs and listening to the podcasts, I was amazed at the quality of the productions, and by the fact that third graders knew what a podcast was, and how to make it. It still scares me a little when I see eleven-year-olds with cell phones and iPods, especially if they’re newer than the one I have. But the students who make podcasts and record their progress in the classroom are amazing. Technology, in these cases, is acting like a record and review of everything that has happened in the classroom. I listened to a couple of episodes of the Bob Sprankle/Room 208 podcasts. Students explained the creating of a podcast and how the project of podcasting fits into their normal school curriculum. Although they say that they spend a lot of time making the podcast, it seemed like it wasn’t as much of a replacement to their normal curriculum, but a supplement to the material. In the episodes I listened to, students reviewed what they learned in class, what future projects were planned, and how those projects turned out. Creating the podcast, and broadcasting it on the internet, and allowing other people to email and respond to it, makes the process seem important, because someone will be able to listen to the product. It’s not just paintings on their mom’s refrigerator, it’s something that anyone with an internet connection can access. This gave students a sense of pride in their work, and also responsibility for the finished product. I also liked the organization of the project. Each student has individualized pages and is responsible for a certain section of the website and podcast, but they were all linked together in the finished product. Allowing each student to focus on one area that they are interested in kept them interested in the project, and also utilized their specific talents and interests.

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