Let the Games Begin...

Bringing GPS and GIS into the classroom

2008-04-11T20:58:00.000-07:00

Technological applications such as digital mapping, GPS, and GIS technologies can add much depth to scientific explorations. For my wildlife biology class I taught this Spring semester, I wanted to find a way to incorporate this technology into the curriculum.

As a class, we began our integration of technology by exploring Google Earth and other digital mapping applications. We spent two days using Google Earth and navigated through content layers that presented information about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and a sea level rise simulation associated with climate change data. Once the students had become comfortable with Google Earth and gained some map reading skills, we began the second phase of our exploration – data collection. By using a digital topographical map of a local watershed (Indian River) we were able to generate the coordinates of our randomly selected plot centers. Once we had these data points, we could enter the values into handheld GPS units and physically find the locations.

Once the transects were established, students calculated percent canopy cover and counted the presence of fecal pellet groups. With the data, we were hoping to calculate an estimate of how many deer live in the Indian River watershed. We also will be able to evaluate the correlation between percent canopy cover and deer presence.

Using handheld GPS units was a huge success with my students. The group was so excited to get outside and explore the region we were studying. If I were to do this project in the future, I would spend more time studying digital topographical maps with my students. The limitations of time, budget, and technology affected the depth at which we could utilize technology in this project.

If I had more time to research another technology, I would like to use the Stand Visualization Simulation (SVS) program developed by the US Forest Service. With the percent canopy cover data my class obtained from our transects, I think it would be really interested to apply this data and create model that simulated our forest composition.

Please click on the links below to check out each of the lesson plans:

Lesson 1

Lesson 2

Lesson 3

Lesson 4

Lessons 5+6

Please click on the following links to explore data layers of Google Earth:

Add Content Layers Menu

Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

Modeling Sea Level Rise

The Overdominance of Computers Article Assessment

2008-02-18T17:01:00.000-08:00

Personal Reflection:

As I read through Professor Monke’s article, I felt much more at ease compared to the previous articles. I can identify and agree with great enthusiasm with his message. Although my eyes have been widen to many new experience throughout my student teaching this year, the most startling was the realization that children are not being adequately prepared with appropriate social skills.

Without interacting directly with their world through outdoor exploration, communication skills and developing social skills, children become disengaged and robotic in their actions. Students of all ages are highly addicted to their gadgets, be it an ipod, cell phone, guitar hero, or lap top computer. Gone are the days of playing kickball or basketball after school. Why hang out with your friends when you can text them instead?

I truly believe that technology plays an amazing and quintessential role in education and preparing our students to be leaders in society. However, we still need to teach our children to be humans, not machines.

To see the full assessment please click on the following link: Overdominance

Assistive Technologies Article Assessment

2008-02-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

Personal Reflection:

Although I am curious about some of the assistive technologies available, this article is such a contrast compared to the last article we read, “The Overdominance of Computers”. I think that assistive technologies can be a valuable tool in education, however, some of the programs I read about seem rather frightening to me.

If a child is struggling with literacy, or reading comprehension, it seems like working with a living, breathing, human being would be much more valuable than a computer. My hackles also rise slightly when I think about students with learning disabilities being removed from a group activity for their obligatory computer time. That seems like a horrible stigma to instill on any child.

The concept that watching videos can increase reading comprehension sounds like a dangerous idea to me. Granted I am not a reading teacher, but nonetheless, I believe that background knowledge should be acquired through experience rather than watched in a video. Children need to be taught how to think and interact with their reading. I fear that watching videos and having a computer generate your thoughts will roboticize our students.

We must remember that, computers can’t replace people!

To read the full article assessment please click on the following link: Assistive Technology

Great Resources and Online Communities to Check Out

2008-02-09T20:14:00.001-08:00

I can't even imagine creating curriculum without the assistance of internet resources. The internet offers some amazing sites that to get the wheels spinning, or if you're really lucky, maybe even some great lesson plans ready for action.

For folks interested in hands-on science instruction, I have found some valuable sources that have shaped my curriculum development.

Websites:

1. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is an excellent source of wildlife information and even offers some curriculum ideas, although most of the materials are for a younger audience.

2. 2007-2008 marks the International Polar Year. This website is an invaluable resource for climate change research and information.

3. The Exploratorium museum has developed a web page that has all sorts of interesting links. While teaching a Physical Science class, I was able to modify some really cool lesson plans regarding "Skateboard Science".

Online Community:

While teaching a unit on wildlife biology this year, I found a particularly helpful blog titled: The biology blog. This has been a great source that publishes current discoveries in animal and plant biology. A RSS feed option is available, and has provided an easy way to find 'grabbers' for the beginning of class. My students are currently working on adding a post on the adaptation of animals in Alaska.

Viva a Revolucion!

2008-02-08T22:19:00.000-08:00

The digital storytelling project has inspired me to become more vocal. There are so many stories that need to be told. Digital storytelling is a powerful way to communicate and express creativity. This project opened me to the idea of sharing more of my stories. I have long been paralyzed by shyness and many of my stories have been silent for years.

I look forward to finding a way to incorporate this medium into my classroom. Finding adequate technology for students may prove challenging, but I think the potential for high quality student work is huge.

To check out my digital story about volunteering with an agrarian reform movement in Brazil, please click on the following link: Viva a Revolucion!

Let Your Voices Be Heard!!!

2008-02-08T21:32:00.000-08:00

We've all got a story to tell; now is the time to let it out. Each of you has experienced something so real, something so fantastic, something so unique that is just waiting to shake the world.

For this assignment, choose a memory or experience that you would like to relive through storytelling.

Once you have your vision, you will use i-movie, or movie maker software to construct a film short that brings your story to life through sounds, words, music, and images.

Your piece should consist of:
1. A story map to give you direction
2. A minimum of 12 images
3. A brief description of what your story communicates
4. A self-evaluation assessment of the quality of your work

For a better understanding of how this assignment will be assessed, please read over the rubric.

Story Map - Phase I

2008-01-26T11:56:00.001-08:00

(Feel free to click on the image for a clearer view)

This is the beginning sketch of a digital story project I am in the midst of creating. Several years ago I spent a year volunteering with an agrarian reform movement called the Movimento Sem Terra (MST) in rural Brazil. It is time for me to revisit that chapter and share the story with you.

And Now for Something Completely Different...

2007-11-24T13:35:00.000-08:00

In conclusion of the fall semester, we were given the opportunity to create a short film illustrating our personal philosophy of education. What initially seemed a very daunting task proved otherwise. Despite my inherent "technophobia," the assignment evolved into a creative project.

If you would like to see my film, please follow the link: Kate Coseo's Ed philosophy movie

Live, late breaking research

2007-11-03T21:22:00.000-07:00

In order to improve my presenting skills, I recorded myself delivering my energy conservation powerpoint. If you would like to view this presentation, please click on the following link: Toyo stove presentation.

Weaknesses: For anyone who knows me, it is no surprise that presenting information to a group (i.e. more than one person) is not one of my primary strengths. Upon first glance of my presentation, it is obvious that the lighting could definitely be improved. The room in which the film was recorded did not have windows, and the fluorescent lighting was not ideal to film under either. To improve as a presenter, I think that I could have spoken more clearly.

Strengths: Despite my dread for formal presentations, I think that I covered any nervousness I was experiencing quite well. I felt very prepared and feel as though I appeared organized. I think my presentation was professional and summarized my research project sufficiently.

Energy Conservation Project Results and Findings:

2007-10-27T14:48:00.000-07:00

As winter approaches and the cost of heating oil continues to rise, evaluating fuel consumption is increasingly important. In an effort to reduce the amount of fuel I burn this year, I conducted a study examining my current trends in heating my home with a Toyostove L-56.

Over the course of a 14-day study period, the amount of fuel burned to heat my living space was calculated. From the data generated, I was able to establish a baseline for my fuel consumption. I was then able to manipulate my data in order to make predictions about how lifestyle changes might affect fuel consumption.

I highly encourage you to think about how fuel is being consumed in your home. Small changes you make each day can add up significantly over the course of an entire year. A powerpoint that explains my research in greater depth can be found at the following link: Fuel consumption presentation.

The data generated and various manipulations of the data can be viewed at the following link: Toyo stove data

Tools for the Mind

2007-10-02T21:10:00.000-07:00

“Tools for the Mind”, by Mary Burns

Article Overview:

Administrators are scrutinizing the utility of computers in the classroom heavily these days; are computers really helping students achieve higher order learning? Insatiable budget requests have caused much reflection on the issue. One concern voiced by the author was that applications used in the majority of classrooms are not conceptually challenging. Instead of the Microsoft Office suite alone, students should be utilizing spreadsheet, databases, and more complex applications such as GIS. Such applications lead students to analyze and critically think about their learning.

School districts need to embrace the idea of higher order thinking. Burns makes the suggestion for teachers to engage in professional development opportunities that will help them better understand and incorporate the full potential of technology in their classrooms.

Reference Points:

Computers can transform student learning.

Educators are scrutinizing their potential value as an instructional tool.

Many districts have not made the kinds of accommodations necessary to allow for the full capitalization of classroom technology…

We often classify all software applications as cognitively and instructionally equal.

Classrooms rarely use spreadsheets or databases, which are conceptually and technically more difficult.

[Powerpoint] fails to promote deep, complex, or even developmentally appropriate learning.

Students practice their critical thinking skills by making assumption s, coding assumptions as variables, manipulation variables, analyzing outcomes, and evaluating and displaying data both quantitatively and visually.

If higher order thinking is a main goal of instruction, then teachers themselves must keep sharpening their critical thinking skills.

Professional development should focus on core areas of teaching - content knowledge, curriculum, instruction, and assessment.

Reflection:

I think that Burns makes some solid points in her article and offers some great suggestions and challenges for school districts to better utilize technology. I would be very keen and willing to participate in professional development opportunities developed on increasing higher-order thinking. It is important to recognize that having computers is not the end all, students and teachers need to be empowered and enabled to use technology to its highest potential.

Although Burns criticizes the overuse of the Microsoft suite complex, I have to argue that I find it a super valuable resource in the classroom. Word, excel, and powerpoint are used extensively by our students to organize and analyze data and produce visuals such as graphs and tables to illustrate their conclusions.

ENERGY!

2007-10-01T15:17:00.000-07:00

Simple wiring: La Paz, Bolivia

Energy Conservation Research Project : A look into my life and habits...

The Questions: How much is energy is consumed heating my living space and how can I heat the space more efficiently?

Although I receive an oil bill each month, I wanted to get a better sense of how I could better manage fuel consumption in my home. Armed with the mission to burn less oil this winter, I have embarked upon a research project to get to the bottom of this.

I began my research wondering how many Sitka residents heat their homes with oil as well, and collectively, how much fuel could we save if we had more information. It turns out that over 80% of our community is heating with oil.

Data Collection: For 14 days I will chart the operation times and burning rates for the Toyo stove Laser 56 that heats my home. From this data, I will be able to chart fuel consumption rates and estimate fuel costs for the month, year, etc. I will also investigate ways to increase the efficiency and heat retention of my home.

Technology Assessment of Sitka High School, Sitka, Alaska

2007-09-24T12:10:00.000-07:00

In order to gain a further understanding of the technology culture of Sitka High School, several questions were investigated in a research report.

Research Findings:

Sitka High School is school that is embracing technology from all directions. Teachers, departments, administration, and students are heavily involved in increasing the technological capacity of what the school offers through courses and instruction delivery. The school is equipped with two computer labs, wireless Internet, and digital media equipment. In addition, many teachers provide students with the opportunity to interact with technology in their classrooms. Programs such as Powerpoint, Chief Architect, Auto-CAD, and PLATO are incorporated directly into the curriculum.

After speaking with various faculty members about the technology culture at Sitka High, it has become clear to me that our school is part of the technology movement. The staff and administration have developed a vision and mission statement that will carry our school well into the future.

To read the entire report, please click on the following link:http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddn5bd54_0fmdrjk

The Read/Write Web

2007-09-11T21:17:00.000-07:00

“The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web”, by Will Richardson

Overview

The Read/Write Web is a forum that has revolutionized journalism, politics, business, and the classroom experience. In his article, “The Educator’s Guide to the Read/Write Web”, Will Richardson explains how advances in the Internet open up new avenues for learning and sharing information. Blogs can serve as a powerful tool where students can create and share their data, work, and thoughts with a global audience. The Read/Write Web has provided a wealth of information to the public in the form of blogs, wikis, and Really Simple Syndications (RSS), such as podcasts.

Richardson points out that the quality of student productions greatly improves when the audience is broadened beyond solely the teacher. The flood of information students can now access with the click of a button demands that educators prepare students adequately for synthesizing and evaluating the quality of sources. The scope of literacy has expanded beyond the bounds of simply reading and writing. Today’s students need to understand authenticity, and develop editing skills instead of more simple reading skills. The Read/Write Web takes learning to another level: students have access to professional scientists and authors, classrooms have no walls, and the potential for collaboration takes on new meaning.

Reference Points:

1. The Internet is no longer simply a place where digital learners consume information.
2. Teachers are using blogs to build classroom resource portals and to foster online learning communities.
3. A wiki is a website that anyone can edit at any time.
4. There are no technological safeguards against a user putting bogus information into the site or vandalizing an entry; the community of people using the wiki keeps the information accurate by policing itself.
5. Podcasting, which can best be described as creating amateur home radio programs and widely distributing them on the Web.
6. The awareness of even a small audience can significantly change the way a student approaches writing and other school assignments.
7. They [students] need to know how to identify the source’s reputation, compare the information with what’s already known, and make a judgment about its authenticity and relevance.
8. Digital tools allow students to work together outside school
9. The Web can also act as a student notebook or portfolio,
a searchable repository capturing evidence of what a student ahs learned throughout his or her education.

Reflection:

Just one week into my teaching internship, I was rudely awakened to the alarming fact that many students have not a clue what makes an authentic source. Wikipedia is EVERYWHERE! Bad sources are plentiful and it is essential that we provide students with the skills necessary to navigate and sift through extremely accessible heaps of information. Yes, indeed, blogs and podcasts can be empowering tools that unite voices often unheard or muted by the mainstream media, however, we mustn’t forget to listen, read, absorb with a critical lens.

“Listen to the Natives”, by Marc Prensky

2007-09-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

Overview
In his article, “Listen to the Natives”, Marc Prensky calls attention to the fact that while students are rising with the age of technology, the system at large is not. Teachers can’t reach students to the best of their ability without embracing the technologies available and empowering students directly to engage deeper in their learning. Today’s students are intimately connected with technology in a way that most teachers can’t grasp. Incorporating technology and programming skills into a school curriculum does not only benefit students, but has the potential to enhance teaching opportunities and increase the efficiency of day-to-day tasks. Prensky feels that it is the responsibility of educators to include students in school decisions, curriculum development, and teaching methods. Students, in his opinion, need choices and the ability to make their own decisions. With the aid of technology, we have access to a global classroom where students can take learning to a level unimaginable to most adults. It is a time of great change in the classroom. Educators need to accept this change and develop a vision for learning that capitalizes on content that is relevant and meaningful for today’s student.

Reference Points:

1. Our students, as digital natives, will continue to evolve and change so rapidly that we won’t be able to keep up.
2. We also need to select our teachers for their empathy and guidance abilities rather than exclusively for their subject matter knowledge.
3. Our young people often have a much better idea of what the future is bringing than we do.
4. As 21st century educators, we can no longer decide for out students; we must decide with them…. We need to include our students in everything we do in the classroom…
5. It’s only by listening to and valuing the ideas of our 21st century students that we will find solutions to many of our thorniest education problems.
6. If we let our students choose all the groups they want to be part of – without forcing them into any one group- we will all be better off.
7. Programming is perhaps the key skill necessary for 21st century literacy.
8. Teachers can also arrange fro certain students to teach these classes to their peers.
9. Students should be learning 21st century subject matter, such as nanotechnology, bioethics, genetic medicine, and neuroscience.

Reflection:
I agree with many of Prensky’s suggestions, and recognize the critical need to incorporate technology in the classroom, however, I feel as though he went a bit overboard. Educators are not entertainers. The focus of school never has been, nor should be, entertainment. Prensky’s claims that cell phones are extensions of students’ brains and that students should reserve the right to use their phones in class if a presentation is not compelling, strikes a powerful discord with me. Learning is work, being a student is a job. In addition to academics, we need to teach our children respect, listening skills, and how to act as a human being. If students can only relate to their ipods and their “virtual realities”, we will loose every sense of connectivity between generations and physical human beings. Is this really the direction we are choosing to head in?

Epic 2015

2007-09-03T19:41:00.000-07:00

What impacts could the developments portrayed in epic2015 have on your classroom, particularly with respect to things like podcasting?

I must admit I found the piece slightly overwhelming and even a bit scary. I think the potential impacts of technology in the classroom are enormous. Children, especially teenagers, interact with technology in such an intimate fashion. In fact, I have witnessed this past week, it is in fact their identity in some cases.

The prediction that individuals’ lives will be virtually connected through podcasting and gps delivered news communications is eerily believable. Students may have difficulty discerning between fact and sensational interpretations podcasts. Information is everywhere; this is the amazing, powerful, revolutionizing reality we find ourselves in today. As educators, it is our responsibility to teach students beyond the "standards" and equip them with the skills of critically evaluating information. Perhaps not everything you may read on this blog is true.

It is good to think for yourself.

Futuring Rxn

2007-09-03T19:03:00.001-07:00

How would you “grade” or assess Fox Becomes a Better Person, and School Train?
______________________________________________________________
If students are going to create digital media presentations to prove their competency in understanding a subject matter, clear and objective rubrics need to be constructed and explained to the students prior to embarking on the assignment. It is essential that projects are graded objectively and not assessed and/or influenced by the ‘entertainment value’ of the piece. If a creative, entertaining product is desired by the evaluator, this needs to be stated in the rubric as one component of the assignment.

For assessment purposes, it is essential that digital media productions are student created and not contrived by an eager parent or sibling. Pieces need to be purposeful and relevant.

Critical Evaluation: Despite not having the rubric, my gut provides me with a few feelings of its own.

- Even after several painful viewings, I still fail to find the purpose or relevancy of 'School Train'. I'm not entirely convinced that was a authentic student production either. Indeed they were involved, but how does it demonstrate their learning? C

- I admire Hannah immensely. There is no doubt Miss Hannah was the mastermind behind Fox becoming a better person. A+

A Change of Pace

2007-09-02T22:27:00.000-07:00

My wanderings have a different feel this year; oddly enough, a laptop computer and some "adult shoes" have replaced my grimy backpack and running kicks.

This web blog is my attempt of digitalizing my technophobic world and embracing the change and education I have jumped into wholeheartedly. In the pages that follow, you will find excerpts of material created for the MAT graduate program at the University of Alaska Southeast.