Cool Tech Tool: Google Notebook

Notebooks and note cards have been used for years to summarize, organize, and track cited references. When using the Internet, it has always seemed a little inefficient to go from electronic references to hand-written notes, only to type content back into electronic text. I have been using Google Notebook for about four weeks and think it has great potential to help students accurately organize and cite Internet resources.

For example, a student locates information on a website relevant to their research topic. They highlight text or images they would like to "clip," right-click, and choose "Note this (Google Notebook) from the pop-up menu.

The highlighted information is automatically transferred to the student's account along with the website address and the date the note was created. The Notebook can be viewed on any computer with Internet access. Do you have students submit their note cards with their report? Google Notebook allows users to make their note pages public or print in an easy-to-read format (sample).

Web 2.0 - Part V: Wikis

It can be a time-consuming process to make a webpage for classroom projects or instruction. TeacherWeb uses forms that simplify the process, but the format only allows students to be consumers of the information. Web 2.0 is about the community of users contributing to the content. Typically, the more users involved the richer the content. The word wiki is derived from the Hawaiian word wiki-wiki meaning quick. On the Internet, a wiki is a webpage that can be created quickly. Wikis generally have the following characteristics:

• Pages are edited within the web browser
• Open for anyone to edit (some require a shared password)
• Content is connected with hyperlinks throughout the wiki
• Edits can be "rolled back" to previous versions

Technology has moved society into the Information Age, but many of our educational practices were designed for the Industrial Age. Outside of school, how often is someone asked to research, write, and present without collaboration? A wiki empowers a group of students to collect, discuss, revise, and evaluate their collaborative efforts. The tools in a wiki give teachers control so the content can be monitored, guided, and assessed.

I could continue writing about wikis and how they can be used in the classroom, but experiencing the technology is the best way to learn. I've set up a sample wiki using my favorite wiki tool: PBwiki (the PB stands for peanut butter... because it is as easy as making a peanut butter sandwich). The PBwiki team designed templates specifically for the education community and understands the needs of teachers. Take a look at the "NP Schools" demonstration site and feel free to contribute and edit content. All you need is the password: trojans

If you have a project idea you think might work well with this technology, please feel free to contact me. You'll be surprised how a project can be developed so wiki-wiki.

PowerPoint with Purpose

PowerPoint can be an effective presentation aid, when used properly. The technology alone though does not guarantee success. If you have ever assigned students to a PowerPoint project, you have probably sat through a number of presentations like this...

Students, as well as teachers, can get wrapped-up in the "bells and whistles" of PowerPoint. Can you remember when you learned how to change the background, insert a picture, and add animation with sounds? The tools can be fun, but we have to teach students to use them to enhance the content, not create distractions. There are a number of books, articles, and websites that offer suggestions for creating PowerPoints with purpose. Here are some of the guidelines I have found useful:

• Plan and outline the content before you touch PowerPoint
• The "80/20 Rule" - 80% of your time on content research, 20% on PowerPoint
• The "6 x 6 Rule" - no more than 6 bullets, no more than 6 words per bullet
• The "10/20/30 Rule" - no more than 10 slides presented in less than 20 minutes with at least 30 pt. text
• Light background with dark text -or- dark background with light text
• Keep it simple - dissolve/fade transitions, animation only when used to enhance the message, no more than 2, easy to read fonts in the entire presentation
• Cite your sources - under an image, after a quote, and on the last slide for research

It is not always easy to follow these guidelines, but they will help focus the attention on the content of the presentation, rather than the technology itself. Teach your students to ask these two questions:

• How does this slide help my audience understand the information better than hearing it alone?
• Does the slide enhance the content or cause distractions?

With these tips and techniques you and your students will be on your way to making PowerPoints with purpose!

Let MarcoPolo Do the Exploring

The Internet can be a valuable classroom resource; the trouble is finding content in the endless web of information. An entire prep period can be spent searching websites for relevant and creditable resources. Wouldn’t it be nice if you had your own personal explorer who would search, review, and even develop integrated lesson plans for you? One of the most famous explorers in history is here to help… MarcoPolo.

MarcoPolo is a collection of seven content websites with lesson plans, student interactive content, downloadable worksheets, links to panel-reviewed websites and additional resources created by the nation's leading education organizations:

The Internet content organized by MarcoPolo is grade-specific, standards-based, and free of charge. Each page has been reviewed by content experts to assure the information is accurate, up-to-date, unbiased, and appropriate for students. For more information about searching for lesson plans and Internet content on MarcoPolo, download the tip sheet.

Still not convinced? The readers of Edutopia, a popular "best practices" magazine selected MarcoPolo as the "Best site to download free lessons and materials."

MarcoPolo, the beneficent behemoth of free lesson sites, took the clear lead in where to find educational gold on the Web. Its search engine scours the online lesson plans of MarcoPolo's partners, including the National Geographic Society, the National Council of Teachers of English, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, and the National Endowment for the Humanities.

If you are interested... next came DiscoverySchool.com, which features lesson plans, online seminars, and the savvy Kathy Schrock. Four sites shared a tie for third: Education World, the New York Times Learning Network, PBS, and Scholastic Teacher.

Stages of Technology Integration: Am I there yet?

For many, technology integration is a new term in education that seems fairly vague. So you might be wondering… What is it? How do I get started? And how will I know when I’m there? Let’s start with “What is it?” A variety of definitions can be found on the internet, but New Prague Area Schools describe it as the following:

Technology Integration happens when classroom teachers use technology effectively & efficiently in the curriculum to improve student achievement. The objective is not learning to use technology; it is using technology to learn.

It’s easy to justify the use of technology in the curriculum: increased student motivation, teaching 21st century skills, differentiated instruction, etc. But in a time of state standards, high-stakes testing, and increased accountability, those reasons may not be enough. Before technology is used in a lesson, two questions should be answered:

1. Will the use of technology increase the number of students who reach the learning objectives or their level of mastery? (effective)
2. Can technology reduce the time required for students to meet the learning objectives? (efficient)

The answers to these questions are not always black and white. Often, a teacher’s comfort and skill level determine the effectiveness and efficiency more so than the technology itself. That is why it is important to understand that technology doesn’t increase student achievement, teachers do. The combination of a teacher’s sound pedagogical practices and technological skills can have a profound impact on student learning. (This is where I insert my own shameless plug to encourage you to take advantage of my tip sheets, web resources, and help sessions.)

“How do I get started?” – One unit at a time… if that sounds overwhelming, one lesson at a time. In other words, you may have to step out of your comfort zone, but make it a step that will allow you and your students to experience success. If your teaching style tends to follow a lecture format with whiteboard notes and an occasional video, try using a LCD projector to display your notes in a PowerPoint presentation with images and United Streaming videos inserted as visual aids. If you have a project-based learning assignment that requires students to create a PowerPoint presentation to demonstrate their knowledge of the learning objectives, give students an option of producing a Photo Story video. We challenge our students (digital natives) to become life-long learners; technology integration gives us (digital immigrants) the opportunity to model that lesson.*

“How will I know when I’m there?” – It will not happen overnight. In the 13-years from 1985 – 1998, the Apple Classrooms of Tomorrow research project investigated the effects technology in the classroom has on teaching and learning. One aspect of the report described the developmental stages teachers progress through as they begin to integrate technology. As you read the descriptions of the stages below, identify the stage of integration that best describes you, the stage you want to reach, and the stage that helps students achieve their highest level of success.

• Entry: The teacher in this stage avoids technology and only uses it when it is required.
• Adoption: The teacher discovers a few technology tools that make his/her job easier. The technology is rarely visible in the classroom and the teacher avoids students interacting with technology.
• Adaptation: The teacher begins to use technology with the students. In this stage, the technology is not really being used to enhance the learning objectives; it is simply an additional step to the assignment (typing a report in Word for example).
• Appropriation: This is the stage of excess. The teacher has gained the skills necessary to use technology across the curriculum, but he/she is so excited about the technology that it becomes the focus of the lesson. The learning objectives become secondary.
• Innovation: You’ve made it! This teacher has the skills and confidence to use a wide variety of technology, but uses the learning objectives to drive the instruction. Technology is another teaching tool used when it is most advantageous to help students reach the desired outcomes.

Whether you choose one unit or one lesson, set a professional goal to increase the effectiveness and efficiency of technology integration in your curriculum. Next year, add one more. It may not seem like much, but if a student has five teachers who are integrating, it can make a significant impact on their education.

*To learn more about digital natives and digital immigrants, read “Teaching Digital Natives” in the October issue.

Teaching Digital Natives

You may have heard the terms Digital Native and Digital Immigrant... As you might guess; it refers to the generation that has grown up using computers, video games, mobile phones, digital music, video cameras, etc. The later refers to the rest of us who have had to learn and adapt to this "new language" in a digital age. Marc Prensky is one of the most well-known experts on the different learning styles of Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants. In his paper, "Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants," Prensky describes today's students as follows:

Digital Natives are used to receiving information really fast. They like to parallel process and multi-task. They prefer their graphics before their text rather than the opposite. They prefer random access (like hypertext). They function best when networked. They thrive on instant gratification and frequent rewards. They prefer games to "serious" work. (Does any of this sound familiar?)

This doesn't mean teachers should stop teaching traditional content in a logical, step-by-step format. Instead, it means that if we want students to "learn how to learn," we need to teach with the 21st century tools they have grown up with, understand, and are motivated to use. Find about 10-minutes to read the linked article; it challenges the notion that we can teach students the way we were taught.