Historic Native Americans of Ohio Project: Integrating technology

Native American Project

Step 1. Research, Research, Research!!

You and your group members will recieve a lap top and a list of web sites to investigate.  You must include information regarding the following (at the very least): When and where in Ohio location/habitat (where are they FROM), homes (what was their shelter made out of, etc.), clothing (what type of clothing did they wear), food (what types of food did they eat/hunt), customs ( religious beliefs and ceremonies, what is specific/special in regards to your tribe), tools/weapons (what types of weapons did they use/make), and at least five fun/unique facts (what is special about your tribe? Who are some famous Native Americans from this tribe? Etc.).

Step 2. Plan & Create!

Make your presentation colorful and use pictures/clip art/drawings to spice it up! USE YOUR CREATIVTIVY!  You may make replicas of the artifacts you research and use them as a visual for your presentation.

Step 3. Finalize and Present!

Remember you will need to be an expert on your tribe because you will be teaching the others in the class about your tribe. Your presentation will be 5-6 minutes at the very least and you will have that time to show & explain your project.  Each student in the groups is required to speak.

Each resource you use must be cited in your bibliography.   You are required to write each fact in a complete sentence and include the page number and resourse where you found the fact.  You can use http://www.noodletools.com/ to aid you in citing your sources and creating your bibligraphy.

**The following are excellent resources! However, you may also use your online  Social Studies book http://www.ohiotextbooks.og/ and Google to find more! J http://www.mce.k12tn.net/indians/navigation/native_american_chart.htm

http://nativeamericans.mrdonn.org/index.html 
 http://50states.pppst.com/ohio.html

http://westernreservepublicmedia.org/onestate/

                                    Name ___________________________

CATEGORY	3	2	1	0
Quality of Information	Information clearly relates to the chosen tribe. It includes details of the tribe\'s including habitat, clothing, food, homes, customs, 5 fun facts, and weapons/tools (at the very least) .	Information clearly relates to the chosen tribe. It includes details on only some of the requirements (4-5).	Information clearly relates to the chosen tribe. It includes details on only a few of the requirements (1-3).	Information has little or nothing to do with the chosen tribe.
Organization	Information is very organized and easy to follow.	Information is fairly organized, but somewhat confusing.	Information is somewhat organized, but confusing.	The information appears to be disorganized.
Amount of Information	All topics are addressed and all questions answered with at least 2 sentences about each.	All topics are addressed and most questions answered with at least 2 sentences about each.	All topics are addressed, and most questions answered with 1 sentence about each.	One or more topics were not addressed.
Internet Use	Successfully uses suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Usually able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Occasionally able to use suggested internet links to find information and navigates within these sites easily without assistance.	Needs assistance or supervision to use suggested internet links and/or to navigate within these sites.
Creativity/ Neatness	Demonstrates creativity and is presented in a neat, organized manner.	Minimal creativity requirements and neatness.	Lacks creativity or neatness.	Absolutely no creativity and is very messy.
Mechanics	No grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors.	Almost no grammatical, spelling or punctuation errors	A few grammatical spelling, or punctuation errors.	Many grammatical, spelling, or punctuation errors.
Presentation	Speaker demonstrates plentiful knowledge of tribe and is able to teach the class effectively.	Speaker demonstrates adequate knowledge of tribe.	Speaker demonstrates minimal knowledge of the tribe.	Speaker seems to lack knowledge of the tribe and is unable to teach the class anything about it.

Overall Score: __________

         The number of online courses that colleges and universities are offering is increasing rapidly, but researchers and educators are concerned about the quality of these courses. “One of the major concerns with online courses is that many of them focus on a traditional knowledge acquisition model of learning rather than on engaging students in complex real-world problems.” (Lou, 2004, p. 49)   In the article, Learning to Solve Complex Problems Through Between –Group Collaboration in Project –Based Online Courses, the author explores whether online classes offer more than knowledge acquisition. “The purpose of this study was to explore whether between-group collaboration in project-based online courses can promote student learning of complex problem solving.” (Lou, 2004, p. 49)  There were eleven participants who were studied; each participant was put into a group of three to four members.  The groups were assigned a project to design and develop a two week online mini course.  The results of the study concluded, “…that between-group collaboration was effective in improving group processes, group project performance, individual achievement, and confidence in complex problem solving in designing online courses.” (Lou, 2004, p. 49)

             “Learners of the 21^st century should have the opportunity to experience virtual collaboration and teamwork, as they must be prepared to communicate across cultural and organizational boundaries using technology.” (Karpova, Correia, & Baran, 2009, p. 45)  In the article, Learn to use and use to learn: Technology in virtual collaboration experience, the author researched, how learning teams use technology to support computer mediated communication.  There were eleven participants who were studied; each participant was an educational technology major.   The members of the study were broken into groups of three of four students.  The results of the study indicated that a model of technology should be used and that model should change at the different stages of the collaboration.  “The model can be used to maximize potential of global teams and facilitate further integration of virtual collaboration into university curricula….The benefits of virtual collaboration were the opportunities to: learn how to use technology in a meaningful way; practice using technology to solve problems; and broaden one’s perspective by communicating with people from different cultures.” (Karpova, Correia, & Baran, 2009, p. 45)

            “Asynchronous instruction occurs in delayed time and does not require the simultaneous participation of students and teacher…Learning events are independently experienced by students and learning is not synchronized in time and space…” (Johnson, p. 46)  “Synchronous instruction occurs in real time and requires the simultaneous participation of students and teacher.” (Johnson, p. 46)  In the article, Synchronous and Asynchronous Text-Based CMC in Educational Contexts: A Review of Recent Research, the author Marie Johnson reviewed the current research and conducted a survey; the results were, “…asynchronous online discussion was reportedly useful for encouraging in-depth, more thoughtful discussion; communicating with temporally diverse students; holding ongoing discussions where achieving is required, and allowing all students to respond to a topic.” (Johnson, p. 46) 

            Each of these articles discussion the importance of learning to work in collaborative groups and as teams; these are skills are necessary in our global economy.  These articles looked at this can be done in a technological situation where face to face meetings to not commonly occur.  The results of each set of research stated that if done correctly students can work as a team in a collaborative environment. 

Works Cited

Johnson, G. M. (n.d.). Synchronous and Asynchrounous Text-Based CMC in Educational Contexts: A Review of Recent Research. TechTrends, 50(4), 46-53.

Karpova, E., Correia, A.-P., & Baran, E. (2009). Learn to use and use to learn: Technology in virtual collaboration experience. Internet and Higher Education, 45-52.

Lou, Y. (2004). Learning to Solve Complex Problems Through Between-Group Collaboration in Project-Based Online Courses. Distance Education, 49-66.

     “Engagement theory is intended to be a conceptual framework for technology-based learning and teaching.” (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 99)  Engagement theory is a theory which stresses the importance of student engagement through the use of collaboration and meaningful tasks.   When a student is engaged they are involved in active cognitive processes, “…such as creating, problem solving, reasoning, decision making, and evaluation.” (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 99)   Engagement theory is similar to other theories, such as the constructivist approaches, situated learning, experimental self- directed learning, and theories of adult learning, because it emphasizes on collaboration among peers, a community of learners, and experimental self-directed learning.

            There are three basic principles of the engagement theory; Relate-Create-Donate.  First, the students must be working in collaborative teams, second the activities must be project based, and third the projects must have an authentic or outside focus.  The idea behind the theory is that the student are engaged while working in collaborative groups and are intrinsically motivated due to the meaningful nature of the project.

            The first component of the theory, relate focusing on team building which includes communication, planning, management, and social skills.  During the process of,                     “… collaboration students are forced to clarify and verbalize their problems, thereby facilitating solutions.  Collaboration also increases the motivation of students to learn.... when students work in teams, they often have the opportunity to work with others from quite different backgrounds and this facilitates an understanding of diversity and multiple perspectives.” (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 99)

            The second component of the theory, create makes the learning creative and purposeful.  The students are forced to define the problem which gives them a, “… sense of control over their learning which is absent in traditional classroom instruction.” (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 99)

            The third component of the theory, donate, “…stresses the value of making a useful contribution while learning.  Ideally each project has an outside “customer” that the project is being conducted for.  This third component bring authentication to the learning process and increases student motivation and satisfaction.

            “Engagement theory is presented as a model for learning in technology-based environments which synthesizes many elements from the past theories of learning.” (Kearsley & Shneiderman, 99)  The key aspect to this theory is that the students must be engaged for active and effective learning to occur.  A teacher or instructor can use technology to facilitate all aspects of engagement through the use of email, Skype, wiki pages, and web databases. 

            This theory is directly related to what I have learned about technology and its use in the classroom.  Technology offers an instant way to draw students in to a lesson.  Using collaborative groups is a great way to teach communication and social skills and offers real life situations for students to work through. 

Our goal as educators must be to teach our students to be successful in the world they live in.  Technology is only going to advance and our economy is a global one.  Our students must learn to work collaboratively and utilizing this theory in the classroom will help promote this type of effective and real life learning.

Social Networking

   

The group that I joined on diigo was brain hacking.  I joined this group because I am very interested in brain research as it is related to teaching and learning.  This diigo group is a full of websites and articles related to how the brain works, and ways to alter the way the brain works.  I’ve an interest in this topic since I began working on my masters and have been studying and reading articles on brain mind education.  The science end of the research is very interesting, but the reading is very heavy; therefore many teachers are reluctant to look into this practice.  I find it intriguing to understand the brain and as was an educator I believe it is my responsibility to understand how people learn.

Social networking sites have become a very popular way for people of all ages to communicate, collaborate, and stay in touch with friends , acquaintances, loved ones, family members, and business associates.  Social networking sites are appealing to people of all ages, races, sexes, and genders.  They have changed how we communicate and made it easier to reach out to people from your past.

 I think for youth in particular social networking sites give one a sense of identity.  They allow youth to participate socially and keep up to date on the latest trends and highlight their own personal interests.   Adults are attracted to social networking sites for some of the same reasons as younger people, but I believe networking and family connections are the main attraction.  Rather young or old social networking sites appeal to all ages because they allow us to communicate in a very non threatening manner.

Currently, I believe social networking can be a distraction for most educational settings, unless a page is being used for educational reasons.   The school I work at is piloting Facebook.  Teachers are allowed to access their sites, but are monitored for activity. I have several teaching resources I access through Facebook, such as scholastic, donors.org, NASA, ODE, and a few others.    I’ve also used it once with my students to show a photo of a bald eagle my aunt took and posted to her page.  The students had read a nonfiction article about bald eagles and the role of the division of wildlife.  I ran across my aunt’s post and pictures and shared it with my students.  They were engaged and interested in me sharing part of my life with them.  I will be the first one to admit I am tempted to check my Facebook during the work day; it is usually open on my desk top. 

I use Facebook and LinkedIn.  I just recently became a member of LinkedIn and I use this site primarily to follow educators and current research trends.  I plan on keeping this site purely professional.   A parent of one of my students sent me an invitation.   She is currently working on her bachelor’s in education and after a conversation we realized we shared many of some philosophies when it came to education.  I try to keep my Facebook strictly social, but I do have a few colleagues.  I have had issues in the past that have caused some controversy with my work place.  An employee reported to a dean that I posted a comment on a day I called off sick.  It wasn’t really an issue with my superiors, but it upset me that my colleague tried to take it there.  I’ve also had to ask some of my friends and family to watch what they say on their page due to my ethical obligation as a teacher.  Overall, I use Facebook to keep current with my friends and family and to find teaching ideas and resources. 

Gaming in the classroom??

     Using gaming and other visual stimulation activates engagement, gives immediate feedback, promotes critical thinking, and gives student a real experience to connect their learning too.  Arne Duncan, the US Secretary of Education, cites that games offer feedback to the player, can be used to assess comprehension and provide problem solving opportunities (Johnson, Adams and Haywood p 18). 

     Gaming is also a great tool when you want to differentiate instruction.  I use coolmath.com, which is a game site created for student learning.  There are all sorts of math activities from learning vocabulary, to practicing facts and application, to digital gaming which introduces more complex math concepts.  This site is great resource when you want to add some zest to your lesson plans.  The students enjoy it and are able to ask for help if needed.

      The second site I investigated and have also used with my own students is industrylayer.com.    I used this site as an extension to my economics unit I taught were the students and I created an economic system in our classroom.  The students and I investigated the game in the classroom as a group and then they were instructed to use it during their free time at home.  The students were able to have an authentic experience verses the created system in the classroom. 

     The parents of my students were very impressed with what the students created.  We followed up the unit by having career day.  The parents came in and spoke about their careers and the students shared what they learned either in the classroom economic system and a career they researched or using the information from the site industry.com. NMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12 Edition that on average gamers are in their mid-thirties and that 64% of parents view electronic games are a “positive force in their children’s lives” (p 18).   Using this site also offered a great school parent connection.

     The third site I investigated was http://more.starfall.com/. This site was tailored for younger students, but it offered great resources for teachers and parent for math and reading.  The site was children friendly and was brightly colored and attractive.  It also had multiplication and division as well as some great songs to accommodate a curriculum.

     In my opinion, gaming is a great resource to use in an educational setting.  It benefits the teachers, parents, and the students.  Gaming offers a great way to differnitate instruction and offers a home school connection.   Gaming has etched its way permanently into our society so using this resource in the classroom teachers curriculum and supports technology skills.

           

Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., (2011). The NMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Willis, H., Levine, A., and Haywood, K., (2011). The 2011 Horizon Report.

Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

www.industryplayer.com

www.coolmath.com

 http://more.starfall.com/

Open Content and EBooks

I access lesson plans and activities frequently from the internet and modify them for use in my classroom.  Until this week’s assignment I was unaware that this process had a name and was getting the attention that it has.  I work at a charter school and teach science and social studies to 4^th grade students.  I do not have text books for either subject so it’s my responsibility as the teacher to find information that matches the content and standards I teach.  When I find a good lesson I change some aspects of it to meet my student’s needs and I tend to “own” it by adapting it to my teaching style.  If used correctly open content has many advantages for teachers and students alike.

I think educators understand the importance of sharing resources, but I do understand how some would disagree with open content.  I frequently share ideas with colleagues and eventually I plan on sharing my ideas on line as well.  Open content reminds me of a saying passed along to me during my internships as a pre-service teacher, I was told to successful as a beginning teacher to I would need to, “Beg, borrow, and steal.”

Although, I believe this is somewhat unethical,  I also believe to be a great educator it is necessary to gather  up to date lesson plans and ideas that are proven to work.  Another disadvantage of open content is the possibility of the information not being credible or if a teacher uses a lesson plan or idea without changing it to meet the needs of the students or their particular style.  Both of these issues can be avoided if the teacher checks the information first.  The issue of ethics can also be corrected if you just simply cite where you obtained the information.  I teach the students not to plagiarize, so I make sure to point out where I found a particular idea with my students.  Creative Commons can help to remedy this issue by allowing information to be shared, and protected by licenses.  http://creativecommons.org/licenses/.

I also agree, with the Horizon Report (20110 that EBooks will be next big thing for educators to use in the classroom.  EBooks offer interactive activities and lessons and are very engaging for the studenst and easy to use for the classroom teacher.  With all the information available on the World Wide Web it would be elementary to assume it wouldn’t be shared among professions.  Ebooks and Open content offer up to date material that other educators have used and has been proven to be effective in the classroom.  I believe this topic with continue to be heavily debated and in regards to ethics and copy writes, but the advantages out way the controversy.

In the Clouds...

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I would like to start off by saying I thought I was "Internet savvy" until I completed this assignment.  I taught myself a lot by completing this lesson. 

The first site I investigated was http://www.studyblue.com/.  This website offers students and teachers the ability to make and study flashcards online.  The site states it is a digital book bag.  I believe this site could offer great benefits for teachers and students alike.  It would cut down on note taking and paper consumption and would allow the students to save their notes digitally and have access to them whenever they have access to the Internet.  No more lugging around tons of paper notebooks filled with notes. 

The second site I investigated was The DimensionU Learning  http://www.dimensionu.com/default.aspx .  This site will benefit teachers and students because it offers curriculum and games that are engaging and fun. The downfall is that you do have to purchase this program, but they do offer some games that are free.

The third site I investigated was http://www.espressoeducation.com/.  Out of the three sites I found this would be the most beneficial to education.  As educators we are constantly told to connect learning to the lives of our students.  This site brings together current news articles that are age and curriculum appropriate.  Each week there is a new list of articles.  These articles are achieved for easy access.  There are also links for each article that offer quizzes to test listening skills.  Where I teach we use non fiction articles to teach skills at least twice a week.  This would really cut down on the time I spend searching the Internet for articles.  I also use news article to teach current events.  This site is also a paid site, but it seems well worth the money.
 

Wikipedia defines a tag as, “… a non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information (such as an Internet bookmark, digital image, or computer file).”  Tagging helps describe an item and allows it to be found easily by browsing or searching.  

Vitaly Friedman states that tag clouds, “… can provide visitors with an instant illustration of the main topics, giving a very specific and precise orientation of the site’s content.”  Word clouds can also be used in the classroom to begin or focus on word choices in writing such things as personal narratives or analyzing a famous speech. 

Social bookmarking is my new best friend.  As a teacher I have a set of favorites on each of the computers I use; school, lap top, and my home PC.  This tool will give me access to all my favorite sites at a touch of a bottom.  It will also allow me to save articles or any other information I find valuable and allow me to access it anytime using an Internet connection.

All of these valuable tools cut down on the amount of time we would spend either searching or trying to access information on the web.  Time is valuable to educators and students.  These tools will affect teaching and learning in a manner that will be faster and will allow access to the most current up to date information.