Digital Media: New Learners of the 21st Century

I thought this was a fascinating video and well worth the hour spent watching.   Although all of the programs highlighted promoted the idea of evolving the traditional classroom, each program is extremely interesting in its own way.  The program I felt most captivated by, however, was “Quest to Learn” in New York City.  Although not a big “gamer” myself, I thought this school sounded ridiculously fun!  I loved how the students, although young, were using phrases like “system based”, “trial and error” and “fun, hands-on activities” to explain their time in the classroom. 

As a teacher, you’re always trying to get your students to analyze and synthesize what they’ve learned, and through this digital learning it seems to come naturally to the students.  The teachers were always able to take it one step further to continue to engage the students; why do a paper comic strip on a fable when you can make a 3D game illustrating the same concepts.   Although an essential skill, problem solving is not something you can teach, but rather it needs to be practiced through real life or digital experiences. 

Focus of the Semester!

This semester I am going to target 2^nd grade History and Social Studies.  I am not exactly sure what specifically I want to focus on, but I’m thinking either China and Egypt or Native Americans.  I’ve included both of the standards below (History and Geography) because you really can’t teach one without the other, and I think I could find some pretty cool map websites and activities that focus on either culture(s) as well as the history.

 

History

2.1  The student will explain how the contributions of ancient China and Egypt have influenced the present world in terms of architecture, inventions, the calendar, and written language.

2.2 The student will compare the lives and contributions of three American Indian cultures of the past and present, with emphasis on the Powhatan of the Eastern Woodlands, the Lakota of the Plains, and the Pueblo peoples of the Southwest.

Geography

2.4 The student will develop map skills by

  a) locating the United States, China and Egypt on world maps;

  b) understanding the relationship between the environment and the culture of ancient China and Egypt;

  c) locating the regions of Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo Indians on Unites States maps; 

  d) understanding the relationship between the environment and the culture of the Powhatan, Lakota, and Pueblo Indians. 

2.5  The student will develop map skills by

   a) locating the equator, the seven continent, and the five oceans on maps and globes;

   b) locating selected rivers (James River, Mississippi River, Rio Grande, Huang He, and Nile River), mountain ranges (Appalachian Mountains and Rocky Mountains), and lakes (Great Lakes) in the Unites States and other countries.  

 

To address different learning styles I could have the students complete various types of projects at the end of the unit, for example they could build a diorama of a researched tribe, or write an editorial blog post on the contributions of ancient China and Egypt.  Throughout the unit, I could also include centers where students research a relevant topic using only books or only the internet in preparation for a mini debate as to which American Indian culture they would want to be a member.  The students could also create a chant about their designated culture that represents the lives and contributions to share with the class and on schoolstube.com for friends and family to view.  On a website called Time Rime you can make interactive timelines, and I’m really interested in learning more about Google Earth to see how it can be used for history topics as well.

Giving Reluctant Students a Voice

This was a really interesting article, and although it seems obvious, I had not considered the possibility of using a blog for classroom discussions before.  Looking back at the online class I’ve taken in the past, I did feel more confident in my responses because I don’t know anyone in the class so they couldn’t knowingly judge me or my response.  Depending on your students’ access to internet though, this may not be appropriate to use as a homework assignment, but it could be used as a center in the classroom.  Using a blog and/or discussion board would be easier with 4^th grade and older, but with some training and lots of modeling, I think it could also be used in the primary grades. 

If computers weren’t readily available, I wonder if chart paper set up at a center for students to respond on would have a similar effect.  As with the blog example, the students would be assigned random numbers they would include with their response so the teacher would be able to keep track of each response.   I don’t know if this would have the same anonymity as a blog, but it may create a slightly more comfortable environment for those less eager to participate in class discussions. 

Free Technology for Teachers = best blog ever (besides this one of course!)

Free Technology for Teachers (www.freetech4teachers.com) is an amazing resource for integrating technology into the classroom; I could definitely spend hours exploring this site before I really felt like I had a good grasp on what all it has to offer!  The best part about it, of course, is that everything is free!  So often I am searching online for the perfect activity and/or graphic organizer, and right when I think that I found it I receive the dreaded, “FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY” message, this does not seem the case here.  The blog also seems pretty well organized and easy to navigate with clearly labeled links. 

A few personal highlights include the following: instructions how to create a quiz using Google forms for quick and automatic grading; a link to ABCya.com – a FREE website with math, typing and word games for elementary grades; a link to free teacher printables; “47 alternatives to using YouTube in the classroom”, including school tube (where you can share and view students’ work), teacher tube (for and by teachers), Snag Films (contains free, full length documentaries), and CNN  Student News (presents current stories that appeal to school aged children); instructions and a template for creating a fake facebook wall for fictional/historical characters; and specific links for more math, science and social studies resources.

I can definitely see myself using this blog a lot in the future, as I (hopefully) efficiently and effectively integrate technology into my classroom.