Found Poem

Found Poem
By Casey Chalk, EDLF 345
(Adapted from Weblog of Josh Van Horne)


Technology in the classroom is a topic many traditional teachers are evading,
I think human interaction would be a better alternative to audio grading,
And especially better than just written grading,
Because personally impacting students is what I’ve been craving.

If a teacher uses PowerPoint as their sole means of communication,
And the quality of the lecture is of quality dilapidation,
It is bound to detract from the lesson,
And no longer will technology be a blessin’,
For students’ minds will wander to their favorite delicatessen.

Teachers must use PowerPoint responsibly so their students will do the same,
Otherwise the entire learning experience will be really lame.

While I have criticized the increased reliance on technology,
And educators abandon traditional forms of pedagogy,
I do think that digital images provide a valuable insight,
And if this use of technology is wrong, I don’t wanna be right.

An idea for "reinvention" in my classroom,
Besides dressing up in an historical costume,
Would be PowerPoint in lieu of image handouts,
An example of a true technological standout.

Technology in the classroom has great potential,
Revolutionizing educational methods is essential,
But much to my behest,
And in lieu of all the rest,
I’ve been humbled by Josh,
Whose vocabulary is nothing less than posh.
As I egregiously searched the dictionary,
To see if such a word was fictionary,
But indeed he is a vocabulary pro,
For egregiously is a word I did not know.

Reading Response 5: "Bones of Contention: Teaching Controversial Issues"

This article, written by Elizabeth Hinde and appearing in the November/December 2004 edition of "Social Studies and the Young Learner," addresses the importance of teaching controversial issues in a social studies classroom. Hinde acknowledges that one definition of history is "study of controversies, their causes, courses, and outcomes." If this is so, it is essential that social studies teachers understand and practice the study of controversial issues in their classes. Topics highlighted in this piece include knowing the material of a controversial topic which a class discusses, teachers being self-aware of their own biases and trying to maintain an objective stance, creating ground rules for any discussion, and focusing on pertinent evidence. I believe the teaching of controversial topics and the ensuing discussion on these topics is necessary in social studies classes both from a historical and contemporary perspective.
There is a bountiful number of ways that technology can be infused into instructional strategies for this topic. First, the article promotes the necessity of establishing ground rules as determined by the Constitutional Rights Foundation. A teacher could create a short PowerPoint presentation which sets the "rules of the game" for any discussion on a controversial topic. This informative multimedia presentation would help students to understand what is acceptable and unacceptable for discussion. Another method to incorporate technology would be to either create a presentation or show students a website that promotes a one-sided, possibly even inflammatory perspective on a controversial topic. An example would be a PowerPoint presentation glorifying the expansion of America and condoning the destruction of Native American cultures. Of course, the teacher would need to be very careful that students understood the presentation was wrong or incredibly biased. If students see the negative effects of poor evidence or only portraying one side of a topic, they will understand the importance of unbiased research, using good sources, and understanding all sides of an issue. The internet can also be used to find examples of many different perspectives of a single issue, which helps students understand the complexity of controversial topics. No matter what technological tool is used, any lesson on a historical topic can be related to contemporary issues, which allows students to draw comparisons and further examine their own beliefs and the beliefs of others.

Response to "Making Assessment Matter: Using the Computer to Create Interactive Feedback

I already wrote a response to this and the blog site messed up and didn't post what I wrote....so I'm a little peeved. I'm going to make this short, and do bullet points b/c I don't want to write it all again.

- I'm confused by the idea of having kids burn their projects onto cds. I thought once information was burned onto a cd, more information could not be added. If the idea is that the teacher burns another copy of the paper onto the cd, the amount of money invested into the project would add up.

-I think the Auto Format idea is great, regardless of whether one uses all the other tools the author suggests. Even if kids sent in their papers via email on word documents, the AutoFormat would save much time and allow for more personalized comments.

- I was very surprised to learn that the majority of students like the interactive grading, find the audio helpful, and do on average 10 percentage points better on their papers than students who do not have the technological ability. The widespread positive response leads me to think that this education tool would be very beneficial.

-I still believe that face-to-face discussion on such topics as paper-writing are indispensable, and I hope to promote that type of learning in my classroom.

Reflections on WebQuest

I completed my WebQuest assignment with Daniel Garrett. With the exception of a few mistakes which took up way more time than necessary, the assignment ran rather smoothly. We chose a topic that had already been pursued by other webquest sites, and thus we had plenty of information and media to work with. Although any technology assignment seems like more work for just as much educational value, I found this to be an engaging and encourging project. At its completion, our webquest is certainly basic in comparison to many others we examined. The extra work of filling in the rest of the categories (evaluation, conclusion, a link for teachers, etc.) would probably have been very time consuming.
I believe that I would use such a resource in the classroom. Although I do not feel entirely comfortable using the webpage program, I do think I have enough basic skills to manage sufficiently. Furthermore, I do not imagine this being a daunting and time-consuming task. Rather, it would probably not take much longer than a a regular cut-and-dry lesson plan. I think that using the internet opens students up to a huge variety of resources that would be otherwise unavailable. Certainly another benefit is that students are directed to the websites an educator would link in the webquest, so students would have to be extremely intentional to get off task and fool about on the internet. Constant supervision would alleviate this problem. Students would also benefit from doing assignments totally on the computer in the way that webquest allows. It is very possible many will be confronted by many types of plans and programs in the workplace that are worked out over the internet in the same manner as webquest. In-depth on-line assignments are good preparation in this respect. However, I do see several negative effects of relying too heavily upon this educational construct. For one, it may make students too dependent on the internet to find information and locate educational resources. Students do need to be able to conduct research in books, on paper, and writing with pen or pencil. Obviously computers cannot provide this. Also, I am weary of having students sitting at computers for inordinate amounts of time working on their assignments. I think it is essential that students spend much of their educational experience in conversation, taking notes, moving around, and exploring books. Thus webquest assignments should be tempered with many other educational formats. However, I do understand that much of education is probably moving towards webquest-based education tools, and I pray that I will be prepared for the transition.

Response to "Educators Question PowerPoint Usage"

This radio segment on NPR which aired in October of this year fundamentally questions the value of Microsoft PowerPoint in the public school classroom. According to the program, more than 10 million computers in U.S schools have PowerPoint available. Students are then able to use the program to give point-by-point presentations with bulleted information which imitates presentations from the professional world. One Yale professor states that a tool like PowerPoint is beneficial for those students who are inherently disorganized, as the program enables students to systematize information into a coherent and organized structure. Another educator critizices PowerPoint because students need to learn to have conversations, not just put forward "three points" with color explosions and special effects.
It would appear that although this news report calls into question PowerPoint and its perceived limitations, it discreetly supports the program and its use in public schools. The reporter states that students using PowerPoint mirror corporate executives by using the program. Whatever its limitations, the ability of PowerPoint to prepare students for the corporate world and other professions should be considered a benefit. Certainly those students who are disorganized will benefit more, but all students should have some knowledge of this presentational format. The criticism that students need to have conversations is duly noted, and certainly the objective of PowerPoint is not to have students simply read the points off the computer. The objective is instead that students look at the bulleted points, and then using them as a raw structure, create a conversational presentation on the given material. Students who simply read the points off the screen should suffer lower grades. I do not believe it is necessary to abandon PowerPoint because students can use it as a crutch or get sidetracked with color explosions and special effects. Rather, teachers set guidelines and expectations, and if students stray from what is expected, they pay the consequences. Furthermore, other activies in the classroom should provide students with an opportunity for ad-lib conversations which promote good listening skills and critical thinking. It would be my intention as an educator to provide my students with a host of different opportunities which provide a firm basis for further education and the professional world.

Comments on I-Movie Experience

Personally, I did not have a particularly fun or exciting I-movie creating experience. However, in comparison to the amount of time others placed in the assignment, I must say I got off fairly easy. I think total I was in the Media Library for about 4 hours working on the assignment. I completed the assignment with much aid from Daniel and Katie White, who were both working on the project at the same time. In the conclusion I was fairly happy with my end result, which is also a good sign. I think the process could have run much more smoothly if there was an instructional document or a list of Do's and Don'ts to ensure people don't get muddled up in the program. I had to learn the hard way in some respects, as I forgot certain specific instructions Professor Kajder gave in the introductory lecture.
I am more hesistant as to using this software in comparison with other technological programs we have experimented with in the class. This is not so much for time reasons, as I understand the idea that the process becomes quicker every time. This is of course an issue, because I know many teachers of mine from high school are always on time constraints. However, the main issue would simply be I would not want my students simply watching a screen with pictures and my voice, when they can simply look at me and hear my voice. PowerPoint can certainly serve the function of providing media and pictures on a screen to work off of in a lesson. I don't think the novelty of a voice-over is enough to bring this into the classroom. If there were professionally done movie documentaries for historical lessons I would be much more attracted in using the program in the classroom. That way I would not need to expend much time, and be able to give an added "punch" to the lesson plan. I think an easy example of this would be the Ken Burns documentaries. I'm sure the History Channel is now churning out similar things on a regular basis. I do think one reason why such a multimedia would be good and successful is because it breaks the monotony of the classroom setting and lures in bored students.

Comments on Digital Images in the Classroom

The introductory statements of the article on the implementation of digital images in the classroom reveals many of the same beliefs I hold concerning the fundamental nature of social studies education. Digital images that appear in various forms in classroom settings are very valuable for students, bringing an otherwise intangible history to life. Whenever digital images can be used to make a connection to a local community this is also helpful, as it can create a previously unrealized relationship between students and the historical and current nature of their home. Interpreting images in a fashion modeled after historical inquiry can also provide a doorway into understanding the various methods through which one should understand and analyze historical events. I have found that many who find history boring and lifeless oftentimes never learn the fundamentals of "context, motives, and circumstances" which makes history a series important events that have immediate and significant effects and applications on contemporary life. I would enjoy participating or teaching the assignment the educators have created for using digital imagery, and believe it could be useful in approaching learning history from a different angle which may induce new interest and comprehension. I also believe as the authors believe that short vignettes would be best suited for these activies, as the thematic concepts of learning are more important than trying to teach large amounts of necessary information. The memorization of history would fit into more pratical, straightforward, traditional teaching methods. In conclusion, I am not surprised by the innovative and knowledgeable proposals given in this article, as 2 of the 3 authors were conducting research through the University of Virginia. Only the best and the brightest right?

Creating a PowerPoint

My senior year of high school I remember distinctly creating a PowerPoint presentation for my IB Twentieth-century Topics course on the Ottoman Turk genocide of one million Armenians during World war I. I was very proud of the PowerPoint; primarily because it was such a unique topic that had never been discussed in class before, but also because I believed myself to have mastered a new technology. The pictures, the transitions, the timing, it was all new and exciting. Thus creating this PowerPoint was not a problem and I remembered almost everything necessary within the program to complete the assignment. Much to our professor's behest I used many images from the google search, though thank God there was no "animal farm incident." I also had some humorous ideas for incorporating some funny videos I had downloaded, which I hope will work well into the presentation, despite their length. I would say in conclusion that creating the PowerPoint presentation for this assignment was a good time, given that I had the freedom to deliver whatever information I desired, and because it is one of those rare college assignments I can do while listening to music.....
I would certainly consider using PowerPoint in a social studies classroom. I think the most beneficial times to use it would be when I am forced to unload a large amount of information to the students so they can pass my tests,standardized tests, etc. Students can see the most imporant points they will need to remember, can see other types of media to help them learn and remember the content, and with the timing allow me to extrapolate and answer questions as needed. I actually remember teachers using such a method of teaching several times in government and history class throughout high school. Also, time permitting, an assignment allowing the students to learn PowerPoint would be VERY good for them (given strict guidelines so they know exactly what is expected of them), especially in districts where kids don't have computers at home to play around with such programs.