Using Technology in the CLassroom

Using Technology: Benefits for Students

  • Addresses multiple learning styles

Visual, auditory & kinesthetic learning: High interest & high relevance

  • Increases student’s problem-solving and decision-making abilities
  • Activity-based experiences that reinforce abstract concepts with concrete experiences
  • Replicates work-place skills and prepares students for life-long learning in a technological society

Using Technology: Benefits for Teachers

  • Multimedia lectures tailored to YOUR courses: can be updated to include new discoveries
  • Less “Stand & Deliver;” keeps students easily engaged
  • Enhanced collaborative teaching and integrates math & science
  • CBL’s bring a fresh approach to labs: easily incorporates statistical analysis
  • Excel allows data-basing student work for self-assessment s
  • Performs extensive statistical analysis easier than Mini-Tab: creates professional graphs
  • Allows on-line projects using world-wide data bases

Multimedia Hardware & Software Requirements

  • Space: Make sure you have 60+ Gigabytes of hard drive space to store your finished PowerPoint's. You can also store PowerPoints on universal CD's or DVD’s you burn at home. Presentations work faster if they are on the hard drive itself.
  • Transference: Have a thumb/flash drive (small, 1 GB USB removable drive) for carrying PowerPoints back and forth.
  • Memory: Have as much Ram memory as you can afford if working with photos (at least 64K, PREFERABLY 500k+)
  • Projection: Use an LCD Projector or link your computer directly to TV’s with an AVERKEY OR special internal videocard
  • Integration: Linked to the computer: CD-Rom or DVD Drive, VCR to play videos, Laserdisc Player
  • On-Line Capability: Fast Access: Digital cable, DSL, Ethernet, phone line (slowest)

Install your favorite browser AND MS Explorer (many applications require it for Microsoft updates and clipart downloads) and create custom bookmarks.

  • Creating Graphics: Buy a scanner (they've come down to reasonable prices) to scan textbook graphics and photos OR make sure the school has a scanner you can use. You can scan at school and carry graphics on floppies (no graphic needs to be more than 900K for incorporating into a PowerPoint slide) to your design computer.
  • Creating Graphics: Buy a Digital or Video Camera (instead of scanning photos.) Transfer pictures or movie clips into a graphics program or slide shows.
  • Transparencies: Have a color printer if you plan to give PowerPoint presentations via transparencies on an overhead. Epson Scanjet Color series are fantastic and reliable.
  • Laserdiscs & CD ROM’s: Pioneer Laserdisc Players, Videodiscovery Disks, Optical Data Disks, Scientific Supply Houses
  • Superb Accessories - Relevant to both Math & Science: Graphing Calculators & Probeware, Videoscopes
  • For the Professional: Buy a high-end Epson or HP scanner with a transparency (slide) and negatives scanning ability.

Software

  • MS Office with PowerPoint to purchase for your home computer (with Academic discount from Microsoft, $159.00): most of your designing will be done at home.
  • MS EXCEL Spreadsheets: When students use Excel to experiment and illustrate their problems, they can more easily see what happens. Has statistical analysis function
  • Graphics program such as Adobe Photoshop Limited, Adobe PhotoDeluxe (CHEAP,) or Corel Draw and learn how to use it with ease. Most scanners come with their own graphics programs free.
  • ScreenCapture program: pay the starving student who designed it...

Mac’s - Downloadable screencatchers: ScreenCatcher, Snapz Pro

PC’s - Downloadable screencatchers: SnagIt)

  • Nat. Geo Complete CD set if you plan to use a lot of photos,($99.) There are suitable graphics for ANY course.
  • Encyclopedia CD (Encarta has the best graphics.)
  • ClipArt CD's: buy some cheap in the sale bin at CompUSA

Typical Uses in the Classroom

  • Laserdiscs & CD ROM’s: Quick access to thousands of photos & movie clips; packaged presentations or make personal slide shows. Laserdisc = better movies, higher cost vs. CD’s = User friendly, interactive
  • CD’s and DVD’s: Classroom Use: CD with Textbook: Teacher, for Presentations: Student, for tutorial/lecture Commercial: Simulations for lecture/group, virtual fieldtrips, lab demos, research
  • VCR’s & Videos: Player with stop-action, remote. Never babysitting: Always hold students accountable! Have students develop critical questions about the topic. Write down play #’s for long series, to break into segments: 30 min videos work best
  • CBL’s & Probeware: Real world application to statistical data and analysis. Portable, can collect field data: “Stand-alones” or connected to Ti 83 graphing calculator. Downloadable to computers for class viewing
  • Videoscopes: Teachers can preview slides, microorganisms prior to lab. Usable as an overhead: get a wide-angle lens. Use as a video camera for student presentations, capture live organisms on tape, for replay weeks or years later.
  • On-line in Class: Interactive Textbook Websites, Commercial lab sites, student research tool and data entry on global sampling sites (GLOBE) Teachers can post assignments, lecture notes on class website and share research with other schools through e-mail. Also used for software and graphic downloads.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  • CBL’s & Probeware: Ti3 Training, Math Star Training,
  • Digital Camera Workshops (Casio, Kodak)
  • INTERACTIVE On-line Courses: You must have Shockwave Player On-line Tutorials for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Access, Digitizing, Scanning, Web Skills

The Ultimate Hi-tech Classroom

  • Mac & PC multimedia computers both linked to an LDC Projector
  • VCR and videoscope also interlinked
  • CBL’s linkable to computer or used as stand-alones
  • On-line multimedia computers at lab desks
  • Video and digital cameras
  • Scanner & color printer
  • PowerPoint & graphics programs
  • Most importantly: A teacher who know HOW and WHEN to most effectively use

WHICH technology toenhance student learning...