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Project ImPACT

Implementing Partnerships

Across the Curriculum

with Technology

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Literacy Learning Strand

Fall 2001

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NETS: National Education Technology Standards for Students

Numbers in parentheses following each performance indicator refer to the standards category to which the performance is linked. The categories are:

  1. Basic operations and concepts
  2. Social, ethical, and human issues
  3. Technology productivity tools
  4. Technology Communications tools
  5. Technology research tools
  6. Technology problem-solving and decision-making tools

Pre/K – 2 Performance Indictors

  • Use input devices (e.g., mouse, keyboard, remote control) and output devices (e.g., monitor, printer) to successfully operate computers, VCRs, audiotapes, and other technologies. (1)
  • Use a variety of media and technology resources for directed and independent learning activities. (1, 3)
  • Communicate about technology using developmentally appropriate and accurate terminology. (1)
  • Use developmentally appropriate multimedia resources (e.g., interactive books, educational software, elementary multimedia encyclopedias) to support learning. (1)
  • Work cooperatively and collaboratively with peers, family members, and others when using technology in the classroom. (2)
  • Demonstrate positive social and ethical behaviors when using technology. (2)
  • Practice responsible use of technology systems and software. (2)
  • Create developmentally appropriate multimedia products with support from teachers, family members, or student partners. (3)
  • Use technology resources (e.g., puzzles, logical thinking programs, writing tools, digital cameras, drawing tools) for problem solving, communication, and illustration of thoughts, ideas, and stories. (3, 4, 5, 6)
  • Gather information and communicate with others using telecommunications, with support from teachers, family members, or student partners. (4)

Grades 3-5 Performance Indicators

Use keyboards and other common input and output devices (including adaptive devices when necessary) efficiently and effectively. (1)

Discuss common uses of technology in daily life and the advantages and disadvantages those uses provide. (1, 2)

Discuss basic issues related to responsible use of technology and information and describe personal consequences of inappropriate use. (2)

Use general purpose productivity tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, remediate skill deficits, and facilitate learning throughout the curriculum. (3)

Use technology tools (e.g., multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (3, 4)

Use telecommunications efficiently to access remote information, communicate with others in support of direct and independent learning, and pursue personal interests. (4)

Use telecommunications and online resources (e.g., e-mail, online discussions, Web environments) to participate in collaborative problem-solving activities for the purpose of developing solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5)

Use technology resources (e.g., calculators, data collection probes, videos, educational software) for problem solving, self-directed learning, and extended learning activities. (5, 6)

Determine which technology is useful and select the appropriate tool(s) and technology resources to address a variety of tasks and problems. (5, 6)

Evaluate the accuracy, relevance, appropriateness, comprehensiveness, and bias of electronic information sources. (6)

Grades 6-8 Performance Indicators

Apply strategies for identifying and solving routine hardware and software problems that occur during everyday use. (1)

Demonstrate knowledge of current changes in information technologies and the effect those changes have on the workplace and society. (2)

Exhibit legal and ethical behaviors when using information and technology, and discuss consequences of misuse. (2)

Use content-specific tools, software, and simulations (e.g., environmental probes, graphing calculators, exploratory environments, Web tools) to support learning and research. (3, 5)

Apply productivity/multimedia tools and peripherals to support personal productivity, group collaboration, and learning throughout the curriculum. (3, 6)

Design, develop, publish, and present products (e.g., Web pages, videotapes) using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5, 6)

Collaborate with peers, experts, and others using telecommunications and collaborative tools to investigate curriculum-related problems, issues, and information, and to develop solutions or products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. (4, 5)

Select and use appropriate tools and technology resources to accomplish a variety of tasks and solve problems. (5, 6)

Demonstrate an understanding of concepts underlying hardware, software, and connectivity, and of practical applications to learning and problem solving. (1, 6)

Research and evaluate the accuracy, relevance, appropriateness, comprehensiveness, and bias of electronic information sources concerning real-world problems. (2, 5, 6)

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What’s guiding you?

Technology activities introduced in isolation will have little impact on improving reading and writing in the classroom. Formal and informal frameworks help guide our teaching, and help us see where technology can be introduced to help support students learning.

Here are some of the things I do to support literacy acquisition in my classroom:

Use the space below to create a graphical representation of your ideas, organizing your thoughts into bigger themes or concepts. Share your visual map with a partner or with a small group. (Follow-up: Use Inspiration with the whole group to gather and organize ideas).


As an example of a literacy framework, the following graphic outlines components of a Balanced Literacy framework for grades K-3, from The Ohio State University’s Literacy Collaborative Framework.

Source:

In the Literacy Learning Strand, you will learn how to use technology to support different components of a literacy program. Although the framework you subscribe to might be different than the one pictured above, we believe that you will be able to adapt what you learn in this learning strand to fit your own needs. Therefore, as you engage in the different activities over the next few weeks, keep thinking about your classroom, your students, your teaching, and see if you can think of ways to use technology to help students develop into competent readers and writers.

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Module Outline/Time Estimate

2001 Modules

(1 hour)

1.Introduction

  1. Framework Discussion
  2. Select and prioritize module choices

(2-3 hours)

2.Graphic Organizers

  1. Types of Graphic Organizers
  2. Inspiration/Kid Pix

(5-6 hours)

3.Acquiring Digital Images

  1. Digital Cameras
  2. Scanners
  3. WWW clip art sites
  4. CD-ROM clip art/stock photos

4.Slideshows

  1. PowerPoint
  2. Kid Pix
  3. AppleWorks
  4. Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines

(2-3 hours)

5.Desktop Publishing

  1. Software: AppleWorks, Word

(6-15 hours)

  1. The Internet (Search Engines and Search Strategies)
  2. The Internet (Managing Bookmarks)
  3. The Internet (Educational Applications)
  4. The Internet (Email projects)
  5. The Internet (Other topics)

(2-3 hours)

  1. Interactive Spreadsheets

Upcoming Modules

Multimedia Development, Web Page Development, Spreadsheets, Databases

Overview: Graphic Organizers

Module Outline

1.Introduction: What are Graphic Organizers?

In this session we will explore how to use graphic organizers as tools to organize students’ ideas and thought processes. Graphic organizers are visual representations of information. There are various types of graphic organizers

2.Discuss various types of graphic organizer formats (use resources from the Web site section). Samples include: brainstorming, concept-mapping, Venn diagrams, matrices.

3.Identify general software that can be used to create graphic organizers (Microsoft Word, AppleWorks, PowerPoint, KidPix). Introduce concept-mapping specific software – Inspiration – as a tool for facilitating this process as the program automatically creates boxes and arrows.

4.Skill Acquisition: Review techniques for using Inspiration

  • Creating a blank page
  • Formatting page properties
  • Rapid Fire Brainstorming
  • Basic Concept Mapping
  • Inserting images
  1. Discuss classroom activities that use Graphic Organizers to promote reading and writing. (See Sample Projects for some ideas).
  1. Brainstorming: Have pairs brainstorm ideas for using graphic organizers in their classroom. Write down these lesson ideas.
  1. Share ideas with the entire group (Facilitator should use Inspiration to capture main ideas).

Sample Projects

Title: Timelines

Grade Levels: K-2

Area: Comprehension

Skill: Sequencing

Use Graphic Organizers to construct a timeline of events. For example, you may create a timeline of story events from a book the students are reading or you may create a timeline of things students did on a class fieldtrip. Have the class use the timeline to write their own summaries of what took place,

Title: Brainstorming

Grade Levels: 1-8

Area: Writing

Skill: Pre-writing strategies

Use Rapid Fire in Inspiration to brainstorm ideas for the area under study (e.g. type a word and brainstorm different adjective; type an idea and brainstorm different events or areas for character and plot development). Use these ideas to help guide the writing process.

Title: Venn Diagrams

Grade Levels: 2-8

Area: Literature

Skill: Compare and Contrast

Use Graphic Organizers in Kid Pix to create Venn Diagrams to be able to compare and contrast stories (e.g. comparing different versions of Cinderella stories, comparing themes from The Giver and present day life)

Reflection and Brainstorming

Where might graphic organizers be useful in your curriculum?

Have the activities described above given you some ideas for how you might use graphic organizers in your classroom with your students to promote reading and writing?

Jot some of your ideas below:

Special Education Notes and Adaptations

  1. Have students use Inspiration to visually map out their ideas
  2. Who, what, when, where, why, and how of a topic
  3. Map out cause and effect: what is the idea about, what happened, so what?
  4. Use as a comprehension tool to map out their understanding of a text selection, main ideas, etc.
  1. Use Inspiration to create graphic organizers for students. Give students blank organizers and/or partially fill them in for other students. They can be used to take notes during a lecture or reading assignment or to organize important information to review for a test.
  1. Turn the inspiration map into an outline, and use this outline as a writing guide.
  2. Use inspiration to aid in the pre-writing skills: have students create ideas in no particular order and then move them around to categorize or organize ideas.
  1. Add pictures to graphic organizers, and/or show students how to add pictures.
  1. Consider using Kidspiration software as an alternative. Remember, some students with mild disabilities have difficulty with abstract reasoning skills. Simplifying the cognitive demands of the software program may assist even older students.
  1. Remember that many students with disabilities have problems with reading fluency, text comprehension skills, vocabulary learning, and abstract reasoning from text presentations. Developing and using graphic organizers to assist these students has been a traditional recommendation to assist the students to focus on the important ideas of the text. Inspiration is a great way to develop these graphic organizers. Consider a variety of uses: i.e. setting out text structure, important vocabulary, cause and effect, etc. Teach the students how to use Inspiration or Kidspiration and let them analyze their text as an aid to learning.
  1. Combine Inspiration with a text or screen reader program, so that the student with poor reading fluency skills may have auditory input.

Sample NETS Connections

Grades K–3:Awesome Authors p.36. Brrr, It's Alive, p.40

Grades 3–5:Les Voyageurs: The Explorers, p.82

Grades 6–8:Birthstone Project with a Multimedia Twist, p.52

Explore these Web sites

Here are some sample sites, but be sure to check out Project Impact Resource site for more links:

George Mason's PT3 project has archived Web videos on using Inspiration at:

Graphic Organizer Printables

The Graphic Organizer

S.C.O.R.E. Language Arts: Graphic Organizers

Student examples:

Write Design Online: Graphic Organizers

NCREL Graphic Organizers:

Graphic Organizers:

Graphic Organizer Guidelines:

Excerpts from A Field Guide to Using Visual Tools

Acquiring Digital Images

Module Outline

1.Digital Images: Overview

In this session we will explore how to capture digital images from a variety of sources to promote literacy development. To complete classroom projects, most of the digital images you capture will typically be used in conjunction with other software applications such as presentation tools or desktop publishing software. However we will start you off with some sample digital imaging activities and build on these skills as we progress.

2.Discuss classroom activities that use digital images to promote reading and writing. (See Sample Projects for some ideas).

3.Skill Acquisition: Review techniques for capturing images from the following sources listed below (depending on what is available at the site). If more than one facilitator is present, set up multiple stations, divide the class into smaller groups, and have them rotate through each center.

Digital camera

Scanner

WWW pages

Clip art CD-ROM

If advanced users are present or stations are full, encourage students to work with one another to brainstorm different classroom applications.

4.Brainstorming: Have pairs brainstorm ideas for using digital images in their classroom. Write down these lesson ideas.

Share ideas with the entire group (Facilitator should use Inspiration to capture main ideas).

Transition into presentation tools or desktop publishing.

Sample Projects

Project: Story Mix-ups

Grade Levels: K-2

Area: Comprehension

Skill: Sequencing

Digital Picture Cards

Use a digital camera to capture a classroom event or fieldtrip. Print your pictures and laminate them to create cards that the class can use to retell the event place “cards” in sequential order.

Adaptations:

Scan pictures from a book that the class is reading. Print these images and create cards that students can use to retell the story and practice placing items in sequential order.

Project: Literature Springboards

Grade Levels: K-2

Area: Vocabulary development

Skill: Sorting and Classification

Create activities that are based on books your students are reading. For example, after reading A People House by Dr. Seuss, you can print out pictures of household objects taken from Web sites, scanned images, or from the digital camera, and have students work in pairs to sort the pictures using various classification strategies.

Project: Current Events Connections

Grade Levels: 3-8

Area: Writers Workshop

Skill: Various writing conventions

Scan newspaper clippings, cartoons, magazine articles, etc., to discuss and illustrate the use of various writing conventions. Have students contribute to the discussion by bringing in published samples they wish to add to the scanned file collection (later, you will learn how to import image files into a slideshow tool like PowerPoint or AppleWorks). Try to find non-examples and misprints, and build your collection of digitized sample files.

Project: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Grade Levels: 5-8

Area: Literature Study

Skill: Imagery

“…the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with grief that thou her maid are far more fair than she.” Romeo: Act II, scene II, lines 4-6

This excerpt from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is one example of how an author uses imagery to paint vivid pictures in our minds. After the class has studied the use of imagery in writing, you can use the digital camera, scanner, or pictures from the Web to present rich visual images from which students can express their own forms of imagery. Students may also capture their own images from various sources.

Reflection and Brainstorming

Where might digital images be useful in your curriculum?

Have the activities described above given you some ideas for how you might use digital images in your classroom with your students to promote reading and writing?

Jot some of your ideas below:

Special Education Notes and Adaptations

Digital images are very useful for individuals with disabilities, and the possibilities for curriculum adaptation are endless. Two general categories are offered here—teacher use of digital images and student use.

Teacher use:

Make a class directory for younger students using digitally captured images. Incorporate students’ pictures into language experience stories.

Use digital images to illustrate stories and worksheets.

Student use:

Teach students how to capture images from the internet and show them to how to use these images in reports or stories.

Sample NETS Connections

Grades K–3:Home Sweet Home, p.140.

Grades 3–5:You Were There!, p.48

Grades 6–8: Creating a Heroic Character, p. 56

Explore these Web sites

Digital Image Collections and Clip Art Sites. Here are some sample sites, but be sure to check out Project Impact Resource site:

The A-1 Clipart Archive:

Art Today:

Clipart Connection:

Clipart.com:

Presentation Tools (PowerPoint)

Module Outline

1.Introduction: In this session we will explore how to use presentation tools (slideshows) to create a variety of student-centered instructional activities.

Explain the common features of presentation tools (combination of text and images, sounds, and other forms of multimedia to present information in a linear and non-linear manner). Common presentation tools include: Kid Pix (K-2), AppleWorks slideshow, Microsoft PowerPoint, and mPower.

2.Discuss traditional (lecture) and non-traditional uses of presentation tools in the classroom. Share relevant non-traditional, student-centered project examples from Sample Project section.

(Adaptation: If resources are available, divide the class into groups and assign them a project from the Sample Projects list in order for groups to collect digital image samples. As participants learn to use PowerPoint, they can insert the images they captured, modeling procedures needed to complete the classroom task/activity).