Lab 08: NYS K-12 Learning Standards for Technology & Issues of Equity Related to Using Multimedia Technology in the Classroom

Description: New York State's learning standards, covering Math, Science, and Technology, have a goal for technology education that states, "Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human and environmental needs."* The technology learning standard (Standard 5) is broken down into seven areas: design, tools, computer, systems, history, impact, and manage. We will be looking at curriculum ideas that you can use to satisfy these areas of the standard.

When attempting to develop curriculum for the technology learning standard, the resources available to your classroom will likely affect what you can accomplish. Does your school have a computer lab? Is there a computer in your classroom? Is that computer connected to the Internet? Is there a full-time staff person available for information technology support? The answers to these questions could vary dramatically from school to school, district to district, and will likely depend on the socioeconic status of the student body of the school.

So how can you deal with these obstacles and meet the technology learning standard's requirement? And what changes are going to happen in the future affecting these and other issues of equity in the classroom?

Reading: Integrating the Internet for Meaningful Learning, pp. 248 - 260.
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Word, Web Browser.

Links:
NYS Technology Education Standard 5 - from the University of the State of New York, State Education Department, core curriculum standards.
Center for Educational Technology - National Educational Association discussing the need for technology to be part of classroom learning experience.
NETC: Equity in Educational Technology - Northwest Educational Technology Consortium's practical guide for k-12 educators for closing the gap in technology access and use.
Digital Equity Network - addresses inequitable access to learning technology resources for all learners.
Critical Issue: Ensuring Equitable Use of Education Technology - from the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.

Lab Procedure:
  1. Find an article using Google or Lexis-Nexis that discusses one of the three issues of equity when attempting to integrate the use of technology in the classroom: socioeconomic status, gender, or adaptive computing.
  2. Write a one page response to this article giving your opinion and how you might deal with this issue in your future classroom. Be sure to quote the article at least twice and include a bibliographic entry at the end.
  3. Save your paper in a Word document appropriately named (EX: jones_lab08.doc ), with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
  4. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 08).

*(1996). Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology. Retrieved October 1, 2003, The New York State Education Department Web site: http://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/mst/techmap/map.html%20

Lab 07: Creating a Lesson Using Internet Resources

Description: One of the most common lessons that uses Internet resurces is a Webquest. A Webquest is an "inquiry-oriented activity in which most or all of the information used by learners is drawn from the Web." Students accomplish a task established by the teacher using resources from websites. Some activities involve students searching for their own resources; others have the teacher compiling a number of links to present to the class as part of the lesson.

A number of organizations offer teachers free online tools for building web sites for use in their curriculum. We will be using a service provided by www.4teachers.org called TRACKSTAR. TRACKSTAR is a web-based interface that helps teachers organize and annotate websites (URLs) into lessons. Using TRACKSTAR, you will be able to create a resources site for your Webquest.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 232-241.
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Word, Web Browser.
Skills: Word Processing, Using Search Engines, Copying and Pasting URLs.
Lessons: none.

Links:
Some Thoughts About Webquests - by Bernie Dodge, San Diego State University, developer of the webquest model back in 1995.
Webquest Template PDF - Describes the six standard headings for a webquest, from G. C. Clark, University of Notre Dame, May 2001.
Sample Webquests - Examples of Webquests archived by webquest.org.
www.4teachers.org - A non-profit organization that helps teachers develop skills and opportunities for teachers to integrate technology into curriculum.
TRACKSTAR homepage - Resource developed by www.4teachers.org helping teachers create web pages, which organize and annotate websites into lessons.

Lab Procedure :
  1. Using the Webquest template, create a Webquest for a topic of your choosing. Be sure to label the six standard headings of your webquest: Introduction, Task, Process, Resources, Evaluation and Conclusion. For resources, be sure to provide at least five websites, each with an annotation and the URL.
  2. Save your Webquest in a word document appropriately named (jones_lab07.doc) with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
  3. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 07).

Lab 06: The Internet as a Classroom Resource

Description: We all look for information and reference resources online, but what other kinds of resources are there to implement in the classroom. Are there interactive tools? How about step-by-step tutorials for certain topics? Maybe there are interesting images, sounds, or video out there to liven up lesson material?

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 216 - 228.
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Word, Web Based Email Client.
Lessons: Putting the Puzzle Together: Using the Internet in the Classroom - A slide presentation from Kathy Schrock.

Links:

Tools for Evaluating Web Sites
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators - by Kathy Schrock
The ABC's of Website Evaluation - by Kathy Schrock
Checklist for Evaluating Web Resources - University of Maine
An Educator's Guide to Credibility and Web Evaluation - University of Illinois
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - New Mexico State University

Lab Procedure:

  1. Identify a lesson topic for which you want to find a variety of Internet resources. Briefly describe the topic.
  2. Find four different types of resources online for your topic, choosing from Kathy Schrock's List of Internet Resource types: Enrichment, Lesson/Tutorial, Tools, Reference Resources or Information Resources.
  3. For each type of resource found, list the type of resource, copy and paste the URL of the resource and describe how the resource would be used in the lesson.
  4. Save your resource description list in a word document appropriately named (jones_lab06.doc) with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.
  5. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 06).

Lab 05: Evaluating Web Sites and Internet Safety Practices

Description: Using the Internet to complement curriculum provides many opportunities for both student and teacher to diversify their resources and approaches to traditional lesson material. You can go online, using a search engine, and find just about anything imaginable if you look long enough. But what should you consider before integrating websites, email, and/or discussion groups into your classroom?

Many websites exist for similar topics, but some are better than others. There are technical aspects of a website to consider along with the quality and reputability of its content. Also, there are safety issues to consider when you are using the Internet in the classroom. Unless there are content filters on your school's connection, the WWW contains many kinds of content that can be found that would be inappropriate for kids. Also, even with filtering, there is potential for abusive contact by predators online or even between students. How can you manage this situation?

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 228 – 231; 390 – 399
Applications/Equip: Windows OS, Microsoft Word, Web Based Email Client, Internet Browser.
Lessons: Evaluating a Website.

Links:

Tools for Evaluating Web Sites
Kathy Schrock's Guide for Educators: Critical Evaluation Surveys and Resources - from Discovery.com and Kathy Schrock.

Resources for Internet Safety Practices
Ivy's Search Engine Resources for Kids - A list of search engines for kids with a form for each search engine, allowing searches.
Issues of safety when using the Internet in the Classroom - by Bruce Droste, describing the rules that students/teachers should follow when using the Internet in the Classroom, part of thirteen.org.
Sample Appropriate Use Policy (AUP) Forms - Policies set by the Illinois State University.

Lab Procedure:

1. Find a website that you might use to support a part of your class curriculum. Be sure to choose a specific subject matter and a grade level for the curriculum.

2. Fill out the Critical Evaluation Survey by Kathy Schrock (see link above), for the website you've chosen. Be sure to select the form appropriate to the level of your class and put your name on the form. You will hand-pass this portion of the assignment next class.

3. Write an "Appropriate Use Policy" (sometimes called an AUP or Acceptable Use Policy) that the students and their parents would have to sign before using Internet resources in the classroom. Be sure to write it to the level of the student that you will be teaching.

4. Save your "Appropriate Use Policy" in a word document, appropriately named (jones_lab05.doc), with your last name, email address, and lab number at the top.

5. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 05).

You will not receive credit for labs missing your name OR lab number. Late labs will never receive more than 50% of the total points possible. Labs more than one week late will receive a zero. Labs 3 – 15 and 18, 19 MUST BE SUBMITTED TO MY DROPBOX IN BLACKBOARD.

Lab 04: Using Internet Search Engines

Description: You have probably used a search engine before and may even have a favorite! Is it Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Ask Jeeves? Yet, just as you have used any or all of these search engines, you have probably been frustrated by the search results generated. There are so many web sites out there! And none of them seem to have what you are looking for... With some knowledge about how search engines work and how to use specific modifiers in your searches, your results will improve, helping you find faster and higher quality results.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 209 – 213; 391
Applications/Equip: Windows OS, Microsoft Word, Web-Based Email Client, Web Browser.
Lessons: Finding Info on the Internet.

Links:

Using Search Engines
Finding Information On The Internet: A Tutorial from UC Berkeley - Teaching Library Internet Workshops.
How to Search the World Wide Web: A Tutorial and Guide for Beginners from David P. Habib and Robert L. Balliot of the Middletown Public Library.
Web Searching Tips from SearchEngineWatch.com, helping you to use search engines better.

Plagiarism and the Internet
Plagiarism and the Web - Bruce H. Leland, Professor Emeritus, Western Illinois University
Turnitin.com - Tool used by teachers and professors to scan papers for online plagiarism.
Myfreeessays.com - Tool used by students to find and potentially to crib essays on common research topics.

Lab Procedure:

1. Write a one-page response paper to two articles you find about Internet plagiarism (use Lexis-Nexis or any search engine). Be sure to include at least one quote from each article, and reference each article. Also, read Bruce H. Leland's Plagiarism and the Web, and comment on his suggestions for combating Internet plagiarism.

2. Save your response paper in a word document, appropriately named (jones_lab04.doc), with your last name, email address, and lab number at the top.

3. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 04).

4. You will not receive credit for labs missing your name OR lab number. Late labs will never receive more than 50% of the total points possible. Labs more than one week late will receive a zero. Labs 3 – 15 and 18, 19 MUST BE SUBMITTED TO MY DROPBOX IN BLACKBOARD.

Lab 03: The Underpinnings of the Internet

Description: Why is it important to understand how the Internet works? Why do we have to look "under the hood" and get a little greasy discovering the parts of technology and the terminology behind them?

By having a foundation in the workings of the Internet and Internet terminology, you can make informed decisions while designing classroom curriculum that uses the Internet as a resource: know what limitations may exist in your school's technology environment; be able to communicate knowledgeably with support personnel when problems arise; and feel more confident as you tinker with new technology having a basic background.

By no means is it necessary for you to be an expert about the workings of the Internet. It's probably impossible to be an "expert" considering the rate at which the Internet and its uses are changing. But a practical knowledge of the Internet and Internet terminology will be invaluable if you wish to apply the Internet in the classroom.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 170-178
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Microsoft Word, Web Based Email Client
Skills: Curriculum Design
Lessons: Creating a Network Map & Understanding Bandwidth, Protocol, and Packets
Student Blackboard Basics I: Viewing Content
Student Blackboard Basics II: Interacting with Blackboard
Links

How Internet Infrastructure Works
The Animated Internet
How Does the Intenet Work?
Internet at Wikipedia

Lab Procedure:

1. Design a hands-on activity for students that explains a concept or set of concepts about the workings of the Internet. Below is a list of possible ideas.
  • Internet diagram.
  • How and why the Internet uses packets.
  • Explaining various bandwidth speeds.
  • Ways of connecting to the Internet.
  • How to choose an ISP, Internet Service Provider.
  • Explaining the relationship between clients and servers.
2. Save your activity design in a word document, appropriately named (jones_lab03.doc), with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.

3. Review Student Blackboard Basics I and II (linked above). Log on to Blackboard. Go to your AC230 Digital Dropbox. Add AND Send your file. (Clicking SEND will automatically send the attached file to my Dropbox. Clicking ADD will only save the file in your dropbox.) The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Jones Lab 03).

4. You will not receive credit for labs missing your name OR lab number. Late labs will never receive more than 50% of the total points possible. Labs more than one week late will receive a zero. Labs 3 – 15 and 18, 19 MUST BE SUBMITTED TO MY DROPBOX IN BLACKBOARD.