Grade 3, 4, and 5 teachers would like students to have access to computers within their classrooms and easy access to a large screen display or projector. The goal is for teachers to be able to make continuous use of laptops throughout the day, for projects and work as it comes up. All laptops would be equiped with wireless networking so no wires are required. Also included is a cart with integrated electricity so that laptops can be recharged when not in use. During the evening, teachers can take laptops home.
Another issue which the group would like to solve, is whether a roving laptop lab is a viable alternative to the stationery lab.
Among the specific curriculum areas which will be addressed are:
A database to track free reading activities
Tools to support students’ first library research paper in grade 5
Creative writing
Internet research
We expect many new uses for computers to become apparent as we get used to having laptops handy.
Hypermedia curriculum for language instruction in the lower grades
Teacher(s): Peter Amershadian
Description:
Peter would like to develop some computer-based teaching materials for lower school language instruction. The project has the potential to lay some groundwork for a more ambitious sabbatical project next year.
For this project, Peter would take still digital images of various objects, people, places, etc. which are familiar to Park School students. Using Hyperstudio, he would combine these pictures with spoken language and other graphical elements, organized in way which would provide an interesting language exercise and practice. Where appropriate, Peter will include “hyperlinks” to various Internet resources. The fact that the voices, places, and objects are familiar will encourage our students to use these materials, and will enhance their instructional value and personal relevance.
Peter will meet regularly with Tom Smith to iron out any roadblocks he may find. He will also share his learning process with other participants in the Teaching With Technology program. Finally, he may use this project to fulfill his “alternative assessment” requirement at the end of the year.
Anytime-anywhere computing for Math teachers
Teacher(s): Todd Bearson
Description:
Todd would like to have full-time use of a Powerbook. He would use it for a variety of teacher productivity applications, like grade book, office applications, and for his alternative assessment. He would also experiment with Hyperstudio as a way to organize classroom presentations, and to provide a way for students to “replay” those presentations and explore further.
Todd is also a musically creative person, and may experiment with music sequencing software, and iMovie... exploring their potential for courseware as well as classroom tools.
Anytime-anywhere computing for Science teachers
Teacher(s): Brian Beaver
Description:
Brian would like full-time access using a Powerbook, plus a high speed internet at home. He would use it for Internet research, especially to investigate the many teaching resource sites which he hasn’t been able to sift through at school. Among the possible Internet projects that may find there way to Brian’s classroom are cooperative research among classrooms worldwide (students around the globe gather data and combine it for analysis), NASA project in which schools can have access to certain experimental equipment via the Internet, real-time data collection using the Internet, USGS project involving data collection about the country’s streams, and more.
To facilitate the use of his laptop as a teaching tool, Brian would like to have a large screen display mounted in a corner of his classroom.
Anytime-anywhere computing for English/Social Studies teachers
Teacher(s): Sarah Jennings
Description:
Sarah will use her laptop and classroom projector to explore the benefits in her classroom teaching of Social Studies and English. Particular software which she will use includes “Decisions Decisions”, “Inspiration”, “Timeliner”, “American History Inspirer”, “PowerPoint”, various webquests, and of course the more common applications currently in use at Park.
At Sarah’s previous school, she learned to make good use of full-time access to a laptop and classroom display. As part of her work, Sarah will show colleagues how these tools benefit her teaching and her students, and helping support them as they try some of these activities themselves.
Asian Studies slide show database and presentation tools
Teacher(s): Phil Gambone
Description:
Phil would like to develop some computer-based teaching materials for Asian Studies instruction. He has approximately 2000 slides, roughly half of which are copyrighted (pictures from books, maps, etc). Currently, Phil does a slide show about every three weeks. He would like to transfer the slides to digital images and organize them using appropriate presentation software. The intent is to take advantage of technology to produce instructional materials that go beyond the linear presentations of slides.
With the help of Carole Carter, phil will use a slide scanner and web-based tools to create his image database, including keyword search and other means for selecting and ordering slides. Once created, he would use these presentations in class, and also assign students to work with them using the school computers. If possible, Phil would like to post these presentations on the school intranet (internal web site) so that they can be viewed via any browser from within the school, or from outside the school if the viewer has a school password.
Phil will share his work with colleagues when he it is completed.
Teacher database of songs for grades 1 through 5
Teacher(s): Betty Hillmon
Description:
Betty would like to build database of songs used by grades 1 through 5. These are folk songs (mostly) and they currently exist in books, recordings, and “in their heads”. The database would keep track of song title, words, musical notation, a short recording, musical form, melodic pattern, ending note, scale, number of measures, and various annotations like the history or the song, inter-curricular applications, and classroom teacher suggestions.
This database would be useful to teachers in her department, and to support substitute teachers. It can also be used as a reference by interested interns and teachers in other schools.
As part of this effort, Betty would like to learn more about how one creates a database, so she and the technology department would work on it together. Betty would build or modify portions of the database, with their help.
Once the database template is created, all three members of her department would enter the data, since they have the knowledge of the songs. If Betty would like to use this database beyond her department, she will have to get permission for copyrighted material.
