I believe Mrs. Fitzgerald's students met all three of the Technology Standards for Students. Each student was able to demonstrate basic operations and concepts, as they were called to the front of the room to use her computer. Students learned the social issues, as they were creating Kid Pix and learning about climates in other parts of the country. Plus, students used technology productivity tools, as they went online to find weather information and got creative with their personal picture projects. This lesson was a clear example of students learning about a subject (social studies) by using technology.
I really like the way Mrs. Fitzgerald conducted the class and I honestly can't say I would do anything differently. She would ask students how to do something, then have them actually do it. I think many kids learn by doing and her students seemed to be well prepared. Perhaps calling out all the temperatures for the sample city wasn't necessary, but I think Mrs. Fitzgerald wanted her students to know exactly what information was available. Because she showed her students where to find the information, they could handle the project on their own.
I also thought it was interesting that apparently earlier in the day there was some sort of problem with the classroom's computers. Obviously, Mrs. Fitzgerald was able to be flexible and attempt the exercise later in the day. I think that's something all teachers need to be prepared for: not everything goes as smoothly as they would like.
Jessica, one of the things that struck me in the video was how well the groups worked together. With just one person running the controls, it opens the door for one person to do all the work while the others goof off. And yet, I didn't see that happen on the video.
ReplyDeleteUIS has a classroom specifically designed for collaborative work - UHB 2027. If you are ever on campus, I'd encourage you to take a look at it sometime. The room is arranged with 8 host stations (with big monitors hanging on the wall). Each host station is set up for 3 students. There are 24 laptops. We use Team Spot software in this classroom, which allows the students to connect their laptops to the host station. That way, they can display their work on the big screen without hovering around the small screen of a laptop. And even better, the Team Spot software allows them to control the big screen from their individual laptops. So they can take turns revising drafts and everyone is equally participating. It's pretty awesome!
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