Ideas by Vickie Hall Dean, M.Ed.
Sixth Grade Teacher at
Copper Hills Elementary
Granite School District
Salt Lake City, Utah
Classroom Overview for Parents
Technology is used as an education tool to support learning goals. It is not just a big calculator and is not used primarily to drill students. Instead, effective technology integration teaches students how to problem solve, how to think.
Currently, we've 30 computers in our classroom. Although we do a lot of cooperative work, every student has his/her own computer so that maximum individualization of learning can occur.
Our digital classroom allows us to better focus on real life problems and authentic data. After students have a clear picture of the learning objective, the technology motivates them to accomplish the required learning task.
Effective technology integration strengthens student performance.
On recent 2011 CRTs, my math students made an average improvement of 17% over last year's performance on their fifth grade tests. All of my students passed the science CRT. Average student improvement on this test was 16%. There was a 35% improvement on number of students passing the test.
A few years ago, 20 of my students scored below 50% on the Fifth Grade Utah State Core Referenced Math Test. The class' average in fifth grade math was 49%! By the end of their sixth grade year, however, my students had made tremendous growth because of the individualization and differentiation that technology tools allow. The class average on our end of year math tests was 80%. This average was taken on my whole class of 30 students which included students in our school's resource program. Twenty-eight of my thirty students passed the test.
Another example of the effectiveness of technology tools: My class of 2006-07 had a sixth grade Math Core Referenced Test (CRT) average of 88%, Language Arts average of 92% and Science average of 88%. Twenty-five out of twenty eight (or 89%) of my students passed the Language Arts CRT; twenty-six out of twenty-eight (or 93%) passed the Math CRT; and twenty-four out of twenty-eight (or 86%) passed the Science CRT. This was a class of twenty-eight, six of whom were in the school's resource program. This class had a 49% average on their fifth grade Iowa Standardized Achievement Test (total score).
Effective integration of technology into the teaching and learning processes has allowed each of my classes to make tremendous progress. Students feel stronger and more capable. For example, on the first day of sixth grade, most of my students say they don't like math. By the end of the year, most of these same students put math as one of their favorite subjects. Technology lets students "see" how math works. If they can see it, they can do it!
During class time, students may never use computers to play games. Granite School District has a strict policy about accessing inappropriate Internet sites. Any student accessing unapproved sites will lose his/her computer privileges. Every student must sign the District's Internet form before they will be allowed on the Internet. We closely monitor students' use of the Internet. When we are on the Internet, we are working in specific sites.
In some cases, students might begin by mapping out their questions in a cluster diagramming program called Inspirations. Then, students read and research. They attach their findings to the questions and keep information well organized. Or, students will organize data in a spreadsheet. And/or, students will compile their reports or essays into PowerPoint presentations.
I use a computer, software, the Internet, a projector, scanner, and Interwrite board in place of the blackboard, overhead or whiteboard. We also use personal response clickers where students use little "clickers" to answer. Everyone participates. The reporting system shows me just which students need what instruction and practice.
I also recently purchased an Ipad 2 which I am connecting to a large screen monitor and will use in small group instruction.
Computers allow better flexibility and clearer visual representations. Students use this technology, too, when they present their work and projects.
One of my teaching goals is to use new technology tools to improve the information literacy skills of all my students by challenging them with problems drawn from the curriculum. We emphasize analysis, inference, interpretation and synthesis.
Students save their work to My Edesk, to the network, to their USB drives and to CDs or DVDs. They keep an electronic portfolio of their best work. At the end of the year, students take their electronic portfolios (CDs) home.
Some Technology Integration in My Classroom
(See my DVD for Student Work Samples for Each of the Following)
1. ADVERTISEMENTS - INFORMATION LITERACY & PERSUASIVE WRITING
Students view online sales ads. What strategies are being used to sale the product? Are the ads truthful? How do they exaggerate? What other tools are used to sale item? Students create ads using presentation software. Can you sale your product to us?2. LIFE WEBS
Students use webbing software, Inspirations, to create outlines of their projects. Webs must include five main categories with subcategories under each. These strategy helps teach reading skills such as main idea, summarizing and details.3. BOOK REPORTS
Students read and report on their literature using presentation or word processing programs.4. SHOPPING, DISCOUNTS, AND TAXES
Students engage in virtual holiday shopping. Purchases are discounted; tax is charged; shipping is calculated. How much can you buy with your virtual dollars?5. MATH CORE REFERENCED TEST REVIEW
Students practice concepts using interactive sites: http://deanadventures.com/math.html or http://vdean.myedesk.org/ or http://my.uen.org/myuen/2098476. DESCRIPTIVE WRITING
Research has shown that technology can increase student achievement in writing. “Technology has everything to do with literacy. And being able to use the latest technologies has everything to do with being literate”. (Bolter as cited in Wilhelm, 2000, p.4).Students are motivated when they get to write while they also take photos, and add music, sound and visuals. They use not only Word and PowerPoint, but Animoto, Windows Movie Maker and PhotoStory.
7. DIBELS STUDENTS' ORAL READING
Students read their Dibels paragraphs into microphones. Their readings are saved as MP3s in their electronic portfolios.8. ELECTRONICS MAKE FOR CORRECTNESS
When students use technology in curriculum work, they are more likely to do work correctly since they are not just completing a piece of paper to turn in, but are creating projects that others may view.9. EVEREST PHOTO STORIES
What is hard for you? Why conquer fears? Why do hard stuff? Why keep climbing higher? Students talk about their challenges and goals and why overcoming fear and doing persistent, hard work are important to great achievement. They put their feelings, music and photos into Photo Story presentations.10. RESEARCH PROJECTS
Students select concepts in our curriculum and write high level, detailed questions they want answered. They research, outline (web), and rewrite their findings into presentions. Work must include details such as tables, charts, graphs, photos, drawings, scans, screen captures, spreadsheets, hyperlinks, recordings and captured video. Projects must be detailed and focus on curriculum concepts. References are in MLA format using Citation Machine.11. EXCEL FORMULAS - MATH MADE EASY
Students enter simple formulas into spreadsheets to calculate sums, differences, percents, etc.12. FRIENDLY VS. BUSINESS LETTERS
Using technology tools, students write friendly letters to family members. Then, in contrast, students write business letters to companies, travel agencies, etc. making a request or expressing thanks.13. GRAPHS - DOUBLE BAR, LINE, AND PIE
Students use graphing and/or online programs (Create a Graph) to put their gathered data into graphs. They must label the axis correctly and display their information into the best presentation.14. VENN DIAGRAMS - COMPARE AND CONTRAST
Often, students create Venn diagrams, comparing or contrasting items. This is one effective way to help students understand concepts by seeing similarities and differences.15. FRIENDLY COMPETITION
Students form two teams in order to complete a task. Each team uses an Interwrite board in order to put their ideas or answers up on the screen. Students work together to complete the task.16. COOKING, BAKING, RECIPES AND FRACTIONS
Students, as part of their Country Projects, go to Culture Grams to find favorite recipes of the culture. Or, as part of fractions study in math, they go to The Food Network and find a recipe that has fractions in it. (Most recipes do!) Each student must then write the recipe so that it will serve everyone in the class. They copy the original recipe into a word processor and include the original recipe with the adjusted recipe.17. READING COMPREHENSION - SCAVENGER HUNTS
Students find answers in text and practice reading comprehension skills by going to My Edesk and clicking on Scavenger Hunts. They copy and paste the questions into a word processor and then go on a "hunt" by looking for answers to questions. They must read a lot of text in order to find answers. Those with correct answers receive prizes.18. MAPS IN EXCEL
Students learn geography and history by working on Excel maps. An Excel map is a map pasted into Excel. Students place important information onto the Excel maps, using Comments or by typing the info onto the map. When students present to the class, they show important information they've put onto the map. Students in the audience must mark their paper maps with notes as student presenters teach.19. STORY MAPS
Students go to Read Write & Think at Thinkfinity and The Story Mapping Tool to create story outlines, and then original stories.20. COUNTRY PROJECTS
Students research questions about Eastern Hemisphere countries. Each student selects a country and, after extensive research, must draw conclusions, make inferences, analyze and intrepret data about the country and its culture. Their presentation includes an oral report, a PowerPoint and/or a movie.
Hope this site was helpful!
Send me your thoughts, please:
vickie@deanadventures.com
Visit our other sites sometime, too.
Mrs. Dean's School Site
Mrs. Dean's Math Site
Mrs. Dean's Language Arts
Mrs. Dean's Edesk
Dean Adventures
Palace Geothermal
Palace Home Services
VDean Web Creations
July 8, 2011