Meet Harriet Tubman: The Story of a Web Site

Meet Harriet Tubman: The Story of a Web Site by Patty Taverna, Terry Hongell

The article tells the story of how a second grade class created a historical web site to help them and other grade school students better understand the life and times of Harriet Tubman. The site used the student's art, quizzes, and exorcises to show the historical context of Miss Tubman life. The students made a cyber Underground Railroad to highlight Tubman's work freeing slaves. The site also gave students a chance to interact with history and learn how technology could empower them to pass on what they had learned to others. I think that this website was a good use of their time. A website once it is finish can be used by future students. So with a little front work the site will continue to give and give.

Q1. How could a educator use websites or web pages as learning tools?

A1. Going be on the website described in the article, students could create person web pages to show what they learn about a subject. The web pages could be used as a tool not only to measure what student learn about a subject but to measure other student skills. 

Q2. How could the student's website be a help to other students?

A2. The website, along with being a great way to get information about Harriet Tubman to students, could be used to inspire other students. The fact that the site was made by their peers is a great way to show students what is possible.

Quilting Our History

Quilting Our History: An Integrated Schoolwide Project by Cassandra Van Buren and Deborah Aufdenspring

The article tells the tale of a cross curriculum project by the student of the New Technology High School in Napa, California. The students, working groups, tackled different areas of a multimedia CD-ROM that covered local history. The groups worked in areas like: Design, Artistic Design, Interface Design, History, Genealogy, Artifacts, Publishing, and Video Documentation. The work of these group was coordinated into the final CD like pieces of a quilt coming together. The scope of this project was very large with students using county records and interviewing people outside of the school. The project was a great way to teach more than just education requirements. The students had the opportunity to experience real work place scenarios. At one point in the project there was a conflict with software and the student groups started blaming each other. The teachers used the conflict to point out the important of moving past blame and working together to fix the problem. I think that this type of project is great way to open students minds to all the possibles of technology. The interaction of one group with another creates real world learning. The main problem with idea is the size and effort needed to create the project. Teachers had to work during the summer with out pay to create the project. I think this type of educational experience needs to be integrated into the regular curriculum.

Q1. How do you create a project like this on a smaller scale and make it easy to use in many different school setting?
A1. The question is hard because the idea of the project is to draw on large group of students to create dynamic learning and to make it smaller may defeat the main purpose of the project. One simple idea would be to create a classroom wide project that uses a lot of the same elements and covers the curriculum requirements.

Q2. What about students who have trouble working in groups or students who try to slide by on the work of others?
A2. The groups would need some from of individual accountability and I do not think that all standards can be met in group work. The groups can work to inspire all students because most high school students want to please their peers more than teachers.

Whole-Class Inquiry: Social Studies

Whole-Class Inquiry: Social Studies
By Stephanie van Hover and Meghan Van Horne

Van Hover and Van Horne article demonstrates how the technology of the web and the digital projector can enhance the learning of students in a whole class setting. They point out how some students do not get a well rounded understand of social studies when reading individually. The area of study they highlighted was learning about how the government works. The project they design was a simulation on a new amendment is added to the Constitution. Using a PowerPoint to engage the student interested and lay down the basics. The students were ask to take on the rolls of congressman, advisers and petitioners to look into the workings of the government. The teachers coaches and encouraged student to come with questions and ideas for legislation and then work it through the system. I think that this approach of using technology and interactive learning is more effective than just studying books. The time and energy to create the simulation would be small compare to the benefits of learning the student would derive.

Q1.How could this type of technology be use for other curriculum?

A1. Math curriculum is a great area to use PowerPoint for group learning. A good simulation for the understanding math in the real world is have the students design and build something. A great building idea that the student could use a lot of math to make is a deck.  

Q2. How would I use whole class learning in a high school social studies?

A2. The use of reenactments gets students involved in the learning process instead of being passive receptors. The students could take on the rolls of history figures and answer question from their follow students. They could also make a PowerPoint and present it to the class.

Lewis and Clark: An Online Odyssey

Lewis and Clark: An Online Odyssey, By Gail Lovely

Gail Lovely highlights what the Internet has to offer students of all age who are attempting to discover information about Lewis and Clark. The article also list many helpfully links to websites with Lewis and Clark themes. She presents ideas on how to use the web in sections by age groups. For Kindergarten through Second grade show how you could use dogs breeds that travel with the Corps of Discovery. The students can look at pictures of dogs and connect them with the breeds of Lewis and Clark. Gail shows how older student could use the Internet to create, writing, visual and research projects. I think that she present very good information and easy to use ideas for all teachers. She also connects the lesson idea with Web sites.

Q1. Would this type of project be good in the classroom?

A2. I think this type of Internet project is great use of the technology. The cost is small and the time to create is not great.

Q2. How would I use the Internet in a high school class?

A2. I would help the students to learn how to use the Internet to access good information for research.

Updating the Research Paper

Updating the Research Paper, by Werner Liepolt

The author of this article describes creating a new lesson plan for high school juniors. At Staples High School in Westport CT., the students using hand written notes, cards, outlines on their research projects. Liepolt integrated the newer technologies that are easily available like: spreadsheets, mind maps, outlines, Internet and PowerPoint. A new unit of research study was developed over the summer and implemented across many classrooms. The unit trained students in using the new technology for their research papers. An online component, consisting of power points, training and ideas for developing research papers, was presented as well as the in class work. Students were able to save notes and create outlines without carrying around lots of pieces of paper that can become disorganized. The teachers found that students first drafts, for the most part, were further developed than in the past. I found it interesting that there was still a high school that would be using older concepts of note taking and outlining. With most of the business world completely committed to Microsoft's office, it seems to me very important that students should be trained on all levels of this software. The process of collecting and storing information digitally should be integrated into education at the earliest possible levels.

Q1. What is an idea on how I could use technology for research papers?

A1. I really like the idea of students using mind maps and visual aids, like power point, in brainstorming ideas for research papers. The use of visual images in developing historical research papers can be very strong and help engage the student in the subject that they are researching.

Q2. What are some of the drawbacks of new technology?

A2. The main drawback I can see to the moving away from all hand written notes and documentation in creating research papers would be the temptation of students to plagiarize information from digital sources. The teacher has to be vigilant against this type of cheating and reinforce the ideas of Digital citizenship to the students at all times.

Making History on the Web

Making History on the Web
By Mary Delgado and Char Harteau

This article tells the tale two teachers, one working in the classroom, one working a online, to teach a middle school history class. The web base curriculum introduces the students to the material related to the historical subject. The pilot program taught student two units of United States history. The students would receive online instruction on their assignments for the week. Mary set up and worked the online section of the class. Char work with the students in class. The web pages the students were assigned to work with were fill with information. Mary picked colorful graphics and exciting link to engage the children in history. After the first couple units, student were ask to create a unit of their on a subject of US history that interested them. The students were able not only to apply their historical knowledge but their tech knowledge. They used web as a tool for their research on their unit. I think this joint in class and web base education can be really effective but the cost and ability of student to access the technology has to be factored in when attempting this type of project. Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning middle school were this program took place is a special setting and would have many advantages when developing this tech base class. The cost of using the web base class would be prohibitive to many schools. I think that where available web base can be a great add-on but the classroom base technology should be the first priority of educators.

Q1. How would I use Internet in the history classroom?
A1. I would use the Internet as a primarily as a research tool in the class or library where the students could be monitored and instructed on the proper verification of web sources. The eduction in information verification would be helpful to students for life in general.

Q2. Should the development of these type of web base classes be continued?
A2. I think that the future of eduction will involve a great deal of distance learn at all levels of the education process and all types of experimental programs need to be tried. I think that the technology change so fast that there is danger in spending to much on untested ideas without enough data on their effectiveness.

Software Review: Learning.com

Web Browsing: Research and Citing Sources Grades 6-8
http://learning.com/


Review:

I found the web browsing tutorials entertaining and they refreshed some aspects of my knowledge of a Internet. The tutorials and gave me a deeper understanding of some of the technical terms behind how the Internet works and what many of the abbreviations mean. Many of the concepts were old hat but it is always good to review. These tutorials look like they would be very entertaining to younger student's first learning the Internet. They would make a good break to a normal classroom structure. The tutorials have one drawback in the that the length of their presentations might not allow them to be used within classroom time constraints. The fact that in many classroom settings the use of outside computers might not be equal for all students could limit the use of these online lessons.

The main problem I had with this assignment was a slip of my foot that unplugged the computer and cost me half of the work that I had already done. The lesson that I learned from this was that it is important to save your work frequently. The saving of work is even more important when using computers in a new or unfamiliar setting. The loss of work due to a unexpected computer shut down, literally had not happened to me in years so I had grown complacent and this experience will help me be more diligent.

Browsing Basics
Digital Citizenship
K-12 (5) Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
K-12 (5)a advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

Technology Operations and Concepts
K-12 (6). Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
K-12 (6)a. Understand and use technology systems.

URLs
Creativity and Innovation
K-12 (1) Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
K-12 (1)a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

Communication and Collaboration
K-12 (2)Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
K-12 (2)a.interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

Technology Operations and Concepts
K-12 (6). Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.
K-12 (6)a. Understand and use technology systems.

Web Searches
Research and Information Fluency
K-12 (3) Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
K-12 (3)a. plan strategies to guide inquiry

Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
K-12 (4) Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
K-12 (4)a. identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

Digital Citizenship
K-12 (5) Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
K-12 (5)a advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

Validity and Sourcing
Creativity and Innovation
K-12 (1) Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
K-12 (1)a. apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

Communication and Collaboration
K-12 (2)Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
K-12 (2)a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

Digital Citizenship
K-12 (5) Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.
K-12 (5)a Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology.

2007) International Society for Technology in Education. Retrieved 03/02/2009, from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/NETS/ForStudents/2007Standards/NETS_for_Students_2007.htm

Digital Images

Digital Images in the History Classroom, by Stephanie D. van Hover, Kathleen Owings Swan, Michael J. Berson

The article argues for the use of digital images in the teaching students a deeper understanding of history. The use of primary source digital images can engage students to learn historical skills like: chronological thinking, comprehension, research analysis and interpretation. With the Internet, access to primary sources has been made easy and should be use by the history teacher to engage their students in historical study not just the memorizing of facts. Projects like chronologically listing photographs is example of the the deeper level of understand about history. After analyzing the photographs, looking at clues like hairstyles, cars, tools or clothes the students must state analytically why they choose the historical order of the photographs. The project increases the students understanding of how things change over time. I believe that most people learn better if they can connect an image to an idea. I think digital tools will increase students understanding of the historical events. The deeper understanding of how things are perceived through the digital image will help students beyond the history classroom in understanding and correctly analyzing all types of information.

Q1 How would I use digital images to further connect students and increase their skills of historical study?

A1 I would have students use digital images of their own history to create time lines and showed the changes over time. I think this project could show students how they are interwoven in the fabric of history.

Q2 How can the dangers of digital manipulation be connected to learning?

A2 Showing the digital manipulation of photographs and documentation students can learn more about the interpretation of primary sources. The deeper understand of primary sources and the skills to use them can open a wider understanding of history.

History Now Newsletter

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dfrjr7b4_13drzd2scn

My History

I have been enthralled by history ever since I sat upon my grandfather’s knee and hear the stories of World War I, World War II and the Wild West. Stories told by my grandfather may have been embellished for the amusement of a five-year-old but they started a flame of interest in the historical that has burned ever since. The course of my life did not lead me straight to an academic career in history. I spent 20 years traveling and working in various retail businesses in different parts of the United States and these experiences further enhanced my knowledge and desire to learn more about history. As I grew older and started raising children, I found that the flame of history still burned and now it had the added desire to past on the interest in history to others as my grandfather had done for me. After a break of 20 years in my educational career, I return to school for a degree in history and the opportunity ignite the flame of interest in history in the minds of young people. I believe that a fundamental education in the facts of the historical record is important to students' understanding of world in which they live. Creating a personal interest, like my grandfather did for me, in the events of history is just as important as the facts. The student that can feel connected to the distance past will be much more likely to understand and learn the lessons that history teaches. I feel for older students the development of the skill of historical interruption is important in order to understand the facts and causation of history. Students that have historical facts, skills and personal interest will have the ability to become full citizens of our democracy.

Michael Poteet
Contacts: Email mp2poteet@yahoo.com Blog Michael's Word

My Historical Interest

I believe, as a future single subject credential holder in social studies, all historical subject matter is important and I will endeavor to create the sense of context and personal experience with all aspects of history. In teaching high school students, Ithink the role of social studies education is the important factor creating citizens that are prepared to be involved in the political process of our democracy. The comparative study of United States history is very important in the creation of citizens. I feel one of the most important subject areas in the study of United States history is the American Civil War. The conflict of brother against brother was the defining moment in the history of the country that created a new birth of freedom and was key in forming the modern structure of the United States. One aspect and enhance students understanding of how important the conflict is to examine the speeches and writings of Abraham Lincoln. The president’s important speeches like the Gettysburg Address and the Second Inaugural can be used to show how the Civil War redefine what it meant to be a free man and citizen of the United States. Lincoln's use of language is easy to relate to by modern students and can be very effective way to connect them the historical story. The understanding of where how the idea of modern citizenship were created will help the students place themselves in the context of history. I feel it is a very important for students at the high school level to understand the context of these speeches and the history of the civil war in order to become full of active citizens of the United States of America. The following link is a great resource for finding out about online information on the Civil War. American Civil War Sources

California Social Studies Standards

Michael Poteet

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Contributor #2: Eric Stickland
What do I want to teach, and why?

While I am enthusiastic about all historical periods and topics, I find that I am most interested in the history of the ancient world. In particular, I am fascinated by the history of Greece, Rome, Egypt, and the civilizations of the Levant. My interest in these regions is based upon a number of factors; first, there are many material remains from all of these cultures, which makes it easier to picture what it might have been like to live during those times. In addition to providing fodder for an endless parade of History Channel documentaries, these artifacts also give clues about what made some cultures grow and succeed or caused some to decline and disappear. Another factor contributing to my interest in these topics is the fact that many "firsts" in world history occurred in these civilizations. For instance, it was in Mesopotamia that humans first started living in large, permanent settlements, began to differentiate into specialized roles, and developed systems of writing and law. The Greek city-states pioneered with innovations in democracy, warfare, and art. The Egyptians left behind perhaps the most famous monumental architecture of antiquity in the form of the Pyramids, and founded one of the world's first monotheistic religions. Finally, the Romans presided over one of the most impressive empires of the ancient world and proved themselves expert at adapting the discoveries of other cultures for their own purposes.
With regard to the grades I'm interested in teaching, I feel most attracted to secondary education and particularly high school. This is due to a number of factors; first is the fact that higher grades allow the instructor to teach more "in-depth" information on given topics. Additionally, the greater intellectual development of high school students can be conducive to a greater degree of discussion and debate, an activity that I consider a crucial component for stimulating interest, understanding, and fact retention among students.

California History Standards- This link goes to the state-mandated standards for the teaching of history.

Kathy Schrock's Guide for Education: World History Sites- This link goes to a website providing resources for history educators.

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Eric Stickland? Who is this guy?

In my lifetime, I have been exposed a variety of different experiences that have helped to motivate and prepare me for a career in teaching. In this article, I will describe a few of these experiences and how they have impacted me. While in junior high school, I began attending the Summer Camp program of the Boise (Idaho) Family YMCA. After my first summer as an attendee only, in the six subsequent summers I served in the roles of Counselor-in-Training, Counselor, Senior Counselor, and finally Unit Leader, where I supervised all male staff members. These experiences instilled in me a love of working with youth, showed me the positive impact that one caring adult can have upon children, and taught me valuable skills for interacting with teens. Another significant experience that has contributed to my aptitude and interest in teaching has been my ongoing, seven year long association with White Dragon Martial Arts schools. Upon moving to the San Diego area, my wife and I enrolled at the school and began studying Choy Li Fut Kung Fu. We benefited from twice-weekly private lessons and advanced quickly, and were both invited to enter the instructor's training program. During this nine month long program, our limits of physical and mental endurance were tested, exceeded, and increased, and we were also trained in working with students in a one-on-one format, using positive feedback to motivate them to do their best. At the completion of the program in April of 2004, both my wife and I graduated as new instructors. In this role, I taught at the Encinitas school for over three years; during this time, I spent over 10 hours each week teaching up to 20 students in a private lesson environment, as well as planning and executing group classes. My students ranged in age from 6 to 60, and ran the gamut of physical abilities and innate aptitudes. I particularly enjoyed getting to know each student in a fashion that allowed me to learn how best to motivate them; I learned that younger children responded particularly well to "fun", whereas older students were interested in self-defense applications, the aesthetics of truly graceful movement, or the historical background of Chinese martial arts. I feel that my experience as a martial arts instructor has prepared me to be a teacher by teaching me some tools to motivate students, making me comfortable in group or one-on-one settings, and giving me experience in positive-reinforcement techniques.

White Dragon Martial Arts Schools
Eric's Blog
Email me

http://www.alleba.com/blog/wp-content/photos/abraham_lincoln.jpg
http://students.umf.maine.edu/~pendlecv/Civil%20War%20Webquest/Civil%20War%20Battle.jpg http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/16/DoricParthenon.jpg

February 13, 2009

Making History Come Alive

Making History Come Alive by Howard Levin

The focus of this article was about how to make the Holocaust real for High School student and at the same time teach the application of technology. Students from the Urban School of San Francisco use digital movie cameras to capture interviews with Holocaust survivors and then transcribe the interviews linking the text with visual image. The link words and images were then use to create a website that all students could access for study. I think the project was a very exciting and hands on way for students to become involved in history. The student not only learned about the past but they created future learn opportunities for others. The size of the project meant a lot of extra hours of work. The class was a two hour block class that allow for extra work on this project. I think that this type of project is not going to work in a lot of classrooms that lack the resources and time to create movies and websites. I like the idea of going outside of the textbook to make history come alive and the work that this project did should be a inspiration for educators.

Q1 How would I use a project like this in a classroom?

A1 The use of high tech equipment can be very expensive and time consuming for a project like the one in the article. I would make the scope of the project smaller but keep all the guide posts. The interviews could be of students own family but they would have to follow the guide lines and documentation of official historical interviews. The skills of interviewing, editing and historical writing could be learn for less time and cost.

Q2 What are the negatives to the capturing oral histories?

A2 The personal story of people that lived through a historical event can be a great tool for connecting students to history. The personal stories can sometimes misleading and the teacher must guide the student through these stories to make sure they are related to the historical context.

Chatting it up Online

Chatting it up Online: Students Talk to a Favorite Author, by Pamela Livingston

In this article, Pamela Livingston describes the process of setting up and running a live online chat. The chat involved second and third grade boys and Mary Pope, Osborne the author of the Magic Tree House book series. The article is full of details about arranging and signing up for an online chat. Also, she facilitated the computer and visual audio equipment need at the school. Second and third grade boys at the school would prepare questions for the author and actively participate in the online discussion. She felt that the children’s interest in reading would be increased through talking with the author of one of their favorite book series. I felt the article was very helpful that, instead of just concentrating on all the positives, Pamela pointed out some pitfalls and technical glitches that she had in organizing this activity. She highlighted the importance of being diligent and pre-testing all the aspects of the chat. She went so far as to check out the computer room at the time that they were planning to hold the discussion and discovered that sunlight would affect the visibility of the screens. Since she had done this prior to the event, she was able to correct the sunlight problem. In another incident, the author did not receive the boy’s prepared questions that were sent by e-mail and she had to enter the questions during the chat. She felt that the students understood that they were connecting with the author through the computer. In reading this article, I was not totally convinced of how much inspiration second and third graders would gain from this type of communication versus the amount of time and energy that went into preparing for the activity. Pamela stated that at certain times the questions and answers being scrolled up on the screen were hard to follow. The children’s ability to follow rapidly changing written communication may have taken away from their enjoyment at getting to communicate with the author. The article is a very good guide for anyone considering this type of activity, which I think it would be a great benefit for students at a higher-grade level.

Q1: Is this type of project worth the amount of effort?

The answer is that it depends. You have to determine what the students’ ability to understand and interact in this type of technology, plus their interest in the subject of the chat.

Q2: How do you deal with technical problem?

Education tech activities need to have standard education material as back up to avoid disappoint of students and loss teaching time.

Michael Poteet