Get to Know Becky Baron

  There are many things that I have learned about teaching strategies while integrating technology in a classroom.  Just like every other teaching tool, technology best serves students when it is combined with other types of learning.  I really believe that a lot of the projects we developed in this class are best used in Cooperative settings.  Group discussion and brainstorming are only going to enhance a StAIR project or a WebQuest.  It also helps to have some hands on activities that supplement technology tools.  That way you touch a little bit on strategies that work for all your students, not just the tech-savvy ones.
 
As I integrated web-based technologies in this class I was able to evaluate their worth along the way.  I have found that every project I have done in this class is very time consuming, but once they are completed they are easily edited and updated, so really it is only the initial development that takes up a lot of time.  I have also seen how well these projects keep a child’s interest, especially children who have not had a lot of exposure to technology up to this point.
 
I feel like I have been starting from scratch in these classes with little or no knowledge base on the subject of educational technology.  Despite that, I feel like I have met a lot of my personal goals.  I feel like I can now have an intelligent conversation about existing technologies that are currently being used in classrooms.  Before this class I had no idea what Web 2.0 meant and I had never blogged anything.  I now see how useful all of these technological tools can be in a learning environment and I hope to use them in my own classroom in the future.

My next goal, of course, is to get a teaching job.  I am coming off this class with a lot of new and exciting knowledge that I can’t wait to share with a group of students and I hope that the enthusiasm I feel will be the edge I need to get a job. My long terms goals go hand in hand with getting a job because I have learned about so many new and exciting resources and I can’t wait to implement them in my own classroom.  I know there are a lot hurdles to overcome when using technology in the schools, but I feel up to the challenge.  Just to use my WebQuest I will need about 15 websites unblocked and that doesn’t even take into account the lack of background knowledge with the internet that most kids would bring to the activity.  Again, I am not concerned with any of those issues because I feel that the activity is well worth the time it will take to implement it.

My bottom line is this; I need a job and I hope that all the things I am learning in this set of three classes will set me apart from all the other people who are trying to get a job.  I am truly excited to implement all I have learned in these classes within an educational setting and I feel confident enough in my new role as a technology savvy teacher to introduce my students to a whole new world of learning experiences. 

My WebQuest has been the focus of my time for the last week and while I was still in the developmental stages of the project I stumbled upon an online activity developed by National Geographic that dealt with the subject of the Underground Railroad.  I ended up using it as a research tool in my WebQuest, but I think it is worth mentioning here as my favorite Internet-based learning resource.  You can view this activity at: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/index.html

There are several reasons I really like this activity, the biggest reason is  that it is so thorough.  I feel like just about everything I would want my students at a 3rd or 4th Grade level to learn is included in the activity.  I would definitely use this activity in a Collaborative setting as some of the text content may be difficult for lower level readers.  Plus I would like my students to discuss the information as they progress, since a good discussion is always a good learning experience.  The Underground Railroad activity is also very visually stimulating while not being overwhelming.  There are a lot of good internet skills gained by navigating this website. Kids are given prompts that allow them to listen to someone reading the information or are allowed to read through the info themselves.  Also there are additional information buttons that allow kids to click on and receive more detailed information. 

The creators of this activity definitely took into account the idea of Scaffolding information.  They begin with a general idea and then build on it so kids start out with the big concepts and then move on to more specific concepts.  A Teacher's role in this activity would be more like a "guide on the side".  The site is very user friendly, but it is important for teachers to make sure that the students are clicking on all the available buttons and getting all of the information for the best and most thorough learning experience. 

If I could interview the creator of this resource I am sure they would say that students learn best when they work together and are active participants in their own learning.  This activity could definitely be completed without a teacher's help and I truly believe the students would be actively engaged for the duration of the activity.  The site is well thought out, very userfriendly and as I have stated before, very engaging.

As I read through The Michigan Merit Guidlines: Online Experience and the Michigan Merit Curriculum Online Experience Guideline Companion Document the first thing that caught my attention was the fact that they only covered Grades 6-12.  Since I have been working for quite some time on my Webquest for 3rd and 4th Grade Students, which is an activity I would consider an "Online Experience", I wondered why these Guidelines specified only Grades 6-12.  A lot of the experiences they require are also applicable to Grades K-5, for instance  Sustainability.  That Characteristic says: "The experience must provide an opportunity to practice using technology tools, explore virtual learning environment and develop a comfort level operating in this space.  This requires a period of time and is not accomplished in just one experience."  In my opinion good Online Experiences should begin from Kindergarten on through to Graduation and not necessarily focus on just Grades 6-12. 

While I see all the ways these Guidelines are important I also see how little they are being put into practice in the School I am familiar with, especially in the High School.  I feel that a lot of times the State develops these standards with the best intentions, but then lacks the power to enforce them or even to insure that they are easily fulfilled by the Schools.  For instance, I know from experience how long a WebQuest takes to construct.  We know that they can be an effective learning tool, but with all the standards that teachers are already required to fulfill it is hard to imagine how they can find time to develop and then competently implement a project like a Webquest.  That is not to say that it cannot be done, I just know that it is not happening in the High School where I work.  Another aspect of the guideline that puzzled me was the section that referred to Computer Requirements.   According to the MMC Guidelines a school is recommended to have: A Pentium speed PC or PowerMac with at least 32MB, Screen Resolution should be at least 800x600 pixels and a color depth of Hi Color (16bit/64K) or greater.  Now that sounds like a lot of babble to a lot of us, but it also sounds like a lot of money too.  As many schools try to make up for budget shortfalls, where does the State expect them to find money to make sure they are compliant with their technology curriculum standards?

My final thought is this, I know that the State has the best intentions as they sit in Lansing and come up with these standards and it is my hope that schools truly are doing their best to comply with these standards.   A lot of schools are doing the best they can with the little they have and since there is very little equity when it comes to technology in Michigan Schools I have no idea how the State Department of Ed. is keeping track of everything they are asking school to do with technology.  I do know this, that teachers will always work hard to please the State while at the same time bringing the best out in the students they teach withthe limited resources they have.  What more can we ask for?