Integrating Technology
This set of guidelines helps outline best practices in integration, where technology is used as a tool to enhance the teaching and learning experience. When designing classroom activities that utilize computers, it's important to focus on the pedagogy, not the computer skill. As the following outline indicates, pre-teaching and utilizing planning materials like graphic organizers help improve the process. This information will help teachers that are just beginning the process of using technology to help the students learn in new ways.
Technology Integration in Ten Easy Steps
1. Determine unit goals from core curriculum content area
2. Formulate curriculum content area objectives - What do I want students to be able to do?(Bloom's Taxonomy)
3. Construct assessment - Determine finished product, which software will be used, and rubric criteria
4. Design activity, process, and specific instructional strategies
5. Look at the National Technology Standards to match the activity to the standards
6. Prepare and photocopy worksheets or graphic organizer for each student
7. Introduce concept in class. Pre-teaching in content area should be thorough enough for students to completely understand what is expected of them
8. If appropriate, use projector to introduce technology tools in class before students come to the lab. This maximizes the time with the computer.
9. When students are in the lab or with their laptops, support them with content area. Facilitate students working collaboratively and helping each other with the technology. You'll quickly find student experts who can show their classmates what buttons to push and which strategies work with the software and hardware.
10. Provide opportunity to share with authentic audience.
If you are looking for new ways to integrate technology into the curriculum, search these extremely high quality educational databases.
For a more in-depth look at designing units that infuse technology, you'll find unit planning guidelines here.
Project Ideas Using Software and Web Applications
As we integrate technology into our teaching and learning environment, we must focus on the learning experiences on the student and less on the use of productivity software. The following lists use common software in ways that are creative and integrate into the curriculum learning objectives. As one becomes proficient in the use of a particular software, it become easier to develop creative ways to use it with students. Most school districts have a set of expectations of student proficiency in basic programs. It is extremely important that students use the computer as a tool to communicate information that is authentic, directly related to what their learning, and connected to real life as they learn and develop their own skill in software programs.
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PowerPoint (not presentation), Word Student creates a graphic, or uses graphics from clip art and types the text using word processing tool Add a chapter to a book or story On-line websites that have a story and the students can click on a box to add to it, blogging or wiki applications Art Exhibit Take digital pictures and drop into PowerPoint, add narration and/or music Audio recording/podcast Garage Band, web Record voice, add sound effects and/or music for a podcast Audio-biography iMovie, PowerPoint with narration, Garage Band Commonly known as “digital story telling” Award PowerPoint (creating a certificate) Biography Web resources such as biography.com, Fact Monster or other history web sites, Word for essay, iMovie to create a narrated movie with images, web page, PowerPoint for narrated slide show with image Also could be considered “digital story telling”, for younger students create a poster with a picture and facts Blog Use Classblogmeister to set up a class blog Book Report PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool), Word Use visual representation Bookmark PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool) Commemorate a special event or a topic Brochure Microsoft Word Younger students need a template so the layout is correct Character Study Inspiration, PowerPoint, Word Create a web with characteristics and events from the story, diamonte poem Chart Excel, also can copy into Word to add paragraph explaining data Changes over time, comparison of data, collect data for science, social studies Checklist Word using bullets Classroom Museum Floor plan of museum exhibit using PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) Collect artifacts from primary source websites, write about “exhibits” Class Book PowerPoint, each child creates one slide Ideas for topics include our community, famous people, vocabulary (math or other subject), Collage Images from web, digital camera, PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) Comic Book ReadWriteThink website has template for students to create comic strip, also utilize speech bubbles tool in Microsoft Word or PowerPoint Constitution Access image of actual constitution from American Memories Website, create using AppleWorks or PowerPoint with large clipart as a background Contract Microsoft Word Correspondence Email, Word Currency/Coupons Paint, and PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) Create coupons with kind deeds for holidays Design Proposal Blank PowerPoint slide for floor plans and graphics, PowerPoint for presentation, iMovie for video Geography study project: students select a region and create a proposal for a resort Diorama Locate images on web and shrink and manipulate in paint Documentary iMovie, PowerPoint Use Library of Congress resources to download images, videos, and music Editorial Essay Word, web based blog to share and get input from others Eulogy iMovie to create a videotape of the “eulogizer” – pretend memorial service Fable Word, Web sites with fables from around the world Family Tree Inspiration, Kidspiration Flag PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool), Floor Plan PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool), Use with a descriptive paragraph or for a math activity to show scale Flow Chart Inspiration, PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool) Games/Puzzles Create game pieces using images from the internet or PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool), written directions on Word Jokes Word, video tape and edit in iMovie Journey Log Web based blog, Word with images borrowed from the web Last Will & Testament Word using scroll type clip art as background Map Google maps, PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool) Done as a reading comprehension activity after reading Maniac Magee, also to review ordinal directions |
Math Story
PowerPoint (not as presentation tool), Kidspiration Illustrate a typed math story with clipart Memoir Word, or web based blog, also could video tape family member, or use scanner to scan images and integrate into written essay 6th grade project: use scanned images of student throughout their life along with images of world events to create a video timeline Monument PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool) Mosaic PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool) Multimedia Show iMovie, PowerPoint Museum Exhibit Floor plan of museum exhibit using PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) Collect artifacts from primary source websites, write about “exhibits” Music Video iMovie, Garage Band to compose music News Articles Word, iMovie to video tape newscast Oral History iMovie, Garage Band to record voice Painting/Drawing AppleWorks, KidPix, Tux Paint Illustrate a science concept, a story, a character in a poem Petition/Bill of Rights Word Photo Album iPhoto, PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) Picture Book PowerPoint Poem Word, Use clipart, borders, different color text to help tell the message Postcard Images from web, AppleWorks, PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) Poster PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) In Excel, printing posters using multiple pages is possible Press Kit Word Radio Commercial Garage Band Recipe Word Relief Map Google maps Report Word Focus on website evaluation. To reinforce visual literacy, include a cover with images and text Research Paper Word, Instead of an essay, consider creating a brochure, illustrated book, web page or web site Resume and Cover Letter Word using templates Review Rules or Laws Word Scale Model PowerPoint (not as presentation tool), Excel to calculate scale Draw tools in Microsoft allows user to use rulers to measure Scenery Web to find a photograph, Tux Paint Scientific instrument PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) Scrapbook PowerPoint (not as presentation tool) Screenplay (film) iMovie to edit video Script (Play) Word Shadow Box Web to collect images Short Story Word, or post to the web on a blog or student publishing website Slide Show or PPT PowerPoint, iMovie Song Lyrics Word Study Guide PowerPoint (not as a presentation tool) Illustrate vocabulary words, create a diagram with images and text labels Survey Create survey on www.profilerpro.com, www.surveymonkey.com, www.zoomerang.com, Excel to create chart to compare results Time Capsule Web to find primary source documents Timeline Inspiration, Kidspiration, Excel, Word tables, TV Commercial iMovie Web Page Nvu, Word To demonstrate learning after research Web Site Nvu, Word Requires uploading to a webspace Wiki any web browser from any web connected computer What's a wiki? |
In Need of Help?
Sometimes we don't feel competent in the elements of a software program. It's very important to know that when working with students you do NOT have to know everything there is to know about a particular application. Start with a basic idea of what the final project should look like. Find examples from other teachers or the web. You'll quickly discover that you have a confident group of students who can figure things out and teach others. In addition, there is nothing wrong with saying something like, "Let's do the best we can for now and the next time we come to the lab, I'll have time to ask an expert or play with this feature and I'll be able to show you how that's done."
Here's a few places you can look for tutorials:
The help menu of any application!
YouTube - yes, you can find tutorials on anything on YouTube, like this one on Excel Formulas
AtomicLearning - Paid subscription is required for some of the content
Woopid Video Tutorials
How-To-Geek - for Microsoft Office
Google it! - type in "how to (what ever) in Microsoft Word (or which ever)"
Here's a few places you can look for tutorials:
The help menu of any application!
YouTube - yes, you can find tutorials on anything on YouTube, like this one on Excel Formulas
AtomicLearning - Paid subscription is required for some of the content
Woopid Video Tutorials
How-To-Geek - for Microsoft Office
Google it! - type in "how to (what ever) in Microsoft Word (or which ever)"