Low Tech Telephone to the Rescue

When we're thinking about ways to use technology to enhance the excitement of content we shouldn't forget the telephone. In one 8th grade class I was in recently the students were working on year long research projects including interviews of experts in their area of study. One student is doing his research on the Tuskegee Airmen from WWII. To help students share what they're learning as well as help them develop interviewing skills we hooked up a speaker phone and the student interviewed an 85 year old Tuskegee Airman veteran during the class. After the initial interview, members of the class asked additional questions. It turned into a high interest lesson.

Getting a speaker phone hooked up wasn't trivial. The wall phone was wired into the wall with no speaker, but we took the jack from the handset and plugged it into an old speaker phone and "lo and behold" we pushed the speaker button and there was a dial tone. We also videotaped the conversation so we'd have an audio record. It's easy to forget that just using the telephone to bring experts into the classroom can create a memorable experience for the students.

What we do in the lab

A parent tour came through the lab yesterday. One of the parents asked me if I taught lessons. Just what did I do?
My answer was that what I do is support the teachers. I don't think she believed me, but its true. Every year, in every grade, there's a sprint to teach all the standards before testing begins in the spring. There's a lot to cover, there are a lot of different learning styles, and different levels of motivation. It's a huge job.
Over the years, the teachers here have found the software that they feel helps their students the most in advancing them through all the different subjects they have to learn. One of the reasons I like working here is that I agree with all of their choices. Here are some of the main pieces of software we work with:

1) Math Arena by Daren Carstens-, transformational geometry, circle graphs, Venn diagrams, symmetry, percents, money and percent of change, number sequences, and probability. One of Margo's favorite math programs because it teaches concepts that are difficult to teach without the manipulation of figures that this program allows.


2) Math Blaster: the original ultimate drill and practice math software. Mathblaster has math facts drills that the kids actually think are fun. Days that they do either of these programs in the lab, we have to pry them out of their seats when class is over.



3) Type to Learn: We start teaching the kids some keyboarding skills in 2nd grade It's difficult for them, because their hands are too small for the keys. By 5th grade, the more skilled ones are already touch typing.




4) Kid Pix-it's a great tool to get kids enthusiastic about experimenting with what a computer can do. Book covers are a favorite project.






Colonial Williamsburg-This is actually a website, but it's a crucial part of the fifth grade curriculum. Electronic field trips, slide shows, interactive flash games-it's an amazing place to visit.




We have more software (Graph club, Inspiration, Google Earth, etc.) that I'll cover another day.

Shift happens updated

A few months ago, our friend Anne Bubnic told us about a great video piece on Youtube called Shift happens. Today, I saw the new version on the Dangerously Irrelevant Blog. It's worth watching and thinking about it(Even though it came out June 22,more than three months ago. What can I say? I don't have the time to blog as consistently as I'd like.)

We miss the California Academy of Sciences most in the winter

The San Francisco Chronicle has a great article and this wonderful video which I've posted below shows what we can expect when the California Academy of Sciences reopens in Fall of 2008.
This video reminded me of how much our family, like so many others, is waiting for the Academy to reopen. I can't remember how many field trips I've helped organize: for reptiles, dinosaurs, bird skulls, earthquakes-the list goes on and on. What a great science resource we'll have to use again when it reopens! And in the meatime, isn't it great that the technology enables us to see what's coming and gives us a way to share it with kids.

Google Earth takes to the Stars

I just read in my e-school news that Google Earth has added a "sky" button which turns your gaze outward to the stars and galaxies above. You have to download a new Google Earth, and then you have to notice the new little button at the top of the Google Earth screen. It looks like this cool little Saturn button; that is, if you're looking at your screen with your telescope. In reality it's so small it looks like you splattered oatmeal on your LCD.
But once you know it's there it's very cool. Here's a movie that shows how it works.

It's these kind of tools that can make all the difference in the use of educational technology in schools. Hopefully science teachers will be inspired to explore this tool and use it to bring dynamic elements and current data into their lessons. The database alone, with information on each object in the sky, is incredible. And if teachers don't get time to to bring it into their classrooms, I imagine the students will probably bring it in for them.

Weather or not to Blog

5th Grade is researching weather, and naturally the research was on extreme weather.
The Offical United States Hurricane Centerwas a very popular jumping off spot. Also popular was the Weather Undergroundtropical storm center, and Weather Whiz Kids.Some people liked How Stuff Works.

Many people wrote about tornadoes. Hail was another popular subject. One group studied vulcanism and it's effect on the weather. I saw one report on lightning. We found some interesting videos on hurricanes. Finally, a california classroom would have to have at least one report on the "El Niño / La Niña". weather phenomena. More detailed information can be found here.

We go bats in the lab

This week, the third grade team decided to research Bats. Some of this research was done in the Rancho lab. We especially enjoyed viewing Batworld, Bats4kids, Megabats, and Vampire Bats.

Our favorite bats are the Vampire Bat, the Fruit Bat, and the Pallid bat(also known as the groundfeeding bat).
Our favorite bat facts are

"Vampire bats suck blood".
"When they suck blood,the animals don't wake up."
"California has lots of brown bats"

Here's a picture of our favorite bat:

Hope this doesn't drive you batty!