GRAPHIC ORGANIZERS

HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT STUDENTS UNDERSTAND A CONCEPT?

As a teacher it is important to build checks and balances into your lesson plan that allow you to evaluate your students understanding and ability.  After teaching a student how to accomplish a task, setting clear expectations for the assignment given, and giving an interactive example in class, it is important to test their independent ability.  What can a student accomplish without your help and do they know the skill or information being taught well enough to take it with them for the future.  This should be done in all areas of study.
Graphic organizers provide tools to create visual displays that depict relationships among and between various elements.  Common names for graphic organizers are concept maps, mind maps, advance organizers, and mental models.  When a student uses flash cards or takes notes to read back over, it is just stimulating one form of learning and often becomes a lost piece of information over time.  Memorized information in itself is not necessarily the same as learned information.  To truly learn a piece of information is to understand the material from all angles, create links to the way in which it effects and works with other things and to be able to apply it.   
For example, here is a way in which students can use graphic organizers to go beyond memorization to deeper understanding and learning.  If a young student is attempting to learn cause and effect in literature, graphic organizers can allow them to map out the separate events of a story in an organized manor so they are able to visualize how each event effects the next. 

Graphic organizers can assist in the following:

• Analyzing: By critically examining details, processes, relationships, or meaning, better understanding is achieved. Teachers and students could use organizational charts, concept maps, or Venn diagrams as part of their analysis.
• Brainstorming: A problem solving technique where students are encouraged to spontaneously, quickly, and creatively share ideas while one person writes them down, often in the form of a web.
• Sequencing: Ideas or events are prioritized or ordered. Teachers sometimes use this technique to help students understand the relationship of events or the hierarchy of information. This often takes the form of a flow chart or outline.

Here is a sample of a graphic organizer used for literature:

If a student is creating a graphic organizer and ends up unable to connect one concept to the next, they will understand that they may need to look at the concept further.  Once a student is done creating a graphic organizer, the teacher has a map which guides them through their students thought process and will show any disconnect.


HOW CAN YOU DEPICT STUDENT MISCONCEPTIONS OF KEY INFORMATION?

As mentioned above, graphic organizers are great ways for teachers to depict student misconceptions of key information.  Graphic organizers are visual maps of your thoughts and the way in which they connect.  There are many different ways to create graphic organizers but whatever format your students choose, as a teacher, graphic organizers are perfect tools to find students misconceptions.

No matter the shape, a teacher will be able to see where the disconnect it by viewing a graphic organizer and a student will be able to do the same.

HOW CAN STUDENTS CAPTURE AND TRANSFER BRAINSTORMING IDEAS INTO WRITTEN THOUGHTS?

One very effective use of graphic organizers is the organization of ideas when brainstorming.  Here is an idea for a lesson plan to show this.  Using the image of a caterpillar as a graphic organizer, you can have the class participate in a group brainstorming activity in writing and literature class. Each student can have a slice of the caterpillar to write an idea down on.  You may even give each student 3 slices to write multiple ideas on.  The slices will be color coded to represent the head, three parts of the body, and the end.  To demonstrate the correct layout of a story with the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion you can have your students create a full caterpillar with their ideas.

Another way of using graphic organizers to capture ideas through brainstorming is through program based graphic organizers.  These programs for your computers allow the teacher or student recorder to type in an idea of a students which will automatically create an icon and link to an additional icon for the next thought.  These programs easily capture ideas and encourage students to add on to their peers thoughts.  After the brainstorming session, students can review the ideas, modifying and rearranging them into meaningful groups, without having to re-enter the information.  Once they have gotten their information to an organized place they can translate these idea maps into well organized writings.          

MULTIMEDIA IN THE CLASSROOM

HOW CAN MY STUDENTS USE MULTIMEDIA FOR THEIR PROJECTS?

One lesson plan involving multimedia tools that would be very fun and engaging for elementary aged students is writing a creative story using PowerPoint Story Writing Templates.  Children love to create stories and through this multimedia tool, they are able to add sound and animation to spunk their story up.  While learning how to use this simple template, students are also building an important foundation for creating more elaborate presentations as they move through school and into a career.

http://presentationsoft.about.com/od/classrooms/ig/PowerPoint-Story-Templates/index.htm

A second lesson plan involving multimedia tools could require covering the basics; using the Internet for research and word processing.  Before starting any Internet research it is first imperative that you cover web safety and ethics with your students.  When teaching students how to research information on the Internet it is also important to discuss key word searches and how to narrow down the topic in which you are exploring. 

Let's try this out with a search for US Pirates...

Kids have a very cartoon idea about what pirates are after seeing Peter Pan and hearing stories about Blackbeard but they might be fascinated to know where these characters actually began.  To make this lesson fun, start by getting creative and setting the mood star by reading a short story by Tom Lichtenheld named "Everything I Know About Pirates." 

Why do pirates always wear eye patches? Where do pirates go to get their ears pierced? How do pirates keep their underwear from getting mixed up when they sail off to summer pirate camp? You're not the only one who wonders these things. I wondered about them so much, I had to write a book to get to the bottom of it all. The result is an encyclopedia of all things piratical, packed with silly pictures and satire from fore to aft.

Next, have your students come up with pirate names for themselves.  They can create colorful pirate hats and write their names on them.  Once the mood is set, have your students research pirates on the Internet.  Give them a goal to find 3 real pirates in history and record specific facts about each.  Once they have explored pirates and gathered information, have them use word processing to write a one page reaction to the information they found.  Now that students have a cartoon vision of pirates and a real vision of pirates, have students create a short story with the lead character being their own pirate character with the name they chose for themselves.  Reflecting on all that they know, their stories should show some of what they learned about history.  As a teacher, you can conclude this lesson by presenting a slide show comparing real pirates to cartoon pirate with pictures and sounds and discuss the historical times of pirates.

A third lesson plan involving multimedia could involve the use of a digital camera.  Digital cameras are becoming more and more popular, especially for classroom use.  They have many advantages:  pictures are immediately available, pictures are saved in graphic format, and they are easily transferred from the camera to the computer.  This lesson plan could involve small business plans and how communities work.  You could begin this lesson by discussing how different businesses work together and the importance of supporting local business in our economy.  After having a small discussion about this topic, you could have your students come up with ideas for a small business of their own.  In order to grow any business, it must market itself and its purpose to its community.  A great way to do this is to create a flyer.  Using the digital camera, have your students take pictures that they can include in their flyer.  Using Microsoft Publisher, have students create their flyer to share with the class while presenting their idea for a small business. 

             

WHAT APPLICATIONS ARE AVAILABLE FOR CREATING A MULTIMEDIA PRESENTATION?

Their are a number of applications available for creating multimedia presentations.  Creating Digital Video, PowerPoint presentations, google docs presentations, Apples iMovie, Windows Movie Maker, Adobe's Flash, etc.
Creating Digital Video can involve existing movies, Internet clips, movies created by students, etc.  Every production always starts with a storyboard, creating an outline for your presentation.  After the storyboard is created you'll need to create a script.  Once this step is complete you will choose what program will be used to create the video.
PowerPoint Presentations are another popular tool to use.  This tool is especially handy when you want to add movie, animation, pictures, or sound to a presentation but still have the opportunity to print handout or presentation notes for class or business purposes.
Google Docs Presentation application is very similar to PowerPoint but allows you to share your presentation online and work on a presentation with a partner or group just by signing into an account on your personal computer.
These are just a few helpful application to use when creating a fun, interactive, enticing, presentation.

 
SHOULD I PLACE LIMITS ON HOW MY STUDENTS USE MULTIMEDIA

As stated in our text, if your students have completed an integrated computer lesson, they have learned new content, solved problems, and maybe discovered new relationships among ideas that you had not anticipated.  Similarly, the process of creating a presentation encourages students to reflect on what they have done.  Creating a presentation can encompass many different forms of technology and gives students practice in becoming more "technically literate".

In June of 1998, the National Education Technology Standards Project (NETS) unveiled six technology driven standards by which to direct curriculum development.  The document was entitled "Technology Foundation Standards".  The standards sought to weave skills, design application, and problem solve together.  If a student could demonstrate competency in all of the performance indicators, the student would be "technologically literate". (Dr. Fred Hofstetter)
 

Standard	Performance Indicator
1. Basic Operations and Concepts	Students demonstrate a sound understanding of the nature and operation of technology systems. Students are proficient in the use of technology.
2. Social, Ethical, and Human Issues	Students understand the ethical, cultural, and societal issues related to technology. Students practice responsible use of technology systems, information, and software. Students develop positive attitudes toward technology uses that support lifelong learning, collaboration, personal pursuits, and productivity.
3. Technology Productivity Tools	Students use technology tools to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote creativity. Students use productivity tools to collaborate in constructing technology-enhanced models, prepare publications, and produce other creative works.
4. Technology Communications Tools	Students use telecommunications to collaborate, publish, and interact with peers, experts, and other audiences. Students use a variety of media and formats to communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences.
5. Technology Research Tools	Students use technology to locate, evaluate, and collect information from a variety of sources. Students use technology tools to process data and report results. Students evaluate and select new information resources and technological innovations based on the appropriateness for specific tasks.
6. Technology Problem-Solving, and Decision-Making Tools	Students use technology resources for solving problems and making informed decisions. Students employ technology in the development of strategies for solving problems in the real world.

Although using multimedia technology as a tool to get our messages and research out, it is important to remember that it is just that; a format to present our information.  Students should have plenty of opportunity to learn the skills necessary to create presentations, etc, but they should not loose sight of what the point is...the information in which they are presenting.  As a teacher it is important to keep a balance between content and show.

COMPUTER SOFTWARE IN TODAYS CLASSROOM

THERE ARE SO MANY TYPES OF SOFTWARE; HOW DO I KNOW WHICH ONES TO INCLUDE IN MY LESSONS?

There are 5 categories of  software used in today's classrooms, productivity, research, communication, problem-solving, and educational software.  As we learned in Chapter 2, NTeQ: Designing an Integrated Lesson, computers are only a part of our leasson plan, and should be used as tools to increase learning.  Once you've specified your objective, you can begin to see how computers fit into your lesson and decide on what type of software best suits your needs.
In some situations there may be a need for multiple software use.  Productivity software, which covers word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, database, mapping/planning, drawing/painting, audio/video editing, and authoring will more  then likely be a helpful tool in most lessons. 
Word processing software is a tool that you use almost every day for multiple purposes and is the most standard requirement for papers, homework, presentations, etc.  It's rare that a teacher will even except a hand written assignment anymore.  Word processing easily fits into any style of teaching, beacuse its primary function is to enhance the writing process by automating many of the tedious tasks associated with  using paper and pencil.  In early grades, this may still be a skill to be learned and may be an instructional lesson in itself, but using word processing software is one of the most important skills to have.
In a 4th grade class, students might be studying health and wellness and might be required to create a nutrition plan and presentation based on the information they are learning.  Presentation software could be a good tool to use when showing the class their nutrition plan.  This tool would allow students to get creative with the information they are showing.  They may be required to create a pie chart or graph showing the percentage of different types of foods they should eat daily.  Using spreadsheet software, students could enter there researched data and create the charts needed.  After the charts are complete they could be included in the presentation being created with the presentation software.  Students could also spice up their presentation with pictures and music, as well as recorded audio, narrorating their presentation. 
As you can see, productivity software can be used in many different ways and in most lesson plans.  It is easy to implement multiple forms of productivity software into a lesson and by using this software, students are not only gaining the ability to use this software but also making the learning process more fun and effective.
The second form of software is Research software.  Research software contains a wide variety of resources formatted for use on the Web.  In todays society, most of the research we do is done online through browsers, search engines, and small downloadable software applications called plug-ins.  In many classrooms, daily lessons can be shown through overhead projectors connected to a laptop computer.  As a teacher you can personalize your browser page to be specific to your class agenda with helpful links, archives or highlighted dates and information.  Your browser is your initial access to the web such as Internet Explorer or Safari.  Within every browser there are selected search engines, the primary type of software tools used to assist you in locating specific sites.  Google and Yahoo are two extremely common search engines.  Search engines work by taking keywords and phrases and generating lists of internet based resources containing these words.  You can break your search down into more specific searches throguh advanced search tools and by specifying your needs such as video, web, images, etc.  When attempting to view video or audio links, plug-in software is sometimes needed.  This type of software usually has to be downloaded onto your computer.  Coomon plug-ins are Acrobat Reader, Quick Time or Real Audio.  Research Software is a key tool in any classroom and in many lessons because it offers students a library of knowledge at there finger tips just by accessing the web.  The interenet is full of fun, interative, knowledge and kids should be given plenty of opportunity and direction to use this type of tool.
The third form of software is Communication Software.  Communication Software has become a staple in most peoples daily lives and has allowed society to stay in constant contact on a global level.  Emails, discussion boards, podcasts, social media sites, instant messaging and listserves are tools we often use to communicate more so then face to face contact in this generation.  The idea of writing a letter is almost prehistoric due to the simplicity and speed of communication software and meetings or instructional classes don't have to be attended in person with the ease of podcasts, online classes and online chat.  With communication software advancing daily buisness is happening faster, we are more efficient, and as teachers, we have access to information and live speakers, as well as video and presentations that we would otherwise never have access to.
Podcasts are popular means of sharing digital multimedia files over the internet.  These files can include audio, video, images, PDF, and text and can even be real-time.  Due to the expansive collection of podcasts on the web, podcasts are great tools for teachers to use in the classroom.  It is fairly easy to find podcasts on most subjects and as shown in the links I have attached below, there are many sites created specifically for educators where you can find these.

These sites offer ideas and examples of using podcasts for an educational purpose. They include podcast programs created by students, podcasting tutorials, and resources. The variety of podcasts shown here are appropriate for a variety of different ages ranging from k-12 and into college and beyond.
  
Apple Podcasting in Education: http://www.apple.com/education/podcasting/  
The Educational Podcast Network: http://epnweb.org/   
Audio and Video Podcast from National Geographic: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mobile/
 Technology News Podcasts for Teachers: http://nausetschools.org/podcasts.htm 
Podcast Directory for Educators, Schools and Colleges: http://recap.ltd.uk/podcasting/index.php   

The fourth form of software is Problem Solving Software which include fun and intriguing situations requiring the use of higher-order thinking skills to acheive the intended outcome.  Many problem-solving programs are game-like, while others involve real-world simulation.  If you spend a day or two around any young adolescent you will find that hand help devices such as Nintendo DS, game boxes such as Wii and computer programs involving problem solving software are the popular trends and are the desired way to spend an afternoon.  As a teacher, problem-solving software could be a fun and interactive way to challenge and reward students.  For example, Age of Empires III deals with the conquest and colonization of the Americas.  Taking on the role of a European power, desperate to grab land and resources, helps students understand the motivation and planning behind invasion and consequences.  This could be used in a history class.  Another example might be SuperKids Software a series of programs that focus on developing or exercising critical thinking skills by the user, rather than a specific academic discipline.  I personally believe that this type of software should be used in moderation.   

The fifth form of software is Educational Software, consisting of drill and practice software, tutorials, integrated learning systems, process tools, and testing software.  Features of educational software include providing new content, practice, feedback, performance-based tracking over time, and data input beyond answering questions.  Integrated learning systems are an effective tool, providing students adaptive instruction by branching them to activities based on their ability and performance, while drill and practice activities give give students immediate feedback.  Tutorial software typically includes text, narration, video, and imagery to teach targeted information to students, while process tools provide questions and prompting to guide students through specific steps required to complete a process.  Lastly is testing software, which has become increasingly more popular and valuable in schools since the No Child Left Behind Act was passed in 2001.  This software ranges from targeting very specific content to grade-level subject areas. In every classroom teachers need a way to test and evaluate students progress.  There are many forms of testing software available and it is impotant to pick one you can count on.

 

 

I UNDERSTAND WHY STUDENTS SHOULD USE EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE AND THE INTERNET, BUT WHY SHOULD MY FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS LEARN TO USE SPREADSHEET, DATABASE, OR VIDEO EDITING SOFTWARE?

The use of productivity software should be taught at a very young age as it is a valuable tool for all students in many subject areas.  Spreadsheets can be used in elementary education to assist students in math and can also be used to organize information into visual charts, and graphs as they study.  Through the ability to perform calculation and create graphs students can begin to understand and visualize common patterns and trends in the information they find. After creating a spreadsheet, and collecting information, it can be stored in a database.  As stated in the book, this could be a wonderful tool to use for fourth graders when learning the 50 states, their flowers, animals, birds, and populations.  Once this information is in a database and sperated into fields, students can pull querys based on the information and find similarities amongst the 50 states.  How many states have the same state bird?  What state has the lowest population?  What state has the highest population?  Not only are students learning how to use these tools when learning spreadsheets and databases but also creating ways to learn information that every student learns at a fourth grade level just in a more efficient way. 
As for digital audio editing, a fourth grade student could have a lot of fun with this tool.  Sounds and songs and poems and writings are commonly shared around this age.  When I was younger I made up songs about all types of things and even sang my regular sentences at times.  Writing poems were an effective way of relaying my emotions and creativity.  In fourth grade children are begining to understand their personalities and learning how to express themselves.  I loved to explore and hike and see what I'd find outside when I was younger.  In a school setting, digital audio editing could be used as a tool for students to collect information for a presentation.  Maybe a student wants to read a poem he/she wrote about a river they were researching in science class.  This could be a creative way to open a powerpoint presentation about the animal life found in the rivers natural setting.  As the presentation continued and the student discussed the animals they found, they could add animal sounds to be heard as the pictures of the animals are shown.  The student could even record his or her own voice to narrorate their presentation.  Digital audio editing is a fun tool to use to explore sound and enhance learning.
     

HOW CAN STUDENT USE OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOFTWARE HELP IMPROVE SCORES ON STATE TESTS?

State testing is an important topic in our school sytems and incredibly important to focus on.  As teachers we want to be able to give our students every available tool they can have to assist with this.  In the software we have studied in chapter 4, there are multiple forms that could assist with improving test scores such as research software.  If given guided instruction and key topics to research, students can use the internet to study topics necessary for state tests.  Communication software can also be used for this purpose.  Through discussion boards, blogs, wikipedia, podcasts and other forms of communication software, students could gather information needed for testing.  There are problem solving software out there as well specific to the information needed for testing as well as educational software.  If students are given clear instruction about what is needing to be studied for state tests, almost all of the software we covered in chapter four could be used to improve scores.

DIGITAL TOOLS IN TODAYS CLASSROOMS

Why is it important to learn about different technology tools when they are constantly changing?

There are multiple reasons why it is important to learn how to use a variety of technology tools even if they change at a rapid speed. Most technology today is created to sync with other forms of technology.  Digital tools tend to be designed to work with a range of technologies that span several years, typically a five to seven year spread.  Most technology devices use similar ways to access information about the tool and to use the device functions.  Technology is an evolving concept that is being improved daily and if you begin to learn about it you will be able to build on your knowledge as technology improves.  We are quickly becoming a society that relies strictly on technology and our youth, The Net Generation, are growing up with these skills and knowledge.  As teachers, it is important to be well versed with many technology tools to use in our classrooms and improve education.  It is important to keep up with the changing times to best teach our students. 

Educational technology can define a large variety of tools such as graphing calculators, laptop computers, digital media players and recorders, overhead projectors, smart boards, iPhone, e-books, digital cameras, GPS navigation receivers, PDA's, printers, scanners, web cams, flash drives, etc.  or it can include software programs, Internet, and more.  The list of educational technology is extensive and continues to grow. For each of these forms of technology you will find help features, suggestions for use, and instructional videos.  Learning technology doesn't have to be difficult and once you begin it can make learning and education much easier and much more extensive. 

Most desktop computers do the same thing as mobile devices, so why do teachers need to use both?

Although there are many similarities between desktop computers and mobile devices there are also differences.  Mobile devices are often used for playing or recording audio and video files, taking photos, reading e-books, navigating to designated locations, graphing mathmatical information, scheduling and organizing a project, and entering personal responses to questions displayed to the class.  Although you can still access the web, view emails, and communicate globally with your mobile devices from just about anywhere the small size can be limiting and the space in which to save information is also limited.  Desktop computers are capable of many if not all of the things listed above and have the size and memory to be used in group setting and to save an extensive amount of information.  Most mobile devices are compatable with laptop computers now and many mobile devices can send information collected from various locations back to your laptop. 

How can the cost of digital devices be justified when the functions they preform are often limited in number and scope?   

We are living in the Net Generation, a generation that runs on technology and digital devices.  We use digital technology every day, in school, at work, at home, and anywhere inbetween.  Technology can create a learning environment where the needs of all students are met.  Each digital device covered in our text works closely with the next and the cost of these technologies is a small price to pay to be able to expand our educational approach.