Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education | Video on TED.com

I found this video on the Ted website and found it very interesting. What I found most interesting was Mr. Khan's idea to flip the school model upside down. Meaning that instead of lectures in the classroom and homework at home, students will now watch these videos at home and then do their work in class. I like this because, as Mr. Khan says, it humanizes the learning process. Now students and teachers are free to interact with each other and the material. I am really curious to hear what everyone else has to say about this idea. I hope you enjoy the video.

Salman Khan: Let's use video to reinvent education | Video on TED.com

Week 5 exploration of the Promethean ActivBoard

While exploring the Promethean website I found an overview of their latest Activboard.  The ActivBoard 500 (By the time I start teaching it will probably be the ActivBoard 2000).  One key upgrade/feature is the multi user pen and touch interface.  This allows multiple users to interact with the board at one time to collaborate on a single project.  Another feature of interest was the touch function allowed for the smooth, manipulation of objects on an x,y, and z axis.  Also, the slate and devices (sold separately), which allow a third party to interact with the board, or take individual answers to questions (numbers or written).  This is a pretty cool feature that would keep every student involved in classroom lectures and discussions.  This assignment has answered some of my major questions about the whiteboard from my previous post.  I guess all I really want to know is what are the limits of the Activboard in terms of size.  I have only seen one size, why is there not one that is 50" or more even.

This is the video I watched on the Activboard 500.
http://www.prometheanworld.com/server.php?show=nav.21130

Assignment 2

         For our second assignment, creating and presenting a SMART board lesson, I decided on a food pyramid project from the exchange website.  I picked the project because of the interactive potential I felt the presentation offered.  Such features, some added by myself, are the use of the magic pen (for making connections between different ideas), the manipulation of various objects (sorting different objects by category), and also the animation of different objects (this will inform the participants if their choice is correct or incorrect). 

         The NETS achieved in this activity are as follows.  Student NETS goal 6.a. is a foreseen outcome from the presentation.  Students will explore the food pyramid and the SMART board technology and its basic functions and tools.  Teacher NETS goal 1.c. are achieved by helping students explore the nutritional benefits of a balanced meal through interactive, collaborative discussion sparked by the SMART board lesson.  The SMART board sparks learning in the classroom because it begs to get the students involved and engaged in the lesson its self.  My only critique is that the graphics lag behind (potentially) anything they have at home.  So although most will jump at the opportunity the novelty will wear off and the graphics will fail to capture their attention.  If students had their own controllers they could engage the presentation from their seat, like the Wii, or Playstation.   So the SMART board of the future has some catching up to do.  The graphics (it still operates in the 2D) and its interactive capabilities are still far many years behind what where technology is at now.  

Week 4- Smartboard reflection

After exploring the different tools in the smartboard I learned how to make an object fly in and out of the screen. I also discovered that you can make you own recording. I am not sure how to use this function but it is an intriguing feature that I plan to explore more in the coming days.  

Using the smartboard I am still not sure how it will work, or more importantly how it will function, once I have finished my presentation.  I look forward to working with the software and interacting with the board in the coming days leading up to our presentation of our lesson.  

Demographics Write-up

Student Class Enrollment	Males:    11                                                  Females:11
Grade Level(s) in Your Class	9th
Subject(s) Taught	Health
Demographics:
School Socio-Economic Status	_15___% of free and reduced lunch
School Location	___Urban     __X__Suburban     ___Rural
Describe relevant aspects of your School & Community that influence and/or impact teaching & learning. (Examples: curriculum, reform models, school focus, community partnerships, community support level)	Issaquah High School is located in the heart of Issaquah, a community of middle to upper socioeconomic status. The school is classified as a 4A, the largest classification in the state. 1,320 students attended the school last year.  The school offers support services for special needs students and others.  Homework help is offered after school from teachers in homework labs. The teaching staff although coming from many different schools of thought, the mojoratiy come from the same background.  The recent remodel of the school has changed the education envirnment emensely.  Having an impact on many different areas of the education process.  First, student and teacher moral is soaring, second, the advancement and use of technology is beyond what many were ready for and thus has created an eager scramble to learn.  Teachers are offered encentives to keep pace with the changing technology (i.e. smartboards, document cameras).    Classroom demographics are split even between the races. However, a mojarity are white and from a high socioeconomic status.  This creates an ease in classroom management.   Students are generally well motivated to learn.  Problems arise most commonly in the males with ADD or ADHD.  Also, because of the strong SES students posses great aptitude with technology. Parent support is not seen in class, being a high school, however, parent interest is apparent.  Parents are generally concerned with how their son or daughter is doing and usually willing to work with them at home.  The classroom has about 1 computer for every 4 students.  Being that we are in an affluent community levies are easily passed and thus the rapid improvement in technology in recent years.
Classroom  Mobility *your classroom	__2__% of student turnover within the school year
Race/Ethnicity *your classroom	___1.5_% Black                                                __2__% Hispanic         __79.7__% White                                               ___0.4_% American Indian  ___16.3_% Asian/Pacific Islander                         ___4_% Multiracial
Spoken Languages *your classroom	__75__% English as a first language  __4__% Fluent in English as a second language  __2__% English-language learner
Identified Special Student Needs (List any types of specific learning disabilities and/or gifted/talented students and the number of identified students ) *Your classroom	·       3 IEP students ·       2 ELL students ·       6 ESL students ·       1 student with physical impairments ·       3 students with vision impairments ·       1 gifted and talented student
Academic Profile
Assessment Data:	Standardized or teacher designed test(s) administered to your students (include year given) ·       Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills (DIBELs reading fluency test) (Fall 2009) ·       Washington Assessment of Student Learning (WASL) (Spring 2009) ·       Qualitative Reading Inventory (QRI), comprehension assessment (Fall 2009)  __15__% Above     __55__% At Standard     __30__% Below Standard

Marc Prensky Article: Digital Natives, Digital Immagrants

Marc Prensky article was an interesting read.  His thoughts on revolutionizing the educational system is very unique and bold.  Prensky says that "today's students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach" and this is true.   I recall my years in school and learning to type with the program paws.  It was a dull, painful "game" to learn how to type that was only moderately successful.  It wasn't until I started using instant messaging services that my typing really started to improve.  That is because to communicate effectively you have to be able to type, and fast.  It helped that I had learned some basic knowledge of typing but I was only really tested when I had to compete with my peers.  
Also, I really liked Prensky's idea that students should only be able to use a computer in school if the build it themselves.  This might not be fully applicable but is a very interesting idea.  He also raises good questions about calculators.  How do you use them in teaching math and what kinds of math are taught.  Prensky offers several times, in his future learning, that more advanced topics should be taught.

-Tatro

NETS

Student NETS:  Communication and Collaboration. 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. Students
Teacher NETS:  Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.  Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers: