Charter Schools
Research has shown that certain factors are often characterisitcs
of exemplary schools: small size, self-governance, and choice. These also tend
to be features of charter schools, a new form of public, tax-supported school.
Charter schools are drawing heavily on information technology (IT) in their
curriculum, instruction, and assessment and serving as test beds for IT use
in schools.
This month’s editorial discusses how charter schools are
using IT and how other schools can learn from their examples.
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Strategic Questions
What to Consider When Planning for Electronic Portfolios
Assessing a student’s development over time is always a
challenge, especially when the student’s earlier work is not readily available.
In the feature article, the author discusses how one alternative assessment
form, the electronic portfolio, can help teachers track student improvements
over long periods. She also presents the most important questions that educators
must answer as they consider using such assessments.
Subject: Assessment
Grade Level: All
Software/Hardware: multimedia-capable computer, network, printer; assessment
programs (Grady Profile, Sunburst Learner Profile, others), hypermedia software
(HyperStudio, HyperCard, Digital Chisel, others), multimedia authoring software
(Macromedia Authorware and Director, Apple Media Tool), relational databases
(FileMaker, Microsoft Access), tool software (Kid Pix, PowerPoint, “works&148;
programs), and linking software (Adobe Acrobat, others)
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In the Key of “See and
Hear”
How Students Can Learn to Play the Recorder by Playing Musical
Computers
Computers are great at helping students with their usual subjects,
so why not use them to teach music? In this article, Richard Dillon describes
how he does just that using Recorder Teacher, a program that teaches elementary
students to play the soprano recorder and compose their own music.
Subject: Music
Grade Level: K–5 (Ages 5–11)
Software/Hardware: Recorder Teacher (Childsplay Registrations)
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Presentation Software and the Single Computer
How Kid Pix Can Serve the Needs of an
Entire Classroom
Given the general sophistication of the computers and software
available to the average classroom teacher, supplementing a curriculum has probably
never been easier. Many teachers, however, either shrink completely from using
computers or let the software dictate what and how they teach. To help make
their job easier, the author of this article shows how a single multimedia-capable
computer and one simple program can aid but not dominate classroom instruction.
Subject: Primary—all subjects
Grade Level: K–2 (Ages 5–8)
Software/Hardware: Kid Pix 2 or Kid Pix Studio (Brøderbund, a division of
The Learning Company), LCD panel or large-screen television, printer
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Quilting Our History
An Integrated Schoolwide Project
Students at a California high school (www.nths.napa.ca.us) learned real-world
technology skills and workplace etiquette when they worked together to create
a multimedia CD-ROM that described local history. Although they worked in compartmentalized
teams in this whole-school project, the students still created a coherent product.
Subject: Social Studies, Language Arts
Grade Level: 9–12 (Ages 14–18)
Software/Hardware: Director, xRes, Sound Forge XP, Extreme 3D (Macromedia);
Photoshop (Adobe); Word, PowerPoint,
Bookshelf (Microsoft)
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The Data They Are A-Changing
Using Real-Time Earth- and Space-Science Data in the Classroom
Changes are integral processes of science that can be measured
to produce information for a wide variety of investigations. In this article
the author shows how students can use the World Wide Web to gather real data
and analyze it to understand and describe the changes that are of interest to
earth and space scientists.
Also read the online
supplement to this article.
Subject: Earth and space science, math
Grade Level: 5–12 (Ages 10–18)
Software/Hardware: Web, Netscape Navigator, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Excel, PaintShop Pro, GraphicConverter, Scion Image, GifConstruction
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A Graphing Investigation of
the Ellipse
Just what equipment do you need to get the most out of the data
you gather with your class? In this month’s Power Tools, Bob Albrecht and
George Firedrake describe both common and uncommon data-recording equipment
for use in math and science classes at all levels. Most of the equipment is
quick and easy to set up. If your students are just beginning to collect real-world
data (or if they are already adept), then look at the equipment that Bob and
George describe. Students can perform experiments anywhere and bring the data
back to class to analyze. Plenty more classroom ideas are on the Web.
Subject: Math
Grade Level: 10–12 (Ages 15–18)
Software/Hardware: Texas Instruments
TI-92 graphing calculator, Web browser
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Who’s Doing What on
the Internet
A Descriptive Study of K–12 Web Pages
The World Wide Web is becoming a more powerful K–12 resource
every day, and certain states and schools are showing the way by developing
their own Web sites. But what kinds of information are they posting? How are
they creating their Web pages? The authors of this article ask these and other
questions and show how schools can most effectively use their presence on the
Web.
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Introducing Dynamic HTML
As amazing as they are, the Web pages produced by standard HTML
tags do not always provide designers with as much interactivity as they want.
In this column, the authors introduce Dynamic HTML, an exciting extension to
HTML that may well bring designers new levels of interactivity.
Read Mining the Internet Online.
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Finding the Bucks
for Technology
Few schools can afford basic technology equipment for every classroom,
let alone the latest and the greatest machines and software. Fortunately, as
the authors of this article demonstrate, schools can make the most of their
technology dollars by simple planning and by using a few key techniques for
attracting money.
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Visual Literacy
Seeing a New Rationale for Teaching with Technology
Research on visual literacy may provide the best reason yet for
using technology in the classroom. Researchers have linked the use of technology
to increased IQ and high-paying technical jobs. The studies reported here describe
needed changes in instructional methods and teacher education so that both teachers
and students can take advantage of technology’s promise and potentially
equalizing efforts.
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Are We Missing the Boat?
Part Three: Our Readers Respond
This series has generated a terrific response! Catie and Fred
continue to receive letters from our readers, and they hope to publish excerpts
from the more positive letters in a later column.
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New Software Releases
October’s New Software Releases include:
Copyright © 1998, ISTE (International Society for Technology
in Education).
All rights reserved.
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