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About
this Issue
A
Sure Thing
By Anita McAnear
To read letters to the editor, click Readers
Respond
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NOTE: Where indicated, files are in PDF format (view PDF instructions). Some files are in MS Word (view
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Everyone likes a sure thing.
Researchers who conduct meta-analyses do all educators a
favor by distilling
volumes of research and, we hope, coming up with successful
practices
for the classroom.
In 2001, Robert Marzano et.al. identified nine instructional
strategies that
have a high probability of improving student learning. The folks at
Mid-continent
Research for Education and Learning (McREL) have looked at how
technology can
support these strategies. Given sufficient access, technology makes
processes
more efficient and, in some cases, enables learning situations that
couldn't
happen without it (e.g., using digital images for non-linguistic
representations).
Kathy Brabec, Kim Fisher, and Howard Pitler provide educators with a
new way
to think about technology integration that is a sure thing.
 Download
the full article (PDF, 531 KB)
Concept maps also have some research to back up their effectiveness.
If you
are looking into handhelds as a way to bring ubiquitous computing to
your students,
you may have wondered if students can develop concept maps using
handhelds just
as they can on desktop machines. Regina Royer and Jeff Royer explored
this question
in Jeff's high school science classroom.
Download
the full article (PDF, 500 KB)
Another sure thing is designing learning to meet the needs of all
learners.
CAST's Universal Design for Learning offers one such model. It is well
supported
by technology. Kirsten Howard describes how she used the model to
develop a
reading and science lesson that helped all her students learn science
concepts
while improving their reading skills.
Download
the full article (PDF, 299 KB)
Motivating students is half the battle for improving learning.
Elizabeth Viau
wanted to draw her preservice teacher students into an unforgettable
learning
adventure, so she created a Web site where her students could build
worlds according
to the science concepts she wanted them to practice. K-12 teachers and
students
have used the site for many purposes.
Download
the full article (PDF, 423 KB)
Often technology provides just the tool that students need to try out
concepts
and learn by doing. The assignment? Design a CO2 car that will win the
race.
The tool? Pro/DESKTOP 3-D design software. Of course it takes a little
more
than that. Thomas Ogle describes the lesson and the results.
Download
the full article (PDF, 615 KB)
Collaboration within and among classroom learning communities is
important
in improving student learning. Diane McGrath reviews some recent
research studies
on improving collaboration, and she discusses some useful tools for
five aspects
of collaboration.
Download
the full article (PDF, 397 KB)
SRI International's Center for Technology in Learning has been
researching
the needs of communities of practice and developing a corresponding
telecommunications
system to address these needs. Glen Bull, Gina Bull, and Sara Kajder
describe
Tapped In 2, which SRI has recently made available to teachers and the
educational
community.
Download
the full article (PDF, 228 KB)
This month's software column describes a new variation on a program
that has
survived the test of time-those little Zoombinis-an innovative music
program,
and a new keyboarding program that adds a new motivating twist.
Download
the full article (PDF, 293 KB)
Given the promise of technology, it is a sure thing that we need to keep an
eye on new hardware, software, and resources. L&L premieres a What's
New column to do just that.
Read this article.
ISTE members Paul Meldrum and Gary Brown remind us that teachers face
the same
challenges around the globe and that ISTE resources such as
L&L,
NECC, and the Center for Applied Research on Educational Technology
(CARET)
help spread the word about what works.
Download
the full article (PDF, 172 KB)
This issue is chock full of ideas for using technology to guarantee
increased
learning. We're confident you'll find at least one sure thing in each
article.
Readers
Respond
Out of the Shadows
I just read Joanne Fortunato's article "Digital Profiles
in Poetry"
(October 2003, pp. 28-31). Her biography says that she
authored two
middle school computer books. I have searched the Web for
information
on these books and haven't been able to find a thing. I teach
in a middle
school, and I'm always interested in computer books at that
level. There
are not all that many around! How can I contact Joanne about
these books?
By the way, her digital idea is very interesting. I am going
to try
it with my seventh graders.
Sue Smialek
Pierce Middle School
Milton, Massachusetts
Author's reply:
Thank you for your interest in my article and books.
You can
learn more about the books at the following Web site: http://home.att.net/~khcc/pages/mstech.htm.
I wrote them with Keith Humphrey in 1996, and although the
publisher
has discontinued them, Keith has a few copies he is
selling.
Even though they were written a while ago, many of the ideas
are still
pertinent. I still use them in my computer classroom. The
lessons need
minor updates for more current software.
It All Depends
I would like to commend the authors of "Helping
Dependent Readers
Use the Web" for addressing specific ways in which
educators can
meet the needs of dependent readers within the context of a
Web-based
learning environment. Some educators may believe that
struggling readers
should not be exposed to Web-based reading until they become
independent
readers of traditional print-based text. Yet, in our
information society,
this approach can be detrimental to preparing students for
their futures,
as the nature of literacy changes due to new information and
communication
technologies. "Helping Dependent Readers Use the
Web" provides
strategies for educators at all levels of technology expertise
to use
to scaffold dependent readers' interactions with "just
right"
Web-based resources.
Denise Johnson
Assistant Professor of Reading Education
The College of William & Mary Williamsburg,
Virginia
Lewis & Clark
The iMax Theater authentic recreation of the Lewis and Clark
Expedition
in large film format has renewed interest across the country
in that
historical expedition. Teachers and library media specialists
are again
searching for materials that adequately cover this great
adventure.
In her article "Lewis and Clark" (November 2003,
pp. 28-31),
Gail Lovely has done an outstanding job highlighting the
variety of
educational concepts that can be taught in each of the grade
levels
based on this historic expedition. The author's suggestions
are supplemented
with a multitude of well-selected Internet resources that can
be used
to meet most any teacher's, library media specialist's, or
student's
objectives. Not only are basic informational links included,
but also
links to lesson plans, a wide range of activities, WebQuests,
and digital
images. This article is a "must read" for all those
considering
the Lewis and Clark Expedition as the basis of an educational
teaching
unit.
Ann Bell
Library Media Specialist
Camanche High School
Camanche, Iowa
In her article "Lewis and Clark," Gail Lovely
compiles informative
and engaging Web resources, lessons, and interactive
WebQuests. This
task is almost as heroic and filled with discovery as the
journey of
Lewis and Clark itself. She stresses the fact that the
"Corps of
Discovery" was made up of a group of many cultures and
languages.
Lewis and Clark and Sacagawea are often thought of as rowing
on the
river all by themselves. A site mentioned in the article,
"Lewis
and Clark Trail: Relive the Adventure," tells the story
of a Clark
family slave named York, who according to the journals was the
first
black man seen by the natives in the South Dakota area. The
site further
discusses the important role York played on the expedition. I
found
these recommendations by the author to be extremely relevant
to our
multicultural society and could make exciting,
thought-provoking lessons.
Joanne Oppenheimer
Head of Technology K-8
Convent Elementary School and Stuart Hall for Boys
San Francisco, California
Copyright © 2004, ISTE (International Society for
Technology
in Education).
All rights reserved.
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