Google Earth IEP

For my IEP I decided to tackle Google Earth.  I have had limited experience working with Google Earth, but being a social studies guy, I wanted to really get a good handle on it.  I feel a lot more confident with Google Earth now and am absolutely amazed at how much Google Earth can do. Google Earth is a more than just a location finder.  I learned how to 

• fly an airplane
• create a tour of my favorite places to visit
• view stars and constellations
• look at World War II shipwrecks through Youtube
• Check out the solar system
• Track the migration of seals off the Pacific coast

Classroom Idea

Since I am going to be teaching fifth graders next year, I wanted to come up with a plan that I could use for that age group.  After some brainstorming I decided to create a project called My Ultimate Vacation. 

Living in Ketchikan for the past three years I have had the unpleasant opportunity of dealing with multitudes of tourists.  The most frustrating part of dealing with some tourists is answering the question, "What lake is this?", when they are referring to the ocean. Another good one is, "What elevation are we at here?".  It goes to show that a lot of travelers put little to no effort into learning about the places they are visiting.  

So I decided to have my students pick one place on each continent that they would like to visit with the exception of Antarctica. Antarctica is a beautiful place, but I thought that fifth graders might have some problems finding a location that would want to visit. After picking their destinations, they would have to answer a few geography questions about each location.  This information would be gathered and made into an Ultimate Vacation using the tour function on Google Earth.  The students would present their vacations to the rest of the class.  By doing some initial research on these locations, they would start developing good travel habits by knowing where they are traveling to as well as get to know how to use Google Earth.  

For the project handout go here.

To view my Ultimate Vacation Tour, click here

To view the six lesson plans that will help students complete this project, click below

Lesson Plan 1

Lesson Plan 2

Lesson Plan 3

Lesson Plan 4

Lesson Plan 5

Lesson Plan 6

To view the rubric for this project, click here.

Reflection

As with the majority of assignments that I have done for this class, I was met with some challenges with this one.  I am happy to have worked through most of them with some hard work and some help from Dr. Ohler.  My main challenge was publishing my tour so that I could share it with my students.  I tried using different features on Google Earth, but for some reason I was only allowed to use about two minutes of audio when I made a movie on Google Earth.  I was not able to fix this problem and it was a real pain. 

Dr. Ohler suggested using a program called Jing.  This program allows the user to take a photo or video record anything that is happening on your screen at any given time.  I was able to run through my vacation presentation and record the whole thing with Jing.

This program also caused some initial problems, but after Dr. Ohler pointed me in the right direction it became a very handy tool.  When I made my first recording using Jing, instead of uploading it straight to screencast.com (which is a free place to upload your files) I copied it to my computer and then tried to upload it.  I waited two hours for the file to upload and was frustrated to see that it didn't work properly.  Apparently I had captured too much of the screen, which created a large file that didn't really show what I wanted it to show.  

On my second try, I made the Google Earth view finder smaller and uploaded it straight to the screencast.com website.  It worked much better that time.  Jing was an extremely helpful tool which I plan to use more in the future.

Although my project was geared toward a younger audience, it could easily be adapted to fit a more mature audience.  I plan on using it when I get back from Mexico with older students. The questions will need to be a bit more involved, and I will want them to explore using many other functions of Google Earth that I didn't even touch in my assignment.

I thought that was a great assignment and although I feel more comfortable with Google Earth, I feel like there is so much more to learn.  I look forward to exploring it some more and making it a staple in my classes.

Digital Storytelling

Although I don't feel like the most creative person, I felt like I was able to really create something that I was proud of.  Telling stories are such a great way to learn about something.  Especially in history, where everything is a story, you can really find ways to connect with students.

I had a few problems with this project.  First, I had a difficult time deciding if I should tell a fictional story, or go with more of a report type of project.  I decided to go with the fictional story.  Jason thought that I would be able to connect with the audience better, and after I compared the two scripts, I agreed with him.  The next problem that I had was that I noticed the pictures were very grainy after I started the project.  I had to use them though.  They are the real pictures of the events that unfolded, and I felt that they were necessary even though some of them were hard to see.  I didn't do a great job of telling the story.  It seemed like it was obvious that I was reading a script.  If anyone has some ideas for making the dialogue more interesting, I would like to hear them.  One last thing, I have no idea if the names of some of the places are pronounced correctly.  I tried to figure it out, and now that I am finished and thinking with a clear head, I guess I could have asked Laron.  Oops.  

Great project.  Here is my rubric, script, story map, and of course the story.

Social Web

Teachers.net has been a valuable website for me this year.  Although it is not geared to my content area specifically, I was able to find a social studies chat board that I participated in from time to time over the last couple of months.  Although I didn't write a lot on the board, I was able to get in touch with some very interesting and well established social studies teachers. They were very friendly and generous with their insights and lending of materials.  I definitely will continue to use this resource in the future.

It is very comforting as a beginning teacher to know that there are people out there who are willing to share their successes and failures with others.  Too many times this year, I have seen and heard from other teachers how sometimes they feel on their own in the classroom.  I am sure some districts are different than others, but it is nice to know that there are places on the web that you can go to feel camaraderie with other professionals in your field.  You can visit the teachers.net social studies chat board here.

Internet Resources

I friend of mine made a comment on her Facebook page the other day trying to remember what she did on Sunday mornings before Facebook.  As I thought about her comment for a little while, it really struck me how much our society has fully embraced this new technology.  The Internet is a wonderful, valuable resource, and teachers should take full advantage of it.  The following are some Internet resources that I have found very helpful and valuable to me.

hippocampus.org

I found this website while doing some research for a lesson.  The short video clips for U.S. History are very in depth and to the point.  I have used them for gaining knowledge for myself and also as an anticipatory set or review.  The website was originally created to provided free multimedia content for general high school and college classes.  The lessons are thorough and engaging, and provide lots of information for discussion.

historyteacher.net

For a history teacher, this website is a bookmark must.  It was created by Ms. Pojer of Horace Greeley High School in New York.  According to the link on her website, it is ranked #7 on the best history websites page.  If you are looking for power points, test questions, proper citing webpages, maps, lesson plans, you name it, she has it.  There must be over a thousand links to everything related to social studies.  Awesome!

images.google.com/hosted/life

I have learned a lot this year about teaching history and one of the most important things is that many people can learn better when they can see what they are learning.  Life magazine recently put their entire collection of pictures on-line.  As a history teacher, this has been great. There are pictures of everything you could imagine dating back to when photography first started to become available during the Civil War.  This website has been a great resource for me as a supplement to my lessons  as it gives students a visual component to what I am trying to convey to them.

Assistive Technologies for Reading

Landon Roberts - Landonmroberts@gmail.com - 1-26-09

Assistive Technologies for Reading – Ted S. Hasselbring, Margaret E. Bausch

Overview:

Hasselbring and Bausch, both special education professors at the University of Kentucky, discuss the importance of assistive technologies for special education students.  The authors give facts throughout the article to emphasize their point that assistive technologies improve reading skills for special education students, as well as help students shed unnecessary attention upon themselves as they are able to work independently on improving their reading ability.

Click here to continue reading my assessment of "Assistive Technologies for Reading" in Google Docs.

The Overdominance of Computers

Landon Roberts - Landonmroberts@gmail.com - 1-26-09

The Over Dominance of Computers - Lowell W. Monks

Overview:

In his article, "The Overdominance of Computers," Mr. Monks examines the idea that computers may possibly be playing a role in young people's lives that might not be in their best interest.  He questions the long standing assumption that access to computers from a young age helps student achievement.  He also understands the power that comes with technology and believes that instead of giving younger children a free rein on technology, teachers should instill the qualities in the younger generation that will encourage students to use the power that comes with technology in an ethical manner.  Mr. Monk offers some helpful solutions such as waiting to teach technology instruction until after elementary school, and encouraging younger students to engage in hands on school experiences such as drama, and outdoor activities.

To view the rest of the document click here

Philosophy of Education

This is a little bit embarrassing to admit, but when I started this project, I had absolutely no idea how I was going to accomplish it.  The ideas that I had about how I was going to bring it all together were so out there, I don't even want to discuss it.  I was very amazed at how easy it was to put a movie together.  I had originally imagined a video, and PowerPoint, and some how combining those with a CD playing in the background to get my final project. Well I wasn't going to mention my ideas, but at least you know where I was coming from now. Thanks to Jason's helpful tutorials, it was a lot less confusing than I had imagined.  I had a great time putting the movie together. I got pretty excited thinking about how my students could use this technology in my classes.  

I again had some issues with uploading my video to YouTube, and after some initial frustration, I was informed that 321 MB is quite a big file.  I was able to downsize the file, and I successfully uploaded my first video to YouTube.  You can check it out here.

Well, this will be my last post until after the holiday season.  I hope you all have a great holiday, and I look forward to working with you all on the second half of our journey.  It is all down hill from here!

Article Assessment Three

Landon Roberts - landonmroberts@gmail.com - 11/17/08

Tools for the Mind - Mary Burns

Overview

In "Tools for the Mind,"  Ms. Burns pulls back the curtains to take a closer and more in depth look at why computer technology in the classroom has not engaged students to the extent that it was hoped it would.  Ms. Burns discusses the battle between lower (power point, word processor) and higher (databases, spreadsheet) applications in the classroom.  Ms. Burns believes that there is a much needed move that needs to take place between these two levels of thinking skills. She believes that students should be using higher order thinking software and teachers need to be trained in these kinds of applications.  Ms. Burns gives some reasons why she believes higher order tools are not as often used, (not user friendly. take more time to learn) and then discusses some possible solutions to dealing with this problem.

References

• Students and teachers must become creators of information and ideas, not simply users of technology.
• 81% of technology use is electronic presentation.
• online collaborations and content-oriented simulations are rarely used in today's classrooms.
• Lots of professional development opportunities focus on teaching skills instead of teaching how computers could possibly enhance student learning
• Many teachers are self conscious and intimidated by technology because they believe that do not know enough to use it.  

Reflection

I see this issue a lot in the classrooms that I observe.  When a project is presented to the students, they are asked to put it in a PowerPoint presentation, or write a paper about it.  Most of the time the material is copied and pasted and not cited.  Students today with the fast paced world in which we live don't seem to want to take the time to learn something in depth.  Skim the surface, get it done and move on.  I honestly think that issue that Ms. Burns addresses is a very scary reality for today's students.  Students are used to skimming the surface and are having a harder and harder time actually thinking.  Teachers on the other side of the coin are expected to get through so much material, that there is little time for experimenting and getting accustomed to more thought provoking software and computer based educational material.  I think that Ms. Burns hit the nail on the head in her first strategy when she mentioned teaching critical thinking skills become technology.  I believe that is the number one issue in our educational system today.  Kids have a hard time thinking through problems and issues.  When that problem can begin to be solved, I believe a lot of our issues in schools will begin to fix themselves as well.

Powerpoint Presentation Analysis

Wow!  That was uncomfortable but insightful.  I did not particularly enjoy watching myself stumble through my powerpoint presentation, but I did get some insights into how I act while speaking in front of people. 

Strengths

• Eye contact was good
• I did not read directly from the powerpoint
• I generally was turned toward the audience
• Voice tone was good

Weaknesses

• Said Um too much
• Thoughts were not totally clear and congruent
• Paced back and forth in the same spot, THE WHOLE TIME
• Played with my powerpoint remote a lot

This was an interesting assignment.  I think everyone should force themselves to watch how they interact in front of a group.  The insights gained can be very helpful in becoming an effective speaker.  That is the whole point of what we are trying to do.  As teachers, the most basic principle is that we can communicate ideas to our students.  If we are not able to do that effectively, than our students will suffer the greatest consequence.  I plan on doing this exercise more often.  I think that lessons gained from critiquing our work will have tremendous positive consequences.   

Unfortunately, I am having some difficulty with the technology side of the assignment.  I have not been able to download my presentation onto teachertube or youtube.  I think that internet speed down here in Ketchikan is insufficient.  I have edited my video and cut it down in length so hopefully I will work this time.

Energy Conservation Project Results

The results are in.  After some field work and some number crunching, I now have some data to answer the question, how much oil could a save annually by using cloth grocery bags instead of plastic grocery bags?  To be very honest I was surprised at how little oil is actually used.  At an individual level the results are not staggering, but as more people are added to the equation, the impact on oil resources definitely begins to take its toll.  Here are links to my spread sheet and powerpoint presentation.

The reason that I wanted to look into this issue is because it seems like it is such a simple way to reduce energy waste.  While I was traveling through Europe a few years ago, that was one things that really stuck out to me.  No one used plastic bags when they shopped.  Everyone carried their own cloth bags with them.  I felt like that was one thing I could bring home with me that would easily be introduced into my life.  While I am not perfect, I have been able to make some changes in that area. 

As with most research, this project brought more questions and problems to answer.  Although the oil numbers were not jaw dropping, that amount of bags that are thrown away was.  That effect that plastic bags have on the environment was probably the most important thing that I learned throughout this project.  The animals that are affected by plastic bags being blown all over is a real concern.  With only 2-3% of plastic bags being recycled, the number of bags in our landfills and floating around the world is sickening.  By using a cloth bag, I can not only save oil, but I can also protect our environment as well.

Article 2 Review

Landon Roberts

Landonmroberts@gmail.com

10-21-08

The Educator's Guide to the Read/Write Web

by Will Richardson

Overview

In this article Mr. Richardson examines how the internet continues to change the world in which we live.  Instead of the internet being a place were people can gather mass amounts of information, it is starting to become a place where users can publish their own information. In the article he examines 

• blogs
• wikis
• podcasts
• RSS feeds

and argues that the classroom can and should be a place where these tools can be utilized.  Mr. Richardson advocates for their use in the classroom and analyzes how this technology will change the very dynamic of the classroom setting. 

Reference Points

• Blogs allow users to create a webpage without all of the hassle of learning hypertext language.

• Wiki's are website that can be edited by anyone at any time.  Wikipedia.org is the most famous example of a wiki.  The community polices that site to maintain informational integrity.

• RSS (really simple syndication) allows users to streamline their information gathering potential.  This will allow amazing research capability to students.  

• Podcasts allow people to broadcast anything they like at any time.  It is like having a personal radio station.

• With the ability to reach beyond the classroom walls, teachers should be comfortable becoming a content guide, instead of a content expert. 

• Students need to learn to become web editors of information instead of web consumers.

• Teachers need to balance the risks and benefits of integrating these ideas.  Student protection should be a huge priority, but should not discourage the use of new technologies.

Reflection

As I read this article I got very excited about the possibilities of these technologies in the classroom.  The ability to make your classroom such an interactive environment seems very cool.  The things that makes me apprehensive is my lack of understanding about all of these new technologies.  I guess that is why we are taking this course.  I got very excited reading about the school who was using blogs to communicate with students in Krakow about the Holocaust.  To think that we have the ability to move beyond the walls of our classroom or school is very exciting.  The big question is, where do you start?

Energy Conservation Project

Being ignorant about energy conservation issues is hard to do these days.  Energy conservation ideas are everywhere, which they should be.  We all need to do our part to reduce energy consumption and reduce our carbon footprint.  I don't get to use that word very much so that was kind of fun.  One of the issues that I feel needs to be addressed in my own life is that amount of plastic bags that I use.  I see those things everywhere.

• In my house
• Along the side of the road
• In the ocean when I am using my boat (another energy hog)   

So my question is:

How many barrels of oil would I save in a year by using a cloth grocery bad instead of using plastic grocery bags?

An obvious starting point in this project would be to see how many plastic grocery bags I use personally in a year.  Since I don't have a year to make that observation, I am going to estimate.  I will calculate how many grocery bags my wife and I use over a two week period and average that out per week.  Then I can estimate how many we would use in a year.  

I am assuming that this number is going to fairly small, so I would like to play with some other numbers as well.  Perhaps I can convert my

• family
• school
• town

to my new ways.  How many barrels of oil would we be saving then?

The most important piece of information that I am going to need to find is how many plastic bags are produced by a barrel of oil.  Or possibly how much oil it takes to produce one plastic bag.  

Should be fun, can't wait to see what everyone else is doing,

Landon

Anthropologist at Ketchikan High School

I am not going to say that it was easy, in fact there were a couple of times where I actually had to swear under my breath.  These tech people are busy.  There is no doubt about that.  Once I was able to track them down and schedule a meeting (a week later), I learned a lot about the tech culture at Ketchikan High School(Kayhi).  

I learned throughout this project that Kayhi has a ways to go, but generally speaking, the tech culture is very good.  The support staff, especially Tammy Morris, are very capable individuals. They will do whatever the can to help the staff and students create an environment that is tech friendly.  Our tech rep for Kayhi, Gary Boatwright, is extremely helpful, and I have already used is expertise numerous times this year.  

Being able to know where I can get "gear" and help was probably the most important part of this project for me.  Learning those aspects of your school can save you so much time and energy, and it is already paying off for me.

Report Link:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dhsgmzfb_3fqnkb5g5

Article Assessment 1

Landon Roberts

Landonmroberts@gmail.com

9/21/08

Listen to the Natives

by Marc Prensky

Overview

In Listen to the Natives, Marc Prensky describes the gap that is perpetually growing between digital natives (today's young people that are increasingly proficient in the uses of 21st century technologies), and the digital immigrants (those of us not born into the digital era). Mr. Prensky focuses his discussion on the relationship between students and their teachers in a quickly evolving educational setting.  He emphasizes the need for the educational system, especially teachers, to move out of date 20th century styles of teaching to the new digital age of learning.

Reference Points

• Prensky classifies people into two groups, today's students are considered digital natives (born into the digital world), everyone else is considered a digital immigrants (not born into the digital world)

• Classrooms need to be more engaging to connect with today's students.

• Teachers need to get input from students about how they feel they should be taught.  Students need to be active participants in all areas of their learning experience; curriculum development, teaching methods, discipline etc.

• Students are fully engaged in the digital world outside of school and teachers need to find ways to encourage the digital world in the classroom through gameplay, interesting choices and immediate and useful feedback.

• Teachers should allow students to choose their own group partners to encourage optimal learning.

• Digital tools are becoming increasingly important in student's lives.  Perhaps the most important tool, the cell phone.  Instead of banning cell phones in our classrooms, teachers should find ways to embrace them.

• The job market today in changing rapidly.  Students want to learn subject matter that is relevant to their lives.  Utilize guest speakers that are on the cutting edge of new technologies and jobs. 

• Students want to voice their opinion in their education. 

Reflection

In Digital Natives, Mr. Prensky takes an interesting angle on the direction that the education system needs to take to be more effective for today's students.  Although some of the ideas that Prensky brings up are interesting, I felt that they were more ideological in nature than practical.  

I do agree with him that education systems need to incorporate more technology into their classrooms.  It is a digital world, and students need to be familiar with those technologies to stay on par with the rest of the world.  My concern with Mr. Prensky's analysis is that he believes that we need to totally revamp the system to accommodate student's lack of interest and attention span.  Classrooms needs to be engaging, but turning it into a "gameplay" area does not mean that we are actually encouraging learning.  Sure we can keep their attention, but are we actually teaching students how to think and become better citizens of our communities?  

Walking through the halls at our school, I can't even say hello to a students because they are all on their cells phones or have ipods in their ears.  Our society is becoming increasingly distant from each other.  Bringing these tools (cell phones) into the classrooms seems at first like a management nightmare, and it contributes to the ever increasing divide between students and students, and students and teachers. 

I must admit that I do not agree with a lot of what was written by Mr. Prensky.  I believe that there is as much a divide between students as there is with teachers concerning technology.  Many students (especially in Alaska) do not have the same technological prowess as maybe students down south.  Maybe that is because of access or financial differences, I don't know, but just because kids are born in the digital age does not mean they have the same access to or understanding of that technology. 

As I look over what I am writing, it is becoming increasingly clear how much of a digital immigrant I am.  Is it possible for our generation to really change the system, or will it have to be the digital natives that come behind us that bring about the change.  At this point I feel torn.  Maybe I feel anxious about where I see technology moving our world and I long for the days of knob turning television, and easy fix automobiles.  I realize those days are long gone, but the question remains; can we digital immigrants survive in this new era or are we going to become another species on the extinction list?

  

 

 

Futuring

A.  How would you assess Fox Becomes a Better Person, and School Train?

In class you mentioned that the students in School Train were asked to describe what a metaphor was.  In the presentation, the students did a good job making a connection between school and a train.  So as for meeting the requirements, they did a good job.  I would have given the project a good grade.  If I were assessing Fox Becomes a Better Person, I would have been looking for:

• relevant visuals
• clear speaking voice

I think Hannah did a great job meeting both of the criteria and she would have received a good grade if I were assessing her project. 

B.  What impacts could the developments portrayed in epic2015 have on your classroom, particularly with respect to things like podcasting?

Impacts on the classroom could be both positive and negative.  When looking at the negative impacts one would have to consider the incredible amount of unreliable information that people would have to wade through.  If everyone in the world has the ability to put their own ideas out there, it is going to be very hard to find reliable info.  That is already beginning to happen now.  As a history teacher, it is very difficult to distinguish between fact and fiction right now, I can't imagine what it is going to be like in the near future. 

On the positive spectrum, especially when looking at podcasts, the world can be at our finger tips.  As there becomes increasingly less and less money for public education, field trips and other activities are becoming obsolete.  With podcasts our students will have the opportunity to meet and talk with people across the globe that they would have never had the change to talk to before.  That is an exciting idea to think about.

C.  How would you use Sabrina's piece as a model for something you would do with your own students?  

At the beginning of the school year in our U.S. History class, we had the students create a timeline of their life.  We asked the students to share seven major turning points that stood out in their life.  Watching Sebrina's piece gave me an idea for a project using that format.  The students could create a video timeline using pictures and other media to tell their story.  The project would be a lot more fun and I think the students would really enjoy it.

  

  

First Blog

Just want to see if this works.  This class is really going to be an eye opener for me.  I feel very behind in the technology world.