Instructional Software Motivates Students!

     Instructional software refers to computer programs that are used to support a teacher’s instruction, not replace it. It can be used to tutor students but should only be used as a tool to reinforce learning. It should never be considered as teaching software. It presents learning in many different styles and formats which can motivate many different types of learners. These different types of software are considered to be hypermedia because they are interactive and some can be linked to the internet. There are five different types of instructional software: drill and practice, tutorial, simulation, instructional games, and problem solving.
     Drill and practice software is where students complete problems one at a time and then receive feedback as to how they did. These include flashcard activities where students are presented with a problem, then answer, and last receive feedback. Branching drills, will advance students to more difficult questions if they get a certain number of questions correct or they have acquired a certain mastery level. Extensive feedback activities give students more in depth detail as to why they got a problem wrong. These kinds of programs give students faster recall of basic concepts or skills so that they may carry these skills over into more complex situations or problems. Drill and practice software also seems to be motivational and productive since it saves the teacher time by giving performance reports. An example of drill and practice software is Earobics http://www.earobics.com/where students practice phonological awareness. FASTTMath http://www.tomsnyder.com/fasttmath is another great type of drill and practice.
   Tutorial software are said to be “true teaching materials.” It can show entire sequences on a given topic. It may be a linear tutorial if it just gives the same sequence of showing an explanation, allowing for practice and application, and last giving feedback regardless of whether a student did well or not. Branching tutorials present information, give questions, and depending on how the student answered the questions will direct them on a certain path. This type of tutorial could be considered a differentiation tutorial in my eyes. Teachers can get progress reports through these tutorials which is a great way to track progress. Many teacher and students like tutorials because they are self-paced which is great for students who might work at a slower pace and for students who are more advanced and want to move onto new concepts. An example of tutorial software is Congress for Kids http://www.congressforkids.net/.

     Simulation software puts the student in the actual environment. It shows a realistic model of something that can be real or imagined. They can teach about something like how an electrical circuit might work. These are called physical simulations. Iterative simulations can speed up or slow down processes that might happen too fast or take a long time like natural processes. This helps students see the actual process in a realistic way in a classroom setting. Simulations that teach how to do something are procedural and situational simulations. Procedural simulations are ones in which it teaches steps on how to perform a certain task like piloting an airplane. Situational simulations give students a problem and they have to solve it like operating a business. Simulations also give student the opportunity to manipulate and experience things first hand. Sim City www.maxis.com lets students build their own city and figure out how to keep it running.
     Instructional Games are really like drill and practice or simulations but with a competitive edge. They have rules and fun graphics and activities. Games also assist in retention of many concepts. They can be used in place of worksheets, which makes them more fun for students and cuts down on the amount of grading teachers have to do. Games also foster collaborative work. Students may be asked to work in groups to compete or collaborate with someone over the internet. Some great examples of Instructional games include Arthur’s Math Games and Where in the USA is Carmen Sandiego? both from Learning Company, and Alince in Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.
     Problem Solving Software Functions teach students how to solve problems related to the content area they are studying. It helps students identify a problem and they go through a set of steps to solve the problem. Alien Rescue www.alienrescue.com has students use the given information to find new home planets in the solar system but they must match the individual needs of the aliens. Math teachers may like The Geometer’s Sketchpad because students have to create an object, find its’ properties, analyze problems, then find solutions and last, test them out.
     Another great instructional tool teachers can use is Integrated Learning Systems (ILSs). They give students computer-based instruction, resources, and progress reports. ILSs contain all five different types of instructional software and are networked. They can provide lessons, software, student management tools to track and monitor students. These systems usually come as part of a curriculum and teachers are trained on how to use all the tools that come with ILSs. The Plato Learning Systems and The Compass Learning Odyssey are two types of ILSs.
     As noted earlier instructional software is a form of hypermedia because it is interactive and can be linked to the internet. Other forms of hypermedia that can be used to support instruction include: interactive books and ebooks which are interactive and very motivational to young readers, reference materials such as online encyclopedias like Encarta and Almanacs like World Almanac for kids, Google Earth, and collections of development resources like Animation Factory.
     On http://www.edutopia.org/. there is a video called Schools Use Gaming for Learning and Assessment. It shows how teachers can use educational games to tap into a student’s interest and keep them engaged in learning. Students are able to see connections and how math can fit into the design of something they create. Also, when students create something they take ownership and personalize it, which makes it more meaningful. Students at McKinley Tech Magnet School actually created educational games for other students to use. The U.S. Military created simulations that were a virtual residency called PULSE. Medical students could see exactly what to do and how to react in certain situations. At Howard Hughes Medical Institute students are exposed to new situations they might have never understood until they used these simulations. Using Instructional software effectively can lead to engaged learning where students are motivated, focused, engaged, and find meaning in their work. If teachers require their students to use instructional software critically and in different ways they may reach higher LoTi levels which means students have a more interactive and meaningful educational experience.

Productivity Tools and Internet Curriculum Projects

Many teachers have embraced technology and seen the wonderful ways it can help you be productive. It seems like forever now we have been using word processors, spreadsheets, and databases to help us with so many important tasks. I can’t imagine now a life without them! Word processors are used with teachers to produce documents that can be easily modified to fit their needs time and time again. Students are able to use word processors to write and consistently revise their writing. Teachers and students can also easily share their documents. Spreadsheets can be used by teachers for grade books and concrete number representations or by students for mathematics concepts and formulas. Databases can be used for pertinent student information for teachers or teaching research, organization, and study skills to students using the databases. These three tools help educators be more productive and give the students tools to “learn with.”
Besides these three basic software tools there are so many other software tools for teacher and student support not to mention help with productivity. Material generators can give teachers worksheets, puzzles, study guides, tests, IEPs, and rubrics to use in their classrooms. Data collection and analysis tools like electronic grade books, online testing systems, and student response systems like Qwizdom Interactive Learning systems can also save time and allows teachers the ability to track student progress. Graphic tools such as Kid Pix which is used in elementary schools, allows students the ability to draw/paint which develops visual-verbal literacy and can also show their creative side. High school students may use Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Flash. Software like Graph Club is also helpful for students to make charts and graphs from data they enter. Planning and organizing software like Oncourse Lesson planning allows teachers to enter lesson plans with matching standards. Programs like Inspiration assist students in thinking through and mapping out concepts or projects. Research and Reference tools like Encarta an online encyclopedia ,World Atlas.com, and Dictionary.com give students access to many different references. There are also tools to support specific content areas like computer-assisted design (CAD) systems that allow students to create drawings of objects or places. Music Editors help students create compositions. Music sequencers help students with the entire process of composition. GPS (global positioning systems ) assist in geography lessons and graphing calculators can be used in mathematics and science experiments. Did I mention these all help with productivity!
Internet curriculum projects are created and can be used with multimedia and hypermedia. These projects are meant to be used to cover many different content areas. These are projects that students can create themselves or complete them online using different design tools. Presentation software like Microsoft Power Point, Open Office, or Apple Keynote can be used for book reports, tutorials, student-created presentations. Video Production and Editing Systems like Final Cut Pro, Apple’s iMovie, and Adobe Premier Pro can all be used to show demonstrations of procedures by teachers or students, video lectures, portfolios, decision-making/problem solving simulations, and visual literacy demonstrations. Hypermedia Development software is another tool for creating internet curriculum projects. Adobe Flash can be used for creating animations, websites, and interactive story books. Virtual Environments and Immersion tools like Second Life, an online virtual world where students can collaborate with others to build communities and even sell things using an avatar they created. Quick Time from Apple can be used to show students a virtual field trip. Last, there are the Web 2.0 tools. Blogs are used as interactive websites where people publish commentaries or opinions Wikis are used as an online community of collaboration where different students can give input into a topic. Podcasts are audio files that are like broadcasts or interviews. E-portfolios are websites created by students to showcase their work. Social networking sites like Facebook build communities of networked friends. Video and photo sharing communities like You Tube can give students a means of uploading and sharing their videos from projects they have completed. All these tools can assist with implementing standards-based engaged learning curriculum projects.
Other means of Engaged Learning takes place with web-based lessons and projects. Students can learn so many things through projects going on all over the world. This is a way for them to collaborate through electronic pen pals, mentoring, virtual field trips, publishing, group product development, problem-based learning, and social action projects which can all read higher LoTi levels. A great place to find Internet or web-based projects is at http://edtechleader.net/nextstep/. One project that was a LoTi level 6 was called Down the Drain. It was intended to allow students from different parts of the country to share what they know about their water usage and this was based on their household members. Students were to come up with a hypothesis of whether they use more or less water than other students from around the world and why? Next students determine the average amount of water someone in their household uses. Then, they will report their data and compare it to others in different parts of the country or even the world. They will publish their data on this site. They can even ask an expert questions when needed. They will then analyze and explain their results. This is very interactive, meaningful and hands-on. Another great internet based learning project I found was Let’s Build A City in the Solar System it was found at http://chalk.richmond.edu/education/projects/webquests/space/. Students take on the role of traveling to space in a group and finding the best place for their city Alpha. Students have to develop a PowerPoint presentation to discuss their findings, a newspaper article explaining their trip and persuading others to go live there. Each group member takes on a different role as a journalist, colony expert, geologist, photographer, and astrologist. I feel this project would be on a LoTi level 5 because the students have to do the research and justify their reasoning and create a meaningful presentation to do so. You should check this project out, it’s neat and fun!

Blog Entry Two: More example of Engaged Learning

I have just found two more great models of technology supported by engaged learning. They both have high LoTi levels. My favorite example would be A Commitment to High Tech Education. It is found at http://www.edutopia.org/harrison-high-school-technology-integration-video. This would be a great model for teachers in middle and high school education. Harrison Central High School in Gulf Port, Mississippi really shows a LoTi level 6. Their technology use is spanned across many different subject areas and it is so hands on. All their projects are standards based, challenging, and student facilitated which are all great engaged learning indicators. Teachers can use this as an example on how to help and motivate their student athletes with problems in athletic activities being solved in a mathematics classrooms. This video shows students continually problem solving which is higher order thinking. It is also a great model for showing how to use different types of technology like the internet for virtual field trips, cameras to video students engaged in school athletics, computer software to collect heart rate and river water quality data, response remote systems, and even GPS devices. This school does it all.



My runner up video is called From Worms to Wall Street: Projects Prompt Active, Authentic Learning at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=&feature=player_embedded. This would be a great model for a teacher in the elementary school. It is based at Newsome Park Elementary school in Newport News, Virginia. If you are an early childhood education teacher you should definitely see this video. It shows how an entire school uses project based learning and how students decide what to learn about. They become the teacher, explorer, or scientist. The teacher is just there to guide them, which makes their learning so meaningful. The teacher is also the co-learner/co-investigator she even admits she doesn’t know all the answers to what the students are learning, so they do it together. They even bring in experts to talk with them. All these concepts surely make this a top engaged learning video. The technology that the school used such as digital slideshows, thinking map software, and the software used for sales brochures was not overwhelming or too challenging. Teachers new to technology could use these ideas when they implement project based learning. This video is definitely a LoTi level 5. The work that the students produced using all these technologies directly reflected the amazing learning that was going on.

After viewing all of my classmates engaged learning videos I saw a distinguished pattern. Most teachers enlisted in the help of the outside resources or experts willing to contribute to their projects. This is another great way to make a child’s learning experiences more meaningful. I will most definitely do this more often for my students. Doing this will also help build a better community for learning. I do wonder how long it took for schools like Harrison Central and Newsome Park to become so effective in the use of technology for their engaged learning projects?

Kids Using Technology Instead of Textbooks Engaged Learning Video

I have just started my master’s degree in Instructional Technology. Once of the first and most important things that I have learned about is Engaged Learning. This is so important to giving students meaningful and authentic learning experiences. I was searching to find a video that showed this, and I found it on http://Edutopia.org. This is a great place to find Engaged Learning projects. I found a video called Learning Landscape: Kids Monitor Terrain with Tech. The project takes place at J.A. Hughes Elementary School in Red Lake Falls Minnesota. Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth graders there work with the Glacial Ridge Wildlife Refuge. Four times a year the students go out to what once was, prairie wetlands, and collect data on temperature, water, air, and pH readings. They also study the habitat and animals found there. Students are able to use portable computers, temperature probes, and cameras to assist them in collecting all this data. This project was designed for upper elementary grade levels, to work in teams. The older students teach the younger students how to complete field work. The work the students do is so important because this is the largest prairie wetland restoration in U.S. history. The students then go back to the classroom and write a report and share what they have found with the scientists at Glacial Ridge Wildlife Refuge.
This is such a great engaged learning experience for students because it is real. The students are the actual scientists. They have the hands on experiences. They are given the computers, temperature probes, and cameras to collect the data. They are also the ones researching and finding the biodiversity found on the Refuge. The teachers are only serving as guides to help or direct students when needed. Another indicator of engaged learning is the collaboration that goes on. First, the students collaborate in their teams. The sixth graders teach the fifth and fourth graders how to collect the data so those students are able to continue the project when the older students have left. The team members are each responsible for being an expert on their assigned plant or animal. They then, report that expertise to their team. Last, as a whole, the class collaborates with the Glacial Ridge Wildlife Refuge by reporting their findings in a report. This report serves as a performance based assessment for not only their science content standards but also some of their math standards since they are analyzing temperatures and measurements of land. Since this project is taught to younger students each year the assessment is ongoing, which is another great indicator of engaged learning.
There are a few areas of engaged learning that could be strengthened. While watching this video I failed to find an area where students were forced to solve any problems or use any strategies to do so. Another area of weakness was asking or answering questions about their data. The students collected the data using some great technologies and wrote a report, but I did not see any students asking or seeking answers to questions they might have had about their findings. The teacher only suggested ways to find answers. The teachers could have encouraged the students to find out why their data might have looked a certain way. What were the causes? How can we help the wildlife refuge and maintain the biodiversity that is still found there? Therefore, I would say this project would fall on the Application Level of Bloom’s taxonomy. Students are using their knowledge gained and writing a report about what they found but are they comparing their reports. They could compare their findings from each visit to the refuge and discuss how it has changed and what the underlying causes could be. This might make this project more challenging and give the students a chance to analyze and dig deeper into the data.
I still consider this to be a great engaged learning project. On a scale of 1-10 my students would be on a 10 when it comes to being motivated to complete this project. They would love going outdoors and using the latest in technology to collect data. Knowing they were working with actual scientist, which were holding them accountable for their findings, would also motivate them. This would give them true meaning to their work. Without the technology the teachers were able to get from a grant, the students would not have been able to complete the project accurately. Their data for air and water temperature might be incorrect. A pH level might be invalid if it was obtained manually. Students in different groups might have completely different results. The use of these temperature probes and computers to collect this data was an excellent use of technology. Students had” the know how” and were actually able to use these tools correctly without them being too difficult or tedious. Technology that could be used to enhance this learning experience might be something like Skype or another form of video conferencing. Students could actually talk with the scientist from the wildlife refuge and discuss their findings or ask any questions they might have. The level of technology implementation (LoTi) is 4. It has many engaged learning indicators and it is a truly authentic learning experience. The students even work with outside sources on their field work. The only thing that is not present to me is the use of higher order thinking skills such as analysis. Otherwise, this project would be a LoTi level 5.
This would be a great learning model for teachers and administrators. This project can show teachers how to think outside the textbook box and work with local outside sources to create meaningful learning experiences for students. It also shows teachers how students can use technology effectively. Some teachers might want the ease of having a prepackaged program with software and probes already available to use. The difficulty may be in locating and being able to use tools like the students at J.A. Hughes Elementary.
As I have gone through the process of locating and analyzing engaged learning videos, I can see how it is possible to create or even find great, authentic, real world learning experiences for my own students. The teacher in this video stated how she doesn’t even use a science textbook because it is outdated as soon as she gets it. She has her students become the self-learners. She listed multiple sites with valuable best practices, interactive, standards based lessons. It might take some extra work to create these engaged learning experiences but it is definitely worth it when you see how motivated your students are to learn and take ownership of their learning.