Cassingham Elementary GATEMs. Chris Amspaugh, Gifted Intervention Specialist |
|||
 |
Cassingham GATE HomeCourses and ProgramsGATE Language ArtsAccelerated Transitions MathHomework Calendars and Downloads |
Weekly ScheduleTechnology in the ClassroomCool Resources for KidsResources for Parents and TeachersContact Information |
|
Sakai (Online Classrooms) |
|||
Technology in the Classroom
Technology Overview
Today's students think and learn in fundamentally different ways than students of past generations. As "Digital Natives" in a rapidly changing world, these students have spent their lives immersed in technology. Marc Prensky (2001) highlights some common characteristics of today's students:
- They are used to receiving information at a very rapid pace.
- They like to parallel process and multi-task.
- They prefer random access to information (like hypertext) rather than linear, step-by-step instruction.
- They function best when networked.
In a world where knowledge is constantly shifting and expanding, content knowledge alone is no longer adequate for success. Today's students MUST be taught how to ask the questions and how to find the information. While technology cannot and should not replace sound instruction, it does provide tools that connect the learner with immediate access to ways to find, process, and communicate information. Therefore, the opportunity to use and apply technology is vital to ensuring that students develop key real-world literacies. Based on that belief, technology skills and applications are embedded as a regular component throughout GATE classes.
Technology Links
Technology Tools in the GATE Classroom
- Smart Board
- LCD Projector
- 1 teacher/Smart Board desktop computer
- 4 student computers
- 1 laptop computer
- 3 digital video cameras
- Digital still camera
- Camera tripods
- Media card readers
- Scanner
- Headsets with computer microphones
- iPod nanos
- Graphing calculators
- Franklin spellers/dictionaries
- Overhead projector
- Web cam/document camera
Software and Applications
- SMART Notebook Software
- Microsoft Office Suite 2007
- MovieMaker - movie editing software
- Audacity - audio recording and editing
- Google Tools:
- Google Earth - interactive map program
- Google Sketchup - 3D drawing software
- Google Calendar - personalized web-based calendar tool
- Google Earth - interactive map program
- Microsoft Outlook (https://webmail.bexleyschools.org)- students have access to school email accounts. Most other web-based email sites are blocked on the school network.
Classroom Technology Projects
Sakai Online Classroom - available through Bexley WebCentral
http://webcentral.bexleyschools.org
E-Books
An e-book is an electronic book. E-books are becoming widely available in a number of formats, and can be downloaded to a number of devices such as computers, iPods, Nooks, Kindles, and PDAs. While many newer books are available in electronic form for a fee, there are also thousands of free e-books available. Students can also use various publishing programs to write and publish their own e-books.
Wikis
A wiki is a type of collaborative webpage where users can edit, revise, and contribute new content. Wikis are a great way to facilitate collaboration and to reach consensus among groups. Since they are living documents that are constantly changing, wikis are a great tool for teachers and students to use as they explore topics and their understandings grow and evolve.
Blogs
A blog (short for weblog) is an online journal. The blog author can create posts using text and multimedia. The posts are generally organized by date, and are a great way to show change and reflection over time. Blogs have a variety of privacy settings, allowing the author to control who can read the blog and submit comments. Compared to wikis, blogs can provide a bit more structure and control for collaboration, since other users cannot change the author's original posts.
Podcasts
A podcast is an audio or video program that is broadcast over the internet so you can hear/watch it online or download it to your computer or iPod. The term "podcast" is often used to describe both audio and video podcasts, though video podcasts are sometimes called vodcasts.
Podcasts are a great way to engage learners who learn best by listening. There are millions of great podcasts available, many of them for free. Students can also create and publish their own podcasts to share their interests and knowledge with others. Many podcasts include the option to sign up for an RSS feed, which allows new episodes in the selected podcast series to be automatically downloaded to the subscriber's computer.