Q&A_QuickLinks

What does T3 do?

When should I use T3?

Why use T3?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

T3 Consulting

-COURSE OUTLINES-

Creating The Virtual Classroom

Philosophy:

  • Teaching and learning should drive the technology
  • Bells and whistles, the latest greatest isn’t always what is needed.  What technology will improve my student’s abilities to learn?
  • It is my job to teach my subject area first however if done correctly technology skills can also be taught.
  • Keep an eye on the ITSE standards and what is going on in lower level buildings.

Start with these questions:
What are the biggest learning difficulties a student faces in my classroom?
What role can an interactive web site play in alleviating these difficulties?

Common difficulties:

  • Losing homework and assignments
  • Missing school
  • Lack of parental involvement
  • Difficulty understanding complex concepts
  • Lack of interest in subject

Timeline of Creation

  • Basics
    1. All homework assignments on web site with due dates
    2. E-mail readily available on all pages and encourages use
    3. PowerPoint notes for missing notes
    4. Test review sheets and test review games
  • Chat and Discussion Board
  • On-line quizzes
  • Virtual Field Trips
  • Multimedia and digital video
  • Web Cams

**Remember, it’s not the teacher’s job to re-teach the entire course on-line.  It is to create a site that will enhance classroom teaching and promote learning outside of the classroom

VIRTUAL TOOL:  Web Cams

USE:
Community relations, student presentations, displaying projects, broadcasting school events
 
COST:
Wide range from $250 for still pictures to $1,000-2,000 for a digital video camera
 
IMPLEMENTATION:
2 types: 

  1. Still pictures up-loaded to a web site

    Still pictures involve the use of a web cam from X10 or some other such source along with the proper receivers and remote devices.  These can be rather easily installed in a classroom.  The software is usually downloaded from the camera web site.  The more difficult part lies in sending those pictures to a web site.  Depending on the server a district uses to publish the site and the way that it is published it can be a little tricky.

    This is where the tech people are involved. Some simple directions are listed in the resource page as well.

  2. Streamlining- I have not used these but I think they are of more value because they allow an actual broadcast to occur.  Student presentations could be available as well as pep rallies, concerts and other school events.  This does involve the use of a digital video camera to record these events and then stream them.  A dedicated workstation would also be necessary.

ISSUES:
Obviously there are some privacy issues involved here.  A teacher needs to decide what they are comfortable with and also what the district policies are. In my classroom I don’t have the camera on all the time. It is not a “big brother” tool but a tool to showcase student work or presentations only. Our district also has an AUP policy that all students and parents sign.  Included in that they give their permission to have their face (not name) published on the school web site. They may also refuse this.

The following article was found on the Internet and provides great instructions.  However, I could find no author and no copyright.

VIRTUAL TOOL: Chat Rooms

SOURCES:

USE:

  • Immediate feedback for review the night before major tests
  • Working on projects outside of school hours
  • Informal discussions to improve class dynamics

COST: varies
 
IMPLEMENTATION:
Presentation will include directions for creating in FrontPage as well as the tools Blackboard provides.

Screenshot 1

VIRTUAL TOOL: Digital Video

USE:
Splice video already taken to a more usable educational product; create original pieces to teach concepts, student created presentations
 
COST:
Software: 

These are the two most common and user-friendly packages
 
IMPLEMENTATION

Equipment needs

  • Intel Pentium or AMD Athlon 500 MHz or higher
  • Microsoft Windows 98 or higher
  • Direct-X compatible graphics and sound card
  • CD-ROM drive
  • Speakers and Microphone (if you want to do voiceovers)
  • 300 MB of space to install software. 
  • Hard drive capable of a sustained reading and writing at 4MB/second
  • Fire wire Card and cable (will also run through a USB 2 port)
  • Digital camera and software
  1. Teacher created presentation to pique interest
  2. Start student presentations with still pictures and just music tracks
  3. Teach basic videography skills
  4. Create presentations with student captured video

The following article is also found in the appendix and provides great technical tips.

VIRTUAL TOOL: Discussion board

USE:

  • Summer work for AP students
  • Current events within any subject area
  • Topics not completely explored in class
  • Reading assignments

COST: 

  • Free resources on Internet (see appendix)
  • Blackboard.com
  • Created through web software like FrontPage

IMPLEMENTATION

  • Teach students proper etiquette and protocol
  • Use controversial or interesting topics
  • Make response requirements or use a grading rubric
  • Teach students to facilitate
  • Can’t be a major time-consuming assignment.  Give students time in between to find Internet access if they don’t have it.  
  • Let curriculum drive the discussion

Screenshot 2

VIRTUAL TOOL: On-line assessments

USE:
Test review, reading review or checks, pre-tests
 
COST: free
 
IMPLEMENTATION:

  • Can be teacher created through web site software
  • Many textbook companies now offer these as companions to textbook
  • Many can be set up to e-mail results to teacher
  • Gives students a feeling of confidence as they take in-class test
  • Saves in class time for discussion because assessment has already taken place

Screenshot 3

VIRTUAL TOOL: Created Multimedia

USE:
Narrated slideshows
Hot Potatoes (assessment program)
C++ programs
Review games
 
COST: varies
 
IMPLEMENTATION

  • Ask what do students have difficulty remembering or what tasks can’t they perform when they get home.  Use this to guide your creation
  • Time Zone example

VIRTUAL TOOL: Virtual Field Trips

USE: To expand the borders of classroom by allowing students to virtually visit sites around the world.
 
COST: varies, free-$200+
 
IMPLEMENTATION:
Definitions of the term virtual field trip vary.  The ones listed here are not just web pages where students can tour from page to page.  These are actual interactive sites that contain video, audio and some that are actually projected live from a site.  The tours that are projected from a site usually require distance education equipment (fast Internet connection, computer software to run video and TV or projector hook-ups) and usually require students to participate at a particular time.  Most also include teacher lesson plans and a variety of activities. Some of these even allow students to call in with questions once the lesson is over. These are sometimes referred to as videoconferencing instead.

APPENDIX

WEB CAMS
Educational Uses of Web Cams
Education World (proceed on to search for web cams)
Instructions for installing
Web Cams for dummies
Installing a web cam by Fortune City
 
EXTERNAL CAMS
http://earthcam.com/
http://webcamsearch.com/
http://earthcamforkids.com/
 
CHAT ROOMS
Talking Communities
Chatters Online
Yahoo Chat
http://chatroomweb.com/
 
DISCUSSION BOARDS
http://www.bravenet.com/samples/forum.php
http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Discussion_Boards/
http://www.free-scripts.net/cgi/discussionboards.shtml
http://www.spraci.com/services/
 
DIGITAL VIDEO
Project Based Learning with Multimedia (Copyright © 1997-1999 San Mateo County Office of Education.)
The Director in the Classroom by Nikos Theodosakis
Adobe tutorials
iMovie tips
Desktop video
Creating Digital Video: Tips for Making Great Videos, By Merle Marsh, Ed.D.
Pinnacle Studio 8 homepage
Moviemaker download page

ON-LINE ASSESSMENTS
Hot Potatoes
TestCraft Assessment software
Brainchild
 
GENERAL
ERIC web links 2002/2003 (best of the web for the year)
North Central Regional Education Laboratory Educational Technology Resources

 
TEXTBOOK SITES (from these sites you want to look for textbook support or online learning)
Glencoe-McGrawHill
Houghton Mifflin-secondary
Houghton-Mifflin-elementary
International Thompson Publishing
Pearson Learning (Modern Curriculum)
Prentice-Hall
Scott Foresman - Addison Wesley
Silver Burdett Ginn
South-Western
Higher Ed. Portions of these companies that provide online services
 
VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS
(also see virtual field trip page)
Virtual Field trip guidelines

*These sites are merely places to possible resources they are not necessarily endorsed or even fully experienced by the author.

Weekly Reaction Scoring Rubric

Category

0

1

2

3

4

score

Topical Relevance

 

MP entry has no relation to subject of focus

Discussion is related to subject of focus and includes extraneous, unrelated content

Discussion is related to subject of focus, and includes supporting or related content

Displays full, in-depth engagement with relevant topics, draws personal connections

1
2
3
4

Peer Interaction

Minimal discussions with peers (no more than 2 postings per weekly reaction)

Meets participation expectation- actively involved in substantive conversations with peers (more than 2 substantive postings)

(bonus point )
Exceptional interaction with peers (offering resources, links, other items to consider in discussions).

 

 

0
1
2

**Please note: you must respond to the topic and to 2 peer responses to receive full credit
 
*Used with permission from Western Michigan EDT 541 Telecommunications for Teaching and Learning
Miriam Taylor