Help our students get connected!
WELCOME TO MRS. GEORGE’S TECHNOLOGY FUNDRAISING BLOG!!
I have decided to create this blog as a way to communicate with parents and students about our current technology fundraising efforts both school-wide and within my classroom. Our PTA has been working hard all year to raise funds for technology at Palisades Charter High School. Their recent electronic waste recycling drive was a huge success and helped provide much-needed funding for our school’s computer lab, but there is still a long way to go to reach our technology goals. This is why we encourage all parents to play a role, however large or small, in our worthwhile efforts.
I realize that many of you may feel that technology is not a necessary part the learning environment. Your children may have their heads buried in their phones or keyboards so much that you may wonder why they would need even more access to technology. Before you make up your mind about the role and importance of technology as a tool for learning, please consider the following:
A recent study by the Center for Applied Research in Educational Technology (CARET) found that
- Influence student academic performance;
- Develop higher order thinking and problem solving;
- Improve student motivation, attitude, and interest in learning;
- Help prepare students for the workforce, and;
- Address the needs of low performing and at-risk students and those with learning handicaps.
What is the theoretical basis for using technology in the classroom?
A Directed Theory | A Constructivist Theory |
Information-Processing Theory | Social Activism Theory |
· Based on a model of memory and storage introduced by Atkinson and Shiffrin (1968). · Brain contains 3 kinds of memory: o Sensory registers o Short-term memory (STM) o Long-term memory (LTM) · Sensory registers = eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and/or hands. Information is either lost or transferred after about one second. · Short-term memory = holds new information for around 5 to 20 seconds unless transferred to LTM. · Long-term memory = can hold information indefinitely, but only if new information is somehow linked to prior knowledge. This linking can occur through the use of attention-getting strategies, cueing strategies to help point out important information and/or link new information to prior knowledge, and practice exercises. · “Computer programs provide ideal environments for the highly structured cueing, attention-getting, and practice features that information-processing theorists have found so essential to learning” (Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p.37). · For more information, click on this link (Human Memory). | · Developed by John Dewey. · Social experiences drive learning. · Emphasizes the role of hands-on activities and relevance to real-world problems and/or issues. · Suggests that school curricula should be in line with students’ interests, and that subjects be taught in a broader, more integrated way. · Roblyer & Doering state that “…today’s interdisciplinary curriculum and hands-on, experience-based learning are in tune with Dewey’s lifelong message” (2010, p.40). · Click here (Real World Issues Motivate Students) for more information. |
Source: Roblyer & Doering, 2010, p 35-40.
TECHNOLOGY WISHLIST:
1) A one-year subscription to www.usatestprep.com.
· This website provides California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) practice tests and exercises to help prepare students to pass this crucial exam. Students’ individual strengths and weaknesses are identified, allowing for targeted practice.
· Related Lesson: Students would take a full-length practice test to determine areas of greatest need. Mini-lessons would be taught to those students needing individual and/or small group review of concepts. Students would access the website using the classroom computers, and take shorter (10 question) practice quizzes to improve their subject knowledge and general test-taking skills.
COST: $800.00
2) 4 Sony Cyber-shot digital cameras.
· These small digital cameras are able to take photos as well as record videos.
· Related Lesson: Students will create a personalized map of their neighborhood using the “My Maps” feature on Google Maps. They will include at least 3-5 landmarks (e.g. their home, local park, school, movie theatre, etc.) with corresponding photos, as well as 1-2 short videos. These maps will then be used throughout the year for a variety of lessons, including one in which students must write, and then answer, a series of questions related to rate, distance, and time.
COST: $746.26 (tax included)
The first lesson is based on the directed model theory of information processing described in the table above. The USA TestPrep program provides a structured means of practicing skills in order to help them move into long-term memory. The benefit of using a computer program for test preparation is that it allows for a greater level of interaction and provides immediate feedback.
The second lesson is based on the constructivist model theory of social activism in that it incorporates the students’ own environments into the lesson and provides a relevant, real-world starting-off point for solving problems in future lessons.
WE MUST ENSURE OUR STUDENTS DON’T GET LEFT IN THE DUST.
PLEASE HELP US REACH OUR TECHNOLOGY GOALS!
TECHNOLOGY INTEGRATION IN THE CLASSROOM IS…
· EVIDENCE BASED;
· AN IMPORTANT TOOL FOR DEVELOPING MARKETABLE JOB SKILLS;
· AN EFFECTIVE WAY TO MOTIVATE OUR STUDENTS, AND;
· A POWERFUL TOOL TO HELP LOW-PERFORMING STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS.
SOME OF THE WAYS YOU CAN HELP:
· ORGANIZE A FUNDRAISER.
· DONATE FUNDS AND/OR EQUIPTMENT.
· DONATE TIME AND KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNOLOGY.
Parent and student comments are encouraged. I welcome your thoughts & suggestions!
References:
Curtis, D. (2001). Real-world issues motivate students. Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/start-pyramid.
Kotbagi, H. (1997). Human Memory [Online slides]. Retrieved from http://www.cc.gatech.edu/classes/cs6751_97_winter/Topics/human-cap/memory.html
Roblyer, M. D., & Doering, A. H. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
