Who Knows What About Tech?

Some kids think they know all there is to know about technology. But do they? Often they have parents and teachers fooled. Sure they know lots about their interests, but do they know what they need to know? How about letting your students test their knowledge of technology? First of all they'll find out that technology may not be exactly what they think it is. Have them take the Tech Quiz to see what they know about technology in general and then head to Internet Smarts to see what they know about internet safety.

Math & Science. Yuk!

Do you have some elementary or middle school students who aren't interested in math or science? If you do, perhaps a journey to some of these sites will turn them on: "Who wants to win a $1,000,000?" (science), Mystery Math, Tic Tac (Tech) (outwit the computer with calculating skills), Quarks (It's a coloring book, but not for the primary levels), Shoot a Cannonball into Orbit (science), bouncing balls (science), spinning eggs (science), and NASA's SpacePlace (science for the younger kids).

Dust Mites in Your Hair?

Have you been to "How Big is a ..." at Cells Alive? Wait until you see a magnified piece of hair with dust mites on it. Not so lovely, but very intriguing. The site has amazing animations that both middle and high school students will appreciate. While you're at Cells Alive, be sure to visit the Puzzle Page where you'll find jigsaw puzzles and word puzzles that will challenge the best of your students. There's lots more at Cells Alive, especially for high school students.

Google Downloads

You've probably heard of Google Software, but may not know much about it. To learn about Google Notifier (for Gmail message), Picasso Web Albums Uploader (your photos online), Google Earth (3D globe model and more), Google SketchUp (create 3D models), and more, Mac user should go to Google Downloads for the Mac. Windows XP users should go to Google Pack.

Bet Your School Is Going Wireless

Chances are when your school upgrades its computer networks, it will be looking carefully at wireless technologies. Rhea R. Borja in an article for EdWeek, "Technology Upgrades Prompt Schools to Go Wireless" says that as more schools want access to online multimedia and need excellent bandwidth, the percentages of "wireless" schools will grow. She notes that Market Data Retrieval found that "The percentage of public schools using wireless systems has increased fourfold between 2001 and 2005...." See Ms Borja's piece for information on the differences between older and newer wireless options, including security, coverage, management, and compatibility. Let us know by your blog comments how wireless your school is and what you think of going wireless.

Web 2.0 for Education?

Okay, so you are not exactly sure what Web 2.0 is. Don't worry; no one really knows. But the idea that Web 2.0 conjures up for education is the Web as a platform for interactive learning with users taking advantages of online tools and resources. A Day in the Life of Web 2.0 in TechLearning's October issue shows how blogs, wikis, podcasts, text messaging, RSS, shared spreadsheets, Google News,and other Web tools might be put to use in a classroom. You can also read more about this in the archives of Teaching with Technology on this site.

Are Virtual Schools for Your Students?

Virtual schools, schools that students can access online, are popping up all over the country. Some are state and district-supported. Sean Cavanaugh in his EdWeek article, To Tailor Schedules, Students Log In to Online Classes, says that one-third of all school districts have at least some students engaged in virtual learning. By taking online courses students can get credits not offered in their schools. —And if their school offers a course, but they can't fit it into their schedule, virtual courses are the way the go. The number of students involved in online courses is rising quickly as more students see the benefits of taking courses beyond the regular school day. What do you think of virtual schools? How can we be sure that virtual courses meet the same standards as in-school courses? Should schools specify on transcripts that a course student has taken is virtual?

Looking for a Grant?

The Grants section of EdWeek is a great place to find a listing of grants for education. For example, you might want to apply for the Goldman Sachs Foundation Grants for elementary, middle school or high school. These $25,000 grants, target "raising American awareness of the world and bridging the international knowledge gap." Another grant on the list is offered by the Character Education Partnership for schools engaged in character education programs. Ten schools each year receive $10,000 grants. For these grants and more like the National Science Foundation's Information Technology Experiences for Students and Teachers, go to EdWeek.

Will Cursive Writing Survive Keyboards?

According to Margaret Webb Pressler, a Washington Post Staff writer," The computer keyboard killed shorthand, and now is threatening to finish off longhand." Her article Handwriting on the Wall explores what's happening in the world of cursive writing including the fact that most adults today only use longhand for signatures. Schools are making decisions regarding whether to teach handwriting. With all the demands of the curriculum, it seems that time for handwriting may not be a priority. Advocates of cursive writing hold that students need to learn to read cursive and that "the power and accuracy of historical research will be diminished" if we take to keyboards rather than our pens. In other words, what will be our 'original' documents? Some researchers, in addition, claim that penmanship helps children develop cognitive skills, and we all know that a beautiful script with its individualistic style is a joy to the eye.

Can a Computer Grade a Summary?

Pearson Knowledge Technologies is offering a program that can actually grade summaries as accurately as a human. Using WriteToLearn students read passages, write summaries, and get immediate feedback on their writing—all on the computer. It works with an "engine" called KAT that can analyze written passages. The program provides reading material and then gives students questions to answer about what they've read. Once they've typed in their summary, KAT gives them and their teacher feedback on the writing. It's a program that will improve both reading comprehension and writing skills. Don't expect KAT to grade term papers, essays, and written materials that are not part of WriteToLearn. Perhaps that's coming in the future? Or perhaps it's not possible. Why not add your comments to this blog about what you think of computers grading written work?