Educational Technology Ray Schroeder, editor, OTEL - University of Illinois at Springfield |
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News, Techniques and Theories of Effective Use of Technology in Education 
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Saturday, July 16, 2005
SpeechExpert 1.03
It is sometimes much more convenient to listen to text rather than merely reading it off a monitor. Stepping in to provide such a service is SpeechExpert 1.03, which can read emails and other documents directly from various Web browsers. Additionally, visitors can convert the various documents into audio files for their own convenience. For those interested in having documents read in various languages, SpeechExpert 1.03 functions in ten separate languages. This version is compatible with Windows 98 or newer. From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2005. http://scout.wisc.edu/ (0) comments
Rethinking Schools
The motivating vision behind the Rethinking Schools organization is the notion of "the common school." This vision includes the belief that schools are integral "not only to preparing all children to be full participants in society, but also to be full participants in this country's ever-tenuous experiment in democracy." The organization was founded in Milwaukee in 1986, and has been intimately involved with addressing such educational issues as standardized testing and textbook-dominated curricula. Visitors to the site can learn about the organization's various programs, and more importantly, read a number of articles from its in-house journal, _Rethinking Schools_. One particularly nice feature of the site is the collection of thematic articles organized into such topics as "Bilingual Education" and "Teacher Unions." Finally, the site also has collected a list of selected online resources, such as links to the Global School Network and the American Federation of Teachers. From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2005. http://scout.wisc.edu/ (0) comments Friday, July 15, 2005
Real World Learning and Collaboration = Fun For All! - Aven R. Baral, techLearning
It's barely 8AM when the AAB (Altamonte After Breakfast) news crew begins to enter the studio. The lights go on, the equipment hums to life and the crew begins to go about their daily assignments. Two crewmembers set up cameras. The sound director checks her soundboards with the anchors' microphones. The scriptwriter is making last minute changes to that day's script, using a computer in the control room that sends its feed to the teleprompter in the studio. Still more crewmembers arrive, each going quickly about their individual tasks. This is what I like to call organized chaos. You might be surprised to learn that this news studio is being run by elementary school students in grades three through five. (0) comments
Video-game camps target at-risk youth - Robert Brumfield, eSchool News
A trio of electronic gaming enthusiasts is playing on kids' interest in video games to help at-risk urban students learn key math and science concepts--and possibly open doors into the lucrative game-design industry for them. Announced at this year's Electronics Entertainment Expo (E3), the Urban Video Game Academy (UVGA) is a free program that aims to reinforce core curricular subjects through instruction in video-game programming, while infusing greater diversity into the video-gaming industry. (0) comments Thursday, July 14, 2005
Computer classes losing their luster? - eSchool News
Courses in computer science are in danger of losing their appeal and support, according to teachers talking with the Associated Press (AP) during the 143rd National Education Association conference in Los Angeles, July 1-6. Here is the report filed by AP Education Writer Ben Feller: Even in a nation where most every school has internet access and computer use often starts by nursery school, teachers of technology see a warning message flashing. For students in elementary and secondary schools, states have few developed standards or required courses in computer science--a field that goes beyond basic literacy to encompass hardware and software design, real-world applications, and computers' effect on society. Such lean coursework means that many students don't have the chance to study the science of computers until college, where a declining number are majoring in the subject. Somehow, teachers contend, states must embrace the idea of training sophisticated computer users at a younger age. (0) comments
How All Students Can Participate in Internet Research and Distance Education - Christine Y. Mason and Richard Dodds, techLearning
Many Americans, and many others around the world, take the Internet for granted. It is hard for some of us to imagine a world without fingertip access to information. Now people are able to find answers to questions such as: 'what is the melting point of gold?'; 'what is the best way to peel pineapples or lay tile?'; or even 'what has been the impact of existentialism on modern life?' By typing key words and phrases in search engines and sifting through an amalgamation of responses, we can find possible answers while at home, at school, or at work. Teachers have come to rely on the Internet to supplement textbooks, videos, films, class discussions, and lectures. For most students to access this electronic library requires that they learn to use a keyboard and a mouse, and apply a few basic rules about Internet searching, including learning to evaluate Web sites. (0) comments Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Learning by Doing: Pathways to High Performance Students - Edward J. Barboni, Campus Technologies
I was re-reading “Learning for the 21st Century” the other day as background material on a forthcoming undergraduate teacher preparation project. I was struck by how well the report navigates the political waters of educational reform, so decided to use this Viewpoint to bring this report to the attention of those who have not yet read it. It deserves widespread attention, particularly among those of us engaged in improving undergraduate teacher preparation programs. The report gives due respect to standardized testing, disciplinary content coverage, and other traditional concerns of the educational enterprise. However, it positively and constructively moves the reader toward best practices in designing active learning environments for students of all ages, and toward authentic assessment tools that may be used to progress toward reaching the goal of each student achieving high standards of performance associated with meaningful learning outcomes. (0) comments
IMPACTS OF TECHNOLOGY ON OUTCOMES FOR YOUTH: A 2005 REVIEW
America’s Children & The Information Superhighway, the first-ever analysis of the impact that the information revolution could have on the lives of America’s children. We wrote: “Every one of the 67 million children in America today, along with the approximately 4 million born each year, will be affected by the information revolution. But the needs and interests of America’s children have not been comprehensively addressed.” At that time, we, as a nation, were just starting a public debate on the importance of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). There had been virtually no discussion about what was best for the millions of children in the United States facing this new frontier. Furthermore, the body of research to help inform our collective action on behalf of children was practically nonexistent. Now, more than 10 years later, the information age has advanced to the point where we can begin to assess the difference that computers, the Internet, and emerging information technologies can make in the lives of children. (0) comments Tuesday, July 12, 2005
Classroom Clickers Make the Grade - Associated Press
An honors student at Ohio State, a kid in a fifth-grade science class in Kentucky and a deaf student in England all begin their learning experience the same way: with their hand wrapped around a remote control. Not a TV remote, but rather one that connects a student with everyone else in the class, with the instructor and with the subject at hand. Hundreds of colleges, high schools and even middle schools are using "clickers" -- as even manufacturers call them. A moderator can pose a question and within seconds the respondents' answers are anonymously logged on a laptop at the front of the room. (0) comments
When Cockroaches Sieze Controls - Rachel Metz, Wired
While most people are concerned with exterminating any roaches inhabiting their homes, artist Garnet Hertz ensures they can zip around in style. Taking a cue from technology that looks to biological systems for inspiration, Hertz has constructed a three-wheeled robotic vehicle that lets a Madagascan hissing cockroach navigate a room while perched atop a ping-pong ball. See photos: The ball works like a computer mouse's track ball. Where the roach moves on the ball, the vehicle moves in the room. (0) comments Monday, July 11, 2005
Presentation Technology in the Classroom - eSchool News
Remember the days when a state-of-the-art classroom presentation involved little more than an overhead projector, a few colorful magic markers, and a stack of blank transparencies? Well, those days are long gone. In fact, today's students, who grow up with all sorts of visually stimulating devices in their homes, would probably laugh at the same rudimentary presentations that riveted their parents as kids. Fortunately, there are many technologies out there to help keep presentations exciting. From digital video and data projectors to interactive whiteboards, high-end document cameras and projectors, and even virtual reality equipment, schools are faced with a dazzling array of powerful presentation tools. Never before have educators had a greater opportunity to bring lessons to life for their students, reach out to community stakeholders, and even extend their classroom out to the internet. (0) comments
Computer Integration in the Classroom - Stephen Anderson, techLearning
The world in which we live is rapidly changing. Technology has permeated nearly every aspect of our lives. As educators technology has revolutionized the way we teach, communicate, and manage information. Gone are the days of Blue Masters and hand written report cards. The educator who is not staying current on the application of technology is making his/her job harder and to a degree, limiting their student's possibilities. Computer integration may seem like a daunting task to some, while other find it to be the "Holy Grail" of education. Where you are on this spectrum will usually depend on your own skill level, access to technology, and technical support at your school. (0) comments Sunday, July 10, 2005
Global Museum
While there are numerous sites about different museums of all sizes around the world, there are also numerous sites about the wide world of museology and exhibition techniques. One such site is the Global Museum, which provides information about important and new exhibits around the globe, along with job postings from a wide range of museums. Persons interested in a course of study on museums would do well to look at the site's listings of internationally accredited museum studies courses, which is offered in the Study area of the website. Visitors can also look through the online bookstore, which contains a wide array of titles that are of great relevance. Finally, the site is rounded out by an Ideas area that focuses on providing external links to sites that deal with marketing, conservation, and World Heritage sites. The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2005. http://scout.wisc.edu/ (0) comments
World Myths & Legends in Art
Primarily for teachers and students (but fun for anyone), this website from the Minneapolis Institute of Arts uses 26 works of art selected from its collections to explore mythology from around the world. Each work of art has a corresponding essay that includes key points; the story that inspired the work of art; background, such as history, cultural context and style; and suggested discussion questions. For example, the entry for a Navajo ketoh includes a Navajo creation myth describing the adventures of the earliest beings as they moved through the first four worlds; explains that while this particular piece is decorative jewelry, the ketoh form is based on wrist guards worn by archers to protect their forearms from the snap of their bowstrings; and also provides background information on the Navajo, and their arts and crafts. From The Scout Report, Copyright Internet Scout Project 1994-2005. http://scout.wisc.edu/ (0) comments Educational Technology News Blog Archives OTEL - Ray's Home Page - Notebook - UIS Online - U of I Online - UIS Home Fair Use |
