Module Four

IT sometimes looks like a huge gold mine without a road map.

Too true, for many students. Also, while they seem to resent time wasting when itÁs in the shape of looking up books, at the moment many poorer less motivated students seem to enjoy (or not mind) the lack of success in finding things when on the Internet.
Remember: The Internet isn't going to revolutionise education; YOU are!
Too true, my sentiments to a tee.

Using IT to enhance teachers' personal productivity;It seems this is a good place to start with teachers (or students). If we can use the Internet to make creating lesson plans easily for example, they are off. Once they have over the idea that it is cheating, web quests are a great place to start. See my web page http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/
teaching/webquests.htm

Using the computer as a presentation tool to support whole class instruction;The Internet is useful for this as well, although whole class presentations have limited use, they are great for introductions or ground rules.

My bibliography framework is a case in point.

Works Cited Framework: References and Bibliographies

http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/library/study/cite.htm

Using the computer to support Interactive Group Software; Using IT as a classroom learning station / resource

This is where the Internet comes into its own. I put up pages related to studentsÁ assignments (usually from 15-30 on each topic). This gives a choice, usually with different points of view, and different styles and levels; but it limits time wasting as all are related to the topic.http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/subjects/

Directed Research I'm not sure what kind of thing would be of use to me as a teacher librarian because I usually try to use content from an area that is related to something the students are doing in another area. The skills and concepts I want them to learn are not usefully obtained while doing stuff in isolation, but only of use once they have a handle on what theyÁre being asked to do by a teacher and then find a need for notemaking or research skills.So if I were to do this, I would have to relate it to a curriculum based topic that could be used by other classroom teachers as part of their course. On the other hand, I could do it related to a guided research for teachers, like using web quests or the Internet.

How it would look?

Obviously, for either piece of guided research, I would have to be careful to not make the research merely information gathering, but directed in such a way as to make the users think and internalise what they are learning. I guess for the students to allow enough choice so they feel as if they can find out what they want to know as distinct from specifying too much. If I were going to do it for teachers, it would have to be obvious that it would save time and at the same time benefit them and their teaching. Both tall orders.

For teachers, using the Internet has to be fruitful; for the students it has to be fun. For teachers looking at student activities they have to be fruitful and not time wasting too. Can I design something that does both? Maybe if I were to use a contemporary issue that is cross curricula, I could do both things. With this I could provide a example directed learning activity that was cross curricula that lots of teachers could see the relevance of, and would provide enough self-initiated work for students.

On the other hand, maybe I could relate it to life skills like budgeting?

Budgeting

Create a budget that might reflect your expenditure if you are just leaving school. You must choose a job that you could go to with just Year 12 graduation. It must not be in a family firm or friendÁs company. If you choose study, establish whether you would receive Youth Allowance. If so, work out a budget based on that, and possible part-time work If not work out how you would manage to study (part/full time work/study) Include all income/expenditure in your budget, and indicate where you found it.

  1. What is a wage that is necessary to survive?
  2. What sort of financial help could a young person receive?
  3. What sort of wage would you need to be comfortable?

You will be expected to include a journal of your research and a reference list.

  1. Introduction
    1. Why?
      1. Links to financial sites about people in financial hardship
    2. Included must be
      1. Journal of process
      2. Information gathered
      3. Analysis and evaluation of information
      4. Reference list
    3. Presentation?
      1. Possibilities
      2. Links to tutorial sites for Word; PowerPoint; Publisher; Excel; Web Publishing
  2. What do the students already know?
      1. Brainstorm
      2. Links to Inspiration
    1. What do the students want to find out?
      1. Brainstorm
      2. Links to sites on personal budgets and budgeting
      3. What kinds of categories are usually listed
  3. Categories established
    1. Categories chosen relating to studentÁs choice of career/ living area/lifestyle.
  4. Finding Information
    1. Links to sites/books/newspapers/people/suggestions for other places to gather information
      1. on income for young people (entry level jobs and Youth Allowance for study {cut-off points for parents income})
      2. on rent
      3. on food
      4. on public transport/cars/
      5. on costs of utilities
      6. on entertainment
      7. on clothes
      8. etc

       

    2. Using Internet search engine techniques to find extra information for other categories and extra information not provided in links
    3. What sites/ other sources of information are useful? For those that are, add bibliographic details to a list.
      1. Journal on information finding. What was easy; what difficult to find?

     

  5. Collating information
    1. Did students find information they were looking for? If not where else do they look?
    2. Now students have information, judgments on
      1. What is a wage that is necessary to survive?
      2. What sort of financial help would a young person need?
      3. What sort of wage would you need to be comfortable?
    3. Journal on findings expected or unexpected?

     

  6. Presenting Information
    1. Judgement on presentation style
      1. Do students use only one means of presentation?
      2. Is the presentation method previously chosen fit the information.
    2. Reference list necessary
    3. Both information gathered; analysis and evaluation of information needed.
    4. Journal
      1. Presentation process. Easy/ difficult?

     

  7. Journal
    1. Evaluation of entire process.
      1. Course
      2. StudentÁs performance

Evaluating

http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/library/study/evaluating.htm

Sites I have put up to help my students search and evaluate sites.

See below

In article 3572 on Thu, Oct. 21, 1999, 14:58, Rosemary

Horton writes:

>I agree about the unsupervised nature of much of the

>Internet, that's why I've been adding sites. Have you had a

>look 

>http://www.trinity.wa.edu.au/plduffyrc/
>

>especially under Curriculum areas

>

>



Rosemary Horton





Excellent!!



BTW, I consider your assessment on "review WWW sites" and

"create web site" finished -- with HD !



Steve

 

 

Rosemary Horton
M.Sc; B.A. (Hons) Grad Dip Ed; Grad Dip Lib; Grad Dip Women's Studs

Updated
March 7, 2006

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