Instructional Software in the High School Journalism Classroom

Instructional Software in the High School Journalism Classroom

The relative advantage of using instructional software in the high school journalism classroom becomes evident upon further examination of the curriculum and expectations required of students enrolled in a journalism class responsible for the production of a student newspaper.

The modern journalist – and by extension the modern journalism student – works and learns in an environment where technology is not merely a trifle or accessory, but a necessary element required in order to complete course objectives and create the required product – a print newspaper and companion website.

As technology evolves, and new ways of telling stories become apparent, journalists and journalism educators must embrace the opportunities afforded by such advances. The following is a list of different instructional strategies and technologies designed to help students learn Associate Press style and develop the curiosity, habits, and attention to detail of the modern journalist.

Drill and Practice
Drill and Practice software offers users an opportunity to “receive feedback on [the] correctness” of work example items (Roblyer, Doering, 2010).
Rather than utilizing worksheets which require teacher evaluation and delay feedback and response to students, “D&P” software provides immediate response, allowing students to know how they are progressing, and make adjustments as necessary.

Tool: Gerald Grow’s Newsroom 101.com, Practice Quizzes on AP Style

From the site: These practice quizzes are intended to introduce you to the Associated Press Stylebook, chapter by chapter. If you are serious about AP style, you will need to buy the stylebook and use it often. Practice each set of exercises, then practice the review exercises that select from the items you have just practiced.

Relative Advantage – This site allows students to progress at their own pace as they work to master AP style, a bedrock of newspaper journalism. Students can challenge one another, taking the quizzes individually, or they can partner up and work collaboratively to assess their knowledge.

Tutorials
Tutorial software offers complete instruction on a topic, and is designed to be a self-contained instructional unit, rather than a supplement to instruction (Roblyer, Doering, 2010).

With the advent of YouTube, professionals and enthusiasts in all fields are able to offer video tutorials on a host of subjects. One such tutorial is a series on photography by photographer Brian Peterson. His YouTube site is: http://youtu.be/G1c4E3ndUU4. From the site, you can view 25 different videos on a range of photography techniques.

Other sites, such as the informative and comical You Suck At Photoshop, http://www.youtube.com/show?p=6OvxlAUP04A, provide detailed video tutorials on how to use photo manipulation software to do even more with your photographs once you’ve captured them.

Relative Advantage – Tutorials like these allow students to choose the specific aspects of instruction they would like to learn, and then provide them with detailed steps allowing for instruction when the classroom teacher is not available.

Simulations
Simulations are designed to teach students how a system works. In the case of photography one such simulation website is The SLR Camera Simulator, http://camerasim.com/camera-simulator/. This is a fantastic resource for photography students looking to learn how aperture, shutter speed, and ISO work together to determine what an exposure will look like.

Students are able to make setting adjustments and see in real-time what the effect would be if they were holding and using a real camera. The relative advantage of such a simulation is that students do not need an actual camera to practice the technique. And, if students are learning in a computer-equipped classroom, the instructor can use the simulator to create a specific exposure, and they ask students to use the simulator themselves to replicate the instructor’s image.

Educational Games
Educational games add “game like rules and/or competition to learning activities” (Roblyer, Doering, 2010).

Instructional games give students an opportunity to put the skills and knowledge they’ve acquired to use, demonstrating their understanding of content and applying it in an engaging way that provides them with immediate feedback, both in terms of their own abilities and how they compare with classmates.

Relative Advantage – Educational games can be used in place of worksheets and drill exercises. They can teach students cooperative group working skills, and can be especially effective in engaging all learners (Roblyer, Doering, 2010).

Such a game is Rock Photographer: The Photography Game, http://www.joeyl.com/2012/03/rock-photographer-the-photography-game/. The game allows you to pose as a photojournalist tasked with capturing great footage of different bands. This game is actually an app for the iPhone. By touching the screen, you can take a photograph. You score different points depending on the quality of the shots you snap.

This game encourages competition, is certainly fun, and gives players an authentic feeling of what it’s like to be a rock and roll photographer.

Problem-Solving Software
Problems-solving software allows students to practice solving problems in activities they find interesting and motivating (Roblyer, Doering, 2010). With such software, students are able to discover new concepts and applications for existing knowledge, building on what they previously thought possible.
An excellent problem solving software program for photographers is Adobe Photoshop, http://www.photoshop.com/. Similar programs include Gimp, http://www.gimp.org/, and Paint.net, http://www.getpaint.net/.
By providing students with both introductory instructions and time to explore and play around with software programs, students will be able to develop competency with the software. If students are given opportunities to share what they’ve learned and asked questions of their peers, they will be able – along with the instructor – to help each other discover the best ways to use the software.

Relative Advantage – With a plethora of productivity tools at their disposal, students are able to create more developed and advanced works than ever before, utilizing technology to do more and to become more efficient. With respect to digital photography, once an initial investment is made in hardware in software, there is no need to purchase consumable goods like film, developer chemical, and photo paper.
In this instance, technology allows makes previous proceeds faster, more affordable, and more environmentally friendly.

References
Roblyer, M.D., & Doering, A.H. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (5th ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon/Pearson.

Acceptable Use Policies - EDTECH 541 Week 2 Blog Entry

Acceptable Use Policies are guiding documents that outline both the policies and procedures of of an institution with regards to technology (Bosco, 2011). They set forth the guiding principles and philosophy of an institution's orientation toward technology, while also stipulating procedural norms and potential consequences for violating the institution's expectations.

In this writer's opinion, the most effective policies are those crafted with multiple stakeholders, as this increases the potential for both understanding and buy-in of the policy (Bosco, 2011). Some districts, like Burlington High School in Massachusetts, provide both general expectations of behavior and an explanation of the philosophy and rationale behind certain decisions regarding technology - in this instance, the high school's decision to implement iPads on a 1:1 basis.

AUPs don't only outline the behavior expected of users, they can also, in the case of the New Canaan Public Schools, describe the district's responsibilities in terms of technology. In New Canaan, the district pledges to provide orientations for staff and students on information technology, and ensure all members of the school community have access to necessary and appropriate technologies. 

The Edina Public Schools go into great dept outlining what constitutes unacceptable use, which includes viewing pornography; shopping online; storing non-educational related photos, videos, music, or files; and using the district's electronic technologies for political campaigning.

The Edina Public Schools also include an Online Code of Ethics, which falls under the category of education and training regarding what is considered responsible use. This is an important aspect of an AUP, as without a teaching and learning component, AUPs are significantly less effective and meaningful.  

The Broward Schools is one district which weaves an educational component into its policy, noting that "primary priority of the technology system is to improve student learning." As such, its policy outlines expectations of the superintendent and technology committee to "identify student and staff competencies" and provide the requisite training to ensure the population is able to effectively use technology to improve learning (Broward Schools, 2003).

 The best acceptable use policies do more than just outline acceptable behaviors - they provide a written account of a district's vision in terms of how technology is used to enhance learning.

References:

Bosco, J. (2011). Acceptable use policies in a web 2.0 & mobile era: A guide for school districts. Consortium for School Networking, Retrieved from http://www.cosn.org/Default.aspx?tabid=8139

        Broward Schools. (2003, Mar. 29). School and district technology usage. Retrieved from https://www.browardschools.com/virtualcounselor/bsvc/policy5306.htm

        Edina Public Schools. (2011, Feb. 21). New canaan public schools. Retrieved from http://www.edina.k12.mn.us/district/board/edinabpm/600/634.pdf

 

Larkin, P. (2012, Jan. 5). Burlington high school acceptable use policy 2011. Retrieved from http://www.patrickmlarkin.com/2012/01/download-our-bhs-11-overview-an-e-pub.html 

        New Canaan Public Schools. (2007, Jul. 3). New canaan public schools information and communication technologies acceptable use policy guidelines. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/vnbwIo

EDTECH 542 Week 1 Reflection

I found it a bit surprising that after eight years as a secondary high school teacher, I hadn't heard about project based learning from any of my colleagues or administrators. In a nutshell, project based learning is a learner-centered instructional strategy which encourages cooperation and group work, resulting in the creation of a project. PBL allows students to make continual, incremental progress, and gets them actively engaged in “doing” rather than “learning about” something meaningful and interesting to them.

Our first module in EDTECH 541 gave us an opportunity to peruse what PBL was all about, and to learn how it could be incorporated into the classroom. If there is one thing I took away from the first week's lessons, it's that PBL is interdisciplinary, and cannot be done successfully in a vacuum. It requires a team of teachers to work together in the creation of PBL activities, and it needs the support of administrators to facilitate the teaching and learning conditions required for meaningful and effective project based learning.

Below is a brief video which explains the basics of PBL:

  

EDTECH 541 Blog Post Comment List

Week One - Vision Statements:

http://ashleyeivins.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/vision-statement/

http://jenniefinafrock.wordpress.com/2012/06/09/vision-statement/

Week Two - Acceptable Use Policies


http://jodenedevan.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/acceptable-use-policies/

http://heathergaddis.wordpress.com/acceptable-use-policies/

Week Four - Multimedia in Education

Ashley Eivins: Ashley, you do a very nice job providing specific examples of how you've used multimedia in the classroom. Specific videos from science - allowing us to see into the human body, for example, give students access and exposure to a world they literally cannot see with their own eyes. Your example of the "virtual frog dissection" is a great example of how technology can be used to provide students with experiences that otherwise would be cost-prohibitive. I also appreciated your passion and enthusiasm for using multimedia and engaging students with the modes they're already so familiar with. Good work!

 Jennifer Justis: Jennifer, I was very impressed with the interviews you did with fellow colleagues on the use of video in the classroom. You mentioned video's ability to take students on virtual field trips. I also wonder about Skype, and the possibilities there for allowing students to conference and chat with authors, business people, and other teachers and academics. The music teacher you interviewed talked about using recordings of students from a nearby school to observe things like posture and gestures and how they factor in to the overall performance. Overall, great examples and nice way of involving your co-workers!

Week Five - Voicethread

http://jonfreer.wordpress.com/2012/07/02/walled-gardens-voicethread-post/

https://voicethread.com/#q.b3225998.i17096879

Week Six - Internet Safety

https://joannamarcotteedtechlearninglog.wordpress.com/2012/07/16/internet-safety/#comment-25

http://jodenedevan.wordpress.com/2012/07/14/safety-on-the-web/#comment-16

Week Seven - Technology in the Content Areas

Jen: Thoughtful post. Your argument about students acquiring the skills needed for a technological knowledge-based economy echoes one of my contentions. The concept of interest and diversity afforded through technology is certainly one more reason why tech integration is a good thing. I remember being bored in a number of my high school classes, as the curriculum was so ridged, as were our expectations.

 While I agree that technology has a lot of potential, there are currently a number of hurdles to the utopian vision of online publication, virtual field trips, and simulated experiments that you present. Lack of equipment and training are two of the chief reasons why the potential impacts of technology are tempered.

 I think that being able to dictate an action plan to implement technology is as important as knowing what to do with the technology. Without the proper tools and training, the “edutechnology” rocket will never get off the ground.

Amy: Hi Amy. Some great insights and observations about technology’s impact and role in education. You are definitely right that technology can move teachers toward more collaborative, student-centered activities.

 You mentioned something about the “correct combination of off and on computer activities.” I would be very curious to know what that “correct” combination is. Is this something you found in your research?

 You have some great quotes from a variety of disciplines on how to integrate technology into various curricula.

 I wondered at the end of your post if our job as teachers is really to help change instruction. I assume you mean change for the better, but it’s important to note that change isn’t always good. And, unfortunately, it seems like everyone BUT teachers are changing what instruction looks like in our classes. It’s definitely important for us to take control of our classrooms and exert our authority and autonomy.

Technology Vision Visual Story

Week One Blog Entry: Vision Statement

While there is certainly debate over what is needed to improve the educational system in our country, there is no arguing that the skill set needed to succeed in today’s economy differs greatly from previous generations. It is no longer sufficient to learn how to do a certain task, or memorize specific material, as many of the jobs required of the next generation of workers have yet to be created ("21st century education," 2010).

Rather than a body of knowledge, today’s educators are tasked with teaching a set of skills, which include the ability to analyze, research, create, collaborate, and publish. The growth of social media and the use of the Internet for research, publication, and real-time collaboration have caught the attention of educators who are implementing these technologies in their schools and finding increased student engagement and achievement (Demski, 2012).

In order to remain relevant, America’s educational institutions need to make meaningful and systemic investments in technology in order to provide students with an education that will make them competitive prospects for employers and post-secondary schools and colleges. In its implementation, technology should not be thought of as something that is “added” to existing curriculum, but rather a mechanism through which curriculum objectives can be better achieved and practiced.

References:

21st century education in New Brunswick, Canada [Web]. (2010). Retrieved from http://youtu.be/EjJg9NfTXos

Demski, J. (2012). 7 habits of highly effective tech-leading principals. THE Journal, Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/articles/2012/06/07/7-habits-of-highly-effective-tech-leading-principals.aspx

Doering, A.H., Roblyer, M.D. (2010). Integrating educational technology into teaching. Fifth Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Edutopia Staff. (2007, Nov. 5). What is successful technology integration?. Edutopia, Retrieved from http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-guide-description