 As a Middle School Spanish teacher for Derry Township School District, Lisa Butler was looking for resources to replace or enhance a traditional Spanish textbook. She recognized that in digital format, any outdated classroom material can be updated quickly without the significant cost associated with textbook replacement. She also observed that free or open source online Spanish textbooks were not robust enough to support a diverse group of learners. As a graduate student in the University’s Learning Technologies Master of Science (LTMS) program, Lisa spent an entire semester exploring and researching online textbook replacement alternatives and created a custom solution that she is using with her middle school Spanish students. She worked with Andy Petroski, Director of the Learning Technologies program, to design a process for creating a digital resource that can replace or enhance a traditional textbook. She was able to present the results of her work to other educators interested in advancing the effective use of technology in schools during the 2011 International Society of Technology in Education conference. |
 York County School of Technology science teacher Gabrielle Mathias Sipe guided her students to create "mythbuster" videos as part of her project work in LTMS 600: Implementing Web 2.0 in the Classroom. Students created and uploaded videos onto YouTube and embedded them in a class wikispace. They also created a Google Doc quiz to test their classmates. While presenting the projects, the students used the discussion tab in the wikispace to “backchannel” while presentations were occurring. Gabrielle's students loved this project. She notes: "Giving them the opportunity to go out and pick something they loved gave them motivation. This motivation then got them working so hard that it was not just learning anymore, but FUN! This class’s test scores were much higher than my test scores from last year’s class in which the students did not create videos. I allowed my students to take the learning into their own hands and the results were great!" |
 Conewago Township Elementary teachers Jen Selby and Melissa Gantz worked with their 2nd Grade students to create videos to help teach different types of safety concepts and distributed the videos on Kidblog as part of their project work in LTMS 600: Implementing Web 2.0 in the Classroom. The safety video topics included bus safety, stranger safety, bike safety, and motor vehicle safety. The students were able to better understand the concepts being taught because they participated in creating the videos and discussing them on Kidblog. Jen and Melissa learned that it is more effective to use performance tasks like the videos and Kidblog to have students demonstrate knowledge. Next year, they will replace some of their pencil and paper activities with performance-based technology activities. The end result? It will save time and students will learn more effectively! |
 Allen Apgar designed a Wiki for the elementary band program at Pequea Valley School District as part of his project work in LTMS 600: Implementing Web 2.0 in the Classroom. His students are in two separate buildings, so he is having them work together on wikispaces to collaborate and "improve the overall performance of our ensemble" for when they come together as one band later in the school year. "The students in both buildings were excited to use computers in band class. They were also really motivated by the fact they could 'share with the world' as the students took to the social aspects of the assignment," says Allen. The students now create and upload their video tutorials to the wiki. |
 Linda Miskinis and Laurie Carmack are implementing technology into their Warwick School District classrooms. As part of her project work in LTMS 600: Implementing Web 2.0 in the Classroom, Linda used of the Web tool "ToonDoo" to teach her 8th Grade Family & Consumer Science students about the types of checks and how checks are processed. Students created a comic strip illustrating the correct sequence of the check process, with emphasis on vocabulary words introduced in the lesson. The goal of this lesson was to improve student understanding of check terminology and the check process. By creating their own comic strip, students were able to apply what they learned and shared their knowledge with others. Linda reports students were very engaged and seemed to really enjoy the opportunity to demonstrate what they learned about checks using a creative web tool. Laurie’s high school English students expanded upon their independent reading project by creating book project blogs as part of her work in LTMS 600: Implementing Web 2.0 in the Classroom. "I think the students enjoyed blogging as part of their independent reading project, and a few of them actually said it was a fun," says Laurie. |
