SEMINAR XXII - TEACHING THE TRANSESCENT SEMINAR

JULY 28 — AUGUST 1, 2002

INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY AND THE CORE CLASSROOMS

PATRICK MARSH AND PRAIRIE VIEW MIDDLE SCHOOLS

SUN PRAIRIE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT

501 S. BIRD ST.

SUN PRAIRIE, WI 53590

Vince Kanthak and Mark Pankow

vjkanth@spasd.k12.wi.us mapanko@spasd.k12.wi.us

Vince Brandl — Career Unit

Terri Cullen — Water Treatment Plant

Bill Diedtrich -

Robyn Kademan— Water Treatment Plant

Vince Kanthak — Tech Integration

Stu Kleinschmidt —The Five Themes of Geography

Marcia Knudtson— Water Treatment Plant

Jill Kullman — Health Education

Mark Pankow — Tech Integration

Judy Wilkenson— Career Unit

Cary Werner

In order to better align with the state standards, our district has changed its current technology format to facilitate integration of technology into CORE and ENCORE classes. Effective this fall, Computer Creations will be taught on a one semester full A/B schedule. Previous to this schedule, the class was a one semester elective course. This change was made to better facilitate the integration of computer skills with CORE and ENCORE curriculum.

This project will address the following issues:

• Technology will no longer be taught in isolation, but integrated into other subject areas.
• All students will receive this instruction during the same time frame, versus during different times of the school year
• Allow CORE and ENCORE teachers to enrich lessons with technology integration knowing students have received instruction on available technology tools.
• Higher grade levels can expand their technology exploration offered knowing students will have a broader knowledge of technology skills.

Project Goals: Develop interdisciplinary units that will integrate technology into traditional units.

Specific Objectives: Develop example introductory units in Math, Science, English, Social Studies and Health to support the District curriculum goals.

Activities of Projects:

• Developing websites on the Waste Water Treatment facility in Sun Prairie (Science)
• Developing charts and graphs in a Career Unit (English)
• Internet Research (all CORE and ENCORE classes)
• Use presentation software to enhance student presentations on Body Systems (Health), Five Themes of Geography in Relation to Countries (Social Studies)
• Integration of Math into the other CORE classes

Timeline: Implement at the beginning of the 2002-2003 school year and ongoing through out the year.

The remaining pages are a collection of projects from our group regarding the above overview.

Supplementary materials:

In connection with the Water Unit in 8^th grade science and the Front Page Unit in Computer Creations, students will design a website based on Wastewater Treatment in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. The sections will include information about primary, secondary, and tertiary treatment of the wastewater, an explanation of the different water tests and what the results mean for the health of Koshkonong Creek and the surrounding environment.

Students will need to research their assigned water tests in addition to learning about the process of wastewater treatment in their science class. They will begin their project by organizing their text information in Word format prior to the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) field trip. The text information will include:

• explanation of their assigned test including what does it do, why is it important, where are you going to do it, and how do you do it
• what acceptable levels are and what deviations from those levels mean for the health of the creek
• brief summaries of the mechanical and physical aspects of the WWTP

Prior to the WWTP trip, the students will have an opportunity for hands-on lab exploration of their assigned water test. They will also become familiarized with our WWTP through a Power Point presentation. These slides will include a flow chart as well as actual photos of the plant and Koshkonong Creek. In Computer Creations class, students will learn how to use Microsoft Front Page to build websites.

During the hands-on field exercise (field trip) students will tour the WWTP while gathering information about the mechanical, physical, and human aspects of the facility. Students will also be performing their actual water tests upstream, downstream, and effluent of Koshkonong Creek. At the same time they will be recording their results on spreadsheets and handouts in addition to documenting their process using digital cameras.

Upon returning to school, students will process the data received at Koshkonong Creek. They will use Excel to create spreadsheets and graphs. Students will also discuss what the results mean to the health of the creek and surrounding environment. As a class, we will compare and contrast their results with the results from past years. Students will then determine if they think the WWTP is doing a good job and explain why or why not.

In Computer Creations class, students will use Front Page to design their own websites about the WWTP.

Implementation Strategies:

1. People involved in implementation
1. Eighth grade science teachers
2. Computer Creations teacher
3. Eighth grade students
2. How project will be implemented
1. Students will learn to use Front Page, Word, Excel, and digital cameras in Computer Creations class
2. Students will study water cycle, water tests, wastewater treatment, and environmental impact of water pollution in science class
3. After research and hands-on activities relating to what was studied in science, students will synthesize information and present in a web page format
3. Timeline of implementation
1. Students learn Word, Excel and digital cameras during first semester (Computer Creations)
2. Students learn Front Page during second semester (Computer Creations)
3. Students study water topics during second semester (science)
4. Field trip to WWTP in May
5. Students create websites during May and June (Computer Creations/science)

Evaluation Procedures:

1. People evaluating project
1. Computer Creations teacher will evaluate website design and Front Page content
2. Science teachers will evaluate science related content of website
2. Evaluation documents/strategies
1. Computer Creations teacher
1. Spot checking during completion of web site
2. Rubric to evaluate student’s final websites
2. Science teachers
1. Utilize a rubric to evaluate scientific contents on the student’s website
2. Compare integrated information on test and non-integrated information to see if integration increases achievement on tests
3. Students
1. Check list to monitor their own progress
2. Access to grading rubrics
3. Survey to share with the teachers about how the integrations helped their learning in both classes
3. When will the evaluation be done
1. Computer Creations
1. Every two weeks spot check progress
2. End of project to evaluate completion
2. Science teachers
1. Teacher edit content before inserting in website
2. End of project to evaluate completion and understanding
3. Students
1. Peer edit content before presenting to teachers
2. Survey at end of project

References:

Supplementary Materials:

The technology teacher will have taught the general procedures of Power Point presentations. The social studies teacher will explain and teach the class good note taking skills, detailed outlines, good group skills, and organizational skills.

The students will be able to use their textbook, the Internet, and other library resources to get their information. The students should share responsibilities in their group to develop a presentation on a country based on the five themes of geography, which will have been taught earlier in the year.

The technology teacher and social studies teachers will integrate their curricula in creating the Power Point presentation. The Power Point presentation will be done in the computer lab with both teachers available for help.

The Power Point presentation should focus on the message to be presented and not on the "fluff" things in Power Point (sound, animation, color, transition, etc.). The presentations should keep the design simple, concise, focused, and attractive. There should be no more than six words per line and six lines per slide.

The group will then give a test to the class based on the presentation. The class can use the notes they took on the test.

Implementation Strategies:

1. Power Point Presentation
1. Power Point taught in technology class
2. Social studies teacher discuss five themes of geography
3. Social studies teacher teaches proper outline procedure, note taking skills, and group cooperation
2. Research
1. Students will read the textbook on their country while taking notes
2. Students will search the internet for articles about their country
3. Students will use the library to get additional books on their country
4. The project could be implemented either during second or fourth quarters depending on how it fits into everyone’s time schedule
3. Group work
1. Students will work together in the computer lab to put their presentation together
2. Appropriate visuals should match the text
3. Finished Power Points should be put into the social studies teacher’s folder by the given date
4. Each group will create general test questions about their country
4. Note taking
1. Students will take notes on the other groups’ presentations
2. The notes taken can be used on the test
3. Presentations can be given as a group in front of the class or by having students use the computer lab to see the presentations individually. The teacher will determine which method will be used.

Evaluation Procedures:

Who will evaluate the project?

The social studies teacher will evaluate the information on the project prior to the presentation. Another evaluation will be given for group work and the presentation.

What documents or strategies will be used to evaluate the project?

1. The social studies teacher will check whether the outline and information were finished on time. Students will be graded for form and bibliography.
2. The social studies teacher will create a rubric for the Power Point information.
3. The social studies teacher will create a second rubric for the presentation and test.

How will the evaluation be scored?

The evaluation rubrics will be based on a number scale. Students will receive points based on the degree of the completion of their project, their presentation, and their exam score.

When will the evaluation be done?

The first evaluation will be a check to make sure all research has been completed. The rubric evaluation on the Power Point will be done before the presentations. The final rubric will be done after the completion of the students’ presentations and tests.

References

Keys-Mathews,Lisa. (1998).The Five Themes of Geography

http://www2.una.edu/geography/statedepted/themes.html (7/30/02)

People, Places, and Change. (2001). Austin: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston

Supplementary materials:

Students will be introduced to the Careers Unit by their English teacher and to introductory material on the Internet by the Computer Creations teacher. Students will complete an Internet interest inventory and then research current information about job availability, current salary, and educational requirements for the jobs of their choice related to the results of the interest inventory. (Listing of Internet sites follows.) Students will also construct graphs of salary growth for their chosen careers and/or charts comparing educational requirements and/or job availability of several careers of interest to them. Students may also research the career of a famous person in their field of interest and graph their career progress. These assignments will be initiated in English class, researched in Computer Creations, and evaluated in both classes.

Students will research, on the Internet, material related to their chosen careers for a three-paragraph report. During research they will take notes to be transferred to outline format (possibly through Inspiration). The first paragraph of the report will introduce the career and describe the students’ prior knowledge of the career and reason they chose to research it. The second paragraph will contain information on education requirements — secondary and post secondary courses — as well as job availability and salary range for their career choices. The third paragraph will summarize the impact of the research on the students’ interest in their chosen careers. This report will be completed on Microsoft Word following requirements for English written reports, and it will include the chart/ graph of each student’s choice and the outline from which the report was developed.

Students will complete a job application form and a resume related to the career of their choice. They will also write a cover letter in full block format for the resume as well as having the option of e-mailing a professional source for additional information related to their career research.

The culmination of the unit will include students participating in a career fair at Sun Prairie High School. With information gained from the career fair and their research, students will participate in panel discussions with classmates representing different professional/vocational fields.

• jobhuntersbible.com (introduction)
• bls.gov/k12/html/edu_over.html (career info)
• bls.gov/oco/ocos032.htm (career info)
• salary.lycos.com (career info)
• salary.com (career info)
• bestjobsUSA.com (career info)
• cpnetc.org/schoolbased.htm (career info)
• fordham.edu/step/dugan/timeline.htm (career info)
• acinet.org (career info)
• Marblehead.com/guidance/lesson.htm (interest survey and career info)
• Ansir.com (interest survey)
• Ex credit *additional sites found and shared with class
• Ex credit *e-mail sent to and/or received from a professional in their career field choice

Implementation Strategies:

1. WHO - Project Implementation Personnel
1. English teachers

1. 8^th grade students

1. HOW - Plan for Implementation
1. Interest inventory (Internet)
2. Research careers (Internet)
1. Job availability (chart — Excel)
2. Salary range (graph — Excel)
3. Educational requirements (graph — Excel)
3. Contact career professional — optional (e-mail)
4. Job application (Internet)
5. Resume (Microsoft word)
6. Business letter (Microsoft word)

1. Full block format

2. One-page limit

7. Outline (Inspiration)
8. Report (Microsoft word)
9. Career fair
10. Panel discussion
2. WHEN - Implementation Dates
1. Interest inventory — Qtr 2
2. Research careers — Qtr 2
3. Contact career professional — Qtr 2
4. Job application — Qtr 2
5. Resume — Qtr 2
6. Business letter — Qtr 2
7. Outline — Qtr 2
8. Report — Qtr 2
9. Career fair — date set by high school business dept
10. Panel discussion after career fair

Evaluation Procedures:

Who: The English teacher and the Computer Creations teacher will evaluate the Career

Unit together.

What: The English and Computer Creations teachers will evaluate the written assignments with rubrics that represent their expectations. The rubrics will be presented to the students before the unit begins so that they will know where to begin, how to proceed, and a general idea of how the final product should look. The Computer Creations teacher will also evaluate the students working in his room as the students take online interest surveys, research information on their professional occupations via the Internet, and word process their documents.

How: Both subject teachers will score their portions of the project on a points-based system of grading.

When: Evaluations will take place as the students complete each step of the unit.

References:

Bolles, R.N. (2002). Free Online Tests Dealing with Careers.

http://www.jobhuntersbible.com (July 30, 2002).

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2001). BLS Career Information.

http://www.bls.gov/k12/html/edu_over.html (July 30, 2002).

Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2001). Occupational Outlook Handbook.

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos032.htm (July 30, 2002).

Lycos, Inc. Carnegie Mellon University. (2002). Careers.

http://salary.lycos.com (July 30, 2002).

Kaplan College. (2002). Salary Wizard.

http://www.salary.com (July 31, 2002).

Recourse Communications, Inc. (2000). Select 50 Diversity Employers of Choice.

http://www.bestjobsUSA.com (July 30, 2002).

Levin, D. (2000). School-based Learning.

http://www. Cpnetc.org/schoolbased.htm (July 30, 2002).

Dugan, K. (1998). Tips on Preparing for College and a Career.

http://www.fordham.edu/step/dugan/timeline.htm (July 30, 2002).

Ansir Communications. (2002). 3 Sides of You.

http://www.ansir.com (July 30, 2002).

OVERVIEW: Due a change in scheduling this coming school year, we have been afforded the opportunity to incorporate technology with the core programs. Health Education and Computer Creations (now a requirement for all 8^th graders) will be taught opposite each other on an A-Day/B-Day schedule.

This will give both Health and Computer Creations contact with students all year instead of only a semester. By doing this, we can coordinate technology with not only the core subjects, but also Health Education.

GOALS: Integrating what is being taught in Computer Creations with projects in Health Education. (Appendix A)

• Help students to become self-directed learners
• All Health Education students will be exposed to learning through a variety of strategies and methods.

PROJECTS: Students will work in groups of one-five, depending on the project.

1. RESEARCH PAPER
1. Students will be required to write a term paper on a health related topic.

• If topic you want is not on list, please OK it with teacher.
• No two students can have the same topic in a given class.

1. Paper Requirements:

• Students will use Microsoft Word
• Title page to include-title, name, class period.
• 3-5 pages of text-not including charts, graphics, or listings.
• Bibliography page-at least 3 references (web sites, books, or maga
• Letter size-12
• Letter style-Times New Roman
• Header/Footer-1"
• Left/Right margins-1.25"
• Double spaced
• NO PLAIGARIZING!!!
• Students will use "spell check"
• Students will use footnotes where necessary

1. A digital file version of your paper will be turned in by the 5^th week of the

quarter it is due.

2. Paper will be due ten (10) days before the end of the quarter it is due.

1. BODY SYSTEM REPORT — POWERPOINT
1. Requirements

• Students will present a comprehensive, multimedia oral report on a body system.
• Students must use technology in the presentation of their report.
• The method of presentation will be PowerPoint 2000.
• Students must be well versed in the subject and able to answer questions at the conclusion of the presentation.
• Report must be 5-8 minutes in length.
• Students will turn in a printed outline of their report by the 5^th week of the quarter it is due.
• Reports will be presented the last week of the quarter they are due

1. Slide Show

• Presentation will cover the following information on the body systems:
1. Explanation and function of system
2. How system’s function(s) relate to at least TWO other systems
3. Diseases/health problems related to the system
4. Keeping the system healthy
• Some areas my require more than one slide in the presentation
• Slides need to be short and concise. No sentences or long descriptions. (seven x seven rule)
• Think of your slide show as an outline of your report. Topics should be presented as lists or short phrases.
• Students will provide details as you present the report.
• Do not overuse special effects or sounds.
• The use of appropriate graphs, pictures and images is encouraged.
• You musts print an outline of your report and use it when you give your presentation.
• SLIDE 1 — Title Slide with your names and class period.
• LAST SLIDE — List sources of information. At least three Internet sites must be included, using proper citation format.
• Presentation must include the web site source whenever statistics are used.

1. ROLE PLAY — VIDEO TECHNOLOGY
1. Requirements

• Students will work in groups of 4-5.
• Students will write a short "role play" situation involving potential risky behaviors.
• Students will practice "role play" and video tape it.
• "Role play" should take 3-4 minutes.
• Students will type out script and turn it in by the 5^th week of the quarter it is due.
• "Role play" will be shown to class the last week of the quarter it is due.

1. Video taping

• After video taping the "role play", students will preview and select good segments.
• In Computer Creations they will digitize the good segments.
• Then they will put short clips into PowerPoint to be shown to class.

1. POSTER DESIGN - MICROSOFT PUBLISHER
1. Requirements

• Students may work with a partner
• Student(s) will select and area of health and design a poster.
• A rough draft will be turned in by the 5^th week of the quarter it is due
• Final poster will be turned in ten (10) days before the end of the quarter it is due.

• Microsoft Publisher
• Scanner
• Digital camera
• Scanner

The goal of the Math Project is to find a way to use computer technology to help integrate mathematics into several interdisciplinary units. This presentation will lay the groundwork for how we will determine which math units would be applicable. The actual math topics to be integrated with one or more of the other core classes will be determined at a later date. This project will address two concerns: integrating math into the current interdisciplinary units, and providing a more real world situation for students to learn and use certain math techniques. By using technology to explore a math concept related to topics that the students are already studying in other classes, we can teach that concept in a way that does not seem artificial or contrived.

Goals and Objectives:

• Identify at least two interdisciplinary units currently implemented by the other members of my team (social studies, science, or English).
• Identify which math topics would be a good fit with those units.
• Work out a rough implementation strategy for including these math topics in those units.
• Explore potential new interdisciplinary units involving math and another core subject, or math and Computer Creations (the eighth grade computer class).

Activities to Accomplish Objectives:

The eighth grade team (the eighth grade core teachers) will meet to go over the objectives and content of an upcoming interdisciplinary unit. The content will determine what math subject will be most appropriate. The most likely math topics would be graphing and data interpretation. Questions dealing with percents, and percents and fractions, would be other likely topics. These are just the obvious choices. Other math topics will occur to us as we work together.

Then Mr. Diedrich and Mr. Steele (the two eighth grade math teachers) will work together to create appropriate questions for the chosen math topic(s). The two avenues we’ll use to convey these questions to the students will be handouts and computer files. We’ll probably start with handouts/worksheets, and progress to questions and files the students can look up on the computer as we get experience.

Timeline:

Meet with team first two weeks of school to identify potential units. Spend the next five or six weeks working up several days’ worth of worksheets appropriate to the subject matter. Depending on what math topic(s) we choose to cover, the soonest we would envision an interdisciplinary unit including math would be early October.

After this first attempt, meet with the other teachers and evaluate the math unit’s strengths and weaknesses. For a second interdisciplinary unit, try and be a little more ambitious in what we do.

At various team meetings throughout the school year, attempt to create a new unit that combines just science and math, or math and computer creations, or combines these three.

Duties and Supplementary Materials:

Bill Diedrich (eighth grade math and Algebra teacher) and Rich Steele (eighth grade math and science teacher) will be responsible for researching and writing most of the math units. For creating computer files and web pages, they will receive help from Vince Kanthak (computer teacher and Technology Integrator). Help on questions about the general topics will come from the social studies, science, and English teachers.

Implementation Strategies:

I. Eighth grade core teachers meet early September

• Identify an upcoming interdisciplinary unit that has potential
• Discuss what topics might relate to math
• Discuss where math teachers can find and review the information taught in the unit

• Discuss the information in the upcoming unit that relates to math
• Decide what curricular area we want to cover
• Decide what curricular areas we could reinforce

• Begin writing questions
• Meet with the other core teachers to review our material and get more information
• Figure evaluation process to grade students’ results
• Finish writing unit

• Discuss potential of just the Algebra class doing unit first
• Math teachers meet to discuss unit’s progress
• Students’ work graded

• Math teachers meet
• Core teachers meet

• Work on creating a math/science interdisciplinary unit
• Work with eighth grade team on an existing interdisciplinary unit
• Make these next units more extensive
• Use more technology in this unit
• i) Create web page and/or computer files
• ii) Student’s required to use computer to complete unit

Evaluation Procedures:

The two math teachers will evaluate the math sections of the interdisciplinary units based on the following criteria:

• Did the unit satisfy our math curriculum objectives?
• Did it satisfy these objectives in an efficient amount of time?
• Was the amount of time spent in preparing the unit worth it?
• Was it reasonably easy to evaluate student’s work?
• Did the unit do a good job in reinforcing other math topics previously covered?

This will give each of us time to see how well the students did, as well as give us some time to think about how the unit went. The documents we use to help evaluate the unit will be our math curriculum guide, and our math textbook. We can compare how the topic was taught in years past (using the criteria listed above) to how well the topic was covered this year.

References:

Haskell, Jane. Connecting The Pieces: Teaming, Integration, and Assessment

Teaching The Transescent Seminar XXII, Platteville, WI, July 2002

hasmmsa@rollanet.org

Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, MA (1993)

Mathematics, Structure and Method, Course Two

www.eduplace.com