At many of our schools in many of our classrooms we’ll find them… those old computers that we can’t wait to be replaced.  I’ve been there, thinking about how my old, slow desktop will be replaced with something fast and new - and I couldn’t wait.  I couldn’t wait to ditch that sluggish machine and be happy to never be at its mercy again.  But then I was enlightened through the genius of others and saw a new potential in an otherwise hunk of recyclable parts. Repurpose Recycled Computers Naturally, the old will be replaced with the new, but you’ve been afforded an opportunity… you can keep those old computers!  How about giving them new life? Here’s some ways how: 1) Replace Big Brother with Free Brother - install a Linux operating system like Edubuntu for free!  We’ve found through testing that the OS works fast and crisp - and there’s even versions (Kubuntu) for slow computers to make them seem like a new kid on the block. 2) If you have a couple of computers in your classroom, consider using them for stations if you don’t already (especially primary teachers).  One great way to provide students with practice is to install Promethean’s ActivStudio software onto your stations so that students can work on their own interacting with flipcharts.  That’s right… you don’t have to have a board to be using ActivStudio! Also, kids can create their own flipcharts, too. 3) All those great resources you’ve been downloading from One Place can be compiled and packaged for your students to access in your classroom. Imagine having video clips, tutorials, websites, simulations, etc. all available at their fingertips when they need it and how they need it. 4) Use the computers as a publishing station for students to access a classroom blog or collaboration network in which they can post, share, collaborate, and reflect on their written work.  GoogleDocs is a great way for students to have work that is always accessible as long as they have an internet connection.  Their docs can be private or shared amongst their teacher and peers. For example, Language Arts can post written work, science students can post data on spreadsheets. 5) There are many other possibilities… use your imagination and be creative! The point is people, don’t give up on those old machines!  If set up right, they can provide quite a few more learning opportunities for your students in many dynamic ways before they keel over.  The possibilities don’t have to be limited - consult an instructional coach or trainer and work with them to help you make the most of what you have - or are keeping, even when you do get that shiny fast new computer! Sited Links: Ubuntu Kubuntu Edubuntu One Place Google Docs Promethean ActivStudio

Yes, that’s right, you heard correctly!  You can use those student response systems like the Votes and Expressions without being in possesion of a board.  I’ve found from many of my visits with teachers that there is a general misconception that they need a board in order to use these gadgets.  The reality is, if you have a projector connected to your computer and you have ActivSoftware (like ActivStudio 3 or the new and improved Inspire edition) loaded on it, you too can get instantaneous feedback in your classroom.  All you have to do is learn how to use the software and you will be asking yourself why you hadn’t been using this before.  Using response systems (RS) in the classroom will take your teaching and the student’s learning to a whole new level.  Just imagine that as any great lesson goes, you want to check for understanding periodically and identify if there are areas in the content that need more explanation or practice.  Students are often hesitant to reveal that they don’t understand something, but with an RS, you will be able to see that when the rest of the class cannot.  They provide meaningful feedback for you and the students and can really make lessons a lot more interactive with everyone’s input involved.  So get to it!  If your school has a set or two of these, get your hands on them and learn how to use the software - you will absolutely not be disappointed!

Though work being done to integrate this technology into our classrooms is mostly in its infancy, it’s great to see what is happening now with teachers literally having this technology anywhere between weeks to a couple months.  What is even more exciting is to imagine where this will take us into the future! Enjoy the vid! apscms.net/staffpages/coachriebau/files/2008/10/hinkleymodellingiwb.mp4

Checking Homework I used to assign homework problems to my students to work on in our Physics class of which we would always “go over” the next day in class.  It was a way for them to practice and a way for me to gauge their understanding as an informal formative assessment.  That next day, I would check their homework for completion - a non-academic grade where I would go around the room with my clipboard checking off those who didn’t have it done while they worked on a “problem of the day.” I would provide the answers to the students and have them check their work. Before I got my hands on a “clicker” device (you know, the gadget that allows for the student to provide input that you can see instantly) I would always ask the class if they had any questions and I would always get the typical lack of response that would seem to indicate they understood the concepts, but would inevitably lead to bombing the Friday quiz - which was an academic grade as a formal formative assessment to check for understanding.  It was hard to get my students to own up during class in front of their peers, even when I told them I didn’t have a degree in mind-reading.  Grading their work myself everyday was an alternative, but a super-time consuming one, at that, along with the fact that the results would always be a day later.  I needed better assessment tools. Transition into the 21st Century There were many times during the BT years (Before Technology) I would find myself giving answers out, working out a problem on the board for the students, and realizing that this was boring and besides that, the students grades on the quizzes were still indicating a lack of understanding.  We needed more interactivity and the students needed to take ownership for their learning and understanding.  How would I make them accountable besides the threat of failure?  I found the answer in using a student input device.  The key was to have them use a device where they could actually input numbers and text and not just merely choose an A-F answer from a multiple choice question on a powerpoint (which can be useful in its own right).  We used Texas Instruments Navigator which is great for math and science, but lately many teachers in our district have begun to use Promethean Expressions which are geared for any content area and most every age group.  Now we had a tool that would banish the lack of response in my classroom forever - now we were living in the AT years (After Technology) - welcome to the 21st Century! Movement Towards a Student-Centered Classroom - Tag, You’re It! Now I had my students do their homework, the next day they would work on their problem of the day while I still checked for completion, but then something brilliant happened - interactivity and increased achievement!  I would ask the students to input their result from the first problem and if they didn’t understand how to do the problem, just input the ? symbol.  I could instantly see on my computer screen who was getting the problem right, wrong, or just didn’t get it.  I would purposefully not project the results because I didn’t want students to “feed” off each other by seeing the same answer popping up on the board, leading to them jumping on the bandwagon.  If the results showed that the majority far outnumbered those who didn’t get the right answer, we would move on (majority rules) and I would indicate to myself those students who needed extra help (if these students kept performing poorly, I would set up a study session with them to get them up to speed later on during off periods, after school, etc.)  Let’s say on the next problem there were many ?’s input and many wrong answers - I then knew we needed to spend some time on this content and really try to break it down.  I would then initiate the game of “tag” by selecting a lucky student who did get the right answer to have them come to the front of the class and “guest teach” the rest how to do the problem.  I would facilitate, guide, fill in holes, and ask for better explanations if needs be, but it was the student who was explaining to their peers.  The students would ask each other questions and if they got stumped, I would step in and explain.  That first “guest teacher” student was then “it” and the next time we got to a problem we needed to go over, I would indicate to the “it” person four or five peers who got it right for them to “tag” and have them “guest teach.”  I know that this format could be improved upon, but it was a great way to get the students to do some of the teaching and when I surveyed them on this instructional strategy, they indicated that tag was definitely a better way of going over homework and they felt like they got more out of it.  Subsequently, their quiz scores did improve which indicated to me that the “AT” strategy was more effective than its “BT” predecessor.  Positive instructional evolution through technology - it’s empowering!