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1. Television in Schools: Channel One Channel One maintains two Web sites -- one for teachersand one for students. After perusing these sites, write a position paper expressing your own views about this controversial program. What are the potential benefits and pitfalls of Channel One? How would you feel about teaching in a school that requires students to watch Channel One? How would you handle its presence in your classroom? For more on the Channel One debate, check out these links: Commercial Alert: Channel One Resources 2. Wiring Up Schools, Charging Up Teachers In this activity, you will begin to sort out the technological sophistication of the K-12 schools in your area. First determine which schools sponsor Web sites, and which do not. To do this, you may contact each school directly and/or use the following directories. Yahoo! K-12 School Directory (by U.S. state) Education World's School Directory Then visit each site to assess its effectiveness and learn more about the sponsoring school. Which schools and communities have the most effective Web pages? See if you can determine the reasons for these differences. For example, is one committed, technologically savvy teacher (or student!) responsible for the school's impressive Web site? Is there special funding from public or private sources? Is the school a magnet for technology? How is the relative wealth of the community a factor in the technological capabilities of the school? For more on equity in educational technology, check out The Digital Divide from the U.S. Department of Education. 3. Computers in the Classroom: Virtual Fields Trips and Global Education To get a better sense for what a virtual field trip actually entails, take some time to peruse the following Web sites. GOALS: Global Online Adventure Learning Site In what ways do these sites reflect "global education" as defined in your textbook? Use specific examples from these sites to illustrate William Kniep's four domains of global inquiry. Which subject areas and grade levels seem best suited to virtual field trips and the global inquiry approach? Can you think of any drawbacks to this combination of technology and global education? 4. The Virtual High School Visit the Virtual High School. Describe how you might feel teaching or learning in this environment. What are the teaching and learning skills most appropriate for the Internet? If you are interested in teaching in this electronic environment, contact the Virtual High School administrator and inquire about how you might get involved. 5. Is Computer Technology Worth the Effort? Using the following online resources for reference, write a brief paper that answers the question posed at the end of Chapter 13 -- namely, "Is computer technology worth the effort?" Wherever possible, use specific examples and research findings to support your position. Technology Counts: An Education Week Special Report Evaluating the Effectiveness of Technology (U.S. Department of Education) |