Student+Use+of+Technology

**Written by:** //Trina Goetz, STAR School// //Eric Johnson, Shonto Prep Tech HS// //Anna Morales, Washington El., WUSD//
 * ​Student Use of technology **

We have chosen several students' projects as examples of students using technology in the classroom. Before each project is a brief description of the project and what we felt the students gained as a result.

The objective was to get my students to create a project using Photostory. To begin, they were given a digital camera and were limited to five pictures, school appropriate of course. When all students had taken their pictures, I uploaded them into a folder and copied it into each of my students' folders. My students then created their "movie" using tranitions and creating their own music for their project. When they were all finished, we had Monday Matinee. We popped popcorn, invited our principal, and watched our "movies" all afternoon. Working on this project not only hit a lot of my standards but it brought my class together and that is sometimes one of the most important things any student can learn. (Anna Morales, 6th Grade)

[|Gabes_photo_story.wmv] Students in English III were asked to do a year end research project relating to American literature and culture. The student whose work is presented here chose from several options to do a Powerpoint slide show. His topic, inspired by a novel that he studied about the experiences of a U.S. army unit in Iraq, was a brief synopsis of the Vietnam War years and its aftermath (e.g. the controversial memorial by Maya Lin). Beyond simply encouraging the student to use technology, Powerpoint proved to be a good option for this student whose spelling and syntax are years behind grade level when a sample of his handwritten work is examined. Using a program that alternates pictures and text simplifies a longer research project and makes it feel more manageable for students who might otherwise feel intimidated and give up. By introducing a new point every 1 or 2 slides, with pictures that remind the student what to focus on, and with the additional bonus of a spell check feature, the student’s writing appears much closer to grade level than it may have if he had attempted another mode of research presentation. (Eric Johnson, 11th grade)



Our school has a program in which students get to take home a backpack of activities such as puzzles, a workbook, and several games. Included in this backpack is a very user-friendly video camera. The purpose of the backpack is to encourage children and their families to spend time together doing engaging activities. Research has shown that such time greatly affects student development into healthy, responsible adults. It was amazing to watch them film themselves with their families. I learned a lot about my students from watching the videos. They learned about directing videos, such things as camera position, audio, lighting. They really enjoyed being the stars of their own movies. Here, then, is a movie compiling a small sample of their directorial debuts. (Trina Goetz, 1st and 2nd grade)

[|Backpacksmall.wmv]