The Possibilities

stormAs you explore the possibilities, think about how the computer can be used. First, brainstorm teacher uses and student uses. Then consider the range of applications and specific activities.

Teachers can use the computer for administrative tasks, while students can use the computer as part of a center or station. Both students and teachers can use the computer for assessment, presentation, accessing information, communication, and production and publishing.

Storm Activity
Examine the class blog Ron Hirschi Visits Eastview Elementary. How could this be used in the one-computer classroom?

Teacher Tools

Administrative applications include

Professional Productivity

Data Collection

  • electronic gradebook, attendance, student information, and mail merge

Information Board

Storm Activity
Create your own "TV station" with a continous running presentation before/after school and during lunch. Preview new ideas, reviews the key concepts, and promote transfer of learning. Use a class mascot as the narrator. After a while, turn this job over to a small group of students. Combine photographs from class activities with Clip Art Gallery resources.

General Images Websites
Flickr - thousands of photos shared by people
Google Images - searches the web for visuals
Pics4Learning - thousands of photographs by kids for kids
Teacher Tap: Visual Resources - links to visual resources
Teacher Tap: Public Domain, Copyright Free - links to visual resources
Textures - backgrounds

Specific Topics
Amphibian and Reptiles - great photos of creatures
Ayres Adventures - many places
CalPhotos - plant, animals, fossils, people, landscapes
Library of Congress - use the search option
Microscopic - many science topics
NASA Photojournal - space, universe, technology, history, people
New York Public Library Digital Library
Nikon Small World - microscopic photographs
NOAA Photo Library - Oceans and Atmosphere
Picture History - photos through US history
TerraServer - satellite photos
USDA Historical Photos

Approaches to Use

The following activities can be accomplished as a large group with one computer and a large monitor.

Assess

Teachers can develop and direct pretests, quizzes, post tests, and other kinds of large group administered assessments. Students can take these assessments as a large group. Teachers can also check understanding as they work through a unit.

Students can take these assessments as a large group. They can also complete assessments in learning centers.

Storm Activity
Explore online quiz websites. If you want to use them as a large group, increase the font size of your browser. Try Ology - Gene Scene or Quia - subscription-based. Build your own - use Google Images for visual resources. Cite your sources in the speaker notes.

Present

Teachers can use the computer to direct the class's attention to large group instruction that previews, motivates, provides context, provides information, illustrates concepts, model san activity, leads inquiry, demonstrates a concept, stimulates discussion (i.e., debate, role play), asks questions (i.e., problem solving, involves students (i.e., decision making), and reviews.

Students can share their ideas through presentations (i.e., speeches, oral reports, multimedia projects, review activities).

Access Information

Teachers can use Internet based information for professional development, instructional development, and content area information and resources.

Students can access information as a group including reading and research from a single large screen using Internet and DVD resources, as well as resources the teacher creates.

Storm Activity
Go to Library Spot and Homework Spot. Create a list of reference resources for your students. Explore Wikipedia.

Communicate

Teachers can write and receive professional email including principal to teacher, teacher to student, teacher to teacher, teacher to parents, and class to class. They can share professional materials such as lesson ideas and class projects through email, chats, threaded discussions, web pages, blogs, wikis, and listservs.

Students can write and receive group email as a class. They can participate in class projects such as ask-an-expert, book buddies, and collaborative data sharing.

Storm Activity
Go to epals and explore the options for global connections.

Produce & Publish

Teachers can lead a group in production and publishing (i.e., brainstorm ideas, prewrite, compose, edit, revise, build charts and graphs, make concept maps, create web pages, build presentations, and create timelines).

Students can contribute to large group projects (i.e.,, class magazine, class book, class presentation, timeline, class journal, creative writing, Inspiration document, Kidspiration project).

Storm Activity
Use Create a Graph to visualize data.

Student Tools

Explore ways that computers can be used as learning and creation tools: inividual, pairs and small groups.

Information Centers

Build information centers based on books that include books, maps, website, CD-ROM, DVD, video, real objects. Incorporate outcomes, short articles, document, videos, and audios.

Lyddie by Katherine Paterson

Activity Centers

Use computers as part of activity centers where students are engaged with practice, tutorials, problem solving and decision-making activites, simulations, and WebQuests.

Storm Activity
Explore the Picture History or Government Photos resources. Ask students to write an interview using different colors for the question and the answer. Paste the Photo into Word and provide directions to get students started.

Explore Literature Starters.
SCORE
Scholastic
Scholastic Flashlight

Scholastic Harry Potter
Scholastic Book Central
Scholastic Teaching with Books

Random House
Kids@Random House
Teens@Random House
Teachers & Random House

SimonSaysKids - Teacher Materials
Harper Children's - Teacher Guides

Literature Ladders
Explore Themes and Projects
Step 1: Select a Book
Step 2: Search for Author and Illustrator Information
Step 3: Search for Book and Lesson Ideas
Step 4: Identify Topics and Resources
Step 5: Develop Meaningful Activities and Experiences
Step 6: Implement and Evaluate

Literature Starters

Teacher Tap: Book Awards
Newberys & the Net
Caldecott Connections
Fun with Favorites

Literature Circle Starters

100th Day of School
All About Me - Celebrating Diversity
American Civil War: Courage and Responsibility
Colonial America - Under construction
Human Rights and Japanese Internment Camps
Native American Legends
Quilts
Underground Railroad

Resources
Teacher Tap: Face-to-face and Virtual Author & Illustrator Visits
Teacher Tap: Face-to-face and Virtual Book Clubs & Reading Groups
Teacher Tap: Author and Illustrator Resources
Teacher Tap: Book Review Projects

Literature-based WebQuests
Literature Ladders: Literature-based WebQuest Links
Do a Google search for the title of a book and add the word WebQuest.

WebQuest Evaluation and Use - Favorites
K-3 WebQuest Links
K-3 Literature-based WebQuests
3-6 WebQuest Links
3-6 Literature-based WebQuests
Middle/High School WebQuest Links
Middle School Literature-based WebQuests

Focusing on plots, characters, and/or setting, identify at least three web-based readings, visuals, or resources to support a piece of literature. Include these websites along with a book cover in a Word-based activity sheet.

Go to One Computer Classroom: The Possibilities (PDF)
How do you use your computer(s) now? How would you like to use your technology?


Developed by Annette Lamb, 3/06.