Podcast: PBS Cyberchase Smart Board Games

Our podcast did not save on Podomatic, but it was about the PBS Cyberchase Smart Board Games that was explained on freetech4teachers.com.

Here are our notes (I worked with Leah):

PBS Cyberchase Smart Board games

Cyberchase tv show on PBS

Create free games in mathematics to use interactively on the Smart Board with the Cyberchase characters

"Lucky Star Gameshow" Gameshow format

Can show thinking and process on side of smart board while trying to solve the multiple choice problem 

Make up your own questions or use pre-made gameshows

Can be used with or without smart board

Tech Club Visit #1

For my first visit for tech club, I learned that the school has a mobile computer lab which sometimes is available to us, but sometimes is not because the cart is misplaced or the computers aren't charged. When we can't use the computers, there is an Elmo that we can use to project a book or paper for something else somewhat technology related. The people who did the tech club at our school before us were extremely helpful in telling us about their experience and what to expect. The coordinator wants us to focus on science as much as possible because she wants to do a science fair with the kids. She gave us some suggestions of what we could do, but said we can go in whatever direction we would like. The biggest challenge I think we'll face is not having the computers available to us. We will always have to have a back up plan in case that situation arises. I'm excited that the coordinator wants us to focus on science since that subject has the opportunity for experiments and other hands on things that the kids will be genuinely interested in. My main fear is that we will not accomplish everything that the coordinator would like us to do by the end of our tech club experience. The kids seem great and were fun to hang out with on our day of observation.

Digital Storytelling Contextual Analysis

To introduce this project, I would teach my students what discrimination is and explain different instances in history where discrimination impacted certain populations. For my students’ digital storytelling projects, I would have them create a video that shows and explains one or more forms of discrimination in history. My learning objective would be for students to design a digital story that explains at least one form of discrimination in history. This project should accomplish the social studies content standard 4 of “identify and use various sources of information (e.g., artifacts, diaries, photographs, charts, biographies, paintings, architecture, songs) to develop an understanding of the past,” and technology standards 1, 2, and 3 of “collect data and information using digital tools,” “communicate the results of research and learning with others using digital tools,” and “use various digital media to share information and tell stories.” By creating a digital story, my students could get a visual representation of discrimination as well as witness the negative effects such actions have on people of all races, religions, etc. Having each student create their own project would allow students to view many examples of discrimination without having to sit through a lecture or presentation simply by me where they might not absorb as much information. If a fellow colleague challenged my idea about digital storytelling, I would argue that this method is similar to many teachers’ methods of posters or essays regarding historical topics but has the added benefit of images combined with sound and possibly text to explain discrimination and appeal to the senses. Not only does digital storytelling accomplish these aspects, but it also allows students to use technology as it incorporates historical images and sound clips students can research on the internet and use computer programs to create their actual project.