Technology and the Role of School Administrators

October 30, 2009 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

My previous post focused on motivating teachers to take the initiative and embrace the use of technology in the classroom. To be fair to my teaching friends, the responsibility for embracing and integrating technology into K-12 classrooms is certainly more than yours alone, it is shared equally by your school’s administration. In a recent tech article on the Education World website, technology consultant Cathy Chamberlain explains what a difference it makes when the principal and other school administrators are on board. Cathy notes, “In my experience, technology integration is highest in buildings in which the principal is involved and excited about technology and its possibilities and is lowest in buildings in which the principal doesn’t demonstrate technology use while encouraging others to use it too. Modeling technology usage is key if administrators want teachers to play an active role in technology integration.” This concept of modeling technology is outlined further in the article.

Many of you may be familiar with author, educator and consultant Will Richardson. Will was a classroom teacher for over 20 years who integrated blogs, RSS and Internet based technologies into his courses for over four years. For the past three years he has spoken to and worked with thousands of educators around the world on the benefits of “The Read/Write Web” (Web 2.0). In the video below called Challenges for Educational Administrators, Will discusses the role of school administrators in Twenty-first Century education. He explains that educational administrators’ active participation in the very technology they seek to integrate into their schools is important, as is developing a collected vision / long term plan with the input of teachers, parents and other vital members of the community. This will enable organized systemic change as schools make the shift from a traditional “teaching culture” to a more collaborative “learning culture”.

Will Richardson is the author of the highly praised Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. The book’s companion DVD will be released soon and, when it is, Teach History will feature a post on this much awaited product.

Filed under: Books, Technology In The Classroom, Video
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Teachers Who Embrace Technology Change Lives

October 27, 2009 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

If we educate Twenty-first Century students utilizing only late Twentieth Century teaching methods, I believe we are doing them a great disservice. In the K-12 classroom and beyond we must foster in our students better creative thinking, communication, collaboration and problem solving skills to properly prepare them for a world and workplace where these attributes are in high demand. Students love technology – it’s obvious. Outside of school they immerse themselves in the internet, social networking, computer gaming and a myriad of digital devices. Today’s K-12 teachers can utilize this same technology to keep their students fully engaged and make them enthusiastic about the learning process. The “second generation of Internet-based services” known as Web 2.0 has given teachers the opportunity to make use of tools like blogs, microblogs (such as Twitter), wikis and more. Have you embraced this new technology or has a fear of that technology made you hesitate? At Teach History we’ll be providing tips and information on a consistent basis to help you integrate technology into your classroom.

Did you ever wonder what students would say if teachers actually asked them how they would prefer to be taught? Well now you can get their answers to that question thanks to the excellent article The 21st-Century Digital Learner by Marc Prensky and the remarkably moving video shown below called A Vision of K-12 Students Today written and produced by B. Nesbitt.

Teachers who embrace technology change lives. How many children will you help inspire today by teaching in a way they can relate to? How many students will you engage? How many lives will you change this school year?

Video link: A Vision of K-12 Students Today

Filed under: Technology In The Classroom, Video
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Primary Source Focus: Doctor Warren and Bunker Hill

October 25, 2009 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

monumentThis is the first in a series of posts that will use primary sources – articles from original colonial newspapers – to convey early reports of events in Colonial American history. All of the newspaper images I’ll be sharing with teachers are part of the Edwards Collection of Colonial Newspapers online database. View today’s primary source – a portion of the press coverage of the Battle of Bunker Hill from an issue of The Pennsylvania Evening Post dated November 21, 1775. It focuses on the losses suffered by the colonial troops in the battle, including the death of Doctor Joseph Warren, and mentions the destruction caused to the town of Charlestown. For some historical background: Doctor Joseph Warren attended Harvard and practiced medicine and surgery in Boston. He was a Grandmaster of the Freemasons, a member of the Sons of Liberty and the Boston Committee of Correspondence. Warren drafted the Suffolk Resolves, a copy of which his good friend Paul Revere delivered to the First Continental Congress who endorsed it on September 17, 1774. It was Doctor Warren who sent Paul Revere and William Dawes on their messenger rides to Lexington on the evening of April 18, 1775.

The Massachusetts Provincial Congress appointed Doctor Joseph Warren a Major General just a few days prior to the Battle of Bunker Hill. When offered the command at Bunker Hill by Major General Israel Putnam and Colonel William Prescott, Warren stated that he would take no command but was there with his musket to serve only as a volunteer. As the British troops gathered for their first assault on the colonists atop Bunker Hill (actually Breed’s Hill), they were taking casualties from sniper fire coming from patriots located in Charlestown. Orders were given to fire carcasses (incendiary shot) from British ships and to send a landing party to fire the town which consisted mainly of wooden buildings. From Boston and miles around, colonists soon witnessed Charlestown in flames. The first assault by the British on the American left flank failed and the second on the redoubt (earthwork fort) itself was also unsuccessful. The British were taking significant casualties – including the loss of many officers. On a third assault, the British captured the redoubt and during this time the brave Doctor Warren was killed.

Today, the Bunker Hill Monument is positioned where the redoubt was once located. Here the patriots made their heroic stand on June 17, 1775. There is a marble statue of Major General Joseph Warren inside the lodge at the base of the monument. Across the street is the excellent Bunker Hill Museum where visitors can learn all about the history of Charlestown, the battle and monument. A short distance away on Pleasant Street stands one of the first buildings constructed after the British burned Charlestown. It is the Warren Tavern – built in 1780 – nearly 230 years ago. Visitors have included George Washington in 1789 and Paul Revere.

Teachers: Online access to the complete article on the Battle of Bunker Hill from an original issue of The Pennsylvania Evening Post dated November 21, 1775 is available to participants in our school programs. Here is a partial list of primary sources we offer (PDF).

Filed under: Colonial Newspapers, Primary Sources, Tours
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Bunker Hill Museum Brings Historic Battle to Life

October 23, 2009 by Ben Edwards · 1 Comment 

bunkermainWith over 4,000 square feet of exhibit space, the Bunker Hill Museum (located just across from the monument itself) tells the story of the battle and monument in an absorbing and captivating fashion. The museum, open for just over two years, has become a popular destination for teachers making the journey over to Charlestown to see the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill Monument. On the first floor of the museum, visitors learn about the history of Charlestown and the building of the monument through attractive displays and artifacts. The cornerstone was laid on June 17, 1825, the 50th anniversary of the battle, by honored guest Marquis de Lafayette. Senator Daniel Webster gave the address that day. From cornerstone to capstone, it took 17 years (1825-1842) to complete the project. The 221 foot high monument was dedicated on June 17, 1843 with Senator Daniel Webster again giving the oration, this time before a crowd of 100,000 people including President John Tyler.

The second floor of the museum is dedicated to the Battle of Bunker Hill which, as most of us know, was actually fought on Breed’s Hill – the site where the monument now stands. Here British troops numbering about 2,300 met colonial forces of around 1,200 commanded by Colonel William Prescott and Major General Israel Putnam. Outstanding interpretive displays designed by Wondercabinet set the stage for the battle, introduce British and patriot leaders, and take visitors through all three British assaults on colonial positions along the rail fence and earthen redoubt and breastworks. Patriot leader Doctor Joseph Warren was killed during the third assault. Above all of the displays on the second floor is a remarkable cyclorama (reproduction 19th century painting-in-the-round) showing the battle from every angle. You’ll also find artifacts including a British drum captured in the battle, and swords and cannon balls used in the fight. A better understanding of the battle is made possible through a diorama/scale model updated with an impressive sound track and light show. The Bunker Hill Museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm and admission is free.

Filed under: Primary Sources, Tours
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The Benefits of Using Podcasting in The Classroom

October 18, 2009 by Ben Edwards · Leave a Comment 

Podcasting has been a popular method of delivering audio and video content over the internet for about the past 5 years. During this time, a growing number of teachers have embraced podcasts as an exciting way to make learning more effective and fun. Teachers have used this technology to record lectures or presentations that can be accessed by students at a later time. They have also used podcasting to record school performances and events for the benefit of students as well as their parents. Perhaps the most exciting use of this technology is its application in project-based learning. Students involved in creating podcasts must use higher levels of thinking and creativity as well as problem solving skills. They have the opportunity to use their imaginations by writing and acting out scripts while learning how to work with the technology itself.

The excellent video below reviews the benefits of podcasting from the perspective of teachers as well as students. It includes feedback from a social studies teacher and a middle school principal. Toward the end of the clip you will find links to video tutorials that can help teachers learn how to podcast in the classroom using either Garage Band or Audacity.

Filed under: Audio, Technology In The Classroom, Video
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