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Judging Websites for History Day

heather — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 18:08:02 +0000

Yesterday I was proud to judge a number of our group website entries for our History Day competition. Three of our history teachers use History Day as a project-based learning opportunity for all of their students. These students have their projects judged in their different categories by going through the process of oral presentation in front of a panel of teachers and administrators. From this group is selected those who will represent our school at the next level of the competition.

It was fascinating seeing my own students through a different lens. Groups of students came in front of my panel, some in suits, and some in the tuxes they perform in for orchestra, to present their websites. The theme this year was “Actions and Legacies: Individuals in History.” We saw websites about everything from Rockefeller to Ho Chi Minh.

The students for the most part used either Google or Synthesite to develop their free websites, which in regards to a competition is a little bit of a concern in that many competitors use more elaborate, paid-for sites that look far sexier. But our kids did what they could with what they could and the sites, for the most part, look good. And considering that they probably taught themselves how to create the site, the students should be commended.

We evaluated everyone’s site based on the visuals and the content. In general, there were notes that we gave that were universal. For one thing, the use of visuals to highlight specific points was an important concept the students needed to understand. Without multi-media, for instance, a website might just as well be an essay. It’s the visuals, the links, and the multimedia aspect of them that make them websites. Timelines, for instance, that combine both primary sources and links, are a great opportunity for visual impact.

In regards to content, there seemed to be an overarching lack of commentary. For middle schoolers, writing personal response can be hard. But what we’re trying to emphasize is that just delivering the facts is not an analysis. And if we’re looking to teach high-level thinking, there must be present that next step of information delivery – the evaluation.

Many of the students delivered the facts, but added no judgment. They were missing the higher levels of Bloom’s. They neglected the commentary.

When teaching history, it is vital that a teacher not just teach the facts, but give guidance in pulling back the lens and evaluating the bigger pictures. How did this figure fit into history and amongst their contemporaries? What is the impact that they made on those who followed them? What is your opinion of their contributions given your expertise in their accomplishments?

Commentary comes in many different ways, but including it is the difference between information regurgitation and true, deep comprehension.

© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2008. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: blog, Character Education, commentary, competition, CUE, digital natives, history day, internet literacy, k-12, k12, Language Arts, online, teaching, Title I, tween, UCI, Writers Project

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Obama and World of Warcraft

heather — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:49:01 +0000

Where were you when? It’s a question I asked my readers and my classes the day after the election, and you know what answer I heard the most often? Ironforge.(...)
Read the rest of Obama and World of Warcraft (312 words)

© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2008. | Permalink | 9 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2008, blog, digital immigrants, digital natives, Ed Tech, ELA, k-12, k12, middle school, technology, tween, world of warcraft, wow

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My new Interactive Whiteboard: Part I

heather — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 03:55:36 +0000

Is the tale of the recent surge of Interactive Whiteboards a grade-B horror flick or a Cinderella story? Are they the villain or the belle of the ball? They’ve begun creeping into trendsetting classrooms, taking over precious wall space and sending those unfortunate overhead projectors of said classrooms to basement warehouses to gather dust alongside carousel slide projectors and the purpled-mimeograph machines of yesteryear. Are they an inevitable given in tomorrow’s classroom or an expensive fad?

These questions and many more are explored in today’s The Opening Bell.(...)
Read the rest of My new Interactive Whiteboard: Part I (807 words)

© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2008. | Permalink | 7 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2008, achievement gap, blog, carnival of education, critical thinking, CUE, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, differentiation, digital immigrants, digital natives, Ed Tech, ELA, k-12, k12, Language Arts, learning, middle school, Title I, UCI, writing

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Collaboration…Blocked by a Firewall Near You

heather — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:02:15 +0000

You know, sometimes I wonder if I’m not a huge pain in the ass to present for, especially if I love what’s going on. I’m one of those audience members who has to verbally digest and implement what I am learning as it’s happening. I have to barble and pop as my Eureka moments are going on, and while it’s amazingly exciting for me, it must be hugely annoying to my presenter. I was in rare form this morning at the UCI Writers Project, for Doug Fisher, co-author of such works as Language Learners in the English Classroom, was in the house.(...)
Read the rest of Collaboration…Blocked by a Firewall Near You (673 words)

© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: 2008, achievement gap, assessments, blog, collaboration, computers, credential, critical thinking, CUE, Curriculum, curriculum design, curriculum development, differentiation, digital immigrants, digital natives, Ed Tech, education, education policy, ELA, equity, integration, internet literacy, jobs, k-12, k12, Language Arts, learning, matthew needleman, middle school, professional development, research, technology, test, test prep, Think Aloud, Title I, UCI, writing

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The New ELL? Teachers and Technology Part I

heather — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 04:35:50 +0000

Today I found myself staring red-eared-angry at a survey from my school’s Discipline Committee asking teachers what they believed to be the Top 5 crimes committed on campus and the varying degrees that they needed to be dealt with. On the list of choices were your typical offenders: vandalism, bullying, and that terrible crime against humanity…student electronic devices.

You know those teachers who seem to foam at the mouth in delight when they catch a student chewing gum? Well, they have a new cause…MP3 players and cell phones. (...)
Read the rest of The New ELL? Teachers and Technology Part I (622 words)

© heather for tweenteacher.com, 2008. | Permalink | No comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: ASCD Brief, computers, digital immigrants, digital natives, education, iPods, Mark Prensky, MP3, teaching

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