School Meet » Information Management

Meaningful Learning With PersonalBrain

admin — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 05:55:41 +0000

In a typical middle school, a social studies teacher was contemplating how to commemorate black history month in a way that will leave a lasting impact on students who had no idea what type of life, humiliations, and struggles the black community in America had experienced. She decided to pick “The Story of an Escape: Flight on the Pearl,” from the Smithsonian Education series “Once Upon a Real Time: Telling the Stories the Past Tells Us.” The story is about the famous escape of slaves in Washington D.C. in 1848, which was a watershed in the fight of the anti-slavery movement in America. In view of the enormity of the task, she decided to divide the class to teams. The assignment was to read the story, understand it, identify and analyze the stakeholders, scenes, plot, and viewpoints. The teacher tried to avoid assigning roles because she felt that it was part of the learning process. Instead she advised students to record “story thinking” by hanging up large sheets of paper around the classroom and record their thoughts while working on the story. This, she thought, will help her students identify the main components in the story and make role assignments easier.

As students were struggling to make sense of the story, the teacher’s recommendation was indeed very helpful. It helped them focus their attention on what was important and look at alternative views their peers came up with. However, they still had difficulty seeing the big picture – how characters relate to each other, how they influenced the flow of events, what type of an impact the story had on history or vice versa. The ability to visualize how all these components relate and influence each other would be difficult for an adult, not to mention a child, especially if traditional resources are all the child can use. Students can use different computer applications to address different parts of the assignment, but none allows them to put it all together in a manner that will help them see the entire picture, like pieces in a puzzle.

PersonalBrain is an application that does just that and much more. It is a visual content management solution and an associative information organization system. It is what we call a mind-mapping solution that allows its users to branch out their ideas or thoughts in a visual diagram. Any piece of information or “thought” can be linked to any other piece, creating structures of information that reflect the way users think about the information. Mapped and linked ideas help users follow a train of thought, flowing from one item to the next. What makes PersonalBrain so unique is that it is a dynamic mind-mapping tool that allows users to keep track of the big picture even as they go on into execution phase and attach supporting documentation created with other applications. The beauty of this is that there is no divorce between the conceptual phase and the execution phase and users can see the big picture while they are busy working on the detail. Users can attach spreadsheets, documents, website resources, animations, simulations, or any other type of file that makes their nodes come to life and contribute to a detailed, well rounded picture of the users’ thinking, thus making it easier for others to understand.

If the same classroom had access to PersonalBrain, they could immediately lay out a visual diagram of the story’s main framework. They could start with the project planning phase which includes assignments, observations, questions, and resources and follow with a detailed analysis of the scenes, stakeholders, plots, and viewpoints. A student would not be able to plan, design and execute it all with PersonalBrain. Execution would require them to use different applications. However, students will be able to see how all project parts tie in together and fit into a larger context. As they work on the details, they can discover new relationships and record them in their PersonalBrain diagrams. Project parts created with other applications can be attached to their respective nodes, linking the details into the project’s conceptual view. Students can move in and out between the big picture and a detailed view of the project, never loosing track of the relative location of data they explore in the larger scheme of things.

According to David H. Jonassen, meaningful learning happens when learning tasks are situated in some meaningful real world task and students are led to recognize that the world is not a reliable and simple place and ideas rely on the context they occur in for meaning. PersonalBrain facilitates this type of learning by requiring learners to analyze the underlying structure of the ideas they are learning, while they are trying to link them to their own knowledge structures.

Bibliography:

David Jonassen, Learning to solve problems with technology : a constructivist perspective, 2nd ed. (Upper Saddle River N.J.: Merrill, 2003).
“Smithsonian Education – Telling the Stories the Past Tells Us,” http://smithsonianeducation.org/educators/lesson_plans/telling_stories/index.html.
“TheBrain.com – Welcome to TheBrain,” http://www.thebrain.com/.

You can interact with this mind map by clicking on its nodes and whenever a document is attached to a node, you can view it by clicking on the bottom of the mind map.

Making Observations With Google Apps

admin — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:42:17 +0000

One of the major stumbling blocks that students face when conducting research is how to construct meaning from what they read. Research usually starts with a question or topic that the teacher has assigned or the student is curious about. In most cases, the students use a search engine to look up as many sources as possible for their research. Students often use advanced search to filter research results to fit their exact topic or age level. As they identify their sources, they usually store research results in a web-based research management tool such as Diigo or Zotero. As complex as this may seem, students as young as 8 years old perform this process almost flawlessly. The problem usually starts when they open a piece of text and start reading what it says. When students get to this stage, I can almost see the wall that is formed between the student and the text. They seem mostly lost. Why is it so difficult to read text, understand what it says, and identify the things that relate to the students’ goals? Of course, the entire process is not simple. It requires students to be good readers, have a good vocabulary, comprehend the meaning of those words in context, identify important ideas and how they relate to one’s topic. Even students whose vocabulary and comprehension levels are that of typical students of the same grade-levels, tend to stumble when it comes to identifying relevant ideas pertaining to topics they are researching.

: Observations Form

These were my thoughts as I designed the ‘Observations’ tool. The tool, which was created with Google Forms, includes two fields: Relevance and Observation. Relevance is described as ‘Who or What is this observation relate to,’ and ‘Observation’ is the observation itself. As students read text, they need to focus on sentences that are important to their goal, rephrase them, and write them as observations using the ‘Observations’ form. Observations are fed in one at a time. When the student presses the ‘Submit’ button, the observation is listed on the spreadsheet attached to the form. Soon, a whole list of observations accumulates and becomes available for students to use in their projects.

This type of note-taking has great individual, as well as group, benefits. As an individual, a student can always go back to the Observations List and recall, add new, or correct observations he/she made. As a group, students can look at other students’ observations to learn from, get new ideas, or use as a foundation for brainstorming with group members. The tool is also valuable for evaluation purposes. By going through student observations, teachers can understand the foundation that students based their ideas upon. As its name indicates, the ‘Observations’ tool helps students make observations, which implies that it was not designed specifically for text. Depending on the type of

project students are engaged in, they may be required to use different senses to make observations. In a science project, students may different phenomena very carefully or even tinker with apparatus and write observations about what they see, feel, smell, taste or touch. In a storytelling scenario, students are encouraged to record their thoughts as they reflect descriptions of characters, events, and students’ emotional reactions to a story. In all types of projects, the observation tool can help students focus their thinking on what they need to know, reflect back on, and build a knowledge foundation that students can collaborate and brainstorm with.

Motivated to Succeed by Learning Robotics

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:55:14 +0000

The Robotics Show

Eddie carefully placed his robot at the starting point of the wooden maze which was located on the floor of the school’s auditorium. Parents and visitors joined the crowd that was patiently waiting for the Napa Street Elementary robotics show. Prior to this show, students’ robots and written reports were displayed on a big table at the center of the auditorium for all to see. The students were standing next to six laptops, making last minute changes to the programs they designed to drive their robot through a big maze. The students’ goal was to have their robots traverse the maze from start to finish using either a light sensor, a bumper, or no sensor at all.

The show was the culmination of a sixteen week advanced robotics program in which 4th and 5th grade students were expected to design, build, and program a robot from scratch and drive it through a wooden maze. The entire process was broken down to three phases: design, construction, and programming. The robot building experience was supported by benchmark lessons and web-based building resources. As they progressed through the entire project, students applied investigation methods to solve problems they encountered in each phase. In doing so, they were tapping into their previous experiences, their peers’ experiences, external resources, or if need be, asking for help.

In the design phase, the goal was to build the sturdiest robotic frame which can withstand a fall. A few failed building attempts led students to the conclusion that bracing protects robots against falling apart in the middle of the race. The task required solidifying the robot with vertical beams that could be attached with pins to the robots’ frame. The beams’ holes had to exactly fit the holes in the robots frame and students realized that they had to apply their knowledge of Lego measurements to accomplish the task. Many times, bracing difficulties forced students to redesign and rebuild the robot to allow the beams to fall into place.

I assumed a mentoring role and helped only when students asked for it. I enjoyed following their attempts to come up with the best robot based on their understanding of the assignment. Participation in a beginners’ course and a few

Students Collaborate on Robot

introductory benchmark lessons taught them that building goals dictate the proper gearing arrangement. I was listening-in to team partners as they discussed whether the robot should be fast or slow, the impact of wheel size on performance, and which type of sensor to use, if any.

When they finally built the robot, they could not wait to test it. Testing immediately turned into a reality check, shattering many of their building assumptions. Estimated time for each turn in the maze turned out to be unreliable. They learned that friction, manufacturing differences in engine power, and a dwindling supply of energy from batteries could cause fluctuations in time and speed. It soon became clear that time estimates were a poor predictor of a successful traversal of the maze.

A new plan was needed and it had to rely on the light sensor. This alternative was not pursued before because programming the light sensor was much more difficult but more reliable. This change in plans sent them back to the drawing board. They had to design the light sensor and attach it in a way that would allow an accurate reading of the light and securing it to prevent it from falling in the middle of the race.

They asked for my help in programming the light sensor. Some students were able to understand the programming right away and went immediately to implement it in their robots. Others asked for more help. This solution did not turn out to be smooth sailing either. As soon as they started testing, they discovered that light sensors are affected by ambient light in the room. The readings they got while testing in the room next to the computer turned out to be different than the readings they got in the auditorium, where the maze was located. Students had to make repeated programming adjustments to light sensor readings to make sure that the robot will not veer off the black path it was designed to follow. They also had to reduce the speed to make sure the robots could keep track of the black path. Sometimes, fulfilling this requirement meant that students had to change gearing arrangements.

However, in the end, it all started to pay off. More and more students started seeing their robots complete the maze. They were thrilled with the results. They kept repeating the process and became experts in adjusting the programming as conditions changed in the auditorium. Relatives and friends gathered to witness the results of the students’ hard work. The show was a huge success and the students were running around with their robots showing them off to everyone.

Changing the Robot's Design

Throughout this entire process, students also learned to handle a robotics project management database, which they used to report problems, solutions and investigations. Students would fill investigation notes for each problem they encountered and the solution they came up with. The goal was to create a repository of student problem solving expertise that other students can rely on when facing similar situations. The database was designed and created by me using the FileMaker Pro database engine.

I still look back at the experience as one of my most fulfilling and uplifting experiences I ever had in education. Classes ended after four years for lack of budget. The school is located in an underserved community in the San Fernando Valley part of Los Angeles. The students that were picked to attend these classes were not necessarily the best and brightest, although there was a high percentage of those. Any student who expressed a keen interest in the subject could also attend. In fact, due to a disproportionately large male enrollment, the school made an effort to convince girls to attend the classes. They managed to convince a few to enroll. After concluding both the beginner and advanced classes, those girls were so enamored with the subject, they told me that they were looking into pursuing a career in engineering.

These students’ enthusiasm became such a source of inspiration for me for years to come. On one ocassion, I called into the school and told them that I will be a few minutes late due to traffic. When I finally arrived, students were standing next to the school gate waiting for me to arrive. As I approached the gate, they all shouted: “Mrs. Bogler, You are here!” I have never been greeted with so much enthusiasm before; I was overwhelmed and touched by their reaction. On another occasion, a struggling student became so attached to robotics that he felt obligated to call the school and express his regrets for not being able to attend due to sickness. He promised to be present for the next lesson. This is the first time he ever did such a thing. I witnessed situations in which students were so determined to have their robot traverse the entire maze, that they just refused to quit and go home when class ended. I could not disappoint these students and always volunteered to stay as long as it took for them to accomplish the goal. I had students telling me that they are so grateful for participating in this class because this is the first class that challenged them.

When I first started teaching at Napa, the principal told me that the students were unable to envision themselves graduating from high school, let alone plan for a career. I think that the robotics experience transformed these students’ views

The Robotics Lab

about their ability to achieve and for the first time helped them envision themselves as engineers among other professions. It is also a testament to the powerful impact that technology can have on student motivation, on their desire to learn, and to dream about the future. Had this course been part of the curriculum and not just an after-school class, it would have been an invaluable experience in which students could make connections between the material they learn and the practical application of building and driving a robot through a maze. As the department of education tries to focus on STEM education in the classroom, it is worth looking at examples like this and learn their valuable lessons.

Using Web 2.0 Technology in Elementary School

admin — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:03:23 +0000

About a year ago, I started working with Balboa Gifted/High Ability Magnet Elementary School. The school hired me because they were looking for a person who will help them pursue new avenues in technology. The state of California was already experiencing one of its biggest financial crises, significantly affecting public schools and other state-sponsored programs and organization. My goal was to create a program that will be low-cost and effective.

At the time, I wasn’t at all acquainted with any web-based applications. I knew that many companies were working on web-based applications and that it was considered as the trend of the future. I also knew that they were not stable enough to compete with existing desktop applications. As a fierce advocate of project-based learning, I was looking for web-based productivity tools that would help students create projects that reflect what they are learning in the classroom, in one or multi-disciplines. Students can utilize the tools to construct knowledge, develop innovative products, search, evaluate, and analyze information, develop their critical thinking skills, communicate and work collaboratively. A combination of web 2.0 products, particularly Google applications, fit my goals best.

I started using Google Docs, Sites, Maps, Earth, Notebook, Sketchup and other web-based applications, such as: Mindomo–a mind mapping tool and Scratch–an animation and simulation tool. I spent hours experimenting with these applications and created project prototypes using a combination of these tools. The results and the possibilities for student learning surprised me. Soon enough I discovered that Google is offering Google Apps, which include: startup, e-mail, talk, calendar, documents, sites, and video, free for educational institutions. Google Maps, Sketchup, Notebook and Earth have their basic free version, as well as other Web 2.0 applications such as Mindomo and Scratch. These apps were all free and I was just required to set up 560 accounts for our 3rd to 5th graders, our faculty, and staff. I was then ready to start.

The outcome of this project is displayed at Balboa’s school website.

The Balboa Magnet Projects Page

The site includes a rich ‘Projects‘ section with student projects listed by Teacher Name. Students used a mix of different applications to create their projects. Some projects were done with non web-based application (MicroWorlds), but the output was converted to html and posted on the web. Most student projects were done with Google Apps and other existing Google applications such as Maps and Notebook. For example, 5th grade students created web sites for each state in the United States. Our third graders worked on collaborative sites about Native Americans in which each team member worked on different aspects of their assigned tribe. Fourth graders worked on a web site dedicated to everything they learned about California, starting from the California regions, missions, and a mission focus. A few had time to work on

Mapping of the Oregon Trail on Google Maps

the Gold Rush and map the Oregon Trail. This project was particularly interesting because students mapped the California’s twenty one missions on Google Maps, including an image and a description of each mission on the map. When they finished mapping all missions, the students embedded their map in the ‘Misssions’ page in their California site and linked it to the original map created with Google Maps. There are many other projects displayed on the site such as Google Presentations about Famous Americans.

Using Web 2.0 technology and Google Apps accounts has encouraged the creation of a new computer culture in our school. Students are frequenting the computer lab on lunch and break times to experiment, advance their projects or create new, original projects of their own. Our fifth graders enjoyed working with Google Apps so much that they asked permission to keep accessing their Balboa Magnet accounts even after they leave to Junior High School and I was happy to oblige them after Google granted us 200 additional accounts. I definitely feel that my students have really acquired many skills in technology and they feel very comfortable using those skills. Even our third graders (who I was afraid would have problems with logging into the system due to their age) are accessing their accounts without any problems. I feel that my students have established a foundation in technology this year in terms of mastering the basic skills. I now want them to use this foundation to further engage in different aspects of project-based learning.