In my unit, I plan for students to investigate the boom and bust periods of Tacoma’s history, by researching different buildings in the Tacoma area. Students will be taking pictures of these buildings, using research databases to build historical stories, creating a presentation with Prezi, and lastly coming together to create an interactive timeline of the boom and bust cycles associated with Tacoma’s history.
Links:
http://www.tacomahistory.org/Society/Links.html
http://www.historictacoma.org/
http://www.tacomapubliclibrary.org/Page.aspx?nid=7
http://libguides.tacoma.uw.edu/art
http://prezi.com/5w17ge2jovyu/how-to-make-a-prezi-presentation/
https://www.apple.com/support/mac-apps/iphoto/
http://prezi.com/prezi-for-education/
http://ealverson.wordpress.com/2011/04/20/using-timetoast-to-create-interactive-timelines/
Activity types:
| Technology | Activity type | What to anticipate to use effictively ? | How does it support learning? |
| Digitial archives, websites, electronic books | Read text/research | Model the proccess show groups how to format research quieries.Create student activity they help them practice researching on the unit by answering specific questions about a random subject.Give students resouces with database cites they can use.
Give students website resources |
Teaches analytical skills.Teaches research skills.Teaches critical thinking skills.
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| digital camera | View images | Go over ethics of taking pictures in public placesModel how to upload picturesCreate tutorial resources sheet on how to upload photos to flickr cite
Arrange groups so that there is a technology strong student in each group if possible.
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It teaches students to play the role of a reporter and investigator, which are crucial roles to every historian. |
| Word/ Google docs | Generate an Historical narrative, Do a Presentation, Historical Weaving | What functions on Wiki are essential to teach?-How does webpage presentation best serve this project?-Is there value in having student work on an online database? | Organizes Information for students-Helps students showcase their research-Allows for easy student collaboration
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| Using a Prezi | Do a presentation | Students may add to much graphics or words instead of cutting down their presentation to the essential information the class needs to know. So, they would need modeling in what a good presentation using Prezi looks like and how to edit information into concise bullet points. | Teaches students how to synthesize information in concise manner. Also, teaches students how to present information to large groups of people, which is skill that is applicable in many job positions. |
| Iphoto/flicker | View images | What functions on iPhoto and Flickr are essential to teach?-How does taking pictures best serve this project?What if students are unable to use travel to take photographs? | Helps students get see their community through an artistic lens.Helps students display knowledge of their subject by providing visual aids. |
| Timetoast interactive timeline creator | Creating a timeline of the boom and bust building period of Tacoma. | Accessibility of the programs in accordance to students experience with computers. How will all students use program to create timeline? What type of information needs to be included in the timeline? | It supports learning because it gets students to see overall patterns in Tacoma’s boom and bust cycles. By seeing when building increased and when building decreased they can come to better understand the cause and effect of different historical features of Tacoma’s economy. This will help them also understand the movement of people to Tacoma and migration away from Tacoma during various years. |
Things to tend to when including these forms of technology:
- Ethics involved with taking pictures
- How to edit pictures
- What makes a good presentation using a Prezi?
- How will I create directions that lead students successfully to utilizing all these technologies in a constructive manner?
- How to use a historical database to search for information?
- What type of information I am looking for in their presentation?
- What to do if some students have no access to technology at home?
- How to make sure students can access cameras if they do not own one individually.