Lucy AM

Take the Plunge!: 

Lucy Gray Middle School Computer Science The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools lgray@ucls.uchicago.edu http://www.ucls.uchicago.edu/People/faculty/Lucy_Gray/index.html Take the Plunge!

The Laboratory Schools: 

The Laboratory Schools Home of John Dewey Affiliated with University of Chicago Hyde Park neighborhood Nursery school through high school Highly motivated, diverse student population

My Projects: 

The Friday 5 Computer Ethics Computer Club / Multimedia Mania End of the Year iMovie Project Programming with MicroWorlds Project Exploration Extras Third Grade Teachers Take on the Collaboratory ePortfolios My Projects

The Collaboratory....: 

The Collaboratory.... Supports Lab’s philosophy of learning Provides an ideal format for projects Helps teachers focus on the development of quality projects Provides great tools and document organization Improves communication for teachers and students Offers collegial connections Gives students easy access Motivates both teachers and students

Philosophy: 

Philosophy Authentic Creative Collaborative Innovative

Project Format: 

Project Format Areas for describing projects promotes thoughtful planning Resources are used in context of the projects Teachers instruction, resources, and student work tied together in the same online location

Quality: 

Quality Teacher can easily edit and revise projects Projects remain current and responsive to the learners Projects can be developed by teams of teachers working collaboratively

Tools: 

Tools The Survey Resource Kids are able to design surveys Students work with real data Surveys are excellent sources of feedback Cybrary Resource Use of File It is great for capturing sites Students can contribute approved links

Organizing student work: 

Organizing student work Helps teachers make documents available to students Students can keep work 'with them' for access when needed

Communication: 

Communication Not software or platform dependent Allows for spontaneous communication between teachers and students Kids may have preferences in how they communicate A larger audience can be reached with the communication tools such as messaging Safe environment Kids think of their own ways to use messaging

Collegiality: 

Collegiality Informal way to meet like minded teachers Teachers do not need to feel awkward about reaching out to other teachers and projects The Friday 5 is intended to facilitate this

Access: 

Access Kids are accessing and working from home This kind of communication is vital to kids For teachers, visiting the Collaboratory becomes as fluid a process as checking email

Motivation: 

Motivation Common language between students and teachers Kids LOVE to write each other When something is publicly published, it motivates teachers to refine their work

Food for thought: NetDay survey: 

Food for thought: NetDay survey 29% of K-3rd graders have email accounts 45% of 4-6 graders 79% of 7-12 graders 70% of students in grades 7-12 have 1-3 IM screen names 18% have four or more 54% of these students know more of their friends’ screen names than their home phone numbers

More Food...: 

More Food... 78% of students in grades K-3 know what the Internet is 73% of kids in grades 4-12 enjoy using technology 97% of students in grades 7-12 believe strongly that technology is important to their education ( 95% 4-6 , 82% K-3)

Another tidbit....: 

Another tidbit.... If students had to write a report on a unfamiliar topic, 67% of students would first do an Internet search or visit a bookmarked web site over visiting the library to find a book on a topic (10%), asking the teacher for help (9%) or looking for information in their textbook (5%).

Finally....: 

Finally.... Netday calls today’s students 'ultracommunicators': 'Students want to expand their active online communications lives into their school environment. If they could change one thing about technology at their school, students in grades 7-12 would allow students to use IM and email at school. That response outpolled having online classes and online textbooks by almost 3:1.'

Advice for Getting Started: 

Advice for Getting Started Pick one unit that you have already developed Allocate time to train your students Give students time to explore Plan activities within your project. They do not have to be technology based or complicated. Utilize the calendar feature. Think about how you can use resources in new and different ways.

Evangelize: 

Evangelize Advertise eCourses to your colleagues Plan after school time to assist teachers Demonstrate the many features of the Collaboratory for teachers during grade level meetings Bring Collaboratory staff in for a visit Create accounts for students to eliminate this administrative task for teachers

Future Goals: 

Future Goals Explore and use the Nexus community Develop ePortfolios Design some projects that are not just collaborative within my school, but with the community as a whole Offer more support to colleagues