Digital Photodocumentation in DNA

(Cypress High, Anaheim UHSD)

Students cut DNA using restriction enzymes, run electrophoresis gels, and take digital pictures of the gels for analysis. Using a digital imaging system, students email their DNA gel pictures home for printing and further interpretation. The project allows students to apply real and practical applications in biotechnology to their biology labwork.

From Novel to Soundtrack

(Oxford High, Anaheim UHSD)

Students from English and Business combined talents to create and market a movie soundtrack CD based on a core novel from the English curriculum. Based on their literary analysis, English students selected popular songs that communicated the themes, captured the tone, and illustrated the characters in the text. In addition to compiling a CD of the selected music, students used desktop publishing software to create extensive liner notes that explained each song’s correlation to the text and artwork that captured the overall mood of the piece. Working in conjunction with a Business Marketing class, students created a multi media presentation that was used to "pitch" their soundtrack to studio executives (instructors). Students also worked together to create marketing materials (web and print advertisements, in-store displays, T-shirts, stickers, etc.) to advertise their CD to their target market.

Probing Science

(Brea Junior High, Brea-Olinda USD)

This project exposed students to the use of technology in gathering and analyzing data to increase their awareness of and comfort with the technology. They also developed their ability to think, reason, solve problems and work together. Existing laboratory exercises that had been developed over many years with known outcomes were expanded to include digital data collection with various probes. Student drawn graphs were augmented with computer generated graphs that included graphical analysis overlays to illustrate the underlying concepts with more precision. In some cases, labs were changed to better conform to the capabilities of the technology; additional labs were also developed based on newfound capabilities to demonstrate a principle that could not have been previously illustrated. All this was done in parallel with the existing analog labs so students could see the differences (and similarities) between different data collection techniques.

Art of Animation

(Capistrano Valley High, Capistrano USD)

Students tackle classic character animation challenges and create personal 30-second films.

Energy Awareness

(Newhart Middle, Capistrano USD)

Students worked in small teams to research important energy issues and produce valuable audio/video energy awareness global podcasts. The teams included Special Education, SED, ESL, RSP, regular and gifted students, evaluating the pros and cons of alternative energy sources and their affects on the global environment and our society. The podcasts were researched, scripted, and produced by each team, integrating information and pictures from energy web sites and video clips from United Streaming and Google Video. The students’ projects can be viewed here.

MTN33 Mako Television Network

(Vista del Mar Middle, Capistrano USD)

By adding a school-wide broadcasting capability, journalism and yearbook students will expand their roles beyond writing and publishing a news-magazine and yearbook to taping.

Cougar Cable Network

(Clara J. King Elementary, Cypress SD)

"We are sorry to interrupt you for this special news update from CCN. Let’s go live on the scene to find out what the buzz is all about!" Cougar Cable Network (CCN) is a student run network that focuses on a technique for saying, "Yes" to success. Each month features guest interviews that narrate the success story of a rise from a disadvantaged background to triumph in a particular career field. In addition, broadcasts present school announcements, accomplishments, field trips, plays, and any other exciting news and events that are taking place at the school or in it’s neighborhood. Fourth through sixth grade students will collaborate to produce a newscast from pre-production to post- production; including planning, script writing, set production and design, lighting, field reporting, interviews, filming, editing, and broadcasting. CCN is a "TiVo type" network as classrooms are able to view the broadcasts to fit their own instructional schedules.

Understanding Egyptian Civilization

(Elizabeth Dickerson Elementary, Cypress SD)

Students will do research on geographical, political, economic, religious, and social structures of early Egyptian civilization. They will make an outline of important information that relates to their topics and put together a PowerPoint presentation. Students will go to the KOCE video streaming website and select a video clip about Egypt to include within the PowerPoint presentation. Students will then present their project to the class.

When Continents Collide

(Frank Vessels Elementary, Cypress SD)

Video games have the potential to redefine education as we know it, and our 6th grade team will harness that addictive nature and convert it into the serious learning of scientific concepts through When Continents Collide. Video games teach skills needed for the future workforce: analytical thinking, team building, multitasking, and problem solving. During this project students will work in collaborative groups to prepare interactive simulations using computer technology to illustrate, animate and make interactive science investigations to demonstrate their understanding of plate tectonics and other geologic concepts. Each simulation will then be combined to make one completed game that all sixth grade students will use to reinforce classroom instruction. Scaffolded learning will be developed as students design the animated scientific investigations to be used by other students in 6th grade classes throughout the district. Quizzes designed to assess and provide feedback for students to check their own understanding will also be developed by the collaborative groups.

A Kindergarten Journey

(Laguna Road Elementary, Fullerton SD)

As a means of enhancing and extending classroom studies, kindergarten students are creating an iMovie documenting their journey through their kindergarten year. Students choose, sort and organize pictures into sequential order to form an iMovie. They create a text slide for each picture, communicating ideas and describing the events depicted in each picture. Students write words and sentences for each picture by applying learned phonics skills. They use keyboarding skills to write words and sentences as well as track pad skills to compose and edit their iMovie. They choose the fonts, colors and sizes of the fonts along with the transitions used for each picture and text slide. Finally, students learn how to save and retrieve their files.

AlphaSmart NEOS in K!

(Robert C. Fisler Elementary, Fullerton SD)

Kindergarteners use digital cameras and AlphaSmart NEO keyboards to capture and record classroom objects beginning with the "Letter of the Week." Students will take a digital picture of their observations, write about what they have seen, using letters and phonetically spelled words on the AlphaSmart NEO keyboard, and import their writing into classroom computers (by "beaming" their information). Ms. Bisaccia then creates a slide for each student’s pictures and observations using the Keynote program and links the slides to the classroom website. Students learn how to access the slides at home so their parents can look at them and discuss what they have learned.

Show What You Know!

(Robert C. Fisler Elementary, Fullerton SD)

First grade students demonstrate an understanding of key content standards using technology to create different presentations in various curricular areas. Students use technology on a regular basis and are becoming technology-literate based upon the performance indicators of the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS 1-6).

The instructional component of the project enables students to work collaboratively to create multimedia projects. Students use digital images to create presentations (reports, books, slideshows, Keynote presentations, iMovies, etc.) in order to show others what they have learned. Students use digital cameras, desktop and laptop computers, a variety of software and presentation devices to present their projects to their peers. Students’ projects include: digital story summaries and books; addition, subtraction, place value and money presentations; United States Symbols picture books; and Animal Habitat presentations. The goal is simply to have the students "show what they know!" and explain their learning in a creative way.

Student Response Systems in the Elementary Classroom

(Agnes Smith Elementary, Huntington Beach CSD)

TurningPoint audience response system is an incredibly innovative teaching tool. Students at Agnes Smith Elementary School in the Huntington Beach City School District have at their disposal a wireless response card keypad that interacts with a SMARTBoard in the classroom. With the help of the QuestionPoint tool, which is already aligned with the California State Standards, the teacher is able to create daily lesson plans. When creating the PowerPoint presentation, a teacher is able to include tools on each slide that will visually track when students are inputting answers. Graphs can be displayed after each question for immediate feedback on the results of the question. These tools continually check for understanding in a timely and accurate manner in a non-threatening environment.

Anti-Bullying Campaign

(Roy O. Andersen Elementary, Newport Mesa USD)

One afternoon, the students from Miss Dodd’s class shared their interest in the issue of bullying in schools. Based on their interest and excitement for the subject, Miss Dodds and Mrs. Donnell, provided the resources necessary to establish an "Anti-Bullying" program at Andersen Elementary. Students brainstormed questions they had related to bullying, then researched them using the Internet. Students divided themselves into four groups (Podcasters, Writers, Webmasters and Service Providers) and were responsible for completing their group project. Students created a survey which was disseminated throughout the school to gather a broader range of data. The group projects were then merged to create an iMovie to inform their school community of the Anti-Bullying System (ABS) program.

Geometry All Around Us

(Newport Coast Elementary, Newport Mesa USD)

Students are mastering third grade standards in measurement and geometry using digital media at school and at home. More specifically, digital cameras and a video camera provide the opportunity to strengthen the school-home connection by giving students the assignment to find geometric concepts at home which are then shared in class.

Students take photographs at home of concepts studied in class each day. They write captions about each picture. During computer lab, the students work in cooperative groups to upload the pictures into iPhoto to create a slideshow.

Click here to view this showcase.

Global Awareness and Cultural Literacy

(Abraham Lincoln Elementary, Newport Mesa USD)

In this project approximately 80 third grade students from Lincoln Elementary school participated in an international electronic pen-pal exchange to get to know students in China. Once students got to know one another, they began dialogue on a blog, with their e-pals and other international students invited to join the blog, regarding topics students determined.

High School VEX Robotics Team

(Orange Coast Middle College High, Newport Mesa USD)

A high school robotics team of approximately 15 students was formed at our school in February 2008. Students design, build, and computer program VEX robots to perform tasks in VEX Robotics competitions. Design, construction and computer programming of robots takes place during computer classes at school as independent technology projects, after school in the computer classroom, and at students’ homes on evenings and weekends.

¡Hola, Señor Bean

(Corona del Mar High, Newport Mesa USD)

Combining cross-curricular project based learning, Animation and Spanish language students worked together to write and develop scripts and storyboards which were then used to create foreign language animations. Spanish students learned about the process of animation while animation students gained writing skills for scripting and an awareness of animation as perceived by other cultures.

Musical Multiplication

(Newport Coast Elementary, Newport Mesa USD)

Students worked in small groups to create rhymes, songs and skits for a multiplication fact family. For example, students wrote rhymes or raps for the 4’s (4x2, 4x3, 4x4, etc.). They then produced either the lyrics or script, reviewed by Ms. Montejano. Students recorded their edited songs using an iPod and a Griffin iTalk voice recorder. They could also videotape a skit if they wanted to incorporate more visuals or dramatics. The songs were imported into iTunes; the videos were imported into iMovie and all were transferred to the class iPods for students to view and listen to for review and enrichment.

Math Power

(Spring View Middle, Ocean View SD)

Students will discover the power of math by applying it to real-life situations. In particular, they will research a job/career of their choice. Next, students will submit a proposal explaining how that job needs math in order to function, be efficient, and advance. In partner-groups, they will create a presentation of their mathematical findings to share with classmates via the SMART Board. These findings must consist of real-life math problems/scenarios that are aligned in the content standards. The project also includes an interview of an individual in their chosen career field. Students will use video-cameras, digital cameras, and/or microphones in conjunction with editing programs and software (i.e. Adobe Premier Elements, SMART Notebook Software, Podcasting, Microsoft Photo Story, GarageBand) to create the final multimedia product (includes math application and interview). Ultimately, they will share this with classmates and to the rest of the world.

My Science Video

(Spring View Middle, Ocean View SD)

Students are creating science videos. Includes script writing, storyboarding, shooting, and editing. Students will direct, produce, write, film, act, and edit. The content is science related. Science standards are researched, a script written then filmed and put onto DVD.

Views from Mesa

(Mesa View Middle, Ocean View SD)

A weekly podcast created, researched, written, recorded, posted, published and maintained by middle school GATE students. The content varies from week to week, based on the interests of the students. It may include school current events, homework assignments, class review and feedback, live interviews with peers, teachers and administrators. The goal is to create an original, informative and entertaining product every week.

Character Wiki for "The Crucible"

(El Modena High, Orange USD)

Groups of students created a website for a character from "The Crucible". Their websites include a Character Journal, a detailed description of the character's role in plot development, a theme song with lyrics and rationale, and a student blog about their character.

Clicker Your Own Adventure

(Villa Park Elementary, Orange USD)

Students love to have a choice. Being able to create a narrative that allows the readers to decide their own fate is even better. "Clicker Your Own Adventure," is a project in which students create a narrative that allows the reader to have multiple outcomes. Using PowerPoint students create hyperlinks to connect different story endings. When their PowerPoint’s are finished they are presented to the entire class. Students vote using student responders, or "Clickers," to decide which path is taken. After the story has ended students answer questions, created by the writer, using the clickers to check their understanding of the story.

Using Blogs and Wikis to create a Writer’s Works

(Canyon High, Orange USD)

In my online English 12 class, the students have read "Metamorphosis" by Franz Kafka. After reading, the students have collaborated through the use of a wiki (protected web space which has the ability to be edited by a group). This technology is a wonderful example of online group work where individuals are held responsible for their part of the work. After collaborating to find pieces of evidence from the text to use in their papers, they work independently on writing their papers. The students write their paper on a blog within the website. This allows me as the teacher to see their essay as they are working on it and comment as they are working on it. This way the students know if they are on the right track before they waste too much time on the assignment. Every student is challenged based on the level of their skills as a writer. This is truly a way to differentiate instruction in a writing class.

Clicking Scientists

(Van Buren Elementary, Placentia-Yorba Linda USD)

An interactive student response system allows students to learn to clarify meanings, such as parallel and series circuit concepts, while increasing the inquiry aspect of science lessons. Student-led discussions during or following hands-on Beckman science investigations or experiments gives students opportunities to develop listening and speaking skills. Students are first exposed to teacher and textbook questions, then they create their own questions. Comparing and contrasting these questions and responses, while seeing the class responses, helps students create meaningful questions (individual identities of the respondents remains private). Immediate feedback provides more depth to student understanding. Confused students are re-taught more quickly until concepts are mastered. As students consider and answer questions, understanding and retention increases.

Al Son de la Literatura

Hispanoamericana (Saddleback High, Santa Ana USD)

Using digital audio, students in the AP Spanish Literature class create a CD with original songs related to Spanish and Latin American literary works. Students apply a variety of Latin music styles, including Reggaeton, Salsa, Cumbia, Bachata, Merengue, and Ranchera. The original lyrics written by students are based on Spanish patterns used by the authors in the course-required reading list, including: sonetos, romance, décimas, rimas, among others.

GrAnimation Academy

(De Portola Elementary, Saddleback Valley USD)

Welcome to GrAnimation Academy, a visual, computer program designed to aid in the learning of grammar concepts while teaching students the process of bringing grammar instruction to life. The GrAnimation Academy combines grammar instruction with animation; hence: GrAnimation! GrAnimation Academy's objectives are to teach content to students by integrating technology in a motivational manner and facilitating cross-grade level student collaboration.

Vocabucasting

(De Portola Elementary, Saddleback Valley USD)

Students created a podcast that highlights the assigned words they are utilizing in core curricular areas. They found the definition, created a sentence using the words, and researched an image that best demonstrated the meaning of the words. Students then recorded their voices reading the sentences and pronouncing the words. The final product (words, sentences, images, and audio recordings) was then uploaded to a web page and made available on the Internet. This project can be used at all grade levels.

Power Podcasts

(Wilson Elementary, Santa Ana USD)

Have you ever seen the spark in a student’s eyes when they have something that they are really excited about? A student with an iPod containing a great podcast exemplifies that! The 'Power Podcasts' generated will be based on written responses to weekly reading selections. Students will explore different ways to present their information to reinforce their learning and focus on being teachers and presenters themselves. Students will publish this in the form of a podcast on an iPod. They can then take these iPods to their home, listen to them, and share them with siblings and family.

Beyond Technology and Musical Poetry

(Saddleback High, Santa Ana USD)

Many teachers have found that integrating technology in the classroom contributes to increased levels of motivation and high-level critical thinking skills. But, what Juan Carlos Contreras, an AP Spanish Literature teacher from Saddleback High School in the Santa Ana Unified School District found went far beyond a simple quest for motivation and critical skills. His class project, "Al Son de la Literatura Hispanoamericana," focused on helping students get motivated to learn literature in a fun and successful way, integrating technology and music into an AP Spanish Literature curriculum. Using an iMac computer, studio monitors, a condenser microphone, a music keyboard, and percussive instruments and software called ProTools, his students created a CD with original songs related to Spanish and Latin American literary works. Students applied a variety of Latin music styles, including Reggaeton, Salsa, Cumbia, Bachata, Merengue, and Ranchera. The original lyrics written by students are based on Spanish patterns used by the authors in the course required reading list, including: sonetos, romance, décimas, rimas, among others. What started initially as one more attempt to motivate students ended up surpassing all of Juan Carlos Contreras’ expectations and most important was the impact that its use will leave within himself and his students.

Ongoing Professional Development Fosters Technology Visions

Most educators would agree that ongoing professional development is the key to integrating any program more completely into the existing routine of the classroom. This is especially true of technology because of the common belief that technology is an extra thing to teach rather than an effective tool to help students master the curriculum. In Orange County, there are ongoing efforts. One in particular:

Santa Ana USD

(Santa Ana USD)

Podcast Pioneers program was a component of their Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT) Grant. A cadre of 5th and 8th graders were involved with fact-to-face meetings and online training. They were giving iPods, voice recorders, and USB microphones. Throughout the months of training, they were encouraged to post their lessons, student projects and resources to share with other teachers. The end result was a program where the teachers felt comfortable integrating technology into the curriculum and enhancing the quality of teaching and learning.

Technology in the Kindergarten Classroom

(Cerritos School, Savanna SD)

With the Internet on a laptop computer, a ceiling-mounted LCD projector, and a document camera, kindergartners at Cerritos School in the Savanna School District, have embraced technology. Veteran teachers, Sue Wittman and Jane Orbisn have found that technology has become an integral part of their day as lessons are transformed using visuals from the Internet to present, model, enhance, and reinforce skills across curricular areas. Whether it is demonstrating a math lesson, presenting a phonemic awareness lesson, practicing letter names and sounds, presenting or practicing small reading books, modeling a math or language arts workbook page, showing photos illustrating vocabulary words, or building a calendar page together, teachers have used technology to involve and engage students throughout the day. Through the use of these combined technologies, the students’ achievements have soared. Not only have these technologies impacted student learning, they have impacted the teachers in enhancing their teaching styles and strategies.

21st Century Voices: Digital Storytelling

(Tustin USD)

Approximately 30 teachers from Tustin Unified School District took part in a 5-day, 40-hour course designed to assist teachers in integrating technology into the classroom. They first learned about the importance of the ever-changing global community and how to integrate this community into their standards-based curriculum in exciting new ways. They were introduced to applications such as Google Docs, Google Notebook, and delicious.com. They also learned how to use Windows Movie Maker. Ultimately, this program was used during the week to create their stories, display curriculum, and creatively instruct. Through the use of these tools, teachers were able to bring curriculum to life, making high interest digital connections for students. At the end of the week, they published their podcast to share. The teachers left the institute feeling excited and empowered from all the new knowledge they had gained.

Digital Storytelling: It Was Just A Dream

(C. C. Lambert Elementary, Tustin USD)

My fifth grade Language Arts students wrote narrative stories about a dream they had. After writing and editing the stories they then typed them into PowerPoint presentations. In the presentations they added clipart and designs. The students used a digital camera to recreate scenes from their stories and placed them into their slideshow. When they finished, the students placed the jpeg slideshow into Photo Story 3 where they narrated and added music to their own movie. The students shared their stories with their first grade buddies. The students’ stories can be found on our classroom blog.

Student Social Stories

(Tustin Ranch Elementary, Tustin USD)

One of the goals for teaching students with Autism is to teach social skills. The acquisition of social skills is a major component of being successful in a regular education classroom setting. In order to do this, we take digital pictures of the students or their siblings engaging in correct or incorrect social situations. The pictures are put into Microsoft Word on the SMART board and we have a class discussion on what is right or wrong with each social situation in a given picture. The following day, we revisit the pictures and the students create sentences to describe what they see or should be seeing. We then print the pictures, laminate them and use the books to remind the student of correct social behavior as well as their reading skills.