Replacement+Ideas

Replacement Ideas
Replace: to be used instead of (something) []

"Textbooks are not curriculum, they are only a resource" ~ Dr. Heidi Jacobs

For my Art Instruction, a majority of instruction comes from hands-on demonstrations I provide my students. I was initially issued a text book which I only use for quick reference of distinguished artwork. Prior to demonstrations, instruction most often comes from streaming videos from the internet of various performance artists, as well as documentary videos and DVD movies highlighting accomplished artists. I use the internet also for offering virtual museum visits. I create most of my lessons using PowerPoint presentations where I can post images and provide discussion points and warm-up exercises. I especially like using PowerPoint presentations because I can imbed image and videos, and can move at my own pace through the presentation, backtracking even if needed.

For my Spanish Instruction, I rarely use the textbook. Mostly I use the vocabulary lists from the textbook and photo copy the pages with text which correspond with video shorts on the textbook DVD so that my students can have the written word for refernce as they watch the videos. I use the internet often to download and use various worksheets for my students to practice writing in Spanish, for creating crossword puzzles for vocabulary, for streaming music, videos, and virtual tours of travel desitnations. Three times a year I show films on DVD from which cultural units are designed. I have also used Skype (video calling) for interviews of individuals as guest speakers in my clasroom.

At my school, many of the technical area classrooms have laptops or PC's for the students within the classrooms (but not in my class). I solicited feedback from the teachers at my Technical High School and recieved the following feedback for replacement ideas:

For Health Occupations LAPTOPS used for current research in medicine / disease management, and college planning. The software programs on the LAPTOPS is used for independent remediation, as well as for online training. The downside to actually using these laptops exclusively for every classroom is that the cost for the computers and constantly having to update software may be cost prohibitive.

For Horticulture and Landscape Design Student teams are formed with a captain + two other teammates; they are presented with a current issue/problem in the field of horticulture and landscape design and are asked to evaluate solutions to the identified issue/problem.

For Engineering The students design a compound machine that utilized 4 or more simple machines to transfer motion from one side of a 1' platform to the other. They have 4 hours to design and build this out of junk items they brought from home. The had to mathematically calculate the mechanical advantage, and the amount of work being done.

For Cosmetology Use of labeled educational mannequin heads to teach the parts of the head for haircutting. Behind the chair hands-on practice and demo's.

For Computer Gaming Creating interactive dynamic story planning on paper, planning game concepts on paper, planning and implementing Gantt charts ([])

For Early Childhood Education Internet Resouces Wiki Spaces

For Printmaking and Magazine Production Machines for Silk Screening, Vinyl Sign Making, Collator (Book Maker)

Technology resources can be used in many ways, here are some ideas for using them to replace instructional methods and assessment:

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 * Blogging**-is an excellent tool for creating an authentic audience for students' writing. By having them write on a blog they are learning that they are accountable for what they write as well as getting motivating feedback from people all over the world (parents, grandparents, even if they are in another country.) Additionally, they have to learn to give meaningful feedback to others. This is also a great way to connect classrooms around the world.======

I gave a training on blogging at my school back in September. Here is a handout I made on how to get started with edublogs (my blog of choice.)

[|My class blog from last yea] [|r] has a lot of examples and ideas of things you can use the blog for. I even had the students videorecord themselves reading a poem they wrote on audacity, and then upload it with a scanned picture they had drawn to illustrate their poem. Integration of so many skills really is possible!


 * Glogster**-instead of having the students make a conventional poster on poster paper, have them create it on glogster instead. You can still print it out to display it in the classroom, but it can also be linked to your blog or on your class website.

If you're not ready to get that fancy, you can teach your students about layout and balance using microsoft publisher.


 * Video recording and video-casting**-my one focus on replacement this year is with videocasting/podcasting. Instead of having the students perform a skit for the classroom, videotape it and upload it to [|teachertube] or [|schooltube.] Better yet, embed it on your blog! Showing the students some examples first and helping them to see what skills and strengths they need to practice before videotaping is extremely helpful in getting the quality you want. [|Kim Cofino's blog]has an excellent entry on ideas for prepping kids for podcasting that can easily be adapted to videocasting.

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 * Voicethread**-instead of an oral report, have the student upload visuals and narrate their report on this web 2.0 resource. This site also allows it to be collaborative so there is an authentic audience that can give feedback in the form of notes and messages on the file.======


 * Googledocs**-instead of students turning in a rough draft, having it be marked, peer editing in class etc., use googledocs. This allows multiple users to edit the same document and put comments. You are preparing students for the future which is going more in this direction of paperless work.