[NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3423] Seamlessness

From: Marian Thacher (mthacher@otan.us)
Date: Mon Feb 14 2005 - 15:42:32 EST


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From: "Marian Thacher" <mthacher@otan.us>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-technology@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-TECHNOLOGY:3423] Seamlessness
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Hi Liz,

I appreciate the opportunity to discuss your findings with you - you get
to the heart of what we are really about, those of us who believe that
technology integration is an important direction in meeting the needs of
our learners.

I want to respond to your question about examples of seamlessness. At OTAN
we have been making an attempt to document good examples of technology
integration by videotaping them. Some examples are posted at
http://www.otan.us/Itap/index.cfm?fuseaction=videogallery
Click on the image to go to the actual video.

The first example is from an ABE class, where the students are learning
time management skills by making a calendar and putting important dates on
it as well as dates of personal importance like doctor appointments and
birthdays. The teacher begins with a whole group brainstorm activity to
set the framework for the lesson, and to come up with some important dates
in February. The students then use the Internet to research important
dates. They come back together as a group to share what the info they have
gathered, and then go back to the computer using a word processing program
to actually create their calendar page. To me, this seems like a good
example of seamlessness. Is this what you have in mind?

Another good example is the fourth one, a beginning ESOL class on making a
business card. Although this is, in a way, a technology-based lesson, the
actual time students spend on the computer is relatively small. Most of
the time is spent learning the language of business cards, learning the
steps in the process of making the cards, and practicing the language of
exchanging business cards. But the computer activity is a crucial element,
actually creating and printing the students' individual business cards. I
like this example because it includes whole group, small group and
individual activities, and also demonstrates use of an interactive
whiteboard along with computers.

Marian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Marian Thacher, Coordinator of Technology Projects
Outreach and Technical Assistance Network
Sacramento, CA
(916) 228-2597
mthacher@otan.us
www.otan.us


nifl-technology@nifl.gov writes:
>Hello everyone,
<snip>
>
>I would like to conduct the first part of this
>discussion around those four areas and explore
>practices that you believe are indicators of these
>characteristics. Specifically, I’d like you to
>describe learning activities that you practice in your
>classroom – or that you have seen in someone else’s
>classroom – that capture the these four attributes of
>optimal computer technology integration. We can begin
>with the attribute of seamlessness. 
>												
>Can you describe a classroom in which you observed
>learners moving easily between computer-based
>instruction and other forms of instruction. What did
>you observe? How did you determine that what you
>observed was indeed the seamless use of computer
>technology?
>	
>Seamless - There is easy movement between
>computer-based instruction and other forms of
>instruction. 
>Thanks,
>Liz



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