How do you "hook 'em"?

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Jerry Muelver
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How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Jerry Muelver » Sat Apr 08, 2006 10:45 am

I only just got involved in working in the trenches in K-12 last Fall when I signed on as a (completely untrained!) subsitute teacher for a 425-student K-12. It's been a very illuminating experience, worthy of several novel-writing projects already.

I had visions of teachers straining at the traces, eager to get into pedagogical programming, web-based instruction, and computer projects of compelling depth and excitement. Then, reality set in. I found over-worked, over-stressed, under-supported teachers who had all they could do to figure out how to read their email -- let alone how to answer it! All the tests and quizzes and exercises and projects they might need are already developed and out there. They only had to learn to find them, and implement them, and even that is outside the current capabilities of the system.

What kind of tools can we develop in Revolution to spark the embers of change in such a situation? It can't be anything that would mean more work, or extra outside effort, because that won't fly. What can we do to make things easier, more effective, more exciting, "cooler"? What have you found, or created, that looks promising?

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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by marielle » Sun Apr 09, 2006 5:19 pm

Jerry Muelver wrote:All the tests and quizzes and exercises and projects they might need are already developed and out there. They only had to learn to find them, and implement them, and even that is outside the current capabilities of the system.

What kind of tools can we develop in Revolution to spark the embers of change in such a situation? It can't be anything that would mean more work, or extra outside effort, because that won't fly. What can we do to make things easier, more effective, more exciting, "cooler"? What have you found, or created, that looks promising?
Hi Jerry,

Welcome to the realities of teaching :?. Yes, I had a similar realization, at university level.

My answer is to use runrev to create tools that reduce teacher's stress (make their life easier) rather than expect educators to find the time to learn how to use new technologies. That's the spirit of the exercist project which aims to facilitate the editing of exercise templates.

I also try to provide better information about resources already available. I recently associated with iberrry.com which provides carefully edited listings of Open Courseware and Higher Education Resources for Self-Learners, Educators and Students.

The next step will be to provide better documentation for different types of exercises and their uses etivities cms.

I would be very much interested in having you keep an eye on the exercist project and derivatives or why not, be involved in development. Exercises templates of the type I focus on could be used across the curriculum but I have very little experience of k12 teaching or little contacts there. I welcome any help to make them useful to K12 teachers as well.

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Post by maxs » Sat Jul 08, 2006 6:38 am

Jerry,

You sound like a terrific, impassioned teacher. Although, one comment made me chuckle a bit:

(All the tests and quizzes and exercises and projects they might need are already developed and out there. They only had to learn to find them, and implement them, and even that is outside the current capabilities of the system. )

I vaguely remember reading that in the 1920s the director of the patent office saying that there should be no more patents issued, because everything of importance has already been invented.

It only been about thirty years since personal computers were invented. For me , this is the most exciting time, because we are truly the pioneers of of computer age.

I've written a book making program, a program for teaching improvisational theater, and I am excited to be coming out with a new math practice program for 4th and 5th grade.

Revolution really empowered me to created some innovative programs. And I am so amazed that teachers have not flocked to it (yet).

Bantymom
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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Bantymom » Mon Aug 30, 2010 6:02 am

I gobbled up HyperCard when I found it, as did one other teacher where I work (K-6). However, Jerry is very correct. Teachers are overwhelmed all the time. The year is shortened to save the budget, but is expected to teach the same information to an ever-incresingly high level of proficiency. I had visions of writing many stacks for my students, but got only one done, as did the other teacher. That was back when HyperCard still existed and Macs ran on OS 9.

Now, while I should be planning for next week's lessons, I have taken up learning RevMedia just this weekend and am inelegantly plugging away on a stack that has no hope of being ready tomorrow, and so there shall be nothing to show for my weekend.

Even when I get it written, and even if I write more, I have only two computers in my classroom and 30 6-year-olds who all need to be supervised. It would be WONDERFUL to have stacks waiting for everything, but only two children would be able to use them at a time.

However, I am stubbornly not deterred and am still working on it.

And if anyone HAS written stacks they are willing to share, please, please let me know! I would love to have someone to talk to.

Cheers,
Banty
2nd-grade Teacher, Poultry Fancier, Scottish Country Dancer
and Perpetual Beginner

Mark
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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Mark » Tue Aug 31, 2010 4:03 pm

Banty,

I believe you've sent me an e-mail, but your e-mail account doesn't work. Perhaps you want to try again, from a different address?

Mark
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Bantymom
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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Bantymom » Thu Sep 02, 2010 12:51 am

Hi Mark,

I have replied to a few messages from the forum, but I'm not sure they were from you or not. Other than that, I don't remember sending you an email. Not that that means that I didn't, of course. I have been very overwhelmed lately and forget things easily. We can't PM here and I don't know how to find anyone's email, so I don't remember being able to contact anyone directly, but again, that doesn't mean that I didn't somehow manage to.

Rereading my previous post, I think it sounds very negative. It wasn't meant to. I love teaching. I love trying to write things for my kids. I only meant to express that I wish I had more time (and was more proficient and able) to do both.

I have sent you a message using the link in your signature.

Cheers,
Bantymom
2nd-grade Teacher, Poultry Fancier, Scottish Country Dancer
and Perpetual Beginner

Mark
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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Mark » Sat Sep 04, 2010 11:43 pm

Hi Bantymom,

You have definitely sent me an e-mail :-) I have also replied to you latest e-mail. Did you get it?

Perhaps you could find a few old PC's that can run Win XP for your class room. That would be sufficient for Revolution.

Best,

Mark
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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Gurki » Wed Oct 23, 2013 11:09 am

Bantymom wrote:many stacks for my students, but got only one done, as did the other teacher [. . .] That was back when HyperCard still existed and Macs ran on OS 9.
There is a way to convert HyperCard stacks into LiveCode, as Jacqueline Landman write on her site. I did not try it until now, but I will it, once I have some more experience with LiveCode and before my last old Mac die. [1]
And if anyone HAS written stacks they are willing to share, please, please let me know! I would love to have someone to talk to.
I think, we need a place to share education stacks, as we have it for HyperCard in the time. Has anyone an idea, how this could work for little or no money?
Even when I get it written, and even if I write more, I have only two computers in my classroom and 30 6-year-olds who all need to be supervised. It would be WONDERFUL to have stacks waiting for everything, but only two children would be able to use them at a time.
Two computers are not much, but the question is, how are you teaching. First: the good news are, you does not nedd one computer per child. Two (not three) children working together is often a good choice.[2]
- Frontal or direct instruction: you need 15 computers for 30 children
- Action-oriented and problem-oriented interdisciplinary teaching, autonomous learning at different stations in individual work, partner work and group work; team-based group work: this can work well with two computers. Cut the topic of three or four lessons in 8-12 parts/stations; one station is that one on the computer, the others are with paper/book/oral/poster/…). Always two groups of two will work on one topic/station. You may read about the Dalton Plan, to have some ideas.

Best regards
Gurki

[1] As I am not allowed to put an URL or even a reference, search with a search enginge for the two terms rrtutorialtoc and hyperactivesw - the site will be on the top.
[2] Struck, Peter: Netzwerk Schule. (1998)

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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Newbie4 » Wed Oct 23, 2013 3:56 pm

Jerry
For many people, that is their reality. It does not have to be yours. You have the right outlook and are in a good place and good time to make a difference with LiveCode.

LiveCode is easier to learn than most languages and easier to create programs with. Learn enough to write programs that will help you and be useful to other teachers.

You are correct. We should have a board where teachers can share tools that they have written and exchange ideas. I have used LiveCode to write programs to help myself with many of my classroom chores - seating chart, etc. I would be willing to share my code with others and would be interested in getting some of their code too.

As for teaching, LiveCode is a godsend. It is the perfect platform to get students interested in programming and school. It allows them to do immersive things with the computer is a short time. It especially lends itself to projects where the students tackle a project on their own and teach themselves along the way. (The Student- Oriented-Learning-Environment) that the top countries in the world in education (Finland, etc) have adopted.

If you do not have a lot of computers, have them form groups and take turns on the computer maybe with each student doing they card/level at a time. Do storyboards, practical programs and test centers. There is a lot of ways to go with LiveCode. The good thing is that you, the teacher do not have to be a programmer. You just need to learn enough to get them started. (I have seen studies where students learn more with a computer science teacher that does not know programming. - Those people tend to give the students the answers and debug their programs for them instead of just offering suggestions and just giving them encouragement)

Use these forums for help, ideas and suggestions.

Thanks for the post
Cyril Pruszko
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https://sites.google.com/a/setonhs.org/app-and-game-workshop/home
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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Mark » Wed Oct 23, 2013 4:14 pm

People,

There is no need to reply to a thread that has been inactive for 3 years. It might be more useful to start a new thread and start your own discussion there.

Kind regards,

Mark
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Re: How do you "hook 'em"?

Post by Gurki » Fri Apr 25, 2014 9:07 pm

Gurki wrote:Two computers are not much, but the question is,
Created with LiveCode, you can compile your apps not only for Win, Mac or Linux, but also for Android and iOS. How many children have a Smart- or iPhone? They can bring their own, as they bring their own pen...

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