Last year, Staples students heard about a new initiative that would be implemented throughout the school: Westport 2025. A large part of this previsioning of the district is integrating more technology into the classroom. Mr. Jelen, an A.P. Government teacher at Staples HighSschool talked to Inklings about the various technologies he has employed and their benefits 

In general, why do you think it is important to have an abundance of technology in the classroom?

I think we are in the midst of a fundamental paradigm shift in education.  Gone are the days of the teacher-centered classroom where the teacher bequeaths knowledge to his/her students and discusses solutions to problems past.  We are preparing students to solve problems that do not yet exist and be flexible enough in their thinking to research information on their own with teachers serving as guides.  I think this new way of teaching puts technology at the forefront and demands students know where to look for reliable information on the Internet.  It also demands that students know the best tools to use when presenting information and collaborating with others.  Fortunately, Westport has a vision for this changing paradigm through its Westport 2025 initiative that makes Westport an exciting place to teach and learn.

Can you describe the student polling website that used in your Gov. classes? 

We use a site called PollEverywhere.com in class.  The site allows me to quickly create a poll which students can access without creating a special account.  Students can input their response to a poll through an internet browser or via text message.  As a class we can see the results of the poll instantaneously.

What are the benefits of using this website?

It gives me, as a teacher, a good idea of whether or not students are grasping the material we are discussing in class.  From the results, I can adjust my lesson accordingly.  I frequently use the service to practice multiple-choice questions with the class.  I think students like the ungraded practice and anonymity of their answers.  The only downside I see to the service is that text messaging is not free, thus I encourage students to access the site via their mobile web browser.

You use an interesting piece of technology to grade tests. Can you describe it?

I have been using a website called GradeCam.com to generate test bubble forms for students to use when we take unit tests or quizzes.  The site uses the same Optical Mark Recognition technology as the old Scantron(r) machines, but allows me to use my webcam or document camera to scan student forms.  Whereas Scantron(r) forms cost a quarter each, I can print forms from GradeCam.com for free.

How is using GradeCam.com superior to using scantrons?

Aside from the cost savings, the biggest benefit I see is instantaneous feedback for students on tests or quizzes.  Students simply hold up their form to my webcam and students can see the questions they got wrong.  Unfortunately, like all good inventions, word spread, and the site has begun charging its customers.  Ultimately, I believe test forms are a thing of the past.  I believe students will be taking more and more assessments on a computer in their academic careers.  Thus, as a school, I hope we shift testing increasingly to the computer using services like Google Forms.

Students in your classes completed an assignment that involved creating a blog? What was the purpose of this assignment?

As a Google Apps school we have access to a great application called Blogger.  Teachers and students can use Blogger to create their own blogs, hosted by Google.  In AP US Government, students need to know the political philosophies of individuals like John Locke, thus I thought it would be interesting to let these 18th century philosophers communicate their ideas using 21st century technology.  Since blogs are often used by thinkers today to communicate their ideas, I thought it only appropriate that John Locke blog his ideas on government.  Students were asked to blog about the role of government as if they were John Locke, Rousseau, etc. and comment on each other’s blogs to foster a dialogue between these philosophers.  I thought it a more engaging assignment than simply reading about these philosophers.

You also assigned students a project that involved creating and editing a short video. What was this assignment, and what technology did students use to complete it?

Animoto.com allows users to quickly create a professional looking video by inserting images and text into templates.  Animoto allows users to create a 30 second video for free.   Thus, I asked students to create a 30 second public service announcement to get out the vote.

What skills did students gain from this assignment?

I think the project allowed students to be creative while using a 21st century platform.  Being adept at video editing and storyboarding may prove useful for student’s later presentations in college and career.  While Animoto’s flexibility leaves much to be desired compared to iMovie, users can create a 30 second video in a matter of minutes.

Many teachers use turnitin.com, but you also have used it for homework assignments, which not as many teacher have done. What is the benefit of doing homework in this manor?

Turnitin.com is useful to students and teachers to ensure information is properly cited, but it can be doubly helpful in cutting down on how much paper we use in school.  From an environmental standpoint, going paperless is advantageous, but it is also advantageous from a cost standpoint.  Paper is expensive and the fewer copies we can make as a school, the more money we can put toward other needs.  Ideally, every student would bring his/her own device to class and I would not have to make any copies.  Students would download their assignment and submit it to me electronically using TurnItIn.com or other service.