Hot Technology Workshops

In addition to their more long-term consulting and mentoring, IDE consultants provide one-to-five day workshops on specific topics, including:

Three-Dimensional Writing (Hyperlinking Narrative) - Writing has always been two-dimensional: across and down the page. The advent of the Internet has moved writing to three dimensions: across, down, and out through links. Students using the 'net for research can easily get lost in a labyrinth of sites. This speaks of a need for students to be able to read and write three-dimensionally. Hyperlinking capability in Microsoft Word and AppleWorks allows students to design reports that allow the reader to link to other areas of the document or to Web sites. A one-day workshop can provide teachers with an introduction to hyperlinking narrative and ideas for using it across the curriculum. Participants will explore existing three-dimensional documents, design a three-dimensional document of their own, and generate ideas for using three-dimensional writing in their classrooms.

Using Inspiration to Explore Conceptual Representations - Strong problem-solving skills rely on an ability to conceptualize systems, components, and interrelationships - whether it's the life cycle of a butterfly, the actions in a play, or the physics of flight. State and national standards place an emphasis on the ability to create graphic representations of concepts and systems. Inspiration is a versatile program that allows students to build graphic organizers, systems maps, and flow-charts to show the relationships among components of a larger system and cause-and-effect relationships. Participants will explore the endless possibilities for using Inspiration with students. Participants will learn how to use Inspiration by working on a real-world problem that might be used in the classroom and then explore the various aspects of their curriculum that lend themselves to using Inspiration.

Problem-Based WebQuests - WebQuests are Internet-based explorations of curriculum topics. The best WebQuests are those that utilize problem-based learning to present students with an authentic context in which to search for solutions. This workshop will provide an introduction to problem-based WebQuests. Participants will use a Quality WebQuest Scale to seek out and evaluate existing WebQuests on the World Wide Web. Participants will identify WebQuests they may wish to use in their classrooms. Depending on the number of workshop days, participants will design their own WebQuests.

Designing Information Kiosks in PowerPoint - Microsoft PowerPoint is a popular program for presenting information, but most people tend to use it as a linear slide-show to provide visuals for a presentation to a group. As communication evolves to be more personalized and more "just in time," students need to learn how to design information kiosks that provide a wealth of information but allow the users to navigate their way through the information in any of a number of ways. Participants will learn the aspects of a quality information kiosk and design one of their own for their students on a curricular topic. They will generate ideas for having their own students design information kiosks. Depending on the number of workshop days, participants will design their own kiosks for use in their work.

Global Issues - Technology is creating an increasingly "smaller" world in which one cannot ignore the events going on in other geographic areas. We are all affected by all global events. Global issues provide a wonderfully authentic, problem-based context for addressing curricular goals. In this workshop, participants will explore a variety of global issues and brainstorm ways in which they might use global issues in their classrooms to address their curriculum. Depending on the number of workshop days, participants will design global issues projects for their students.

Differentiating Instruction Through Problem-Based Learning - Today's educators are challenged to provide opportunities for all students to achieve at high levels. The more conventional whole-class approach to instruction precludes such differentiation. Problem-based learning provides a venue for achieving differentiated instruction and technology infusion. Once a task and assessment rubric are designed, the teachers craft a complex Scaffold for Learning. Participants will explore problem-based learning and the ways in which it can be used to address differentiation of instruction and technology infusion. Depending on the number of workshop days, participants will design their own problem-based tasks and scaffolds.

Designing Digital Portfolios - Most classroom assessments view the student against a set of standards. While this is an important component of an individual's learning process, equally valuable is recognizing personal growth, that is, matching oneself against one's own prior performance. Portfolio assessment does just that! Students set goals, collect work, select pieces that best represent growth, and reflect on their own progress. Digital portfolios provide opportunities to capture a variety of types of performances, including through audio and video. Digital portfolios take up a minimal amount of classroom space, using disk space instead. And digital portfolios allow students to take their work home as opposed to losing it to the portfolio. This workshop will introduce the concept of digital portfolios and provide teachers with ideas for using digital portfolios in their classrooms. Participants will create a template for a digital portfolio they might use with their students.

For more information about IDE's workshops, send an email to sales@idecorp.com or call 201 934 - 5005.