Naming Names: Assigning Labels to Information
Updated: June 28, 2004
What's in this Lesson:
Lesson Overview
Teacher Technology Tutorials
Teacher Guide (including How to Begin)
Resources
Lesson Overview
Curriculum Connections: Reading, Life Sciences, History
Standards Connections: International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) Standards
| • | National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS): | • | I.A: Teachers demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts related to technology. | | • | II.A: Teachers design developmentally appropriate learning opportunities that apply technology-enhanced instructional strategies to support the diverse needs of learners. | | • | III.A: Teachers facilitate technology-enhanced experiences that address content standards and student technology standards. |
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| • | National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS): | • | Grades 3-5 NETS Performance Indicator 5: Use technology tools (for example, multimedia authoring, presentation, Web tools, digital cameras, and scanners) for individual and collaborative writing, communication, and publishing activities to create knowledge products for audiences inside and outside the classroom. | | • | Grades 6-8 NETS Performance Indicator 6: Design, develop, publish, and present products (e.g., Web pages, videotapes) using technology resources that demonstrate and communicate curriculum concepts to audiences inside and outside the classroom. | | • | Grades 9-12 Performance Indicator 8: Select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving, and decision making in content learning. |
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Required Software: Microsoft Excel 2000
Teacher Technology Tutorials
Teacher Guide
Summary:
Overarching Question: How can technology be used to create more effective interactive learning and communication?
Technology offers diverse methods to bring new interaction to student learning. Rather than traditional pencil labeling of mass produced worksheets, students can create their own unique digital worksheets that can provide reinforced practice of key concepts.
Labeling can help students build associations, learn opposites, practice simple math problems or even develop language skills as written words are associated with illustrations and numerical representations. This tutorial offers instruction in creating a digital worksheet that can be used to identify correct and incorrect answers.
Objectives:
| • | Knowledge | • | Students will gain knowledge of key content vocabulary or word associations through construction and practice on a digital worksheet. | | • | Students will gain appreciation for the possibilities of using labeled images in reinforcing learning or in use in presentations. |
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| • | Skills | • | Students will develop skills in using draw tools and formatting draw objects. | | • | Students will develop skills in creating formulas to create a response to user input. |
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Prerequisite Skills:
| • | Familiarity with word processing and copy/pasting of text and images |
| • | Ability to find and save information and images from Encarta or Internet |
| • | Comfort with saving files to shared folder on computer or network |
Time Allotted:
| • | Preparing the project (1-2 class periods) |
| • | Creating the project (1 class periods) |
| • | Finalizing the project (1 class period) |
| • | Presenting and reflecting (1-2 class periods) |
How to Begin:
1. | Preparing the Project (1-2 class periods) | • | Decide on concept, word bank, or other idea that aligns with your curriculum. | | • | Decide on assessment of project and create rubric. | | • | Demonstrate a sample digital worksheet in Excel and share how tools within Excel are used to create final product. | | • | Teams research to find an image to use with their assignment. Images should be gathered and saved in a shared folder. Student-created images should be encouraged (maps, icons, charts, and other image forms). These should be digitized and saved in the images folder for later use. |
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2. | Creating the Project (1 class periods) | • | Teams draft their title and word bank in an Excel worksheet. | | • | Teams copy/paste or insert images into worksheet. | | • | Teams add functionality to their image by linking answer cells to specific image areas using connectors or lines. | | • | Students enter formula that will provide interactive element to users. |
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3. | Finalizing the Project (1-2 class periods) | • | Upon final review by team and teacher, projects are prepared for class viewing. | | • | Projects can be placed in a common folder or worksheets inserted into one master Excel document for student use and practice. | | • | Teams can present their digital worksheets to the class. |
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4. | Assessments | • | Checking for Understanding | • | How did you select the diagram or image you decided to include? | | • | Do you think adding a visual element—such as a diagram or image—helps your audience better comprehend the information you are presenting? | | • | Does working with a diagram or image help you analyze information? | | • | Project rubrics are an essential evaluation tool. Ideally rubrics are available to students at the start of a project and used to evaluate teacher-created projects or other artifacts so that students can have a context for what is expected. Rubrics should be brought up frequently throughout the project and used as an ongoing evaluation tool for self, peer, and teacher assessment. A good source for rubrics is Rubistar. Visit the Rubistar Web site at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php. |
| | • | Student Reflection Student reflection is a vital element of any assessment. Make sure that time is allocated at the end of the project for reflection on processes and products. Some questions you can ask are: | • | What are some ways that digital worksheets can help learning? | | • | Do you learn better with digital worksheet vs. traditional pencil and paper worksheets? | | • | What did I learn? What did I do well? What would I change? Next time I want to... |
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Teacher Tips
| • | Create a project of your own to use for demonstration then share the process with the class. |
| • | It is also helpful to display student projects from prior years if they are available. |
| • | Align project to your curriculum and state standards and create an assessment rubric for your project. (Visit the Rubistar Web site at http://rubistar.4teachers.org/index.php for more information.) |
| • | A few days prior to the project, talk over the subject you will be using and assist in finding locations of images that would be appropriate. |
| • | Help students set up their calendar by "backtracking" from the final due date and setting deadlines for the separate project elements. |
| • | Send out a message to parents letting them know of project expectations and due dates. |
| • | Create a series of mini-lessons to address skills and knowledge needed to complete the project. |
| • | Allow time to meet with individual teams to assess progress and assist in problem solving. Make this an assessment time by checking off and scoring completed elements. |
| • | Be sure to plan for differentiation or modification as needed for your diverse group of learners. |
| • | You can use the comment feature in Excel as a place for students to provide more information or to give the user a hint to the correct answer. |
Grade Level Ideas
For Elementary Students
| • | Using a map of your region, label geographical features such as deserts, mountains, valleys, hills, coastal areas, oceans, and lakes. |
| • | Label the parts of the human body, the solar system, or any ecosystem. |
| • | Create a timeline that matches a word bank of events from a story to proper sequence on the timeline. |
For Middle School Students
| • | Label the structures and processes by which flowering plants generate pollen, ovules, seeds, and fruit. |
| • | Identify and label grammatical structures, such as infinitives and participles. |
| • | Have teams decide on five major events or persons from a historical period and then match these to place on a timeline. |
For High School Students:
| • | Label features of the ocean floor to provide evidence of plate tectonics. |
| • | Identify and label grammatical structures and punctuation marks, such as main and subordinate clauses; gerund, infinitive, and participial phrases. |
| • | Create interactive chemistry worksheet matching chemical notation to images of the molecular structure. |
| • | Create interactive foreign language digital worksheet. |
Resources
Enchanted Learning
Provides labeling activity worksheets and print outs.
Microsoft Encarta Reference Library
Offers photographs, historical timelines, graphics, and text on virtually any subject.
National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers (NETS-T)
This Web site provides technology standards and information about technology integration.
