Integrate Web Application--Assignment

"The Fifty Nifty United States"

I found several online resources to teach the US states and capitals to fifth grade ESL students. I have taught this unit in the past and have been disappointed that the district currently blocks many of the interactive websites I have found on this subject.

I found several websites to aid in the learning of states and capitals through multi-sensory methods such as singing songs and interactive games.

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm

This site contains a number of education games for engaging drill practice (reword), allowing students to progress as they learn more state capitals. For bilingual students, the task of not only learning the capitals of each state but learning the spelling and the pronunciation prove difficult. The capital activity level one restricts students to 5-6 states at a time. Students must match the capital to one of the states shown on the map. The capital is read aloud and the student sees the printed name as well as the physical location on the map, employing a variety of multi-sensory modes of learning. Games progress to matching all capitals and states without limiting the number of states. In this way the student’s learning is scaffolding from the known to the unknown.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQBvyqxeO70

http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7f16f32e7933e174c719

Both the YouTube and TeacherTube have videos along with the song “Fifty Nifty United States”, a song with the 50 states in alphabetical order.

The YouTube video is the one I would prefer, however I understand if the district would not want to allow access to YouTube, in which case the TeacherTube video would be acceptable. The YouTube video has the song with corresponding slides of each state’s stamp. The stamp briefly depicts a bit about each state, for example the type of geography, major crops, and tourism and sporting information.

I would use both resources to supplement my lesson on the 50 states. I would first model the site for students to review as a class, then as a follow-up tool for students to review the states and capitals on an individual basis, following a traditional lesson on the 50 states. Using this resource as an independent review frees up teaching time spent on review and allows me to work more individually with students while the others take a turn on the computer. It also provides a more engaging review format than the traditional paper map to try and memorize information. This would be a great resource for students to use in the general education classroom as well. Video and audio files are a way for students to engage in hands-on learning and engage students.

As a teacher, I can only do so much with paper-and-pencil drills especially for students who require a lot of repetition to learn the material. ESL students typically read below grade-level. The memorization and location of each state and capital is overwhelming enough, let alone the pronunciation and spelling of each. Both resources allow students to hear and see the name of the state capitals. The online game involves kinesthetic learning as they drag the mouse to the correct location. The use of games, songs, and movement also creates a more authentic learning experience in which the learner can be more highly motivated.

Both the game and song web sites offer a unique framework from which students can construct their learning.

I particularly appreciate how the 50 States games (located at: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/web_games.htm) gives the students a visual-spatial framework from which to reference the states in relation to each other and not in isolation.

I particularly appreciate how the songs (located at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQBvyqxeO70 and http://www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=7f16f32e7933e174c719) gives the students an alphabetical framework from which to recall the names of each state.

The YouTube video provides additional learning that I have not had time to address in the past through the use of each state’s postage stamp. I would first view the song a few times with my students, pausing the video to ask students to describe what they saw on the stamp and locating the state on the map. I believe it would help reinforce different attributes of our country. For example, seeing a picture of a skier on a snowy mountain in Colorado postage stamp and then locating Colorado on a US map can reinforce the fact Colorado is a state in which many people enjoy snow, mountains, and skiing.

All the resources I listed are currently blocked on the Anchorage School District’s (ASD) websites. I would like to request that the ASD IT department find a way to allow the specific resources I mentioned above with the following justification:

Justification:

Research in best practices demonstrate that students (especially language learners or ESL) learn best with a multi-sensory approach that is provided by these resources through the us of interactive games and catchy songs. Using these sites students are able to see, hear, respond, and manipulate information which will lead to greater motivation and learning.

Research in best practices demonstrates that all learners, and (especially language learners or ESL), need many exposures to specific words and concepts before they will be internalized. The use of the resources above will greatly help my student gain exposure in learning the names of the 50 States and their geographic location in a supported and meaningful context.