The Instructional Technology Symposium:
August 30 and 31, 2001
Medill Training Center

Teachers and administrators throughout the district were invited to a special summer-end Instructional Technology Symposium that served as a capstone to the summer TLCF sessions. Teachers were able to experiment with new technology tools to assemble great lessons and activities. At the same time, administrators got a chance to see what kids can do in the classroom.

The symposium was made available to both TLCF and non-TLCF schools to introduce new technology tools and acheive specific technology learning goals aligned with state and national learning standards.

Note: Inspiration, Microsoft Paint, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint and Excel or the equivalent MS Office Viewer Programs are required to view some of the materials described below.

Program Topics:

Using Digital Cameras to Document Success
This digital camera workshop featured the Intel Pocket Camera. Participating teachers and adminstrators worked hands-on with these inexpensive yet versitile technology learning tools. Participants took pictures and video and learned editing techniques to prepare these images for use in classroom projects. Each teacher created a document and inserted a digital image into the text to practice their new skills.

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Teaching Math with Spreadsheets
What can you do with Excel in the classroom? Most people think of Microsoft Excel as a leading business analysis tool. However, this powerful program has practical applications in the classroom, including teaching counting, graphic visualization of trends, and other key numeric analysis skills. After discussing the advantages of integrating spreadsheets into their curriculum, participants learned how to input data and to create graphs based the data they entered. Each participant created a spreadsheet in Excel, created a graph based on the data, and imported a graphic image.

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Reading Skills and KidPix
Programs like Broderbund's Kid Pix Studio is an easy-to-use tool that can be quickly integrated in to the classroom in activities encouraging creativity. Kid Pix can help capture children's imaginations when used in a teacher-initiated lesson or as part of a child-centered activity. Participants in this workshop learned how to use the slide selection feature to select and order their slides, how to incorporate sounds and transitions, and how set the Time Slider. The result was a Kid Pix presentation to call their own! Samples here are saved as bitmapped graphics rather than as KidPix-formatted files.

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Graphic Organizers and Inspiration
The Inspiration workshop offered teachers a glance at how technology can aid their use of graphic organizers in the classroom. After exploring online resources for graphic organizers, teachers learned how to create exciting, interactive webs using this dynamic software tool.

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Telling a Story with HyperStudio
Designed for anyone with elementary computing skills and a desire to create multimedia projects, this workshop walked through the steps of HyperStudio, a multimedia authoring program. Participants were encouraged to "tell a story" using the software, creating a stack with buttons that link to other cards that incorporate both sounds and graphics.

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Using Microsoft PowerPoint in the Classroom
Microsoft PowerPoint is an exciting educational tool! This workshop focused on the essential elements of the program…everything teachers and their students need to create exciting, educational multimedia presentations. After a guided tour through the program, participants created their own PowerPoint slide shows.

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About the Menu

Visit TLCF Home to learn about the state and federal implementation of the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund.

Click the Standards button to review training programs, and access links to both Illinois and National Education Technology Standards for Teachers.

Select Training to learn more about the staff development programs offered to Area VII and Region I TLCF schools.

Click the Area VII button on the navigation bar to learn more about the Learning Technologies staff supporting these schools