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Show "3 0 vernal Express Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1992 13 Kgff8808B8 If I f if ' I j J I ', 1$ s V f 1 ! ' 'm)S : t ' - I T I . llv-- 77! ' ' " MR. RALPH MCMULLIN, math teacher at Vernal variety of math problems to his students. The OLIVER WALLIS follows the story of Cinderella, cess to similar computer books in his kinder- Middle School, sets up a computer to display a kids have a given amount of time to solve them, as told by the Macintosh computer. He has ac- garten class at Maeser Elementary. ContDpuiteH's Bun ecflincatinoim wBiatt value cflo tiDney Duave? ft m'taummm 1 3 J I I H I I ; ft ! li t 1 1 ' I 111 -jj mmJajS-il aJ THE COMPUTER'S images are projected on the screen behind Mr. McMullin as he sets the program up. If r FOLLOWING ALONG as the computer tells the story of Cinderella, Oliver Wallis intently watches the cursor's every move. by Melanle Morrison Lifestyle Writer Over 20 years ago, televisions were placed in Utah schools as a new method of teaching which gave teachers more time to prepare for their classes. Many elementary and secondary students were taught using us-ing this new technology. On Nov. 22, 1963, the televisions were tuned in so students could watch reports of the death of a President of the United States. Today educators are using a more updated method of teaching; the personal computer system. Math students at the Vernal Middle School are experiencing this new method of teaching. Using computer generated slides through an overhead projector, math problems prob-lems are flashed on a projector screen from a Macintosh computer. Teachers in the math department have taken the technology in the School district and applied it and their knowledge of computers to better enable them to teach their students. stu-dents. Mr. Ralph McMullin, a 30-year veteran to teaching, said that now teachers are competing against televisions tele-visions for their student's attention. "We have taken kids and put them in front of a television screen and told them to watch it in order to keep their attention," McMullin said. Students are completely enthralled with the computer system. The students know that they have to pay attention or they may miss something some-thing being presented. "This is really neat," one sixth grade student said. "It makes me want to come to class." Four times each week at the beginning be-ginning of the class, McMullin sets the computer up to flash 60 basic multiplication problems every two seconds on the screen. Students are given a sheet of paper to write the answers on in the order the problems prob-lems appear on the screen. They don't have the time to be staring at anything else. The computer automatically auto-matically keeps track of the answers and when given the command, will show them in their order. "I figure that if the kids haven't learned their multiplication tables by the end of 180 days this way, they never will," McMullin said. McMullin and two other sixth grade math teachers, Rick Moore and Berkley Hall, attended a three-day three-day in-service workshop one year ago. The workshop was presented by a representative of the Apple Computer Company and sponsored by the school district. There, the teachers were given instruction on the use of HyperCard, an application applica-tion software and were given ways to create different programs for their students. The three teachers took this knowledge back to their school and using the Macintosh Classic computer, com-puter, created their own programs. McMullin stated he could see the value this form of teaching had to students. He purchased a Macintosh computer similar to the ones in the school for his own use. From his home after school hours, he is able to do his own programming. 'There isn't enough time in the classroom to do any programming on my own. Therefore, I do it at home and apply it in my classes," he said. McMullin estimates the sixth grade math teachers have access ac-cess to around 80 different programs pro-grams to use in their programs. The seventh grade classes are using purchased pur-chased programs in their classes. As an example, one program just recently tried out on students resembles resem-bles a bingo game. He has pre-programmed a scries of math problems into the system. The students are given a "SMART" card which contains con-tains answers to the random problems. prob-lems. The problems range from three-digit addition, to more difficult diffi-cult equations. He tells the computer comput-er how many problems to flash on the screen at what time interval. Last Wednesday, the students were given one problem every 80 seconds. sec-onds. Students place a marker on the answer if it appears on their card. The first one to get five in a row gets to "spin the wheel" for a prize. This particular program took McMullin five hours of programming program-ming at home to do. The advantage to using the computer in the class room, in his estimation, is that it frees up the teacher's time to observe ob-serve students. He says he can walk around the room when the students arc doing this type of activity and can tell when a student is having a difficult time with their problems. This gives him the feeling of where a slower student is compared to a more advanced student. Vernal Middle School students' scores are above average in the state core curriculum cur-riculum in math. Computer games are not the only programs available on the system. Many of the programs are teaching techniques that would have been used from a text book and from the black board. McMullin doesn't limit his teaching to the computer, however. how-ever. He still teaches from the black board and text book. There is so much technology available to students and teachers. Three years ago, the Utah Legislature gave all the districts in the state funds to purchase computer equipment and software. Most of the schools took the money and made their purchases to fit their school's needs. In many cases throughout the state, after the equipment and software soft-ware was installed, there wasn't a person available in the schools to use the system available to them. Such is the case at Maeser Elementary where laser discs and compact discs have been installed. The programs on the laser discs follow fol-low the state core curriculum. Parents were given a presentation at a PTA meeting on the software available to teachers and students. Most of the parents were amazed to see such advanced technology in place at the school, but expressed concern that it wasn't being used to its full advantage. Staff and administration admin-istration at the school explained that teachers haven't got the time to take away from teaching to learn how to properly use the system. A plea was made to parents to help ease the time restraints on teachers by giving some of their own time, freeing the teachers up to learn more about using us-ing the software. Laser discs are much faster and more controllable than hard drives. A user can load the laser disc, and by giving the computer a command, the disc will go right to the section where the teacher wants to start. This speeds up time in the classroom class-room and helps to keep the students' stu-dents' attention. Other elementary programs available avail-able include reading books. The younger students enjoy reading from the computer books because they tell the story, in story fashion. The words appear just like in a book and the cursor follows along highlighting high-lighting the word as the storyteller talks. One series, the "Grandma and Me," will be available in Uintah District libraries in the near future. McMullin says kids are presented more knowledge at an earlier age, such as reading at the kindergarten level or multiplication tables in first and second grade. The technology is there and in place in schools. Students and teachers alike benefit from the use of computer equipment. By the year 2000, who knows, students may be taught solely by computers. But then what will happen to the teachers? Essay writer hopes computer technology can be used in 2000 Jeffrey Judd is hopeful that computers com-puters will be useful in the medical field, in meteorology, and in the classroom.' Jeffrey is this week's essay es-say winner in the Vernal Express' essay contest. Jeffrey states in his writing that he hopes doctors will be able to use computers to cure cancer and AIDS by the year 2000. His father, Steven Judd, explained that their family has a very close friend who lives in Wisconsin that has terminal cancer. The family travelled to sec this friend while on vacation last summer. sum-mer. Mr. Judd believes that Jeffrey was personally touched by this visit which sparked his interest for his essay. "Jeffrey is a very tender-hearted little boy," Mr. Judd explained. I'Just recently he came home with a mouse he saw in Wal-Mart, which he had bought without our (his parents') par-ents') permission. He named it 'Garth' after the Wayne's World character." While on this same vacation, the family visited Chicago and Detroit where Jeffrey was able to attend a Detroit Lions-New England Patriots football game. This was the highlight high-light to his vacation. Jeffrey is a student of Mr. Robert Shakespeare. Mr. Shakespeare stated stat-ed that Jeffrey is a normal young boy who gets good grades and is a very conscientious student. "1 wish 1 had a whole room full of kids just like him," Shakespeare said. Mr. Shakespeare explained that his class enjoyed this writing assignment. as-signment. Prior to the assignment, the class discussed different ideas they could use, then he challenged them to complete the essay error free. The students took the challenge chal-lenge and each essay was turned in as their teacher directed. Jeffrey is the youngest in the Judd family. He has a sister, Amy, 16; and two older brothers, Steven Jr., 13, and Cory, 12. He says he has learned a lot from his older siblings. His mother is Holli Judd. He is active in golf, basketball, baseball and football, but says his favorite time is golfing with his dad. In Jeffrey's essay he writes, "Teachers won't have to teach, we'll learn it all from computers. Everyone will have a computer at their desk." In many students' eyes, this is the way education is headed. Jeffrey says he enjoys the time he gets to spend at school on computers comput-ers and feels they are of value to him and his education. Future Dreams by Jeffrey Judd Fourth grade, Central Elementary In the year 2000, doctors will know a lot more than they do now. They might have a cure for cancer and also AIDS. They might be able to change the weather, weath-er, make it rain, and prevent earthquakes. Teachers won't have to teach, we will learn it all from computers. comput-ers. Everyone will have a computer at their desk. 1.--- . - n , i Sjl JEFFREY JUDD is the fourth grade representative from Central Elementary in the essay contest. |