Urban Dreams

Cohorts I and II Teacher Survey– Spring 2002

Benefits to Teachers

 

Personal Benefit

Have you personally benefited from participating in UD?  If yes, in what ways have you benefited?

 

Yes.  Attending workshops offered by Urban Dreams has been great professional benefit. This enables me to study in depth particular teaching units.

Yes. I have learned more about how to use the computer in the classroom, I do better research on the Internet and use my laptop frequently.

Yes. Use of computers to integrate with curriculum.

Yes. Summer @ Stanford filmmaking, training, repair, lunicolor, and human rights education/speakers. Also computers, scanner, printer, Alpha Smart cart, and digital camera.

Yes. Laptop/digital camera, instructions on use of computers, time (paid) to develop lessons, and opportunities to work with colleagues
Yes. First the availability of all of the technology including the lap top which I can take with me anywhere and work on lessons or grades, access the net, or communicate with colleagues. Second, I encourage students to communicate with me through email if they have questions. Third, the workshops have provided resources and hands-on learning experiences for me. The unit that I worked on last summer was most successful in class this year.
Yes. The experience has forced me to engage with the technology on a more consistent basis.
Yes, I loved the books I received-read and employed them. The lectured at the Summer Institute were also great-I enjoy the digital camera. My students use computer and printer. I show occasional films on VCR. I really enjoyed the CATE conference-I also enjoy the BAWP.
Yes, I have grown more confident in my own use, and I have availed myself of many more resources and sources via the Internet.
Yes, the in-service activities have been very interesting and have stimulated my thinking. I have also been able to dedicated time to focus on areas of special interest to develop units-all possible through these focus series.
Yes, tremendously, The personal and individual help in the form of coaching, preparing lessons and even modeling expert teaching from Stan has been invaluable to me. Also, having the opportunity to engage in this dialogue about my subject area has been very helpful. I really enjoyed every workshop I attended. They were all very professionally run, interesting and most important, they directly impacted my teaching and curriculum.
Yes, UD has allowed me to think differently, in terms of lesson plans and what is possible for student assessment. UD also stretched me mentally making me think as a student during classes-a great benefit.
Yes – I have received computer, a laptop, a monitor and VCR – all of which I use as a regular part of my curriculum. I have had an opportunity to learn video movie editing and set up ( I need the refresher this summer) and some of my student know how to do it now also. The workshops I’ve attended have been informative and whatever I’ve learned, I’ve used to enhance and improve my teaching.
Yes – The equipment-of course! But the most beneficial programs have been the Summer writing week (where I was paid and treated like a professional!) and the enrichment classes like the Human Rights Series.
Yes – The lectures, meetings, and classes have all been informative and enjoyable. I have learned new skills, learned new information, and met new friends.
Yes – Urban Dreams has benefited not only me, but also my students. In the classroom, my students are able to type their essays, perform calculations, and access e-mail and Internet resources. I am also able to do my work at home and in special school outings on my laptop.
Yes. The people I've met. Both participants and presenters. Their ideas, viewpoints, experiences are invaluable. The video project's equipment and software, not to mention working with a filmmaker, is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
Yes – I have learned so much about computers and technology that it has changed my attitude about computers of which I was terrified. I can type up tests, questions, add clip art, do many word processing applications. I’ve learned about digital cameras, search engines and how to refresh my laptop. I learned to use “my pictures” for a slide show. I learned about the Mac 3 and how to make formats for newsletters. I can explore with more confidence. I am very grateful for all the sources and encouragement UD has provided.
Yes – I have become much, much more comfortable about the technology. I have switched to Word from an old, outdated program that I had not been able (previously) to wean myself away from. I have a support system at UD which I can all upon night or day. I received a laptop which I use every day. Actually, I cannot count the many ways in which this program has and is enabling me.
Yes – The UD Summer Institute is one of the only professional development workshops I’ve attended where I was actually treated as a professional. It feels somewhat selfish to say, but UD has made me feel validated and valued as an educator. Setting to focus intensively on curriculum and receiving all the great resources to teach issues of human rights has been immensely helpful.
Yes – Lots of contact w/great teachers, curriculum, resources, information, a laptop, and training.
The technology that UD has provided in the library has made teaching easier for me and became more interesting to students. For example, it is especially useful to be able to demonstrate a lesson using a UD laptop hooked up to UD large monitors. Also, I like Oakland’s UD project web site because I can find lessons, literature, tests, etc.
I am a better teacher with students who get better lessons via the aid of computer applications and the internet. The Urban Dreams technologies allow me to construct more creative, comprehensive, and engaging lessons for students.  
I am unabashedly pleased that I have a laptop and my students can use the classroom computers to do MY class work.  
Hardware was beneficial, especially the monitor for classroom demonstration. Met like-minded people who I now share information, techniques with. Nice staff also.  
Yes – Definitely a benefit. The Summer Institute was one of the best ever! The technology support is a true gift to OUSD schools!
Yes  
A bit more organized  
My lessons are not as dull. 
Collaborating w/other history teachers is fantastic. 
The History Grant with Stan and Shelly are extremely refreshing and helpful. 
Better classroom management & motivation-w/computers and the Internet
Students are more focused
Yes 
Student’s access Internet, Microsoft Word, and e-mail more frequently 
Student assignments are better organized, neater, and I have benefited from their use of spell check. 
Creating assignments lessoned photocopied materials, because the lessons could be placed on each students desk top for completion, save, and print when indicated.

 

 

 

Influence of Urban Dreams on Instructional Strategies and Materials Used

Go to Benefits to Students Page

Prior Instructional Strategies and Materials

What types of instructional strategies/materials did you use in your classroom prior to Urban Dreams?

How often did you use them?
 
Books, lecture, group work, etc. or do you mean technology? No technology prior to UD - one film a year.
Textbooks; and alternative readings such as Howard Burn’s, A People’s History of the United States. I used them daily. Nothing technology related.
The Internet has revolutionized education and research. What was once an extensive, sometimes lengthy research project has become a project that allows students opportunities to be creative.
I used of variety of instructional strategies and materials prior to UD-text, videos, student generated lessons and presentations, PowerPoint, Internet, research, etc.
I've used a mix always, reading independently, reading as a whole group, reading in small groups, writing assignments, peer response groups, grammar exercises, literature, etc.
Stand and deliver Reading - seat work Group and individual projects
This is a huge question – I use a variety of strategies (anything that works!) and I primarily use books and copied materials. I used an overhead projector.

Methods used:

District textbooks

Direct instruction

Cooperative learning

Project-based learning

Slowly, but surely. Our school has packed up and moved twice since June. We are still living out of boxes and our new site is still under construction without adequate wiring and many of buildings still unusable. It's been diff. and need to catch our breath.
Direct instruction, lecture, and cooperative groups.
The text, workbooks, overhead, blackboard, photocopies of handouts.
I previously used a tremendous variety of instructional strategies. I still use many different strategies. UD has just equipped me with more. I only had one functional computer and printer in my classroom before I joined the UD project. I also had no technical support so when problems arose I couldn’t use the computers.
I never used technological strategies beyond requiring students to word process essays.
Whenever students needed to get information for the various research projects I assigned, I had to write passes to the library so that they could go there to seek information for the Internet. This was a very frequent activity.
Meaning technological instructional strategies? Word processing – the revision that it allows.
I frequently use the similar strategies, but UD provides us with support, resources, and guidance to make units relevant and alive.
Readings, lectures, textbooks, whole pieces of literature.  
Used computers and computer applications extensively, especially internet research, student project, desktop publishing. Daily.  
I often used group activities and project based learning to teach my classes. I also used discussion and the reading of novels or other core works.  

 

 

Collaboration

Have you had the opportunity to collaborate with other Urban Dreams’ teachers and staff to develop curriculum materials or strategies? If yes, please give examples of innovative technology strategies and/or enhanced content that you have developed in collaboration with staff or other teachers, and how you are currently using those strategies (note: most of the “no” answers have been omitted).

 

Yes - Cross-curricular projects in Social Studies and journalism for sophomore students with extensive sharing of data, images, files, and collaboration across network.  
Yes – Linda shared a large amount of material with me re: Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko (11th grade core literature). I then went on to do an extensive and highly successful unit on Ceremony which, with the help of Ann (and the UD staff), will soon be available on the UD website to assist other teachers.
Yes – I am working closely with UD staff in creating film making class and training students in using new equipment. I am collaborating with other UD teachers in developing curriculum and activities utilizing technology.
Yes – Not as much as I need to and should. I have tried to establish links with teachers of math and science who have students in common with me in the English I and Geography classes that I teach.
Yes – Teachers have developed curriculum, through the UD Core Lit. Study Group, that uses computer imaging for making quilts, downloading pictures form the Internet for other projects, researching background information on the Internet and using digital cameras.
Yes – In the Core Literature Project we have put together lessons that are available for other teachers.
The use of programs like Power Point and Inspiration has been provided to us by Urban Dreams and the Human Rights series has been incredible. UD has given me material on Latin American and African-American literature and its practical application in the classroom that is extremely important and highly valuable because it is meaningful to the students.  
Yes - I have worked with Tim to learn how to use the technology and to share information on how we have applied the technology in our classrooms.  
Yes.  Probably this part is where I need to develop. My collaboration has been limited to exchanging ideas and sharing work produced by my students.
I have had the opportunity but haven't been able to take advantage of them because of time constraints and other obligations.
Yes. Lesson on campaign finance reform (able to acquire additional information about this topic).
Yes. Summer Institutes are great – follow up is poor.
Yes. 1) Developed "Women's rights in the International/UN Context" with Stan, using the Internet cart." 2) Developed human rights/essay writing unit with cohort from Oakland High.
Yes. I am working with World Cultures teacher for a project to help with issues relating to youth internationally
Yes, to a limited extent, I have worked on-site with Michelle, together we have developed curriculum and team taught units such as an I-search, research project. We used the web as a research tool and taught students how to search for information related to their topics, we teach the MLA format for citing work as well.
No - The opportunity has been presented; I have had other summer commitments and not taken advantage of them.
Yes, I have had the opportunity, but I haven’t really taken advantage!
Yes – Stan and I have worked on a Progressives Unit (for US history) which includes a PowerPoint slide show.  I am working on a unit on the civil rights Freedom Songs (using film and recordings) w/the MLK, Jr. Papers.

 

 

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