'Off-The-Wall' System Helps I 'm j us t using this as a tool to teach. I 'm not teaching a course in computer technology.

By Donald Collins

The Kodak Datashow system permits Emily Barton to show all students poems and other material simultaneously. This, in turn, facilitates group discussion.

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Teacher Reach 'Video Kids'

E mily Barton likes to think of herself as a "total teacher." She should. In 15 years, she's guided thousands of students through the verb- and pronoun-filled wil- derness of English grammar. Barton's stu-

dents also have learned the beauty of Shake- speare, the rhythms of Frost, the drama of other masters. She's loved it. And the students have re- sponded in kind.

Last year, El Cajon (California) Valley High School's annual yearbook was dedicated to, and carried a portrait of, Emily Barton. She's an ex- emplary teacher in what in many ways is an exem- plary school. Barton teaches five English classes, ranging from basic or remedial to honors and col- lege prep. As one of only eight "model site" schools in California, E1 Cajon Valley High has re- ceived state funding for development of model and experimental educational programs.

Administrative and instructional efforts from shop and vocational programs to classroom com- puter use are tested and evaluated here. Data on pilot efforts are sent to other schools. Successful programs then may become models for other schools' programs.

For the past three years, Barton has used a Kaypro AT computer with MicroPro Easy word processing program to teach her ninth-grade class- es. At first, she connected it to a large-screen tele- vision monitor. This enabled her to display and discuss literature, show student samples and ac- cess computer programs. Eventually she added an online thesaurus, online dictionary, style checker and other enhancements. Her husband, Tom, a computer consultant in the educational field and himself a former English teacher, helped create specialized composition, grammar and poetry "packages" for the computer.

"The TV was cumbersome," said Barton. "Even when we displayed text in 40 columns, stu- dents still couldn't read it from the back of the room." A possible solution, she said, was to posi- tion several television monitors throughout the classroom. This would have multiplied the invest- ment and made it less practical. It would have also required substantial wiring stretched across the classroom. And, of course, Barton was con- cerned that students might be tempted to fool around with the monitors.

Donald Collins is a San Diego-based photojour- nalist who frequently writes on topics related to computers and presentation technology.

A couple of years ago, Barton and her husband saw a magazine article about the Kodak Datashow system. The system uses digital CGA and EGA signals to create a liquid crystal display (LCD) which can be shown with any overhead transmis- sive light projector.

� 9 the p r o b l e m of te lev is ion m o n i t o r p l a c e m e n t w a s solved.

The Datashow system is a plug-in accessory for any IBM personal computer or compatible. It can be used with most off-the-shelf text processing, spreadsheet and graphics software. Kodak also has an optional software package, SHOWMAKER II, that offers a broad range of presentation and text display options. Text and graphics can be captured on floppy disks, or the Datashow system can be used in interactive mode. For display, the LCD pad is simply placed on any standard over- head transmissive projector.

"This was the ideal answer," said Barton. "Other systems we'd seen were too large and cumbersome. The Datashow system fit in perfect- ly, especially since every one of our classrooms has an overhead projector." With the acquisition of the Datashow system, the problem of television monitor placement was solved.

Students, said Barton, were "captivated" by the new system. "I t ' s something a little different, a little new," she said. "These kids all have grown up in front of a TV set. When something goes up on the screen, they automatically 'zero in' on it."

Many teachers, Barton observed, think they need a high degree of computer knowledge to op- erate such a system--something she said just isn't true. "All you need," she said, "is to learn which button to push and when to activate it. Sure, you feel a little foolish the first time you try, but the kids are surprisingly tolerant." Many teachers, she said, are secretly afraid computer-literate stu- dents may try to "out-talk" them in their knowl- edge of computers.

"Kids from kindergarten on up are exposed to computers today," she said. Some of the students know a lot more about computers in general than I do. So what? I know more about Shakespeare and grammar and mythology than they do. I 'm just us-

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ing this as a tool to teach them. I 'm not teaching a course in computer technology."

Barton first used the new system to teach writ- ing. She used the Datashow system in interactive mode to show students how to edit their own paragraphs. Students were able to exchange ideas and see how sentences could be rearranged.

Without the system, when students were given a paragraph to edit, they often had trouble visual- izing what was needed. With the Datashow sys- tem, she can show them such things as how to move words around, correct misspellings and use the thesaurus. Barton has since expanded the sys- tem to include grammar, poetry and other subject areas.

"I love to use it for teaching poetry," she said. "Usually I can get an entire poem on one screen. I can talk at length about a single poem. The kids are focused, because they're all looking at me and the screen. We're all traveling in the same direc- tion. Using conventional methods, even with their books open, they could be distracted."

Recently, while discussing a poem, a question came up regarding figures of speech used in the poem. Barton simply punched a key and the fig- ures of speech flashed onto the screen to refresh students' memories. Barton calls this type of com- puter capability "invaluable."

She also pre-programs material for later class- room use, and creates files for future reference. If the class is studying Romeo and Juliet, for exam-

The thesaurus (on s c r e e n ) . . , jiggles the kids" brains.

pie, she often creates files with related material on the play. Such material can be accessed easily by using a random access control. Approximately 100 "electronic transparencies" can be stored for a single presentation.

While teaching writing, Barton sometimes puts an anonymous student paragraph on the screen. Then, among other things, she asks the class to find spelling errors. If there are errors and they don't find them, she activates the computer's spell checker. This instantly highlights all misspelled words.

With the thesaurus, she is able to discuss word choices with students and show them possibilities that might not have occurred to them. "I t just jig- gles the kids' brains, Barton said. "It makes them think of all the possibilities. This is good, because they tend to get too comfortable. "They see a giv- en word and think it's the only word they could use. I tell them that's like saying the only clothes you're going to wear for the rest of your lives are either black or white. In word choice, I want to show them the range of possibilities."

Barton said a major advantage to the system is that it is fully adaptable to her personality and her style of teaching. She can prepare programs and presentations to fit individual situations. "When you get down to the nitty-gritty," she said, "that 's what teaching is all about. You use your own per- sonality, your own methodology, and you adapt it to what your students need. To do this, you use the best tools you can."

The school administration, said Barton, has been very enthusiastic about computers in the classroom and about the Datashow system. Obvi- ously, Barton would like to see a set-up like hers in the hands of every teacher in the school. Many teachers, she said, have expressed concern about computers "running the teachers," instead of the other way around. This system, she added, re- moves that objection because it can be adapted fully to the individual teacher's style.

"With a setup like this," said Barton, "the teacher is totally in charge, and uses it as he or she sees fit. It suits both the students' needs and the teacher's personal approach to teaching. As such, it couldn't be more perfect." �9

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