Can of worms, anyone??
My Portfolio
I wish I could say my final project is complete, but have realized that for the first time in my life, the final project will NEVER END! Yes, it will always be a work in progress. In this case, however, it is a good thing. My digital portfolio will be updated with each new project I want to showcase, each new technical skill I am able to figure out and each noteworthy event.
In retrospect, putting the information together in GoogleSites was fairly easy (especially with a template) but the difficulty was in deciding what to include, how to organize vast amounts of information and how to link and insert information and projects. Although I could link web-based projects such as Glogster posters, I was not sure how to show my digital stories, Google Earth field trip or accounts that need my password. I'm not sure the "contact Me" page works..seemed to at first but isn't now. I want widgets too! I'm glad right now that I am keeping our "tester" Ning social network site open, but fairly soon I will need to limit access for the safety of our students.
I am thrilled to have an updated and continuously fresh "resume" of sorts with the ability to showcase a digital portfolio, but it needs lots of work to be complete. I'll never be able to stop thinking of ways to improve this webpage, but it is off to a great start.
All in all, a splendid way to end this course!
CC License
Sara's Blog by Sara Douglas is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Self-Evaluation
Let's take time to ponder........
Oh, the joys of evaluating yourself! I decided to use a rubric found on Educational Origami's "Bloom's Digital Taxonomy" website and tweak it to match my situation. The original was an evaluation of the use of Skype, a video conferencing tool.
I needed a slight change as my Livestream live broadcast was slightly different. The viewers could send me a text message, but mostly to ask questions or clarify. There was not a lot of two-way communication. I wanted to also be able to use this rubric for my Jr. High students as they give a live video "how-To" demonstration over our school channel.
I felt that although the original rubric had 3 essential parts: Preparation and Planning, Communication and Reflection, I wanted to also be able to evaluate content: the "actual" of what was presented, so I added a column for that. Within Content I noted whether their assignment was original or copied/quoted and accurate, among other things. I deleted some (unnecessary in my situation) pieces such as "There is some interruption and speaking over people." I also added a few pieces from Educational Origami's Podcasting rubric, such as the quality of production (background noise, etc.)
In the rubric I made for my Livestream broadcast, I scored 14 points out of 16 possible. I gave myself a 3 out of 4 in the Preparation and Planning due to the fact that I did not prepare any questions in advance for the audience and should have thought about having a moderator sitting next to me to read the text box in case a viewer had a question. It was challenging to present and have to keep checking the side for messages.
I gave myself a solid 4 in Content as I met the goals intended. I was original and added new information to the topic. The content was accurate and on topic.
I gave myself a 3 out of 4 in Communication. Although I made sure the sound, background noise and etiquette rules were adhered to, I was nervous and it showed. I also did not look directly into the camera. I tried to speak slowly and clearly, however.
I gave myself a 4 for Reflection. I appreciated the feedback from our instructor and the viewers. I have noted the improvements that need to be made and will make sure I take action on improving next time. I made it a point to review my preparation, goals, questions, process, communication and rules. Oh, and I completed* the rubric!
*Unfortunately, the rubric with my comments would not translate into my GoogleDocs page, so it appears to be more of a generic one, without my lovely decoration and added hilighting.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Becoming a Teacher
I wasn't always an invisible person.
The Longer Story:
In fact, as a child, I was a delight to my first teachers, my parents. Whether we like it or not, parents are our first teachers, after all, for better or worse. Mine were wonderful. My father was an artist, author and Professor of Art and Art Therapy at California State University, Sacramento and a excellent model. I wanted to be a teacher just like him.
I realized an important thing on one particular day when I was eight years old and in third grade. I was sitting in my chair, quiet as always, studiously working, it dawned on me that I was invisible. I needed no help, I demanded no attention. Did the teacher even know my name? Out of the blue, the young teacher burst into tears and said she could not "take it" anymore from Johnny Y. Yes, he'd pushed her over the edge. At that moment, I began to write my list of things she could do to better manage the class, help those who were struggling and inspire us all.
I carried that list and as the years ticked by added more and more to it. I was determined to make a difference and do it right. I graduated from college with a K-8 Multiple Subject teaching credential. I kept finding the hidden students and wanted to help. The "invisible" migrant student lacking English? Sure, I'd learn Spanish and get a credential to teach second language learners and teach English as a Second Language. A bright but "invisible" child who just can't seem to sit still or read, spell or write? Sure, I'll learn about ADD and Dyslexia. I'll become a diagnostician and certified tutor! And the many, many "invisible" students falling through the cracks with no labels? The disenfranchised? The 30% in my town that never even graduate from high school? Well, why not learn about Instructional Media and use what they all know and love (technology) to reach, teach and motivate? Working on that!
Why? So no child will ever be invisible again!
Note:
I had wrongly assumed that since I have an iPhone and MacBook it would make this assignment too easy. As I result, I ignored the cool "apps" and tried to utilize the programs that most kids have already on their basic cell phones. It began well. I took numerous pictures, signed up for Evoca (to record a message then get it placed directly in my blog) and began researching other options. It all quickly went south. The evoca account would not recognize my password. I ended up recording my narrative on my "voice memo" app. That worked well. I sent it to my email. Bubbleshare and Gabcast are both no longer offering services, so those were out for podcasting and slideshows.
I finally broke down and used iMovie (iTunes and eventually tried iDVD). I transferred my voice memo to iMovie, added photos I took with my cell, and made the 1 minute video posted above. But ALAS! It would not play. Not until I finished typing this lengthy explanation did it miraculously work. Blogger would not recognize or download my Mac movies. I could watch my movie on QuickTime, but could not get it translated into that format. I tried everything and spent hours searching "help". I tried sending it to YouTube so I could get a link, but that was a fail. Or maybe it's there and I can't find it?? Why does it work now? I have no idea and probably could never recreate it again. In retrospect I should have completed this project on my daughter's cell using our old HP computer. The good news, however, is that with my students at school we could use our MacBooks in the lab and utilize our cell phones easily. Just no tedious downloading to Blogger!
The Longer Story:
In fact, as a child, I was a delight to my first teachers, my parents. Whether we like it or not, parents are our first teachers, after all, for better or worse. Mine were wonderful. My father was an artist, author and Professor of Art and Art Therapy at California State University, Sacramento and a excellent model. I wanted to be a teacher just like him.
I realized an important thing on one particular day when I was eight years old and in third grade. I was sitting in my chair, quiet as always, studiously working, it dawned on me that I was invisible. I needed no help, I demanded no attention. Did the teacher even know my name? Out of the blue, the young teacher burst into tears and said she could not "take it" anymore from Johnny Y. Yes, he'd pushed her over the edge. At that moment, I began to write my list of things she could do to better manage the class, help those who were struggling and inspire us all.
I carried that list and as the years ticked by added more and more to it. I was determined to make a difference and do it right. I graduated from college with a K-8 Multiple Subject teaching credential. I kept finding the hidden students and wanted to help. The "invisible" migrant student lacking English? Sure, I'd learn Spanish and get a credential to teach second language learners and teach English as a Second Language. A bright but "invisible" child who just can't seem to sit still or read, spell or write? Sure, I'll learn about ADD and Dyslexia. I'll become a diagnostician and certified tutor! And the many, many "invisible" students falling through the cracks with no labels? The disenfranchised? The 30% in my town that never even graduate from high school? Well, why not learn about Instructional Media and use what they all know and love (technology) to reach, teach and motivate? Working on that!
Why? So no child will ever be invisible again!
Note:
I had wrongly assumed that since I have an iPhone and MacBook it would make this assignment too easy. As I result, I ignored the cool "apps" and tried to utilize the programs that most kids have already on their basic cell phones. It began well. I took numerous pictures, signed up for Evoca (to record a message then get it placed directly in my blog) and began researching other options. It all quickly went south. The evoca account would not recognize my password. I ended up recording my narrative on my "voice memo" app. That worked well. I sent it to my email. Bubbleshare and Gabcast are both no longer offering services, so those were out for podcasting and slideshows.
I finally broke down and used iMovie (iTunes and eventually tried iDVD). I transferred my voice memo to iMovie, added photos I took with my cell, and made the 1 minute video posted above. But ALAS! It would not play. Not until I finished typing this lengthy explanation did it miraculously work. Blogger would not recognize or download my Mac movies. I could watch my movie on QuickTime, but could not get it translated into that format. I tried everything and spent hours searching "help". I tried sending it to YouTube so I could get a link, but that was a fail. Or maybe it's there and I can't find it?? Why does it work now? I have no idea and probably could never recreate it again. In retrospect I should have completed this project on my daughter's cell using our old HP computer. The good news, however, is that with my students at school we could use our MacBooks in the lab and utilize our cell phones easily. Just no tedious downloading to Blogger!
Interview: Cell Phone Use in Classrooms
"...having great success"
-Colin Schumacher
Isn't that what education is all about?
As I was able to report on Helium, I am in favor of using cellphones in the classroom. I was excited to begin my search for other educators who agree and are having students learn using everyday cellphones. Starting at the beginning, this is how I came to interview two educators.
I began my search in Classroom2.0. There were numerous forums and blog posts about using cell phones in the classroom. I attempted to contact some people through forums both there and at eschoolnews, but received no response. A few days later, while inadvertently reading through Edutopia's Back to School Guide (PDF) I came across the Tappedin.org website. I quickly became a member and was welcomed into the chat room by "DavidW" who seemed to be part hound.
When I mentioned that I was looking for an educator using cellphones in the classroom he directed me to 5 or 6 other sites. Tappedin sent a transcript of our conversation to my email and I was able to follow up on those leads. One was a big hit! Slideshare.net had a presentation by a secondary school math teacher and IT Coach from central Pennsylvania named Jimbo Lamb. He replied instantly to an email I had sent him. He not only uses cell phones in his own math classrooms (plus has a Wikispaces home for his classes) but helps and encourages all teachers to embrace this easily available technology. His slideshow was excellent and helped direct me to his even better blog and eventually his email.
Both educators are interested in keeping up the dialogue and have asked for a response to discuss what we are doing. So far not much, but I am encouraged to take the first step. What great networking! In the end, I was thrilled to have found two successful people, worlds apart, validating the effective use of cell phones in education.
-Colin Schumacher
Isn't that what education is all about?
As I was able to report on Helium, I am in favor of using cellphones in the classroom. I was excited to begin my search for other educators who agree and are having students learn using everyday cellphones. Starting at the beginning, this is how I came to interview two educators.
I began my search in Classroom2.0. There were numerous forums and blog posts about using cell phones in the classroom. I attempted to contact some people through forums both there and at eschoolnews, but received no response. A few days later, while inadvertently reading through Edutopia's Back to School Guide (PDF) I came across the Tappedin.org website. I quickly became a member and was welcomed into the chat room by "DavidW" who seemed to be part hound.
When I mentioned that I was looking for an educator using cellphones in the classroom he directed me to 5 or 6 other sites. Tappedin sent a transcript of our conversation to my email and I was able to follow up on those leads. One was a big hit! Slideshare.net had a presentation by a secondary school math teacher and IT Coach from central Pennsylvania named Jimbo Lamb. He replied instantly to an email I had sent him. He not only uses cell phones in his own math classrooms (plus has a Wikispaces home for his classes) but helps and encourages all teachers to embrace this easily available technology. His slideshow was excellent and helped direct me to his even better blog and eventually his email.
"The biggest challenge was getting other teachers on board with the new policy. Particularly, one English teacher didn't think there was any educational benefits of mobile devices in the classroom. She had a great speech to back up her position. While she was giving her speech, I downloaded the entire works of William Shakespeare for free from the iTunes app store and asked her if she would find that helpful. She mentioned they didn't have enough copies of some of the works that are covered, and that would be highly beneficial. She now has her own iPod touch (and almost got an iPhone) and sees the benefits of the devices, even if she doesn't necessarily use them in her classroom."
Mr.Lamb said this about the policy at his school:
"Phones should be silenced and out of sight unless given permission to use them for educational purposes. I am trying to get a policy in that allows for use in the hallways and at lunch, which is essentially the students' time."
He goes on to discuss how the parents have viewed the use of Cell phones in class. I love the last sentence!
"I use them without parental input, but have had positive feedback from parents, noting that they are appreciative that I am helping them get their money's worth out of the devices by helping them be more productive."
The very same day I heard from Mr. Lamb, I received a response from someone I had contacted earlier. A while back I was reading an article from eschoolnews about cell phones in classrooms. Someone who had written a reply to the article was very helpful in this endeavor. Colin Schumacher is a teacher, writer, consultant and doctoral student living in Sydney, Australia.
Here's a description from his website:
Colin is the creator and presenter of Making Meaning OnScreen - professional development workshops in screen production, screen literacy and pedagogy. He has trained over 1,800 K-12 teachers and screen directors in Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, The Maldives, Singapore, Japan and Portugal. Colin is a writer, and director of theatre and screen production.
He has also written a book called "Making Meaning OnScreen" which is a student handbook for making effective videos. He has used cell phones for video production in dance, drama, visual arts, and English at the primary and secondary school level.
He mentioned that in his experience, the principal at the school is the key person for policy decisions. Here's a snippet of what he told me about cell phone policy and use:
"Students can't communicate with SMS or outgoing or incoming phone calls but strictly for video recording, viewing and downloading. It works really well and of course every student has a cellphone video capability and no longer stresses the video equipment needs and availability in schools.
I have to monitor this – but I find the teachers and students are so engaged, it isn't a problem."
He also discussed the challenges he has faced which appear to be of a technical nature."There are downloading problems from a cellphone to computer and acceptance by the software again depending on individual schools and their computer capability."
Both educators are interested in keeping up the dialogue and have asked for a response to discuss what we are doing. So far not much, but I am encouraged to take the first step. What great networking! In the end, I was thrilled to have found two successful people, worlds apart, validating the effective use of cell phones in education.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Live Broadcast
Does my hair look OK?
Naturally this is the first thing I though of when reading the "Live Broadcast" assignment. Although it could be audio only, I needed to use the webcam to demonstrate some activities and show student papers. My purpose was to tell the other Advisory Teachers at our school how I assess students who were recommended for a special reading and spelling program (Barton*). I also wanted them to be able to ask questions if needed and was glad there was a chat area. Prior to the event I communicated with them via email to promote the discussion. Here is the nine minute video.
*With the Barton program our homeschooling parents attend the video trainings so they can teach it at home. We have four Advisory Teachers who serve as tutors in the program. We meet weekly with the families to help, encourage and teach. I assessed 10 students this past week. Instead of describing my screening process 10 separate times, I offered to let them participate in this live webinar. Only 3 were able to attend, so I recorded it in order that they may view it anytime on our channel. Two ATs have done so already. I should have warned them that they'll need to listen to a short commercial to watch, but they figured it out.
Additional notes:
I began practicing on Ustream, but ended up choosing Livestream as it seemed easier to use. I practiced recording live broadcasts on both with a coworker, but got confused while trying to "upgrade" Ustream's downloaded app-Producer, and decided to go with the basic Livestream channel. It works like a charm! The additional Studio piece helps the administrator organize and tweak video clips. Signing up was a breeze although both required a birthdate and BOTH had me scrolling down forever until I got to my birth year. Seriously! I was afraid maybe the lists did not go back that far. The email they sent to verify my account had links to helpful tips and upgrades.
I started working on this project early as I was afraid it would be complex, but the Livestream website offers many suggestions to create a successful live presentation. I read the tips, then made sure the lighting was good to show the papers (tricky with the webcam), unplugged the home phone, silenced the cell, and locked the dog in the laundry room. I turned on the channel live-but without it recording-so those who looked at the site a few minutes early could see me (instead of the "offline" message). I chatted with a coworker in the chat box to make sure it worked, then quickly deleted the dialog prior to the live, recorded event. When 10:00 arrived, I pushed the record button and began the dreadful 9 minute recording. Although it was educationally sound, it is frightening to not be allowed to erase mistakes or edit. I realized later that a live presentation needs more than one person. There are reasons for moderators, such as reading the dialog chats while the speaker was speaking. There was no way I could keep up with anyone's chat while trying to present. Next time, I will grab a team member to help.
I can see us using this channel for all sorts of live events. Our families not only live in Stanislaus County, but any adjacent county, so some live 1 1/2 hrs away. This would be a neat way for us to give demonstrations or lessons on curriculum. Students, both individual and classes, could share their work with others by doing a live broadcast at school in our Mac lab or on an AT's laptop. For example, the guitar class could play a song and broadcast to the school, family and friends. In fact, although the ATs meet regularly at the school, it would be neat to communicate other times as I did today with my live chat. The potential is huge!
I was able to participate in EdTech Talk live show on Sunday, September 26. It was their weekly general topics presentation. This week they had guest speaker Camilla Elliott, an author/librarian from Australia. There were two moderators that managed the chat. Camilla discussed the good points and pitfalls of ebooks in classrooms/libraries and shared some exciting Google Earth curriculum projects/adventures. Meanwhile the moderators asked questions, typed links into the chat box (as well as posted them later on the EdTech website) and gave their opinions and ideas. A few listeners participated if they had a question or link to share. I was just observing as I had nothing noteworthy to add. This weekly "meeting" on Sunday is a wonderful idea and I'd love to continue checking in each week for general information on technology and education.
EdTech as well as Classroom 2.0 lists tons of daily shows with varied topics that would be useful to me. The archived shows are also valuable. I'm glad that recording is an option! One small annoyance that others noted was that the sound cut out a few times and the network was slow, rebuffering quite a bit. I did, however get lots of ideas for future K-8 educational pursuits, such as Googlelittrips.org and Googletreks.org. I could see the use in our parents and students watching some of the shows. For example, on the Classroom 2.0 website this week the following shows occurred: Monday: "Stress!" and "Teaching with SciFi films." Thursday: "Solving mysteries in Elluminate", and "Edublogs" (chosen by popular poll vote-fun!) The positive aspect of it being live means we can be participating; we're much more inclined to focus, be interested, motivated, and get on-the-spot help or clarification as needed. We get to be a part of the education instead if it being "thrown" at us. Students especially need that.
Naturally this is the first thing I though of when reading the "Live Broadcast" assignment. Although it could be audio only, I needed to use the webcam to demonstrate some activities and show student papers. My purpose was to tell the other Advisory Teachers at our school how I assess students who were recommended for a special reading and spelling program (Barton*). I also wanted them to be able to ask questions if needed and was glad there was a chat area. Prior to the event I communicated with them via email to promote the discussion. Here is the nine minute video.
*With the Barton program our homeschooling parents attend the video trainings so they can teach it at home. We have four Advisory Teachers who serve as tutors in the program. We meet weekly with the families to help, encourage and teach. I assessed 10 students this past week. Instead of describing my screening process 10 separate times, I offered to let them participate in this live webinar. Only 3 were able to attend, so I recorded it in order that they may view it anytime on our channel. Two ATs have done so already. I should have warned them that they'll need to listen to a short commercial to watch, but they figured it out.
Additional notes:
I began practicing on Ustream, but ended up choosing Livestream as it seemed easier to use. I practiced recording live broadcasts on both with a coworker, but got confused while trying to "upgrade" Ustream's downloaded app-Producer, and decided to go with the basic Livestream channel. It works like a charm! The additional Studio piece helps the administrator organize and tweak video clips. Signing up was a breeze although both required a birthdate and BOTH had me scrolling down forever until I got to my birth year. Seriously! I was afraid maybe the lists did not go back that far. The email they sent to verify my account had links to helpful tips and upgrades.
I started working on this project early as I was afraid it would be complex, but the Livestream website offers many suggestions to create a successful live presentation. I read the tips, then made sure the lighting was good to show the papers (tricky with the webcam), unplugged the home phone, silenced the cell, and locked the dog in the laundry room. I turned on the channel live-but without it recording-so those who looked at the site a few minutes early could see me (instead of the "offline" message). I chatted with a coworker in the chat box to make sure it worked, then quickly deleted the dialog prior to the live, recorded event. When 10:00 arrived, I pushed the record button and began the dreadful 9 minute recording. Although it was educationally sound, it is frightening to not be allowed to erase mistakes or edit. I realized later that a live presentation needs more than one person. There are reasons for moderators, such as reading the dialog chats while the speaker was speaking. There was no way I could keep up with anyone's chat while trying to present. Next time, I will grab a team member to help.
I can see us using this channel for all sorts of live events. Our families not only live in Stanislaus County, but any adjacent county, so some live 1 1/2 hrs away. This would be a neat way for us to give demonstrations or lessons on curriculum. Students, both individual and classes, could share their work with others by doing a live broadcast at school in our Mac lab or on an AT's laptop. For example, the guitar class could play a song and broadcast to the school, family and friends. In fact, although the ATs meet regularly at the school, it would be neat to communicate other times as I did today with my live chat. The potential is huge!
I was able to participate in EdTech Talk live show on Sunday, September 26. It was their weekly general topics presentation. This week they had guest speaker Camilla Elliott, an author/librarian from Australia. There were two moderators that managed the chat. Camilla discussed the good points and pitfalls of ebooks in classrooms/libraries and shared some exciting Google Earth curriculum projects/adventures. Meanwhile the moderators asked questions, typed links into the chat box (as well as posted them later on the EdTech website) and gave their opinions and ideas. A few listeners participated if they had a question or link to share. I was just observing as I had nothing noteworthy to add. This weekly "meeting" on Sunday is a wonderful idea and I'd love to continue checking in each week for general information on technology and education.
EdTech as well as Classroom 2.0 lists tons of daily shows with varied topics that would be useful to me. The archived shows are also valuable. I'm glad that recording is an option! One small annoyance that others noted was that the sound cut out a few times and the network was slow, rebuffering quite a bit. I did, however get lots of ideas for future K-8 educational pursuits, such as Googlelittrips.org and Googletreks.org. I could see the use in our parents and students watching some of the shows. For example, on the Classroom 2.0 website this week the following shows occurred: Monday: "Stress!" and "Teaching with SciFi films." Thursday: "Solving mysteries in Elluminate", and "Edublogs" (chosen by popular poll vote-fun!) The positive aspect of it being live means we can be participating; we're much more inclined to focus, be interested, motivated, and get on-the-spot help or clarification as needed. We get to be a part of the education instead if it being "thrown" at us. Students especially need that.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Social Networks
Warm Fuzzies to Hart-Ransom Charter School's Ning Network to help relieve stress and make learning fun!After a fairly unsuccessful attempt at social networking with our school on Facebook in addition to concerns about online safety and privacy, I have decided to create a custom private social site with Ning. I began by looking at the top 3 that are frequently recommended: Edmoto, ShoutEm and Ning.
I liked the fact that Edmodo is designed with education in mind-a way for students and teachers to connect. It is free for educators and has many wonderful ways of organizing and communicating. In our particular situation (homeschool) I work with families as a whole. I do not have a class of 30 students in 1 subject, therefore do not need much of what this site offers, such as posting of assignments and groups. I needed a place where Advisory Teachers, students and parents can intermingle.
I tried ShoutEm. Right away I was intrigued as it is available on the iphone. It appeared fun to personalize, decorate and share. However, for this "digital immigrant" I found it extremely difficult to manage. Did I want Flicker uploads? I had to read a complex page on how to do that. I could not even figure out how to get people signed up. I quickly decided it was not worth the effort.
Finally, I looked at Ning. Based in Palo Alto it seemed to be designed just for me. All the required set up steps were very intuitive. I began with the free 30 day trial, and as an educator will be able to get it for free with Pearson as a sponsor. I set it up currently as an open, public site so this EDIM class can access it without having to be "accepted", but will switch over to private next month. I will only allow current families at our school to have access to keep it a safe site. Ning offers a place to post, share and comment on photos, videos, and blogs. Each member can personalize their profile. There are forums where our families can interact, get tips from those "in the trenches", encourage and help one another. This is something our parents have been requesting for quite some time.
The assignment I gave our students will fit grades K-8. Each year they are required to demonstrate that they have covered the state standards in the Visual and Performing Arts category. Many are confused about what type of sample that would be. I chose 4th grade to be the sample grade for demonstration purposes.
Each student will be required to go to our Ning network and read my blog "Visual and Performing Arts Sample." I put a link to a chart I made in the assignment which will clarify what that category encompasses. My blog gives a brief description of what they are to do.
The goal is to show mastery of one standard in the appropriate grade level "arts" category. It will be shared on the Ning network. They will comment on a classmate's work which will actually fulfill the state standard "Analyze Art Elements and Principles of Design
1.5 Describe and analyze the elements of art".
The objectives are to:
1) Show families what that category encompasses and provide some ideas or an assignment
Example: Visual Arts category includes photos, paintings, mobiles, etc.
How does color affect mood?
2) Do one of the suggested activities (or one similar) from the chart
Example: Do a dance, paint a picture. My sample posted on Ning was a photo collage.
3) Share their own project in Ning -
Example: post a video of a dance or a photo of what you made. Write a blog to describe the difference between jazz and rock music.
4) Critically assess other art. Make a comment on someone else's art sample, keeping it positive
Example: "I like how you used pastel colors to show calm and brights to show excitement."
5) *The most important objective will be for students to begin utilizing this site and learn how to utilize social networking to their advantage. The majority do not currently use any site and will need to know for their future success. Ning is easy to use and by requiring an assessment of others' art they will become more proficient.
In our November HRCS School Newsletter, I will give the suggested assignment. I will provide them with the Ning network private link code for them to become members. It will tell them to look at my blog in Ning for the assignment and look at my sample photo in Ning for an example.
Evaluation will be based less on the quality of the work completed in the "Arts" than their sharing their work with others and commenting and evaluating on art.
Only through a safe social network am I free to encourage my families to interact and share. Students will be motivated to do an assignment when they can show others. I began with the arts as that is the easiest and most similar to what some are already using to share online. Eventually we may ask our 8th grade students to make a GlogsterEdu poster to show they understand the activities leading up to the Civil War (posting the link on Ning) or our 1st graders to contribute to an ongoing story (in a blog) using 5 of their own spelling words. My hope is that parents begin to use the site to network with other parents at our school to build one another up and students will be encouraged to create and demonstrate mastery of a concept in a different format. No doubt students will encourage more use as they will be eager to share. I can't wait to get started!
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Evaluating Web 2.0 Sites
What a challenge! To begin, our class put together a rubric that would be used to evaluate Web 2.0 tools/sites. We all looked at five sites and evaluated them based on that rubric. How to decide where to begin? Which sites to view? I fell back on the advice from three of my favorite Bloggers. I looked at sites they recommended that I was not familiar with. I also looked at the people they follow and what sites those experts had used. In addition, I took suggestions from my teacher and fellow classmates, and finally, joined the awesome Classroom 2.0.
Here are links to my top 3 Bloggers:
1) Vickie Davis http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
Vickie has the most inspiring stories! Her views and recommendations are always top-notch, up to date and relevant. She is dynamic and encouraging. She can be counted on to find the best information available on the web.
2) Sue Waters http://theedublogger.com/
Sue is the BEST at showing all of us "digital immigrants" how to utilize technology in education. Her guest blogger Kathleen McGeady's information for students about Creative Commons and use of images is wonderful. Sue's tips on how to set up a classroom blog are posted as well as plain language about personal learning networks which helped me finally"get it".
3) Doug Johnson http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/
Doug is a writer whose motto is "Leaving readers confused at a higher level since 2005." His humor, insight into technology and education, and superior teaching abilities have been a real asset to me. His latest post gives numerous (uncomfortable) social networking scenarios for us to read and discuss with students.
*Honorable mention to David Andrade's blog http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/
This science teacher has links to numerous excellent sites, such as this interactive Periodic Table of the Elements.
So with their expertise (and the expertise of those they follow) I have chosen these five Web 2.0 sites to review. In order to limit the length of this blog entry, I'll just explain each part of the rubric for the first two sites then list the others.
Kerpoof
This site is intended for younger students to utilize in order to create pictures, movies, stories, etc. Teachers are able to set up classroom accounts so students can interact with others by sending messages, commenting and reviewing their art. Since this is a Disney-sponsored site, it is very safe and age appropriate. The parents submit their email and must approve the use by their child. The information given to parents is very thorough and explains how they fulfill all COPPA regulations. There were virtually no links to inappropriate content and posted comments and creations are clearly checked for safety. There is no cost to use this site. There is a membership for additional added benefits, but a teacher is able to set up a classroom account with no cost. There is no learning curve involved to utilize this site. It is clean, easy to understand, and free of advertisements. Students are encouraged to collaborate with others. The final product can be saved to the computer desktop, saved in the actual Kerpoof site, and is given a web link for further publishing options. Educational purposes abound! The student is able to use tools to create an original story, artwork, movie, etc. They are able to be creative and use teacher input to fulfill any given number of state standards. They have the ability to use higher-order thinking skills, although discussion with a teacher in order to gain the most benefit would be helpful. For example, they may review another student's artwork, but would gain more with a teacher guiding the criteria for review, or discussing in-depth what made it stand out. The name is somewhat easy to remember and the site is obviously educational, especially under the "arts" category. Students must sign up individually, but can be associated with a class or school account. Here is a link to my rubric assessment of Kerpoof! Final score was 26/28.
Glogster Edu- A wonderful resource for teachers and students! Creators make their own interactive posters. As a teacher, I have used it to make my own "learning tour" for students to learn about innovation. I added links to videos in Discovery Education, sticky notes of writing assignments, a website to visit, and more. My Glogster blog post (7/26/10) explains all the details. I could just as easily assign a student to make their own poster to show understanding of a concept. It is mostly age appropriate with some potential risks. The Edu site is considerably safer than the Glogster stand alone. Although the basic poster-making site is free, there are annoying advertisements to encourage the premium (pay) site. It is fairly easy to navigate, with just a bit of clutter. Both teachers and students could collaborate with others, and final products are given a web link for access. Creators get to decide how it is utilized. This site encourages use of higher-order thinking skills, especially when working with partners or in teams with a teacher-directed guide of expectations. Registration is required. Score: 24/28
More of the Wondeful Web 2.0:
SchoolTube
Ning
Wikispaces
In addition, here are some great Web 1.0 sites our families may enjoy:
Family Fun
This site is perfect for our homeschool students, grades K-8. There were craft projects, links to historical information, science activities, creative endeavors, learning games, recipes, etc. Since this is a Disney-sponsored site, it is very safe and age appropriate. There were virtually no links to inappropriate content and posted comments are clearly checked for safety. The site is free. There were quite a few ads, however, but they were clearly labeled and site navigation couldn't have been any easier or more intuitive. I loved how the projects allowed for feedback and showed a 1- 5 star rating based on prior feedback. Students could post images and comments about projects they had made as well. Although there really was not a lot of the higher-order thinking skills being utilized, a good parent-teacher would use this site as a springboard to do further investigating or analyzing. The name is easy to remember and no registration is required.
Here are links to my top 3 Bloggers:
1) Vickie Davis http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
Vickie has the most inspiring stories! Her views and recommendations are always top-notch, up to date and relevant. She is dynamic and encouraging. She can be counted on to find the best information available on the web.
2) Sue Waters http://theedublogger.com/
Sue is the BEST at showing all of us "digital immigrants" how to utilize technology in education. Her guest blogger Kathleen McGeady's information for students about Creative Commons and use of images is wonderful. Sue's tips on how to set up a classroom blog are posted as well as plain language about personal learning networks which helped me finally"get it".
3) Doug Johnson http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/
Doug is a writer whose motto is "Leaving readers confused at a higher level since 2005." His humor, insight into technology and education, and superior teaching abilities have been a real asset to me. His latest post gives numerous (uncomfortable) social networking scenarios for us to read and discuss with students.
*Honorable mention to David Andrade's blog http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/
This science teacher has links to numerous excellent sites, such as this interactive Periodic Table of the Elements.
So with their expertise (and the expertise of those they follow) I have chosen these five Web 2.0 sites to review. In order to limit the length of this blog entry, I'll just explain each part of the rubric for the first two sites then list the others.
Kerpoof
This site is intended for younger students to utilize in order to create pictures, movies, stories, etc. Teachers are able to set up classroom accounts so students can interact with others by sending messages, commenting and reviewing their art. Since this is a Disney-sponsored site, it is very safe and age appropriate. The parents submit their email and must approve the use by their child. The information given to parents is very thorough and explains how they fulfill all COPPA regulations. There were virtually no links to inappropriate content and posted comments and creations are clearly checked for safety. There is no cost to use this site. There is a membership for additional added benefits, but a teacher is able to set up a classroom account with no cost. There is no learning curve involved to utilize this site. It is clean, easy to understand, and free of advertisements. Students are encouraged to collaborate with others. The final product can be saved to the computer desktop, saved in the actual Kerpoof site, and is given a web link for further publishing options. Educational purposes abound! The student is able to use tools to create an original story, artwork, movie, etc. They are able to be creative and use teacher input to fulfill any given number of state standards. They have the ability to use higher-order thinking skills, although discussion with a teacher in order to gain the most benefit would be helpful. For example, they may review another student's artwork, but would gain more with a teacher guiding the criteria for review, or discussing in-depth what made it stand out. The name is somewhat easy to remember and the site is obviously educational, especially under the "arts" category. Students must sign up individually, but can be associated with a class or school account. Here is a link to my rubric assessment of Kerpoof! Final score was 26/28.
Glogster Edu- A wonderful resource for teachers and students! Creators make their own interactive posters. As a teacher, I have used it to make my own "learning tour" for students to learn about innovation. I added links to videos in Discovery Education, sticky notes of writing assignments, a website to visit, and more. My Glogster blog post (7/26/10) explains all the details. I could just as easily assign a student to make their own poster to show understanding of a concept. It is mostly age appropriate with some potential risks. The Edu site is considerably safer than the Glogster stand alone. Although the basic poster-making site is free, there are annoying advertisements to encourage the premium (pay) site. It is fairly easy to navigate, with just a bit of clutter. Both teachers and students could collaborate with others, and final products are given a web link for access. Creators get to decide how it is utilized. This site encourages use of higher-order thinking skills, especially when working with partners or in teams with a teacher-directed guide of expectations. Registration is required. Score: 24/28
More of the Wondeful Web 2.0:
SchoolTube
Ning
Wikispaces
In addition, here are some great Web 1.0 sites our families may enjoy:
Family Fun
This site is perfect for our homeschool students, grades K-8. There were craft projects, links to historical information, science activities, creative endeavors, learning games, recipes, etc. Since this is a Disney-sponsored site, it is very safe and age appropriate. There were virtually no links to inappropriate content and posted comments are clearly checked for safety. The site is free. There were quite a few ads, however, but they were clearly labeled and site navigation couldn't have been any easier or more intuitive. I loved how the projects allowed for feedback and showed a 1- 5 star rating based on prior feedback. Students could post images and comments about projects they had made as well. Although there really was not a lot of the higher-order thinking skills being utilized, a good parent-teacher would use this site as a springboard to do further investigating or analyzing. The name is easy to remember and no registration is required.
This awesome site has math tutorials for ALL grades and all math concepts. Our Kindergartners can learn about patterns, our 8th graders about algebra. This is a safe site and very easy to use. I clicked on Grade 4, topic "finding the median". I was given lots of helpful instruction. There was a written description of how to do it, a YouTube video of a teacher teaching the concept, some practice questions, and more. This same sort of scenario was presented in all grades and is an excellent resource for our parents and students.
*This is the site, however, that I felt I should contact the developers. I had an issue with the fact that once in a while the advertisements were not clearly labeled as such. A student could easily think it is a lesson and waste time looking at it. They had a "feedback" section that I used, but have not heard back from them yet.
Another great site was Noodle Tools.
This was a bit different than the other sites. It simply helps you choose the best search based on your information needs. This site has earned 7 awards, has no ads and is continuously updated (last time was 8/30/10). I am not convinced, however, that it is 100% safe for students as it basically lists links they follow on their own. I searched for "Reputable Health Information". They listed three different sites to view, all with a good description. I chose KidsHealth.org, which I had never seen, but now LOVE! This site has sections for parents, teens and kids. Just what our school needed to help with Jr. high health resources.
A third useful site I spent a lot of time with was Class Brain. Apparently, many schools (except ours..yet) use this site as a resource for state reports. Well..that is one small piece of this neat Web 2.0 powerhouse. There are actually 17 major areas, with topics listed by subject, grade, Biographies, State reports, games, teens, parents/teachers, etc. Our families would use this site quite a bit, although monitoring would need to be in place. If you want to do a state report on New York, there are 51 links to NY information! Of course, some of the links were no longer valid, but the idea of students finding their own information on the web is helpful.The advertisements were small, but I was annoyed at a pop-up each time I visited. I also had a bit of trouble trying to navigate. I could not see how to get out of the teen section back to the home page. Lost in teen section! Horror of horrors! Overall, a worthwhile site:
The final site I analyzed was Amphi.
This site's goal is to show parents and teachers all the wonderful reading sites available for students. It is basically just a page of links listed under topics such as "Comprehension and Fluency" or "Spelling and Grammar." There is a short description of each link's content. I was unable to figure out who the developer was in order to tell him/her that many links were no longer valid. However, there are some jewels in these lists. For example, StarFall is a site our school uses to help teach Kinder-1st graders how to read. There are letter/sound games, blending exercises and short stories to read (Karaoke style!). The link to Learning Planet paid off as well. However, Fluency through Fables took me to a site that seemed to just list numerous products for sale. As an educator, some time would need to be spent checking out all these sites. I'd rather just find out from EdTech leaders which sites they recommend. On this site, there was no interaction, no way of knowing which sites were more worthy or valid.
This was a very valuable assignment, and I have learned quite a bit. I personally thought MY rubric fitted my situation ( K-8 homeschool; primarily parents as teachers) better than the aggregate rubric until I realized that the sites I originally looked at were Web 1.0 sites, not Web 2.0 sites. As the instructor ever so patiently pointed out, Web 2.0 sites are for students to USE, interact with and create within. I was looking at sites that primarily give information without interaction. As a result, in the end, I came across a number of excellent Web 1.0 sites as well as super-cool web 2.0 sites. I look forward to utilizing the information to help my students become more effective learners.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Creative Commons Resources
I found some excellent FREE resources on the web that have the Creative Commons license.
Check them out on my diigo-social networking "bookmarks" page:
http://www.diigo.com/user/sarasdobie
There are links to free movies and films, art and photos images, music, educational courses at MIT, lesson plans and teacher resources, and various media files. They are all easy to view, use and download. Most, based on type of Creative Commons license, even allow you to utilize them in your own unique creative projects. Amazing!
Check them out on my diigo-social networking "bookmarks" page:
http://www.diigo.com/user/sarasdobie
There are links to free movies and films, art and photos images, music, educational courses at MIT, lesson plans and teacher resources, and various media files. They are all easy to view, use and download. Most, based on type of Creative Commons license, even allow you to utilize them in your own unique creative projects. Amazing!
Creative Commons License
Sara's Blog by Sara Douglas is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
I chose the moderately restrictive Creative Commons License " Attribution-Non-Commercial Share-Alike" cc by-nc-sa. I would recommend the same license for students' use.
Here are the parts and why I chose them for my blog/ recommend for student-created work:
Attribution (others can copy if they give me credit) I want people to be able to freely use or change/build on the original work as long as credit is given. I believe that creative thoughts and actions should be shared, but the original creator should be noted. That is just giving credit where credit is due and something students should always be striving toward.
Non-commercial (they can't use my work for commercial purposes) Others should be able to do re-mixes, mash-ups, etc. but I believe that they should not be allowed to profit financially from work others have done. A student should protect an original creation and have the opportunity to keep the commercial rights to it. I based this on a part of the FAQ section of the Creative Commons website I had read:
"And most educators who put their their educational resources online do so with the idea that they will be widely shared. But if you depend on controlling the copyrights in your resources for your livelihood, you should think carefully before giving away commercial rights to your creative work. For example, many musicians have discovered that offering work for noncommercial use can be quite rewarding."
http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Before_Licensing
Share-Alike (they must share in the same way I have) This allows others the freedom to create their own original works using some of my ideas and keep it equally accessible (yet non-commercial) for future creators. It ensures that the content will be able to be tweaked and shared in the same way in the future, always giving credit to those who have created originally. This seems like the "Golden Rule" theory of keeping up the intent of the original creator with regards to his/her sharing philosophy. Students should share.
I love the idea of creative thought/media being made accessible to the world. The final sentence of this article below enthusiastically tells us where it can lead. However, there should be guidelines as far as usage of others' work. Creative Commons licenses are the perfect fit to balance the rights of users with creators. This blurb from Creative Commons site says it well:
The Inside Google Books post announcing the initiative talks a bit about what this all means:
We’ve marked books that rightsholders have made available under a CC license with a matching logo on the book’s left hand navigation bar. People can download these books in their entirety and pass them along: to friends, classmates, teachers, and so on. And if the rightsholder has chosen to allow people to modify their work, readers can even create a mashup–say, translating the book into Esperanto, donning a black beret, and performing the whole thing to music on YouTube.
http://wiki.creativecommons.org/Before_Licensing
Friday, September 3, 2010
EDIM 514 Introduction
Hello from the West Coast!
My name is Sara Douglas and I am currently in my third class at Wilkes. Personally, I love to travel, read, cook and play. I adore my family: 2 daughters in high school, a husband, a shelter dog and 2 horses. I live in Modesto (the central valley of California) among almond orchards, approx. 90 minutes East of San Francisco/South of Sacramento. My friends and I like to train for endurance events (cheap therapy) and have done some century bike rides, half-marathons and Olympic distance triathlons.
I have taught various grades over the last 22 years and specialize in English as a Second Language and Dyslexia testing and tutoring. I have just started my 10th year as an Advisory Teacher at a K-8th grade public charter school. Our charter is home-based meaning parents serve as primary teachers for the core subjects. I assess, recommend curriculum, tutor in math, reading and writing, help parents with planning and paperwork, and so much more. It is truly a dynamic, challenging and fun job.
This is my third class at Wilkes and I am enjoying the journey. This past summer I completed Digital Storytelling and Digital Media in the Classroom-two excellent courses that I have already been able to incorporate into my job. My hopes are to utilize technology/media to help students enthusiastically learn core academic content while they respectfully and ethically work with others-becoming global citizens. I believe the use of media and newer technologies help educators attend to the various learning styles and abilities, encourage creativity and develop in students a love for lifelong learning. I look forward to what the future holds!
My name is Sara Douglas and I am currently in my third class at Wilkes. Personally, I love to travel, read, cook and play. I adore my family: 2 daughters in high school, a husband, a shelter dog and 2 horses. I live in Modesto (the central valley of California) among almond orchards, approx. 90 minutes East of San Francisco/South of Sacramento. My friends and I like to train for endurance events (cheap therapy) and have done some century bike rides, half-marathons and Olympic distance triathlons.
I have taught various grades over the last 22 years and specialize in English as a Second Language and Dyslexia testing and tutoring. I have just started my 10th year as an Advisory Teacher at a K-8th grade public charter school. Our charter is home-based meaning parents serve as primary teachers for the core subjects. I assess, recommend curriculum, tutor in math, reading and writing, help parents with planning and paperwork, and so much more. It is truly a dynamic, challenging and fun job.
This is my third class at Wilkes and I am enjoying the journey. This past summer I completed Digital Storytelling and Digital Media in the Classroom-two excellent courses that I have already been able to incorporate into my job. My hopes are to utilize technology/media to help students enthusiastically learn core academic content while they respectfully and ethically work with others-becoming global citizens. I believe the use of media and newer technologies help educators attend to the various learning styles and abilities, encourage creativity and develop in students a love for lifelong learning. I look forward to what the future holds!
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Google Earth Reflection
Smailovic is my hero.
This Bosnian cellist, during the war in Sarajevo, witnessed a bomb that killed 22 people in his town. What could he do? He was just one man. The very next day he sat in front of the ruins, in concert attire, and played his cello. He played at 4:00 pm every day for 22 days straight to commemorate those who were murdered. He went on to other sites and played for other victims. His actions teach a lesson that I felt needed to be shared with the 8th grade students in our History Research Writing Class.
This is my Google Earth Virtual Field Trip Project:
http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxyZV9uiWV0xOTUwZmJhMDgtYmEwMS00N2Q0LTlmN2ItZDMzNTgxNzE4MTA5&hl=en&authkey=CKXB5bwE
The goals of my project included-
1) Student knowledge of the war in Sarajevo, Bosnia (actions during 1992-1993 in particular)
-The reasons for the conflict, what occurred, and the consequences.
*Visit 3 to Sarajevo, Bosnia: Students watch a video and take a quiz. They compare the Google Earth landscape/environment now vs. 10 years ago.
2) The impact that one man (Bosnian Cellist Vedran Smailovic) had which gave hope to not just his country, but all around the world.
- The impact Smailovic had on world famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the composer David Wilde and what those two musicians created with Smailovic's song.
*Visit 5 to Paris, France: Students read about Yo-Yo Ma and read a quote from Wilde explaining how his life was touched.
-The impact he had on teacher and blogger Vicki Davis and the story she was able to share with thousands on her Blog.
*Visit 2 to Georgia, USA: Students read her blog entry with the story of Smailovic.
-The impact he had on author Elizabeth Wellburn resulting in the children's book she wrote to commemorate the event.
*Visit 6 to British Columbia, Canada: Students watch and listen as the story is read aloud to them (with pictures in a video with "The Cellist of Sarajevo" song playing in the background)
-The impact he had on the citizens of Sweden as a commercial was made using his image and storyline.
*Visit 4 to Stockholm, Sweden: Students watch the You Tube video of the commercial which shows Bosnian children and Smailovic playing his cello.
-The impact he has made on us. That one person (you) can make a difference. How to be respectful, act ethically, comfort and encourage others. To have hope.
*Visits 1 and 7 to Hart-Ransom Charter School in Modesto, CA: Students follow the directions and write an essay describing how these 6 people around the world are all connected and the lessons that can be learned.
I wanted the students to see a model of someone who has clearly developed his 5 minds: disciplined, synthesizing, creative, respectful and ethical. They will be taught why Smailovic's actions have helped themselves and others around the world to "do right". As Garner states "It is very important to have exposure..to individuals who themselves embody good work." (P. 148).
I agree.
Reference:
Gardner, Howard. (2008). Five Minds for the Future. Boston, MA; Harvard Business Press.
This Bosnian cellist, during the war in Sarajevo, witnessed a bomb that killed 22 people in his town. What could he do? He was just one man. The very next day he sat in front of the ruins, in concert attire, and played his cello. He played at 4:00 pm every day for 22 days straight to commemorate those who were murdered. He went on to other sites and played for other victims. His actions teach a lesson that I felt needed to be shared with the 8th grade students in our History Research Writing Class.
This is my Google Earth Virtual Field Trip Project:
http://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0BxyZV9uiWV0xOTUwZmJhMDgtYmEwMS00N2Q0LTlmN2ItZDMzNTgxNzE4MTA5&hl=en&authkey=CKXB5bwE
The goals of my project included-
1) Student knowledge of the war in Sarajevo, Bosnia (actions during 1992-1993 in particular)
-The reasons for the conflict, what occurred, and the consequences.
*Visit 3 to Sarajevo, Bosnia: Students watch a video and take a quiz. They compare the Google Earth landscape/environment now vs. 10 years ago.
2) The impact that one man (Bosnian Cellist Vedran Smailovic) had which gave hope to not just his country, but all around the world.
- The impact Smailovic had on world famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma and the composer David Wilde and what those two musicians created with Smailovic's song.
*Visit 5 to Paris, France: Students read about Yo-Yo Ma and read a quote from Wilde explaining how his life was touched.
-The impact he had on teacher and blogger Vicki Davis and the story she was able to share with thousands on her Blog.
*Visit 2 to Georgia, USA: Students read her blog entry with the story of Smailovic.
-The impact he had on author Elizabeth Wellburn resulting in the children's book she wrote to commemorate the event.
*Visit 6 to British Columbia, Canada: Students watch and listen as the story is read aloud to them (with pictures in a video with "The Cellist of Sarajevo" song playing in the background)
-The impact he had on the citizens of Sweden as a commercial was made using his image and storyline.
*Visit 4 to Stockholm, Sweden: Students watch the You Tube video of the commercial which shows Bosnian children and Smailovic playing his cello.
-The impact he has made on us. That one person (you) can make a difference. How to be respectful, act ethically, comfort and encourage others. To have hope.
*Visits 1 and 7 to Hart-Ransom Charter School in Modesto, CA: Students follow the directions and write an essay describing how these 6 people around the world are all connected and the lessons that can be learned.
I wanted the students to see a model of someone who has clearly developed his 5 minds: disciplined, synthesizing, creative, respectful and ethical. They will be taught why Smailovic's actions have helped themselves and others around the world to "do right". As Garner states "It is very important to have exposure..to individuals who themselves embody good work." (P. 148).
I agree.
Reference:
Gardner, Howard. (2008). Five Minds for the Future. Boston, MA; Harvard Business Press.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Unit 7- Developing the Five Minds
"Teaching students with new tools, enthusiasm, and a belief that teaching is a noble calling." -Vicki Davis' mission statement for her blog
My purpose for pursuing a graduate degree is simply to help students be more successful. I believe that the wise and purposeful use of media and technology hold the key to real change in the school system, a system that is increasingly failing our children. Technology is interesting, interactive, and speaks students' language. Teamed up with high expectations and learning objectives/goals, almost any subject's lesson can be enhanced with the addition of media.
To support me in the quest, I have found a *jewel* of a blog posted by Vickie Davis, a high school teacher and IT director from Georgia-
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
Her blog has been read by 23, 462 readers and has the following components:
Home-Her own thoughts on the latest technology and educator issues
Projects-Such as the Digiteen
Freebies- Listings of great free down-loadable resources for educators
Popular- Her most popular blogs from years past
Friends-Links to other excellent educator/tech blogs
Books-Some of her highly recommended books
I have developed my own mind tremendously these past few months. Although I believe the use of technology in the classroom can be beneficial, I was quite ill prepared to utilize it within the school setting. The projects I have completed in this EDIM 508 class along with tips from my classmates' blogs and discussions have helped me develop my disciplined mind. Vickie's blog is a shot in the arm that I continually check out. She has discussions, debates, quotes, musings, and links for further information in her blog. It is a phenomenal resource for the latest information, innovations and ideas.
I have been able to synthesize the concerte information I have learned with actual classroom practice. Making a Blog, Glog, PowerPoint and Google Earth project have all been real life experiences I can replicate in each unique classroom. Vickie's blog has a tab listing projects she is involved in-excellent student projects such as Flat Classroom Project, Erasismproject, and Digiteen to name just a few. All serve as a way to help students become more respectful and understanding of others by working together technologically with students from around the world. They are phenomenal, and I look forward to pursuing the Digiteen project as it is available for our Jr. High students.
I have always been a firm believer in the arts and creativity (for all!) and am so glad to have learned that it will be valued more and more in our future. Students are already creating and sharing, and we as educators can help make school more successful by allowing more free thought and creative expression. I have stretched my mind in this class and have had a lot of fun in particular making my Glog. Vickie's blog encourages others to think outside the box and has a tab listing popular blog posts from the past. In it are some excellent ways that others have followed their creative ideas and succeeded.
What I enjoy most about Vickie's blog is that she models respect and ethical behavior. She is humorous, honest, and sincere. She goes out of her way to track down examples that would help both educators and students understand others around the world. She has a link to "Cellist of the Schoolyard" which tells the story of a cellist that played..well..it is just something that you have to see on your own. It was the most uplifting story I have heard all year. Vickie, on her tab of favorite books tells the reader that she does benefit financially from the sale of the books on that page. Wow! She didn't have to tell us, but she did.
I am proud to say that by pursuing this graduate degree with the hope of changing education and helping students, I am taking a big step toward developing my own five minds. I am much more well-equipped to lead students in the development of the "minds" they will need in the years ahead. Gardner does a fantastic job of summing up the future: "Those who succeed in cultivating the pentad of minds are most likely to thrive." "...the survival and thriving of our species will depend on our nurturing of potentials that are distinctly human." (Gardner, p. 163, 167)
References:
Gardner, Howard. (2008). Five Minds for the Future. Boston, MA; Harvard Business Press.
My purpose for pursuing a graduate degree is simply to help students be more successful. I believe that the wise and purposeful use of media and technology hold the key to real change in the school system, a system that is increasingly failing our children. Technology is interesting, interactive, and speaks students' language. Teamed up with high expectations and learning objectives/goals, almost any subject's lesson can be enhanced with the addition of media.
To support me in the quest, I have found a *jewel* of a blog posted by Vickie Davis, a high school teacher and IT director from Georgia-
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/
Her blog has been read by 23, 462 readers and has the following components:
Home-Her own thoughts on the latest technology and educator issues
Projects-Such as the Digiteen
Freebies- Listings of great free down-loadable resources for educators
Popular- Her most popular blogs from years past
Friends-Links to other excellent educator/tech blogs
Books-Some of her highly recommended books
I have developed my own mind tremendously these past few months. Although I believe the use of technology in the classroom can be beneficial, I was quite ill prepared to utilize it within the school setting. The projects I have completed in this EDIM 508 class along with tips from my classmates' blogs and discussions have helped me develop my disciplined mind. Vickie's blog is a shot in the arm that I continually check out. She has discussions, debates, quotes, musings, and links for further information in her blog. It is a phenomenal resource for the latest information, innovations and ideas.
I have been able to synthesize the concerte information I have learned with actual classroom practice. Making a Blog, Glog, PowerPoint and Google Earth project have all been real life experiences I can replicate in each unique classroom. Vickie's blog has a tab listing projects she is involved in-excellent student projects such as Flat Classroom Project, Erasismproject, and Digiteen to name just a few. All serve as a way to help students become more respectful and understanding of others by working together technologically with students from around the world. They are phenomenal, and I look forward to pursuing the Digiteen project as it is available for our Jr. High students.
I have always been a firm believer in the arts and creativity (for all!) and am so glad to have learned that it will be valued more and more in our future. Students are already creating and sharing, and we as educators can help make school more successful by allowing more free thought and creative expression. I have stretched my mind in this class and have had a lot of fun in particular making my Glog. Vickie's blog encourages others to think outside the box and has a tab listing popular blog posts from the past. In it are some excellent ways that others have followed their creative ideas and succeeded.
What I enjoy most about Vickie's blog is that she models respect and ethical behavior. She is humorous, honest, and sincere. She goes out of her way to track down examples that would help both educators and students understand others around the world. She has a link to "Cellist of the Schoolyard" which tells the story of a cellist that played..well..it is just something that you have to see on your own. It was the most uplifting story I have heard all year. Vickie, on her tab of favorite books tells the reader that she does benefit financially from the sale of the books on that page. Wow! She didn't have to tell us, but she did.
I am proud to say that by pursuing this graduate degree with the hope of changing education and helping students, I am taking a big step toward developing my own five minds. I am much more well-equipped to lead students in the development of the "minds" they will need in the years ahead. Gardner does a fantastic job of summing up the future: "Those who succeed in cultivating the pentad of minds are most likely to thrive." "...the survival and thriving of our species will depend on our nurturing of potentials that are distinctly human." (Gardner, p. 163, 167)
References:
Gardner, Howard. (2008). Five Minds for the Future. Boston, MA; Harvard Business Press.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Unit 6-Respect and Ethics
"Knowledge of cultures around the world leads students to understanding and compassion" -Julene Reed
After reading Reed's article, I realized that students will never respect others if they don't know anything about them or why their perspective may be different than their own. Reading information about another country does not necessarily help with understanding and building bridges. As a result, I thought a wonderful first step would be to require the students to do a multimedia project that would personally introduce them to someone born in another country. The three part assignment for our 6-8th graders in the Digital Storytelling Class would be:
1) Produce a 1-3 minute video. The student must videotape someone in Modesto who was born in another country.
*There are many immigrants in Modesto, but most arrive from Mexico, Central America and Iraq. These groups in particular face discrimination and are largely misunderstood.
-Write questions to ask during the interview, such as "Why did you choose Modesto?"
"What is good about being here?" " What is challenging?"
-Edit and share the video with the class.
2) Build a glog which gives information about that person and his or her homeland. Must include links for further study, 2 photographs, and at least one thing that will surprise your classmates.
-Share the glogs with the class and the parents.
3) Complete a community service project (min. 2 hrs) which will directly benefit this person. Share what was done with the class and what effect it had.
I firmly believe that students are very comfortable in their own homes or with their own peer group and are reluctant to venture out and help others unless encouraged by the adults in their life. Of course, there are some students doing community service, but a focused approach on an engaging project will unify the experience. As the other students share, they will gain additional insights about differing countries that will only aid in helping them work in the future global marketplace.
As Reed notes, once students can begin to understand others, then they will begin to care. They will want to be more active in helping solve problems. Our students need to be aware of the challenges facing others, and a personal connection to just one person can make a world of difference. Our future awaits!
Resource:
After reading Reed's article, I realized that students will never respect others if they don't know anything about them or why their perspective may be different than their own. Reading information about another country does not necessarily help with understanding and building bridges. As a result, I thought a wonderful first step would be to require the students to do a multimedia project that would personally introduce them to someone born in another country. The three part assignment for our 6-8th graders in the Digital Storytelling Class would be:
1) Produce a 1-3 minute video. The student must videotape someone in Modesto who was born in another country.
*There are many immigrants in Modesto, but most arrive from Mexico, Central America and Iraq. These groups in particular face discrimination and are largely misunderstood.
-Write questions to ask during the interview, such as "Why did you choose Modesto?"
"What is good about being here?" " What is challenging?"
-Edit and share the video with the class.
2) Build a glog which gives information about that person and his or her homeland. Must include links for further study, 2 photographs, and at least one thing that will surprise your classmates.
-Share the glogs with the class and the parents.
3) Complete a community service project (min. 2 hrs) which will directly benefit this person. Share what was done with the class and what effect it had.
I firmly believe that students are very comfortable in their own homes or with their own peer group and are reluctant to venture out and help others unless encouraged by the adults in their life. Of course, there are some students doing community service, but a focused approach on an engaging project will unify the experience. As the other students share, they will gain additional insights about differing countries that will only aid in helping them work in the future global marketplace.
As Reed notes, once students can begin to understand others, then they will begin to care. They will want to be more active in helping solve problems. Our students need to be aware of the challenges facing others, and a personal connection to just one person can make a world of difference. Our future awaits!
Resource:
Julene Reed - "Global Collaboration and Learning" on EDTECH: Focus on K-12 website
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Unit 5-Creativity Outside the classroom
Our students have an amazing ability to create.
Our students want to create.
Our students have a strong desire to share their creations.
As a result, they naturally spend many hours after school doing just that-through social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube and DeviantART. According to the 2007 PEW research study it was discovered that a whopping 64% of online teens share photos, videos and art they have created with their friends-a number that is surely higher today. We also know that 93% of students utilize the internet and view the work of other students online. What an opportunity for us "Academics" to utilize this knowledge and have students create something that we have encouraged and will appreciate.
The best place I have seen to utilize this concept is SchoolTube (www.schooltube.com). This is a "website dedicated to student video and media sharing for entertainment and classroom use." (SchoolTube's own description). Since there are moderators, explicit or inappropriate material does not make it into the site. A classroom or school is able to have their own channel, thus shining a spotlight on "your own" community. Similar to YouTube, it is easy to navigate and user friendly. SchoolTube has a fantastic Techcorner for educators that is full of resources. Some examples include: lesson plans and PDF forms, scoring rubrics, student code of ethics papers to sign, tips for moderators, easy "getting started" videos, etc. As a result, there is no excuse why a school would not able to find at least one teacher willing to set up accounts. This could easily be utilized both at school and at home. Our sister school (a traditional K-8) has been using this site with great success. I am very excited to get started on using it this fall with our school.
The students at our school are aged 5-13 and are homeschooled. There are virtually hundreds of different textbooks that are used for various subjects and grade levels. Therefore, students could be given the following assignment: "Create a 30 second video commercial showcasing your favorite school textbook." Those who are able could videotape it at home and those who do not have the technology would come to our Apple computer lab and make the movie there. Videotaping is a great assignment because it requires planning, a written script, cooperation with others, and numerous other "educational pursuits." The best thing about making videos, though, is the ability for students to create something original. Their particular strengths can be showcased. As Ken Robinson said in his speech "Many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they're not because the thing they were good at at school wasn't valued.." (Sir Ken Robinson, February 2006, Monterey, CA.) This site encourages them to be creative.
Since many of our students are involved in the arts, they could videotape a performance and have a clip placed on our channel. We would also be able to post highlights from guitar class recitals, 8th grade PowerPoint presentations, etc. The possibilities are endless and the students would finally be able to create something on their own time to share with their friends, family, school and safe strangers all across the globe. The time is NOW!
Resources:
PEW Internet and American Life Project, 2007
Ken Robinson speech
Our students want to create.
Our students have a strong desire to share their creations.
As a result, they naturally spend many hours after school doing just that-through social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube and DeviantART. According to the 2007 PEW research study it was discovered that a whopping 64% of online teens share photos, videos and art they have created with their friends-a number that is surely higher today. We also know that 93% of students utilize the internet and view the work of other students online. What an opportunity for us "Academics" to utilize this knowledge and have students create something that we have encouraged and will appreciate.
The best place I have seen to utilize this concept is SchoolTube (www.schooltube.com). This is a "website dedicated to student video and media sharing for entertainment and classroom use." (SchoolTube's own description). Since there are moderators, explicit or inappropriate material does not make it into the site. A classroom or school is able to have their own channel, thus shining a spotlight on "your own" community. Similar to YouTube, it is easy to navigate and user friendly. SchoolTube has a fantastic Techcorner for educators that is full of resources. Some examples include: lesson plans and PDF forms, scoring rubrics, student code of ethics papers to sign, tips for moderators, easy "getting started" videos, etc. As a result, there is no excuse why a school would not able to find at least one teacher willing to set up accounts. This could easily be utilized both at school and at home. Our sister school (a traditional K-8) has been using this site with great success. I am very excited to get started on using it this fall with our school.
The students at our school are aged 5-13 and are homeschooled. There are virtually hundreds of different textbooks that are used for various subjects and grade levels. Therefore, students could be given the following assignment: "Create a 30 second video commercial showcasing your favorite school textbook." Those who are able could videotape it at home and those who do not have the technology would come to our Apple computer lab and make the movie there. Videotaping is a great assignment because it requires planning, a written script, cooperation with others, and numerous other "educational pursuits." The best thing about making videos, though, is the ability for students to create something original. Their particular strengths can be showcased. As Ken Robinson said in his speech "Many highly talented, brilliant, creative people think they're not because the thing they were good at at school wasn't valued.." (Sir Ken Robinson, February 2006, Monterey, CA.) This site encourages them to be creative.
Since many of our students are involved in the arts, they could videotape a performance and have a clip placed on our channel. We would also be able to post highlights from guitar class recitals, 8th grade PowerPoint presentations, etc. The possibilities are endless and the students would finally be able to create something on their own time to share with their friends, family, school and safe strangers all across the globe. The time is NOW!
Resources:
PEW Internet and American Life Project, 2007
Ken Robinson speech
www.ted.com/index.php/talks/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Glogster Reflection
Glogster would be a perfect fit for my teaching situation. My students (grades K-8) are homeschooled. Almost all have access to the internet. As an advisory teacher, I could easily assign a student a project that would utilize Glogster. For example, a 4th grader who is studying CA history could make a poster demonstrating his or her knowledge of the state bird, flag, government, Native American tribes, etc. Using Glogster is an environmentally friendly assignment too as students are not required to copy reams of paper. The standards that are covered would depend on the specific subject (why, it could meet almost any standard!), but the most obvious standard that would always be met would be in the Visual Arts category:
2.0 CREATIVE EXPRESSION
Creating, Performing, and Participating in the Visual Arts
Students apply artistic processes and skills, using a variety of media to communicate meaning and intent in original works of art.
Skills, Processes, Materials, and Tools 2.1 Demonstrate an increased knowledge of technical skills in using more complex two-dimensional art media and processes (e.g., printing press, silk screening, computer graphics software).
http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/vagrade8.asp
All in all, I am thrilled to discover this neat Web 2.0 tool and can't wait to share it with my families and colleagues. Not only are students learning or demonstrating knowledge of a concept, they are (finally) being able to create!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Unit 4-Creativity
"Games are the most elevated form of investigation." -Albert Einstein
I was excited about the fact that the student exploration was highlighted numerous times in Gardner's chapter entitled "The Creating Mind." The thought of exploration among young people took me back to the days I worked at a Montessori preschool. The students appeared to be playing, but were exploring their world and spending the entire day working on projects and testing, failing, testing again to see which was the most successful end result. They spent all day thinking of creative solutions to problems. The teachers allowed productive mistakes.
Unfortunately, in the typical public school, the K-8 teachers are required to complete X amount of workbook pages per day. A popular CA Language Arts curriculum is actually scripted, so the teacher must read from his/her teachers' editions for the entire 90 minute class period. Although the scores on standardized tests can try to prove that student achievement has improved, in actuality, teachers are not allowed to be creative, and certainly even more so, students are not allowed to be creative. Instead of open-ended questions, many have just one right answer. Students who don't fit in the box of "model student" often check out.
The most creative students I have taught have often been the ones who are diagnosed with ADD or Dyslexia. Unfortunately, these are the ones quickest to get into trouble in school and be undervalued. As Gardner said, "There is a reason why so many famous creators hated or dropped out of school-they did not like marching to someone else's tune (and, in turn, the authorities disliked their idiosyncratic marching patterns). (Gardner, p. 83)
We must all begin to value time spent on developing the creative mind. They must work on their own without a "helicopter" text or teacher telling them what to do each step of the way. I have found a wonderful resource in Daniel H. Pink's book A Whole New Mind. His eighth chapter is simply titled "Play" and includes numerous resources to help us all develop our creative mind. There are numerous examples of why we need to continue playing and what value there is in it. That led me to the website
http://www.inventionatplay.org/index.html
which is run by Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Within this site the student can choose from four "games" that focus on different aspects:
*Exploration/Tinkering (physics game where you move objects around to create a path for a rolling ball),
*Make Believe/Visual Thinking (you design a cloud and watch it float by),
*Social Play/Collaboration (you see short story that someone else has started online. You grab words from the word bank and add to the story) and
*Puzzle Play/Problem Solving (a game like Tangrams where you use various shapes to put together a picture of something.)
In addition to the games, there is a wonderful section titled "Inventor insights" where students are able to click on an inventor and read what he or she has invented and the story behind it. They are encouraged to doodle and see Bell's doodling for a telephone. It is a wonderful website, and easily accessible at home as "homework" if the teacher feels there is no time in class. It encourages play, which does amazing things to help develop the creative mind.
References:
Gardner, Howard. (2008). Five Minds for the Future. Boston, MA; Harvard Business Press.
Pink, Daniel H. (2005). A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York, NY; Riverhead Books, Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
I was excited about the fact that the student exploration was highlighted numerous times in Gardner's chapter entitled "The Creating Mind." The thought of exploration among young people took me back to the days I worked at a Montessori preschool. The students appeared to be playing, but were exploring their world and spending the entire day working on projects and testing, failing, testing again to see which was the most successful end result. They spent all day thinking of creative solutions to problems. The teachers allowed productive mistakes.
Unfortunately, in the typical public school, the K-8 teachers are required to complete X amount of workbook pages per day. A popular CA Language Arts curriculum is actually scripted, so the teacher must read from his/her teachers' editions for the entire 90 minute class period. Although the scores on standardized tests can try to prove that student achievement has improved, in actuality, teachers are not allowed to be creative, and certainly even more so, students are not allowed to be creative. Instead of open-ended questions, many have just one right answer. Students who don't fit in the box of "model student" often check out.
The most creative students I have taught have often been the ones who are diagnosed with ADD or Dyslexia. Unfortunately, these are the ones quickest to get into trouble in school and be undervalued. As Gardner said, "There is a reason why so many famous creators hated or dropped out of school-they did not like marching to someone else's tune (and, in turn, the authorities disliked their idiosyncratic marching patterns). (Gardner, p. 83)
We must all begin to value time spent on developing the creative mind. They must work on their own without a "helicopter" text or teacher telling them what to do each step of the way. I have found a wonderful resource in Daniel H. Pink's book A Whole New Mind. His eighth chapter is simply titled "Play" and includes numerous resources to help us all develop our creative mind. There are numerous examples of why we need to continue playing and what value there is in it. That led me to the website
http://www.inventionatplay.org/index.html
which is run by Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation. Within this site the student can choose from four "games" that focus on different aspects:
*Exploration/Tinkering (physics game where you move objects around to create a path for a rolling ball),
*Make Believe/Visual Thinking (you design a cloud and watch it float by),
*Social Play/Collaboration (you see short story that someone else has started online. You grab words from the word bank and add to the story) and
*Puzzle Play/Problem Solving (a game like Tangrams where you use various shapes to put together a picture of something.)
In addition to the games, there is a wonderful section titled "Inventor insights" where students are able to click on an inventor and read what he or she has invented and the story behind it. They are encouraged to doodle and see Bell's doodling for a telephone. It is a wonderful website, and easily accessible at home as "homework" if the teacher feels there is no time in class. It encourages play, which does amazing things to help develop the creative mind.
References:
Gardner, Howard. (2008). Five Minds for the Future. Boston, MA; Harvard Business Press.
Pink, Daniel H. (2005). A Whole New Mind, Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. New York, NY; Riverhead Books, Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Reflection on PowerPoint Presentation
Ironically, the topic of my presentation was "Stress." Since I have shockingly never put together a PowerPoint presentation, it was a steep and stressful learning curve, albeit fun. The goals were to have the students define stress, identify stressful situations, learn ways of dealing with stress that are helpful, make an action plan for when an upcoming stressful situation occurs, and follow-up with reports of how successful their actions were.
The presentation I created included four short (2-3 minute) video clips from Discovery Education's United Streaming video "Don't Pop your Cork on Monday," three photos showing examples of expected student work, and an audio file to listen to. Most slides had a task to complete, whether group discussion, note-taking, art project, response to media, or planning page. Students in grades K-8 will be able to use it as a learning center as each slide explains what to do and expected outcome.
In most classrooms, the teacher would show the 13 minute video in one sitting followed by a quiz. One way that this presentation is superior to the traditional teaching is that students are able to spend more time with each topic in the video. To have a disciplined mind, Gardner reminds us that we must spend time digging deeper into the subjects. Just memorizing facts about stress does not demonstrate knowledge. With each slide, students are to pause and reflect on what they have heard or seen. A response is expected after small group discussions.
Another plus for this type of learning center is that students are learning in their "native language"-media. Although videos can be interesting, in this multimedia presentation students are interacting with the media, pacing themselves, and more involved in their own learning. A result is students who are interested in learning and able to succeed no matter what their "learning style" is. By having to personally respond to each aspect of the lesson they will gain more knowledge.
Having a deeper knowledge of stress is helpful, but unless they are able to synthesize the information in a different setting, learning is limited. Students began by putting content together from videos, classmates' perceptions, art and music to understand how stress looks and feels, yet the most important goal, of course, is for the students to take the information and be able to apply it to a new situation. With a lesson on stress, mastery would include having the students prepare for an upcoming stressful situation and be able to use the tools they learned and deal with it effectively. They are expected be able to come up with a personalized plan of action along with follow-up discussions later which will help them think critically about what was a good plan versus what could be improved. Meaningful connections are made and synthesized understanding occurs!
The presentation I created included four short (2-3 minute) video clips from Discovery Education's United Streaming video "Don't Pop your Cork on Monday," three photos showing examples of expected student work, and an audio file to listen to. Most slides had a task to complete, whether group discussion, note-taking, art project, response to media, or planning page. Students in grades K-8 will be able to use it as a learning center as each slide explains what to do and expected outcome.
In most classrooms, the teacher would show the 13 minute video in one sitting followed by a quiz. One way that this presentation is superior to the traditional teaching is that students are able to spend more time with each topic in the video. To have a disciplined mind, Gardner reminds us that we must spend time digging deeper into the subjects. Just memorizing facts about stress does not demonstrate knowledge. With each slide, students are to pause and reflect on what they have heard or seen. A response is expected after small group discussions.
Another plus for this type of learning center is that students are learning in their "native language"-media. Although videos can be interesting, in this multimedia presentation students are interacting with the media, pacing themselves, and more involved in their own learning. A result is students who are interested in learning and able to succeed no matter what their "learning style" is. By having to personally respond to each aspect of the lesson they will gain more knowledge.
Having a deeper knowledge of stress is helpful, but unless they are able to synthesize the information in a different setting, learning is limited. Students began by putting content together from videos, classmates' perceptions, art and music to understand how stress looks and feels, yet the most important goal, of course, is for the students to take the information and be able to apply it to a new situation. With a lesson on stress, mastery would include having the students prepare for an upcoming stressful situation and be able to use the tools they learned and deal with it effectively. They are expected be able to come up with a personalized plan of action along with follow-up discussions later which will help them think critically about what was a good plan versus what could be improved. Meaningful connections are made and synthesized understanding occurs!
Monday, July 12, 2010
Blog on Synthesizing Mind
In order to utilize technology across disciplines, I will incorporate video (both viewing and making/editing) and online PDF files and graphs into a project on Writing (storytelling), Spelling, and Video Camera usage/editing. I plan to do this project in the fall with my 6th-8th grade students that I tutor in Spelling and Reading. They will work in groups of 3-4 to tell a digital story which will explain a spelling rule. Obviously, this project will take numerous class sessions to complete. I've just given the bare bones of how it will look.
1) We will discuss the traits of good storytelling (which has already been taught) then review how to make a good video. I'll Use AFI's Handbook for Educators at http://www.unitedstreaming.com/videos/42845/D2B15956-1279-3B00-CD01B9EA8FD93498.pdf as well as Discovery Education's "Lights, Camera, Education!" video segments on DE Streaming for tips on teaching. I'll show them a model video that I made and have them critically look at more student-made videos at The San Fernando Education Technology Team's iCan Film Festival at
http://sfett.com/html_movie/Ican/4.html
2) I'll have students write, storyboard, act out and videotape a 1-2 minute story which will explain a spelling rule.
3) They will view and critique each story and provide valuable feedback on parts that were successful and parts that could use improvement. There will be three different scoring rubrics used: One with scores pertaining to the actual story success, one with scores pertaining to video techniques, and one pertaining to synthesis (with points such as how well they worked as a team-listening to input and various perspectives, how well do they remember the spelling rule taught, and are they able to transfer the knowledge on an actual spelling test and/or written work.)
1) We will discuss the traits of good storytelling (which has already been taught) then review how to make a good video. I'll Use AFI's Handbook for Educators at http://www.unitedstreaming.com/videos/42845/D2B15956-1279-3B00-CD01B9EA8FD93498.pdf as well as Discovery Education's "Lights, Camera, Education!" video segments on DE Streaming for tips on teaching. I'll show them a model video that I made and have them critically look at more student-made videos at The San Fernando Education Technology Team's iCan Film Festival at
http://sfett.com/html_movie/Ican/4.html
2) I'll have students write, storyboard, act out and videotape a 1-2 minute story which will explain a spelling rule.
3) They will view and critique each story and provide valuable feedback on parts that were successful and parts that could use improvement. There will be three different scoring rubrics used: One with scores pertaining to the actual story success, one with scores pertaining to video techniques, and one pertaining to synthesis (with points such as how well they worked as a team-listening to input and various perspectives, how well do they remember the spelling rule taught, and are they able to transfer the knowledge on an actual spelling test and/or written work.)
Monday, July 5, 2010
Digital Media-Week 2 Blog
I am on the health and fitness committee at school, so I looked for a segment that fit within this category. Since I serve mainly as a resource to homeschooling families, I wanted to find a segment that would fit any student between grades K-8. I also thought it would be neat to utilize it in our 8th grade "Grad TRAK" (HS prep) class. I found a wonderful 13 minute video (5 segments, 2-3 min. each) on stress entitled "Don't Pop Your Cork on Mondays."
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=867EB4C0-E31B-4AC8-8C8E-2FA5D23E1289&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US
The segments cover the following categories:
What causes stress?
How do people deal with it?
Stress reliever techniques
The goals for students would be to list stressful situations, understand what happens physically and mentally when under stress, and identify helpful and non-helpful ways to handle stress. I want them to be able to predict when a stressful situation may arise and role-play healthy ways to "deal." Ultimately, I want them to react in a helpful way whenever a stressful situation occurs and be able to reflect on their reactions to improve future responses.
As mentioned in Gardner's book, p. 35 "..most measures of standardized learning are of little use; they do not reveal whether the student can actually make use of the classroom material-the subject matter-once she steps outside the door." It will do no good for them to simply spew back the information learned about stress if they are unable to apply the learning to a future stressful situation. Therefore, my activities are varied and designed to help them utilize the knowledge learned in unique situations.
The 5 activities I would suggest:
To introduce concept-
1) Spend 3 minutes in a group (either siblings or class group) listing as many words as come to mind when thinking of the word "Stress". Only 1 word allowed on each line-no sentences or phrases. Read list aloud.
*Watch video segments 1 and 2*
2) Have students tell the teacher what situations may cause stress. List these situations then have a student pantomime ways that someone may deal with that particular stressful situation. Others in the group guess what the 'actor' is doing. Give a thumbs-up or down if it is a healthy way to deal with the stress.
*Watch video segments 3-5*
3) Identify people who have reacted in good or bad ways to stressful situations. Be prepared to defend why you think it was a helpful or unhelpful reaction. (Mrs. Tiger Woods' golf club incident comes to mind, but I'd let the students think of their own examples.) :)
4) Use an art form to show helpful and unhelpful ways of dealing with stress. Some examples:
*a collage with 2 sides: One side-cut out pictures of unhealthy ways (eating/yelling/hitting..)
and the other side cut out pictures that illustrate healthy ways (counting to 10, etc..)
*Write a poem or song
*Draw/sketch/use color to show the 2 sides
5) Role play a few upcoming stressful situations and personalize good ways to handle it. Write them out on note cards. Hang note cards in a prominent place. After the situation arises, debrief ways that students dealt with the stress and any new ideas or improvements that could be made.
(This would have been helpful for my family to have done before Jr. High shot day!)
http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=867EB4C0-E31B-4AC8-8C8E-2FA5D23E1289&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US
The segments cover the following categories:
What causes stress?
How do people deal with it?
Stress reliever techniques
The goals for students would be to list stressful situations, understand what happens physically and mentally when under stress, and identify helpful and non-helpful ways to handle stress. I want them to be able to predict when a stressful situation may arise and role-play healthy ways to "deal." Ultimately, I want them to react in a helpful way whenever a stressful situation occurs and be able to reflect on their reactions to improve future responses.
As mentioned in Gardner's book, p. 35 "..most measures of standardized learning are of little use; they do not reveal whether the student can actually make use of the classroom material-the subject matter-once she steps outside the door." It will do no good for them to simply spew back the information learned about stress if they are unable to apply the learning to a future stressful situation. Therefore, my activities are varied and designed to help them utilize the knowledge learned in unique situations.
The 5 activities I would suggest:
To introduce concept-
1) Spend 3 minutes in a group (either siblings or class group) listing as many words as come to mind when thinking of the word "Stress". Only 1 word allowed on each line-no sentences or phrases. Read list aloud.
*Watch video segments 1 and 2*
2) Have students tell the teacher what situations may cause stress. List these situations then have a student pantomime ways that someone may deal with that particular stressful situation. Others in the group guess what the 'actor' is doing. Give a thumbs-up or down if it is a healthy way to deal with the stress.
*Watch video segments 3-5*
3) Identify people who have reacted in good or bad ways to stressful situations. Be prepared to defend why you think it was a helpful or unhelpful reaction. (Mrs. Tiger Woods' golf club incident comes to mind, but I'd let the students think of their own examples.) :)
4) Use an art form to show helpful and unhelpful ways of dealing with stress. Some examples:
*a collage with 2 sides: One side-cut out pictures of unhealthy ways (eating/yelling/hitting..)
and the other side cut out pictures that illustrate healthy ways (counting to 10, etc..)
*Write a poem or song
*Draw/sketch/use color to show the 2 sides
5) Role play a few upcoming stressful situations and personalize good ways to handle it. Write them out on note cards. Hang note cards in a prominent place. After the situation arises, debrief ways that students dealt with the stress and any new ideas or improvements that could be made.
(This would have been helpful for my family to have done before Jr. High shot day!)
Monday, June 28, 2010
EDIM 508 Introduction
I am currently at teacher in a unique educational setting. I work at a public charter school in a farming community in California's Central Valley. We have 300 students in grades K-8. Since our particular charter is home-based (parents serve as the primary teachers for core academic subjects) I serve as an Advisory Teacher. I am assigned 12 families and stay with the students from Kindergarten through 8th grade. I have a teaching credential as well as certification in teaching English as a Second Language and testing/tutoring for Dyslexia.
My job at the charter school is multi-faceted. I give both formal and informal assessments and tutor in reading, writing, spelling and math. I assess and give recommendations for curriculum (as the parents choose from a vast assortment of books and publishers.) I have taught writing as one of numerous weekly classes we offer for the students. This fall I hope to teach a Digital Storytelling class and a K-1 "Camp". I have also taught parent workshops on Learning Styles and Intelligences, Motivating the Reluctant Learner, Teaching Reading and more. I keep attendance records, help with planning and check student work. I try to attend the monthly field trips and do whatever I can to support the parents as teachers.
My goal for the Digital Media class would be to learn how to incorporate media into the students' daily lessons to help them become more motivated and successful. We currently use Discovery Education's United Streaming to present (mainly Science and Social studies) lessons, but are unaware of the vast resources available and how to use them.
My job at the charter school is multi-faceted. I give both formal and informal assessments and tutor in reading, writing, spelling and math. I assess and give recommendations for curriculum (as the parents choose from a vast assortment of books and publishers.) I have taught writing as one of numerous weekly classes we offer for the students. This fall I hope to teach a Digital Storytelling class and a K-1 "Camp". I have also taught parent workshops on Learning Styles and Intelligences, Motivating the Reluctant Learner, Teaching Reading and more. I keep attendance records, help with planning and check student work. I try to attend the monthly field trips and do whatever I can to support the parents as teachers.
My goal for the Digital Media class would be to learn how to incorporate media into the students' daily lessons to help them become more motivated and successful. We currently use Discovery Education's United Streaming to present (mainly Science and Social studies) lessons, but are unaware of the vast resources available and how to use them.
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