During this course, there were some exciting and unexpected skills that I attained with video creating and audio editing that added to my tool kit as an instructional technologist. I was also able to use the knowledge and skills I learned in this course to create a flyer in Canva for a trip to the Martin Luther King Jr, Center, historic park and birth home which was shared with my entire school district. Administrators informed me that more parents and students registered to attend this field trip in less than 24 hours of posting, than any other field trip or school event held this year. I learned so much from this course. The multimedia design project challenged me to stretch myself to plan a WebQuest for students. This WebQuest incorporates social studies content, research skills and Google TourBuilder. During the creation and implementation of the multimedia project, I was able to integrate many of the skills that I learned in the course. I was further able to grow as a instructional technology specialist by collaborating with stakeholders and colleagues. I also shared the finished WebQuest with instructors and students in multiple school districts and received positive feedback. As a result of the work completed on this multimedia design project I am collaborating with a colleague to submit an application as a presenter for Google TourBuiler at a technology conference in the fall.
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Kid Approved Places to Visit in Atlanta
My sons were more than willing to share with me a list of places they like to go in Atlanta. They are now blogged for posterity.
I was excited about this class before it began, because some of my associates took this class previously and they told me how excited they were about what they learned while taking this course. I didn’t realize how much I would be expected to learn so quickly. This course exposed me to so many resources, that I could envision myself sharing with teachers as a technology coach. Even though each week I was challenged to learn how to use several new pieces of software, the process helped me grow as a teacher and as a coach. Some of my favorites were Google Tour Builder, Adobe Spark, and Podcasting!!
I attended a meeting on the topic of equity led by members of a local board of education and I felt comfortable sharing my ideas during the meeting on how their goals on equity were not being met. After the meeting, I also shared with an administrator how she could use technology more efficiently to connect with her audience and get feedback from them and the greater community-at-large. My comments were well received. Integrating technology into my courses has always come naturally. This course will force me to step up my efforts as an educator after learning about how students can connect with people around the world and use programs to take on authentic roles to solve a problem. Now, I can provide more options and opportunities for my students. I really appreciate the resources that I learned about and the skills that I gained form this course. Select Africa - Travel Brochure words to view the video. Select image of Africa Travel Brochure Google Form to access the Google Form Checklist. Select Image of Tour Builder to access Google Tour. Select Image of Padlet to access Padlet.
This course took me outside of my comfort zone. I have envisioned myself as a supportive coach, but not as a “leader”. This course helped me understand that leadership comes with a variety of skills and delivery methods. When I asked for the school improvement plan from individuals in the past, I was given then run around, but this year when I asked for the school improvement plan, I was provided with immediate access and I was even told that other work I presented to administrators could be used to help with the school improvement plan development process. While attending a community engagement meeting with school board members and administrative representatives for my children’s school system, I realized that some of the presenters where using some of the best practices from ISTE's Essential Conditions to develop their policies for equity and excellence. However, there were glaring threats as I assessed the presentation and interactions. The essential condition of Empowered Leaders was lacking. Many of the community stakeholders, including teacher, business owners, and parents felt as though their voices had not been heard in the past and continue to not be included in the policy planning process. This course helped me have the confidence to speak up during the meeting and address some concerns in the policy development. At the end of the meeting, I also shared with a board member and administrator how they could better use technology to share the presentations with the community and receive feedback more efficiently. The RSS feed also supplied me with a new resource to access of up-to-date trends in the educational and educational technology community. Hack Education News Weekly could be referenced as the Colbert Report of RSS feeds for Education and Educational technology. It provides dry-humor summaries of trends that are often both eye-opening and disconcerting. In this course, I learned how everything that leadership enacts should be aligned with the shared vision for the school. The School Improvement Plan and Technology Plan should be integrated to help the school achieve its goals. I also learned the steps involved in a SWOT analysis and how to create an action plan based on the results of the SWOT analysis. These skills are transferable across domains and I hope that continue to be a value-add to my school and my children’s school district as I make use of what I have learned. Digital Citizenship and Internet SafetyTo keep students safe on the internet, teachers should review the school’s computer/internet use policy and review it with students. A copy of the computer/internet use policy should also be sent to parent and both students and parents should sign the rules to affirm their acknowledgement and understanding of the school’s computer/internet use policy. As Muthler suggests, in Online Safety: A Teachers Guide to Dealing with Cyber Bullying, Sexting and Student Privacy, teachers should also engage in a robust dialog with students regarding the internet including topics of netiquette, cyberbullying, sexting, and accessing inappropriate content. Ensuring that students know what the rules are but how to respond if these rules are broken is another skill that teachers can help students develop. When my students use inappropriate language when communicating with each other, I correct students and I also use it as a teachable moment for the student to understand why what s/he typed was not appropriate based on our school rules. Students also need to know that they have someone, a teacher, parent, or school staff, to turn to if they fall victim to someone violating the school policy on computer/internet. A website that teachers can use to learn more about strategies to keep students safe of the internet is or ISTE Digital Citizenship. It contains information on how digital citizenship parallels with characteristics of a good citizen. It also has information on helping students manage their smartphones and more, digital citizenship week and more. Another web-based resource teachers can use is Close Reading and the Internet. Students are going to use the internet and inevitably they are going to come across search results that include information they are unsure about. This resource is a Webinar for Close Reading on the internet. Teachers will learn how to teach students to become savvy users of online information. This webinar will be held on November 29th. Common Sense Education will also record and share the webinar for future use by educators, if they cannot attend but RSVP for the event. A website resource that teachers can use with students to teach and reinforce internet safely or digital citizenship is https://www.brainpop.com/digitalcitizenship/. Although many school systems subscribe to BrainPop all school systems do not. In order to view over a dozen BrainPop videos under Digital Citizenship a teacher can sign up for free access to the digital citizenship resources on BrainPop. The Online Safety video specifically covers six topics: that include the following rules 1. Online life is real life 2. Keep your identity a secret 3. Be extra careful with strangers 4. Tell somebody. 5. Protect your passwords and 6. Be nice. Global Collaboration Projects I explored Flat Connections and Journey North Global Collaboration Projects. Flat Connections provides opportunities, for a fee, for students of varying ages from Kindergarten to age 18, to connect with classrooms around the globe to share and learn about the culture of other students. Students can use suggested Web 2.0 tools such as Edmodo or Padlet to share information. However, they could also use other Web 2.0 tools. For example, I can easily see how a student could use a Flip Grid video or blog to share cultural information as well. The standards of the Flat Connections- Friends for Sustainability Project connects with Georgia Standards of Excellence on the Environment as well as ISTE Digital Citizenship standards. Protecting student privacy and moderating the shared information would be the challenges in participating in a CGP. Making sure that parents are fully aware in all aspect of the project and ensuring that all information shared and received by students is moderated would help overcome the challenges. Journey North provides opportunities for students to become actively involved in documenting migration patterns in their environment. Students use communication, map and technological skills to document migration patterns. For Example, in Monarch Butterflies, students can photograph or film and document the location of Monarch butterflies as they travel on their migration and they can view and analyze the data other students and project coordinators submit. Students answer questions, participate in activities and analyze maps for each “news update” created by Journey North. Students could use a variety Web 2.0 tools from flip grids to Google Tour Builder while participating in this activity. The challenge to participating in this GCP is finding a bio-migration that includes the teacher’s location in order to make the project more engaging for students. Teachers could collaborate with the Journey North creators to ensure that the best migration was selected for the students. It is also possible that some teachers would need to have fund-raising activities to take their students to locations where they could experience the migration. Both these Global Collaboration Projects include environmental based standards and include language arts, math, science and social studies standards. Teachers in multiple content areas could elevate the projects by collaboration. VR, AR, and MUVEVirtual Reality was something that was only in science fiction films, but now it is a reality for anyone with a cellphone and Viewfinder. I reviewed several of the VR and AR resources available today. In reviewing EON Reality's Tutankhamun, Google Expeditions AR, Google Tour Builder, EcoMUVE, EcoMOBILE and iCivics there are so many opportunities for students to learn in visually stimulating and interactive environments. VR King Tutankhamun is a good program for students to experience an environment. They could also use the experience to critically think and communicate about the items they see and why they are placed in the tomb. Instead of students reading about King Tut and having to imagine what it would be like to experience exploring the tomb or to only look at static images. Students who struggle with reading can experience King Tut. I wish that AR example from Google Expeditions AR was available when I was a child. I would always love looking at 3-D models when they were available in science and I would use my imagination when they were not available. Examining models would provide a great opportunity for students to collaborate and communicate regarding their analysis of the AR item. I am not sure if it is possible, but students could collaborate and create their own AR model as a presentation and for other students to view and examine. There are students who are visual learners who will thrive in a class with a teacher that uses AR Google Expeditions to help teach lessons. Google Tour Builder is a dream for a Social Studies. Click on the image for my Google Tour on Mansa Musa. Some students don’t really like Social Studies for some unknown reason. Teachers who are experts in their fields can use Google Tour Builder to help bring history to life for students with interactive maps, images, videos, etc. Students can also collaborate and create a Google Tour to explain or evaluate an event or series of events in history. Students who struggle with writing or other processing issues can use Google Tour builder to tell the story via pictures and videos. EcoMUVE graphics are a little dated but the learning that can occur with the Pond and Forrest Ecosystem immersive virtual environments incorporates great skills building activities and for research, analysis, comparing and summarizing for the inquiry-based project. It touches all levels of Blooms Taxonomy. It also includes all the 4 Cs by allowing students to collaborate and use critical thinking skills for on problem solving. Students can also communicate their ideas and creating concept maps as a part of the activity. Students with different skill levels can work in heterogeneous teams to problem solve and explain the changes in the ecosystems. EcoMOBILE extends the learning for students in an authentic setting using authentic devices. Students working in groups are able to collaborate and communicate while gathering data and solving problems in the environment. Putting students in heterogenous groups allows students to take on roles that support their learning style. A student can provide their observations, be the data collector, or use the digital equipment in the group which will enhance their learning even if they have difficulty in traditional classroom settings. The iCivics MUVE allows students to participate in numerous civics centered MUVEs. The topics of these MUVE’s range from general subjects such as Branches of Government and Counties Work to hot topic subjects such as Immigration Nation and News Feed Defenders. The MUVEs are free and students are not required to login to play the games. Students will even receive feedback at the end of the game directly connected to the student’s choices even if the student does not login. Students can play the games individually, but they could also play in partnerships or small groups and discuss topics prior to making their selections. This would address the collaboration and communication aspect of the 4Cs. The MUVEs provide opportunities for students to have a choice in how they play the game and how the games proceed. All of the games allow students to mute the musical accompaniment with the games, which helps students who struggle when distractions are embedded in an activity. Some of the games allow students to take them in Spanish, and some have voice overs for the text which is helpful for EL students and students who struggle with reading comprehension. However, these options are not available for all of the iCivics MUVEs. Some of the games allow students to determining how they will complete the games and another one allows students to determine the difficulty level of the game by selecting Elementary, Middle School or High School options. One of the games, “Activate” even allows student to set up the framework to grow their own movement. The games range in completion times from a suggested 0 to over 30 minutes. However, all of the games require more than 5 minutes if they are played with fidelity. Teachers would need to make sure that students have time to complete the games or preselect which game students will complete on a specific day. Digital DivideThere is a digital divide in our school for Low SES students that have multiple kids enrolled at our virtual school. I have noticed that some households with multiple students only have one computer/laptop. Younger kids often are further behind in courses because device access priority is given to the older sibling who is in high school. Household with less limitations on budgets allow for each student to have their own laptop if not multiple devices. The same type of problem with access for Low SES students occurs if the primary student device needs replacement or repair. Students end up falling further behind because it takes the household a longer time to replace or repair the device. We encourage open communication with our families when incidents such as this occur and as a team of teachers we collaborate on removing late work penalties and increase communication with families. We also encourage our families to communicate with our help desk support staff. They often help guide families to solutions to problems.
In the past, there were also students whose families who could not afford to purchase the MS Office Suite of products for students to write papers or create presentations. As a response to those difficulties our district provided student access of LibreOffice which is a Microsoft compatible free productivity suite. Our district has recently adopted the use of the Google Suite of products, so our students can also use free Google-based software to produce presentations for course assignments. Recently a student submitted a project to me using TextPad. Because she lost numerous points based on the rubric requirements by using TextPad and not submitting images with her project, I suggested that she use one of the programs from the Google or LibreOffice suite. Hopefully, as more products are provided free for students to use and as more teachers become familiar with them, student access and productivity will increase as well. The “Homework Gap” video really resonated with me and I immediately sent the 1 Million Project link to colleagues who teach at Title I brick and mortar schools. One of them recently indicated that students use the wi-fi at school but do not have internet access a home so they catch up on all their social media at school instead of using the devices for school appropriate purposes. Collaboration Tools I reviewed Google Drawing, Google News, and Google Scholar. I also reviewed Thinglink, Padlet, Pixlr and Popplet. Google Drawing News and Google Scholar are great tools for researching information. Students can use these resources to gather information for a report or presentation. For an assignment a student can select or be assigned a Georgia Standard of Excellence such as; "SS7E3 Describe factors that influence economic growth and examine their presence or absence in Nigeria, South Africa, and Kenya. a. Evaluate how literacy rates affect the standard of living." The student could use Google News or Google Scholar to find our more information on the literacy rate and standard of living in Nigeria. Google Scholar also has a year range filter, which is helpful in finding more recent research on a specific topic. However, Google News is much more K-12 friendly. The abstracts and articles on Google Scholar require a higher skill level to comprehend. Students can use articles from these sites and post them with images on a Google Drawing. Students can be assigned a region of the world and a standard to research. They can synchronously collaborate and create a Google Drawing with their peers and include images with links to their articles. Students can then share the Google Drawing with their class or anyone for viewing. Thinglink is a useful tool that is similar to Google Drawing. On Thinglink images can be linked to websites. However in Thinglink, one image serves as the background, then several links can be added on top of the background image. This is great tool for Social Studies, because a map can be used as the background and several links can be added in different regions. Thinglink even has 360-degree virtual images as a built-in resource, but an upgrade is needed to link this feature to a Thinglink creation. I did not view this resource for use primarily a collaborative tool for students using the free version. However, the students can send their image and links to the teacher and the teacher can add the links to the background image and then share it with others. The final Thinglink would be a resource created by collaboration. The site also requires logins and fees for use with classes which can be problematic for some schools. I would suggest Google Drawings for a Google-based schools as a more cost-friendly option. Padlet has a variety of viewable formats and I chose the chat bubble option. Students can research articles or information and post text, images and videos to the page. I think this a great feature for students to collaborate and share their learning. A login is also needed for this program, but logins are helpful for identifying which student is posting specific information. Pixlr is great for teachers who want to have their students complete assignments on devices instead of paper. A teacher or student can upload an image to the site and edit the image. The image uploaded can be a diagram or a map or anything and a student can draw or type on the image. An example of how this could be used collaboratively students could be in a group and each student could be assigned to add and label a specific type of landform to the map. Students can send the image to each other and add all the landforms until the map is completed. The final map can be used by the students as a resource. Even EL students and students with disabilities would be able to complete this assignment with little to no help in a collaborative group. This site did not require login for the simple editing for this type of assignment. Popplet is another great resource for collaboration. Popplet is similar to Padlet because multiple students can add information and images to the Popplet and a login is required. It differs because students can literally draw connections on the Popplet. They can connect similar ideas or pieces of information with another one to create visual connections. As we read in 20 Collaborative Learning Tips and Strategies For Teachers, “Collaborative learning teams are said to attain higher level thinking and preserve information for longer times than students working individually”. With this knowledge and the availability of programs for collaborative student engagement, teacher can help students learn more productively. The above image links to my examples of the Collaboration Tools I referenced. BYOD As a virtual school, we always use BYOD. Students use their devices to access the curriculum, attend synchronous sessions, and complete assignments. Sometimes students use two devices when we play Kahoot. They can hear me via their computer or laptop and they play the game with their cell phone. In my synchronous sessions, I begin with providing students with class norms. They know that they are to be respectful with their words, stay on topic, and not spam the chat. When I meet with students in person, I gain their attention by keeping my activities interesting and by using proximity to encourage on task behavior with student devices. I also use a strategy that my principal uses in faculty meetings, I ask students to remove their hands from devices, “Be hands free,” while I am giving instructions or when I need their undivided attention. This is a helpful strategy with adults and students. Honestly, when my students have any type of technical issue my go to phrase is “Call tech support.” However, I have learned some frequently successful trouble shooting strategies. When a web-based program does not open for a student, I suggest that they use a different browser. I would also encourage that any teacher incorporating BYOD, try their lessons out first with another device and ask his or her peers to try out the program or website on various devices. While using my smart phone while participating in a Nearpod activity recently, I learned that cell phones are not compatible for one of the short answer activities. I could not type any information to submit my response. Using my cell phone also slowed my response-time while completing a timed matching activity. Teachers should take the information they learn in their practice session into consideration before they allow students use a variety of devices for BYOD assignment. Just a few years ago, there were signs in school classrooms that indicated no cell phone use permitted in class. Just like the antiquated mobile phone in the image above, the norm of no cell phone use in school is becoming outdated. The more teachers learn how to incorporate cell phones and mobile devices in their classroom, the more student engagement can increase and the image below will become the new normal. References
https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Documents/Social-Studies-7th-Grade- Georgia-Standards.pdf https://www.teachthought.com/pedagogy/20-collaborative-learning-tips-and-strategies/ Spark Video This Spark Video, African Selected Features, was created to introduce/reintroduce 7th grade Social Studies students to the select features in Africa which connects with one of the 7th grade Social Studies standards. I want students to learn about the geography of various regions in Africa. The experience showed students where named landforms were located geographically and what the landforms looked like. When I was a student I learned about various landforms. I was not often provided with the opportunity to see what the landforms really looked like while in class. This provides students with an opportunity to connect and experience what a landform on a map actually is and how the people who live near the land form interact with it. Each of the images selected, shows the landforms with structures, animals, machines, or people. This helps students make connections and understand the context of the imagery. The Spark Video on select features of Africa can be used to introduce students to the geography of the region. It can also be used, as instructed at the end of the video, as a springboard for students to begin or extend their own research on the region for a project. After researching, the students can post or present their mini-projects to their peers. To help students with the mini-project, I will provide the students with resources. I will also explain to students the importance and purpose in documenting where information is retrieved. This process will also help students differentiate between open source or Creative Commons information and copyrighted materials. Extensions and Add-Ons
I selected text expander and google dictionary as Chrome extensions. Text expander is helpful for students when responding to peers in discussions. Students who struggle with typing can use text extenders for frequently used statements. As a teacher, I can use text expander when communicating similar responses to numerous student assignments. I can also use it to redirect student learning by quickly referring students to a resource for remediation or extension. Students who have memory issues and/or struggle with the meaning of certain words can use the google dictionary extension. I selected Pickit, Pixton Comic Characters, and Highlight Tool. As a teacher, I can use Pick-it for presentations for visual learners to capture their attention. Students can use Pickit to help them express themselves creatively in projects and presentations. Teachers can help students with processing skills by using Pixton Comic Characters to help explain the purpose and context of specific content. Students can also use Pixton Comic Characters to aid them with their creativity and expression. Some students are better able to communicate their ideas with pictures and expressions than they are with words and Pixton Comic Characters can help them do this. The highlight tool can be used by teachers to indicate where students have errors in documents. Students can also use the highlight tool to help each other make corrections in their collaborative group assignment prior to submitting their final drafts. My interest in Twitter surprised me. I had an initial bias against Twitter as something that would waste my time and that I could not benefit from using. I was both correct and incorrect in my initial assessment. Like most people who use social media, once I began reading and clicking on topics that interested me, I went down the Twitter rabbit hole. I was correct about using up time that could be best spent doing something else more productive. I was wrong in thinking that I would not benefit from Twitter. Today, I learned about a free program to connect my class to other parts of the world by using the program Empatico, from a local school Educational Technology Specialist. Twitter has provided me with ideas for my classes and with inspiration on the type of help I can provide for teachers in my future as an Instructional Technology Coach. There are a variety of uses for Twitter with teachers, students, and parents. Teachers can use Twitter for a virtual book club to discuss impact of a selected reading on their philosophy of education or on how it helped them deal with authentic classroom concerns. Teachers can also use it to share ideas to solve a problem or suggest new technological tools and resources. Students can use Twitter to receive announcements or assignments from teachers, to collaborate with their peers and as a tool to follow people with opposing ideals on a topic for an exercise on alternative truths. Teachers could use Twitter to announce special projects, events, and student accolades to parents. Teachers could also use Twitter to extend the learning day by providing discussion points for parents to have conversations with their students about concepts they learned in class. For example, my students are currently learning about West Africa. Discussion starter topics for parents could include: What do you think about the issue of access to clean water and reliable electricity in Western Africa?, What are examples of Americans having issues with clean water?, or What are causes for power outages in America? To address diversity and varying ability levels. The teachers can use a district or electronic translator to post in multiple languages in order to reach all members of the community and/or post a video in lieu of text. Twitter can be used as a tool to communicate and collaborate with a PLN, students, parents, and school stakeholders. I still would caution the use of Twitter with students, because of individuals who do not respect the rules of netiquette, but with parental permission and guidance there are a wealth of opportunities. Podcasts For personal interest podcast, I previewed a Comedic Storytelling Show entitled Funny, Cuz It’s True, hosted by Kevin McGeehan, in which story tellers tell 5-minute comedic stories that happened to them. Humor is very important in education. It helps relieves the tension between teachers and students. I use it often in my classes, because I often make mistakes. In the high stakes testing culture that we teach in, humor helps reduce student anxiety when teachers show them that it is o.k. to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake. Students then realize that it is ok for them to make mistakes. They can laugh at themselves, learn from the mistakes or errors, and move forward.
For the professional interest podcast, I previewed Eric Robinson from Teachers Talking Tech. He presented a podcast entitled Minicast: Recorded Reading. In the podcast, he describes how students can read stories to younger students to help develop literacy skills. He suggests different programs for a variety of platforms such as Apple Clips and Shadow Puppet Edu for Apples or PC. For Chromebooks he suggests using Screencastisfy or Quicktime or even just using screen recording on an iPad. In this activity, older students can read for younger students which helps older students with fluency. The younger students benefit in literacy development from hearing stories read aloud. The recordings can be shared via Seesaw or QR codes can be printed and posted on walls or in a binder, so that students can proceed directly to the posted recording. This podcast is informative, and I plan on suggesting using the concept from it at my son’s school. I thought of a couple of opportunities for using podcasts with my students that connect with the 4C’s, SAMR, and/or varying levels of Blooms Taxonomy. To tap into students’ creativity and critical thinking, students could create a fictional story about a young person living in one of the regions of the world we are studying. Student would use authentic information from our resources on geography, economics, political structure, culture, and the environment to help them create the story. Then students can share, listen and comment on the stories via a class podcast channel. My students currently are required to participate in online discussions. Students could have the choice to collaborate with each other via podcast or typing. Students with difficulty typing will have the opportunity to participate via podcast and not feel restricted by their physical limitations. ELL students can communicate with others by creating a podcast response to the discussion in their first language and then one in English. When teaching about conflict in a region, students could hear podcasts on different views regarding the same news topic and summarize the differences. In the past, I created stations for student learning and one of the stations included listening to a podcast. Students with reading comprehension difficulties enjoyed the process of learning by using a different modality. In my podcast, I decided to help teachers try out a mode of instruction that is currently trending in education, the flipped classroom. Some teachers may struggle with trying out something new, so I attempted to make trying out a flipped class lesson easy and approachable in my podcast: FlippingED https://anchor.fm/e-drake |
E. DrakeVirtual School Educator, ITEC Ed.S. Candidate Archives
May 2019
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