Digital Projects–in a “Flat” Forum

http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2268937/Multiplication

My first thought when approaching the idea of integrating technology and classroom projects is, if you’re the teacher who really embraces keeping traditional aspects of learning, please read Daniel Pink’s “A Whole New Mind”!  It is absolutely fascinating and mind-changing!

Assimilating technology and more specific inclusion of digital media in classroom projects, can be cumbersome if you’re not used to the latest Web 2.0 resources—however, conversely speaking, many of the latest applications available are so user-friendly and hold the attention of students and educators alike!  Previously examples on the blog have been shared using sites like Blabberize, Glogster, and Prezi.  Discussions have been held regarding blogs, wikis, digital stories and voicethreading as well.  One tool, not previously mentioned and offering a sundry of conceptual application is Wordle!  Students or teachers could use this application as a digital word wall for practically any discipline in education.  It can also serve as a digital presentation of terminology and understanding or non-linear poetry.  The example demonstrates the fundamentals of multiplying in mathematics.

Developing students’ respectful and ethical minds is part of the unwritten curriculum within our schools today.  We are becoming more and more flat in society and embracing the concept of building relationships is essential for the continual progress of mankind.  While Worldle is an application that can be utilized to impose upon cultural involvement it is merely a part of a project that would be culminating.

As a mathematics specialist, the interest follows wherever I may go, how children learn mathematics and what concepts they may already possess but perhaps in an informal and more creative method.  I propose an activity specifically geared towards 3^rd & 4^th graders that would allow

them to develop a digital story encompassing their understanding (or teaching of another) of a specific mathematical related objective.  Within their digital story they would apply other web 2.0 applications such as Wordle or Blabberize or Glogster, etc and upload the project through a global learning site: iEARN or GLOBE  and facilitate collaborative discussions with peer students from another cultural background.  Ideally, such a project could include global collaborating among the teachers to foster a really in-depth awareness of student learning in the area of mathematics around the world!

~A Reflection of Inquiry~

While it is the final week of Inquiry Based Learning a part of me feels as though it has only just begun.  There are so many ideas connected to inquiry learning.  As I look back, I am amazed at all that we have discussed and learned and yet that is only a slice of the resources certain to exist. I am stunned by how much material we have covered; the concepts cards really provoked deep thinking by participants deciding what to categorize as fact or concept.  When I reflect on that activity, it seemed to demonstrate a level of inquiry for even adult learners.  We first wanted to define our perspective of “fact” vs. “concept” before categorizing and then further justifying our choices.  The activity worked for those of us participating online much like the classroom we viewed on The Physics of Optics.  We were given a question—a task—without much direction leading us to make decisions and further inquiry that lead to discussions and rethinking.   Looking at the 5 E’s model:  Engage, Explore, Elaborate, Explain, Evaluate; we began to formulate a structure within our inquiry based planning for ideas of instruction within the classroom.  This at first seemed to be a modest and logical format for planning; using a backwards thought process—beginning with the expectation you, as the teacher, have for your students and then building upon the concepts and activities from there.  I chose to research this model further as the development of planning can be cumbersome at first while getting used to the format.  I suspect with more practice this becomes somewhat of second nature in planning lessons. 

The idea of inquiry is not only a scientific process, but affords itself great opportunity in the area of mathematics, which is primarily my focus at the elementary level.  The complexity lies within the design of integrating mathematical skills necessary to be taught while embedding a context all through use of the 5E model.  Most of us in support of mathematical reform already strain to make contextual lessons that support the skills necessary for solving rather than teaching the skills in isolation.  So it may seem the notion of 5E is of similar framework but just in a different presentation.

As I reflect on the past seven weeks, my head feels much like a child sitting in a butterfly exhibit; there is much to view and with each a fascination, you wonder about more while making connections with what is viewed.  The material covered has, at last, made connections to each week as if finalizing a “connect the dots” activity; it may not have foretold the true picture while mid-way but now there is a clear portrait of an Inquiry Based Classroom.

Inquiry here, there…everywhere!

This week was really challenging for me.  Having three discussion topics due from Saturday to Monday and all were quite meaty was overwhelming.  Perhaps timing was a culprit as our last week of school has just ended and we had our final close-out workday on Monday.  I felt I wasn’t allowed the proper time to digest what exactly I needed and wanted to learn.  Fortunately with web 2.o learning, we have the capabilities of revisiting.  I simply bookmark my discussions or items for further reflection on my diigo.  I caution myself from traveling too fast on the information highway.  While I really enjoy all there is to offer and have this insatiable desire to question and find out more, I have to force myself to pause as it can become consuming.

 Perhaps my inquiry for this week should be about time management rather than ideas for mathematics.  Time management—full time mother of three, wife, educator and student…somewhere I need (for my own sanity) for part-time athlete, either running or tennis or maybe since school has ended loafing seaside.  A better idea…maybe my next inquiry should be about the tidelines!

Empathetic Teachers!

Today’s Digital Learners!

While searching slideshare, I found a great show on today’s digital learners!  Originally, I was searching for a variety of digital tools to be used in the classroom to further enhance instruction.  When I viewed this show it demonstrated examples of tools students can use in lieu of traditional formats while maintaining the integrity of education.

Survey Says…

Coursework in Differentiation Supported by Technology requires students to create a survey to be used with students.  Since I mainly work with teachers, I chose to gear my questions towards that audience.  While some of the questions may seem silly, they are actually personality indicators and others are pedagogical indicators.  Feel free to take the survey!  I will be calculating results early next week.
Click here to take the survey now. The survey was created with eSurveysPro.com survey software.

Digital Storytelling (A Reflection)

I followed the philosophy of Ohler when creating my storymap for the final “feature film” and created it by hand.  I had a firm common idea for the story and wanted the story to not only be a “model” for DST but a purposeful experience in the classroom to be infused with a lesson when introducing the concept of multiplication.

Throughout my entire process in the digital storytelling coursework I have found that moving from idea to product is a substantial progression for me.  I tend to be precise, especially when editing and truly enjoy magnifying the storyboard and timeline to allow for smooth transitions and natural blending within the story.  I can’t help but smile at the end of each creation; what takes me hours (I don’t like to take breaks) and at times days (when I’m forced by my children to move away) to complete in editing, is viewed in literally three minutes or less. 

For my method of development in each story created, it is necessary to have a firm theme to originate and build upon.  Once that is established, I devise the map and then begin to collect samples, both still and video.  Often, the collection is much larger than necessary; my preference is its better to have more and toss during editing than find there’s not enough sampling to conclude an interesting anecdote.  This poses no problem for me other than time consuming, as I’m not on a budget and all participants are student volunteers.  Perhaps if this was a professional business, it would be problematic to collect more than necessary as the partakers and others collaborating would expect compensation.

A strengthened evolution is the result as I view each week’s contributing task.  An area of weakness since the start was my ability to blend the voice layovers in a more seamless manner not allowing for as much sound fluctuation.  My final project is a display of accomplishment in this area.  Managing to record at an appropriate level and in the editing processes maintain an even intensity was far greater in my final result than in previous submissions.

Overall, the stage is set for scores of future stories. The foundation is in place and for as long as there are ideas, events and lesson objectives, there will be a story to tell.  It is my aspiration to impose the same enthusiasm of digital storytelling in the classroom to the teachers with whom I now and in the future work.

Tune in!

I hope you can join me for my first live broadcast this evening! 6pm EST

Creative Commons Licensing

  The most recent unit In my EDIM514 course, Internet Tools for Teaching, we read about copyrights and Fair Use, researching what can seem like foggy waters when using or referencing already published materials.  In one of the assignments we actually read scenarios and using the guidelines from our readings of Fair Use, discussed whether we thought it applied or if permission to use the material should be sought.  It’s quite interesting to view and compare what others are determining for each scenario, while making your own judgements.

In addition, research was conducted through reading Creative Commons about licensing and sharing work.  As students, we were given an assignment to thoroughly read the licensesoffered and choose one to apply to our coursework blog.  At first glance over this assignment, I almost scoffed; thinking why would I want to license my blog?  After all, a blog is in all simplicity a public journal.  That’s when I took pause–a public journal–my own expressions and thoughts, my own creative reflections from my own research inspired throughout my learning; of course I should protect that!  Furthermore, I would advocate the same to my students.  In essence, teachers already do communicate protection of authenticity.  Every time we say to children “guard your work” or “be sure you use your own words and thoughts”.  These are all basic examples of expressing to our students that when you’ve worked on something and it’s your own, others shouldn’t have the right to simply use it without permission.

And so, I now announce, Tech Savvy Education is now a licensed blog! 

One discrepancy I did note is that when registering and choosing a license, the author can only select one country in which the license holds jurisdiction and this brought questions to mind.  Why is it that on the Internet, where works are visible World Wide is my work only protected in one nation?  After all, if I’m authenticating my thoughts and its expression is held accountable in the USA, how can a World Wide published document truly be protected?

Of course, I’m not on the verge of any breakthrough research that would be life changing around the world, so I’m sure I’m at low risk for plagiarism.  But, if I was to gather something of a greater magnitude, I think I would research further into how it could be thoroughly protected in many forms.

In the meantime, Tech Savvy Education may be shared for non-commercial use, while maintaining its integrity as a whole with credit to the original author!

Tech Savvy Education by Christine Giusto-Weibl is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.