Week 6 Reflection

Digital Citizenship

I found this week's focus not only interesting but somewhat inspiring. I have a Facebook account but never ever post anything in fact, I don't remember my password or if I even need one. I set up a Twitter account when I was involved with the Southern Maine Writing Project because of, well, peer pressure.  I laughed hysterically when watching the Saturday Night Live skit with Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon singing a hash tag rap song. But.....I don't even know how to use a hash tag. This week's content caused me to do a little research about social media and to think about how I might use something I know very little about in my classroom.

We first reviewed a video in which Don Tapscott discussed how the internet opened the world of knowledge, information, and the intelligences of others, to everyone.  When I was in high school, if I was curious about anything I had to go to the library and look in a book or (and I seldomly really wanted to do this) I had to ask a family member.  I don't think there was a whole lot of independent learning or exploring happening, at least for me, in the '70's. Networking with other students, independent of our teachers and parents,  in other towns, states, let alone other countries, was unheard of.  For our students, opportunities for collaborating with others is endless and by doing so they are empowered; they have the ability to enrich their knowledge through their connections online. How they handle online connections is what we considered next.

As I noted in an earlier posting this week, I have personally avoided using social media and have not given its place in my classroom a consideration until this week. The three videos we viewed helped soften my approach to social media because it was being used in the spirit of kindness/goodness. I think it is important for teachers to offer an awareness to students of the positive ways in which social media might be used. I realize that many students use social media to connect with friends however, I have overheard students talk about what they post, in written format and in photos and cringe.  They do not seem to grasp the ramifications until there is an issue. If students are encouraged to use social media for projects similar to those discussed in the videos, they will see the far-reaching impact of "goodness" and might infer likewise of the far-reaching impact of negative postings.  I think it is a good idea to frequently remind students that social media postings really are an extension of their resume.

One of the videos suggested that parents encourage their children to create a Google hangout with grandparents, or use  Facebook, Instagram, Vine and/or iMovie to create interactions with family members. I think these are great ideas but I wonder how knowledgeable parents are about such Apps. Considering the students on my caseload, I think their parents would welcome the opportunity to help their students create something family-rated. Perhaps I will explore.

I enjoyed creating a Digital Citizenship lesson with my class in mind. Admittedly, I relied heavily on www.commonsensemedia.org;  my lesson plan was adapted directly from the Trillion Dollar Footprint Lesson Plan Unit 3.  I love this website and will definitely be referring to it again. I realize that the lesson plan I created really is basic but the students with whom I work are in need of fundamental instruction on Digital Citizenship. A couple of my students have been involved in quite serious conversations with the principal, their parents, and our resource officer. Yet, they still do not quite grasp how social media works and the impact it can have on their lives and those of others. I attribute a lot of this to symptoms of Autism. Thinking of the perspective of others is an extremely difficult concept for them to grasp and believe.  If a student lacks a filter system in face-to-face conversations, it is not surprising that this same filter is non-existent when using social media. I decided to create a lesson plan that would help them understand what having a "digital footprint" means. Using video, vocabulary, and print (all from www.commonsensemedia.org) will help them learn the content through a variety of venues. One of the activities within the Trillion Dollar Footprint Lesson plan requires students to review online information about two individual who are being considered for a position as the host of a teen variety show. Students are required to make assumptions about the character of each individual based on "online" information presented to them in a student handout packet.  I think this is a fantastic way for my students to process the concept of digital footprint and will be reinforced through this activity.  I look forward to using the lesson.

At the risk of sounding juvenile, I was quite pleased with my new ability to embed links to a video, website, and other Google docs, in my lesson plan! I hope they actually work. Seriously, the thought of "figuring out" any digital technology stressed me out at the beginning of this class.  Working with a colleague on  project, creating an Explain Everything video, using Screencast, and the act of uploading assignments truly helped me develop my skills! I know this aha comment might cause some tech-savvy folks to roll their eyes and say "give me a break" but I am pleased with the advancement in my tech skills! I am confident that I will use several of the skills I have learned through this class and will continue to spread my wings a bit more with the use of social media. Thanks for a great experience!

Week 5 Reflection: E-portfolios

This week's topic was very interesting. While participating in the Maine Writing Project, I created a digital portfolio of my writing. I recall that I found including thoughtful reflection to be something I found a little difficult. Perhaps it was because by the time I completed a writing assignment I was "done" with the assignment. Perhaps it was because thinking retrospectively then articulating that reflection takes time and on occasion... perceivably too much time. I guess I mention this because reflection is an important aspect of e-portfolios and I can identify with the necessity of both offering time for students to reflect and with the necessity of taking time to reflect.

In Barrett's article on the relationship between reflection and e-portfolios, she discusses three forms of reflection focus on the past (through artifacts collected), the present (so what do these artifacts really show about student learning now), and the future (now what goals are needed for future learning).  Thinking about student reflection in this way helped me wrap my head around how I might explain this expectation/process to my students. She discussed how using e-portfolios as an assessment FOR learning is reflective in itself.

I found reviewing exemplars of student created e-portfolios to be very helpful. I reviewed quite a few before I chose two to discuss. Although there were numerous portfolios that included reflections to some degree, I found the design of some portfolios distracting and not particularly user friendly. I noticed that I spent less time exploring what those students had to say. Good to see first hand what works well and what does not work well.  Because most of the portfolios spanned two or three school years, I was impressed to see how a students' reflection skills improved markedly over time. This was encouraging to witness. The student author, of one of the portfolios I chose, often reflected quiet honestly not on the actual assignment/artifact itself but on how she performed and what she needed to do differently next time. I know that this is something I would need to work with my students. Currently, they would be inclined to reflect on whether or not the artifact was boring or easy and not how they interacted with the assignment.

The concept choosing artifacts to include in a portfolio was not as easy as I had planned. I teach remedial math and language arts classes and it is not that what I teach lacks substance but there are times when the projects I assign are geared to the functionality of the students within the class.  That said, what I liked about creating the spreadsheet was that it did in fact cause me to think about the goal/learning objective about projects that I have used in the past. Approaching it from a student's prospective helped create a tool that can be used as an exemplar for students.

Finally, November's article "Technology Rich, Information Poor" caused me to think about my students and how important it is that I continue to work to excite them about "owning" their work, taking pride in their work, taking responsibility for their learning.  I have been known to insist that "their education is not a spectator sport" and that they need to embrace it, be at one with it, jump in and take some control of it!  November asserts that being able to collaborate with people near and far, being self-directed, interdependent, and being a life long learner are skills that will emerge if we empower students to take more responsibility in their learning.  I get that  and I acknowledge this importance. I also acknowledge that these skills are difficult for the students with whom I work. It will take time for these skills to develop but a good first start will be with giving e-portfolios a baby-step try.

Week 4 Reflection: Collaboration

Well, I began composing my reflection yesterday and thought that either a.) blogger used autosave or b.) I had clicked 'save'. At any rate, neither occurred. This has not been my best or my most favorite week, due to my emerging skills with the technology we were asked to use.

In Chapter 9, Johnson & Johnson discuss the importance of offering our students opportunities to work collaboratively and through opportunities of collaboration students will also gain skills needed to work through conflict. I see the importance of providing such opportunities for my students and although students on my caseload struggle with open-ended projects, I will include more opportunities for collaboration within my classroom. I need to stop for a moment and mention technology once again. I don't have a hardcopy of our class book and depend on the electronic copy  for our reading assignments. I struggle using the electronic copy: I couldn't seem to determine where chapter 9 ended and where chapter 10 began and had difficulty scrolling through text. I am certain the difficulty is with my preference of hardcopy over electronic.

I enjoyed collaborating with a colleague to create an Explain Everything video. In fact, I was quite proud of myself for actually figuring out how to embed a live browser to explain Quizlet.  Sure I had to review several how-to videos and it may have taken me two hours to create a 2+ minute slide. But, I did it and I plan on using this app with my classes. There were a few snags that I encountered while using Explain Everything.  I had difficulty using the pen feature to bring student attention to two areas of Quizlet in that when I wanted to move on to the next feature in Quizlet there was a lengthy lag making it necessary to "stall"  while narrating and waiting for Explain Everything to respond. Additionally, when demonstrating the flash card option in Quizlet, on the iPad it appeared that I was flipping the card over but on re-play the card does not flip over. I don't know if this is typical when using a live website or if I simply was doing something incorrectly.

I struggled using Google Docs to create a plan for a collaboration project; it has been a year or so since I last used a Google Doc so once again I googled how to use a Google Doc! It took me an hour to remember how to imbed a link in the document and then I forgot to click "share". I struggled with determining how I could create a project that would allow my students to collaborate using a Google Doc, given the personalities and skills of my students along.

I didn't feel confident with the skills needed to participate in this week's assignments. This week provided me with a good idea of how some of my students might feel when presented with assignments.

Week 3 Reflection  Reversed Instruction

We began our week with one of our three face-to-face meetings. It is helpful to get together with colleagues to learn, in awe,  from their ideas/hints and to commiserate with those who struggle as well!

Steve shared information about using Screencast-O-Matic to prepare videos that could be used to "flip" the classroom. Although we were provided time in which to set it up on our laptops and to practice, I dragged my heels in getting started. I was sitting next to someone who can make technology look soooooo easy and I knew it wouldn't be that easy for me. I knew that Erin would be reviewing how to use Explain Everything, an app that I have seen on my iPad and opened once but didn't know what to do with it, so I thought I would skip trying Screencast and move right along to Explain Everything. However, at Erin's gentle urging to step outside of my comfort zone and just give it a try, and I did.  I opened a document I created for one of my classes and used Screencast to record my instructions. It was simple enough to use in my most basic of ways. It will take some practice in order to attain any wow-factor.

I found Dr. McCammon's "No Lecture in the Classroom" quite interesting and could identify with his description of today's students. Students no longer need to find ways in which to entertain themselves, they are entertained throughout their day and nights with social media, video games, movies, music, texting, etc. No longer can they sustain focus when simply sitting and listening to teachers lecture; they seem to only be willing to engage or focus if there is a digital factor involved.  McCammon asserts that without making drastic changes in the way in which instruction is presented today's teachers will be in the position of managing student behavior before being able to teach. This drastic change involves the FIZZ method of flipping the classroom. That is, students watched teacher prepared instructional videos outside of class then enjoy the opportunity of collaborating with peers as they work through engaging activities and receiving support from their teacher as needed. I watched several of his videos but I honestly found the "nuts and bolts" video the most helpful. I guess this might be considered quite shallow on my part but what bogs me down in taking leap to trying something different is in fact the nuts and bolts of how things work.

I reviewed suggested videos by Katie Gimbar and found her style easy to relate to so I viewed a couple more I found on YouTube. Her videos that answered questions about how to handle disruptive students, students who don't watch the videos outside of class,  and how to handle students lack internet access at home. As corny as this may sound, watching her videos provided me with a bit more confidence to prepare instructional videos for my classes.

When it came time to choose how I would prepare a video, I chose Explain Everything. Two of my students in my Elements of Math class continue to struggle with solving 2-digit times 2-digit multiplication problems with and without carrying, so I decided to create a video that they could watch when they forget the steps needed to solve the problems.  It was such a simple video but took a few takes because I fumbled over my words as I solved two basic multiplication problems. During one recording, my stomach growled (very audible on the recording) so I re-recorded but then my husband had coughing jag in the living room (this too was picked up from down the hall and behind closed doors).  I have to say that I actually enjoyed creating the video and know, as simple as it turned out, it will benefit two of my students.  The next step that I need to figure out is how to share it with them. I am certain that I can create a like on an old portal-portal I have but I would rather create a website and post created videos on that site.

I enjoyed this week's focus and felt just a bit more comfortable with trying new tools to bring into my instruction.

One final note, I actually woke up this morning still thinking about the question about what seems like the most difficult aspect of the FIZZ method. In my response I indicated that a change in mindset is one difficult aspect. I still believe that it is a challenge. But then I watched Steve's video of his recording attempt last night. When I woke this morning my thoughts were all about the equipment needed to create videos similar to those of Dr. McCammon and Katie Gibar: whiteboards, camera to record, tripod, etc.; how/where would I attempt to record; how would I share with my students, etc, etc, etc. I really do want to incorporate more technology in my instruction but typically lack confidence to give it a try. It takes time to explore and learn by trial and error, something with which I'm not particularly patient.

Week 2 Reflection

Typically, I consider myself to be a somewhat creative individual, however it became evident this week that I am a situationally-dependent creative individual.  The week began strong with reading Howard Gardner’s thoughts regarding creativity. Initially, I responded to his reading by asserting that perhaps education in the United States should focus more on rigor and relevance since opportunities for creativity abound in our society, agreeing with several of Gardner’s points. I changed my view after reviewing the postings of several of my colleagues in which it was suggested that we encourage creativity when our students are young and continue to foster this creativity through their school years. These postings caused me to reflect on my own childhood, my early years in education, and my professional/personal experiences as an adult. Creativity was not fostered in my parent’s home. I was the eldest of five children and most everything was a group effort with little encouragement for creativity as an individual.  I believe a combination of my inherent reserved-temperament and lack of fostered creativity when I was much younger helped engrain both a reluctance of going out on a limb with an idea and a lack of ability to create without a template! No, I am not being too hard on myself nor am I finding fault with the parenting stye of my mother and father but rather I acknowledge the importance of fostering creativity in students regardless of their grade. 

Okay, all that said, I struggled with expressing my creativity within the realm of digital technology specifically creating a video. I had a great PSA idea about an issue that impacts my passion as a beekeeper, I gathered my photos from my iPad and my iPhone and spent what seemed to be hours importing additional photos online, and I wrote a script that corresponded to each photo. I thought I had it made until I went to YouTube and began creating. It wasn’t until I had moved the photos into the video template (once you do this you cannot go back or at least that is what I found) that I discovered that you cannot add a voice-over directly into a video created on YouTube. Honestly, I thought I was going to cry! Well, maybe it wasn’t all that bad but I was pretty disappointed.  I ended up creating slides in Keynote in order to include text that explained parts of the video because I couldn’t figure out how to add text to a slide. I googled “how to add text to a YouTube video” but didn’t have any luck. I know creativity takes time and patience but in this situation, I had neither.

As I thought about how I might plan a class video project for my English class, I wondered how in the world I could expect, never mind help, my students to develop a creative video when I could not do it myself. But then I remembered……my students seem to be very knowledgable about using digital technology and most likely could help me. I like the idea of having students create book trailers about books we have read in our English class and am certain they would prefer such an assignment over creating a…..poster! I reviewed book trailers created by students and marveled at how 

I think what frustrated me most about the “Make a Live Video” assignment was that although I had a great idea and was excited about actually making a video, I felt dead-in-the-water when it came to creating what I had envisioned (slides, slides with text, voice-over, music). I created a project using iMovie when I participated in the Southern Maine Writing Project and recall that adding voice over and sound took time but I was able to eventually figure it out through trial and error. I guess I thought it would be easier using YouTube within which to create my video because, well YouTube is all about videos! At any rate, I am going to attempt to create another video using iMovie and then upload it to YouTube to prove to myself that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Week 1- Learning Exploration

I found the readings, videos, and assignments for this first week of class both interesting and informative. Admittedly, I wasn’t sure if I could think about the topic 21st Century learners, 21st Century skills one more time. That said, the reading by Ken Kay and the Vialogue video both caused me to say to myself, “But we are preparing our students for their world! Our classrooms most certainly look differently than those of the early and mid-1900’s! And we are adjusting our teaching to include technology that both engages students and enhances teaching and learning!”

Learning first how to establish a YouTube Channel then how to create playlists of videos is a fabulous addition to my teacher toolbox. This is a little embarrassing to admit, but I admittedly waste a lot of time trying to find a video that I viewed on YouTube or found by Googling a topic. Pre-YouTube Channel creation, these are the steps that I have taken when trying to locate a video that I found three weeks ago but would now like to use….search through my history…no luck…check and see if  book marked it…was I using Safari or Chrome when I found that video??… or perhaps I added it to my reading list…I can’t remember. No longer will I waste valuable time. On a side note, I spendt a lot of time trying to change the banner across the top of my channel and trying to add a photo in place of the quilt design that was being displayed. At one point, I clicked something that created a Google+ account, this seemed to make things worse. This is exactly the trouble I get into when first attempting to use something new; I know enough to get started and fumble around but not enough to fix things when I get in too deep!

I liked being able to comment on a video as I watched it rather than either making notes via pen and paper while watching or by watching it in its entirety and then trying to remember my thoughts/opinions.  As always, I continue to learn from colleagues as I read their comments and noted points of which I had not thought. I am thinking about giving Vialogue a try with my students.

Finally, posting my opinions and thoughts online always pushes me outside of my comfort zone but in a very good way. It affords me an appreciation for some of my students who voice their discomfort when asked to post to my class blog! That said, I enjoy reading the postings and comments of my colleagues which either reaffirm my thoughts or cause me to view things in a different light.