Week 7 – Journal Review – Video

(modified image courtesy of http://www.rotary5810.org)

Learning Medium: Video

Learner Level: Middle School (grades 6-8)  

 (video courtesy of http://www.nextvista.org/how-to-wash-your-hands-correctly/)

The video above was created by students based on required learning targets for a health class.  As educators, we need to  find new ways for our students to demonstrate their understanding of the material learned in the classroom.  The article I read this week was about involving students in creating, editing, producing and presenting videos – specifically in a science class – but the methods used in the article can be applied in a variety of curricular areas. 

Journal Article:  Making Movies in the Classroom 

Review:  This article was written by a middle school science teacher and outlines how she presents a unit to her students, which integrates the use of video creation with both science and social studies curricular guidelines.  The students are responsible for creating, scripting, filming and editing a video that creatively demonstrates their understanding of the impact a natural disaster has on both the environment and the communities involved.  While the article was pretty specific for this unit, it provides a “model” for how similar lessons could be created and presented in other curricular areas.  I loved that the author provided a rubric for her lesson which is helpful for a teacher to use as a template for creating similar assessments for their own individual units of study. 

The article has a couple of key points that I think should be emphasized.  It indicates that the teacher should try their hand at their own movie before presenting the unit to the students, to help identify and anticipate any problems that might arise.  Another point made is that “students are given two weeks to work and they must have the script and layout finished before they may begin to shoot the video” (Richards, L., 2006, p. 56).  That makes a lot of sense, because the children might be so excited to get going on the filming that they don’t really have a solid plan, which could result in a lot of wasted time re-shooting when things aren’t well-scripted or planned in advance.

All of the NETS-S standards are covered in this type of lesson – from #1 through #3 are covered in the group dynamic of collaboratively creating, researching, planning and executing the video, along with critical thinking, problem solving and decision making that occurs along the way (#4).  The students may be working with new technology (#6) and should remember to follow appropriate fair use guidelines (#5 – digital citizenship).  

The NETS-T standards that are represented by the material in this article include #1 (Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, 2 (Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments) and #4 (Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility). 

As the author says, the most important thing is to “Have fun!” (Richards, L., 2006, p. 56).  The best way to do this is for the students to have an opportunity to choose subjects within the required area that are interesting and present them in a unique and entertaining way.  Below is an example of a video that was created for a science class, in which students explain the chemical reactions required to activate a glow stick.  

(video courtesy of http://www.nextvista.org/how-glowsticks-work/)

I can completely see how an activity such as this would be a fresh, authentic approach for students to demonstrate their understanding of concepts learned.  On the website http://www.nextvista.org, students are encouraged to load their videos created for a variety of curricular areas.   Though it may take some initial effort on my part, I would like to try putting together such a unit for my future classroom.  The result would be more engaging and interesting responses to course content, and hopefully generate memorable experiences the students (and I) will carry with us for years to come.  

(video courtesy of http://www.nextvista.org/how-to-fail-a-speech/)

Reference: 

Richards, L. (2006).  “Making Movies in the Classroom” Science Scope: 55-56. Print.

Week 6 – Journal Article Review

(images courtesy of http://flatclassroom11-1.flatclassroomproject.org
and http://www.web20fortheclassroom.wikispaces.com)

Week 6 Journal Review – Video: 

Learning Medium: Video

Learner Level: Middle School (grades 6-8)

 

(video courtesy of  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3kewAGmFdU&feature=g-all-u) 

The video above excellently demonstrates the need for teachers to use engaging and thought-provoking methods to engage their students in the learning that occurs in the classroom.  The article I read this week was about the use of digital video, by teachers, to enhance educational classroom experiences for themselves and their students. 

Journal Article:  Using Digital Video to Re-think Teaching Practices 

Review:  This article was written from the perspective of preparing in-service teachers for creating lessons for the 21^st century learner through the use of digital video planning, production and presentation.  The focus was on a study that took place with a group of teachers who were working toward their Masters degrees, while taking a class on design-based education during the Summer.  Working in small groups, they created story-boards, produced and edited videos that could be used authentically in their own classrooms.  According to the article, participants created two different kinds of videos:

• Instructional videos “that taught an idea or concept necessary for learning a content standard or benchmark that their own students would have to master” (Girod, Bell & Mishra, 2007, p. 25).
• A video “that sought to engage viewers in a moving experience connected to important and powerful ideas in their classroom” (Girod, Bell & Mishra, 2007, p. 25). 

I loved the examples that were given and wish I could see the videos myself!  The first was from a math teacher making real-world connections demonstrating geometry principles found in the environment in which the students live, and the second example was from a science teacher which demonstrated the water cycle in an engaging (and amusing) way that, as the article states, “his students were unlikely to forget” (Girod, Bell, & Misha, 2007, p. 25).  Since I don’t have access to those videos, I will show a similar video from the same teacher as my previous video, where he is demonstrating the distance of the planets in our solar system from the sun (side note – this teacher is in Sioux Falls, South Dakota – in the winter – and the 8^th grade team he teaches are called the “Crazy Eights” ).  

(video courtesy of  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5mSdFlAcjQ&feature=g-all-u) 

One thing the article brought up was how important it is for the instructors to put a bit of their own personality into the video to make it engaging while presenting material that hits required targets and objectives.  This teacher does an excellent job of showing his personality in his videos, as well as sharing a bit of himself (his daughter is often present in his videos). 

The NETS-T standards that are represented by the material in this article include #2 (Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments) and the need for #5 (Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership).  I would definitely like to see the school districts encourage such professional development experiences to further aid teachers in reaching their students in different and interesting ways.  I was just reminded today (by my 17-year-old) how just sitting and watching a movie in class, though “intended” to teach a concept, is often simply a “short-cut” for the teacher and doesn’t always have the desired result (my daughter said she often naps when the lights are out for a movie).  It might be better for the teacher to take the extra time and effort (given appropriate technology support) to create novel, engaging (and SHORTER) videos that grab the students from the start, provide rich learning experiences, and keep the students “on the edge of their seats until the curtain falls” (Girod, Bell & Mishra, 2007, p. 26). 

I can definitely see myself (when I have a class), trying my hand at producing videos to reinforce concepts being learned in the classroom.  If done well, the students will be both entertained and informed, and maybe even learn something that stays with them longer than the time it takes to pass their State Assessments. 

(video courtesy of  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRGeDApx7l8&feature=g-all-u) 

Reference: 

Girod, M., Bell, J. & Mishra, P. (2007).  “Using Digital Video to Re-think Teaching Practices”  Journal of Computing in Teacher Education 24.1 (2007): 23-29. Print.

Week 5 – Educational Social Networking Resources

(image courtesy of http://www.latestdigitals.com)

10 Educational Social Networking Resources

Below I have listed some websites that I have either used or discovered as a result of my research in the area of Social Networking in the middle school classroom.  I hope that these will be useful to you as well.  The use of all of these sites satisfies the NETS-S standard #5 and NETS-T standard #4 (both regarding digital citizenship).  While I mention some of the NETS standards that the various sites listed below cover, this is not an exclusive list, and any or all of the standards could be covered dependent upon the type(s) of activities generated on the sites. 

1.  Wikispaces

http://www.wikispaces.com/

This free site was mentioned in the article that I read in week #4.  Wikis can be created by teachers and / or students to enhance the lessons by allowing students to discuss what they are learning, collaborate on activities (such as creating vocabulary pages), etc.  In the article that I read, wikis were used to discuss books read both in and out of class.  All students participated in deep discussions about their learning, including those that don’t normally say anything in class.  This format allows students to fulfill NETS-S standards #1 (creativity and innovation) and #2 (communication and collaboration).

 2.  EDU 2.0

http://www.edu20.org/

This free site is an application that can help you set-up coursework that can be done online.  The site boasts that it allows for unlimited storage.  This would be helpful if the teacher wanted to establish some online quizzes or coursework that can be completed outside of class (or during computer lab time) in order to extend the lessons the students are learning inside the classroom.  Use of this tool would satisfy NETS-T standard #2 (design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments).  Students would also be demonstrating their ability to use various applications, which falls under NETS-S standard #6.

 3.  Symbaloo EDU

http://www.symbalooedu.com/

This site is used to organize the various electronic resources you frequently use in one location.  The site has both free and subscription applications for individual, classroom and even school / school district uses.  I have never used this site; however, according to a video I saw that introduced the product, the testimonials from schools and students that have used it, this might be a great way to store an electronic portfolio of your and/or your students’ work all in one place.  NETS-S standard #3 (research and information fluency) has a section where a student needs to be able to “locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media” (ISTE, 2010 NETS-S #3b).  This site seems like a good fit to fulfill that requirement.

 4.  Edublogs

http://edublogs.org/

This is a free site that is solely for the purpose of educational blogging; therefore, it is not often blocked by school districts like many other blogging sites can be.  You are able to establish the blogs with privacy settings so that only people you want to have access to the content will be able to do so.  This site is similar to WordPress.com.  Like other blogging sites, students and / or the teacher can use this site to discuss content being learned within the classroom to extend their learning outside the classroom.  The use of this site can fulfill NETS-S standards #1 (creativity and innovation), #2 (communication and collaboration).

 5.  Kidblog

http://kidblog.org/home/

This free site was created by a teacher to ensure more safety for students in creating and using blogs.  The site is more limiting than Edublogs; but it sounds like a good option for the needs of the less-tech-savvy teacher.  As with other blogging sites, students and teachers can create blogs to extend classroom discussions beyond the walls of the room, and can be used for a variety of curricular material (science, math help, book group discussions, etc.).  The NETS standards surrounding creativity as well as communication and collaboration are well-satisfied in using this application (NETS-S #1, #2).

 6.  Edmodo

http://www.edmodo.com/

This free site works like Facebook, and is education-based.  The teacher can manage course material as well as facilitate classroom discussions.  The parents can have access as well, in order to see what is happening in the class and what is  being discussed.  This is also an additional way for teachers to collaborate with other teachers for course materials, lesson ideas, etc.  This tool would again satisfy NETS-S standard #2 (communication and collaboration) as well as NETS-T standards #1 (facilitate and inspire student learning and creativity), #3 (model digital age work and learning), #4 (promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility), and #5 (engage in professional growth and leadership).

 7.  SchoolRack

http://www.schoolrack.com/

This free site allows teachers to create websites and educational blogs that can be used for classroom collaboration, as well as informing parents of what material is being covered.  The opportunity for students to discuss what they are learning outside of class in a way they are familiar allows them to further process the material they are learning and gather ideas from others on the discussion topics.  As with other blog creation sites, this application allows students the opportunity to be creative, use problem-solving strategies, and communicate / collaborate with  others in a variety of activities that satisfy NETS-S standards #1 and #2.

 8.  Wikis in Education – by Wetpaint

http://wikisineducation.wetpaint.com/

This free site is another one that allows teachers and their students the ability to create educational wikis, which can be used to enhance the classroom learning experience, through deeper discussions, collaboration with peers and exploration of a variety of curricular topics.  The activities that could be generated are limited only by the imagination, and could include book group discussions, science exploration activities, and even curricular study groups (i.e. prior to a quiz / test).  Such uses satisfy the NETS-S standards for creativity and innovation (NETS-S #1), communication and collaboration (NETS-S #2) and demonstrating the understanding of the use of technology (NETS-S #6).

 9.  Weebly – For Education

http://education.weebly.com/

This free site allows teachers and students the ability to create a website, blog and / or wiki for classroom educational purposes.  The students have the ability to submit their homework assignments online and the teacher can manage the students’ accounts.  The teacher can also use the site they create to keep parents informed as to what is going on in the classroom, upcoming assignments, etc.  the types of uses for this site are similar to other blog sites, including extensions to classroom curricular discussions, test preparatory groups, etc. According to the website, this is a safe environment that fosters communication, collaboration, and digital citizenship, which are all important NETS standards (NETS-S #2 and #5).  

 10.  WordPress

http://www.wordpress.com

I could not do this list without including the site that I am currently using to create this blog.  While I have never created a blog before, I have found this site to be fairly user-friendly.  The applications described in previous blog sites are the same – with teachers and / or students creating blogs to extend their learning through discussions of topics from the classroom material (NETS-S #1, #2).  I can definitely see myself creating an actual classroom blog using this site in the future when I have a classroom.  In the meantime, I am satisfying NETS-T standard #5 (engage in professional growth and leadership).

Week 5 – Journal Article Review

(image courtesy of http://www.edweek.org)

Learning Medium: Social Networking

Learner Level: Middle School (grades 6-8)

 This week I continue to delve into the subject of using Social Networking to enhance the Middle School classroom experience.  The article I read this week was about the use of Social Networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Ning to support educational activities.

 Journal Article:  Social Networking Goes to School

 Review:  The article mentioned above talks about how sites such as Ning, Facebook and Twitter are used to communicate with other classrooms across the globe to enhance the overall educational experience.  There were lots of great ideas such as using Skype to talk with other classes in another state or country to allow for richer learning experiences.  A wonderful example listed was a project called “Around the World with 80 Schools” which was created by Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano, from Martin J.Gottlieb Day School in Jacksonville, Florida.  She used Ning to set-up a network of interested teachers around the world.  She schedules Skype meetings between her classroom and a classroom in another part of the country or world.  Sometimes it is as simple as learning about what it’s like in the other classroom’s part of the world.  Other times it is a more specific activity.  One example that struck me was when a “group of Gottlieb students had just read a book about Orca whales…contacted a class in British Columbia.”  The article goes on to describe that the students from British Columbia “hopped on a boat and shot video of a pod of Orcas which they sent to the students in Florida” (Davis, M. 2010, p. 3). 

The curricular applications in this type of format are versatile, and can be used with math, science, social studies, and language arts.  NETS standards covering creativity as well as communication and collaboration are definitely supported by such activities. 

The article mentioned that both ready-made platforms such as Facebook and Ning as well as school- / district-created programs can be used for educational purposes.  An example of this is “Project K-Nect, a grant-funded program that uses smartphones as teaching tools in a handful of North Carolina school districts, [which] allows students to instant-message their peers and teachers with questions on math homework,” (Davis, M. 2010, p. 3).  My own daughter who is in high school has used student-created Facebook pages for study groups, as well as texting, instant messaging, Skype and face-time for these purposes. 

One caution I gleaned from reading this article is that the school has to pay close attention to the legal requirements when using ready-made platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, etc.  According to the article, “Schools also need to pay close attention to federal laws like the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act of 1998, or COPPA, which seeks to protect children’s privacy and bars most children under 13 from participating in many websites” (Davis, M. 2010, p. 6).  Most middle school children fall below this age restriction.  Because of such limitations, it is probably safer, and a better idea for the school / teacher to create blogs, wikis, and other tools for such collaborative learning for the classroom.  I agree with the article when it states that “Facebook is too much of an intrusion into students’ personal and social lives for educators to be using it as an educational method,” (Davis, M. 2010, p. 6).  It is important to keep a professional “digital” distance from our students for our own protection as well as theirs.  All of these limitations speak to the NETS standards surrounding digital citizenship and are very important to remember in order to have successful and appropriate educational experiences. 

The idea I liked the most from what I read, and could see myself implementing in a classroom, was the concept of cross-cultural collaboration with peers from another site (whether within or outside the city, state, country, etc.).  The educational benefits that can be obtained through such contacts would prove to be richly rewarding, and have a long-term impact on all involved. 

Reference: 

Davis, M. (2010).  “Social Networking Goes to School”  Education Digest 76.3 (2010): 14-19. Print.

Week 4 – Journal Reviews – Social Networking

(image courtesy of http://www.genyspot.com)

Learning Medium: Social Networking

Learner Level: Middle School (grades 6-8)

It is amazing to me how many middle school children are using a variety of social networking platforms every day (and quite proficiently).  When I think of social networking, my mind automatically goes to Facebook and Twitter; however, there are many more applications out there that are used by the common middle school student.  There are a variety of texting sites (like Textplus, TextFree, TextNow), as well as photo-sharing apps (such as Instagram, Shutterfly).  My own daughters would spend many hours (if not monitored) on their iPods “FaceTime-ing” their friends, as well as listening to music, sharing pictures etc.  Sometimes these discussions are actually surrounding school work!

As a teacher, it is important to try to meet your students where they are in order to meaningfully engage them in their learning.  I read an interesting article regarding the use of Wikis and Blogs in the classroom. 

Journal Article:  Academic Social Networking Brings Web 2.0 Technologies to the Middle Grades 

Review:  The authors of the above-mentioned article discuss the fact that “technology is a natural part of [middle grade students’] lives” (Taranto, Dalbon & Gaetano, 2011, p. 12).   Instead of allowing the students to use their knowledge of such tools to help with their educational experience, all too often schools require them to turn off all electronic devices and focus on class work.  The focus of this article centers on how to find a way to blend technology with class work, in order to enhance the learning environment. 

The article discusses the use of Wikis in two different language arts classes in a middle school in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.  One is an advanced English class that used a teacher-made Wiki site to create and respond to questions about literature they were encountering within and outside of the classroom.  The other class was language arts for struggling readers.  They also used a Wiki to respond to teacher-generated questions about literature they were reading together in class.  The benefits that were identified in the article include greater student involvement in discussions, the speed in which the discussions flowed, and deeper levels of understanding the material. 

Use of Wikis in the classroom would satisfy many NETS-S and NETS-T standards.  Communication and collaboration (NETS-S #2) are essential elements the students need to do well in their future, and use of such technology exposes them to opportunities to explore and enhance these skills in a safe, educational format.  Designing and developing digital age learning experiences (NETS-T #2) helps to engage the learners in meaningful activities using applications with which they are quite comfortable using outside the classroom environment.

One of the key NETS-S standards to remember when using technologies such as Wikis in the classroom is #5 – Digital Citizenship.  Specifically the students need to “advocate and practice safe, legal and responsible use of information and technology” (ISTE.org/NETS).  According to the article, “Prior to establishing Web 2.0 opportunities, it is essential to establish rules and guidelines with the students, as the online experience is an extension of the classroom” (Taranto, Dalbon & Gaetano, 2011, p. 18).  It is extremely important that students follow the internet safety guidelines, as well as district policies that are out there to ensure no inappropriate use of technology occurs (i.e. cyber-bullying).  Additionally, the students must be instructed in the way the posts should look in terms of length, style, etc. (i.e. proper grammar – no “LOL” or slang allowed).  The school district mentioned in the article even came up with a “contract” that the students and parents have to sign agreeing to terms for the use of the Wikis for the classroom. 

The use of technology such as Wikis is not practical for the type of teaching I currently do, as I work one-on-one with students, and a “discussion board” type of set-up wouldn’t work.  That being said, I can definitely see the use of Wikis in the future as I work toward the goal of teaching in a Middle School language arts and/or social studies classroom.  I like the idea of using a class Wiki to extend classroom discussions about the things we are learning.  Additionally, I believe students get tired of the same old format of lecture-notes, read-respond, etc.  Since the kids are using technologies such as Wikis and other social network applications outside the classroom, this type of “homework” would be easy and quick for them to complete, and probably not feel as much like “work.”  When I think about my potential future “classroom,” I often think of the types of technology I will implement in the curriculum.  In the past I mainly envisioned having a web page on which assignments were posted along with due dates.  I can now say that my vision has expanded to begin exploring and including things such as Blogs and Wikis as well.  I am excited to experiment with these things in the future and see how they enhance the learning for my students! 

Reference: 

Taranto, G., Dalbon, M. & Gaetano, J. (2011).  “Academic Social Networking Brings Web 2.0 Technologies to the Middle Grades.”  Middle School Journal (2011): 12-19. Print. 

ISTE NETS-S: Advanced Digital Age Learning. International Society for Technology in Education, 2007. Print.