EDTC6433 MODELING LIFELONG LEARNING IN THE CLASSROOM THROUGH TECHNOLOGY

Autumn 2017

How can I improve my professional practice and model lifelong learning through the use of technological tools and resources in the classroom?

Technological resources are ever-present in today’s society, and ever-changing. The reality for “digital technologies—such as computers, handheld devices, and software applications” is that they are “unstable (rapidly changing)” (Koehler & Mishra, 2009, p. 61). Thus, the simple act of using technology necessitates lifelong learning as software updates, newer applications, and re-imaginings of old technologies emerge daily. But teachers must do more than just learn what is available; they must recognize that “particular technologies have their own propensities, potentials, affordances, and constraints that make them more suitable for certain tasks than others” (p. 61). Selection of the appropriate technology for the particular task at hand, then, becomes an important component of lifelong learning. This is further complicated by the fact that “most popular software programs are not designed for educational purposes” (p. 66), but for entertainment, business, communication, and social networking (p. 66). Teachers need to “develop skills to look beyond most common uses for technologies, reconfiguring them for customized pedagogical purposes” (p. 66). There is more than enough substance here for a teacher to model lifelong learning, but how can a teacher learn it all well enough to bring it into the classroom?

 EdTech Teacher is an online learning resource “to support educators in their quest to enrich student learning experiences through emerging technologies” (EdTech Teacher). They offer online and in-person workshops for graduate credit as well as yearly conferences. But there are plenty of free resources as well. The Technology for teachers tab offers technological tools organized by academic subject, topic, and learning activity. For example, under the Science/Biology tab, multiple resources are listed, such as CELLS alive!, an interactive site dedicated to cellular structure. “Connect with other Classrooms” under the Learning Activities category lists six different applications for this purpose, including ratings for usefulness and ease of use. There is also a section about classroom apps. Based on the question "What do you want your students to do?" (“Record and edit audio” and “Read and take notes,” for example) different applications are listed with notes reflecting applicable devices, ease of use, usefulness, and price. So if I want my students to respond to a poll or quiz on their laptops, the website suggests Google Forms, Kahoot!, Poll Everywhere, Socrative, and Nearpod, which are all free. There are also project ideas for multiple subjects and free live webinars, which are then archived and available for viewing.

I really like this resource as a learning tool for technology, and I also like that it provides opportunities for interactions with others in my field. “One of the most salient issues for practicing teachers is isolation” with “very little opportunity to exchange ideas with other teachers” (Donnelly & Boniface, 2013, p. 9). Participating in workshops or attending a conference is a great way to interact with other educators to share ideas. I struggle a bit with this, though, as I’m new to the field and feel as though I have a lot of questions but not much to offer experienced teachers. This is one of the reasons I like Edutopia. Not only are there articles and videos available on multiple topics, there is also a community page with opportunities to interact with other teachers on a variety of topics through the comments section on the articles. What I like about the community page is its welcome message: “Connect, collaborate, and share resources with people who are passionate about improving education. (No pressure—lurkers welcome, too!)” (https://www.edutopia.org/community). I like that it gives me permission to learn first, and then when I’m ready and have something of value to offer, I can begin the collaborative piece. I also like that I can participate when it’s convenient for me. The school day will be busy, and trying to find time to have meaningful conversations with my colleagues will be difficult. But this online community is always available on my time schedule. My classmate also recommended Teachers Pay Teachers, a resource-sharing site where teachers can purchase and sell lesson plans sorted according to grade level and subject. The fees are minimal:  one year of Biology lessons costs only $15! This is a great way to see what other teachers are developing and using in their classrooms.  Both of these resources are not substitutes for face-to-face interactions, but they can serve as valuable supplements. 

Donnelly, D.F. & Boniface, S. (2013). Consuming and creating: Early-adopting science teachers’ perceptions and use of a wiki to support professional development. Computers & Education 68, 9-20.

Koehler, M.J. & Mishra, P. (2009). What is technological pedagogical content knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), 60-70.

EDTC 6433 USING PIKTOCHART TO CREATE AN INFOGRAPHIC

Autumn 2017

Wikipedia defines infographics as “graphic visual representations of information, data or knowledge intended to present information quickly and clearly.” The key to their effectiveness is the visual aspect, with color-blocked sections, images and icons, different sized fonts in different styles and colors, charts, graphs, and maps, and limited text to highlight main ideas. Because “vision is probably the best single tool we have for learning anything….the more visual the input becomes, the more likely it is to be recognized—and recalled” (Medina, 2014, p. 191). Thus, infographics are a great tool for teachers to create handouts, posters, and presentations that are visually impactful for students. Students can create their own infographics for a variety of purposes, such as a presentation, a component of a project, or even as a study guide.

One great resource for making infographics is PiktoChart. It’s an easy-to-learn way to make infographics quickly because of the large number of templates available to jump start the creative process. It is free, but upgrading to a fee-based membership allows for many more templates, animated icons, and higher-grade resolution for downloading and printing. There are discounts for teachers and a classroom package so students can have their own accounts. Still, I found that the free option had plenty of templates, shapes, icons, charts, maps, and graphs to suit my needs. There is also the option to upload your own photos for use. I really liked the versatility of this program. Although the template is provided, you can change anything and everything as you need to, including the number and size of the blocks in the template, color schemes, fonts, text sizes, and icons.

I created an infographic for the topic of digital citizenship for students at the high school level, applicable to any subject. It presents the nuts and bolts of copyright, fair use, and public domain, including their definitions, how to use media in these categories legally, and available resources such as Creative Commons and Photos for Class. I loved creating this infographic. It was a great way to focus a large and complex topic into manageable pieces visually broken down by the color-blocked sections. The creativity involved with selecting colors, icons, and text block sizes to make a visually appealing and informative infographic was engaging and fun, and I imagine students would view the process similarly. I was able to create it rather quickly, but I can see how easy it would be to get lost in searching for shapes and icons and experimenting with different color schemes, because it is fun! The one downside to PiktoChart is that there is no platform for group work, so students working collaboratively on an infographic would need to do it in class, with one person signing into the account and then passing the laptop around to others in the group to work on their parts. However, the fact that the PiktoChart templates are divided into blocks would easily facilitate group work, as each person could be responsible for designing one block in such a way that it leads to a cohesive whole.

Medina, J. (2014). Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School.   Seattle, WA: Pear Press.

EDTC 6433 DIGITAL STORYTELLING PROJECT

Autumn 2017

Digital storytelling “is the practice of combining narrative with digital content, including images, sound, and video, to create a short movie, typically with a strong emotional component” (Educause, 2007, p. 1). In the classroom, this can be a powerful educational tool, linking technology use with “the traditional processes of selecting a topic, conducting some research, writing a script, and developing an interesting story” (Robin, 2008 p. 222). From a pedagogical standpoint, assigning a digital storytelling project to students fulfills ISTE NETS Standard 1: Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, which states:

            Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to    

            facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-

            face and virtual environments. (International Society for Technological Education 2007)

Digital storytelling is versatile, applicable to any subject and any age, integrative, uniting the use of different technologies into a cohesive whole, and creative, allowing students the ability to create their own online content, something most students have not experienced despite their exposure to technology (Kumar & Vigil, 2011). Because the nature of digital storytelling requires imagery and audio, this is a great entry point into the discussion of copyright, fair use, and public domain, a component of ISTE Standard 4: Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility: “Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices” (International Society for Technological Education 2007).

But digital storytelling is not a technique limited to students; teachers can also use this method for teaching, “as an anticipatory set or hook for a lesson; to enhance current lesson plans with the use of a digital story within a unit; to support student research on a topic from a particular point of view” (Robin, 2011). In order to familiarize myself with the process of digital storytelling and experiment with its use as an educational tool, I chose to create a digital storytelling project as an introduction to a high school Biology unit on DNA. DNA is a complex topic laden with vocabulary students most likely have never encountered before, so what I hoped to accomplish in creating this project is a light introduction to the associated vocabulary, a view into the real world application of science, and, because the discovery of the structure of DNA is not without controversy, as a hook to engage student “interest, attention and motivation for the "digital generation"” (Robin, 2011).

To begin my digital storytelling project, I first researched the chronology and the contributions from the scientists involved in the race to discover the structure of DNA. I used diigo, an online bookmarking site, to manage the articles and websites I found. The annotating feature was particularly helpful, as I could quickly locate references in my diigo library. I also used Creative Commons to search for images I thought would be relevant and available for use in the classroom, and chose the “modify, adapt, or build upon” feature in case I wanted to modify something to make it more relevant, either for content or for creativity. Flickr, Google Images, and Wikimedia Commons proved to be the most fruitful for the images I was searching for, but nevertheless, this was the most time-consuming portion of the project for several reasons. First of all, searching for images is addictive, and I found it difficult to select one instead of continuing to scroll through to find something better suited for what I was trying to convey. Secondly, it took a lot of time to create the lengthy reference list for the scrolling credits at the end of the project. And thirdly, there came the creative process of matching the script to the images. I found images first, then wrote the script, and finally realized in combining the two that either a) I did not have an image for a particular piece of narration; or b) I had an image, but it did not fit as exactly as I wanted with the narration. So I went back to Creative Commons for further image searching. If I did assign this project in a classroom setting, I would assign it as a small group project. Students could divide up the images they needed to search for, greatly reducing the workload and time commitment per student. I have also since learned about Photos for Class Photos for Class, a student-safe site for available images that are automatically watermarked with the appropriate attribution. If students used images from this site, then perhaps their credits list would be much more manageable, limited to a few isolated attributions for images not found on Photos for Class and music attributions.

I assembled the images in iMovie, an application I am familiar with, although using the narration feature was new to me. It was remarkably easy to use and I was able to re-record at various points as necessary without much trouble and fairly intuitively. I used ccMixter through Creative Commons to search for instrumental music according to various themes. There was a great selection and I found the site easy to use, but I had difficulty navigating the conversion of a downloaded mp3 file into iTunes in a format that iMovie would accept. I spent some time searching online forums for answers, but most of the answers weren’t applicable to my particular issue. I finally figured it out on my own through trial and error.

Creating this project was a great tool for highlighting my own strengths and weaknesses with various technology/software applications. I learned which areas I am comfortable with and which I am not, which kinds of software I find intuitive and which require more structured research to figure out its particulars, and where I am significantly deficient in basic digital language. For example, with the mp3 audio file, I needed to convert it into a file iTunes would allow iMovie to accept. But what kind of file is that? Lacking this kind of basic terminology made it extremely difficult to focus an online search on the information I was seeking. It basically became two searches: one to find out the terminology of what I needed, and one to seek the actual information.

I enjoyed the creative process quite a bit, and I imagine students would too. Storytelling is an ancient and timeless art, and the ability to add visual imagery and music to it is engaging, not only as the creator, but as the viewer. Even though I knew the story of Watson and Crick discovering the structure of DNA and the controversy concerning the lack of credit given to the female scientist Rosalind Franklin, after completing the digital storytelling project, I felt as though I had brought the characters to life. No longer were they abstract names on a page; they were living, feeling human beings all striving toward the same goal. If I felt that way, hopefully my students would too, and with this hook into the material, they might be more engaged and willing to dive into these complicated concepts.

The Race to Find the Structure of DNA

Educause Learning Initiative. (2007).  7 things you should know about digital storytelling. Educause Learning Initiative.

Retrieved from https://www.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7021.pdf

International Society for Technological Education. (2008). The ISTE
National Educational Technology Standards (NETS•T) and Performance Indicators for Teachers. Retrieved from https://www.kent.edu/sites/default/files/file/ISTEstandards.pdf

Kumar, S. & Vigil, K. (2011). The Net Generation as Preservice Teachers: Transferring Familiarity with New Technologies to Educational Environments. Journal of Digital Learning in Teacher Education, 27(4), 144-153.

Robin, B.R. (2008). Digital Storytelling: A Powerful Technology Tool for the 21^st Century Classroom. Theory into Practice, 47, 220-228.

Robin, B.R. (2011). Digital Storytelling Hands-On Lab. TLA 2011 Annual Conference
April 12 - 15 Austin, TX. Retrieved from http://faculty.coe.uh.edu/brobin/TLA/index.htm

EDTC 6433 TEACHING DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP ISSUES OF LEGAL USE AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Autumn 2017

How can I demonstrate and teach my students a) legal and ethical behavior regarding the use of online resources such as images, music, videos, and documents; and b) social responsibilities that accompany an online presence?

PowerPoint presentations, Prezis, digital storytelling, YouTube videos: these are all wonderful ways for students to use technology to integrate digital tools and media with content in a creative form of expression. However, with these formats comes another facet of technology that students must learn: not everything online is available for use. Images, music and other audio resources, videos, and documents such as articles, textbooks, and handouts, may be placed online for viewers to see, not share, modify, alter, or use personally or commercially. Students must be taught

Digital Law: As in Real Life (RL), if something is taken which has value, it is stealing. Students need to see the connection between RL (Real Life) and OL (Online Life) and understand that those basic laws apply to the OL, as well as the RL. (Ribble & Miller, 2013, p. 140)

Waters & Burt’s (2017) The Educator's Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons is a great place to start for clear definitions of these terms, as well as helpful videos that are appropriate for teachers and students alike. It also explains Creative Commons as “an organization which provides free content license known as a creative commons license that people can apply to their work,” allowing “everyone to share and adapt creative work without the concern of copyright infringement” (Waters & Burt, 2017). One particular resource recommended is Photos for Class,  a search engine for student-safe images in Creative Commons Flickr. One great feature in Photos for Class is the automatic watermarked image that states the name and author of the image, a link to the original, and the licensing allowing it to be used:

Not only is this an easy way for students to learn how to correctly attribute the author of works with “no worry about plagiarism or stolen work” (Photos for Class), it is a great way for teachers to quickly check if a student’s work is properly shared and cited. Using Photos for Class imagery in my own presentations would model these techniques for students as well. My classmate also recommended 11 Free Resources For Your Next Presentation with 11 different links to websites offering free use of photographs, including animated characters, vintage, and abstract, giving students even more opportunities to stretch their creativity legally.

In addition to considerations concerning Digital Law, teachers must also address:

Digital Etiquette: Starting at a young age, educational leaders need to begin make [sic] parallels for students between being good to each other both in the classroom and in the digital world.” (Ribble & Miller, 2013, p. 139)

Ribble & Miller (2013) discuss the connection between technology misuse and lack of empathy:

Increased exposure to media content (three times more than in the past) was mentioned, and the increase of violent media that “numbs people to the pain of others” [11, p.2]. In addition, the lack of face-to-face interaction can serve to dehumanize the other person, adding to this lack of emotional connection. (p. 139)

Gimenez Gualdo, Hunter, Durkin, Arnaiz, & Maquilon (2015) also noted “that the absence of direct contact between perpetrator and victim lowers the cyberbully’s emotional engagement regarding feelings of remorse” (p. 232). In light of this, it seems clear that, much like teachers must teach the similarities of Real Life and Online Life with regards to digital law (Ribble & Miller, 2013, p.140), teachers must teach the similarities between cruelty on the playground and cruelty online.

             Common Sense Education  has a K-12 Digital Citizenship Curriculum “designed to empower students to think critically, behave safely, and participate responsibly in our digital world” (https://www.commonsense.org/education/scope-and-sequence). With units entitled “Turn Down the Dial on Cyberbullying” and “My Online Code: What does it mean to do the right thing online?” this curriculum covers social responsibility, safety, privacy, and copyright laws organized by grade level. Each lesson is aligned with Common Core State Standards, ISTE Standards, lesson objectives, and assessments. The lesson plan may include videos and handouts as well, and the materials are free. Teachers can use these in the classroom before students begin a media project or online search, or even at the beginning of the school year when classroom expectations regarding cell phone and technology use are explained. I can also imagine beginning the school year with a small group activity where each group creates a short presentation covering different topics such as copyright law, public domain, internet privacy, etc. Each group could share their presentation, and then everyone in the class would learn from each other about digital law concerning the use of online images, music, videos, and documents, and digital etiquette, including cyberbullying, privacy, safety, and other aspects of online social responsibility.

Gimenez Gualdo, A.M., Hunter, S.C., Durkin, K., Arnaiz, P. & Maquilon, J.J. (2015). The emotional impact of cyberbullying: Differences in perceptions and experiences as a function of role. Computers and Education 82, 228-235.

Ribble, M. & Miller, T.N. (2013). Educational Leadership in an Online World: Connecting Students to Technology Responsibly, Safely, and Ethically. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Networks, 17(1), 137-145.

Waters, S. & Burt, R. (2017, January 20). The Educator’s Guide to Copyright, Fair Use, and Creative Commons. The Edublogger. Retrieved from https://www.theedublogger.com/2017/01/20/copyright-fair-use-and-creative-commons/