Thing 12.1 -- Google Forms for Assessment

Google forms makes it easy to collect, store & analyze data. I use it primarily for formative assessment and reflection. I get valuable feedback from my students that directs my instructional practice. I tweak my presentations, follow up with individuals and choose what future PD to create all based on information gathered in Google forms.

I especially like the live form updating. Projecting the live results as users take the poll really helps my students become comfortable. Tech PD intimidates a lot of people. As they complete the Google form opening survey, they see they really aren't the only ones who aren't 'tech gurus'. Smiles, shared chuckles and self-acceptance instantly create a much more relaxed atmosphere.

Google forms also gives me an easy way to create district-wide polling tools on topics such as Internet safety, student access to technology etc. I create one form, share it with staff who can then customize it for themselves. By requiring students to include their name & class information on the form as one of the 'questions' it allows teachers to easily filter results as needed. 

Here's an example of a Google form I created on Internet safety. 

Thing 11.2 -- Zoom-It

Visual impairment is not something I think of right off the bat when I'm considering differentiating. But as I I reflect on it, visual impairment is probably the MOST common impairment we encounter, but rarely make conscientious accommodations for. 

I would not consider myself visually impaired, but I DO wear glasses and as the years pass by, I DO need to see print materials from varying distances depending on size and room lighting. I recently learned of an app for my smartphone / tablet that turns the camera into a magnifier. Wonderful!! Now I can easily read small print on coupons, medicine bottles, etc.


Here's an example of a zoomed screenshot with the Magnifier tool built into Vista. Notice it puts the zoom screen on top of my screen. 

Zoom It--provides the same type of support. I would post an example of zooming in on a Website with this tool, however... stop reading here if you aren't interested in my frustrations :)

Perfect example of when things go wrong with digital tools. Trying to download & use Zoom It has taken waaaay too much of my time over the course of about a week. At first, I thought I was just trying to go to quick, not really paying attention to something that I thought would be quick & simple. So, not having time to properly trouble-shoot I returned later. I kept having the same trouble, the ctrl + function keys just don't seem to operate, and neither does simply clicking on 'zoom' out of the pop-up menu on the icon in my system tray. 

So I finally took the time to read through everything--ctrl +F4 (not ctrl +F1, F2 or F3) as posted in the initial instructions. OK-- here we go. Ctrl +F4. Wow!!! quite a zoom. But first, my screen goes black and takes a bit to re-load. And then I can't navigate. I finally somehow get out of Firefox and see a super-blown up version of my computer homescreen. But navigating to and using Jing in this context is next to, no, IS impossible. 

Thing 11.1 - Presentation Tools

http://prezi.com/bj2is5hg7eum/cabinet-in-the-cloud/

Prezi vs. Powerpoint:

Prezi gives you a web-based space to create, store & share presentations. You can invite collaborators and updates are instant. And, as with all things Web, anyone can view it anytime on any platform.

Powerpoint: So many people just don't know what to do with it and you end up with a bunch of bulleted lists and, if you're lucky, a few clip art extras.

Honestly, I think the tools are fairly equal in regards to creation. A Prezi can be just as dry as Powerpoint in content. Bells & whistles don't improve weak presentation organization. And I've heard many a Prezi viewer complain about motion sickness!

However, the collaborative, Web-based, social aspect of Prezi, makes it the clear winner.

Prezi makes it easier to create differentiated resources. One prezi with various representations of the same topic i.e. a PDF text explanation, embedded video, images with explanations. You can also use the path to build a concept from simple to more difficult.

Thing 10 -- Digital Images

This is the original photo I took at Meijer Garden. Notice the color of the butterflies. I uploaded the photo via the 'upload to blogger' tool in Picasa. But now that the photo is shared on Google+ it seems to be gone from my photos on my hard drive. 






 

I used the saturation tool in Google+ editing to bring out the color. This would be useful for visually impaired students, or to create emphasis on something in a photo. I also added some text, but purposely chose a poorly contrasting tone to demonstrate that pretty isn't always better. It can be so easy to get carried away with 'fun' when you create something like this. Have students compare two images and discuss the positive / negative of each and their purpose in a presentation.


These photos are both available on my Google+ web albums. I can share them as I can any content on Google.

Thing 9 -- Copyright & Fair Use

geekologie

Waiting for the results to come in on my copyright quiz. Just wanted to start this post to hold its place on the page. 

If you'd like to participate in the quiz -- follow this link

Stayed tuned for results & analysis...

So, here are the results of my survey:   It seems my users, like most people have some basic understanding of copyright, but the details escape them.  With only 4 responses, I'm not getting much out of this. I also realize that I should have created the survey differently. I should have asked questions on one specific area of copyright, or 2-3 for each area in order to better understand what they don't understand. 

Thing 8 -- Visual Learning

Bubbl.us diagram comparison of mind mapping tools. Mindmeister wins hands-down! What I like about Mindmeister:

1. Full collaboration and sharing options.
2. Cross-platform app available
3. PC Client available (on Safari & Chrome -- fingers crossed for Firefox)
4. Full integration with Google account
5. Links to files, Websites, & images

 

All these tools give you a place to at least start organizing thoughts, ideas and resources for project planning. With Common Core in our future and SBAC testing on the horizon, collaborative project planning and storyboarding skills are increasing important for educators and students. I like to embed tools in my PD so that staff get introduced to a variety of items; not just the topic at hand.

I could use bubbl.us as a formative assessment; at the beginning of a presentation to collect assumptions, expectations, fears, wonderings etc; at the end, to collect reflections and desired follow up.

I could use MindMeister to work with our communications department in developing social media guidelines. With MM we can work collaboratively across space, we can mine resources and link them together for further review later. We can also develop an action plan in regards to rolling out the plan to various role-groups that might include press releases, district-wide communications, training videos, etc.

Thing 7.2 -- Digitial Citizenship -- Activities

People talk a lot about keeping kids safe online. It may just be semantics, but I think there should be more focus on teaching kids to be aware and vigilant online. 
Scary things don't happen online. Scary things happen as a result of your online habits. 
Even adults get lulled into thinking they are less visible online, even though the opposite is true. Look at how many people post blog comments, Facebook updates, and pictures for the world to see, that, under F2F (face to face) circumstances they would never even consider. Perceived anonymity is what gets you in trouble. 

Raising Awareness:

One of my favorite online awareness resources is Netsmartz.org Produced by the Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Activities cover everything from publishing too much info, to how predators groom kids, and how to avoid cyberbullying. Resources are targeted to parents, community, teens, tweens, and educators. There are great, kid-engaging videos, lesson plans, and discussion tips, contracts, tips sheets and more. Info and videos produced in Spanish and English. 

Learn more about the program

I have used these resources to educate students, parents, district staff and community partners in conjunction with the Believe 2 Become program. 

visit the site

Another good awareness training tool for schools is Onguard Online produced by the federal governement. The materials are a bit drier than NetSmartz, but you can order unlimited print resources for free, again in both English & Spanish.

Neither of these resources covers analysis of Websites. I plan to create some Moodle resources within my district with pre-made lesson plans for staff at all levels, similar to what was covered in 21 Things. I'd like to develop something in Spanish as well, and perhaps work with our ELL / bilingual program to create companion resources in a variety of languages.

Thing 7.1 -Digital Citizenship -Hoax Sites

visit the site

An island just for dogs?!? According to the stats box on the front page, almost 4000 dogs call Dog Island home.Really?

Bogus / Hoax Websites can be hard to crack. But the creator of Dog Island (www.thedogisland.com) makes it pretty easy by including a disclaimer right on the page footer. 

The advertising on this site makes it look even more credible. Visitors might think because there are actual companies and links to Google Ads, they've discovered a credible curiosity. But just because a Website draws enough traffic to make it valuable to advertisers, does not mean the content is legit.

visit the site

The Pacific Tree Octopus Website could easily fool a gullible, quick-to-click student.

The author presents in a tongue-in-cheek, sarcastic sort of humor that could easily be mis-construed by the less sophisticated student. He also links to actual credible Websites with some actual unusual creatures (such as the Nature Consrvancy) However if you read the FAQs you realize the site is named for the author, and has no real purpose. A disclaimer of sorts appears on the front page of this site as well, but is a bit less obvious than the Dog Island disclaimer: "This site is not associated with any school or educational organization, other than the Kelvinic University branch of the Wild Haggis Conservation Society."

Using the Joyce Valenza CARDDSS criteria for Website evaluation is a great way for kids and teachers to learn more about how Websites are created and what to look for when searching for credible resources. 

This was a fun activity. Even though I consider myself a veteran Internet user, it was eye-opening to see how real some of these sites appear. I can see in my mind exactly which of my students would fall for these, even with the aid of the eval tool. I can imagine that they would exert their own bias on their analysis. If they think the site is for real, they might ignore or twist evidence to the contrary to make it fit.

Thing 6.4 -- Vozme

English

 

Spanish

Voz Me let's you enter text in various languages! But the English voice was mildly British and the Spanish voice was decidedly Spanish--which may be a bit confusing to our primarily Latin American population. It's also that funky computer voice, so the cadence is a bit off.

In the Classroom

A quickie text to speech tool such as this gives kids an easy-to-access one-click tool to getting an added layer of support. And the audio files can be saved as MP3 for future use. You could create little sound files to load with text for anything on your course page. 

This could also be used to communicate with parents who may struggle with literacy. We have a large population of parents who are English Language Learners. Often speaking / listening skills are much stronger than reading skills. A tool like this would enhance the home / school connection and give the parents the opportunity to use school communication as a learning tool for themselves.

Thing 6.3 -- NetTrekker

I chose NetTrekker for this part of the assignment b/c I'm fairly familiar with UDL. And, although I've heard a lot about NetTrekker, I've not had the opportunity to check it out. Unfortunately, this foray has not proven very enlightening...

Frustrations:

•  I'm having some trouble setting personalizing my account. It won't let me change my profile from a generic 'teacher'. So I'm unsure if saving will attach to me in any meaningful way. NetTrekker will not accept my Learnport log in as a registered user.
• Websites listed under the same topic (Technology / Creativity & Innovation) not only vary by readability, but also by computer skill. e.g. Wordle is a simple copy / paste tool. Glogster is a completely different animal requiring students (and teachers) to have far more advanced computer skills. I would like to find similar tools with like readability. 
• I tried to access a Website -  Museum Box and use the NetTrekker tools that lay on top of it. I got to the Website with no trouble, but when I tried to use the NetTrekker tools, they didn't work and the site shut down. 

Positives:

• I can see the value of NetTrekker and look forward to the opportunity to experience it.

I guess I need to spend some more time exploring NetTrekker. I do have some colleagues who use it regularly, so...PLN to the rescue! 

Thing 6.2 -- Diverse Learning

Using Technology to Support Diverse Learners

Supporting students' literacy level seems to be a challenge throughout our district. Some simple tools to enhance digital text

• Appearance:  a serif type font, adjusted    spacing, and contrast. 
• Interactivity:  highlight, bold, underline, color-coding passages based on content, dictionary tools 
• Organization: re-order text, augment with guiding questions, give access to summaries as pre-reading activities 
• Text on iPod!:  Who knew? Split large text items into manageable notes to read on iPod. Kind of like chapters on a CD, the info stays linked.  
• Text to Speech: Free tools abound for converting text to sound files.

I like how these tools are listed in order from simplest to more complex. Any teacher can quickly and easily enhance digital text (and teach students to do the same) with the appearance tips. For those ready to move ahead, with technology, options for text-to-iPod and text-to-speech take it up just a tiny little notch.  

Thing 6.1 - Differentiated Instruction CAST

As I consider my current 'teaching' position, as a district trainer, the elements of differentiated instruction that I employ aren't as obvious as when I was in the classroom. I don't see my 'students' on a regular basis. In fact, I often see my students only once on any given topic in a fairly limited time frame, so the opportunities for ongoing assessment and flexible modes of instruction are somewhat limited.


Differentiation in a training setting

• Various methods of input--video, F2F, handouts, presentations, small group and flexible grouping;  aural, oral, visual, kinesthetic
• Pre-test--which allows me to adjust my intended presentation on the spot
• Ongoing formative assessment -- checking in with trainees as we leave each stage to make sure no one gets left behind
• Practice with support: Staff always have the opportunity to not only use the tools as designed but also to 'investiplay'. I always offer to stay over for those wanting more time. And will connect outside of training to provider additional support.
• Adjustable levels of challenge: Based on the pre-test, I present differing levels of usage to accommodate.
• which can be frustrating for my learners. I know those with less tech confidence feel left behind at times, but I also feel responsible to those that can do more. I do my best to be reassuring, but the impetus is on the learner to a certain extent. Just as in their own classroom each learner is at at different level, so too in training.

Thing 5 - Content Area Tools - Thinkfinity

Thinkfinity is a great one-stop place for resources for everyone; parents, students, teachers, administrators and community partners. As as Ed Tech Specialist, professional development resources related to technology integration hold the most value for me. 

The Integration Framework for Educators provides a nice guided process for integrating tech in lessons. It starts with tool selection, and ends with reflection. I plan to share this tool with building tech specialists, coaches and others so they can use it to guide teachers through the tech integration process. In addition, over the last two years, I've been developing tech integration tools for the district, and this framework is the perfect complement to that. I will add this to my collected resources and PD for principals, teachers and curriculum specialists so they can more effectively observe, reflect and integrate technology. 

The Integration Framework Trainer's Guide takes the framework for educators to the next level for me. The framework for educators is a great observation / reflection tool. But the trainer's guide provides me with exactly the tool I need to assist staff on the integration process. Using this resource, I will be able to create a short series of workshops for staff in which they learn to anaylze tech tools and integration strategies. At the same time, they will be trained on using Thinkfinity. One big positive? the way Thinkfinity and the Integration Framework are both laid out, I can train a diverse group of staff from various content areas and grade levels all at once.

Thing 4 - Skype

my contact list

Skyping the Experts 

Sychronous video tools are not for the faint of heart! (Or those of us who are intra- rather than inter- personal learners.) There's a certain disconnect with writing.  I'm safely absconded behind the words on the page.  Video -- yikes! Is my hair sticking up? What if I say something ridiculous? so exposed...

So how do us introverts get F2F with experts in the classroom? Like everything new -- start small and have a plan!

• Invite the expert down the hall, your good friend expert and others who will help you get comfortable. 
• Skype calls with experts have to be scheduled. Make a plan with a time frame, create goals for your conversation, have questions at the ready, assign roles, role-play, practice!   
• Once you've dipped your toe in the water, let your gregarious students take the plunge for you. They can drive the conversation while you moderate. 

Who are the Experts?

• student teacher who's left to do a semester abroad
• friend / family member
• colleague
• 21 Things cohort
• conference presenters
• authors
• scientists
• TED speakers 
• students in other countries

Recently in my district, the drama club coach at one of our high schools attended a tech conference and discovered the key note speaker was also a playwright. He chose the play as their spring production, connected with the author via twitter and set up a skype session for the kids. Suddenly, not just some words on a page to be randomly interpreted, but the opportunity to get direction on the intention of the actual author!