Thing 21 -- Flipping Your Classroom

Many people approach flipping the classroom as an all or none. But many elements can, and should be incorporated bit by bit. Getting teaching content and resources to students ahead of actual coursework saves valuable time, gives students a chance to be prepared and gives them a platform to return to for reference and follow up. Video resources tend to be a big part of flipping the classroom. If you aren't ready to put yourself out there, don't worry. Simply link to any of a number of online video resources (see my previous post) and get started. But don't be shy. Students respond much better to teacher-made resources. It makes you human and helps you connect with them in the Internet experience. Use Go Animate or blabberize other recorder that let's you hide a bit.

Create units of study via Glogster or Prezi that students can access anytime and most importantly, have a place to store your stuff that they can easily access. Wiki, blog, Website, YouTube channel, edmodo. Access is key. It's important to understand how your students access the Internet. I've created a student tech access survey based off of a few examples. Feel free borrow and edit as needed. Knowing where, how, how often and what experience students have with Internet access helps you time assignments, and assist students in accessing course resources.

Screencasting is not for the faint of heart! The task of organizing; what to include, how to keep it succinct and effective takes some getting used to. And hearing your own voice, or watching yourself on line can be intimidating! But don't despair. As with anything, the more often you do it, the easier it gets. And once you get started, you'll be hooked. Imagine developing a library of explanations, how-tos and general info that you can share year after year. No more answering the same question a million times! And students can watch you video as many times as needed to get the point.

I created the following video using screencast-omatic. I usually work with Camtasia, but wanted the experience. I've used Jing in the past, and I found SOM to be a bit  more user friendly in the call outs, cursor highlighting and they give you more than 5 minutes with editing options. Based on user feedback, to improve this video in the future, I would add title slides and captioning or transcript.

Thing 20 -- Online Audio & Video

Why Multimedia? 

Our world has become incredibly media-rich. Kids grow up on a 2 minute news cycle in which everything passes by in flashy audio & video. While there is great value in books and static images, the inclusion of audio and video instantly brings any subject to life. It's also comfortable and familiar. Kids are accustomed to processing audio and video. Incorporating audio & video resources is a great way to instantly apply UDL principals as well,

Just having music playing in the background is a great classroom management tool. When I taught high school, I always played music during 'student' time. I rarely had to even have to ask them to be quiet, as soon as I paused the track, they stopped and looked at me, knowing I had something to say.  Now in PD sessions, I play music at the beginning, it fills the emptiness of the room and creates a more relaxed atmosphere. I've even noticed when I don't have music playing there is much less social interaction between attendees.

I use video to provide examples and background knowledge or to get my students thinking. Video clips can encapsulate ideas in an engaging summary. I use video clips to quickly get all my students on the same page and set the theme for the course.

Which Resource?

I'm very excited to have explored Learn 360 for this module. This is a video subscription service available in my district and I've recently been asked to provide training and consulting on classroom integration. Learn 360 gives teachers access to audio and video files of all types. Both clips and full-length videos, audiobooks, speeches, music, images and more. All files are downloadable and can be integrated into already existing lessons such as Powerpoint, Inspiration and others software programs. There's even an easy Moodle integration plug-in.

Many of the resources also come with pre-made worksheets, or have teacher-created resources attache to them. Or you can create your own and attach those to the Learn 360 site, sharing with ALL Learn 360 users. You can search by grade, content area, state standard, media type or keyword.

Learn 360 is much more than just an resource site with integrated sharing and collaboration. Save your results to a playlist, create a quiz, blog and more.

Audio  or Video?

Of course, each media type has its strengths and weaknesses but in the end I think they're fairly equal. Like anything else, you need to have a balance in your classroom.

Video is fun, but when it's video after video day in and day out, kids will lose interest. And each has something different to offer. In video, images contribute heavily to the meaning as do our own opinions when we see people. 

Audio alone gives kids more to work with cognitively. They can listen to something and then interpret it for tone or create their own visual representation.

Thing 19 -- Digital Storytelling

A fundamental skill for flipping the classroom? 

 Video Creation -- AKA -- Digital Storytelling.

 

There are lots of options out there for creating digital stories or short videos to demonstrate and present. Teachers and students can easily tap into these tools and take what used to be a timeline, report, essay, explanation of process, poster, brochure -- anything -- and  make a quick video, or digital story instead. For this activity I used Windows Live Movie Maker. Voicethread is another I like esp. because it has a great iPad app.

The How

To create a digital story, start with a series of still images. In my example, I created a digital story demonstrating the use of reflexive verbs in a beginning Spanish class. Here's the storyboard I started with:

As I worked through my project, I added title slides and more images. The storyboard is really easy to work with, you just drag & drop to rearrange items. Adding narration wasn't the smoothest. I had to kind of trick out the sound recorder, which is a separate tool in Windows. But it came together pretty easily in the end and only took about 1.5 hours. This might seem a bit long, but that includes finding images, creating script, adding narration--everything. Compared to what it would take to do this same activity by hand it's at least equal, if not shorter. And I never have to worry about it getting lost or ruined. One & done!

I asked a few colleagues to preview this and the only real improvement I would make is to fix the audio. In other projects, I might add more bells & whistles; fancier transitions, background music, etc. But as a project demo for students, I wanted this to be simple and focus on the content requirements of the assignment. However, I would encourage my kids to do  as much as they want as long as it doesn't interfere.  View my completed video below -- if the embed isn't working follow this link: 21 Things Demo Video

The Why

Digital stories give students yet another option for demonstrating knowledge. For those with less confidence in drawing skills, digital stroytelling takes some of the creativity fear away. Working in digital media also allows for quick, easy edits. No need to start all over or crumple up paper in frustration at one small mistake.
As a teacher, I create a video tutorial of exactly what I want my students to do, complete with instruction. I can pair it with a handout and easily meet multiple modalities without a lot of extra work. This is a great resource for others involved in educating a student. Parapros, special ed support, parents etc. can all see exactly what the content is, how it was presented in class and what the expectations are which supports them assisting the student.

Thing 18--Virtual Classrooms

Teacher: 

Good News!! The process of extending the classroom beyond traditional brick and mortar walls IS for the faint of heart, AND you don't need to be a 'tech guru' to get started. 

My plan begins with the cornerstone of any good education program; communication. Start with an e-copy of a newsletter, and set your frequency. Your audience will quickly start deleting important info if you constantly bombard them. Monthly works best for me. Better yet, set it up in the form of a blog that allows for interaction. (NETS-S; 2.a,2.b,5.a,5.b,5.c,5.d,6.a,6.b)

In your newsletter, include links to resources bundled on your favorite social bookmarking tool, your classroom YouTube channel, course calendar or...

Create a Web presence via classroom blog / Wiki / Website or  district LMS. House all these resources in one place and provide your students and parents with a 24/7 link to your classroom. 

Time management of all these resources can be tricky. Try establishing 'office hours'. This set time let's your students know when they can reasonably expect to communicate with you and gives you the necessary boundaries so your online work doesn't become all-consuming. 

As you start expanding your classroom take it slow. As you integrate more tools, you'll also pick up new ideas for implementation and what starts as a static communication (newsletter) will quickly morph into collaboration as students begin to engage in more dynamic ways.

Teaching and learning both benefit from making these small steps. All users become more comfortable with hardware and software processes. Fresh, dynamic resources bring new perspective, ideas and opportunities to the classroom experience.

Student

So what about the student? Unfortunately, online learning is NOT for the faint of heart and DOES require the ability to work with technology to a certain degree. Navigating the Land of Online Learning provides all stakeholders the opportunity to experience online learning from a different perspective than their own. The student view highlights how students should, and should expect to be, part of the process in online learning. 

Unlike any other form of education, online learning really lets students take control of their learning. Students choose when, how, where, to study in order to meet course goals. This can be thrilling at the beginning -- isn't it every teenager's dream -- control!! To frustrating mid-stream and downright defeating in the end. However "With great power comes great responsibility" (Spiderman) 

Successful online students need to be independent, self-starters willing to rise to a challenge and problem-solve on their own. That doesn't mean online learning is an isolated process, quite the opposite. What it does mean is that online learning is a new and different process that requires a new approach.

The role of various adults in the online learning process can not be ignored. Mentors, counselors, teachers and district admin provide all the traditional supports. Students still need support in managing time, course loads, content and equipment.

Thing 16--Research & Reference Tools

 Beyond Google & Wikipedia! 

I’m thrilled with what MEL has to offer. I’ve been introduced to it before, but this overview really demonstrates the tools and resources. I’m excited to bring this back to my students. It offers so much of what we look for on a daily basis in regards to UDL, reliable resources and Internet experience for students. 

As for appropriateness, usability, content and credibility, all the databases on MEL rise above a standard Google or Wikipedia search. All are maintained by industry-recognized curators of information such as Gale. These are the same databases students will encounter in college, which is another reason to access them now – College & Career Readiness. They provide reliable resources that are updated regularly. 

Infotrac databases take the guess work out of Internet research. With tons of search options for students, it’s a great place to teach them how to research. Filtering tools allow for search by publication, topic, media type, keyword and more. Each database also returns suggested further search results similar to a yahoo, google or other traditional search engine, all of this in a super user-friendly format that students will find familiar based on general Internet experience. 

 

Further user support tools include audio files with text to speech read along tools, various download options from MP3 files to full-text copies, Lexile scores listed with all articles, and support for ELLs, such as the ability to change the language of the user interface and translate articles into 11 different languages. 

At the student level, I investigated Infotrac Junior and Infotrac Student. I searched for Summer Olympics in London. The main difference btwn Infotrac Junior and Infotrac Student is that Junior only returns full-text article and Student broadens the search to include podcasts and reference books.

I then searched the same topic in one of the advanced databases; General Reference Center Gold. This database combines all the materials of Junior and Student and adds maps, podcasts, videos and a few other magazines and articles of a less academic sort.

Citation Tools:  
With a quick click, students can generate either APA or MLA style citations right within MEL. Following is an example of a resource I found on MEL and the accompanying MEL-generated citation:  

Hennessey, G. S. (2012, July). Olympic games. Boys' Life, 102(7), 6. Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CA295057220&v=2.1&u=lom_accessmich&it=r&p=ITOF&sw=w

As for general citation tools, I prefer bibme.org. Why like it better than others is that bibme doesn't require an account, and the adds they run tend to be more student friendly-- less visually distracting than on other sites. I also like the user interface on bibme, with the colored icons it's a little easier to use than some of the more clinical looking bib sites. You can also annotate your bib on bibme. 

 

Following is a citation for the film "The Mission" a fantastic historical fiction account of Jesuit work in the early Americas. (I used to teach Spanish at a Jesuit high school. This film was a wonderful resource!) 

The Mission. Dir. Roland Joffe. Perf. Robert DeNiro, Jeremy Irons,. Warner Bros, 1986. Film.

Thing 14.2 -- Productivity; Google Calendar

So why a shared class calendar? Keep students and parents up-to-date with all your classroom happenings.  Standardized test dates, field trips & guest speakers, assignment details & due dates, and, most important of all,  VACATIONS! You can also link files and class resources via Google Drive. You could create one standard (school) calendar that links to all your calendars and then a separate one for each class or content area as needed. 

I created and shared a Google calendar for my Website. I've used shared calendars via 30 Boxes. I like a lot of the features in 30 boxes; it seems more robust. But the Google calendar is more convenient as it comes with the whole Google package and if you check out the google calendar labs you can see how to add 'flair' (event icons) and access other gadgets to beef up your calendar items. I'll have to return to this after exploring more. 

The West Mi Ed Tech calendar is public on google. Follow this link to access the html version.

Thing 13.2--Interactives; Flashcards

In my former life I was a Spanish teacher and I used a Website called Quia. This fantastic tool is quite similar to Quizlet. I created flashcards that students used for a variety of games & practice. Quia is a bit more robust than Quizlet in that I could create different classes, with calendars, grading etc. 

One important thing to note about using online flashcards is that there is a learning curve. Students have to be taught HOW to effectively use flashcards. It isn't enough to learn just one side. They have to be able to go both ways. Adding voice, image and making other differentiations may be useful for many students, but remember that how they learn and study the terms is how they should be expected to recall them. So make sure your assessment matches. If they have to be able to match or define terms, learning / recalling a picture won't be of much use to them. If they need to simply understand a term to demonstrate it in a project, that allows for more flexibility in creating the set. 

Either way, flashcards provide a quick, concise way for students to become literate in any discipline and represent an priceless addition to their strategy toolbox. 

Choose a Study ModeScatterLearnFlashcards

Study these flash cards

Thing 13.1 -- Interactives; Google Earth

Loving Google Earth! This is one of those tools that truly crosses all content areas. As a tech specialist, I strive to find resources that work in multiple areas. This assists staff in collaboration, and helps students envision how tools apply in multiple areas, rather than 'this is a [fill in content area] resource only'. Placemarkers are especially useful for this in establishing location for history, literature, famous figures--and their lives, discoveries, etc. Here are my two examples. 

 

 

 

Lake MacDonald in Glacier Natl Park. The exact spot we got married at last summer!

 

Princess Juliana Airport beach in St Maarten. Look for the placemarker -- we weren't actually on the beach, but in a catamaran off shore -- which is why I missed the Adobe session! ;)

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 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.