EDIT 2000

While SMART Technologies isn't entirely new, it may be new to some of you. Today, you're going to spend the first 30 minutes of class exploring different SMART Activities. (Hint, here's a great list to check out.) Then we'll spend the next 30 minutes taking turns showcasing what we've learned. For this in-class, group activity, you may pair up into groups of 3 or 4. Each group will have 5 minutes to present their exploration findings. Note that this is your final Exploration Task for the course. Attendance is required to receive full points.

Preparing for the Showcase

What is the showcase?

The showcase is an opportunity to see and be seen. Take a look at what your classmates have done this semester and share the work for which you are most proud. We’ll eat, talk, visit, and reflect on the work we’ve done this semester. Think of a creative way to decorate your workspace. At minimum – you’ll need a creative name tag. Former students have printed out sample work from portfolios, brought refreshments, or had some clever reason why students should visit their workspace.

Review the portfolio checklist – make sure you have everything completed. I have shared individual checklist reports with you so that you know what you're missing.

For Thursday

1. Post a short description of your SMART exploration on your portfolio as "Emerging Tools;" include a link and short paragraph about how you would use the lesson or tool
2. Thursday is our last day of class; be prepared to show off your portfolio

Course Evaluation

The Course Evaluation Form is now open. Be sure to complete it when you have a chance.

TLAT #3 is almost finished! Spend as much time as you need working on the main sections of the WebQuest today. These last two sections can be completed any time before Tuesday, Apr 26.

Writing the Credits

“We all benefit by being generous with our work. Permission is hereby granted for other educators to copy this WebQuest, update or otherwise modify it, and post it elsewhere provided that the original author’s name is retained along with a link back to the original URL of this WebQuest. On the line after the original author’s name, you may add Modified by (your name) on (date).”

Don't forget to include links to resources you used: images, etc.

Teacher Section

Here your target audience is teachers. In this section, you will be sharing ideas on how your WebQuest page can be used. Also, provide instructions on what resources/tools the teacher will need, and how they could support learners during the process. In your teacher section, at least indicate the followings:

1. Recommended teaching strategy and scaffolding for the process section
2. Resources that teachers can use to guide students’ WebQuests project
3. Georgia Performance Standard including subject information
4. Target learner information including grade level

For Tuesday

1. Have a good weekend! Make sure your TLAT #3 link is posted to your portfolio.

Once you have an idea for your WebQuest, it’s time to get started writing it. We’ll start with the Introduction and Task Sections. If you’re stuck and can’t think of an idea, check out WebQuest Design Patterns.

Planning Your WebQuest

The following tasks can be done either in a Google Doc and later transferred to a "new" Google Site or built directly into your "new" Google Site.

Writing your introduction:

1. Building Blocks of a WebQuest provides a nice overview about writing introductions
2. Remember, make it engaging and talk directly to the student

Writing your task:

1. Building Blocks of a WebQuest also provides insight into writing tasks
2. Remember, the task should be short: 2-3 sentences; don’t give instructions on how to complete the task – just describe it

Writing Process

One of the main parts of a WebQuest is the Process section. The Process section is composed of the specific steps a student should take to accomplish the assigned task. The Process section also provides age-appropriate resources for students to use to complete their task. Finding useful resources requires more than just a Google search. Using vetted resources from reliable sites is important. Find some useful web resources for your students to use from Thinkfinity or any of the other tools/sites we've explored this semester.

Here are some things to remember about the Process section:

1. This should be a step-by-step description of what students will do
2. Students should be assigned roles (journalist, editor, astronaut, politician, etc.) and given specific information on their “job descriptions”
3. Students should be able to access links to at least 5 age appropriate resources that will help them to complete their task. This should not be a list of 5 long web addresses. It should be a title that links to the website and a short description of what students will find there.
   • For example: Currency Converter: As you plan your trip you will need to determine how much money you need to take. Use this currency converter link to determine how many pesos you will need.
4. Students will likely need some type of printable form to help them organize the information they are finding online – particularly if they are elementary or middle school students

Here are the essential questions to ask while you are working on your project:

1. Does your WebQuest help your students’ critical and deep thinking instead of mere comprehension?
2. Does your WebQuest help your students improve their research skills and problem solving skills?
3. Is your WebQuest topic authentic in order to engage your students?
4. Is your WebQuest task challenging and doable?
5. Do your learners need to think independently and critically during the WebQuest activity?
6. Do your tasks involve collaboration/cooperation/peer interaction among students? Is collaboration between your students important for the successful completion of the WebQuest?
7. What scaffolds (visual organizers, software tools, prompting questions and suggestions) are provided in your WebQuest?
8. Is your process clear enough that your students would know exactly where they are at each step of the process and what to do next?
9. Do your Evaluation criteria align with the given tasks?

Evaluation

When crafting your Evaluation section:

1. Don’t evaluate what is not assigned. Don’t assign tasks that are not evaluated.
2. Your evaluation rubric should have 4 or 5 different criteria that you are evaluating.
3. Make sure your rubric is written so a parent could understand it. In other words, will a parent know why his/her child made an “F” on the project? an “A”?

Here are resources that you can use for the Evaluation section:

1. Rubrics for Weblessons
2. Creating A Rubric for a Given Task

You will be using this template for your rubric The only thing that is missing on this template is a row indicating the maximum possible points that can be earned. You will add a new row to this template. Copy and paste the rubric into a word document. When you have completed your rubric, it is to be linked so that it opens as a word document.

For Thursday

1. Work on Introduction, Task, Process, and Rubric sections
2. Thursday is an absence make-up day and WebQuest workday; if you do not plan to attend class, be prepared to submit your TLAT#3 on Tuesday, Apr 26

What is a WebQuest?

WebQuests are a teaching tool that use web-based resources and other sources to support students as they work through an inquiry or problem-based activity. They are web-based lesson plans written for the students that support and scaffold student understanding of a set of curriculum standards. Generally, students are asked to work collaboratively to answer a question or solve a problem and then present the answer or solution in a technology-supported format.


You can find many examples of WebQuests at the WebQuest page maintained by Dr. Bernie Dodge from San Diego State University. Dr. Dodge is the creator of WebQuests and WebQuests have been around for more 10 years. We’ll spend some time looking at example WebQuests by clicking the “Find WebQuests” button on the left navigation bar on the WebQuest page.

Creating Your Own WebQuest

For your TLAT #3 you will create a WebQuest that supports student critical thinking and problem solving. You’ll create an original WebQuest that includes all 7 of the following sections:

1. Introduction
2. Task
3. Process
4. Evaluation
5. Conclusion
6. Credit
7. Teacher Page

Possible Resources:

1. View the WebQuest Taxonomy of Tasks to help you with an idea for your WebQuest
2. View the Building Blocks of a WebQuest page to know what do for each section
3. check out these Inspirational WebQuests for ideas
4. View the TLAT #3 Rubric so you can be sure you’re meeting or exceeding expectations

For Tuesday

1. Review examples of WebQuests at the WebQuest page
2. Think about a subject/standard and your students’ grade level
3. You should have an idea for your WebQuest project when you come in
4. Create a NEW Google Site for your WebQuest (refer to Creating an Online Presence if you need a refresher)
   

Today is an absence make-up workday. Make sure Steps 2 & 3 of TLAT #2 are completed ASAP. I'll be reading these during class today.

Elaboration & Reflection

Now that you've brainstormed activities and evaluated each idea, it's time to elaborate. Follow the instructions in the yellow box to craft a narrative about your activity. Once you're finished, reflect on the activity in Step 5.

REMEMBER! We will not be meeting face to face on Thursday. However, you WILL have an activity to complete (instructions will be posted on Thursday morning) and your TLAT #2 is due on Thursday. I'll be grading these on Thursday evening. If I cannot access your document via Google Docs or your Portfolio, it will be counted late.

For Thursday

1. Finish TLAT #2 and post to your portfolio as a link or embedded document
2. Read Chapter 4 and complete the reading guide

Your Step 1 should be completed before today’s class (I'll be grading while you work on Steps 2 & 3 today).

Find a partner with a similar teaching context (e.g. similar subject areas and/or grade levels, not just your neighbor/friends). Discuss Step 1 with your partner and help each other check off the items on the checklist – the blue box on the lesson design guide (especially those included on the grading rubric).

Innovation-in-Action

Now you’re getting ready for Step 2 – it’s time to use what you know from Step 1 and come up with ideas for teaching. You don’t need to do this alone. Use ideas from the Strategy section of Step 2′s big yellow box. You can find lots of sample lesson ideas here. Make sure you know what components to include for each of your ideas (it’s all explained in the big yellow box!)

Decision Making

Once you have your ideas generated, it's time to make some decisions. Re-examine Step 1 for good decision making criteria. Then have your partner from earlier evaluate your 2-3 activities. Don't forget to evaluate your own, too! Based upon these evaluations, finish out Step 3. Both Steps 2 & 3 are due before class on Tuesday. Tuesday will be another make-up absence work day. If you do not come in on Tuesday, make sure you finish out Steps 4 & 5 before class on Thursday, Mar 7 as well.

For Tuesday

1. Finish Step 2.

Getting Started with Creativity

There are many different ways to look at creativity. We’re going to look at a part of creativity called divergent thinking. Divergent thinking is made up of four components: fluency, flexibility, originality, and elaboration. We’ll divide up into 4 groups and each group will do an activity related to one of these four areas. As you do some brainstorming for your activity, consider using Bubbl to record your group ideas.

First, let's explore these four ideas a little further. As a group and as an individual, how did you perform on the examples? How did your performance match up with how you did on the creativity quiz from a few weeks ago? What does this have to do with your subject area? With technology? What does Chapter 5 in your book have to say about these four components of divergent thinking?

Thinking Like a Teacher #2

Make a copy of the TLAT #2 Design Guide so that you can edit it (name it Lname-TLAT2; ex: Dousay-TLAT2). You’ll notice that this assignment is very similar to TLAT #1, but there are checklists at the end of each section to help you keep track of the components. Everything you need is in the document, but focus on each section as you get to it. We’ll be working on Section 1 today, and it’s due on Thursday. I'll be grading this assignment in segments using this rubric. So, be sure to get the sections complete as each due date is announced.

For Thursday

1. Complete all parts of Section 1 in the TLAT #2 Design Guide

Today is your day to bring your digital story to life. We'll be working all class period, so bring your thinking cap and let's get to it! Attendance in class is optional. By working on your story in class today, you can erase 1 previous absence. Otherwise, you are free to work on your story at home, in another campus lab, or the Editorium (check out a key from OIT on the 2^nd floor).

For Thursday

1. Make sure your story is posted to your portfolio

Before we get started, take a minute to watch some some digital stories from the past few semesters:

• 5th grade mathematics
• High School Chemistry

As we continue brainstorming ideas for our digital stories, let's look at how you'll make it. There are so many tools available for you to use. In the past, EDIT 2000 students have used PhotoStory, MovieMaker, VoiceThread, Storybird, and iMovie. Use the chart below to help you select your tool. Select a tool you’ve never used before, but will also be the best to tell your story. Note that each tool name links to tutorials and info about how to use it. You can select a tool not on this list – just check with me before you start.

Tool	OS	Access	Still Images or Video	Narration	Music	Ease of Use
iMovie	Mac	Installed	Both	Y	Easy	Intermediate
MovieMaker	PC	Installed	Both	Y	Difficult	Intermediate
Photostory	PC	Download	SI	Y	Difficult	Beginner
StoryBird	Both	Web-based	Stock	N	N	Beginner
VoiceThread	Both	Web-based	Both	Y	N	Beginner

You’ll be using original still images or video that you’ve captured for your story. If you select Storybird, remember that you're limited to the stock illustrations within their website. Please avoid using images from Google and other sources if at all possible. Cite your sources if you are using them from other locations. If you don’t have access to a digital camera or video camera, you can check them out from OIT in Rm 232 Aderhold. The checkout period is for 5 days and you’ll need to present your Student ID.

Enjoy next week, but keep in mind that the assignment will be due the Thursday following Spring Break!

For Tuesday

1. Class will be open work time so attendance is optional. If you have missed more than 2 classes so far this semester, it is expected that you will attend to make up an absence
2. Keep in mind that Digital Stories will be due at the beginning of class on Thursday, March 24

You’ve thoroughly analyzed your instructional situation, you’ve selected the GPS that you want to address, you’ve brainstormed possible problems with teaching that standard and set appropriate goals, and you’ve brainstormed possible instructional solutions to the problem (Steps 1-3).

Today we’ll share your possible solutions with one another and then select and apply criteria to determine the “best” solution to your instructional problem (St).

Here are some criteria that you can use for your decision in Step 5:

1. Does the solution promote student communication and/or collaboration in an innovative way?
2. Are the teaching and learning tools selected well-suited for promoting communication and/or collaboration?
3. Is the solution age appropriate?
4. Is the solution the best way to teach the standard?

Your book has guidelines as well. (pp. 72-75)

1. Consider the context – what is it that you want students to learn?
2. Safety first – with whom are students communicating?
3. Teach group dynamics and team building skills
4. Provide students with a reason to listen (or communicate).

What other criteria are important for you to select the best solution? Make sure to consider as many aspects as possible that are important to your learning activity (Step 5), take your solution ideas from Step 4 and grade them according to your criteria. Then, choose the top-scoring solution to use for Step 6.

Reminder

Your final write-up for TLAT #1 is due at the beginning of the class on Tuesday, Mar 1 (we will not meet on Thursday). You will submit your work by writing up your learning activity and posting it to a TLAT #1 page on your Portfolio. Make sure you describe your activity and talk about the importance of promoting communication and collaboration for your grade level/subject area.

For Tuesday

1. Complete the rest of your TLAT #1 Design Guide
2. Post TLAT #1 to your Portfolio by the beginning of Class on Tuesday
1. Write a story about your planned lesson considering all the questions listed that describes your activity and talks about the importance of promoting communication and collaboration for your grade level/subject area
3. Read Chapter 5, complete the reading guide, and post a word or phrase about tools for creativity

Supporting Student Content Learning

Chapter 2 talked about content learning. What does that mean? What does it mean to you? What does it mean with regard to your subject? What’s the difference between structural and procedural knowledge? Using the guidelines for designing opportunities to learn content from your text, which of these 5 guidelines do you feel you don’t see enough of here at UGA? Which do you see followed frequently? Which matters most to you? Complete the class survey to weigh-in on the discussion.

Creating a Commercial

Step One

Talk with classmates who are learning the same tool as you. What did they discover? What are they planning to highlight in their commercial? Is this person someone you’d like to partner up with for this project or would you rather work on this alone?

Step Two

Plan what you are going to include in your commercial. You’re selling a product and teaching us a little about it. Think of it as an infomercial. If you need some inspiration, check out this example:


Don't you want a Snuggie now?! Won't it change your life?! Billy Mays was the king of infomercials. As much as we laugh at those clips, it works! People buy the products. For more inspiration, check out Time Magazine's "25 Worst (We Mean Best) Informercials."

Spend some time planning out your commercial. Ask yourself:

1. Who is your audience?
2. Why do they need this tool?
3. What features of the tool are the most important?
4. How can you make the tool exciting for you audience?

Step Three

Learn to use Jing. You’ll likely want to test out Jing a few times to make sure everything is recording properly and you're comfortable using the software.

Keep your commercial to less than 2 minutes. You can have your tool as the screen image the entire time you are talking about the tool or you can have some powerpoint slides or other images to use along with the actual tool. Be creative! You can use another tool to create the finished commercial.

For Thursday

1. Create your commercial
2. Create a new page on your website called, “Communication and Collaboration”
1. Write a short description of your selected tool
2. Provide a link to the tool's website
3. Embed your commercial

There are so many things to know about teaching in the K-12 environment. Consider how each of you comes from a different background, has different interests, and possess different motivations for learning. It makes sense, then, that your students will, too.

Are you up for a challenge? Do you think you have what it takes to learn all you can about how to understand and incorporate learner differences into your teaching techniques? In groups of 4-5, take the EduChallenge and see how many categories you can review before the end of class. Don't forget to submit the EduChallenge Response Form for each category. The team completing the most pages by the end of class will earn GooJ passes for each member. If you missed class, you’ll need to complete at least 3 of the 5 categories and submit the form for each on your own.

For Thursday

1. Read Chapter 2 in your text and complete the reading guide.
2. Post a thought or phrase to describe an effective application of technology to support learning.
   

Extra Credit Opportunity!

Dr. Curtis Bonk, a world renowned scholar from Indiana University, is speaking on campus tomorrow about Stretching the Edges of Technology-Enhanced Training. He has authored a number of popular books, including The World is Open and Empowering Online Learning. EPIT's LDT program and the Center for Teaching and Learning are co-sponsoring his talk in MLC 214 from 3:00-4:30 on Wednesday afternoon. Attend the talk and check in with me to get 1 extra credit point on your final grade.

Content Standards

State Standards

As teachers, we have far more control over how we teach rather than what we teach. Content is generally mandated at the local, state, and national levels. In the state of Georgia, curriculum standards are called “Georgia Performance Standards” and are written for every grade level (K-12) and most subject areas. You can view the standards for your subject area on the left navigation of their website. If you don’t see your subject area listed (subjects such as health, family and consumer science, character education, and a few others), view the the "QCC Materials." If you are interested in speech therapy or special education, consider looking at the "IEP Goals & Objectives Bank." Let me know if you’re having trouble choosing a subject or can’t find the standards for your subject.

National Standards

When we look at standards for teaching, we have to consider that there are national educational technology standards (NETS) for K-12. Generally speaking, these standards focus on good teaching and learning; not just technology use. The textbook for this class is based on these national standards and contains a chapter that addresses the first four standards (we’ll talk about 5 and 6 all semester):

1. Creativity and Innovation
2. Communication and Collaboration
3. Research and Information Fluency
4. Critical thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
5. Digital Citizenship
6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Creating a Learning Environment

Once you've gotten a better understanding of who you're teaching and what you're going to teach, you can focus on creating a learning environment to bring it all together. What should the physical environment of your future classroom look like? To do this, we'll use a tool called Floorplanner we’ll need to get a graphic of your classroom up onto a new page in your portfolio called, “Creating a Learning Environment”. We’ll use a tool called Floorplanner (you are welcome to use another tool if you have one available) to sketch what our ideal learning environment [classroom] will look like. Once you've created an account, complete the 12-step tutorial to help you learn more about how to use the tool. Keep in mind that the free version of the tool will only allow you to create ONE floorplan. After creating your ideal learning environment, use create a screen shot of the image and insert it into your portfolio. Create a new page called “Creating a Learning Environment" that includes both the image and a paragraph that describes why you chose the design, identifies highlights of the room, and establishes how the design reflects the needs of the learners and of the curriculum. Give a sense of what it would be like to spend time in your classroom. Be sure to include a description of your students and yourself (their teacher). The page should be 3-4 paragraphs in length. For an example of this assignment, see Sarah's Portfolio.

For Tuesday

1. In the Google Doc you created on Tuesday, add the questions below and your responses.
1. What grade level/subject area did you choose? Why did you select it?
2. What are the main topics taught in this grade/subject?
3. What are some topics that surprised you? What topic is missing that you thought would be taught?
4. How will digital natives fare in this subject area? What particular topics will interest them?
2. Complete your classroom layout using Floorplanner and the "Creating a Learning Environment" page of your portfolio.

How Do You Learn?

For Tuesday's class, write a story about a time that you learned how to do something. Perhaps it was when you learned how to ride a bike or learned how to cook your favorite dish.

As a class, we’ll share what we learned and how we learned it.

1. Did your motivation to learn the skill affect how quickly you learned it?
2. Did you utilize some type of learning tool to acquire the skill?
3. Do you still possess the skill?
4. If you were to teach someone this same skill – would you teach them the same way?
5. What does any of this have to do with technology in your life and in your future classroom?

This is a class participation* activity.

* Class participation is 15% of your grade in this course and it is not based solely on attendance. Just showing up for class isn’t enough. We will discuss what participation should look like, including what gets in the way of participating, how class can be structured so that it’s easy to participate, how participation is viewed differently from a teacher/student perspective, and why this matters in a technology course.