Wicked Problem Project-PART C: Implementation

This is a podcast for the purpose of communicating the progress on my Wicked Problem Project. We are currently at the implementation phase of the project. Because this course is being taken during the summer when school is not in session, we are unable to actually do implementation. Therefore, the requirements for this blog have been modified to reflect our progress in the planning and the creation of the materials needed to begin carrying out our solution in the fall when school resumes.


You can access my podcast by clicking on the link below:


https://www.msu.edu/~stemendi/podcastwickedproject.mp3

An example of a glog being used for teaching an author study on Jan Brett

I have included screenshots of the glog I made, one of the video tutorials I used to train myself on Glogster EDU, and an example of how a teacher can use a glog for a lesson. I have found a number of these examples to guide me when I create my glog lesson.

My "All About Me" glog

One of the video tutorials I used to train myself in using Glogster EDU

Group Leadership Project-PART B: Storyboard and Script

At this point in our group project, we are coming along pretty well. Since my last post, we have made a few changes in the role assignment and job responsibilities. Originally, Andrew was going to write the script for the first half of our slideshare presentation, Diana would do the storyboard for the entire script, I was to write the script for the tutorial portion and provide Diana with an outline of the steps I would follow, and Sarah was going to put the whole thing together using VoiceThread and do the editing. 


Although there has been a constant stream of communications occurring through the Group 5 Discussion Forum, one of our members had been away and wasn't aware of final role delegations and responsibilities. Ultimately, we had to shift gears and move the roles around in order to meet the deadlines we had set up to ensure plenty of time for completion of the project. Each member of our group has been very willing to help out where ever is needed and although we've encountered a few bumps along the way, our constant chatter on the forum has allowed us to collaborate and shift things around whenever needed. This is how we have divided up the responsibilities:


Person #1: (Diana) Wrote the script, found images, and developed the storyboard for the first half of our project using GoogleDocs. She also put the two storyboards and scripts together into one document. 
Person #2: (me) Wrote the script and developed the storyboard for the tutorial portion of our project using GoogleDocs. Provided resources for the development of the script and began working with a couple different screencasting tools and then provided Sarah with a test portion from Camtasia Studios to see if it would be compatible with VoiceThread.  
Person #3: (Andrew) Because of a last minute rearrangement in roles and finding out that the screencast tools were not compatible with VoiceThread, Andrew has been assigned to completing the tutorial as a video and giving it to Sarah for editing and tying it with the first part of the project.
Person #4: (Sarah) Will make the slides and do the narration of the overview portion of the script. Because she is very comfortable working with VoiceThread, she will also tie the video tutorial with the VoiceThread she completes and then do any editing that needs to happen to keep within the 10 minute time limit. She has also been instrumental in testing compatibilities between the different technology tools we are trying to use.


The development of all our scripts and storyboards have been completed using GoogleDocs to allow all members to view, edit, convey suggestions, and make changes as they saw necessary.

You can view our finished storyboard and script at the following link:


https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tt-yxc0bJkUvHeMPjqEffV_4g5ruSm61g84gHTl4slA/edit?hl=en_US

  

Group Leadership Project-PART A: Brainstorm Session

On Friday, July 22 our group completed their first web conference using Anytime.com (formerly Freebinar). Although none of us had ever used this conferencing tool, we felt it looked easy enough for us to use. It was supposed to work like the Adobe Connect sessions we've all participated in as a part of the EdTech program here at MSU. We experienced a bit of a delay at the beginning with difficulties getting into the session. Not everyone had a microphone but they could still participate by chatting with the texting tool. We actually struggled with the technology throughout the entire conference with multiple problems that slowed our progress and resulted in a very long session. However, during our conference we were able to decide on Glogster EDU as our topic and producing the Professional Development tutorial as a slidecast using VoiceThread. Because of some confusion on the project and the frustrations with the technology during the web conference, we decided to sort out the logistics of the project using the Group Discussion Forum on our course site. Although we still haven't heard back from everyone at the time of this posting, it looks like Andrew will prepare a 4 minute script explaining what Glogster EDU is, the benefits of using it, and ways it can be used in the classroom. This will be completed by July 26th in order to pass it off for the storyboard creation. I will be doing a 6 minute tutorial on how teachers can sign up for a free account, and a step-by-step process of making a simple Glog. The outline for the order of the tutorial is due July 26th to pass off to the storyboard creator and the completed tutorial is due July 31st to pass off to Sarah. Diana will be selecting the images to go with the 4 minute introduction piece and the creation of the storyboard. This is due July 29th. Sarah will then take all the pieces, create the slides and put it all together using VoiceThread. This portion is due August 7th to allow time for all of us to view it and make any changes or editing problems. 


There were a few advantages to using Anymeeting.com to conduct our web conference. Sarah was able to run the meeting and we could hear and see her. She was also able to share her screen and show us some websites to look at. Diana was finally able to also get the controls to share her ideas. I was able to be seen and heard for a very short time but lost these abilities after we all got disconnected. The audio and visuals were very clear and we successfully recorded the final part of the session (we had started the session earlier than the recording and spent some time trying to figure out the tools).


The hardest part of the conferencing session was the ongoing technical problems we encountered because we weren't familiar with it and one person didn't have the equipment to use it to its fullest potential. Being restricted to only being able to type my comments was extremely frustrating for me as I couldn't keep up with how fast everyone else was making decisions that I didn't necessary agree to. We also found some difficulties in finding one convenient time for all four people to meet with their different work schedules. 


I'm sure with continued practice with Anytime.com it could be a very good tool. I actually look forward with playing with it some more. There aren't very many sites out there that offer a web conferencing tool for free with unlimited time restrictions with text chatting, screen sharing, and the option to record the session. Please click the link below to see/hear our conference.


 http://www.anymeeting.com/msutech/E950DA80864F

Wicked Problem Project-PART B: Application of TPACK

With this post I will attempt to explain how my solution answers the three different forms of knowledge that make up the TPACK model in a simple manner so my colleagues and other educators who may not be aware of TPACK and it's importance in the integration of technology can understand it. 


For my problem, I wanted to find a way to motivate my second and third grade students to learn and interact more with their lessons so they could demonstrate to me, their knowledge of the material being covered in the curriculum. To help solve this problem, I have chosen to teach my students how to use Glogster EDU so they could create online posters which I will use as an assessment tool to evaluate their understanding of subject matter. In the article, Digital Posters: Composing With An Online Canvas, Kevin Hodgson tells us, "When we talk about visual literacy - that element of purposeful construction of learning through a mixture of words and media - posters of all kinds have traditionally been a valuable assessment of learning (as long as it is the student making the poster, and not the parent). The choices that a student makes in designing a poster inform the learning of new materials, and allow a teacher a glimpse into the thinking of a student. The use of media to complement your ideas is the center of most poster projects, online or not." 


At this point, you may be saying to yourself, "There's nothing new to making posters. Why do the students need to use technology to do that?" You're right. Posters have been used by teachers for displaying student learning for many years. Let's just start with some of the basics on how the use of technology in making online posters can add to the students' learning experience and go from there. 


First of all, making a typical poster requires supplies like posterboard, magazines, scissors, glue, and markers. Then the creator flips through lots of magazines that contain cut up pages from their previous uses to find images and text to cut out. This is time consuming and for young students, cutting with scissors can be difficult and usually results in jagged edges with parts of the picture cut off. Once glued down on the posterboard, it's there for life! And don't think that students never make mistakes in their writing or don't leave enough room to write something with their large printed letters. Frustration abounds for young children when putting together a poster! 


With an online poster tool such as Glogster EDU, however, students only need a computer and an internet connection. Glogster provides all the rest: a safe and secure site for children to work, a blank canvas that can become a background of any color, and the ability for the student to choose and select from a mirage of images and font styles. If the child decides to move things around or select another image, they have that ability by simply selecting new items and dragging and dropping them where ever they want. They can play with the design, correct mistakes without leaving a mess on the board, use small font to convey what they want to say, and they'll have lots of fun being creative while they're at it. Each student's work will be as unique as the individual who created it. No two posters will ever be the same and each one will display the knowledge of its particular creator. 


This is an excellent example of student-led, individualized, activity-based learning filled with lots of opportunity to explore, problem-solve, and collaborate with one another. As students have the opportunity to explore the technology and find new ways to express their thinking, they become totally engaged in their work. What's more, once a student discovers their ability to do something new with the program, they anxiously begin teaching their classmates. This adds to the sense of community that our school values so much.


All these elements support my teaching methods and enhance the variety of strategies I implement within my classroom. But these are actions that are difficult to get my students to display on a regular basis. Any type of technology that students can interact with becomes a motivational tool for learning. The website of Glogster EDU points out that this particular tool "drives new interest levels around subjects that may have been seen as 'boring' before." The motivation to be able to get onto the computers helps students to stay focused on their learning. My students will know that only after they have shown me the rough draft of their poster will they be allowed on the Glogster site.


And finally, as I've explained before, cutting and pasting doesn't always work for all children and their diverse needs and abilities. With Glogster EDU I can provide for differentiation in my students' learning. It's simple enough that even the youngest of students can use it if taught properly. It allows students to demonstrate their knowledge in a manner that works for them - whether that be a simple poster with all the requirements or a complex poster which includes detailed attention to the design elements and the inclusion of media, audio, video, and text. This is particularly important in my multiage classroom. Finding a new and exciting activity that is compatible to a variety of different interest and skill levels can often be a difficult task. 




                                                                                                                                                                     

Web-Conferencing

Today our group held our first web conference and I have to honestly say that I was very disappointed and became frustrated with the technology. After extensive research for a site that was free, would provide for a group of 4, allowed for a lengthy session if necessary, and would record, we ended up using anymeeting.com (formerly freebinar.com). It was supposed to work just like the Adobe Connect sessions we've participated in during our other courses. Once we were all able to get into the session, three of the four of us could use our microphones but there was some problems with getting the screen sharing tool to work for each of us. Something happened to disconnect the session and once we all got back on, the presenting abilities were no longer available to most of us. We tried typing our way through it but that was frustrating and not an efficient way to communicate with four people with different viewpoints. Our total conferencing time was around 2 hours and we did the best we could to finish the brainstorming requirements and decided to finish discussing things using the Group Discussion Forum.


If I were to do it over again, I would have done a trial meeting to make sure everyone had the correct equipment and could get everything to work correctly. Also, if we could have shared our two ideas with each other by email and left time for each person to research the tools a little, we probably wouldn't have needed the screen sharing tool and could have gone to more of a conferencing tool where we could all talk back and forth without having to hand over the controls to each person to finalize the brainstorming ideas. Is there such a thing? 


After this experience, I don't know that I would use web-conferencing with my classroom. It's frustrating enough when technology doesn't work for you but it's horrible when it doesn't work and 20 students are getting bored with the delay. The only reason I would ever need a web-conference is if we wanted to talk with an author or perhaps another classroom somewhere else in the world. I will continue to work with this tool we used today to see if I can get it to work for me as it is always good to have a source you can use if you need to use it. There are probably other  sources I could use if I didn't need to fulfill so many requirements (like record or screen sharing). 

Wicked Problem Project-PART A: Description of Need or Opportunity

Introduction: 

I teach at Ann Arbor Learning Community which is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. We are a K-8 public charter school with multiage classrooms that support a variety of learning styles and believe that students require multiple opportunities to demonstrate their mastery of concepts. We promote participatory learning that is experiential, student-centered, developmentally based, and individualized to our student’s particular learning styles and strengths. Instead of relying on a textbook-based curriculum, teachers develop their own lesson plans, based on the Michigan Content Standards, to guide students through real life situations, thus providing them with powerful and meaningful learning experiences. Knowing that not every student demonstrates their knowledge of material best through paper and pencil tests and quizzes, we rely more on the use of qualitative reporting tools as a means of assessing a student’s progress and understanding of content. With more emphasis being placed on teacher accountability, finding enough variety in the types of tangible assessment tools that display true measurements of my students’ knowledge can often be a challenge for me. 

The Educational Issue or Need:

Because I have some students who are shy and others who may not be motivated to join in on whole class discussions, it can often be difficult to check for students' understanding of the material covered in a lesson. Cut and paste activities can become redundant while also difficult for some of my second and third grade students who are still developing fine motor skills. And while we're working to improve our writing skills, written explanations to questions are often completed with the fewest words possible and are not very motivating to my students. I would like to find another tool to put into my teacher toolbox that would provide me with another means in which my students can demonstrate their knowledge of the content material and meets with the following criteria:

1. A tangible representation of student learning for portfolios
2. Fun and motivating so students don't realize they're developing their problem-solving skills
3. Activity-based and provides for differentiation
4. Will tap into their creativity
5. Has a written element included into it
6. Easy set-up with readily available supplies/equipment

Technology Plan to Address This Issue:

Our school is just getting started with the basics in technology. This fall we will have a cart of 20 wireless laptops which will be shared between 14 classrooms. We also have a couple of digital projectors within the school for shared use. Working within these technology parameters, taking into consideration that some of my students have no knowledge about using a computer, and thinking about the criteria I wanted to meet for this solution, my research has led me to the idea of using online posters to solve the educational issue I am addressing. While there are several online poster tools available, I have decided on using the free version of Glogster EDU for its ease of use and the safe learning environment it provides for students to demonstrate their knowledge of material. The overall response to this web 2.0 tool from teachers, students, and individuals in the field of educational technology has been very high. Teachers report that their students have a higher level of engagement when working with Glogster EDU and become so focused in the process of creating their online posters that there rarely are any incidents of a student being off task to report of. In fact, students begin teaching each other! As one student discovers something intriguing about using Glogster EDU, the other students would inquire and quickly know how to do the same thing as the information filtered through the classroom. This type of experiential learning and community building fits perfectly with the philosophy of our school. Glogster EDU is very versatile in its use and teachers can have students creating projects on any subject matter across the curriculum. Several of my resources discuss a few minor difficulties they've run across when students are creating Glogs but by being aware of these difficulties ahead of time along with careful planning and scaffolding the students' learning of this tool, the difficulties can be minimized. 

Scope:

There are many things to take into consideration when implementing this intriguing web 2.0 tool with my second and third grade students. Because Glogster EDU is new to me, I will first need to teach myself how to use it using several tutorial videos available on YouTube. Because my students are so young and new to technology use, I would like to gradually expose them to Glogs and their many uses several times before they actually make anything of their own. I will do this, first, by using Glogster EDU to create an "All About Me" poster which I will use on the first day of school to introduce myself to my new students. Then I will use a Glog to create a Stand Alone Instructional Resource (StAIR) for a social studies lesson which we will access and do as an interactive whole-class activity using our Mimio Interactive System and the digital projector. The third exposure students will have to Glogster EDU will be another whole-class activity where we create a Glog together to review the things we've learned during a science lesson on plants. This will give me an opportunity to show them how to navigate through the tool with them and talk about design layout and other tips to keep in mind. 

At this point students should be extremely motivated to begin learning how to use this tool to make something on their own. With each student equipped with their own laptop, I will take them through the process of signing in, selecting backgrounds and text, how to select and add images, and how to save their work. Because I want students to have the opportunity to explore and experiment with the many selections of text, backgrounds, images, and layout possibilities, I plan on conducting several technology workshops in order to get all the basics in place. Several parent volunteers will be available during these workshops to assist students if necessary to avoid frustrations and meltdowns. Only after students are feeling comfortable working within the Glogster EDU platform will they be given their first project which they will work on as partners. Information from one of my resources suggests that younger students pre-plan on paper what information they intend to provide on their posters so they stay focused on the ideas they wish to convey and not get sidetracked by all the options they have to choose from on the site. A checklist of items that must be included in their posters will be provided to them. They will also be instructed that their pre-planning page must be checked by the teacher before they can get on the computer to begin their Glog. 

Before any teaching about Glogster EDU can even occur, however, my students will first need to learn the basics of using the new laptops and being assessed on their basic use of the computer.

Relevant Research and Resources:   

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/pages/6542?ref=search

This article was written by Kevin Hedgson, a technology liaison with the Western Massachusetts Writing Project, teacher, and co-editor of the book collection Teaching the New Writing: Technology, Change and Assessment in the 21st Century Classroom. He discusses best practices for assigning digital poster-making projects to students and provides great insight into the ups and downs of Glogster EDU and strategies for using it with students.

http://jamiethelibrarian.com/2011/05/13/three-benefits-of-using-glogster-a-21st-century-multimedia-tool-in-k-12-classrooms/

Jamie Renton cites how using Glogster in the classroom meets Common Core Standards and how it incorporates the three Universal Design Principles of engagement, representation, and expression.

http://innovativeimpact.blogspot.com/2010/06/scaffolding-success-growing-with.html

Second grade teacher, Jamie Griffith, tells about how her class became Glogster EDU Ambassadors and gives helpful advice on how she found success in using Glogster EDU in her classroom through the scaffolding process.

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/columnists/dyck/dyck037.shtml

Brenda Dyck is a columnist for EducationWorld and a sessional instructor at the University of Alberta and provides a brief overview of Glogster EDU. She also states that this web 2.0 tool "introduces students to 3-D communication skills, requiring them to merge the left and right sides of the brain as they seek to communicate and evaluate both information and meaning" and "...has the potential to support the visual literacy skills that are becoming essential skill sets for 21st century learners." 

http://edu.glogster.com/

This is the home page to Glogster EDU which provides links to lots of useful information about the tool, examples of actual projects, directions on how to sign up for the free version or the premium version, and tutorials to get started. 

http://coe.winthrop.edu/jonesmg/LTI/2010Fwhitepapers/MONICA_WELLS.pdf

A white paper written by Monica R. Wells, a graduate student at Winthrop University, that provides the benefits and drawbacks of using Glogster EDU, how it meets National Educational Technology Standards (NETS), a visual walk-through of how to make a Glog, and a list of helpful online tutorials.

http://cnx.org/content/m32202/latest/

In a module found on the Connexions website, Rachel Warrick provides more information about using Glogster EDU in the classroom and how to get started.

Implementation Plan:

During the remaining weeks of this course, I plan to get signed up and become acquainted with how to create online posters using Glogster EDU. While doing this, I will complete the "All About Me" poster that I plan to use on the first day of school to introduce myself. I will also select a social studies lesson and do the pre-planning stage of my second Glogster EDU poster by completing the lesson outline and doing a pencil and paper layout of the Stand Alone Instructional Resource (StAIR) poster which will be used during an interactive whole-class lesson. I envision this poster as consisting of several different posters with links to other resources and inclusive of a short video or two. 

The rest of the implementation of this project will take place once school begins and the laptop cart schedule has been developed. At that point my students will begin learning how to use the laptops and Internet safety. My hope is that students will be ready to be taught how to make online posters using Glogster EDU by Thanksgiving and will have their first project completed before winter break in December. The topic and specifics of that project will depend on when students are comfortable working with Glogster independently and in pairs and seeing where we are in the curriculum. My hope with this time schedule is that it will allow us to use the second half of the school year for refining our Glogging skills and begin creating posters independently for the purpose of demonstrating student knowledge on material and concepts covered in their learning.

Indicators of a Successful Project:

Indications for me that the project has been successfully implemented would be:

• Students have learned to independently create online posters and we have several examples of work to put into each student's portfolio by the end of the 2011-2012 school year.
• The level of engagement during lessons increases as a result of the students' understanding that they are going to be required to demonstrate their knowledge with the use of technology. By them knowing that they will not be able to use this technology tool unless they can first show me evidence of learning with the use of the paper and pencil pre-planning page.
• Students are excited about using this tool and ask to use it again and again.

I am excited for students to be able to use this web 2.0 tool and hope that its use can motivate and inspire my students to put more effort into their educational learning. However, we will proceed with each new step of the implementation plan based solely on the readiness of the children.

CEP 812 Personal Introduction Video

Welcome to my Personal Introduction Video Scrapbook. Our assignment was to create a video bio of ourselves and explain what our current educational technology passions were. I used Slideshare and Audacity to create my video (although, technically it's a slidecast). Knowing absolutely nothing about how to use either one, I was a bit nervous. But I set out to conquer this task on my own. Thank goodness for the "How-to" videos on YouTube!!!!! It really wasn't too bad and I think that I could help my students to make a slidecast for a class project. I hope you enjoy it.

812personalintro

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