Lesson Plan Implementation

My lesson plan is to have students reflect on what they learned within the a Civics module on the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Federalist and the Anti-Federalists. Students are already required to submit a paragraph for each in their journal prompts. Now I want my students to share what they have learned by contributing to a class wiki.

The rollout of the lesson has been slower than expected. One of the first issues was that I needed to create over 200 student accounts and get each student their logins/passwords. Since a majority of my students do not actually attend my class, it was difficult to explain the additional assignment, which was outside of the graded assignments in the module. I was not approved to include this into the module so I was hesitant at first in getting very few responses.

My lesson went better than expected considering some of the restraints. I anticipate that as the weeks go by I will get more and more student involvement. The hope is that I can continue this experiment with WikiSpaces and convince other teachers to try similar lesson plans. If these go well, they could be put into the modules as a required assignment.

I have just over 200 students enrolled in Civics. Of these, probably 40 I see on a regular basis in school. The rest I interact with entirely online. For them it was a bit more difficult to get them to add their journal prompt to the wikiSpaces page. Students submitted their work to the four journal prompts and were directed to add to the entry on the class wiki. I could not make it mandatory and it would not show up as a grade. Still, I got a decent amount of student involvement.

I started by spending a class period teachings how to login and edit pages within the Wikispaces page itself. Then, I told students I could track their edits and wanted to them contribute to the broad concepts they already learned in their first Civics module. Essentially I provided them with a medium in which to express their thoughts and work through their own understanding while anonymous contributing to an online article.

Students ideally learned something they considered important about the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, or the Federalist or Anti-Federalists opinion of the role of government. These are complex and nebulous topics, creating lots of room for student involvement. The affordances of the wiki is that I can track student edits and see real-time how they can edit and refine their collective understanding of a topic.

Students are socially constructing knowledge when they take part in a class wiki. The Social Studies often deals with very real topics that are open to interpretation. For over 200 years politicians, scholars and citizens have been interpreting the Constitution, the Bill or Rights and the role of government their own way. A class wiki was a chance for students to do the same in a way that supplements the course content. Each learner has a way to contribute that is both meaningful and ideally assures that multiple perspectives are represented.

There were constraints with the technology, especially at first. At first the Technology Director at my school told me I could not add a wiki to the module. Then, I was able to create student accounts but could not add it as a part of the module. The last major hurdle was getting students familiar with creating a collective document. Overall it was a learning process that I am continuing to take part in.

Lesson Plan with Technology

Content	Civics Module 2 – Origins of American Government and Federalism Challenging Concepts – American Government was built on the principle of balance between States rights, Federal rights and Individual rights. The Constitution and the Bill or Rights were designed in a specific way to protect the rights of the individual. HSCEs: C2 - Origins and Foundations of the Government of the United States of America 2.1 Origins of American Constitutional Government 2.2 Foundational Values and Constitutional Principles of American Government
Pedagogy	I plan on teaching this unit to students over the course of several weeks. Students progress through the module at their own pace. I will add the wiki project as part of a requirement for completing the module. Students will get a foundation in the topic by reading articles, viewing slide shows and watching videos. They will be responsible for several discussion questions before adding their constructive comments to the class wiki page. I take into consideration the fact that students learn by doing the actual work. In the case of Social Studies, students do the actual work of a historian, examining the primary documents, reading what others have to say and contributing their own opinion to the collective knowledge base. I also consider the fact that kids learn socially and should feel more comfortable taking risks and making mistakes. Every wiki article will have several edits and there will be a discussion board element to work out the final version.
Content and Pedagogy	The topic of American government and the system of Federalism is not an easy one to teach. Many of the concepts are up to interpretation. Much like the Constitution itself, a lot if left to interpretation. The benefit of this lesson is to allow students the ability to arrive at their own conclusions while respecting the facts and respecting the opinions of others. Unlike a straightforward lesson on the foundation of the American government, this lesson gives a chance for engagement and reflection. Students can collaborate together on a class wiki. I chose this specific lesson because of the timing and the fact that there are many opinions on this topic.
Technology	I will be using Wikispaces to create a class wiki. This technology may not be absolutely necessary but it definitely helps to teach students that there is no one right answer to the proper role of our government. The purpose of creating a wiki is to have students come to an agreement of why our government is set up the way it while realizing that not all students will agree on the proper role of government. The use of a class wiki will produce deeper understanding and create more of a collaborate environment. The fact that all student work is completed online, and that many students do not actually see each other in person only adds to the need to create a collaborative online project. Students will have to refute their opinions and find evidence online to justify their stances.
Technology and Pedagogy	Technology and Pedagogy meet well here. Much like the idea of TPACK, the unity of technology and pedagogy mean that the medium, in this case a wiki, is used to express and reinforce the lesson. Students must explore the topic on their own in a guided fashion (pedagogy) and then apply their knowledge using the tools provided (technology).
Technology and Content	The choie of technology used for this lesson helps to portray the need to collaborate and compromise, much like our American government. Students will work together to find the best resources to explain the more concrete facts such as "What is Federalism?" and "Why is the Bill of Rights so important?". Students will engage the less concrete ideas such as the proper role of government and the separation of powers by contributing to a class wiki in a democratic form.
Assessment	I want my students to know why the Founding Fathers designed the government the way they did. I want them to see that compromise is a big part of our government and that the Constitution is meant to be solid enough to stand the changes of time while being flexible enough to evolve with our changing concept of government and the nature of change itself. I am not entirely sure how students will know when they know it. The idea of a self reflection is important in each module and I hope that students will provide a good idea of how much they know with the final writing prompt. Students will also display their knowledge by their contribution to the wiki. I will assess what students have done by tracking their contributions, which wikispaces does nicely. All I need to do is see what each individual contributed and grade accordingly. Students cannot pass the module and move on until they have showed some form of mastery. Technology plays a very important role in assessments.

Social Constructivists

Sounds like some fancy academic terminology, right?

Basically, Social Constructivists believe that groups construct knowledge together, "creating a small culture of shared artifacts with shared meanings. When one is immersed within a culture of this sort, one is learning all the time about how to be a part of that culture on many levels."  To a social constructivist, knowledge is a social activity.

Language is probably one of the most obvious examples. We are not born thinking in terms of language but are raised into that culture. Your language and culture determines a large part of who you are, where you get your sense of identity and what your social expectations are. Another example of knowledge being something that is socially constructed is wikipedia.

Watch this short video to learn more.

Student Interview

     I interviewed three students at my school. The two questions I posed were "What are the two major political parties in the United States?" and "What is the responsibility of the President?"

     On the second day of class I gave my students a Naturalization test, 100 questions they might be asked if they were attempting to become a United States citizen. This test gave me a good baseline on what my High School students knew, and what gaps might exist in their knowledge.

     One week later I conducted interviews with some of my students. What I found was not necessarily shocking, but it is something I would like to address. In general, students had a rudimentary understanding of the political system in America, but lacked some key information. Most students I interviewed knew the two major political parties, but did not understand the key differences between them. Students also seemed to be confused about the role of a President. In general, students believe the President had much more control in their daily lives than he actually does.

     Here is a link to the my interview.

Side Project

     One thing I remember from my first round of Teachers Education courses at Michigan State University was my professor telling us that as teacher we need to have hobbies and a life outside of teaching. He wanted to make sure we understood that you can't make teaching your life.

     My first thought was, "Well duh." Obviously, if all you do and talk about is teaching you will get burnt out. You'll become the person at parties that talks people into a corner, droning on and on about the importance of educating our youth. I don't want to be "that guy."

     Since I was 17 my friends and I used to come to Detroit to see concerts at the Shelter, Saint Andrews and the Majestic. This was a two hour drive each way from Charlotte, often on school nights. I still showed up the next day, ears ringing and often wearing a new concert t-shirt and a wide smile.

     One thing is for sure, my students are nothing like I was in my high school. When I first got into teaching I knew where I wanted to work. I saw myself teaching in Detroit. I knew it could get frustrating at moments. I knew I would face challenges. I also knew I would need to find a way to let off stress. Seeing how I'm getting older (29 on the 25th) and I don't really go to concerts all that often anymore, I chose to buy a project house in Detroit.

     The place was cheap enough. It cost me less than a single paycheck. A two unit, six bedroom house for less than a paycheck. If you know any stereotypes about teachers its that we don't make a lot of money. You can put two and two together and realize it didn't cost much. You can search the HUD website for yourself and see what a house will cost in your area.

     I purchased the home January of 2012 with my best friend, Chris Sand. It has been a long process with some major ups and downs, but the lower unit is now complete and has been rented out. Over the next I hope to finish the upper unit and have a two unit, six bedroom home in Detroit. If I can do it, you can do it.

Photo Gallery

     

Wicked Problem Project

Here is my Wicked Problem Project.

Professional Learning Plan

My Professional Learning Plan:



To grow as a professional I realize I need to gain some new skills. I would like to improve in my ability to manage and track student information. My goal is to have students submit some of their assignments online. It would also be nice to have assignments available online so myself or my students can access them from home at any time.

I would also like to expand my personal learning network. I envision doing this through message boards and professional organizations like MACUL and ISTE. I have already learned so much working with other professional and hope to continue to branch out in the future.

Keeping informed on the latest information on technology and education is very important. I am just beginning and now in the future I will have to stay current on the latest technology. RSS feeds are a great way to keep on top of the latest news, blog posts and other online articles.

I am looking forward to taking what I learned so far through the MAET program at MSU and applying it to my teaching. I already have a good idea of how to use Web 2.0 tools to engage students in meaningful, creative ways. I enjoy using online videos, Webquests and social networking sites to have students buy into their learning.

Between now and next summer I would like to have an entire semester of learning totally accessible online. This would include information, assessments and additional resources. Just as it is important to create a "classroom feel" in your class, it is just as important to create that feeling online. Having all my lessons online would also make it easier for students to get makeup work and to track their learning.

This is obviously just a beginning. I am excited as to what is ahead in the future.

Group Presentation on ToonDoo

My CEP 812 group project was on an online cartoon maker called ToonDoo. It is a great program that gets students excited about learning. ToonDoo is the alternative to memorization and repetition. Instead of boring and often ineffective lessons, students get creative control and use higher-level thinking skills. They take what they learn in class and apply it in visual form.

ToonDoo is free and easy to use. Not convinced? Watch our video below:



My group chose to use ToonDoo because of the cost, ease of use and educational value. Students have fun when they get a say in their learning. This tool gives them a "buy in" and allows for creative expression. Not everybody learns the same way. This program lets students express their knowledge in a way that is as fun and unique as they are.

I learned a lot while creating this final product. The first thing I obviously learned is how to use ToonDoo. I started out not knowing what ToonDoo is and by the end I now feel comfortable teaching a lesson with ToonDoo. It is one of those programs that is easy to use but packed with features. The only limit is your own creativity.

I also learned more about Camtasia and how to produce quality videos. Even though we did not use it, I made the first draft of our presentation. I have used Camtasia once but did not really get into the more advanced features until this time. I also learned about the difficulty of sharing very large files (100mb+).

There are a few things I would do differently. First of all, I would be more involved. I missed the first group meeting and since that point I was struggling to contribute what I felt was my fair share. Thankfully I worked with three excellent ladies who took charge and did great work. I contributed when I could, meeting a few times, sharing my opinions, and creating a rough draft. Overall I am very happy with the final product and feel good about working with such talented educators.

PART D - Findings and Implications

Part D of my Wicked Problem Project is an assessment of how well I have implemented my WPP.

My plan did not get implemented, and so I need to go back and rethink my strategy or gather a small test group. The main reason is that over Winter Break during PSD all the computers from my school were removed. This is the first year of this campus and it seems the money used to purchase the computers was from Title 1 funds. The government clearly states that if a school uses title 1 money to purchase items that those items must remain in the school they were originally purchased for. Since these computers were purchased from Title 1 funds from the East campus they must remain at the East campus.

Because of this I pitched my Wicked Problem Project idea to Mr. Evans, the gentlemen who runs my charter school. He is big into technology so he could see the potential there. Some of our students are "Distance Learning" kids and the idea of using Tumblr as a micro-blog and photo-blog was huge. My school, BKB, is big into learning styles. My WPP caters to the visual and auditory learners, most of which have difficulty in the normal school setting so they are sent to us.

Since I was not able to implement my project I have no evidence of its success. If I had to approach another project of this type I would define my audience early on and develop Stand Alone resources for my students to learn the basics such as how to create an account, what is Tumblr about, how to share and add photos and videos. I would also spend more time developing a rubric so students would be focused and would know the guidelines for quality work.

I would love to implement this project across our small charter school network. Students are becoming more and more dependent on visuals and technology. What better way to reach our learners than to use technology to capture their interest and creativity. I would love to see them create their own photo blog and include graphics from sites like wordle and bubbl.us into their Tumblr.

Mobile Technology in Education

Recently I've been thinking about the role of mobile technology in education. My school is not technology rich, so I have to consider the realities of what I can do with mobile technology and my classroom. Still, technology is here to stay and is becoming more relevant every day.

This past week students were off but the teachers were "asked" to come in extra hours for professional development. I saw the use of technology both help and hinder our PD days. Here are a few examples

+ Online surveys to gauge understanding
- Teachers texting during meetings
+ Presenters using power points to reinforce their auditory instruction
- Phones and I-pads used to play games and kill time

For this weeks lab I focused on a few new tools. I tried the program Poll Everywhere which I first heard about in my CEP 812 class meeting. This was a fun, easy program to create polls where people can give instant, anonymous feedback to multiple choice or open ended questions.

This site was easy to use and fun both for me and for the people I had take the polls. I see this being very useful for adults. Think about the last time you spent a day without your phone. For my middle school students it might be useful as a homework assignment or for extra credit. I could always use it as another tool to connect to parents. I'm thinking my next poll is "Did your student do his/her homework tonight? Text Yes or No."

I also looked into creating podcasts of my lectures for students. Attendance is a big issue at my school and I believe podcast and videocasts can be a great way for students to get the material they missed at anytime and anywhere. I know for certain many of my students have mp3 players. If students have no problem finding mp3s from their favorite artists there is no reason they cant also get access to the class lecture.

I see some challenges in using mobile technology. Especially after watching the PBS video Digital Nation.

Here is the original video:

Watch Growing Up Online on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

And the 2010 followup:

Watch Digital Nation on PBS. See more from FRONTLINE.

Here are my main concerns:

- Kids being over saturated of media (Read anything by Sociologist Juliet Schor)
- No or minimal access to technology
- Cyber bullying
- Kids playing games or listening to music online instead of learning
+ How to prepare our students for 21st century jobs that may not even exist today

PART B - Storyboard and Script

My Group Leadership Project for CEP 812 is coming along nicely. We have a storyboard for our project on ToonDoo and are ready to record our rough draft video. Our storyboard includes screenshots as well as detailed notes for the technical parts of recording (script, transitions, etc).

Link to Toon Doo storyboard

Here is our script

For my role I worked on the script as and will be working on the recording, narrating and editing of the video. Our group met this past weekend to work out the details of what needs to be done next for our project. I finally got a working copy of CamTasia 2.0 for my school computer and will be using that to record and edit the video. My group is meeting at 3:00 Monday the 27th to go over the rough draft video I created and to decide what is our next step.

I am excited about this project. I envision our final 10 minute Stand Alone resource will be a useful tool to educators hoping to include technology in their classrooms. Toon Doo is a fun way to reach visual learners or those who just want to be creative. It is a useful program for teachers of all disciplines. I look forward to our meeting on Monday to see what we can do next to more that much closer to our final product.

Data Visualization Lab

I spent a little time looking over some visualization tools. This website has a very comprehensive list of all sorts of data visualization programs. I had a lot of fun playing around with these programs. Here is my review of a few of them.

Diigo
I have some experience using diigo. I like the toolbar ap where I can quickly add and categorize bookmarks. I can bookmark from either of my laptops or even from my iPhone.

Bubbl.us
One tool I tried was Bubbl.us It was an easy and fun way to create "mind webs." It was a breeze to figure out how to organize my thoughts, change colors, and even share with my friends. I just bought a project house in Detroit with my best friend. I was able to quickly make a web of what needs to be repaired next. It was fun to play around with the look, colors, size, and layout of the buttons. The one thing I would like to see added is the ability to add images.

Shape2Earth
Shape2Earth is a GIS interface for Google Earth. It is not free but my school is big into GIS so I will pitch this idea to them.

BatchGeo
Batch Geo is a program that creates interactive google maps from spreadsheets.



I had several "ah ha" moments with this lab. I was excited when I learned I could access my diigo bookmarks on my phone. Now when I'm stuck somewhere with time to kill I can use my phone to read articles or websites I bookmarked earlier. Another "ah ha" moment came when I thought of a new way to build concept maps with my students. Bubbl.us would be a fun way to teach a lesson in class. I envision starting with the main topic on the board and working as a class to create a concept map.

PART C - Implementation

Podcast URL: https://www.msu.edu/~davissc5/FunnyThing.mp3

Survey Results

I have some experience using Survey Monkey both as a participant and as a creator. For my CEP 812 lab I wanted to try Google Forms. I love Google Docs so I figured it was worth a shot.

There are some benefits and some drawbacks to Google Forms. I found the design a bit limited, but overall it was a straightforward, easy way to create online surveys. My favorite part is that the results are fed directly a spreadsheet realtime.

I asked some survey questions about technology use and here are my results:


Gender: 3 Males, 7 Females

Where do you usually learn how to do new things with computers?: 7 at home, 2 at school, 1 at a friends house

Where do you use technology (computers, AlphaSmarts, etc.) most in school?: 1 No Answer, 3 In your classroom, 1 Library, 1 Not in School, 3 In a Computer Lab, 1 In public place with Wifi, coffee shop

How hard is it to complete homework that must be done using a computer?: 6 Easy, because I have a computer at home to use, 1 I am not a student, 2 Hard, because we don't have a computer at home, 1 We are never assigned homework that has to be done using a computer

What type of internet connection do you have at home?: 9 We use a DSL or high speed cable to connect to the internet at home, 1 We don't have an internet connection at home

How often do you use a computer to:
[Send and receive email]: 9 Every Day, 1 Once a Month
[Write first drafts on a computer]: 4 Every Day, 1 Almost Never, 4 Once a Week, 1 Once a Month
[Edit your papers using a computer]: 4 Every Day, 2 Almost Never, 3 Once a Week, 1 Once a Month
[Open files on a server or network]: 6 Every Day, 2 Almost Never, 1 Never, 1 Once a Week
[Find information on the internet]: 9 Every Day, 1 No Answer
[Create a Hyperstudio or PowerPoint presentation]: 1 Never, 2 Once a Week, 3 Once a Month, 3 Almost Never
[Create a video]: 2 Never, 1 Once a Month, 6 Almost Never, 1 Everyday
[Update your blog]: 2 Every Day, 2 Never, 2 Almost Never, 1 Once a Month, 3 Once a Week
[Create or contribute to a social networking site such as MySpace or Facebook]: 8 Every Day, 1 Never, 1 Once a Week
[Play computer games]: 5 Every Day, 1 Never, 2 Almost Never, 2 Once a Month
[Work with spreadsheet/databases]: 3 Everyday, 3 Almost Never, 2 Once a Month, 1 Never, 1 Once a Week


How well are you able to:
[Send and receive email]: 8 Really Well, 1 Pretty Well, 1 Ok
[Write first drafts on a computer]: 9 Really Well, 1 Ok
[Edit my papers using a computer]: 8 Really Well, 1 Ok, 1 Pretty Well
[Open files on a server or network]: 8 Really Well, 1 I don't know what this is, 1 No Answer
[Find information on the internet]: 9 Really Well, 1 I don't know what this is (Really?)
[Create a Hyperstudio or PowerPoint presentation]
[Create a video]: 2 Every Day, 2 Never, 2 Almost Never, 1 Once a Month, 3 Once a Week
[Create or contribute to a social networking site such as MySpace or Facebook]: 8 Every Day, 1 Never, 1 Once a Week
[Play computer games]: 5 Every Day, 1 Never, 2 Almost Never, 2 Once a Month
[Work with spreadsheet/databases]: 3 Everyday, 3 Almost Never, 2 Once a Month, 1 Never, 1 Once a Week


How well are you able to:
[Send and receive email]: 8 Really Well, 1 Pretty Well, 1 Ok
[Write first drafts on a computer]: 9 Really Well, 1 Ok
[Edit my papers using a computer]: 8 Really Well, 1 Ok, 1 Pretty Well
[Open files on a server or network]: 8 Really Well, 1 I don't know what this is, 1 No Answer
[Find information on the internet]: 9 Really Well, 1 I don't know what this is (Really?)
[Create a Hyperstudio or PowerPoint presentation]: 7 Really well, 1 Not Very Well, 2 Ok
[Create a video]: 2 Really well, 1 Pretty Well, 4 Ok, 2 Not Very Well, 1 I don't know what this is
[Update your blog]: 6 Really Well, 2 Ok, 1 I don't know what this is, 1 No Answer
[Create or contribute to a social networking site such as MySpace or Facebook]: 9 Really Well, 1 Pretty Well
[Play computer games]:7 Really Well, 1 Pretty Well, 1 Ok, 1 Not Very Well
[Work with spreadsheet/databases]: 3 Really Well, 2 Pretty Well, 4 Ok, 1 Not Very Well

PART B - Application of TPACK

What is TPACK?

TPACK is a new way to think about technology, pedagogy and content. Put simply, it is the sweet spot where these three meet.

For my Wicked Problem Project, the Technology-Pedagogy overlap is important. I chose to examine video websites like Youtube and photoblogs like Tumblr. These support the methods I use in the classroom. I am not simply using these technologies as a new way to do something old like student portfolios. I envision technology supporting me by allowing my students to not only document their work but also to push their learning further. I want students to be able to collaborate with others, and to create a final product they can be proud to show to others.

Technology also reinforces my teaching strategies and methods by:

Organizing student work all in one place

Letting students work on their project from any internet connected device

Allowing students to share their work with a global audience

Allows for creativity and collaboration

The Technology-Content overlap is perfect for a Social Studies teacher. The idea is to create informed, responsible citizens. Video and Photo sites allow my students to share their learning with a much wider audience. Students can use technology to learn more about a topic. They can then create a project based on what they learned and get feedback from people all over the world.

Technology also helps my content area by:

Connecting students with a global audience

Creating a collaborative environment

Allowing students to see the real world connections to what they study

And lastly I must consider the Pedagogy-Content overlap. I want to think of how students will experience the content. Many good teaching strategies carry over when applied to using a technology. The way I set up my course will be the same way I set up my Wicked Problem Project. Students will have clearly defined instructions, expectations and deadlines.

Overall, TPACK is a great way to look at how we structure our class (P) to use technology (T) to effectively teach the content (C).

Part A- Brainstorm Session

Links to recorded video of initial meeting
https://www.msu.edu/~bramble4/meeting1.swf
https://www.msu.edu/~bramble4/meeting2.swf
https://www.msu.edu/~bramble4/meeting3.swf

I was not part of the web meeting so I have some extra work to do to make up for my absence.

Group 3 has chosen to look at ToonDoo as a viable learning tool. Immediately after watching the video I thought of how it was unique to incorporate hands on in class learning with a digital medium to create a final project. Because there is a limited time trial period to ToonDoo students would need to storyboard their ideas before creating their final project. Another alternative some Mac users might know of is ComicLife. I have had moderate success with students using ComicLife. I would love to go back and find a few examples to share.

I agree with my partner Catie that "the Toons seemed sort of short", but that may end up being a benefit. Comics are short and to the point. If we have a concept or objective we want students to learn they will have to really focus in on it. Minimizing the words and instead creating interesting dialogue. To that they add images that can take on symbolic meaning. This would mean students would not merely know but actually understand the concept we want to teach.

For my part of the groupwork I am open. I could do

"The Basics of ToonDoo (how to sign up, the profile, Tools, the help Wiki)"

or any other part of the project. I only say that because its similar to my project for 811 on Google Calendars

As far as the advantages and disadvantages of using a web conferencing tool. It is obvious that some people may miss the conference. Whether that is due to ignorance (on my part) or distance (on Catie's part). A benefit, however, is that you can record the information and the person can view it later.

The year before I got a job as a teacher I worked as a District Manager for a Supplemental Educational Services (SES) Tutoring company. I can now think of lots of ways I could have coordinated information between my tutors through an online conferencing program. I could even use e-mail reminders and text alerts so people like me have no excuse for missing out. :P Sorry group.

PART A - Description of Need or Opportunity

PART A: The Wicked Problem - A Need or an Opportunity

What is the important educational need that you are seeking to address? This element is fundamental in this project. Since we have limited time, energy, and resources, cool technology without a clear sense of why it matters or what we gain by it is of little value in the educational setting.

I envision using technology to reach my visual and auditory learners. The human attention getting shorter as we become bombarded with new forms of media. Technology has affected the way we learn. Information can be accessed relatively easy from any Internet connected computer, cell phone or mobile device. Arguments over content based standards loose merit becoming less relevant as we shift from thinking about what we teach and instead think about how and why we teach it

We no longer teach from a single text from start to finish. Students are diverse and have different learning styles and needs.
concise bits of information. Visual learners

How you plan to address this educational issue with technology? You need to make a clear and convincing case that your proposed solution will make a real impact on the issue you identify, and that your proposed approach is a reasonable approach given its costs and possible alternatives.

One of the many benefits of technology in the classroom is it gives students a way to guide their learning. Students can learn to become independent learners. Web based applications like Youtube, Tumblr, and Flikr have more use than just being a social network. These applications have a valuable place in the 21st century classroom.

Gone are the days of having a static, one size fits all curriculum. If a picture is worth a 1000 words then a portfolio of work students create through the semester should be worth volumes. Learning can happen in thoughts, concepts and pictures.

Photo blogs like Tumblr.com could be used as a digital portfolio for students to track concepts earned. Kinestetic learners could benefit from creating skits, fake news reports or other videos and upload them to Youtube.com. Audio learners can benefit from podcasts and audio sharing websites.

Logistics of solution: For example… What is the scope? (e.g., when and where will tool be used and for how long? Who all will use it?)

I envision this being an ongoing activity where students can track their learning through their own Tumblr or Youtube account. As long as students log in for 15 - 20 minutes one or two times a week this should be sufficient. As homework students could write a paragraph or two about the significance of the photo. For example, students might be asked to analyze a photograph for a current event assignment or create a venn diagram and post it on Tumblr.com

This could be a project that lasts throughout the semester. I envision this being something of an ongoing activity where I have students guide and track their learning.

Relevant research and resources (from the Internet and elsewhere) including reports on the closest effort you can find to what you are planning to do as well as ideas and materials you may be able to build upon in your own effort. Your description should include:

The results of your search (What resources may help guide your project? What resources may help in the implementation of your project?)
What you learned from performing this search. For example, which search engines did you use? What strategies did you use? What helped or hindered your search? How would you search again next time?

There are many good websites on how website like Tumblr and Flickr can be used in the classroom. Two of these articles I have read are an “Introduction to Using Tumblr in the Classroom” by Ave Maria Press and an article by Edtech on “How to Use Flickr in Your Classroom.” I found both articles relevant and a balanced view of the positives and negatives of using this new technology in the classroom. As soon as I get access to J-STOR I will find a few published articles on this topic.

A plan for the portion you will implement during this course and the portion you will implement after this course completes.

I plan on implementing this into my courses in the next month. I will start by using pictures for my opening “Do Now” activity to start the class. The goal would be to build students comprehension skills and have them understand how to properly analyze a photograph. I will obviously need to work with my students both as a class and individually to demonstrate how to use these websites and to create their own accounts and familiarize them with the basic features.

I would ideally like to build this idea out to where students create their own visual portfolio to document their work.

A Funny Thing Happened With Technology

For my CEP 812 class I was asked to share a funny technology moment. Here is mine, enjoy.