"Educators are constantly challenged to find ways to keep kids' attention in class when, outside of school, their world is full of all kinds of highly compelling and visually stimulating media." - Jeff CrewsI am awakened by the awesome array of augmented reality, virtual reality, and MUVE tools and their potential for increased student engagement. The lyrics to Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes' well-known song, Wake Up Everybody immediately came to mind: "Wake up all you teachers, time to teach a new way. Maybe then they'll listen to what you have to say. They're the ones whose coming up and the world is in their hands. When you teach the children teach them the very best you can." Virtual environment tools are engaging because they provide an immersive experience that takes students beyond the walls of the classroom without leaving their seats. In addition, Virtual Worlds and Augmented Realities support formal and informal learning experiences that were once difficult to achieve due to budgetary constraints or other barriers. According to Dede, Augmented Reality (AR) allows students carrying mobile wireless devices, through real-world contexts, to interact with virtual information, visualizations, and simulations superimposed on physical landscapes. (2019). Metaverse. is one example of an AR tool. I learned about this intriguing app after reading "Create Magic in Your Classroom" (2017). Metavese uses the camera inside a digital device such as your tablet or smart phone to augment reality with images of floating objects or characters. The user can interact with the images in a question-answer format. Think of the wildly popular, Pokemon Go! app. However, you'll want to choose standards-based questions and pair them with 2-D or 3-D characters and objects for use in the classroom. I have included my exploration of the Metaverse app here: To further support the use of Virtual Reality tools in the classroom, Pilgram explores how VR may provide a way to support students through visual and experiential scaffolding (2016). In the article, they explore how VR may be used to build prior knowledge about a topic to increase understanding before the text is read. This is critical for students with limited vocabulary, such as ESL students. Multi-User Virtual Environments or MUVE, are highly engaging and have tremendous potential to turn the traditional classroom on its head. Students are familiar with MUVE because of the insanely popular game, Fortnite. Imagine bringing MUVE technology into the classroom and using it to teach content. Harvard Graduate School of Education did just that when they created ecoMUVE. In ecoMUVE students explore casual patterns in pond and forest environments. Players select an avatar before becoming immersed in the virtual ecosystems where they collect data and collaborate with other players to solve problems that arise in the simulated world. ecoMUVE encapsulates the 4Cs by providing a platform for students to think outside the box to solve real-world problems in a collaborative space. ecoMuve deserves a deeper look. Try it out by following this link: https://ecolearn.gse.harvard.edu/ecoMUVE/overview.php The Great Divide: Providing Equitable Access to TechnologyDigital equity is defined as equal access and opportunity to digital tools, resources and services to increase digital knowledge, skills and awareness (Holz, 2018). The digital divide does exist in my school and in my district. It is a complex issue that needs creative solutions. In a recent Atlanta Journal Constitution article about the digital divide in local schools, it was reported that Cobb County Schools officials repeatedly declined to answer questions about technology access. However, the following written statement from CCSD was printed: "students have access to print resources at school and home along with the ability to use school computers" (McCray, 2018). Being a teacher in a Title One school requires creative, collaborative problem solving of issues regarding access to resources including technological resources. With that said, we have made strides to increase student access to digital devices, but we have a ways to go especially with addressing student access to hardware and the internet beyond the physical school. Here are a few examples of how we've tried to tackle the divide:
References:
Crews, J. (2018, December 27). Five Ways Teachers Can Use-and Create-Augmented Reality Experiences - EdSurge News. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2018-01-22-five-ways-teachers-can-use-and-create-augmented-reality-experiences. Dede, C., Dede, C., Wirth, T. E., & Harvard Graduate School of Education. (2019, June 5). 21st Century Students Crave Deeper Learning. Retrieved from https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2015/06/21st-century-students-crave-deeper-learning. GoMeta Inc. (2018, October 24). Create Magic in your Classroom. Retrieved from https://medium.com/metaverseapp/you-can-create-magic-in-the-classroom-951d068f365c. Holz, S. (2018, February 20). Digital Divide 2.0: a few facts and figures. Retrieved from https://blog.neolms.com/digital-divide-2-0-a-few-facts-and-figures/. McCray, V. (2018, September 18). Metro Atlanta schools address 'digital divide'. Retrieved from https://www.ajc.com/news/local-education/metro-schools-address-digital-divide/IryLDAknFxIQwFfEgvdu3K/. Pilgrim, J.M. & Pilgrim, J. (2016). The use of virtual reality tools in the reading-language arts classroom. Retrieved from https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1121641.pdf.
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The video you see above was created with Adobe Spark Video. It is one of three presentation enhancing tools available from Adobe Spark for free classroom use. This video is titled, Russell Elementary's October Book of the Month: Journey by Aaron Becker. The intended audience includes all K-5 classroom support personnel and instructors at my school. It was designed to provide teachers with more information on the first book in the trilogy before they present this unique work to students. The video includes a link to the book trailer and a link to the author's website with suggestions on how to engage students in "reading" a wordless book.
Students would benefit from using the Adobe visual application suite also. I would use Adobe Spark integrated apps in the classroom to visually amplify student compositions and provide an alternative to traditional presentation tools. For example, I would ask young writers to bring their narratives to life by creating an illustrated and narrated video of their work, or I would instruct students to support their opinion essays with powerful graphic images for greater effect using Spark Video. Furthermore, the ability to record audio in Spark makes it more appealing for storytelling and offers a better opportunity to engage in 21st century skills than traditional presentation tools such as Microsoft PowerPoint.
Project Based Learning is known for increased engagement, rigor and relevance. In addition, it provides opportunities for students to develop 21st century skills that employers value most (Gonzalez, 2018). One of the characteristics of PBL is real-world problem solving where students are engaged in authentic tasks that provide solutions to community issues. Spark and web 2.0 presentation makers like Piktochart and Haiku Deck would be ideal for creating impactful visual presentations to stakeholders at the conclusion of the PBL assignment to garner support and action.
Google Add-ons and Extensions
I explored several Google suite add-ons and extensions including Grammarly, OpenDyslexic, Read Aloud, MindMeister. How exciting to discover digital support tools that aid with critical thinking, communication, collaboration, creativity and differentiation!
Technology is the perfect vehicle for facilitating the 4Cs. (Norris, 2014). For example, in Project Based Learning activities students must engage in collaborative work to achieve a common goal that Google add-ons and extensions can help students achieve. Grammarly, the automated grammar checker, can help students become more effective with written communications. Students can use this writing tool to proofread ensuring digital documents are clear, concise, and error-free. MindMeister is great for fostering critical thinking, collaboration, and creativity in that it enables students to create a visual "map" of text information which may aid in analysis and interpretation. Therefore, technology when used strategically can really improve how the 4Cs are supported in the classroom. How might these add-ons and extensions help with differentiation? Hobgood and Ormsby suggest that technology provides a way to make the content accessible to students for whom that might not otherwise be possible (2011). Screen-reading extensions such as Read Aloud and Read&Write make digital text more accessible to students by helping them engage with the content in a way that supports their abilities and learning styles. Specifically, Read Aloud offers users access to hear digital text read at various speeds and Read&Write offer picture dictionaries, speech-to-text, and word prediction suggestions, You will see a screenshot of a digital text read with Read Aloud below. The extension, OpenDyslexic changes the font of digital text with the slide of a button. According to information on the website, the unique font makes the words easier to decipher to students with dyslexia (Gonzalez, n.d.) Finally, concept map digital extension software like MindMeister support students' comprehension by identifying key concepts and making visible the relationships between them. These visual representations allow students to read the same passage as their peers without the frustration caused by the inability to synthesize information.
Resources
Gonzalez, A. (n.d.). Retrieved October 11, 2019, from https://www.opendyslexic.org/about. Gonzalez, J. (2018, April 6). Project Based Learning: Start Here. Retrieved October 13, 2019, from https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/project-based-learning/. Hobgood, B., & Ormsby, L. (2011). Inclusion in the 21st-century classroom: Differentiating with technology. Retrieved October 11, 2019, from http://web.archive.org/web/20180125110137/www.learnnc.org/lp/editions/every-learner/6776/. Norris, S. (2014, April 14). Use the 4Cs to Grow 21st Century Learners. Retrieved October 14, 2019, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yerxm-BUwnI.
True confession: I've never posted a tweet or even considered accessing Twitter. Facebook was enough for me! I thought of it like this: "Why would I need both Xfinity and AT&T or Verizon and Sprint? One social media account is enough, right?" That was my rationale prior to taking this course, ITEC 7430 Internet Tools in the Classroom.
Through my brief experience with Twitter, I have discovered it is a different social media platform with a different set of "rules". In fact, it doesn't seem like social media at all. By limiting the number of characters and photos a user can post at once, Twitter lends itself more for business networking, rather than socializing with family and friends. So, building a business network is just what I have done. I created my PLN, or Professional Learning Network, based in part on suggestions from my professor. My Twitter PLN includes organizations such as ISTE, and Edutopia, professionals such as Ronaldo Lawrence and David McQueen and of course KSU's ITEC department. My PLN on Twitter is a new access point for personalized professional development from a wealth of educators all over the globe. It is also a place to share ideas with like minded professionals. This wealth of knowledge is available to every teacher by simply "following" users affiliated with education on Twitter.
Twitter can be an engaging way to connect with 21st century learners and their parents. For example, instructors can use this tool to communicate important dates for school events, or deadlines for projects and assignments, which both students and their parents will appreciate. Samantha Miller suggest 50 other ways on www.teachhub.com including, coordinating assignments, improving collaboration on projects outside of class, and using hashtags to follow relevant issues and current events to energize student debates. Finally, our school uses Twitter to share all the wonderful activities and events that our students participate in during the school day. If something awesome is happening in a class or around the school, you will see it on Russell’s Twitter page.
Podcasting
I previewed several podcasts, some related to education and some outside of that realm. A few titles that I found interesting include ESPN's: PTI Pardon the Interruption Podcast, Great Speeches in History Podcast, and Creating Stem Lessons by Grace Yoon. They were enjoyable to listen to. In fact, both listening to and making my own podcast are wonderful, making podcasts number one on my list of favorite internet tools thus far. Please take a moment to review my podcast which has been embedded below.
I plan to use podcasts with my students to foster communication and collaboration skills. The entire goal of a podcast is to communicate a thought or idea (Bradbury, 2019). Empowering students with the tools necessary for producing the class podcast will help them develop their voices for an authentic audience (Miller, 2018). Imagine your students developing writing skills as they co-author the script for the broadcast, listening and speaking skills as they rehearse hosting and editing the show, and collaboration skills to ensure the production team pulls all the pieces together so the podcast is ready to air. Finally, podcasts can be used for students with different learning needs. Students who struggle to present what they know in writing can share what they've learned on a topic/standard by explaining the answer in a podcast. Also, students with dyslexia, or other reading disabilities can use the podcast to learn information that may be difficult to read, without auditory support.
References:
50 Ways to Use Twitter in the Classroom. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.teachhub.com/50-ways-use-twitter-classroom. Bradbury, J. (2019, June 1). What is the Educational Value of Podcasting with Students? Retrieved from https://www.teachercast.net/blog/podcasting-with-students-samr-blooms/. Miller, M. (2018, February 28). Why your students need a podcast: How to do it fast and free. Retrieved from http://ditchthattextbook.com/2018/02/28/why-your-students-need-a-podcast-how-to-do-it-fast-and-free/.
The Choice Is Yours! Gathering data on what students know is arguably a teacher's most important task. After all, shouldn't data drive instruction? If you agree, let me share some ideas on the treasure trove of internet based resources that put usage and assessment data a click away.
While testing is usually a pain-staking task, evoking exasperated sighs and eye rolling by both teachers and students, there are several web-based tools that make assessments easier to create, take, and track student growth. Here are a few that I've used or recently learned about in KSU's Internet Tools for the Classroom course. Kahoot and Quizizz are both game style response tools that are engaging ways to formatively assess student learning using students' internet connected devices or school supplied tech. Both Kahoot andQuizizz have thousands of tests already created and shared by other users that are available for the community, but you're not limited to using a quiz that was designed to fit the needs of another teachers' students. Recently, I copied a test on Kahoot and made changes that best suited the needs of my students. I was able to choose how much wait time to allow based on the difficulty of each question, and whether learners could work collaboratively or independently.
Other tools such as Formative and Edpuzzle allow teachers to modify content and assessments to fit their needs and student learning styles, too. Using Formative, teachers can create their own assessment or upload preexisting tests and quizzes and make changes on layout or response type. Teachers can use Edpuzzle to "blend" it all together, as it gives teachers the ability to edit self made or preexisting videos and embed quizzes. So, I can take my recently created screencast and embed a quiz to see what students learned. The best part of all is there is NO RED PEN required. Kahoot, Quizziz, Formative, and Edpuzzle will grade the assessments for you! How efficient is that? As of today, I'm kissing my colored pen, highlighter and MS Excel spreadsheet good-bye. I will use the data from these web-based tools to plan instruction that will meet my students where they are so that I can help them reach and exceed standards. Educators often search for ways to be more efficient and effective at what we do. How many times have you thought to yourself, "If only there were two of me"? In the article, "Clone Yourself Using Screencasting Tools", Vavasseur (2017) shares how screencasting can do just that, (minus the mad scientist chemistry experiment gone wrong). Until reading this and other assigned articles, creating a video of myself teaching a lesson was a waste of my planning time. I could be doing any number of things on my overwhelming to-do list and save the lecture for when students are actually sitting before me. However, I didn't realize how valuable tools such as Screencast-o-matic and Screencastify could be. I hadn't considered sharing a screencast of the lesson DURING class as suggested by Watson (2017). I didn't consider how this tool would help differentiate learning for students with diverse learning needs. How it would allow students to access the information at their own pace, as often or as few times as they needed, while I pivot to guide those who need extra help or enrichment. I appreciate learning about this tool, although my first experience with it is was both hilarious and frustrating. Last year, the math academic coach and I used this tool for the third and final Assessment Night presentation for parents. It took several script rewrites and re-recordings to get it to sound like we wanted. Thankfully, the site is very straightforward and easy to use, even for beginners like us. I am happy to share that the screencast that I made for this course was less awkward to create because of last year's presentation. Please access my screencast on Kahoot and Edpuzzle below. In the future, I would like to use Screencast-o-matic to make flipped professional development opportunities for the educators at Russell ES. Teachers may then access the PD from anywhere and and at any time allowing for more freedom in their schedules to meet the demands of the profession. References
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November 2019
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