For an assignment within my Masters Course I had to pick a problem I was experiencing within my classroom and use some sort of technology to address that issue.
The wicked problem I chose to tackle had two parts. Part 1 was that I didn't have a good way to get a really good understanding of students comprehension (as a whole class) during a lecture or note-taking session. What I have found worked best for me was to ask lots of questions, often. With this strategy, I am asking a question to a specific student every 30 seconds, on average. Even with this strategy I am only able to ask one question to one student. This is unacceptable to me. How do I know what the entire class is thinking based on one students answer.
Part 2 of my problem was that I wanted some way to monitor progress throughout a unit and to allow students to become vested in what they are learning.
My solution was to incorporate a student response system into my classroom (SRS)(AKA Clickers). This would allow me to ask the whole class one question and quickly get results and tailor my lesson to best fit those results.
This also allows me the ability to give a pre and a post test in order to monitor progress throughout a unit. This provides students with a starting platform to work off of for motivation as well.
My technology fits the TPACK curriculum in the following ways
1. How does the technology I have chosen support the teaching strategies and methods I have chosen?
I will still be delivering content and probing for questions, but I now will be probing each student numerous questions and will be able to give instant feedback to both myself and the student. This will allow me to alter what I am doing, based on class participation, to best fit a class or group of students. It will allow a student to instantly see "how am I understanding this content?" and will hopefully provoke questions from the students if they are not understanding.
By creating pre-tests and post tests that the students will use the SRS to answer I am hoping for a shift in motivation for students. Unmotivated students will now have a tangible goal. They will see where they started with their pre-tests and most will want to see their post test score higher and in turn will find some motivation to get there. For the extrinsically motivated student, I am hoping for some intrinsic motivation to arise within.
2. How specifically does this technology make the content more intellectually accessible?
By using a SRS, I am able to quickly give both myself and the students feedback on how they are doing. The students will immediately know how they did on a pre or post test and it will allow me the ability to publish test grades quicker for parents and students to access online.
By being able to pose numerous questions throughout my lessons I am also able to reel those rouge day-dreamers back in and make sure they are staying connected with the content of the lesson. Plus at the conclusion of lessons I will now have to ability to ask open ended, thought provoking questions (i.e. exit slips) to further test their knowledge and the SRS allows easy, quick, and organized access to their answers that I can then use to tailor the follow days lesson accordingly.
3. How specifically do my pedagogical choices make the content more intellectually accessible?
By using a SRS I will be reaching all learnings. My SRS allows me to incorporate an array of different types of questions into my lesson. From true/false to multiple choice. From multiple answer to opinion or open ended questions. I will be asking students to read and respond, watch this clip and respond, answer this question after I present this information to you, etc. As i become more comfortable with them I would also like to incorporate the SRS into group work and collaboration as well.
Below is a video explaining my project and how I solved my problem.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Professional Learning Plan
The following story is one that I created to tell my professional learning plan for educational technologies. It highlights what my goals were when I started the program and how those goals have been accomplished or changed and it also provides a way that I will continue to grow long after my Masters is complete.
A Story of the Boy and the Invisible Aliens! A story of hope! by scottcox55 on Storybird
A Story of the Boy and the Invisible Aliens! A story of hope! by scottcox55 on Storybird
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Group Leadership Project Final Tutorial
This post will be highlighting our group's final project. Our task was to create a stand alone 10 minute video tutorial on a technology of our choosing. We chose to highlight Moodle's (an online management system) ability to create a lesson. I gave us an introduction, Dan highlighted how to set up your lesson, I highlighted how to insert an image, add a live-link and embed video into the lesson, and Rebecca highlighted how to add questions to the lesson and the conclusion.
The tools that were used to create the tutorial were screencast-o-matic.com (SOM) and Jing, and Windows Movie Maker (WMM). Dan and I used SOM to record and Rebecca used Jing. Both are a free sites that allow you to record videocasts. SOM has no download and allows up to 15 minute recordings. Jing does have a download and install and only allows a 5 minute recording. The reason I chose to use screencast-o-matic was because it is very user friendly and allows you many different options after you have recorded as to what to do with the recording. It allows you to upload your video to their website, download it as a mp4 file, AVI file, or flash file, and it also allows you to upload it directly to YouTube. I have used screencast-o-matic before in my classroom and it really functions well.
The way we created the final piece being miles away from each other was through communication on google docs as well as utilizing email to send attachments of our recording to one person (Dan) so that he could piece all of the sections together in Windows Movie Maker (WMM).
Throughout the entire project, not only did I learn how to further utilize Moodle's capabilities (from making the tutorial), but I also became familiar with many different video conferencing software out there including Adobe Connect, Skype, and Vyew. In all three video conferencing tools, we found some of the drawbacks to using their free version. One large drawback was that none of them allowed you to record your sessions for later playback. We were able to use SOM for recording as well.
I did find that because we were so well prepared and the work was split evenly along the time-line, that the final video was not as hard as it could have been. What kept us on task and on track was creating a storyboard and script. I did amaze me as to how fast 3:30 minutes go by!
We did learn that if we were to do this again, to make sure that all group members use the same recording tool so that all of the recordings will be in the correct format. Dan ran into an issue with Becky's recording because she used the free version of Jing which only records in swf. Flash format which is not compatible with WMM. Dan then had to feverishly work at converting her file to a format that WMM liked.
I would definitely recommend being as well prepared as possible for each step to allow your group the greatest opportunity for success.
After Dan finished splicing the three pieces together in WMM he then uploaded it to his MSU AFS space so that it would be posted to the web. You may access that WMV file here. You may access the mp4 file here.
Group Leadership Project. If the link doesn’t play nice in your browser, right click and “Save link as” to download the video. Firefox hasn’t been playing as nice as IE and Chrome lately.
The tools that were used to create the tutorial were screencast-o-matic.com (SOM) and Jing, and Windows Movie Maker (WMM). Dan and I used SOM to record and Rebecca used Jing. Both are a free sites that allow you to record videocasts. SOM has no download and allows up to 15 minute recordings. Jing does have a download and install and only allows a 5 minute recording. The reason I chose to use screencast-o-matic was because it is very user friendly and allows you many different options after you have recorded as to what to do with the recording. It allows you to upload your video to their website, download it as a mp4 file, AVI file, or flash file, and it also allows you to upload it directly to YouTube. I have used screencast-o-matic before in my classroom and it really functions well.
The way we created the final piece being miles away from each other was through communication on google docs as well as utilizing email to send attachments of our recording to one person (Dan) so that he could piece all of the sections together in Windows Movie Maker (WMM).
Throughout the entire project, not only did I learn how to further utilize Moodle's capabilities (from making the tutorial), but I also became familiar with many different video conferencing software out there including Adobe Connect, Skype, and Vyew. In all three video conferencing tools, we found some of the drawbacks to using their free version. One large drawback was that none of them allowed you to record your sessions for later playback. We were able to use SOM for recording as well.
I did find that because we were so well prepared and the work was split evenly along the time-line, that the final video was not as hard as it could have been. What kept us on task and on track was creating a storyboard and script. I did amaze me as to how fast 3:30 minutes go by!
We did learn that if we were to do this again, to make sure that all group members use the same recording tool so that all of the recordings will be in the correct format. Dan ran into an issue with Becky's recording because she used the free version of Jing which only records in swf. Flash format which is not compatible with WMM. Dan then had to feverishly work at converting her file to a format that WMM liked.
I would definitely recommend being as well prepared as possible for each step to allow your group the greatest opportunity for success.
After Dan finished splicing the three pieces together in WMM he then uploaded it to his MSU AFS space so that it would be posted to the web. You may access that WMV file here. You may access the mp4 file here.
Group Leadership Project. If the link doesn’t play nice in your browser, right click and “Save link as” to download the video. Firefox hasn’t been playing as nice as IE and Chrome lately.
Monday, April 25, 2011
WPP - PART D - Findings and Implications
After setting out to concur a wicked problem within my classroom and devised a plan to incorporate a type of technology to tackle that problem, I have been able to implement the first portion of my plan. If you recall, I wanted a way that I could get more students involved in my lecures/note-taking and also wanted a better way to monitor student progress throughout a lesson. I decided that the tool that best fit my problem was incorporating a Student Response System (SRS) into my lessons and units. My original plan was to incorporate the SRS into at least two lectures/note-taking and give two pre and post tests. I was not able to stick to this plan completely strictly because of timing issues. When I made the plan, I hadn't really taken a minute to look at a calender and think of how long each unit would take me to get through. I was able to incorporate the SRS into multiple note-taking sessions but have not been able to move into the next unit and therefore will only have given one pre-test and one post-test at the conclusion of this class.The unit I due to the great data I received from my SRS.
When I looked at my dismal results from the pre-test I gave my 7th graders regarding their up-coming sexual education unit, my first thought was, "WOW! These kids know VERY little about their own bodies!". It was a great starting point for both the students and myself. This provided each student with their own starting knowledge platform on this topic.
Throughout each note-taking session within the sexual education unit, I was able to ask every student at least 5 questions within a 15 minute session by using the SRS in comparison to my note-taking sessions without the SRS where I asked an average of 10-12 students one question each. I say "at least" because I still asked specific students individual questions in-between the SRS questions. The information that I gathered from the SRS questions was helpful in guiding my next few minutes in my note-taking session. Some questions were answered in ways that told me that a majority of the class knew the material and were ready to move on and other questions were answered in ways that told me I needed to reiterate something before moving on to the next topic. I may have missed needing to reiterate something without the SRS. Because I was able to get quick accurate results in seconds, I was able to tailor my lesson to the students needs which is ideal.
My post test results showed improvement in every student. Below is a screen shot of the pre/post test comparison
This pre/post test comparison serves two purposes for me as a teacher. It allows me to monitor progress very easily and efficiently throughout the unit plus is also allow me to see how effective my SRS questions were in my note-taking process. Based on these results I concluded that the questions I embedded into the notes were very successful at guiding my notes to be more congruent with what the students needs were and therefore all students were able to achieve to their potential and beyond.
Having addressed and implemented a plan to tackle a wicked problem in my classroom I would have to say that the process was very simple and somewhat straight forward. I felt that the extensive preparation to start helped guide me it the best direction. I also feel that the collaboration among my peers helped guide me in the best direction as well. If I were to do this again, I would most definitely talk with my peers to see if I could hone in on a problem that I share with other teachers so that I may help more than just myself. I feel that all three aspects (planning. implementing, and reflecting) are equally important and I would make sure to complete all three thoroughly. So often the reflection piece get pushed aside and that, in most cases, is one of the most crucial pieces to the puzzle. Without reflection, how does one get better?
Throughout this process I have taken many things away. One lesson I've learned is to plan "small". By that I mean don't bite off more than you can chew. You can always go back and complete the same process again after tweaking a few things. I would also make sure that you have a pretty good understand of the technology you will be using otherwise when a student has a question, you won't be able to answer it and you start to hit a "wall". I remember numerous questions arising the first time we used the SRS and if I hadn't of spent time learning the SRS and it's software, my day would have been much harder. I would definitely suggest using a SRS for all types of lessons, but they particularly boast very will with sensitive material where students may feel uncomfortable sharing out-load or in-front of the class such as sexual education.
If I am fortunate enough to be able to do this project again, I would alter my pre/post test a bit. The pre/post test that I made was 100% multiple choice, true/false, or matching. After making the test and having the students take it, I later found out that the SRS affords you the ability to create open ended (short answer) questions as well as multiple answer questions. The open ended questions would not be graded instantly, but would allow me a different perspective into a students knowledge on a specific topic. Knowing that some kids just don't do very well on multiple choice tests, I need to differentiate. I feel that the SRS that I used met and exceeded my expectations as a teacher and am hopeful in receiving a grant to purchase my own SRS. It fulfilled my need of both progress monitoring and more student involvement in lectures with better understanding of student comprehension.
When I looked at my dismal results from the pre-test I gave my 7th graders regarding their up-coming sexual education unit, my first thought was, "WOW! These kids know VERY little about their own bodies!". It was a great starting point for both the students and myself. This provided each student with their own starting knowledge platform on this topic.
Throughout each note-taking session within the sexual education unit, I was able to ask every student at least 5 questions within a 15 minute session by using the SRS in comparison to my note-taking sessions without the SRS where I asked an average of 10-12 students one question each. I say "at least" because I still asked specific students individual questions in-between the SRS questions. The information that I gathered from the SRS questions was helpful in guiding my next few minutes in my note-taking session. Some questions were answered in ways that told me that a majority of the class knew the material and were ready to move on and other questions were answered in ways that told me I needed to reiterate something before moving on to the next topic. I may have missed needing to reiterate something without the SRS. Because I was able to get quick accurate results in seconds, I was able to tailor my lesson to the students needs which is ideal.
My post test results showed improvement in every student. Below is a screen shot of the pre/post test comparison
Having addressed and implemented a plan to tackle a wicked problem in my classroom I would have to say that the process was very simple and somewhat straight forward. I felt that the extensive preparation to start helped guide me it the best direction. I also feel that the collaboration among my peers helped guide me in the best direction as well. If I were to do this again, I would most definitely talk with my peers to see if I could hone in on a problem that I share with other teachers so that I may help more than just myself. I feel that all three aspects (planning. implementing, and reflecting) are equally important and I would make sure to complete all three thoroughly. So often the reflection piece get pushed aside and that, in most cases, is one of the most crucial pieces to the puzzle. Without reflection, how does one get better?
Throughout this process I have taken many things away. One lesson I've learned is to plan "small". By that I mean don't bite off more than you can chew. You can always go back and complete the same process again after tweaking a few things. I would also make sure that you have a pretty good understand of the technology you will be using otherwise when a student has a question, you won't be able to answer it and you start to hit a "wall". I remember numerous questions arising the first time we used the SRS and if I hadn't of spent time learning the SRS and it's software, my day would have been much harder. I would definitely suggest using a SRS for all types of lessons, but they particularly boast very will with sensitive material where students may feel uncomfortable sharing out-load or in-front of the class such as sexual education.
If I am fortunate enough to be able to do this project again, I would alter my pre/post test a bit. The pre/post test that I made was 100% multiple choice, true/false, or matching. After making the test and having the students take it, I later found out that the SRS affords you the ability to create open ended (short answer) questions as well as multiple answer questions. The open ended questions would not be graded instantly, but would allow me a different perspective into a students knowledge on a specific topic. Knowing that some kids just don't do very well on multiple choice tests, I need to differentiate. I feel that the SRS that I used met and exceeded my expectations as a teacher and am hopeful in receiving a grant to purchase my own SRS. It fulfilled my need of both progress monitoring and more student involvement in lectures with better understanding of student comprehension.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Group video tutorial PART B - Storyboard and Script
Below is a link to our Group 5 storyboard and script. I worked on slides 10-17. These slide are describing how to add an image to a lesson , how to embed an image in a lesson. how to add a live link to an image, video, or website within a lesson and lastly, how to embed a video in a lesson within Moodle. We have split the 10 minute video tutorial into 3 equal parts and will be recording our own parts sequentially so that we will be able to put it all together very easily. We plan to use screencast-o-matic.com to record as it will record up to 15 minute episodes.
Daniel is working on the start-up of a lesson in Moodle
I am working on embedding within an lesson
Becky is working on imputing questions into the lessons
Our Storyboard and Script
Daniel is working on the start-up of a lesson in Moodle
I am working on embedding within an lesson
Becky is working on imputing questions into the lessons
Our Storyboard and Script
WPP - Part C - Implementation
Remember, the Wicked Problem that I am trying to solve is getting more kids engaged in lectures by polling all of them periodically throughout my lectures as well monitor progress throughout a unit by providing instant feedback on pre and post tests. I am accomplishing both of these actions by implementing a Student Response System into my lessons and units. I have recorded my thoughts on my first stage of implementation of the "clickers" into both my lesson and pretest unit. In listening to the recording, you will hear my thoughts on program set-up, reflection about implementing into a lesson, reflection about my pretest implementation and finally, things I would do differently.
Click here to access my WPP - Part C-Implementation
Click here to access my WPP - Part C-Implementation
Below are a few screenshots of my pretest results
Mobile Learning
I believe that mobile learning is the way of the future for education. I believe that it needs to evolve and make many strides forward to be as effective as possible.
This year I have dedicated a large chunk of my time to developing online lessons, activities and lectures that I am linking to my Moodle page. My book is available online as well so I hope, in the next 2-3 years, to be a completely paperless classroom. This year my 7th grade team ran a pilot wireless program. The district bought 32 netbooks and made each of our rooms wireless. This jump started my paperless classroom initiative. It has been a great experience with its successes and pitfalls and we are looking into more funding to purchase more netbooks for next year (althought I truly do like the cellular computer idea...). The program really opened my eyes to the availability of information to the students by offering our classrooms online. No longer does learning stop when they leave my room, it may happen at midnight for some kid who is watching my lecture on Moodle...simply amazing..!
I see the benefits to mobile learning, but have also seen some of the drawbacks first hand with mobile learning. Security is one big issue. Theft isn't really an issue in my school, but more so, the security of the software. I know their are programs to monitor student use, but we have had kids change backgrounds, download games, play with the camera, etc. with those programs in place.
In reviewing some of the arguments for and against mobile devices in school, I can relate to both. Do we want students to have to ability to take pictures of other students inappropriately? No. Do we want students to have easier tools to cheat with? No. But are we going to deny a chance of success for a student because of a few bad eggs? What if a cell phone keeps a student in school? What if that is the only thing we gets up for? Are you going to deny them that because you're scared of what they might do? I believe that with careful monitoring, the vast majority of students will breed success from using mobile devices.
here is a link to my post on classroom 2.0. http://www.classroom20.com/profile/ScottCox
This year I have dedicated a large chunk of my time to developing online lessons, activities and lectures that I am linking to my Moodle page. My book is available online as well so I hope, in the next 2-3 years, to be a completely paperless classroom. This year my 7th grade team ran a pilot wireless program. The district bought 32 netbooks and made each of our rooms wireless. This jump started my paperless classroom initiative. It has been a great experience with its successes and pitfalls and we are looking into more funding to purchase more netbooks for next year (althought I truly do like the cellular computer idea...). The program really opened my eyes to the availability of information to the students by offering our classrooms online. No longer does learning stop when they leave my room, it may happen at midnight for some kid who is watching my lecture on Moodle...simply amazing..!
I see the benefits to mobile learning, but have also seen some of the drawbacks first hand with mobile learning. Security is one big issue. Theft isn't really an issue in my school, but more so, the security of the software. I know their are programs to monitor student use, but we have had kids change backgrounds, download games, play with the camera, etc. with those programs in place.
In reviewing some of the arguments for and against mobile devices in school, I can relate to both. Do we want students to have to ability to take pictures of other students inappropriately? No. Do we want students to have easier tools to cheat with? No. But are we going to deny a chance of success for a student because of a few bad eggs? What if a cell phone keeps a student in school? What if that is the only thing we gets up for? Are you going to deny them that because you're scared of what they might do? I believe that with careful monitoring, the vast majority of students will breed success from using mobile devices.
here is a link to my post on classroom 2.0. http://www.classroom20.com/profile/ScottCox
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