Digital Reflection

20% Project: Final Product

     Above is the youtube video of my final product for my 20% project. Initially the powerpoint was made to help my niece Priscilla learn about the Articles of Confederation, see the blog post entitled "A Whole New Mind Part II" that is linked here. I used Camtasia to edit the powerpoint and add the lecture and convert it to a video for youtube. It is in Spanish because my niece is in a dual-immersion Spanish program, and her U.S. History class is taught in the Spanish language. She watched the final product with the changes and her commentary is below. Please note that this commentary was dictated to me by her because her wrist sustained a minor injury while playing soccer, so she couldn't write it out.
 "This video helped me understand more about the Articles of Confederation because it was verbal and I could read it at the same time. It compared soccer to the Confederation which helped me understand better, because I play the sport and I understand it. So if I just connected the Articles of Confederation to soccer I understood it better. The bullet points helped summarize all the what she was saying, so I was able to hear what she was saying, and understand her better by reading it over again. The reference page also helped because I was able to go back to the websites and read more about what she was talking about." -Priscilla
Here is a picture of my niece Priscilla and nephew Jr. who benefited from my 20% project:

Why Google Hangout is Superior to Blackboard Collaborate

     So initially I was very excited to use Blackboard Collaborate for our Education and Technology last week on Monday. I quickly found myself to be frustrated with the video and audio limitations we had. For some reason, we could only have 3 people using audio/webcams at once (our colleague Maureen figured out). Since our class relies heavily upon discussion, I found this limitation to be frustrating. Although I do admit my bias and preference for Google Hangout. The features on Google Hangout for many people to use their audio and webcams at once, and the way the main screen enlarges to demonstrate who is currently talking, gives the discussion a very natural feel. That being said, one of the pros of Blackboard Collaborate was the chat option that allowed for us to chat and not disrupt the presenter, it reminded me of Backchannel. The screen on the right shows that Blackboard collaborate allowed us to all write, paint, or add images. I think that is a great option for working together on a project. Overall, I think that Google Hangout is the better option for discussion based courses. On the other hand, I believe that Blackboard Collaborate is a great option for teacher-centered lecture styles online and for collaboration on projects. 

iPads in the Elementary Dual-Immersion Classroom

   
     Our class was privileged to be able to observe Paul Ecke Central Elementary School in Encinitas Union School District on November 28th. It was a nice surprise upon arriving, that we realized it was a Dual-Immersion (Spanish) school. We learned about many iPads and apps that the school had bought for the school and their use in the classroom. I can't quite remember any of them at this exact moment because there were so many! But one I remember was like a series of short free books that students had to access to.***The teacher then could integrate discussion questions directly into the appropriate spots in the text. Then the students could answer the questions and the students were able to see their peers' responses. In that same app some words in the text were linked to maps and other images for the students. I think that's a great app for specifically say ELL learners, because if they are reading something and they don't know what it is, they could immediately perhaps see a link to an image or map that could help their comprehension.
     In an article entitled, "5 Critical Mistakes Schools Make with iPads (And How to Correct Them)" by Tom on Edudemic I saw how the elementary school in Encinitas was successful in avoiding the 5 mistakes (from what I observed during a day visit). The first mistake described is too much of a focus on content apps. It was clear that the teachers used the integrated apps and capabilities of the iPad for all content. Students used the moviemaker to create movies with images and their voice to explain say how a volcano erupts. What I learned from this was that it can give students an opportunity to teach their peers. Another mistake is that schools don't offer enough professional development to go along with the iPad integration in the classroom. Teachers in the classroom were honest that initially it was a bit time consuming to learn the apps but that it was worth it. The school seems to have a lot of support in the professional development of the teachers. The third mistake is that schools tend to what the iPad to be a laptop. The teachers at this school discussed how they worked with the iPad but that they would still sometimes take their class to the computer lab for bigger projects. The computer lab, by the way was filled with Apple computers! The fourth mistake is that the iPads in schools sometimes have multi-users. In most classrooms we entered, the iPad was in the sole ownership of an individual student. The fifth mistake is that the administration fails to communicate why the iPads were bought. At this school the only issue that seems to have arised is that students can't take the iPads home on the weekends or during long holiday breaks. I found this to be interesting, because I know of other school districts, such as Sweetwater Union High School District that does allow students to take their iPads home on weekends and holidays.
   

***Thanks to my colleague Maureen she reminded me that the name of the app is Subtext.

IF IPADS ARE THE ANSWER, WHAT IS THE QUESTION?

Photo Credit: Andrew Wiese

     This is the question that was posed by my Professor Jeff Heil. In the case of the elementary dual-immersion classroom, I am convinced that iPads are a good answer. Yet, I am left pondering what the question is. A question that I think may fit this situation is the following: What technology can best serve the learning of the students in the dual-immersion classroom? The iPads best serve the students, because the school decided to give each student an iPad, which they can take home Monday-Friday for homework. In this way, the iPad can serve the individual learning styles and needs of each student. Whether the student is a kinesthetic, visual, and/or audio; the iPad has apps and capabilities that serve each  learning style combination. Furthermore, the iPad has apps that allow the students to be creative and academic by drawing pictures and making presentations with their own voice lectures/explanations. In this case, the student can be turned into the teacher, and therefore is empowered to tutor and explain to his/her peers. This doesn't even cover the slew of educational apps that are available for the students.

#Edchat Topic: Alternatives to High Stakes Testing 11/27/12 at 9am

MOOCs

Making History Come Alive: Abraham Lincoln

Movie: Lincoln (2012)

This weekend I watched the movie entitled "Lincoln" which is of course about Abraham Lincoln. The movie focuses on the dilemma of how Lincoln attempted and eventually succeeded in the pushing of the Thirteenth Amendment which abolished slavery and involuntary servitude (except when used as a punishment for a crime). What was interesting was the insight of the movie to show how the Civil War was coming to an end, as was eveident through the peace talks that were nearing, yet Lincoln insisted upon the importance of the need to pass the amendment before the Civil War ended. The movie is a long one because it lasts about two and a half hours, and it can be a little slow at parts. Overall, the movie seems to be historically accurate, which made me appreciate the movie even more. I read an interesting and short blog post on the historical accuracy of the film by Forrest Wickman. As an educator it is my belief that students should be exposed to movies, clips, pictures, primary documents, museums  artifacts, and other learning tools to help make history come alive. It is not enough to simply read from a textbook and view those pictures, but supplementary material and assignments should be designed to make history come alive for the student. This film is a great way for anyone to better get to know Lincoln, the Civil War, and the passage of the 13th Amendment. Check out the Lincoln (2012) movie trailer below!

Disneyland: Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln Show

Another great way to make history come alive, or more specifically, to make Abraham Lincoln come alive, is by visiting Disneyland! Yes, you read that correctly. On your next visit to Disneyland, I suggest a visit to the Opera House on Main Street that has the performance entitled "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln." Inside you find many historical artifacts from the creation of Disneyland, and then at the appropriate time you are ushered into a theater where you watch an Animatronics show of Lincoln. I really remember enjoying this show because of the authentic primary documents in the show ranging from Civil War photos to songs. Alas, if you can't go to Disneyland, there is a Youtube video of the entire show!

Making Historical Trading Cards

     Just today I found out about an Apple app designed for iPad that allows anyone to create their own historical trading cards! It is designed by International Reading Association and seems to have great reviews from educators. This seems like a great way for students to make historical people and events their own, and perhaps help history come alive for them! The only limitation I see as of now, is that it is only compatible with the iPad. I did a Google search for a similar app but on the web, and was not able to find anything.