Futures of Education, Week 10

From taking two technology in education courses to renew my teaching license, I have become aware of how much technology is impacting, can impact, and will impact education.  Lacking technology in my own education, and not having a natural inclination to it, I definitely have gained insight to how I can learn to use it in my future classroom.  Although I have learned many useful ways to implement web 2.0 tools that are free and I am hopeful to use them, I still worry about what I will do in my actual classroom when it comes to lack of access to computers and digital tools and other such challenges.

When watching the videos for Thin Clients and Blade PCs, I felt like I had seen them in schools already.  From substitute teaching, I see a vast difference in the technology from one district to the next.  However, I do not get to see exactly how it is utilized.  What a relief that there is finally technology being created that is not just meant to have to be purchased anew in two years or so.  One major obstacle of technology in education was the cost of maintenance and replacement.  

The videos on Virtualization were more challenging for me to follow.  There was a lot of “techy lingo.”  However, from what I understood, it has many benefits, including: keeping the main hard drive safer and cleaner, allowing multiple operating systems and one physical machine, cutting costs almost in half, better resource utilization, shared physical memory, easy to move files, and more.  The VMWare video also emphasized the safety of using virtualization technology.  I foresee Virtualization becoming more adopted by K-12 schools in the future, although teacher training may be an issue with this.   

The ZDNET article gave me a lot of insight to the growth and future of Gesture-Based Learning.  I like that the article proved what a great impact GBL can have on education, yet also acknowledged the issues associated with this technology, such as cost benefit vs longevity, training, the novelty factor, and feasibility.  In my opinion, GBL would be a very motivational tool that could help improve student understanding if it could be properly implemented.  However, with so many obstacles, I am not sure how far off this technology is from the average classroom.  From what I understood of the video interview of KinectEducation, GBL is beginning to be designed for and implemented into education.

Learning Analytics (big data) sounds overwhelming to me right away, but the more I read about it, the more it made sense.  From the video with Steve Schoettler, I could tell the need to move to big data when he mentioned being two years behind for data regarding the nation’s education to be gathered and processed.  Learning Analytics also has the benefit of gathering and measuring a lot more areas of assessment, such as with current personalization.  It also allows for more frequent assessment in turn to tailor instruction to students’ needs.  It is exciting to think of what a positive impact this technology will have on education.

Week 9, Open Source Resources for K-5

1. freereading
http://www.free-reading.net/index.php?title=Main_Page
A free, open source, research-based, pK-6 reading intervention program (classroom-aid.com).  On this website, you can find activities, share lessons and ideas, teach the program, and more.  There are tools and resources, such as: picture cards, decodable passages, word list generator, audios, videos, and vocabulary tutors.  I would use this site to supplement activities for readers who are struggling, since most schools already have a reading program in place.  NETS-T # 2

2. Curriki
http://welcome.curriki.org/
A hub for free, open course materials, which contains course materials in a variety of subjects and grade levels, including lesson plans, free courses, textbooks, and teacher community (classroom-aid.com).  I tested this site for ‘Mathematics’ and found you can browse by Topic and/or by Education Level, and from there you can define your search even more by term, etc.  You may create an account with this site.  I would use this website in teaching to find specific tools to enhance student understanding in various subjects. NETS-T # 3

3. OER Commons
http://www.oercommons.org/
A site with free-to-use, trustworthy and sound, teaching and learning content from around the world, for grades K-20, for all subjects and all media types (classroom-aid.com).  OER offers training and professional development, support services, global community and more.  You may create an account with this site.  When I looked at browsing options on this site, under Grade Levels, I saw 9,081 for Primary, 22,420 for Secondary, and 26,576 for Post-Secondary.  Browsing, I found a “1st Grade Science Vocabulary in English and Spanish” document that would be useful.  They also have a site called HelpingWithMath.com http://www.helpingwithmath.com/ that would be a great homework resource. NETS-T # 3

4. Scratch
http://scratch.mit.edu/
An open source application that enables kids to create interactive stories, games, music, and art (duffy.fedorapeople.org).  This site has an educators community page, ScratchEd, http://scratched.media.mit.edu/, where you can share stories, exchange resources, ask questions, and find people.  One useful thing I found on this page that someone posted was a Computer Programming Rubric for Students.  Some classroom ideas for this resource are as a tool for storytelling, creating digital art, and designing games. NETS-T # 1

5. KDE EDU
http://edu.kde.org/
An open sourcce suite of K12 Applications produced by the KDE project (duffy.fedorapeople.org).  This site focuses on schoolchildren ages 3-18.  It also offers support and aid to teachers in lesson planning.  This site also allows you to select a language.  One application I saw that would be fun for students is Marble, a Desktop Globe.  Another one I could use is KTurtle, “an educational programming environment that aims to make learning how to program as easily as possible” (edu.kde.org).  NETS-T # 1,2,3

6. SchoolForge
https://schoolforge.net/
A site with a mission to “unify independent organizations that advocate, use, and develop open resources for education” (schoolforge.net/about).  This site contains many categories with open source resources you can install.  One example I saw that I could use is Alice, “an innovative 3D programming environment that makes it easy to create an animation for telling a story, playing an interactive game or a video to share on the web.”  NETS-T # 1,2

7. ChildsPlay
http://www.schoolsplay.org/
Includes a number of different educational games suitable for preschoolers and kindergarteners (linuxplanet.com).  Since I do not see as many tools for the younger, beginning students, I thought I would include this one, since Kinder is an age group that I enjoy working with.  It would be a good tool for students needing more practice in a certain area or as a motivational tool/ reward for getting work done. NETS-T # 2

8. Kids Open Dictionary
http://dictionary.k12opened.com/
An open dictionary with a glossary builder that exports to multiple formats (classroom-aid.org).  This site would be interesting for teaching kids about open sources and wikis.  Benefits of this resource is it is free, open, sharable, and appropriate for kids in content and language level.  This site gave me an idea of using a wiki to have students create their own class dictionary where they would share/compile definitions, sentence examples, pictures, videos, etc. of vocabulary from their school subjects.  NETS-T # 1, 2, 4

9. WIKINDX
http://wikindx.sourceforge.net/
This Operating System OS “is a free bibliographic and quotation/notes management and article authoring system designed for either single use or multi-user collaborative use across the internet.” It makes it easier for students to search for a quote or collaborate with multiple authors and automatically formats footnotes, endnotes, and bibliography based on the chosen style guide (linuxplanet.com).  This would be a good tool for students to work together on a research project or report.  NETS-T # 1, 2, 4

10. Tux, of Math Command
http://tux4kids.alioth.debian.org/tuxmath/
An arcade game that helps kids practice their math facts.  Goal: to make it effective and fun (tux4kids).  I have the site Tux4Kids, http://tux4kids.alioth.debian.org/, recommended on educational sites.  There are other tools I could use besides the TuxMath program, including TuxPaint and TuxTyping. This would be a great extra practice, recommend to parents for at-home, and motivational tool.  NETS-T # 2

 

photo source:

http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2010/10/20/01netbookopen.h04.html

Week 9, Open Source, Article 2, K-5

Open Source, K-5

Article Title: Next Stop: OpenSim!

Author: Korolov, Maria

Source: T.H.E. Journal, p46-48, 50-1

Date: Jan 2011

The article I read focuses on the shift of educators from Second Life to using OpenSim, “an open source virtual world platform that schools can run for free on their own servers or can get cheaply and quickly” (abstract, ERIC).  For virtual classrooms this offers K-12 students to “take field trips from their home base to any of hundreds of other virtual environments already running on the platform, including scientific simulations, museums, and… other schools” (abstract, ERIC).  According to the article, advantages of OpenSim for educators are the accessibility and safety it offers to young children (p. 48).  Second Life had only been offered to teen ages 13-18 and had safety concerns with adult advances for children.  Meets NETS-T 4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibiltiy, a. and c.

Before reading this article, I hadn’t really thought about using educational sims in my teaching, because I thought of it being useful for secondary education, but not for the K-3 range, specifically.  Most examples in the article were for ninth grade and higher, but it did give an example of OpenSim being used at the fifth grade science level.  Here, the “teacher is conducting a simulated research mission to the planet Mars, for which [a space station was built] in which the student astronauts work together” (p. 51).  Meets NETS-T 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity, b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources, and d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments.

One challenge for me using this type of open source would be training.  The article states that “the largest example of the educational uses of OpenSim is the Boston-based Immersive Education Initiative” and “will help schools set up their own worlds, on their own servers” along with “free training for educators” (p. 51).  While this is appealing, it still requires teachers who individually wish to implement OpenSim in the curriculum to spend a lot of their own time.

In thinking of ways that I could use OpenSim in a K-3 classroom, I came up with a few ideas.  I could create a school, classroom, and/or town to represent the one the students attend.  If I taught a hybrid class, this could be especially useful.  Another idea is, after learning to use it, I could train the students to create a setting, etc. for a book report, or to create a representation of a setting for a story they have written.  Also, I could use it to have the students create a representation of a place they know well, then have them practice giving directions, using key vocabulary for description.  Meets NETS-T 2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, and 3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning

photo source:

http://iliveisl.com/page/24/

Week 8, Open-Source, Article 1

Theme: Open-Source
Grade: K-3

Article Title: Use of a Mobile Application to Promote Scientific
Discovery Learning: Students’ Perceptions towards and
Practical Adoption of a Mobile Application

Seol, Sunmi, Aaron Sharp, and Paul Kim. “Use of a mobile application to promote scientific discovery learning: students’ perceptions towards and practical adoption of a mobile application.” Proceedings of the 13th annual conference on Information technology education. ACM, 2012.

The article I read focused on mobile devices and open-source technology in teaching science.  The specific tool studied was eBookMaker, which is an android based mobile application.  Students can use it to create their own mobile documents and add images, sounds, and texts to them.  The way eBookMaker was used in this study was as a learning support tool in science education.  32 fourth and fifth grade students (50% female) from a public school in California took part in this study.

This article really pushes for the use of mobile devices in education, stating a consideration “for the current trend toward the consolidation of open-source mobile operating system platforms and that mobile phone ownership among children has increased by 68% in the past five years” (pg. 1) They also point out “the distinct benefits of mobile devices as educaitonal tools…, the rapid advances .. increase in processing power, memory, and connectivity.. , more interactive and media-rich…, offering a fun and engaging context to learners” (pg. 1) to name a few.

When I thought about using such an approach in my own classroom, I considered the issue of cost and providing equipment for students to carry out the activities.  In this study, “each student received one Motorola Android smart phone preloaded with the eBookMaker application regardless of whether or not he or she already owned a phone” (pg. 3).  The reality of implementing such an activity seems much less attainable without access to mobile devices in this case.

In the first study, students listened to a 15-minute explanation on how-to basics for the application along with expectations for the activity.  First students typed a summary of previous learning, then took a picture of materials related to that learning, then recorded an audio explanation.  Afterwards, students read their documents and shared them with peers.  Finally, they took a survey asking about their thoughts on using this mobile application in their learning process (pg. 3).

In the second study, students individually explored scientific phenomena from their daily life using the mobile application (pg. 3).  First students shared thoughts and were encouraged to select a topic of their own choosing and students were given examples. Then students gathered their observations and research for two weeks.  Afterwards, students had 90 seconds to present their discoveries using a document camera.  They were to “report the topic of their investigation, how they chose to explore the scientific phenomena, the most interesting thing they had learned
in the discovery learning process, and the conclusion on the findings of their own investigation” (pg. 3).

While the study seemed to have positive results in student learning and satisfaction, I find the obstacle of providing such technology to each student overwhelming.  I would love to implement such a project in the future with students, but would need to find a way to gain access to mobile devices.  I can see this possibly being done through grant application.  A way I could adapt this study is to use the same criteria for the activities, but have students use another free open-source tool on a computer.

NETS-Student
1. Creativity and Innovation, a) Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes, and b) Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, a) Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation, and c) Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions
6. Technology Operations and Concepts, a) Understand and use technology systems, and c) Troubleshoot systems and applications

Video for Grades K-3 Research Article #2

Article Title: Flippin’ Out
Author: Katherine Grayson
Journal: T.H.E. J 37 no3 Mr 2010 p. 35-8

I spent a lot of time looking for a good, recent article that discusses the use of video technology in elementary education, specifically grades K-3.  Unfortunately, I found hardly anything.  I did find an article that caught my attention however, on a topic I am interested to know more about: video camcorders.  This article focuses mainly on high school grades, but there are some examples of upper elementary grades included.  I decided I could adapt ideas and information to fit the needs of primary grade learners.

The article Flippin’ Out discusses the enthrallment of both students and teachers by the “easy-to-use project tool,” Flip Video camcorders (35).  As with most technology in education, students are motivated to use flip cameras to create projects.  One teacher testifies that in project-based learning, he gives the option of students presenting a poster instead of using the flip cams for the same credit, but that the students never choose to submit a poster (38).  This is in line with NETS-S 5. Digital Citizenship b) Exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity.

How can the flip cameras be used in Elementary Education?  The article highlights a fifth grade teacher who uses the device for many learning projects, “such as creating video trailers for books they are reading, making movies about famous events in history, or even sharing science demonstrations with their peers and other classes” (36).  Also suggested is “using the Flips to make videos about such topics as recycling with younger students who can benefit from the visual display of new skills,” as well as, “instructor use of the device to aid petitions to the local school board for Flips or other new equipment that can aid in classroom project work, such as document cameras” (36).  I like that these ideas have an audience in mind, since it is important for students to have motivation and a goal to work towards.  This incorporates NETS-S 1. Creativity and Innovation b) Create original works as a means of personal or group expression, and 2. Communication and Collaboration b) Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

Another teacher plans to use the Flips for a project where students in grades 4 to 6 will choose an animal at the local zoo and research many aspects of its life, classification, and habitat.  After the research is complete, the students will create shooting scripts” (37) where they practice beforehand, record at the zoo, edit with teacher help, create a class movie, and present it to their families at school.  I know of a school that has a similar project, which is based on students making observations in notebooks of a local wildlife refuge throughout the seasons.  If I were teaching in such a program, or implementing a similar project, I would like to use this teacher’s approach.  This incorporates NETS-S 2. Communication and Collaboration a) Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media, and NETS-T 2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments a) Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity.

Overall, I can see these Flips being very useful and exciting tools for student projects.  However, I can also see cost being a big issue.  The article promotes the Flips as being affordable at $150, and that some programs give them out for educational purposes (mostly at the high school level).  I would think applying for grants would be one of the main ways of accommodating Flips or similar tools.

The article gave these tips as well (38):
Tips for Flips
“How to Use Flip Cameras
in the Classroom”: ehow.com/
printarticle.htm/?id=5257011
“The Flip Camera in the Elementary
School Classroom”: cnx.org/content/
m3229711atest
“Forty Interesting Ways to Use Your
Pocket Video Camera in the Classroom”: slideshare.net/mbelinsky/
forty-interesting-ways-to-use-yourpocket-video-camera-in-the-c1assroom

Video Resource Collection for Grades K-3

1. Kids’ Vid: Video Production for Students
http://kidsvid.4teachers.org/
“An instructional website to help teachers and students use video production in class to support project-based learning.”  This site has four areas of focus: Scripting, Making, Editing, and Showtime.  I would use this to teach students how to make their own videos and allow them to refer to it as a resource during the procedure.  NETS-S 6. Technology Operations and Concepts a) Understand and use technology systems

2. Windows Movie Maker
http://windows.microsoft.com/is-IS/windows-live/movie-maker-get-started
This tool “enables you to create home movies and slide shows on your computer, complete with professional-looking titles, transitions, effects, music, and even narration. And when you’re ready, you can…publish your movie and share it.”  I would first teach students how to use this and let them practice.  Then I would use it as an option of tools for presentations. NETS-T 2. b. Develope technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

3. Animoto
http://animoto.com/
This is a tool for using your photos, video clips, and music to create unique video pieces.  It is fairly easy to use and with Animoto Lite you can create unlimited 30-second videos.  I would have students use this to create an advertisement or book share, etc. to share with the class in pairs or small groups.  NETS-S 1. Creativity and Innovation b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression. NETS-S 2. Communication and Collaboration d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.

4. Creaza
http://www.creazaeducation.com/
This website has a toolbox with four tools: Mindmodo – a mind mapping tool for students, which can contain media files, links, and text, Cartoonist – a cartooning tool students can use to create multimedia stories (comic strips, digital narratives, etc.), Movie Editor – students can produce their own movies with Creaza’s thematic universes, video, images, and sound clips, Audio Editor – allows students to produce audio clips.  I would introduce students to this site and let them practice using it.  This would be a fun tool for students to use to create a presentation for a project and allows a lot of room for creativity. NETS-S 1. Creativity and Innovation b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.

5. Storybird
http://storybird.com/
This website allows students to create “short, art-inspired stories you make to share, read, and print.”  A teacher can create a “Teacher/Class” account for this site to keep in line with student online safety.  I would like students to create their own stories using this site and then upload them to another tool where they could add audio of themselves narrating.  NETS-S 1. Creativity and Innovation b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression

6. WatchKnowLearn
http://www.watchknowlearn.org/default.aspx
This site has well organized, free educational videos for ages 3-18.  The menu is arranged as Directory by subject, Common Core by grade level, and Classrooms by type.  A great aspect to this site is that it is Kid Safe.  This would be a good tool for introducing and supplementing instruction.  It would also be a tool students could use in researching.  NETS-S 3. Research and Information Fluency b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

7. KidsTube
http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2011/03/kidstube-free-educative-video-resources.html
This site is described as “free educative video resources for your students” and is geared to provide kid safe and kid friendly videos.  Just as with any site being provided to students for research, I would register first as a teacher and give the students my password to log-in.  NETS-S 3. Research and Information Fluency b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

8. Audacity
http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
This tool is a free recording software for recording and editing sounds.  Students can use this to record audio for their movies.  I would demonstrate to students how to use it, allow time for practice, and then let them determine how they would like to use it for their video projects.  NETS-S 6. Technology Operations and Concepts b. Select and use applications effectively and productively

9. Jamendo
http://www.jamendo.com/en/
This site provides music available for downloading, which contains a Creative Commons license.  Students must use proper crediting to use the music from this site.  I would introduce students to this site and show them how to download music and use it in some of the video making tools available for their projects, then they could use this as a tool at their discretion.  NETS-S 6. Technology Operations and Concepts b. Select and use applications effectively and productively

10. SoundBible
http://soundbible.com/
This site is exemplary in containing free sound clips, sound bites, and sound effects.  Students can use these to enhance their video projects.  I would do a how-to so students knew how to download and use the sounds in their videos, and then let them determine how to best use it for their own class projects.  NETS-S 6. Technology Operations and Concepts b. Select and use applications effectively and productively

Video and Grades K-3 : Week 6, Article 1

Theme
Learning Medium: Video
Learner Group: K-3

Article Title:  I can see me: webcams in the classroom
Author(s):  Timothy J. Frey , Elizabeth D. Gruis and Abby L. Houlton
Source:  Learning & Leading with Technology. 38.3 (Nov. 2010): p36.

This article was about video use in elementary education.  What interested me about this article was that it gave different examples of effective ways to use video technology in the elementary classroom.  The article stated, “We have found that even primary grade level students can record, view, and take advantage of what we call the “I can see me” principle” (36).  That statement compelled me to keep reading, as I often work with grades K-3 and I find that much of the technology in education lessons are geared towards secondary and higher grade levels.  Another appealing aspect for primary grades is that the students in the article did not have prior experience or training using the webcam, but quickly learned how. (NETS Student 6. Technology Operations and Concepts a) Understand and use technology systems)

The focus of this article was a technique called “I can see me.”  There are seven steps to the procedure.  Here are the steps as outlined in the article on page 36:

1. The teacher selects an appropriate text and makes two copies for each student. The two copies will be stapled together.
2. Using a webcam, the student records a video of herself reading the text.
3. While watching her videos, the student highlights any errors she made while reading the passage. She rates herself in the areas of rate, volume, and accuracy.
4. The student discusses thevideo with the teacher. The conference should last about three to seven minutes.
5. The student rereads the passage on another video.
6. The student watches the second video, highlighting her mistakes.
7. The student completes a reflection sheet that asks her to again rate herself on the rate, volume, and accuracy. In addition, the student evaluates whether her reading improved during the second recording, explaining any differences and reflecting on any changes.

Following the steps for this procedure, the article lists helpful guidelines for conferencing with the student, which takes place during step #4.

I would like to use this for working with primary grades, because of the motivational effect it has on students.  Students are excited to use technology and see themselves.  When interviewed, one student said that he felt the process helped him become a better reader due to seeing himself read and taking note of his mistakes (36).  I have also seen various articles that show that this technique works well for developing skills in students with disabilities.  (NETS Teacher 4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility b) Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources)  

 

According to the article, “Facilitating communication, adapting instruction, and providing opportunities to practice self-correction on performance skills are just a few uses for webcams” (37).  Obviously, there are many uses in the classroom for this technology.  I would incorporate webcams in Learning Centers.  I would have one center set up for students to be able to work on recording depending on what the assignment is that week, for fluency practice, or a project we are doing (Project Based Learning), or for an oral report, etc.  (NETS Teacher 2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments a) Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity)

 

PBL Article Review #2

John Larmer and John R. Mergendoller. “Seven Essentials for Project-Based Learning.” Educational Leadership 68.1 (2010): 34-37.

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/sept10/vol68/num01/Seven_Essentials_for_Project-Based_Learning.aspx

This article was easy to read and gave a clear example of what Project-Based Learning looks like in the classroom.  It distinguished projects that come across largely as busywork from ones that “involve meaningful inquiry that engages students’ minds.”  The article lists the criteria that every good project needs, broken down into seven steps.
The first step is “A Need to Know.”  Instead of assigning a topic to students, Larmer and Mergendoller say:

Teachers can powerfully activate students’ need to know content by launching a project with an “entry event” that engages interest and initiates questioning. An entry event can be almost anything: a video, a lively discussion, a guest speaker, a field trip, or a piece of mock correspondence that sets up a scenario. In contrast, announcing a project by distributing a packet of papers is likely to turn students off; it looks like a prelude to busywork.

Having a ‘need to know’ compels students to learn as opposed to finding their work meaningless.  A ‘need to know’ creates a challenge and reason to learn material for the project.

The second step is coming up with ‘A Driving Question.’  After the ‘entry event’ and discussion, the teacher can lead the students in brainstorming possible solutions.  The article gives a good description of what a driving question should look like:

A good driving question captures the heart of the project in clear, compelling language, which gives students a sense of purpose and challenge. The question should be provocative, open-ended, complex, and linked to the core of what you want students to learn. It could be abstract (When is war justified?); concrete (Is our water safe to drink?); or focused on solving a problem (How can we improve this website so that more young people will use it?).

This ‘driving question’ helps students understand the reason behind their project.

     The third step is to give ‘Student Voice and Choice.’  The teacher can give the requirements for the project and students can choose how to meet them and what tools to use.  The article states that choice can be limited, allowing learners to select a “topic to study within a general driving question or choose how to design, create, and present products.” Or somewhere between, “teachers might provide a limited menu of options for creative products to prevent students from becoming overwhelmed by choices.”  And being liberal with freedom, which the article recommends, “students can decide what products they will create, what resources they will use, and how they will structure their time.”

21st Century Skills is the fourth element in the article.  Students should have opportunities to use “collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and … technology…”  (NETS Student 2. Communication and Collaboration, 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making).  The teacher should teach these skills and provide frequent opportunities for self-assessment by the students. (NETS Teacher 2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments, 3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning).

The fifth essential is Inquiry and Innovation.  The teacher may lead the students in compiling a list of more detailed questions based on their ‘driving question.’  As the learners find answers, they may formulate new questions for investigation.  They may synthesize the information they collect and use it for their individual and group product.  The article states that “students find project work more meaningful if they conduct real inquiry” — which is described as asking their own questions, search and discovery, new questions, testing ideas, and drawing their own conclusions.  The article says this often leads to innovation.

In step six, Feedback and Revision, students develop their ideas and products and teams critique one another’s work, “referring to rubrics and exemplars.”  This process of review allows students to see that “revision is a frequent feature of real-world work.”  The teacher should give direct feedback as well, and may arrange for experts or mentors to provide additional feedback — more meaningfulness.

Finally, the students have ‘A Publicly Presented Product.’  All along, the students should have selected an audience and had them in mind when preparing their products.  A presentation may be made to a class, parents, the school, and/or the community.  This again adds meaning to the learning process.

This article was relevant to me, because it gave me a good understanding of what it looks like to carry out PBL in a classroom.  While researching my Resource Collection for PBL, I found many great examples of units I could use for projects.  This article helped me see how I could implement them.

PBL Resource Collection

Project Based Learning Resources

1. BIE Project Based Learning for the 21st Century
www.bie.org

This website is a resource for teachers wanting to know more about PBL and how to use or create a PBL curriculum.  There is a Videos page which contains videos demonstrating about what PBL is, examples of projects, how to do PBL, international PBL, and webinars.

The Tools page is very useful and has a FreeBIEs section where you can find free materials to use, “such as planning forms, student handouts, rubrics, and articles for educators to download and use to design, assess, and manage projects” (http://www.bie.org/tools/freebies).  The Tools page also has a Project Search section where you may select a source and subject area and locate existing projects you may want to use in your class.  When I selected “Explorer Elementary,” I found projects that were very interesting and that I would like to use in my future classes.   The projects had activities that would be very appealing and motivating to students.  Here is an example of one I would like to do called Learning Garden that has a science base (http://www.bie.org/project_search/results/search&project_search_channel=32&ps_search_source=150&category=150/):

The garden enhances the social-emotional curriculum by requiring that students work together to get the work of gardening done.  Gardening buddy projects have included creating a butterfly garden and writing a field guide to the garden, creating a poetry garden, and making pizza from garden products.

If you do not find a project that fits your needs or meets the standards for your students, there is a Do-It-Yourself Page that has many resources and step-by-step guides for planning, managing, and perfecting your own PBL curriculum (NETS Teacher 2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments).  Furthermore, the website has other helpful pages, such as a Community and Blog page where you may collaborate with other professionals.

2. PBL Checklist  pblchecklist.4teachers.org
This website provides “age-appropriate, customizable project checklists for written reports, multimedia projects, oral presentations, and science projects” (pblchecklist.4teachers.org).  Teachers can easily create guidelines that fit the needs of their curriculum.  The checklists are available in English and Spanish.  What is great about having checklists available for students is that they can monitor their own learning and keep themselves on track through peer- and self-evaluation. Students will know exactly what the expectations are this way, and can turn it in so that you can see they are understanding the project tasks.  Here is an example on the category of Cooperation in the Science checklist options for grades K-4:

Choose from the list below:

 

I behaved well.

I was nice to classmates.

I helped my group members.

I did not get bossy.

I shared things with all group members.

I worked well with other students.

I tried hard to finish.

I didn’t waste time.

I would select one or more of the criteria and add it to my checklist for students to keep and fill out.  At the end of each day, I would have them turn in their checklist so that I could monitor learning. (NETS Teacher 3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning)

3. Tony Vincent’s Learning in Hand
learninginhand.com

“Learning in Hand is a resource for educational technology by Tony Vincent. From netbooks and web applications to iPods, iPads, and podcasting, Tony [a former teacher] has put together practical information for educators” (learninginhand.com).  It explains that the iPod touch and iPad are preferred digital tools for students and that when it comes to mobile learning, more important than portability is the ability of the learner to connect, communicate, collaborate, and create using these tools.

 This website has a page devoted to Project Based Learning with information on how to use technology for PBL.  There are pages on this site for Podcasting, iPod touch, iPad, iPod, Netbooks, and PDAs.  The pages tell how to use these digital tools for the classroom and provide links with apps and other resources pertaining to them.  It also has a Blog page where Tony shares information.  I would use this resource to get current ideas for how to incorporate technology into PBL. (NETS Teacher 2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments)

4. ThinkTank thinktank.4teachers.org

 

“ThinkTank is designed to help students develop a Research Organizer (a list of topics and subtopics) for reports and projects. Based on the subject assigned, the students can refine it by choosing from a variety of suggestions and by using a random subtopic generator. This helps students learn how to refine a subject so that it is more manageable for Internet research” (thinktank.4teachers.org).

I would use this resource to have students work together to create a research organizer for their projects.  (NETS Student 3. Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information)

5. NoteStar notestar.4teachers.org

“NoteStar is an Internet utility to assist in the preparation of research papers. Teachers and students can set up research projects with topics and sub-topics. Students may then take advantage of NoteStar’s many features to collect and organize their notes and prepare their bibliography page” (notestar.4teachers.org).
I can have students use the research organizers they created using ThinkTank and export them to NoteStar.  A teacher needs to create a NoteStar account first for students to have access to.  NoteStar makes it easy for teachers to manage projects, check sources, track progress, send messages to students, and help them organize their notes.  With NoteStar, students are able to create sub-topics, assign topics within their group, take notes, track sources, and organize notes and sources into a printable document. (NETS Student 2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others).

6. Intel educate.intel.com
Intel offers some great resources for teachers.  One, listed under ‘Education’ and ‘For K-12 Educators,’ is ‘Project-Based Approaches.’  Here, you can select ‘Designing Effective Projects’ and find Unit Plans that integrate technology into classroom projects.  I particularly liked the units I browsed in the ‘Unit Plan Index’ on this site and am excited to use them in the future.  The units are very in depth and organized.  They provide links to ‘Things You Need,’ such as Assessment, Standards, Resources, and a Download of the Unit.  These PBL units allow for NETS Student 1. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

7. Teaching Science and Math teachscienceandmath.com
This website had an article called “Little Known Ways to Integrate Technology in Project Based Learning.”  It lists strategies for integrating technology using free Web 2.0 resources for use in PBL.  One of the strategies I would use is Book Trailer Videos where students create a book trailer to intrigue others about reading the book.  It lists several free Web 2.0 tools students can use, such as Photo Story 3, Windows Movie Maker, iMovie, Animoto, Netvibes, etc., to take video or digital images to represent a portion of the story and then turn it into a movie. Other great strategies are Interactive Posters/Presentations, Podcasts- Audio/Video, Slideshows, and Collaborative Sharing.  This demonstrates use of NETS Student 6. Technology Operations and Concepts: Students demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations.

8. ALA.ORG  The American Association of School Librarians: Best Websites for Teaching and Learning describes its page as:
The “Top 25” Websites foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. They are free, Web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.
These are the areas it covers/lists resources for:

• Media Sharing
• Digital Storytelling
• Manage & Organize
• Social Networking & Communication
• Content Resources
• Curriculum Collaboration

I would use this as a list of resources students could use to select tools for working on their projects.  (NETS Student 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.)

9. Cyberbee
This website has plenty of resources.  One page is ‘Cyberbee’s Web Picks’ and lists many websites that are helpful for teachers and students.  The only problem for me is that there is no real organization to the list.  Some examples I found that would be good resources for studying a project topic are neoK12 (neok12.com), which has educational videos, lessons, and games for K-12 school kids, and StudyJams (studyjams.scholastic.com), that has videos or slideshows for introducing elementary math and science topics.  Widgetbox (widgetbox.com) was also listed on the site, which has already created applications that can be pasted to a webpage, and I would use this resource as a tool for students building their own websites. (NET Teacher 3. Model Digital Age Work and Learning, c. and d.

10. TeachThought 11 Essential Tools For Better Project-Based Learning
This article is described as a ‘mini guide’ to some project based learning tools.  One that I would use is a free app called Mindmeister, where students can work collaboratively to brainstorm and map out ideas in project planning.  Another free app is Glogster, which students would use to create digital posters and other multimedia projects.  I also thought Myhistro would be useful for PBL in my future classroom.  It is a browser-based tool that “enables students to combine blogging, videos and photographs on interactive Google Earth and Google Maps.”  This tool has a chronological timeline – great for presentations in History, Geography and Social Science.  (NETS Student 1. Creativity and Innovation, 2. Communication and Collaboration, and 6. Technology Operations and Concepts)

Week 4: Article Review

Week 4 Article Review

Learning Medium: Project Based Learning

Learner Level: Grades K-3

Journal Article: Project-based learning for the 21st century: Skills for the future

S Bell – The Clearing House, 2010 – Taylor & Francis

What is Project Based Learning (PBL)?  PBL “is a student-driven, teacher-facilitated approach to learning” (Bell, 2010, p. 39).  In PBL, learners ask the questions they are interested in pursuing answers to.  They create a project with their discoveries or findings to share with a specific audience.  The project is to be the “basis of curriculum” vs. a “supplementary activity.”  Most projects include multiple subjects.  Usually, mathematics, reading, writing, and science.  This quote from the article summed up what PBL is: “Children solve real-world problems by designing their own inquiries, planning their learning, organizing their research, and implementing a multitude of learning strategies” (p. 39).

Often while substitute teaching in classrooms I have seen students unmotivated to learn, bored, and apathetic.  They do not connect with the curriculum and are uninvested in what they are learning.  PBL offers students a choice in what they are learning, which is crucial for success.  The article states that, “Students use resources that are appropriate for their individual reading levels and compatible with their technology knowledge” (p. 41), and that this “differentiation allows [them] to develop their own interests and pursue deeper learning.”  This ties in with NET Teacher Standard 2. b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress.

Using technology also engages students.  PBL allows for creativity with technology.  In regards to research, the article states, “…students learn how to navigate the Internet judiciously, as well as to discriminate between reliable and unreliable sources.  It is important to set parameters to ensure that students can explore safely” (p. 42).  These examples meet a number of the NET Student Standards, including: 3. Research and Information Fluency, Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. c.)Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks. and 4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making, c.) Collect and analyze data to identify solutions and/or make informed decisions. As well as NET Teacher Standards 4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility, a.) Advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources.  Students also may use a variety of applications for their projects, which they will learn to use appropriately, collaborate with partners on, troubleshoot, and exercise creativity.  This aligns with several NET Student Standards, specifically, 2. Communication and Collaboration, d.) Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems and 1. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.

It is proven, and the article provides research findings, that students who participate in PBL score higher in answering applied and conceptual problems. The strategy of PBL is to “create independent thinkers and learners” (p. 39).  When I have a classroom I will definitely integrate Project Based Learning in order to enable my students to gain higher-level skills.  I am aware that this may be a challenge, as schools often have curriculum in place and principles that have strict ways of monitoring teacher activity.  Many schools do not have access to digital tools, let alone have much access to computers in general.  I would like to apply for grants in order to get technological devices for students to use.  Also, if the students need to take field trips in order to conduct research and gather data, I would need to have funding for that if it were not in the budget.  I would work with local resources to design methods of real-world application.  Through PBL, students would learn valuable inquiry and technological skills.