learning.21st (9 week elective course for 9th grade @ WJH) Working DRAFT
benjaminfriesen@gmail.com
http://technologyruminations.blogspot.com/
http://learning21st.ning.com/ (only the first page is public)
http://sites.google.com/site/learning21st/ (presentation at TIES 2008/9)
learning.21st by benjamin friesen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at docs.google.com.
Vision/Goals/Objectives:
Students are largely on their own when applying online skills and resources to school because they are not covered in the traditional classroom or are addressed at drastically different levels. Students may be well versed in the standard suite of education applications but technology is quickly moving away from such programs to a more user driven, free, and non-licensed platform. Although the computer has been a mainstay in the schools since the early eighties, the web and user defined content has pushed technology from a location-based endeavor in the schools (media center) to a integral part of the classroom. learning.21st deliberately teaches 21st century learning skills to a population that is increasingly living online but never had a forum to apply knowledge to the academic setting.
The course, learning.21st, is a nine week elective designed to directly address the use of technology in the classroom and help the students become proficient with a suite of applications and model skills that will help them be better 21st century students. To ensure the course is relevant beyond teaching "technology", learning.21st will be built around the pre-AP strategy (higher level engagement) at WJH and the 5E inquiry-based model (engage, explore, elaborate, explain and evaluate). Wherever possible, but not exclusively, the content will relate to science and incorporate the 9-12 The Nature of Science and Engineering strand of the Minnesota Academic Standards.
1. Introduction to the big ideas of learning.21st:
The students will have a short introduction to the big ideas of the course using a literacy strategy emphasizing higher level thinking.
Shift Happens 2.0: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RXNWwGUsBU&feature=related
Shift Happens 3.0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEnFwiqdx8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHmwZ96_Gos
There is a 3.0 version of the video. Circle/Square thinking map. The video is the frame. What does it mean for you? What does it mean?
Discussion Questions:
What are some things that you will be doing with technology by the time you are done with college? For example, my senior year in high school the two computers in the media center had a huge carousal of cd's that had various research articles on them. If we wanted to search a topic we would have to constantly switch cd's and print articles. We mainly used the card catalogs. The next year I was standing in line to email and chatting with friends using a "browser" that was a series of menus and text without images. There were no advertisements! It would be another year or so until amazon.com went live and I bought something. That happened in the span of a year! What will be some of the biggest changes in the next few years? What are going to be the necessary skills that you will have to be on the leading edge? Right now, what are the goals that you have for this course to get you there?
Modified Activity: This activity asks a series of questions that progress up Bloom's Taxonomy. The idea is to get people engaged in the discussion and then gradually move to higher level thinking and processing.
What was life like before texting?
Describe how technology has changed one part of your life for the better.
What is an example of technology that has improved your performance in school?
What will be some of the biggest changes in the next few years?
What are some things that you will be doing with technology by the time you are done with college?
Why would everybody in the world be pushing to develop more access to the internet?
How would you redesign the classroom to make sure you came out on top?
Right now, what are the goals that you have for this course to get you there?
Evaluation and Revision
Added Web concept mapping assignment. Have the students group the logos. Have them put the most important in the middle and work from there. Discuss.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uJgJlVHTg1rG7I3NuGqqmw?authkey=Gv1sRgCPal9-mn-LzlQw&feat=directlink
2. Ning.com http://learning21st.ning.com
Some of the other features of Ning that I think are beneficial is that it is structured as a one-stop shop. I want to use a site that networks the class and I also want to make sure the students have the ability to control content and post material in the form of a blog. Ning enables students to communicate, post, and customize content in a system that is monitored by me. Ning allows collaboration and gets rid of some of the issues about making sure students are swapping information and working together.
The Ning.com site is intended to be the springboard of our day. It will serve as an electronic bulletin board with all the nuts and bolts information but also as a tool where a networked class can instantly collaborate and trade information.
Several detailed assignments outlined below will be posted to Ning.
Evaluation and Revision
One of the biggest issues while working with Ning on the first day of class was that not all the students had email accounts, despite having that as a homework assignment. Based on my limited trial I would like to have the first day homework to make sure they have a working email and also send home information about Internet use and the fact that the students will be online in a moderated environment for this class. Based on the limited number of questions I received last time about how it works I want to make sure I give the students time to figure it out after setting a few guidelines. In my limited trials with students, it has been very engaging and there is a large degree of customization and ownership in the learning process. In the future I will consider using a Google Educator account and giving every student their own email with a common domain name. This is help facilitate later activities that are based on Google.
Evaluation and Revision:
Create a few items for students to participate on while they are getting ready. I also used the vacation responder method and a google doc to give them something to do (more on this later).
I had everyone create a Google Study Tip from a website http://www.google.com/landing/studytips.html and highlight one. I made a sample and everyone posted something and commented on other posts.
Check out these Study Tips from Google! Includes a quote generator!
This is our first experiment with Ning. Check out the all the Google Study Tips. Make sure you see the 15 second search tips in the Youtube section at the bottom of the page.
1. Go to "My Page" in Ning.
2. At the bottom of the page, click on +add a blog post.
3. Give an appropriate title and highlight one of the Study Tips and tell everyone how it could help you in school. (Don't make it up...really....make sure your idea is cool enough that you would actually tell your friends!)
4. Bonus points for adding a link or inserting a picture. :)
SAMPLE:
I love the Google Image Search for projects. In addition to the regular search make sure you check out the Life Photo Galleries for great pictures. There are pictures for nearly every topic. Check them out for yourself!
3. Google Earth and Ning.com Blog Post. (http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=253)
What is your story from the Middle of Nowhere?
The students will learn how a social networking site works and establish connections with other students. The student will navigate Google Earth and post a short blog post to Ning.
This activity was inspired by a This American Life Broadcast about the middle of nowhere. Class will begin with a short audio story about the middle of nowhere. I just used the intro to the show that talked with a ship captain from the middle of the ocean (This could be a great ocean current assignment). The class will brainstorm "nowhere" and make a thinking map as a large group or in small groups. What are the key components? What are some possible places? Why? After a brief classroom discussion the students will use Google Earth to find nowhere and take a picture of it with a screenshot (Apple+Shift+4). The activity has some natural differentiation built in for those that are literal (ocean, desert) or those who are a little more abstract (neighborhood, city, state, school). Students will spend look up their place on Wikipedia or some other site and research some basic information that they will eventually link to in a blog post on Ning.
After spending about 30 minutes working as a large group and researching on their own they will begin to write a short blog post about why their location is the middle of nowhere.
Requirements for the blog post on Ning:
Extension Activity: This is a 7 minute video that traces the origin of the Pacific Garbage Patch. TED Talk Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- an endless floating waste of plastic trash. Now he's drawing attention to the growing, choking problem of plastic debris in our seas.
Reflection and Revision:
A model assignment is included that the students will be able to view to get an idea for what is expected.
I discussed this assignment with one of the technology integration specialists and they liked the idea of combining Google earth and a blog post. The assignment had some technical tasks (screen shot) and also had a significant writing portion for those that gravitate toward the solid traditional skills. I suggest allocating some time to discussing the blogger voice (http://www.vanseodesign.com/blog/blogging/blogging-voice/). I think a nice illustration for students would be to give an example of a grocery list written in multiple voices. Even the most basic piece of writing will have a voice. I pushed this activity to the following class because of time and discovered the students did a great job of experienting with a voice with very little prompting or discussion. It is, however, important to discuss.
Resources: TIES 2008
The Blogging Cycle - Michael Walker
4. Blog follow up! Tagging, Comments and Voice!
The students will learn how to respond to opinion/blog writings with specific conversation starters in order to keep conversations going and have appropriate mature conversations online.
Although the Google Earth Blog assignment is simple there are a lot of nuances that the students may not have experience with. Many of the skills in learning.21st are not the standard material for a class or necessarily easy to assess. I do not intend to grade things like grammar and spelling so it is necessary to spend more time laying the groundwork for growth that is expected over the course of the class. This activity will begin with some of the criteria of good blog posts (according to some) and give the students a chance to assess their own post and make a few edits. It would be east to move on to a new topic but I would prefer to take more time establishing quality and teaching the 21st century skills. One big idea that I want to share with the students is the idea that they are posting to the world. "You can't be influential unless your ideas are communicated in a clear and accurate manner. Every error cheapens who you are---and cheapens the value of your argument in the eyes of those who've stumbled upon what you have written (The Tempered Radical)." I want to highlight a few positives and negatives about the student blogs as a large group and then move into what many consider to be one of the most important outcomes of blogging, the comments (http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2008/04/tips-for-classr.html)
I can envision a few statements made by me that the students will use a few of the question/comment starters to respond orally before going to the computers. Post these statements on ning and let the students work with them for a bit without any prompting. Use the results as a discussion. The statements are loaded and should be wide open to criticism. You can say anything, just do so constructively.
Question Prompts:
Because of the Olympics, the popularity of Chinese food has increased dramatically which is great because I love fortune cookies.
As a teacher, I would advocate for year-round school because I would be able to have several short vacations!
Update: I think it would be a great addition to show off a great student blog post. As a class, compose a comment and post. Students 2.0 is a good site. It could be a great modeling session. Use student response system to pick the best?
Appropriateness Talk
What exactly is a blog now that we have done one. Posting to the world.
Use student responders to grade a blog post. Have them grade their own and turn them in.
That is why there is a cycle.....constant revision....if you want to resubmit you can. I will accept them next class.
Comments...Vote and discussion about the productiveness.
Assignments 3 and 3.5
New Assignment!
Check out the following link!
Read the article and respond with a few comments. Make sure you read all the comments and then post your own. Use the flow map to help you walk through the process.
4.9 Search and "Destroy" Developing...
This is hot off the presses. http://www.google.com/educators/p_websearch.html
In Plain English - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHPf00Jkqg
Big Group Examples: Disscuss results for "Age of Earth"
Use this...
benjaminfriesen@gmail.com
http://technologyruminations.blogspot.com/
http://learning21st.ning.com/ (only the first page is public)
http://sites.google.com/site/learning21st/ (presentation at TIES 2008/9)
learning.21st by benjamin friesen is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at docs.google.com.
Vision/Goals/Objectives:
Students are largely on their own when applying online skills and resources to school because they are not covered in the traditional classroom or are addressed at drastically different levels. Students may be well versed in the standard suite of education applications but technology is quickly moving away from such programs to a more user driven, free, and non-licensed platform. Although the computer has been a mainstay in the schools since the early eighties, the web and user defined content has pushed technology from a location-based endeavor in the schools (media center) to a integral part of the classroom. learning.21st deliberately teaches 21st century learning skills to a population that is increasingly living online but never had a forum to apply knowledge to the academic setting.
The course, learning.21st, is a nine week elective designed to directly address the use of technology in the classroom and help the students become proficient with a suite of applications and model skills that will help them be better 21st century students. To ensure the course is relevant beyond teaching "technology", learning.21st will be built around the pre-AP strategy (higher level engagement) at WJH and the 5E inquiry-based model (engage, explore, elaborate, explain and evaluate). Wherever possible, but not exclusively, the content will relate to science and incorporate the 9-12 The Nature of Science and Engineering strand of the Minnesota Academic Standards.
1. Introduction to the big ideas of learning.21st:
The students will have a short introduction to the big ideas of the course using a literacy strategy emphasizing higher level thinking.
Shift Happens 2.0: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RXNWwGUsBU&feature=related
Shift Happens 3.0 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpEnFwiqdx8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHmwZ96_Gos
There is a 3.0 version of the video. Circle/Square thinking map. The video is the frame. What does it mean for you? What does it mean?
Discussion Questions:
What are some things that you will be doing with technology by the time you are done with college? For example, my senior year in high school the two computers in the media center had a huge carousal of cd's that had various research articles on them. If we wanted to search a topic we would have to constantly switch cd's and print articles. We mainly used the card catalogs. The next year I was standing in line to email and chatting with friends using a "browser" that was a series of menus and text without images. There were no advertisements! It would be another year or so until amazon.com went live and I bought something. That happened in the span of a year! What will be some of the biggest changes in the next few years? What are going to be the necessary skills that you will have to be on the leading edge? Right now, what are the goals that you have for this course to get you there?
Modified Activity: This activity asks a series of questions that progress up Bloom's Taxonomy. The idea is to get people engaged in the discussion and then gradually move to higher level thinking and processing.
What was life like before texting?
Describe how technology has changed one part of your life for the better.
What is an example of technology that has improved your performance in school?
What will be some of the biggest changes in the next few years?
What are some things that you will be doing with technology by the time you are done with college?
Why would everybody in the world be pushing to develop more access to the internet?
How would you redesign the classroom to make sure you came out on top?
Right now, what are the goals that you have for this course to get you there?
Evaluation and Revision
Added Web concept mapping assignment. Have the students group the logos. Have them put the most important in the middle and work from there. Discuss.
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/uJgJlVHTg1rG7I3NuGqqmw?authkey=Gv1sRgCPal9-mn-LzlQw&feat=directlink
2. Ning.com http://learning21st.ning.com
Some of the other features of Ning that I think are beneficial is that it is structured as a one-stop shop. I want to use a site that networks the class and I also want to make sure the students have the ability to control content and post material in the form of a blog. Ning enables students to communicate, post, and customize content in a system that is monitored by me. Ning allows collaboration and gets rid of some of the issues about making sure students are swapping information and working together.
The Ning.com site is intended to be the springboard of our day. It will serve as an electronic bulletin board with all the nuts and bolts information but also as a tool where a networked class can instantly collaborate and trade information.
Several detailed assignments outlined below will be posted to Ning.
Evaluation and Revision
One of the biggest issues while working with Ning on the first day of class was that not all the students had email accounts, despite having that as a homework assignment. Based on my limited trial I would like to have the first day homework to make sure they have a working email and also send home information about Internet use and the fact that the students will be online in a moderated environment for this class. Based on the limited number of questions I received last time about how it works I want to make sure I give the students time to figure it out after setting a few guidelines. In my limited trials with students, it has been very engaging and there is a large degree of customization and ownership in the learning process. In the future I will consider using a Google Educator account and giving every student their own email with a common domain name. This is help facilitate later activities that are based on Google.
Evaluation and Revision:
Create a few items for students to participate on while they are getting ready. I also used the vacation responder method and a google doc to give them something to do (more on this later).
I had everyone create a Google Study Tip from a website http://www.google.com/landing/studytips.html and highlight one. I made a sample and everyone posted something and commented on other posts.
Check out these Study Tips from Google! Includes a quote generator!
This is our first experiment with Ning. Check out the all the Google Study Tips. Make sure you see the 15 second search tips in the Youtube section at the bottom of the page.
1. Go to "My Page" in Ning.
2. At the bottom of the page, click on +add a blog post.
3. Give an appropriate title and highlight one of the Study Tips and tell everyone how it could help you in school. (Don't make it up...really....make sure your idea is cool enough that you would actually tell your friends!)
4. Bonus points for adding a link or inserting a picture. :)
SAMPLE:
I love the Google Image Search for projects. In addition to the regular search make sure you check out the Life Photo Galleries for great pictures. There are pictures for nearly every topic. Check them out for yourself!
3. Google Earth and Ning.com Blog Post. (http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=253)
What is your story from the Middle of Nowhere?
The students will learn how a social networking site works and establish connections with other students. The student will navigate Google Earth and post a short blog post to Ning.
This activity was inspired by a This American Life Broadcast about the middle of nowhere. Class will begin with a short audio story about the middle of nowhere. I just used the intro to the show that talked with a ship captain from the middle of the ocean (This could be a great ocean current assignment). The class will brainstorm "nowhere" and make a thinking map as a large group or in small groups. What are the key components? What are some possible places? Why? After a brief classroom discussion the students will use Google Earth to find nowhere and take a picture of it with a screenshot (Apple+Shift+4). The activity has some natural differentiation built in for those that are literal (ocean, desert) or those who are a little more abstract (neighborhood, city, state, school). Students will spend look up their place on Wikipedia or some other site and research some basic information that they will eventually link to in a blog post on Ning.
After spending about 30 minutes working as a large group and researching on their own they will begin to write a short blog post about why their location is the middle of nowhere.
Requirements for the blog post on Ning:
-
Take a screen shot picture of (Apple+Shift+4) nowhere using Google Earth or Google maps
-
A creative title - A good title should make the reader's mouth water!
-
Hypertext link to Wikipedia or related website. I want to make sure everyone can do this!
- At least two paragraphs written in blogger voice
-
Paragraph 1: Where? Paint the picture for the reader.
- Paragraph 2: A description of why their place is in the middle of nowhere? Make it personal
- Share your blog with your partner and teacher
-
Give constructive feedback or elaborate on one other blog post.
Extension Activity: This is a 7 minute video that traces the origin of the Pacific Garbage Patch. TED Talk Capt. Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch -- an endless floating waste of plastic trash. Now he's drawing attention to the growing, choking problem of plastic debris in our seas.
Reflection and Revision:
A model assignment is included that the students will be able to view to get an idea for what is expected.
I discussed this assignment with one of the technology integration specialists and they liked the idea of combining Google earth and a blog post. The assignment had some technical tasks (screen shot) and also had a significant writing portion for those that gravitate toward the solid traditional skills. I suggest allocating some time to discussing the blogger voice (http://www.vanseodesign.com/blog/blogging/blogging-voice/). I think a nice illustration for students would be to give an example of a grocery list written in multiple voices. Even the most basic piece of writing will have a voice. I pushed this activity to the following class because of time and discovered the students did a great job of experienting with a voice with very little prompting or discussion. It is, however, important to discuss.
Resources: TIES 2008
Michael Walker, Edina Public Schools
- Sustained Blogging-Jeff Utecht's presentation on the need for blogging to be a conversation.
- 10 Habits of Bloggers that Win!
- Tips for Blogging with Students
- Give the people who read and comment on your blog a Fantastic Commenters Award.
- Edubloggers Blog: gives lots of tips and ideas for your Edublogs Blog.
- Welcome to Edubloggers 3.0
- 7 things you should know about Blogs
- 5 Lessons from a Year of Blogging
- Richardson's thoughts on what is and is not blogging
- Steve Dembo's 30 Days to Being a Better Blogger project
- Edina's Web 2.0 Code of Ethics
- Edina's Parent Letter regarding Web 2.0 projects
4. Blog follow up! Tagging, Comments and Voice!
The students will learn how to respond to opinion/blog writings with specific conversation starters in order to keep conversations going and have appropriate mature conversations online.
Although the Google Earth Blog assignment is simple there are a lot of nuances that the students may not have experience with. Many of the skills in learning.21st are not the standard material for a class or necessarily easy to assess. I do not intend to grade things like grammar and spelling so it is necessary to spend more time laying the groundwork for growth that is expected over the course of the class. This activity will begin with some of the criteria of good blog posts (according to some) and give the students a chance to assess their own post and make a few edits. It would be east to move on to a new topic but I would prefer to take more time establishing quality and teaching the 21st century skills. One big idea that I want to share with the students is the idea that they are posting to the world. "You can't be influential unless your ideas are communicated in a clear and accurate manner. Every error cheapens who you are---and cheapens the value of your argument in the eyes of those who've stumbled upon what you have written (The Tempered Radical)." I want to highlight a few positives and negatives about the student blogs as a large group and then move into what many consider to be one of the most important outcomes of blogging, the comments (http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2008/04/tips-for-classr.html)
I think the biggest tip that I'd have for classroom teachers interested in building interest in blogging among their students would be to see blogging as something more than just a place for students to post stand-alone thoughts. For me, the power in blogging rests not in what I write alone, but in the reactions that others have to my writing and in my efforts to read and respond to the thoughts of others. Some people mistake blogs as digital soapboxes---places to stand and deliver individual viewpoints, regardless of what other people think (The Tempered Radical). (http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2008/04/and-i-repeat-it.html)
This will most likely be the first time students are publishing to the web and it will be important to establish good online netiquette. One of the features of blogs that is unique is that they provide a forum for conversations to continue beyond the classroom or the allotted time. The way this is done is via comments. In one of my favorite blog posts (http://thefischbowl.blogspot.com/2007/09/is-it-okay-to-be-technologically.html) the author is writing after a frustrating day and makes a connection between refusing to use technology in the classroom to being skeptical of the combustion engine. This could be a "soapbox" issue but the conversation that continues through the comments is actually highlighted by the author and more interesting than the original post. While I am excited for the students to blog, comment and get some 21st century experiences I know that there will be growing pains but deliberately addressing the expectations will be important.
Here are some question starters and tips from the Tempered Radical Blog (http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2008/02/raising-awarene.html).
Gather facts: Jot down things that are interesting and new to you.
Make Connections: Relate and compare things you are hearing to things you already know
Ask Questions: What about the comments that have already been made is confusing to you? What don't you understand? How will you find the answer? Remember that there will ALWAYS be questions in an active thinker's mind.
Give Opinions: Make judgments about what you are viewing and hearing. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Like? Dislike? Do you support or oppose anything that you have heard or seen? Why?
Use the following sentence starters to shape your thoughts and comments while viewing or participating in blog conversations. Comments based on these kinds of statements make blog conversations interactive and engaging.
- This reminds me of…
- This is similar to…
- I wonder…
- I realized…
- I noticed…
- You can relate this to…
- I’d like to know…
- I’m surprised that…
- If I were ________, I would ______________
- If __________ then ___________
- Although it seems…
- I’m not sure that…
I can envision a few statements made by me that the students will use a few of the question/comment starters to respond orally before going to the computers. Post these statements on ning and let the students work with them for a bit without any prompting. Use the results as a discussion. The statements are loaded and should be wide open to criticism. You can say anything, just do so constructively.
Question Prompts:
Because of the Olympics, the popularity of Chinese food has increased dramatically which is great because I love fortune cookies.
As a teacher, I would advocate for year-round school because I would be able to have several short vacations!
Update: I think it would be a great addition to show off a great student blog post. As a class, compose a comment and post. Students 2.0 is a good site. It could be a great modeling session. Use student response system to pick the best?
Appropriateness Talk
What exactly is a blog now that we have done one. Posting to the world.
Use student responders to grade a blog post. Have them grade their own and turn them in.
That is why there is a cycle.....constant revision....if you want to resubmit you can. I will accept them next class.
Comments...Vote and discussion about the productiveness.
Assignments 3 and 3.5
New Assignment!
Check out the following link!
Read the article and respond with a few comments. Make sure you read all the comments and then post your own. Use the flow map to help you walk through the process.
4.9 Search and "Destroy" Developing...
This is hot off the presses. http://www.google.com/educators/p_websearch.html
Web search can be a remarkable research tool for students - and we've heard from educators that they could use some help to teach better search skills in their classroom.
The following Search Education lessons were developed by Google Certified Teachers to help you do just that. The lessons are short, modular and not specific to any discipline so you can mix and match to what best fits the needs of your classroom. Additionally, all lessons come with a companion set of slides (and some with additional resources) to help you guide your in-class discussions.
In Plain English - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWHPf00Jkqg
Big Group Examples: Disscuss results for "Age of Earth"
Use this...
http://www.google.com/landing/searchtips/
Advanced Tools: Titanic Timeline
Challenges:
Age of the Earth
Find the specifics on the Health Care Bill (primary source)
Peppermint Candy (The swirly kind you get at a restuarant) 206
Piano keys
What is the symbolism of the Raven in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
Cause of Depression
Cost of China
Lemons Top 3
burrito ~burrito
salsa recipe without tomato
impala -cars
range of dates earthquakes 1901..1903
1. Check out the Google Search page for tips related to this assignment. There are lots of 15 second videos that will help you out.
2. Watch Web Search Strategies in Plain English
3. Break up into the following groups (?). You will need a few sheets of scratch paper and a pencil or two...GASP!
Each team will come up with 5 search keywords for each challenge word or topic. The groups will write down their top 5 words and then compare with other teams as a large group. Vote on what team will find their topic with the fewest results. Everyone try. Debrief!
4. Keep track of the number of results. The point is to get the fewest results while still having the answer to the challenge in the main page. After you get your result brainstorm as a group how you could further refine your search and get fewer results.
5. Play Google Search Bingo!
6. Blog your favorite search tip in a one paragraph blog. Include the following for full credit.
-Good Title - Make it mouth watering!
-Tell me the search tip - It could be as simple as using quotes
-Tell me an example of how you could use this in a class that you are taking right now.
-Insert a link to somewhere relevant to your topic
-Insert a picture that is related to your search topic.
-Review the Rubric after posting.
-Edit?
-Comment on other posts.
Thanks! -Mr. F.
Tips:
-Think about how the page you are looking for will be written
-Describe what you need in the fewest words possible.
-Use the words that are most likely words to appear?
-Be descriptive!
----------------------------------------------
What is it I’m looking for? (think about common keywords)
How would someone else talk about it? (what words would they use? how would THEY describe it?)
Which of those terms would be most common?
Which of those terms would be very specialized to this topic?
What kind of thing would make me happy? (do I want a single web page, a definition, a collection, an image.... or …?)
5. Vetting candidates...I mean websites!
The students will be able learn clues to help determine the authenticity of websites and some skills to critically examine content. Students will learn to be skeptical.
Because it is election season I wanted to do an activity with the students that required them to critically examine some web sites and dig deep to determine the authenticity, the voice and bias of different web sites.
Engagement...org...com...edu! There is a misconception that sites with the .org suffix are the most reliable. After discussing what each suffix means I am going to point the students to and MLK site (http://martinlutherking.org/) and let them look around for a bit. Within seconds/minutes I think that there will be some students that will become uncomfortable (racists themes). This website is just a bold example of the issues related to vetting websites. Brainstorm some of the criteria that is important for assessing websites with a class. Hand out 5 W's (Who, what, where , when and why?) Have the students work on the Web Vetting guide and complete the blog post.
Reflection and Revision:
Create a form that students can fill out that gives you some feedback about the effectivness of the activity. Have the students Blog their reflection according to the prompt on the worksheet.
NEW ASSIGNMENT!
1. Pick your favorite website from this activity (use the list from above). You will create 1(one) slide in a collaborative Google Presentation. Everyone's will be in the same presentation. Click here to access. Enter your Moodle login! We are building a Presentation about tips for critically evaluating websites.
2. Find a portion of the website that highlights a main idea that you want share related to something you learned about. For example, maybe an image or title fooled or got you to believe what you were reading was true.
3. Take a screen shot of a part of the website (apple/command + shift + 4) or use a full image for your slide in the presentation.
4. On your slide, please include the following....
* a picture
* a link to a page with an example
* how to avoid a pitfall (believing a bad website)?
* what is a strategy for how you can filter the information?
* what is some advice for other students?
6. Collaboration! Google Docs
INTRO: Wolfram Alpha - NUMBERS
The students will be able to discuss pros and cons of online documents and demonstrate their understanding by creating, accessing, and sharing online content.
The most important 21st century skill is collaboration and one of the applications that fundamentally changes the way the web is used is Google Docs. I have seen students struggle in the lab to deal with file transfer, moving content between machines, server issues and student absences. Although the kids may know simple html codes to spice up their MySpace accounts they do not know how to approach the idea of collaborating on a school project.
After giving an orientation to Google Docs and getting the students signed up they will pair up in small groups and work collaboratively on a assignment.
1. Collaborative Goals: Get in groups of three to adjust where we have been and what we need to do to finish successfully.
Discussion Questions:
2. Hypothesis versus Theory
Implementation, Evaluation, Reflection and Revision:
Create a few scenarios that are either hypotheses or theories. Have the students determine the difference based on their research.
This activity is as important for me as it is for the students. I want to get a gauge of where we are at and see what need to happen for the students to feel successful. Since this is the first time through I will want to make sure I get feedback along the way. I think online documents are one of the most important tools we have access to. One of the most common issues related to technology in the school is dealing with students and saving data. Google Docs, or others, basically acts as online storage and would go a long way to helping students.
While everyone is getting logged into Google Docs have a very basic slide or page that the students will link to. It won't take long for them to discover they can all edit at the same time. With eighteen students, they managed to make 378 edits in the time it took me to help three students get logged on. We reverted to the previously saved document after they had edited it to prove a point about the revision history.
This was a multiple day activity. It took much longer than I thought. I would do the intro and collaborative goals on one day and the Hypothesis/Theory on the second. Students also blogged about their experiences.
Extension:
Blog Post:
Explain how scientific and technological innovations - as well as new evidence - can challenge portions of, or entire accepted theories.
"The Missing Link " "Hobbit People "
Assignment #6: Google Docs Part 2
1. Hypothesis versus Theory
* Log into your Google Docs Account. You will find a document titled Assignment #6. It is a presentation and you will find one other person editing the document with you. This is your partner! Create a presentation that illustrates the difference between a scientific hypothesis and a scientific theory.
o It must be at least 2 slides long (1 slides for each idea), but can be more. Use images, color and other considerations
o It must have a real life example of a hypothesis and a theory.
o It must include at least one image and one link.
* Be prepared to discuss the differences and take a short quiz...so be sure you understand the big idea!
7. job2.0 careers in technology, science and engineering
Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Science
Strand: The Nature of Science and Engineering
Substrand: Men and women throughout the history of all cultures, including Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities, have been involved in scientific inquiry and engineering design.
Standard: Interactions Among Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Society
Benchmark: Analyze possible careers in science and engineering in terms of education requirements and working practices and rewards.
Standard: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics rely on each other to enhance knowledge and understanding.
Benchmark: Describe how technological problems and advances often create a demand for improved mathematics and new technologies.
learning.21st students get exposure to careers in science and engineering and the role technology plays in their job:
The goal of Career Day is give the students a glimpse into the lives of a scientist or engineer and see what kind of work they are doing. What problems are they working on or what are they designing.
The class will Skype or Video Chat with a scientist or engineer and get a 5-10 minute overview of the their career and how they got there. The students will prepare questions related to there career, schooling or the technology they use in the daily jobs. These will be collected in a answers to these questions will be recorded in a Google Doc. Prior to the class interview, discuss with the interviewee the central question or application the students will address on their own. The goal is to discuss some of the problems or advances result in the in the need for a new knowledge, mathematics or new technology? For example, in the medical field, the use of 3D imaging and new technology has uncovered new health problems previously unknown. What approaches will need to be taken to address these new problems and how will that change the knowledge required. Another example from a civil engineer's perspective is the how a building a road will result in increased velocity in water run-off and the problems associated with impermeable surfaces. What problem solving or novel thinking is required for these problems. What steps are required for the solution? Ideally, several skype interviews could be arranged back to back to account for the different genders and races in the scientific field.
Sample questions:
The application part of this day is giving the students a chance to explore other scientific engineering careers or going deeper into the challenges or issues raised during the interviews. Write a short blog entry with a brief profile of the scientist or engineer that we interviewed. You can also explore other career on the Department of Labor website and highlight one of them to profile.
Department of Labor info on Engineering careers: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm
Blog it on Ning.com!
Advanced Tools: Titanic Timeline
- When did it sink?
- When did they find it?
- When Did Jack and Rose run its decks?
Challenges:
Age of the Earth
Find the specifics on the Health Care Bill (primary source)
Peppermint Candy (The swirly kind you get at a restuarant) 206
Piano keys
What is the symbolism of the Raven in Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven"
Cause of Depression
Cost of China
Lemons Top 3
burrito ~burrito
salsa recipe without tomato
impala -cars
range of dates earthquakes 1901..1903
1. Check out the Google Search page for tips related to this assignment. There are lots of 15 second videos that will help you out.
2. Watch Web Search Strategies in Plain English
3. Break up into the following groups (?). You will need a few sheets of scratch paper and a pencil or two...GASP!
Each team will come up with 5 search keywords for each challenge word or topic. The groups will write down their top 5 words and then compare with other teams as a large group. Vote on what team will find their topic with the fewest results. Everyone try. Debrief!
4. Keep track of the number of results. The point is to get the fewest results while still having the answer to the challenge in the main page. After you get your result brainstorm as a group how you could further refine your search and get fewer results.
5. Play Google Search Bingo!
6. Blog your favorite search tip in a one paragraph blog. Include the following for full credit.
-Good Title - Make it mouth watering!
-Tell me the search tip - It could be as simple as using quotes
-Tell me an example of how you could use this in a class that you are taking right now.
-Insert a link to somewhere relevant to your topic
-Insert a picture that is related to your search topic.
-Review the Rubric after posting.
-Edit?
-Comment on other posts.
Thanks! -Mr. F.
Tips:
-Think about how the page you are looking for will be written
-Describe what you need in the fewest words possible.
-Use the words that are most likely words to appear?
-Be descriptive!
----------------------------------------------
What is it I’m looking for? (think about common keywords)
How would someone else talk about it? (what words would they use? how would THEY describe it?)
Which of those terms would be most common?
Which of those terms would be very specialized to this topic?
What kind of thing would make me happy? (do I want a single web page, a definition, a collection, an image.... or …?)
5. Vetting candidates...I mean websites!
The students will be able learn clues to help determine the authenticity of websites and some skills to critically examine content. Students will learn to be skeptical.
Because it is election season I wanted to do an activity with the students that required them to critically examine some web sites and dig deep to determine the authenticity, the voice and bias of different web sites.
Engagement...org...com...edu! There is a misconception that sites with the .org suffix are the most reliable. After discussing what each suffix means I am going to point the students to and MLK site (http://martinlutherking.org/) and let them look around for a bit. Within seconds/minutes I think that there will be some students that will become uncomfortable (racists themes). This website is just a bold example of the issues related to vetting websites. Brainstorm some of the criteria that is important for assessing websites with a class. Hand out 5 W's (Who, what, where , when and why?) Have the students work on the Web Vetting guide and complete the blog post.
Reflection and Revision:
Create a form that students can fill out that gives you some feedback about the effectivness of the activity. Have the students Blog their reflection according to the prompt on the worksheet.
Strategies to determine trustworthy and expertise:
- The URL (Is it from a place you’ve heard of before?)
- Type of page (Is it someone’s personal page? e.g., Geocities, aol.com)
- Type of domain (.eduis more believable than many others)
- Where (Is it hosted in another country? e.g., .ru.cn.izetc.)
- Check the “About” section. (Is the web page affiliated with a place you’ve heard?)
- Is there a date and author?
- Look up the author in Google (usually need to use double quotes)
- Why was the page put on the web? (to inform?, to convince? who's point of view?)
* Tips by Daniel M. Russell, Google Search Quality Team
NEW ASSIGNMENT!
1. Pick your favorite website from this activity (use the list from above). You will create 1(one) slide in a collaborative Google Presentation. Everyone's will be in the same presentation. Click here to access. Enter your Moodle login! We are building a Presentation about tips for critically evaluating websites.
2. Find a portion of the website that highlights a main idea that you want share related to something you learned about. For example, maybe an image or title fooled or got you to believe what you were reading was true.
3. Take a screen shot of a part of the website (apple/command + shift + 4) or use a full image for your slide in the presentation.
4. On your slide, please include the following....
* a picture
* a link to a page with an example
* how to avoid a pitfall (believing a bad website)?
* what is a strategy for how you can filter the information?
* what is some advice for other students?
6. Collaboration! Google Docs
INTRO: Wolfram Alpha - NUMBERS
The students will be able to discuss pros and cons of online documents and demonstrate their understanding by creating, accessing, and sharing online content.
The most important 21st century skill is collaboration and one of the applications that fundamentally changes the way the web is used is Google Docs. I have seen students struggle in the lab to deal with file transfer, moving content between machines, server issues and student absences. Although the kids may know simple html codes to spice up their MySpace accounts they do not know how to approach the idea of collaborating on a school project.
After giving an orientation to Google Docs and getting the students signed up they will pair up in small groups and work collaboratively on a assignment.
1. Collaborative Goals: Get in groups of three to adjust where we have been and what we need to do to finish successfully.
- Make a table with three columns.
-
Fill them out as a group.
|
What we thought we would do in learning.21st |
Good stuff we have done |
What I would like to know more about now that I have an idea of the things we have been doing in this class. |
|
|
|
|
Discussion Questions:
- Did you chat while doing you goals? How did you communicate? Did you see the comment feature?
-
What are some advantages and disadvantage?
-
Look at some of the other types pages that can be edited online.
2. Hypothesis versus Theory
- In the same groups, format a new document (any type) that illustrates the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.
-
Be prepared to discuss and answer take a short quiz
Implementation, Evaluation, Reflection and Revision:
Create a few scenarios that are either hypotheses or theories. Have the students determine the difference based on their research.
This activity is as important for me as it is for the students. I want to get a gauge of where we are at and see what need to happen for the students to feel successful. Since this is the first time through I will want to make sure I get feedback along the way. I think online documents are one of the most important tools we have access to. One of the most common issues related to technology in the school is dealing with students and saving data. Google Docs, or others, basically acts as online storage and would go a long way to helping students.
While everyone is getting logged into Google Docs have a very basic slide or page that the students will link to. It won't take long for them to discover they can all edit at the same time. With eighteen students, they managed to make 378 edits in the time it took me to help three students get logged on. We reverted to the previously saved document after they had edited it to prove a point about the revision history.
This was a multiple day activity. It took much longer than I thought. I would do the intro and collaborative goals on one day and the Hypothesis/Theory on the second. Students also blogged about their experiences.
Extension:
Blog Post:
Explain how scientific and technological innovations - as well as new evidence - can challenge portions of, or entire accepted theories.
"The Missing Link " "Hobbit People "
Assignment #6: Google Docs Part 2
1. Hypothesis versus Theory
* Log into your Google Docs Account. You will find a document titled Assignment #6. It is a presentation and you will find one other person editing the document with you. This is your partner! Create a presentation that illustrates the difference between a scientific hypothesis and a scientific theory.
o It must be at least 2 slides long (1 slides for each idea), but can be more. Use images, color and other considerations
o It must have a real life example of a hypothesis and a theory.
o It must include at least one image and one link.
* Be prepared to discuss the differences and take a short quiz...so be sure you understand the big idea!
7. job2.0 careers in technology, science and engineering
Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards in Science
Strand: The Nature of Science and Engineering
Substrand: Men and women throughout the history of all cultures, including Minnesota American Indian tribes and communities, have been involved in scientific inquiry and engineering design.
Standard: Interactions Among Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Society
Benchmark: Analyze possible careers in science and engineering in terms of education requirements and working practices and rewards.
Standard: Science, technology, engineering and mathematics rely on each other to enhance knowledge and understanding.
Benchmark: Describe how technological problems and advances often create a demand for improved mathematics and new technologies.
learning.21st students get exposure to careers in science and engineering and the role technology plays in their job:
The goal of Career Day is give the students a glimpse into the lives of a scientist or engineer and see what kind of work they are doing. What problems are they working on or what are they designing.
The class will Skype or Video Chat with a scientist or engineer and get a 5-10 minute overview of the their career and how they got there. The students will prepare questions related to there career, schooling or the technology they use in the daily jobs. These will be collected in a answers to these questions will be recorded in a Google Doc. Prior to the class interview, discuss with the interviewee the central question or application the students will address on their own. The goal is to discuss some of the problems or advances result in the in the need for a new knowledge, mathematics or new technology? For example, in the medical field, the use of 3D imaging and new technology has uncovered new health problems previously unknown. What approaches will need to be taken to address these new problems and how will that change the knowledge required. Another example from a civil engineer's perspective is the how a building a road will result in increased velocity in water run-off and the problems associated with impermeable surfaces. What problem solving or novel thinking is required for these problems. What steps are required for the solution? Ideally, several skype interviews could be arranged back to back to account for the different genders and races in the scientific field.
Sample questions:
- Years of schooling?
- Where did you go to school?
- Are there things that can be done before college to get ready for the college experience?
- What about your work do you like?
- Academically, what do you wish you could go back and change about your education and what you learned in school?
-
What is a skill you need that you did not learn in school?
The application part of this day is giving the students a chance to explore other scientific engineering careers or going deeper into the challenges or issues raised during the interviews. Write a short blog entry with a brief profile of the scientist or engineer that we interviewed. You can also explore other career on the Department of Labor website and highlight one of them to profile.
Department of Labor info on Engineering careers: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm
Blog it on Ning.com!
-
Include a picture that represents the work done by the scientist or engineer.
-
Give a brief profile of their career and what they do on an average day.
- What problem or advance that resulted in the need for a new knowledge, mathematics or new technology that someone in this field may encounter.
-
What role does/could technology play in this person's job?
-
What advice might this person have for someone wanting to pursue a career in this field.
Remember, use creativity and keep working on using your blogger voice. A good blog post might be posted to my real life tech blog...for the world to see!
8. Google: "your name here" Doh! - Internet Safety (Multiple Day Project)
Welcome! Please follow these directions.
1. Go to http://mind42.com/
2. Go to the green sign up tab.
3. Enter in your stumail email (friebenj@stumail.hopkins.k12.mn.us) and PIN as your password. *there are a few of you that will use a different email....you know who you are. :)
4. Login to the email account you use for the Google Docs (stumail) and follow and verify your account. You must verify your account before logging into mind42.
5. Tell Mr. F. via chat in learning.21st that you are logged in and he will invite you to a special mind map for class.
6. Add one thing to each "node" of the mind map.
Stop! Do not move on unless your are told to do so.
Watch the following Frontline sections. Do not watch the entire episode.
Chapter 1: Living Lives Online
Chapter 2: Social and Classroom Revolution
Chapter 5: Private World Beyond Parents
Click here to watch.
Blog it on Ning.com!
1. Discuss one of the issues below from the point of view of a student (YOU!)
* Share a personal story that is part of the common student experience that highlights an issue from the Frontline episode.
* Offer advice for parents or teachers about how to deal with the online experience from YOUR perspective.
* Choose your own topic? You will need to justify what you are writing about.
Please include the following in your blog for full credit:
-A relevant picture
-2 relevant links
-Answer one of the 3 prompts above
-A good title
-Spell check for obvious errors
-Capital letters where appropriate
-Make sure you relate your blog post to your experiences.
Remember, use creativity and keep working on using your blogger voice. A good blog post might be posted to my real life tech blog...for the world to see! to watch the sections!
Part 2: More blogging tips, fake websites and search tips.
The students will be able to discuss the significance of a digital footprint some concrete strategies for protecting themselves.
Great Video! Beware of friends online http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=393Mab4z95E
Welcome, please Google yourself! This session starts with a short discussion on what popped up. How many had a social networking site pop up? What else? Photos? What are the ramifications? What are the news stories?
Facebook and Eden Prairie:http://www.startribune.com/local/west/13549646.html Student Teacher:http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=2029 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/04/27/AR2008042702213_pf.html
Thinking Map Brainstorming: What are actions on the web that could result in a negative digital footprint? What are some solutions or ways to avoid pitfalls?
- posting with your full name
- profanity
- sexual references
- posting video (illegal)
The theme of this activity is to raise awareness. It is not intended to be preachy, but just to have an open discussion about some of the concerns and some things they need to think about while in this course.
There is a great Frontline episode that highlights some of the issues about kids growing up online. The students will watch it online and respond to some question prompts and eventually do a blog post about the topic. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/kidsonline/)
More Blogging Tips:
Talk about links! Wikipedia example and student examples. News stories linking to outside sources....not just internal. Think of it as showing your work. Demonstrate that you have made connections. Ryan.
Own your pictures! They can be abstract. Preston.
9. Cyberbullying
Work in groups of four! Have one member create a Google Doc and invite other members. Create this table in your Doc and work collaboratively to complete it. You will need to take a screen shot of your work to post in your blog. Make it look good.
|
Bullying |
What is the difference! |
Cyberbullying |
|
|
|
|
Let's fight it together has a lot of resources related to cyberbullying. There are a lot of role playing activities and group processing activities included. It was recommended to be by the head technology integration person in the district. There a short video that is a compilation of several different real stories that the curriculum is based on.
- http://www.digizen.org/cyberbullying/fullFilm.aspx
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dubA2vhIlrg
-
StudentTipLine Student Created tip line....what is the effectiveness of this? Enforcement issues?
Discussion Questions:
- Should the text messages have been deleted?
- Why did the police get involved?
- How many people participated in the bullying?
-
What have you learned?
Treat your password like your toothbrush. You might not even know it is occurring and because you don't have to be in the same physical space for bullying to happen it can be done in your name, without you knowing.
The students will have an opportunity to discuss new threats as a result of the web and how they relate to school policy. Students will be able to ask questions to school Police Liaison.
Case Studies:
Netsmartz: http://www.netsmartz.org/resources/reallife.htm#realcanttake
"Cyberbullying: You Can't Take It Back" (Part 2 of 3)
"Cyberbullying: Broken Friendship" (Part 3 of 3)
There have also been many high profile incidents related to Myspace and bullying that might be relevant to the discussion.
- http://articles.latimes.com/2008/may/16/local/me-myspace16
- http://www.pbs.org/newshour/video/module.html?mod=0&pkg=16052008&seg=4
Recent study about cyberbullying with statistics. Great comments.
After participating in discussion with earth other and the school police liaison the students will create a blog post.
Blog it on Ning.com!
- Discuss one of the issues below from the point of view of a student (YOU!)
-
Call to Action: Share a story (no names) about an incident that you were apart of and what you would do next time.
- Advice: Offer advice for your peers about how to deal with the online experience.
- Choose your own topic?
2. Include a link to the video.
3. Include a link to one other reference in your blog. Remember, if you reference it, you should link it.
4. Include a screen shot of your collaborative document.
Remember, use creativity and keep working on using your blogger voice. A good blog post might be posted to my real life tech blog...for the world to see!
Implementation, Evaluation, Reflection and Revision:
This is one of the topics that I think will be the most difficult to talk about. This is one of the areas where the teacher could seem preachy and feel very top-down. I want to make sure the conversation about the topic is appropriate student driven. I have a few stories that will help to engage the students related to hackers on my site. Despite the fact it was relatively harmless it still impacted me. It could be a good conversation starter to lead to more stories from the students perspective. I am hoping that when I meet with the new police liaison in the coming weeks that we will be able to come up with some good strategies to engage the students and make the discussion meaningful.
Microloans - Kiva
Distance no longer matters.
At the end of class give the students an assignment to create a Google Form using this question: What factors would you weigh if you were going to give money ($50-$100) to a person? What information would help you make a decision?
Send the form to friends or post on facebook. Send me a link so I can make sure that your did that part of the assignment.
Read One Hen!
Watch the PBS World episode. Show just the part that directly deals with peanut butter. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXk4GUGXNTQ
Divide into groups and compile your results. Get a list of the top 5 criteria that would help you decide who should get our money. Decide as a group.
Go to kiva.org and research the different people and as a group decide on one worthy person based on your research and group discussion. It should match your criteria. (For example, if you said they should be a woman, then you shouldn't pick a man.)
Give a firm time they need to pick someone by.
Have all the groups post the link of the person they want support and give a 2 minute overview with the reason everyone should back them. What is unique and why should we cast your vote for your person.
You cannot vote for your own group so you have to convince everyone else they deserve it. You are their voice.
The groups will vote and we will donate $50 to the person we decide as a class.
Use the following sources for your blog post. Feel free to research as a group, but you will need to write your own blog post that ties in a personal experience.
Wolfram Alpha
Google (Advanced Search Options)
Google Earth
Links (Add at least 3)
Images
BONUS: Spreadsheets with Graphs
These are some big themes that may find their way into your blog.
The world is smaller than it appears.
The possibilities for the web are limitless.
The web is a connector of people and places.
What are the barriers to equality for all?
Can giving a hen really change the world?
10. Tags! (Multiple Day Project)
The students will be able to describe the importance of tags and apply it to school content and web surfing by picking out the important words. The student will make a connection between tags and internet safety.
What is the best search for finding WJH in Google with the highest hits and fewest words?
Find a picture of a peppermint swirl candy using the fewest words.
As a grabber to illustrate the idea of tags is to start class by telling a short story about something like buying a burrito and then having the students pair up and pick out the key words and then search the those words in Youtube to reveal a goofy video of the teacher buying a burrito at the local burrito store. It would also be possible to take a pre-filmed 30 second movies and have the students watch them and then upload them as a class and determine the tags in small groups. The author also highlights a simple activity of having the students read an article and highlight the most important themes or words and make the connection to how things are tagged on the web. Simple, effective and deliberate.
Another good activity to illustrate the use of tags is the Google Image Labeler (http://images.Google.com/imagelabeler/). Basically, you are paired with another user and shown a picture. You are supposed to type in keywords that describe the picture and when you get a match you get a new picture. There is a time element and also points that can be earned. It turns tagging into a game and gives a glimpse into how web content is tagged and as a result how it becomes searchable. This is the basis for the web.
My school has a new media integration position that helps classes design projects where the students are actively engaged in the developing and participating in the presentation of the content itself. I worked with the Media Specialist to develop a Youtube scavenger hunt where various staff members were filmed doing something funny and then gave a clue to find the next person. The students had to use tags to find the video and search for related content. For example, the clue was office. The students searched for tags related to the office (wjh, office, larson) and found a video of the AP photocopying his face. There is a short 30 second video of him telling the next clue, which is Shakespeare. The students search Shakespeare but there are infinite movies. They narrow their search but still do not come up with the next video until they search language arts or eventually find the name of the teacher. The obvious tags like wjh are gradually left out and they are forced to be more crafty or use other search tricks like "quotes" to find what they are looking for.
Implementation, Evaluation, Reflection and Revision:
This activity is basic, but fundamental to understanding the big picture. I think it is one of the fundamental 21st century skill. For example, I use Gmail and everything is based on searching keywords and tags. There are no folders and organization depends on being able to search something and that is based on tags. For school, my email is on Entourage and unless you keyword the subject line or remember who sent an email there is no way of easily retrieving emails. I have a hard time managing files and have a harder time keeping track of emails on my school account. Understanding tags and building them into you materials is an important skill to functioning in the 21st century.
11. My Maps - Google
Developing...
Part 1: Group Map
Introduction: Where are you from and where are you going?
This is a good activity to get things started. With one of my classes I had the students locate their favorite restaurant, add links, pictures and other info.
Part 2: Collaborative Map
Amazing Race: Pair up with a partner. Create a map, invite the other and begin planning your trip around the world with 7 stops. Each stop needs to contain a place mark with a picture of a notable feature and link to more information. The map should have a uniform look and needs to start on Liberty Island in New York City and end near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Pair up, or travel solo.
1. Create a My Map in Google Maps. Create a private map. Invite your partner and begin planning your trip.
2. Add science619@gmail.com to your list of collaborators!
You will start your race on Liberty Island in New York City. From there, you will have to plan 7 stops around the world ending at the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
- You must label each leg (line) of the trip and give it its own color.
- You must mark the start and the 7 stops around the world with a unique placemark for each stop.
- Each placemark must contain a picture and a brief description.
- Download the KMZ file and view in Google Earth.
12. Voicethread
This would be a great collaborative project. Consult various Ning forums to find International classrooms to collaborate with.
flatclassrooms.ning.com
globaleducation.ning.com
education.ning.com
classroom20.com
School tour?
State tour?
Local culture?
Developing... I didn't do this year 1 but will replace one blog project with a VT.
13. Garageband Podcast (Multiple Day Project)
Developing...
The students will highlight one 21st learning application/idea and share it with the staff. The student will be able to articulate why it is important.
One of the final project of the class is to develop a series of podcasts produced by the students with their thoughts and recommendations related to their interests and learning styles. This activity is multifunctional and will be beneficial at three levels. The students will learn how to podcast and have a chance to pass on information about their learning styles. The instructor will have an opportunity to assess the learning and the greater building staff will have an opportunity to benefit from constructive feedback in the classroom.
1. Reread the blog posts that you have made through the course.
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Which one of topics was most influential to you as a student?
- Which one idea or topic could be useful for students outside of this class?
2. How would you summarize this for your peers? What are the key ideas or "tags"?
- Are there comments on the blog that support this as a big idea amongst your peers?
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How could this fit into your other classes (your audience is your peers)?
- How does this help you as a learner (your audience is your teachers)?
3. Begin scripting and writing based on the formula provided. (http://www.beaut.org.au/podcastrubric3.pdf )
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Group up according to your podcast topic.
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What do you want to highlight about your topic?
- What are the main ideas that you will cover?
- Decide by consensus and divide who will be working on what. Who will be strong in what area?
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What do you want to highlight about your topic?
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Group Brainstorm
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Divide roles according to strengths. Who will be good at what. Everyone will have input in all aspects, but when it comes down to it each person is responsible for facilitating their area. Each group member will evaluate their group performance and have a chance to give feedback.
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Who is doing what to be productive.
- You should not have more than 2 people working on the same thing at the same time.
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Divide and conquor!
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Who is doing what to be productive.
- Make a plan!
4. Record your podcast using Garageband.
Great Teacher Resources: http://www.mpsomaha.org/willow/radio/ I modified the script a bit but it was a good resource to help focus the kids. There was some practical advice related to planning the podcast. For example, it advised doing the introduction after everything is finished.
14. Global Learning Project
The students will be active participants on a online collaboration with a group of students in another state or country.
15. Idea Zone
New idea for incorporating iMovie without it becoming an iMovie class. This would focus on the technical stuff of importing video, planning a script and doing a very short spot related to a tech tip. Last time through I defaulted to blogs as a summary. This could be another way to switch it up and get them using techy media stuff. It could also be a way to highlight an important idea.
Public Service Announcements in iMovie for tech tips. 15 seconds. This is a sample of what I am thinking: http://vimeo.com/4562918
Google Search - How-to Image, Advanced Search,
Time life photos, global shift and economic shift. Steel factories contrasted with high tech. Blooms observation and blog paired with Shift Happens?
Use Google Earth to do a map lesson and the difference between map projections. For example, start with a map. Make observation and focus student attention to Greenland versus Africa (Greenland is ~12th of Africa but it does not look that way with most map projections) . Explore GE and have them use the measure tool. An Activboard makes for easy cropping, screen captures and duplicating for the sake of illustrating the lesson. Developing....
Wolfram Alpha - NUMBERS
Blog Post:
Explain how scientific and technological innovations - as well as new evidence - can challenge portions of, or entire accepted theories.
"The Missing Link " "Hobbit People "
Ocean Bottom -- TED Talks-- With vibrant video clips captured by submarines, David Gallo takes us to some of Earth's darkest, most violent, toxic and beautiful habitats, the valleys and volcanic ridges of the oceans' depths, where life is bizarre, resilient and shockingly abundant. There is an interesting conclusion and I would pick this up about 5 minutes in.
DOL: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos027.htm
Career Day:
The goal of Career Day is give the students a glimpse into the lives of a scientist or engineer and see what kind of work they are doing. What problems are they working on or what are they designing.
The class will Skype or Video Chat with a scientist or engineer and get a 5-10 minute overview of the their career and how they got there. The students will prepare questions related to there career, schooling or the technology they use in the daily jobs. These will be collected in a answers to these questions will be recorded in a Google Doc. Prior to the class interview, discuss with the interviewee the central question or application the students will address. The goal is to discuss some of the problems or advances result in the in the need for a new knowledge, mathematics or new technology? For example, in the medical field, the use of 3D imaging and new technology has uncovered new health problems previously unknown. What approaches will need to be taken to address these new problems and how will that change the knowledge required. Another example from a civil engineer's perspective is the how a building a road will result in increased velocity in water run-off and the problems associated with impermeable surfaces. What problem solving or novel thinking is required for these problems. What steps are required for the solution?
- years of schooling?
- where did you go to school?
- are there things that can be done before college to get ready for the college experience.
- what about your work do you like?
- academically, what do you wish you could go back and change about your education and what you learned in school?
What problem or advance that resulted in the need for a new knowledge, mathematics or new technology?
Creative Commons - Sampling - Value added content!
http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2009/10/23/02