Please post your response to Deliverable #2 below.
To quote the description on the syllabus:
#2- Pick the Blogging service that you think might be the most pragmatic for your work and provide a description of how you will, or potentially could, integrate this tool into a potential class or training session. The syllabus says that it is Due before Session 8 (Oct. 26th) but let's take until the weekend.
If you have already written your response and posted it under another entry, then please copy and paste it below for ease of organization.
If for some reason, this assignment doesn't appear pragmatic for your setting or future then please 'pitch' an alternative 'communication avenue' that would be more viable for you.
I will post Session 8 later to b/c I have heard from some of you that you need more time. I will email you all when S8 is uploaded and ready to go.
Over the past few weeks we've been slowly transitioning towards learning how to use technology to aid in teaching and learning. The next step in this evolution is to merge your face-to-face teaching with some of these 'blended learning' tools to create what is called, "The Flipped Classroom." It's turning the traditional classroom on its head.
Many of you may have heard of this. Here's a brief introduction:
The concept is really simplified here (obviously given the penguins). You don't have to always make your own videos or screencasts (which we still can cover more in-depth this semester). You can always just borrow from others. After all, why recreate the wheel, but let's learn a little more about this by joining a discussion group on Edweb.net that focuses specifically on the flipped classroom. Not only do they have a group of like minded educators who want to learn about using technology to teach others, but they have discussion groups and a list of archived webinars for you to pick from and watch. So now please take a break from this page and visit: http://www.edweb.net/flipped You'll need to create an account, and then join the group, then watch the recorded webinar, "Flipped Learning Primer Part I: Basics of Flipped Learning"
After watching the webinar take the corresponding quiz to earn the CE.
Once you have taken the quiz and earned your CE, come back to this page and watch this more in-depth video:
Now I'd like you to think this week about the different ways you may 'flip' your own classroom and reflect on the concept this week, but before you do that you should know that there are always two sides to a new initiative, so let's end this week with some criticisms of flipping.
Good luck this week. Don't get too overwhelmed, and I look forward to hearing about the connections you may make to your future classroom environment. And this week we have Billy, Ivory, Jessica and Nancy acting as our Facilitators. Please support and engage with them. Remember that 25% of your semester grade is based upon your participation in the discussion forums.
If you are interested, here are some of the responses from previous year's class to this week's topics.
This week we will be learning how to create our own online tutorials. There will not be any session link. All the assignments will be below.
Now, some of you have asked to have the content slowed down a bit, so I have dropped a gear or two for Sessions 7 & 8. Now, over the next two days I'd like you to choose one of the four Google Classroom Certification steps (Creating w/G, Using G to Share Your Work, Building a Coll. Classroom w/G...) and discuss (in our blog comments) one (or more) of the resources within that step that you feel is the most practical for your particular 'future' occupational/adult education setting. You'll have to sign up for a free account with Sophia, so when you get to that screen choose to log in using your Google 'personal' account, not the URI Google account.
For example, in Section 2 of the tutorial, one of the resources is, "Using Google to Share Your Work." You'll notice that we sometimes use YouTube videos in our class. Let's say you have a YouTube account (assigned this week on the syllabus) and you want your class to easily find videos that you have made and collected that would help with your class. You could 'publish' your videos, then add them to a 'channel' aka 'playlist' and give your class access to this list. This is just a small example. We'll go into more details below.
I'd like you to think about these questions when writing your reflection for this week (focusing on a specific resource covered over week 7), post it to the blog comments below, and then revisit the blog over the next 7 days and 'reply' to your peers' reflections.
Also, we have some new Facilitators this week: Maegan, Jacquie, Lisa, and Zack. Thank you Gayla, Tyron, and Tyler for your work contributing to the conversations during Week 6 and helping us move deeper with our understanding of the content and perspectives.
Questions to consider in our discussion threads this week:
How could you use a Google tool to promote, support, and
model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness?
Reflect on how this tool will help you address the diverse
needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable
access to appropriate digital tools and resources.
How could you use a Google tool to promote student
reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual
understanding and thinking, planning, and creative process and participate in
local and global earning communities to explore creative applications of
technology to improve student learning?
Additionally, Google products are not the 'be all--end all',
so if you have another tool or resource that you think will work better, then
please share it with the group when commenting on #'s 1-3 above or in your
'reply' to others.
Lastly, nearly all of you will be incorporating 'pre-created videos' from others within your future occupational setting, so it's important you know a little about the 'behind-the-scenes' details with the largest video storage site in the world.
(Optional)Please go through these four lessons created by the "YouTube Creator Academy" about how YouTube really works.
Now I realize that the above assignments may take up a lot of your time over the next week, but if you want even more depth, then you may review these links to deepen your learning on these topics. If you are too busy, then please make a note that these resources are here so you may access them some day in the future, even after our semester is over.
Good Luck this week! Please pace yourself and try to have fun. As always, I look forward to reading and engaging with you through our discussions.
Where to go for more information if you'd like more depth over the course of this week:
Good Luck this week! Please pace yourself and try to have fun. As always, I look forward to reading and engaging with you through our discussions. PS-If anyone is interested in reading the comments from your peers last year about S7's content, then you may access them here.
Please make sure you have done the readings on the syllabus, before beginning this session. This week we have:
Gayla, Tyler, and Tyron
facilitating. Please make sure that you are sending me your reflections after your 'facilitation week' is finished, so that I can input your grades. Also, if you haven't posted your Deliverable #1, then please do that ASAP.
==========================================
Let's start this week with a video to keep all of what we are learning in context. It was created using Prezi.com. A web-based, digital presentation tool that has a unique format. Many find it a beneficial way to showcase the 'big picture' of a topic with the option of 'drilling down' level by level, so viewers of your presentation can see a direct correlation. It is very different than a traditional, linear slideshow format. It makes me a little dizzy, so I don't use it much, but it is very popular and many of you may already be familiar with it. We'll practice a little with it this week.
Let's refocus on what it means to teach in the 21st Century classroom:
This session will find us broadening the scope of our view of wikis. We will begin by taking a look at the benefits of wikis, and other Web 2.0 tools, for students, teachers, and the entire educational community. We'll view some screencasts and videos that give us students' perspectives, as well as hear from teachers from across the K-12 spectrum. Each and every one will be focused upon how Web 2.0 tools have changed the way they teach and learn.
Let's get started...
525session6
Week 6 part II
By now most of you have reached a comfort level with the 'collaborative document' mindset. You are also fairly familiar with Google Docs and Google Drive. (after all we used it for our 'Facilitator Signup' form). You've also realized that there are limitations and restrictions when using technology. For example, I'm a big fan of Google's products, but realize that when trying to access all of the GSuite of products using your URI account, the Administrators have put restrictions on things. That is why a number of you have had to use your personal Google accounts for this course. On the plus side, you'll retain copies of all of this material well after your URI account has been closed.
In case you need to explain or legitimize to anyone about the benefits to education in its most simplistic form, I've included 'Google Docs in Plain English'. It's fun to watch and really simple to understand. All the frameworks and teaching theories behind the 'collaborative mindset' stem from the foundation of this video. Welcome to G Docs in Plain English:
Now, take a break and go grab a coffee (or something stronger if you prefer). This next video is a little more detailed about the 'rebuilt' Google Docs. Definitely not as fun, but still educational and you can borrow it and save it to your own archives for later reference:
And lastly, we'll end by discussing the fluid definition of the word, "literacy" and try to pin it down in a 21st century classroom---a classroom where the walls have come down and the world is flat.
Here is a 10-minute video from the college student's perspective:
Now we will look at how 'literacy' is defined from a 21st century professor's perspective: (relax---it's only 7 minutes)
And now let's bring it closer to home and connect with URI's Summer Institute in Digital Literacy. Mike RobbGreico will introduce you to a new tool called Vialogue that you can play with this week:
After reading your comments, it has become clear that there are lots of different interpretations out there.
Good luck and I look forward to reading your comments, insights, and reflections on this week's content. Also, if I missed placing a link to your blog in the margin, drop me a line and let me know.
I would like to start this week by offering some congratulations!
Let's start by congratulating both Zachary and Candelaria for volunteering to be our "Facilitator Guinea Pigs" they did a fantastic job at prompting the conversations and pushing the content ideas deeper. I developed the concept of 'students' trying the role of 'Facilitators' because it seems to be a natural extension of my teaching philosophy of pragmatic learning. You can't learn to swim without getting wet, and practicing with these tools in our course should give you the security of knowing that there aren't any serious repercussions for stumbling or flopping. You should feel like this is a very protected place to work out the kinks w/o being in front of your own classes.
I'd like to introduce you to a new tool this week for facilitation called, 'Backchanneling'. The backchannel is the conversation that goes on alongside the primary activity, presentation, or discussion. You can read about it here. This week, along with our discussions on the blog, I'd like you to experiment a little with Backchannel Chat. We'll play with this tool this week.
We have four 'Facilitators' this week, so you will have four opportunities to take part in their 'backchannel' practice sessions.
Please look for an email from them soon. Good luck Nancy, Ty, Rebecca, and Shannon. I've sent you some personal directions to your email. Contact me directly with any questions.
Deliverable #1 will be posted under this entry. As a refresher of expectations here is quote from the directions on the syllabus:
#1 – Choose or create a potential teaching /learning unit– (either classroom or professional development/training session) and provide an outline of the participants, their learning needs, topics to be included, setting (face-to-face, online, hybrid, etc.), and timeline for course/session. This may serve as the foundation for development of your final project. - Due by the end of week 4 (10/3).
Here are some additional readings and assignments for this week and some questions that I'd like you to address w/i our discussions, as well. You may respond to them under the first posting of Week 4, not under this D1 entry. Just put your D1 response below this entry, and contact me privately with any troubles or specific questions.
Have fun!
PS--I have included the responses from last year's course participants, so you may have models to follow.
The good news this week is that based upon what I've been hearing and seeing, most in the class have been moving along speedily. There are, however a number of you struggling.
So, if you recall I mentioned that I change and evolve the curriculum for this course based upon the latest information and the needs of the class right up until the last minute. It's obvious by some of the feedback that some of you are frustrated with using Blogger.
In Session 1 I told you that you would be exposed to other blogging tools as alternatives to Blogger, so you have frames of reference to use in your 'Adult Education' setting. Therefore, I've decided to 'pivot' and have you now try a different service called 'Edublogs', but this time I will give you more 'tech-training wheels' and support with the hope that it will help eliminate some of the stress, anxiety, and frustration that some of you have been feeling. I will be interested to hear your 'comments' on the distinctions.
This will be a self-paced step-by-step training. For Session 3 I only want you to focus on Steps 1 and 2.
Here is a little more information before I have you dive in:
You can work at your own pace in a time frame that suits you.
If you complete all 11 steps you can receive a certificate and badge. (I recommend you do this to add it to your resume.)
Each step includes reading material, examples, and a choice of tasks to demonstrate and develop your skills.
You can pick and choose some of the activities. Your blog comment (posted to our class blog) will focus upon what you experienced, how you chose your path to personalize the training, and a reflection on your learning for this week.
Please post an original 'comment' at least twice this week. Once after completing Step 1 and the other after Step 2, but continue to 'reply' to comments made by others to help your peers that are practicing as 'Facilitators.'
This PDF workbook will help to keep you on track and focused as you work through the 10 steps. (Remember-only steps 1&2 during Week #3.) The workbook also explains more of what the course is about.
As I mentioned on the first day of class, I've been writing courses and building curricula for online instruction at URI for over 10 years. Edublogging has been around a long time (as you will see looking through the 'comment archives' below. Past participants' comments from one of my previous courses about using blogs in education:
