Google+Docs

[|Xtranormal] ** Google Docs: ** February 12: Susan: I have looked over your Tizmos lesson. I can see the benefit of students using this Web 2.0 to organize information. My first suggestion would be to fix your Camtasia lesson. I realize that this is new technology for you, but there is a green square obstructing the view for students watching and learning. Very Distracting!!! -Pete Feb.13-Pete, Thanks that will be the first thing that I attempt to fix. Technology certainly can be temperamental and there is definitely a learning curve when implementing it. Trying to learn new technology at the same time as implementing it in the classroom is not ideal. What did you think of the overall lesson? My students seemed to be able to follow it according to there responses in Survey Monkey. Susan February 14 Susan: How did you incorporate the Tizmos lesson into the general curriculum? It looks as though you taught the lesson as a stand alone, or am I missing something? -Pete Feb 17-Pete, no you are correct. I am a learning center teacher. I co-teach in several other classes. However, 2 of my classes are in Reading for children with intellectual disabilities, where teaching a tool like Tizmos would be a challenge. The other 2 classes are newly formed teams; this situation created its own logistical challenges. I am more of a “helper” in those classes and not yet a true collaborator. Hopefully, that situation will change, but for now unfortunately, it is what it is. It’s one of the issues that we have discussed throughout our coursework...How to incorporate technology seamlessly into the curriculum and who is responsible. The English teacher I collab with is very protective of her Socratic method of teaching and of course of the Response to Literature essays. The Socratic method doesn’t work well when close to ½ the class has a language disability and/or learning disability! She is very nice, but just doesn’t get it yet. When I make suggestions about using discussion boards or other technology she panics. S March 1-Pete, I can’t get time in my co-taught classes to re-teach Tizmos. I am thinking of a Study Skills lesson after school. I am not sure who will show up; maybe extra credit (bribe) the kids from the 3 learning centers to come!!! LOL Advertise in the LMC and see if others sign up as well. I would think that I could at least get a class full, then use my final product as my NETS artifact as well. What do you think??? S March 9: Susan: You could definitely try it out. From our conversations, it sounds like study skills is what you work on most in the learning center. Would you need to stay after for this, or could you conduct the lesson in your learning center? -Pete March 7- Pete, After reviewing your lesson plan for using clickers to introduce a self portrait unit, the main thing that stood out to me was that students would be using higher-order thinking skills to answer the questions using clickers. Since the students are limited to the predetermined response options that you provide, how will higher order thinking skills be used? Typically higher order thinking responses are not multiple choice and more conversational. I know that you mentioned you have an extension in Paul’s class, so does that mean that you still have revisions to make on this lesson plan? On another note, I could conduct the lesson during my learning center but to maximize student exposure I would need to broaden my audience, which would mean after school. Plus, I think that the NETS lesson/ artifact requires that we contribute on a school-wide level. I think I will just need permission from my house and head masters, as well as the LMC where I would like to hold the class. March 9: Susan: Good eye! Andy made a similar point, in which he basically stated that I needed to do a better job of describing how exactly higher order thinking skills and using a clicker were related (since the responses were multiple choice). Although the questions were multiple choice, the student would need to really think about a wide range of things, and essentially use higher order thinking skills in order to answer the questions correctly. Here is a paragraph taken from my implementation report which basically addresses this concern, and Andy was happy with: “Simply using a clicker does not necessarily mean that students will be led to achieving higher levels of descriptive, interpretive, analytical, and judgmental thought and ideas, since the very nature of the technology only allows the selection of pre-selected possible responses. However, the fact that clickers lend themselves best to teacher data-collection and assessment does not immediately disqualify them from providing an educational benefit to students who use them. Although the available responses have been provided for each question in a multiple-choice format, higher-order thinking skills, interpretation, evaluation, and historical/cultural connections must all be made by the student if they hope to respond correctly. The clicker plays a role in this thinking process by keeping the student involved and engaged throughout the duration of the activity, thus contributing to this thinking process taking place. A disengaged student who isn’t paying attention in class is not likely to exhibit higher-order thought, if any thought at all.” What is your overall impression of the use of clickers in the art room? I must say that it was an interesting mix, since clickers seem so out of place in an art classroom. (you should have seen the look a teacher gave me as they walked by my room and saw a smart board and clickers!) Getting permission can be a daunting task and logistical nightmare. -Pete March 16: Hey Pete, I can imagine that your students and co-workers were surprised to see clickers in the art room! (Probably a first for everyone) As out of place some people may think clickers are in a classroom such as art, it seems that the way that you typically introduce a unit works quite well with the clickers. -S
 * Communication Log- Susan and Pete **

March 17: Susan, The lesson that I designed for Andy’s class was based on one that I already teach. I wanted to take something that I already do in my class, and incorporate technology to see if it benefits the instruction. It worked surprisingly well, and the students were all 100% engaged. The biggest problem was not incorporating technology, but logistically finding a way to borrow everything that I needed to pull it off! I needed to borrow someones mobile smart board, another teacher’s clickers, the media center’s projector, all while working around their schedules! It was rare that I could have all three tech components in my room at the same time for any given period! I think the art classrooms may be getting smart boards in the future. -Pete March 18 Pete, It shouldn’t be bad unless I have to video tape Can’t I treat this as a regular lesson? Even if I survey them again and use that as my artifact, I am not conducting research per se, so I wouldn’t think I have to jump through those same hoops. Suggestions about my artifact? Wait, I just had a different idea for my artifact. What if I created a list of Web 2.0 tools that could be used in the classroom either by teachers of students, along with tutorials to go with them and maybe practical ideas about how they could be used. What do you think? PS Awesome that your department might get Smartboards. I feel like Fairfield has so little in the way of technology. S March 22: Susan, How would you share your list? Its a great idea but you need to get the information out and training or staff development is an issue as well...at least in my school where we have little in terms of usefulness. -Pete March 30: Pete, I think I am going to create a Wiki. I have never done this before so its really new for me, but hey if I can do it, others can too right? I can invite members from school and since I am a member of the assistive technology team, I would invite them too and then speak about it at an upcoming meeting. Our assistive technology committee is struggling. They don’t give anyone permission or funds to go for professional development and primarily what we deal and talk about is more adaptive in nature. I think that they would enjoy and benefit from knowing some of whats available as would the special education department.