Curating my Interests

I had a difficult time choosing which curation site to use for this assignment. I viewed the video for Pearltrees and thought it was very similar to Delicious- where you can bookmark sites, share your bookmarks with others, and find people with similar interests to your own. Since I already have a Delicious account, Pearltrees seemed redundant. I checked out a few of the featured sites on Storify but I wasn’t a fan of the linear nature of the pages- I prefer the organization of a newspaper. I enjoy scanning through information, whereas with Storify I had to scroll down to view something new. Next I checked out Curated.by and I liked that it allows users to organize multimedia, bookmarks, and tweets- not just one form of content. With Curated.by, you can organize all of those different forms of information into “bundles” and share them with others. In the end, I decided to go with Scoop.it because I liked the feature where it suggests pages to you that you might be interested in. Usually iTunes Genius is correct and I do enjoy the music they suggest so I thought I would try Scoop.it for that very reason. 

Although I had decided on Scoop.it, that didn’t mean that I actually got to use that website to curate. I applied for an “invitation” on Sunday evening. When it didn’t arrive within an hour, I realized that something must be wrong. I spoke with my classmates and professor and they were going to send me invitations as well. I’m not sure of the process of sending an invitation; however, they never arrived…. I checked both of my email accounts and nothing.  It is now Wednesday evening and apparently I’m not cool enough for a Scoop.it account. :( Because of time constraints (parent-teacher conferences tomorrow night until 9:00 pm and the first football playoff game Friday night) I decided to use Curated.by instead. I was originally impressed with their ability to “bundle” multiple types of information so I chose it over Pearltrees and Storify. I will sign up for Scoop.it whenever they invite me just so I can check it out. 

Curated.by was super easy to join- no invitation mess! It took me approximately one hour to start following other curators and to set up my own bundle. It’s quite easy to bundle information; you just drag and drop websites or copy/paste the URL into a box. I like that I can chose which websites and information to include in my bundle. With paper.li and Tweeted Times, I didn’t have control over everything- all new twitter posts of individuals or companies that I followed were included. However, on Curated.by I can chose what I want in my bundle. All of the curation sites that I checked provided more freedoms and personal control than Paper.li or Tweeted Times. I will still use my Paper.li paper because it organizes my Twitter feeds, but I prefer Curated.by for true curation. 

What I like about curation is that I am able to organize the information that I find and share it with my friends/family, classmates, coworkers, and my students. It makes me the center of my personal learning network and allows me to be a part of other people’s personal learning networks. I’m not sure if there are any aspects of curation that I do not like because I can be creative and share what I find is important with others… there’s really no downside to that. 

I could definitely use Curated.by in my classroom because I am the one to pick out what information is or is not included- I don’t have to worry about inappropriate material. I could teach my students how to use Curated.by but I think the greatest benefit would be to use this for the “Science in the News” project so that my students have a place to go for valid references and current articles. 

Curated.by allows you to embed your curation into blogs or other websites. Below is my "bundle" and here is the link to my Curated.by page.

Web 2.0 Resource for the Physics Classroom

Although it seems odd, I chose to try Pixton.com to create a comic strip. I’ve never made a comic strip before, because I’m not artistic or funny, but I think it would be fun and useful in a Physics classroom. I was new to Pixton and the comic idea in general and thought it would be a fun thing to try. Comics allow us to think outside the realm of real life- creating our own reality with new universal laws of motion. Think back to “The Matrix” and how exciting it is to see what is possible without gravity and other laws we’ve come to know and love. A comic strip would allow students to create something outside of reality. 

I chose to make a comic strip project that my students will actually do this year when we start Newton’s Laws in a few weeks. (My free trial will end in 3.5 weeks from now so I’ll have time.) I am having my students create a comic strip that accurately portrays one of Newton’s Laws. I created my own comic (shown below) as an example. 

My students will each create their own comic and then present it to the class to show off their work as well as to explain their reasoning.  It was extremely easy to sign up on Pixton and to set it up for my classroom. Creating the project took about 5 minutes total and even provides a “rubric generator” so you can quickly and easily create a grading rubric for your project. Here is the link to my project. To view the project, you will have to log in with the username CTER1 and password of CTER11. You can also see the rubric that I made to fit my project so my students know how I will be grading them. Actually making the comic strip (and my avatar in front of the Eiffel Tower) took some time because there are so many options and the directions are not as simple as the video portrays. I imagine that it took me close to an hour to make my comic. Now that I’ve made one, it will take less time. 

I think that my students will benefit from this because they are able to demonstrate their understanding of Newton’s Laws without having to make a PowerPoint or take an exam. This is a nice alternative assessment and I imagine that my creative and artistic thinkers will greatly appreciate the opportunity. I also think that the students will benefit by being able to “free their minds” like Neo in the movie clip by creating something that isn’t possible on Earth. The only resources necessary are computers and the internet (if you’re using the free trial.) I will assess the comics using the rubrics provided to the students. 

frostysnowbro. (n.d.). Matrix: The Jump Program. Retrieved October 12, 2011, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXv3SSijPFc

Education in 2025

Education in 2025 will be vastly different from education today. I see my classroom set up the same but each student has their textbook in their laptop- I no longer need that bookshelf. I see my students doing simulations on their computers to gain background knowledge at their own pace rather than passively sitting in their desks taking notes as a class. My students are collaborating online rather than frantically copying homework problems before I get to their desk. My students don’t need to bring their textbook, notebook, binder, or calculator every day. I don’t have stacks of paper on my desk to grade nor do I have a paper grade book to write the scores in. I don’t have post-it notes, extra pencils, jumbo pink erasers, or five million red pens. However, I do have computers, Pasco/Data Studio hardware, interactive textbooks, web 2.0 tools, and students that enjoy participating, collaborating, and creating. 

In the future I will keep all of my old labs that serve their purpose- but make the reports collaborative in a wiki. I will keep my old presentations- but record my voice over them and make them accessible to my students. I will keep my grading scale (92% tests, 8% everything else)- but modify my assignments and tests to better suit my learners. Examples of modifications include more computer-based simulations, collaborative problem-based projects, and discovery learning opportunities. I will focus more on problem-solving skills, the ability to communicate, technology skills, and creating a personal learning network. My job will no longer be to transfer the ever-changing science knowledge into my students and to test their ability to regurgitate the content; my job becomes empowering my students to discover and decide on their own and to prepare them to be contributing members of a technological society. 

Other than a large amount of professional development to prepare teachers for the technology available in the future, the biggest change I see for teachers and schools comes from the availability of data. I believe that the advancements in data collection and organization will enable politicians and administrators to make more informed decisions regarding student learning and teacher performance. This data collection and organization will lead to better allocation of resources and more effective teacher preparation and professional development.

There are two videos below that summarize what I believe will be the future of education. The first is of the “Science Storms” exhibit at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. The exhibit is interactive, exciting, truly engaging, and sparks curiosity in everyone present (especially with the giant Tesla coil hahaha.) All of the technology in the world can’t compare to the awesomeness of live demonstrations. I hope my classroom is even more interactive and exciting in the future- just as this exhibit is now.  The next video is an advertisement for interactive textbooks by McGraw-Hill. Notice how the books are available on cell phones too- not just computers! A year ago (and again last month) I sent information and the free trial to my department chair of the Kinetic Physics books that I got to try at the NSTA conference in 2010. We haven’t adopted them yet, but I’m excited because the change has to start at some point. Maybe it will start with me :D 

AllState. (n.d.). The Future of Science Education. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_kEREMJbyk

MHEducation. (n.d.). McGraw-Hill Connect: Connect, Learn, Succeed. Retrieved October 5, 2011, from YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhpHEi8ILtc

Technology Acceptance in Schools

I’ve been having a hard time deciding what the topic of my last blog post would be. I’m sitting here at the car dealership waiting on my oil change to be completed. While I sit here typing I am also looking around at the people in the waiting room with me. It’s Saturday afternoon and it’s packed with people.  I see three other people on their laptops. There are two women reading from their Kindles. Four people are playing on their phones; one is an older man- probably in his 50’s. There’s an old woman in her 70’s with a Jawbone in her ear (it may be one of those hearing aids designed to look like a Jawbone but I’m going to assume that it’s linked to her cell phone.) There are only four people reading the magazines provided or watching the football game on TV.  I sit here saddened by the fact that the waiting room at the Hyundai dealership contains more technology than most classrooms in America.

The most depressing thing here is that the dealership provides free WiFi. In my district, there is WiFi, however it is only for the administration and they refuse to give the password to the teachers or students. Another science teacher paid about $900 for his new iPad but he can’t use it at school without paying for his own internet. Same for me with my new Sony Net Book -  I have to pay to use my cell phone as a Verizon wireless hotspot because the district does not give teachers the password.  We as teachers want to provide a better learning environment for students and often we’re willing to buy the materials out of our own money. I’m sure in the future they’ll provide the tools to help us but not in the previous few years. 

Technically, we’re not supposed to allow the students to use their cell phones in school. District policy states that cell phones are off and out of sight. I’m lucky that I’m at a district where the administration supports us if we’re using cell phones for educational purposes. I know of many other schools where the teachers must stringently enforce the cell phone policy.  I allow my students to use their smart phones in the laboratory as scientific calculators, magnetic field detectors, stop watches, compasses, and levels among other things. I really don’t understand why students aren’t supposed to use them at other schools. I get the fact that they can be a distraction but the benefits far outweigh the pitfalls. In just a quick Google search I found a multitude of free Android Apps that I am going to install on my phone that I think could be awesome in school! Right now I’m downloading Evernote on my cell phone which is an application that allows you to type notes, take pictures, and record audio files that can be synchronized with a desktop for free! That would have made my life so much easier when I was in school! I also found GTasks- a simple calendar/ to-do list that can sync with your home computer through your Google account. There is no need for my school to purchase the massive paper calendars for students anymore! I imagine that most students lose or throw away those planners by the end of the first quarter of school. Even traditional cell phones without the internet are capable of handling a to-do list or calendar… we should be teaching students how to use those effectively! It would save schools money! 

My district is very good about changing the lists of websites blocked if we can show how we’re going to use them in the classroom and why it’s educationally beneficial. However, there are many schools that are not so cooperative with the teachers. Just in this one course, I’ve learned of so many Web 2.0 tools that I’m sure are permanently blocked at other districts. In my district, Facebook is blocked from students but not for teachers (we shouldn’t be on it anyway during the school day but it’s nice they trust us.)  As teachers, we can get to YouTube, Twitter, blogs, and almost any other site that could be educational. Students can’t get to those sites but teachers can. I can’t even imagine how frustrated I would be if I couldn’t use the endless resources online in my classroom. Below is a fun representation of some of the Web2.0 tools that can be used in education (Grey). As a science person, I appreciate that it’s in the form of the Periodic Table. 

We as educators should be the gatekeepers of knowledge- the ones that know of and are aware of all the technological innovations that make everyday life better. As I sit here, I am saddened that the everyday people in the waiting room here have more tools and probably skills than most teachers. It’s not that we don’t want to have that technology and awareness of resources; it’s that our hands are tied. We want to bring education into the technological era but we can’t. Below is a nice image that I found of what the typical teacher should be in 2011 (What does a CFF Teacher Look Like?). Unfortunately a lot of those influences are not present in most school districts. My district is far more progressive than most districts (even without WiFi) so if anyone is looking for a job and is willing to move to the south suburbs, I’ll let you know of openings :D  

Grey, W. (n.d.). Periodic Table of the Internet. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Flicker.com: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dullhunk/2053007240/

No Wireless Tower Clip Art. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Clker.com: http://www.clker.com/clipart-no-wireless-tower.html

Parkin, L. (n.d.). Cell Phones in School. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://parkin09.wikis.birmingham.k12.mi.us/CellPhoneTeacher

Sadhu, V. (n.d.). 6 Ways to Open Blocked Websites. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from http://tipsforsocialmedia.blogspot.com/2011/08/6-way-to-open-blocked-websites.html

What does a CFF Teacher Look Like? (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Emmaus High School: http://www.eastpenn.k12.pa.us/teacherpages/CFF/Technology%20Resources.html

Podcasting in the Physics Classroom

Since starting grad school, I’m beginning to realize that a lot of problems we face in the classroom can be reduced, if not solved, through technology. For example, students that are forgetful or disorganized can use the schedule and files that I post on my website to keep up with the demands of my class. Another problem in education is the communication (or lack thereof) between teachers and parents. Since my school has adopted Skyward and School Fusion, parents and I can easily connect to express concerns and relay information. Now I’m thinking that chronic absences can be less of a problem utilizing vodcasts in my classroom.

According to Wikipedia, a vodcast (or video podcast) is “a term used for the online delivery of video on demand video clip content via Atom or RSS enclosures.” (Video Podcast) A vodcast is different from a podcast because podcasts are most commonly audio files while vodcasts contain the video component as well. I originally heard of vodcasting through professional development training at school. We watched a video of Jon Bergmann and Aaron Sams discussing how they “flipped” their classroom and the wonderful results that followed. Basically what they do is place their lectures online for the students to watch for homework then work on more challenging tasks at school such as problems, laboratories, and activities. It is called “flipped” because what is traditionally done at school is now done at home and vice versa. Below is a graphic that describes “flipped” classrooms. (The Flipped Classroom Infogric) To view the entire graphic, click here. 

There are several benefits to vodcasting. First of all, students that are absent won’t miss the direct instruction that everyone else received. Next, it gives students the opportunity to absorb information without the distraction of their peers. Lastly, the lower levels of thinking are done at home in short bursts while the higher levels in Bloom’s Taxonomy such as analysis, application, and synthesis are done at school with the help of the teacher. Vodcasting also allows teachers to differentiate their instruction and provide a student-centered classroom. Below is a video of Aaron Sams describing how he uses vodcasting in his classroom and why it is beneficial to him.  (Learning4Mastery)

The biggest downfall that I can see with vodcasting is that not all students have the internet availability necessary to view the vodcasts nightly. To get around this, I could give students passes to the library to view the vodcasts during their homeroom time or study hall. 

There are quite a few resources available for teachers interested in vodcasting. There is “The Flipped ClassNetwork” which is a social network that teachers can join that provides links, videos, forums, and information on conferences. You can join that site through Google Groups as well. Here is the “Educational Technology Network” site that provides a ton of the technical aspects of vodcasting. I Googled “Flipped classroom blog” and found a ton of blogs that I could subscribe to… too many to list here. The first one that shows up is from Jonathan Bergmann but I wasn’t too impressed because he doesn’t post that often (I suppose he is too busy teaching and expanding the minds of adolescents so I’ll forgive him for not posting frequently (: ) You can also follow Jonathan Bergmann on Twitter (Jonbergmann) but I couldn’t find Aaron Sams. 

Learning4Mastery. (n.d.). The Flipped Classroom. Retrieved September 11, 2011, from YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2H4RkudFzlc&feature=player_embedded

The Flipped Classroom Infographic. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from KNewton: http://www.knewton.com/blog/knewton/2011/08/29/flipped-classroom-infographic/

Video Podcast. (n.d.). Retrieved September 11, 2011, from Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_podcast

Experience with Wikis

I really enjoyed creating the Wiki page for many reasons. First of all, it was really easy to create my own page. I wrote everything in Microsoft Word first for spelling and grammar check then was able to paste it into the wiki and reformat it without much difficulty. As with any process, there was some time necessary to learn how to center photos, justify text, add captions, create an organized table of contents, and create a discussion area. After the initial time investment, the page came together quickly. 

Writing collaboratively gave us the ability to create an awesome resource of instructional design models & theories that would have been far too difficult for one person to create (within 10 weeks while working full-time jobs.) It is actually amazing to step back and see what all my classmates and I have created in a short period of time. The only weaknesses that I can see with writing collaboratively though the use of a wiki is that when two people are modifying the same document at the same time, saving the changes becomes an issue. I had this happen while working on the Kirkpatrick/Hamblin page; I’m not sure what happened to the other person working on the page but I can only hope they had their work saved on Word or another program first. I didn’t receive a notification or anything when another person began to edit the document. 

I am fairly convinced that I will use a wiki in my physics classes for my students to create elaborate laboratory reports. Just how Tim O’Reilly described Web 2.0 tools, using a wiki for lab reports will become richer as more people use them because we’re harnessing the collective intelligence. I can assign each group a specific part of the lab report to complete: purpose/ hypothesis, background information, procedures, data collected, data analysis, results/conclusions. My students could create an awesome lab report in one class period. I would rotate sections so by the end of the semester, all groups have completed each section of a lab report. This fits well with our understanding of Generation Z- they are creative and want to form communities online. Why not let them work collaboratively to make one giant, awe-inspiring lab report that they would never be able to do alone in that short amount of time? This could also produce dynamic reports with images, videos, discussions, and other opportunities not available in traditional lab reports… I’m excited. 

O'Reilly, T. (2009, September 30). What is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software. Retrieved August 22, 2011, from OReilly.com: http://oreilly.com/pub/a/web2/archive/what-is-web-20.html?page=1

Natives/Immigrants vs. Residents/Visitors

According to our readings in class, there are different ways to categorize people based on their usage of technology in their lives. In our first reading, there are “digital immigrants” and “digital natives.” A digital immigrant is someone that adapts and learns to use technology but still maintains their “accent.” This “accent” can be seen through printing out emails, needing to printing documents to edit them, checking to see if someone received their emails, etc. (Prensky, 2001) Alternatively, digital naives think and process information differently and their brains have changed because of having grown up with computer games, instant messaging, TV, video games, cell phones, and other electronic devices and forms of communication.

In the second reading, there are “residents” and “visitors.”According to David White, my students are digital “residents” because they live a large part of their lives online. They interact with their peers through social networking sites- they spend a large percentage of their days online and incorporate technology into all aspects of their lives. A “visitor” on the other hand, is someone who uses technology more as a tool to accomplish a specific task. A very nice example of the differences between “residents” and “visitors” can be seen in the Toyota Venza Commercial shown below. The teenage girl (resident) convinced her parents (visitors) to join facebook then feels bad for her parents for only having nineteen friends. You see the girl sitting alone in her room “living” while her parents are mountain biking with their friends. 

After reading these articles, I accept White’s definitions much more than Prensky’s. I grew up with technology: video games, cell phones, laptops, instant messaging, PDAs, etc. According to Prensky, I should be a digital native. However, I do double check to make sure people received my emails! I print out important emails that I keep for backup in the future, I print out important documents, I take screen clippings for proof that I submitted my assignments on-time and that they went through- I completely fit his definition of an immigrant even though I should be a native. I am a “millennial” which, according to CBS News, millennials “are tech savvy, with every gadget imaginable almost becoming an extension of their bodies. They multitask, talk, walk, listen and type, and text.” (CBS News, 2009) Being a millennial, I should be a native but I behave more like an immigrant. The majority of my coworkers are also millennials that behave like immigrants. 

I best fit into White’s category of a “resident”. As I sit here typing this, I am also listening to Pandora radio, texting my best friend, and taking far too many breaks to check Facebook. I have Facebook, 4G wireless internet, email, games, and my calendar on my top-of-the-line Android phone. I use my cell phone as a wireless hotspot so I can be on my net book in the car (while other people are driving of course.) I am a resident. I have 627 “friends” on Facebook (about 25 of which are people that I actually communicate with and see on a regular basis) and I set up a Facebook page for my cats. My cats are friends with 22 other cats on Facebook and that number is growing daily. I still print my important emails, but I am a true digital resident.

What I like most about White’s definition is that it is not age-dependent; my 65 year old mother is a digital resident as well. She set up my online banking for me, she sends me text messages and picture messages throughout the day, she is on Facebook more than I am, she sends me crazy YouTube videos, she corresponds with her friends from high school through email, she reads health journals and articles online, she knows how to share articles and other web pages with me through email or Facebook- she is a true digital resident. Apparently she is not alone: “Baby boomers see technology as a gift, not a given, so they are less likely than younger consumers to take it for granted. At the same time, baby boomers aren’t dazzled by every new gadget that comes along. Yet by embracing innovative new services and devices, and using them in unexpected ways to enhance their lifestyles and values, baby boomers are having a tremendous influence on emerging technologies.” (Baby Boomers Are Shaping the Future of Technology, AARP and Microsoft Research Shows, 2009)

 

Anyone can be a digital “resident” or “visitor” depending on their own acceptance of technology and willingness to adapt. My grandmother at 85 years old would send my brother and me emails from the nursing home fifteen years ago. I remember my brother sending her my eighth grade graduation photo with our dog’s face Photoshopped in. Growing up with technology is not a requirement to be a digital resident.

2011 Toyota Venza Commercial - Social Network . (n.d.). Retrieved August 21, 2011, from YouTube.com: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUGmcb3mhLM

Baby Boomers Are Shaping the Future of Technology, AARP and Microsoft Research Shows. (2009). Retrieved August 21, 2011, from Microsoft.com: http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2009/dec09/12-01boomertechpr.mspx

CBSNews. (2009). The "Millennials" Are Coming. Retrieved August 21, 2011, from CBSNews.com: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/11/08/60minutes/main3475200.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Prensky, M. (2001). Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants. Retrieved August 21, 2011, from http://learn.education.illinois.edu/file.php/1647/Digital_Natives_Digital_Immigrants.pdf

White, D. (n.d.). Not ‘Natives’ & ‘Immigrants’ but ‘Visitors’ & ‘Residents’. Retrieved August 21, 2011, from TallBlog: http://tallblog.conted.ox.ac.uk/index.php/2008/07/23/not-natives-immigrants-but-visitors-residents/