SOS: Similarities and Differences

            

SOS: Similarities and Differences

            In my classroom I am constantly brainstorming ways to keep my students engaged and to create an active learning environment. Active learning is defined as “anything that students do in a classroom other than merely passively listening to an instructor's lecture” (Merlot Pedagogy). When having students identify the similarities and differences of natural and human-made systems I am encouraging them to compare, classify and create both analogies and metaphors (Ohio Dept. of Education). While the students are engaged in the activity of identifying the similarities and differences, it also holds each student accountable. I can easily see whether students are correctly classifying the natural and human-made systems and base any further instruction off of these results (Liscom, E.). Therefore, my goal is to provide the instruction and understanding that they need in order to create a tool (graphic organizer), which they can build upon, for further understanding of systems, models, and patterns. I feel that when utilizing the strategy of identifying similarities and differences, I am meeting each of these five teaching styles which allow for me accommodate to students’ needs and learning styles (Concordia University). Not only has identifying similarities and differences improved students’ understanding of content, but it has also proven to increase writing quality when graphic organizers have been utilized (Ohio Dept. of Education).

            The integration of digital media through the use of videos, presentations and interactive sites would further student understanding of the concept, as well as, encourage active participation. Utilizing the SMART Exchange lesson would give the students a brief idea of the concept being discussed and then allow students to use prior knowledge to sort the objects. This would initiate great conversation and student engagement prior to any instruction. Following with the Discovery Education video would allow students to see a natural and human-made system and then be introduced to the nervous system, which is natural and crucial for our survival. The video compares the nervous system to the system of a computer, which would provide for a great visual example for the students. I would also look to compose a Prezi or other video to enhance to use of digital media within this lesson. Either would provide students with further knowledge as well as opportunities to engage within the lesson, specially interacting within our science notebooks. I believe that teachers look to digital media as a means of connecting with students in today's society, which increases its value when used in the classroom. That being said, the modes of using digital media within the classroom are not the sole focus of the lesson, but a tool used to bring visual clarity, practice, and further understanding to the concept. 

Resources:

100% Educational Videos, Discovery Education (2012). The Nervous System:Introduction to Body Systems. [Video Clip]. Available from http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

[hllambeth]. (2013, February 3). Nature Made vs. Man Made. SMART Exchange. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://exchange.smarttech.com/details.html?id=e209a51e-cb9b-4396-849b-8901657dbe50

Liscom, E. (2013, August 5). Education to the Core: Six Teaching Strategies I Couldn't Live Without. Education to the Core: Six Teaching Strategies I Couldn't Live Without. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.educationtothecore.com/2013/08/six-teaching-strategies-i-couldnt-live.html

Merlot Pedagogy. (n.d.). Teaching Strategies. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://pedagogy.merlot.org/TeachingStrategies.html

Concordia University - Portland Online. (n.d.). Concordia University Portland Online:Most Common Teaching Styles used with Elementary School Students. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/reference-material/most-common-teaching-styles-used-with-elementary-school-students/

Ohio Department of Education. (n.d.).Teaching Effective Learning Strategies: Similarities and Differences. Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://ims.ode.state.oh.us/ode/ims/rrt/research/Content/similarities_and_differences_what_we_know.asp

Tyson, K. (2014, January 5). Marzano's 9 Effective Instructional Strategies. . Retrieved July 27, 2014, from http://www.learningunlimitedllc.com/2014/01/infographic-marzanos-9-effective-instructional-strategies/

Creativity to a 4th grader

I had a discussion with a student of mine from last year, who also happens to be my "nephew" (cousin's son). He seemed very confused with what I was asking him and I sensed that he was trying to give me the "just right" answer. I kept talking to him and insuring him that he could answer with however he really wanted to and that my questions had nothing to do with our school. Still, he continued to think before answering and I felt he was only skimming the surface. I would have LOVED to have had this discussion with all three of my groups last year and get their feedback, yet it is summertime and I'm at the beach, so a phone call with my "nephew" will have to do for now. 

These are the questions I asked him and the responses he gave to me.
What does creative or creativity mean to you? What does it mean to be creative?
-You have different things around you and you can make different things. Being creative means using different resources than you might usually have or choose to use. 

What does that look like in your classrooms (creativity or being creative)?
-In math class we got to make goo and that was creative because we got to choose our colors and make something different.
-In science class when we made our projects about the planets, we got to be creative.

What would you change?
-Maybe have more projects and creative activities, especially around holidays or special times. LIke maybe for Halloween, we could make a statue. We could use paper and make bones and then create a skeleton. 

What is important about your classroom with technology and creativity?
-We were able to discover really neat websites when researching for our planets and they (the technology) helps us when we want to look things up and find answers to things.

What would you want to change about your classroom when it comes to technology and creativity?
-To have more computers or devices available in the classroom so that we can use them. It would be really great to be able to use them more for writing time to be able to create our essays and projects on them.

*This student has an iPad at home, a computer available and internet access. He utilizes several types of apps and will be going into 5th grade next year. I thought it was very interesting, considering what he has available to himself at home, that he didn't want to incorporate any of that into the classroom or improve the amount of usage or devices that could be available to us. This student doesn't particularly enjoy writing, so I think it is wonderful that he brought up writing and that it would be a good change to use the devices to "write" with. If we had more devices available per grade level or students, then it would allow us to create ways for students to enjoy writing within the devices that they are familiar with.*


Images from Google Search:
Creativity in Classroom
Technology in Classroom

Flipped Classroom: Not just media driven

image courtesy of: http://risinguptheladderoflove.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/upside-down.jpg 

I chose the terms sink or swim as they stuck to me from the EDIM 516-The Flipped Classroom Discussion Take 2 clip as advice for any teacher interested in beginning to implement the flipped model into your classroom. Whatever capacity you start at, you have to do what you need to do and what works for you and you will either sink or swim. HOWEVER, you have a chance for success not only for you, but your students and their learning. One thing I have learned throughout the course of my summer classes is, that anything I can do to put my students in charge of their learning and their understanding will only benefit them and myself in the long run. So whether your lesson sinks or swims, there is a chance for success and don't give up. 

I had heard the term flipped classroom before, but wasn't sure exactly what it entailed. As it turns out, every person defines and uses it differently in their classroom. There isn't a manual that tells you exactly how to use it in your classroom nor is there a model that will fit every group of students or teacher. Of course there are great books and online videos or tutorials as well as classes that one can take to learn more about this model, but how you use it and what you choose to do with it is open to your interpretation. The following links, blogs and videos I found from searching #flipclass on Twitter would be great starting points for me if I was about to implement this model into my classroom. 

4 Tips for Flipped Learning: Joe Hirsch gives four tips for those starting out with the flipped classroom model. The tips are basic, yet he also goes into detail for each of the tips. These are great for beginners and veterans of the flipped learning model alike as they are the foundation for success. 
These are his 4 Tips with my brief synopsis followed in parenthesis. 

1. Start with lesson goals, then build out. (Common sense right? In other words, don't make a pretty, glittery video and then realize it is too long and doesn't meet your goals. Work the other way around.)
2. Use rich imagery and direct language. (You aren't going to carry on like you might during a lecture, you need to be concise, clear and provide imagery that is going to grasp your students attention and keep them engaged.)
3. Make videos that reveal what students know. (Make sure you have something set up that will show that your students are actually watching the videos and taking away what you are delivering. Embed a quiz, discussion or some sort of activity at the closing.)
4. Bring parents on board. (Inform parents of what you are doing in the classroom. The sooner you do this, the sooner you will have their support and understanding.)

Tips for Successfully Navigating the Flipped Classroom, by my Students: Stacey Roshan gave her students an end of the year assignment in her AP Calculus class in which they were to give tips for upcoming students. Each of the two clips included have four to five tips for students which include:

1. Watch the videos when you are alert. (Not right before bed time.)
2. Ask questions when you don't understand. (They say their teacher is very approachable and will help clarify and questions or misunderstandings.)
3. Minimize your distractions. (Close out other tabs and focus on your work.)
4. Use the embedded quizzes to ask questions when you are unsure.
5. Write out the problems, they will be your notes and will help you later on.
6. If you're nervous about the flipped classroom, don't be. The face to face time in class is very valuable.
7. Watch the videos the day you are assigned them. You will only get further and further behind if you don't.
8. Don't be afraid to pause the videos to absorb what you have just been told or to write down notes. They are there for a reason.
9. Use the videos, any packets given and all notes for review. Chances are you will see similar problems on your exam. 

These tips are great to show students at the beginning of the year as they are coming from peers, not from teachers. Sometimes when it comes from a peer, it is more helpful and more likely to stick than if a teacher were to tell the students the same things. 


2 Essential Documents for Flipped Classroom: Bethany Petty includes a Student Letter/Contract which outlines her expectations for her classroom in regards to the flipped model. She will be the first in her school implementing the flipped model and wants the students as well as parents to be prepared ahead of time as to what this will look like. Both parents and students will be required to sign stating they have read and understand. She plans to file this for insurance throughout the year. She also has a Parent Letter which goes into detail to her planned approach and how the students will be learning. Both would be great models to have starting out in a district where few teachers are implementing this model.  

Verso App Gives Teachers a Powerful Assessment Tool for Student Engagement: Mercy Pilkington explains how the Verso app can be used to assess student engagement. It allows students to ask structured questions as well as gives the teacher discussion points for the day's lesson which are focused on the questions or struggles students are having throughout the lesson. I haven't heard of this app before, but it is one I would definitely want to look into if using the flipped model in my classroom. 
Check out the app on their site here:Verso- Flip Your Thinking 

Fundamentals killing creativity

Following watching Sir Ken Robinson in his TED Talk "Do schools kill creativity?" I began reflecting on my first year of teaching my own classroom, as well as the previous three years I spent as a substitute. I realized that the majority of my teaching is scripted for me, and that's how I was taught throughout my pre-teaching experience. Up until my senior year of my student teaching internship, I hadn't thought about planning and designing things on my own. When I did design projects where the students were in charge of their learning, I felt that I was reaching their creative minds. 

Howard Gardner describes the creating mind as one that builds upon the disciplined, or mastered, mind and the synthesizing. The creating mind is the breaking ground for the formation of new ideas, unfamiliar questions, fresh ways of thinking, and reaching unexpected answers. It seeks to remain at least one step ahead of computers and robots and is not yet rule governed (Gardner, 2008, p.3). 

I no longer feel that I am reaching my students creative minds, but I feel that Sir Ken Robinson had a very valid point, in that creativity and the arts are pushed further and further away with math, language arts, and social sciences being the focus. I initially thought, as a teacher, it was my job to ensure that my students were strong in those areas in order to prepare them for life after school. But what type of life would that be? Are all of my students ready to join a particular trade or workforce where only those skills are applicable or ready to get a college degree in which they will need to continue schooling, most likely in those subjects which are held to a hierarchy? Realistically, no, they are not ready nor will they all choose that path, and that is not wrong. Our schools are so focused on math, sciences and language that we are not enabling students to choose their interests, in which they are academically strong, to pursue which would enable their creative mind. Therefore, I do believe that we are killing their creativity. So, now what? Well, as Sir Ken Robinson said, we need to rethink fundamentals and see creative capacities for what they are so THEY (the students) can make the future, because we can't say that we will be there, but they will (Robinson, 2007). 

If my current district had a 1:1 technology initiative then I feel it would enable me to enrich my students' creative minds. With there being a lack of that currently, I will have to be creative myself and design ways to encourage this in my students and not take away from it. I would utilize the devices to bring digital media stations and centers into the classroom which would allow the students to be in the drivers seat of their education. Ideally, students could start by reading the text for the day or watching videos/podcasts which would introduce the lesson. Students would be able to work at their own pace. I would be available for their questions, comments, concerns, but they would also have the devices to use that they could further research those questions. Following their lesson, students could choose from a selection of activities or projects that would assess their understanding of the content or create their own piece that would still show that they have synthesized the information learned. This would give me the opportunity to be there for their questions and concerns through their learning process, as well as put the students in charge of their learning. Through these minor changes and adjustments in my teaching, I would be enabling students to take a chance where there wouldn't be a wrong way to reach the end goal, and in turn encouraging their creative minds.

Resources:

Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business Press.

Google Image Search: Creativity (for quote and mind map)

Robinson, Ken. [TED Talks]. (2007, January 6). Sir Ken Robinson: Do schools kill creativity? [Video file]. Retrieved from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iG9CE55wbtY

"Panasonic 3E: Engage, Empower, Enable"

After reading the articles and watching the YouTube video, What Device is the Right Device?, I felt that I was ready to choose the device for my school. However, once I started researching, reading blogs and technology news pieces I realized I was far from ready. So out came the notebook and my "old school" habits of jotting things down on paper with pens and pencils.

Overview:  I am employed at Troy Intermediate School, which is one of three schools in Troy Area School District. Our building houses grades 3-6 (ages 8-12 years old) with approximately 500 students and staff. Our district is located in a very rural and small area, being one of the largest districts in the state with mileage that is covered east to west and north to south. Nearly 50% of our students participate in the free/reduced program through the school. 

I have no previous experience with this particular product or any tablet other than iPads. I am very familiar with Windows operating systems as my work computer is currently a laptop with Windows installed on it and we have older laptops at home that are also have Windows installed. The technology that our district currently has available in our building include: one iPad cart for each grade level (5 classes per grade level), one laptop cart (not all laptops work or stay charged), two computer labs with 30 desktop computers, a computer classroom with 30 desktop computers, and each classroom is equipped with four desktop computers. All of the laptops and desktop computers run a version of Windows OS and are not all one particular brand, make or model. Each classroom does have a SmartBoard or Promethean Board that syncs with the teacher provided laptop or desktop computer and a projector. 

The options I kept going back and forth between included Apple products, the Panasonic E3, the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4, and the ChromeBook. I have three Apple products (MacBook, iPhone and iPad) which I love and constantly use, however I know the budget constraints my district is currently under and therefore pushed Apple to the side (if money were not a factor, I probably would have done further research on an Apple MacBook). Jim Klein also pointed out that iPads are "great for gathering, but not so great for creating" and we want to teach students to create things as the point of implementing technology is to better prepare them for the world (Grey, 2011). I decided against the Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 as it comes blank with nothing on it and it is just another tablet choice to me. I was now down to two, and Jason Markey from the YouTube clip had me convinced the ChromeBook was going to be my best choice with its affordability, PocketCloud and sync capabilities with all things Google. However, when I read The Frustrating Truth About Google's Chromebook, I immediately thought of the 50% or greater number of students within our school that are on the free/reduced lunch program and internet may not be an option. If we want these devices to be able to go home and allow students to continue their work, these would be a waste of money. 

Device chosen: Panasonic E3 $499 w/ 32GB

Rationale: I chose the Panasonic E3 which is a brand new two in one, laptop and tablet. It isn't going to be available until Fall 2014 however it was created for the purpose of K-12 education. It has a detachable keyboard, runs Windows 8.1 Pro and features, what seem to be, amazing pieces of software. The software includes STEM-centric, Intel lab camera software, SPARKvue software with built-in lab activities, Microsoft Onenote, digital textbooks and more. Now, being that is hasn't been released yet, was just introduced at the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)  in the end of June, there are no models that I would be following. If I were a part of a collaborative group of individuals working to improve the technology in our district, then I would suggest these as a pilot program for a year or two. Panasonic is offering discounts and grant options to poorer districts that do not have the financial means to purchase these. 

Implementation plan: Seeing how these devices have no studies of use in the classroom, I would want to start small implementing them into our district gradually. I would wish to pilot them at the Intermediate School, the building that I currently work in. We would be looking at approximately $250,000 to purchase the devices, not including any sort of cart or charging stations for in school use. The district in which I work would need to provide the devices, as a BYOD program wouldn't be a fair option with at least 50% of our student population receiving free or reduced breakfast/lunch. 

The Panasonic E3 devices feature a microscope lens that can be attached to the rear camera that magnifies images as well as a temperature probe. Both of these INCLUDED enhancements would be heavily used in our science classes. The Panasonic E3 also has several science related software pieces installed such as the STEM-centric, Intel lab software and SPARKvue which seem like wonderful programs to explore with my students. These laptop/tablet 2 in 1 devices would also be used cross curricular as digital textbooks are available along with lesson plans. Students would also be able to compose notes and pieces of writing within Microsoft Onenote. The cameras, one forward and one rear facing, would be beneficial when students are creating videos, projects and presentations as well as when conducting experiments. A math teacher that I work with hardly utilizes the one iPad cart we have, for our five fourth grade classrooms, as iPad's do not support Flash. This particular teacher would be able to use these Panasonic E3 devices without an issue. For our ELA (English Language Arts) Department, these devices would cut down drastically on the juggle to accommodate all students in our two computer labs. Each week in all grade levels, students in ELA have assignments and tests within our current reading curriculum which are all online. They can be printed, but when you have 75 students, only 500-600 copies/month, and a multiple page test, why would you bother printing them when you have devices that can access the same information?

As far as initial implementation of the devices, we would have the devices 1:1 in our building and the devices would belong to the district with the option for lease to own. I chose this option due to the interesting points Ben Grey and micwalker mentioned in comments of iPad vs. Netbook for a 1:1, being that if the students/parents are paying for the devices, they are going to take better care of them and you will have less issues to deal with. This would hold true whether it be with the intent to buy at the end of a said time period or they are choosing not to lease and are paying for a protection plan that would cover insurance for any needed repairs. This would allow the district to still own the devices but would also enable students to take them to and from school to continue their work.

Professional Development: Andrew Marcinek, Ben Grey and Jason Markey all mentioned throughout the video "What Device is the Right Device?" the high importance in professional development when bringing in anything new to the district, especially a piece of technology that the IT department is hoping will be fully utilized and implemented. However, this can not happen if people are not given time to be trained and supported continuously, not just in a one day workshop, but all throughout the year. The people that I am referring to that need training are not just the teachers or the administrators but the students, their parents and the community that supports your students and staff. Teachers are going to be more likely to use technology when professional development has been provided and is available continuously (Penuel, 2006). I hadn't realized it until this year when I gave my students iPads to use during a project, that roughly half of them were unsure of how to utilize it (and that they weren't just given them to take silly pictures of their friends). Andrew reminded me of this when he was discussing how we cannot and should not just assume that students know how to use a device and will catch on, we need to teach them and instruct them as to how to utilize the many functions of that device for academic purposes. Otherwise, we cannot expect them to be able to use that piece of technology for its purposes. 

Anticipated outcomes for success: Three of the articles I read this week mentioned several of the following successes that research is showing when one-to-one computing or laptop programs are implemented in a district. Those successes include a student centered teaching approach, improved writing skills and pieces, increased standardized test scores, increased student motivation and engagement, decreased disciplinary problems, increased attendance rates, teachers are able to teach more in less time and go into further detail, and students are able to locate and evaluate information on the Internet. (Larkin & Finger, 2011. Bebell & Kay, 2010. Silvernail, 2011.) My hope is that we would see all of those successes mentioned in all of our students and in each academic and specials class. Based on the daily integration of technology into the classrooms, I am hoping that we would increase the economic competitiveness, where all students are more prepared for the tech-saturated work environment. We can't expect students to be technologically savvy when we provided them use of a computer in a lab setting once in a while, if we increase their access to digital resources, then we are decreasing that digital divide that separates students based on their socioeconomic status (Penuel, 2006)

Possible problems: These devices will be brand new with no research to go from or district's to learn from. There could be technical glitches and issues, there could be software problems and there could be recalls or constant updates to the device as problems arise. We just don't know. It's a risk, but these devices were created by a company for American education K-12, therefore I have no doubt that matters would be resolved, taken care of and that help would be given as needed from the company. 

As I was searching through some of the education blogs I am following on feedly I cam across this image from Larry Ferlazzo's blog that compares laptops and tablets and is one of the components that helped me make the decision of choosing a device that can function as both a table and a laptop. Link to Image (Image is large)

Resources:

Bebell, D. & Kay, R. (2010). One to One Computing: A Summary of the Quantitative Results from the Berkshire Wireless Learning Initiative Journal of Technology, Learning, and Assessment, 9(2). Retrieved July 16, 2014 from http://www.jtla.org 

Duffy, J. (2013, January 2). The Frustrating Truth About Google's Chromebook. . Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2413771,00.asp

eSchool News | International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) | eSchool News. (n.d.). eSchool News | International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) | eSchool News. Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://www.eschoolnews.com/events/conferences/iste/

Grey, B. (2011, April 1). iPad vs. Netbook for a 1:1 | EdReach. EdReach RSS. Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://edreach.us/2011/04/01/ipad-vs-netbook-for-a-11/

Hachman, M. (2014, June 29). Panasonic launches Windows hybrid tablet for classrooms. . Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://www.pcworld.com/article/2393050/panasonic-launches-windows-hybrid-tablet-for-classrooms.html

Larkin, K. & Finger, G. (2011). Informing one-to-one computing in primary schools: Student use of netbooks. Australasian Journal of Educational Technology, 27(3), 514-530. http://www.ascilite.org.au/ajet/ajet27/larkin.html

Londis, D. (2014, July 16). Explosive Tech Investment Hitting The Classroom « Invests.com. Investscom RSS. Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://invests.com/explosive-tech-investment-hitting-the-classroom/20140716042317849

Panasonic. (2014, January 1). 3E. Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://www.panasonic.com/business/3e/3e-2-in-1-education-solution.asp

Penuel, W. Implementation and Effects of One-to-One Computing Initiatives: A Research Synthesis. Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 38, 329-348. Retrieved July 16, 2014, from https://www.chatsworth.com.sg/uploaded/PDF_Forms/PDF_Images/implement-PBL.pdf

Pierce, D. (2014, July 14). New mobile devices for schools shown at ISTE. . Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/07/14/new-mobile-devices-142/

Silvernail, D. (2011, August 1). A Middle School One-to-One Laptop Program: The Maine Experience. . Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://usm.maine.edu/sites/default/files/cepare/MLTIBrief20119_14.pdf

We Are Teachers. (2013, January 1). The Digital Classroom 2013. Retrieved July 16, 2014, from http://www.weareteachers.com/hot-topics/topics-in-education/the-digital-classroom-2013?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=Social%20Media&utm_campaign=Troxell-site-1113

Prezi Project- The Water Cycle

Prezi-The Water Cycle

I know that at some point prior to my fourth grade students coming to my class that they have had some experience with the term water cycle. However, I have no idea to the extent at which they have studied this topic. Therefore, it is my job to ensure that students not only have a mastery of the water cycle at the level in which we will study it, but also that they have the capacity to be able to renew this craft through regular application through the years (Gardner, 2008, p. 43). This will meet the duel meanings of the word discipline in relation to the “Five Minds” that Gardner speaks of.

The media infused presentation that I created will help foster the development of a disciplined mind as it follows the four essential steps in order to achieve a disciplined mind (Gardner, 2008, p.32-35). The important concept has been outlined, there are a variety of models and examples, the topic is being approached in a number of ways, and there are ample opportunities for students to perform their understandings. I feel that this media infused presentation is engaging and interactive which follows what Plato is quoted for saying that “Through education we need to help students find pleasure in what they have to learn” (Gardner, 2008, p.41).

In order to foster the development of a synthesized mind, information has to be taken from various sources, time to understand the information needs to be given, and the learner needs to collate the information into a way that makes sense and can be applied (Gardner, p.3). Throughout the media presentation that I created about the water cycle, I have used visual examples, video segments and audio files that build upon the topic which will allow students with different learning styles to pull away the information needed in order to understand how and why water goes through phases. From the first clip to the last, students should be able to make connections with time to process and write down their thoughts and then apply them at the conclusion. Without this synthesizing students would be overwhelmed and unable to make connections for their personal self or for the sake of applying the information pushed to them (Gardner, 2008, p.18).

Gardner, H. (2008). Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.

The Synthesizing Mind

So I have to say creating an eduClipboard was anything BUT simple or user friendly. I attempted to create an account using my school email information, however, I never received the email in order to be able to access my account. Therefore, I ended up just using my google account, thankfully that was a simple process (YAY, Google!). 

With all of that being said, here is my eduClipboard. Howard Gardner states that "there is a motivating goal; an initial stance taken by the synthesizer; a set of tools or strategies that can be employed; one or more interim syntheses; and at least some criteria by which the success of the synthesis can be evaluate." (Gardner, p.58).  I decided to go with a topic of study that my students already thoroughly enjoy and include graphics, interactive sites and videos to further enhance our study on Ecosystems and Food Chains. Fourth grade has an emphasis on Biological Sciences, especially in relationship to the study of plants and animals, their structure/function, continuity of life, and ecological behavior and systems. My clipboard focuses first on an image of a butterfly landing on a flower in a field which is an ecosystem and each play an integral part in one another's survival in that ecosystem. Following, is a simple diagram of an ecosystem that shows not only parts in an ecosystem but the flow of energy as well, which is something we also focus on when we study food chains. The next three links have activities or videos to engage students in the topic of study which will in turn, hopefully, help them to synthesize all of the content and information that is being covered. My goal would be to use this clipboard throughout the unit, as well as provide it to students to access on their own as a study tool. My hope will be, that when they are assessed, they are able to prove a strong understanding and application of the content.

Resources:

Babwahsingh, M. ( Illustrator). (2012). Synthesizing [Image], Retrieved July 10, 2014, from: http://michaelbabwahsingh.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/vizthink_synthesizing.png

Gardner, H. (2008). The Synthesizing Mind. Five minds for the future. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press.

Acceptable Use Policy Overload

   
  When I first started researching my district's acceptable use policy (AUP), I was bombarded with an eight page document that I needed to reread several times in order to grasp the concepts and big ideas. Those eight pages did not include the additional two pages of a filtering policy, the two pages for cyber bullying and social networking education,  the four page staff AUP signature agreement, or the eight page student AUP signature agreement. I wanted to take the student AUP and modify that, however when I pulled it up, parts were blacked out and I was unable to read the majority of it. I decided to look at the eight page AUP along with the policy in place for filtering. I took the two of those documents and condensed them into a one page document. I did keep a lot of the terminology but also tweaked it so that it is a little more user friendly.

Here is my revised addition of my district's current AUP:

I also chose to incorporate some of the key ideas that caught my attention from the YouTube video featuring  Bud Hunt, Joe Wood and Mike Gras. I appreciated Joe Wood's input that the network belongs to the children and teachers as they make up the majority usage, along with his closing relating to technology and policies being that it is all about education and expectations of behaviors. I took away that he was stating that  if staff and students are educated on behaviors and expectations for usage, you will have the community that Bud Hunt was stating in his final statement. I would like to believe that most teachers in our building understand the pressure that our technology department is under and look up to them as powerful resources whom we are grateful for whenever we see them enter our room, as it means they have heard our cries and are coming to rescue us! Bud Hunt also made me realize how stretched technology departments, within school districts, truly are. I know that our tech department would probably be better off with a  few more staff members which would help alleviate the long hours they put in all year long. They are just as much a district employee as I am and their job would run more smoothly if the other employees within the district were more educated on our technology resources. Finally, I feel that our tech department in our district does just what Mike Gras said, they trust their teachers. When I have a problem with a  site link not working or if we have a site that was once accessed (new security this past year) then we just have to fill out an online tech request and it will be taken care of. We even receive alerts when it has been assigned, who it is assigned to and once it has been resolved.
At the conclusion of the week's readings and assignment, I have a greater appreciation for the work that our technology department puts into our district, the policies it has to uphold as well as creating and revising policies with the school board. I would love to obtain access to our student AUP signature piece and reword that into terminology that my students would understand. That piece would make a wonderful mini lesson during the first week of school in order to make students fully aware of what they and their parents are signing for.


These links will take  you to my district's list of policies as well as the individual policies that I used to create my own:
TASD- Policies
TASD-AUP
TASD-Criteria for Filtering





References:
Pyne Arts Technology. (Photographer). (2013). Student Acceptable Use Policy [Web Photo]. Retrieved from https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF461wOyUOdeKGbF5ekERmcBFhzOCDCWuilNKhcoGaOewuII-4S6L0uWnVYs73kyiaNiYuVvl0A3V7ndQIpevBxJugvjeQq_5IrJg5TrT_d-IT1hxuRd9ukCemvcJ6aPt4zWDqtdqMEA/s1600/AUP.png

Shareski, D. (2014, March 16) EDIM516 Network Filtering [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sThQDRqMzYw&list=UUaAh-TmAdlzAuASh_fR6-gA

University of Missouri-College of Veterinary Medicine. (Photographer). (2013). Acceptable Use Policy [Web Photo]. Retrieved from http://it.cvm.missouri.edu/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/AcceptableUse.jpg

Blog on Digital Media: Plant Trading Card

I chose to create a trading card using Big Huge Labs for my fourth grade science classes. My intention for this trading card would be to present it at two different points throughout our year-long study. The first would be during our unit on the Nature of Science in which we will differentiate between natural and human made systems. Students would need to be able to recognize that plants are natural systems. I could use this trading card as a displayed picture through the smart board and it could be our opening as we begin our lesson on systems. Students could do a Type 1 write up (Collins Writing) answering the questions listed within the areas on the trading card. A Type 1 writing is similar to a brainstorm in which the students do not need to have the correct responses, but need to have a certain number of lines written in a certain amount of time all relating to the topic. The second point in our year-long study that I could utilize this image again, would be during our second unit of study on Biological Sciences where we explore how the parts of a plant work together to provide what it needs. Instead of using it as a brainstorm in the beginning of the unit, I could use it as an assessment tool near the middle or end of the lesson relating to plant parts, displaying the image through the smart board. This would allow us to discuss systems again and make connections to new learnings. However, this time I would ask students for a Type 2 writing (Collins Writing) where I would be looking for a correct response to all three open-ended areas within the card. It is visually appealing, relates to two areas of study within our science curriculum and would be opportunities to use writing within science class. 

Resources:

BigHugeLabs: Do fun stuff with your photos. (n.d.). BigHugeLabs: Do fun stuff with your photos. Retrieved July 3, 2014, from http://bighugelabs.com

Collins Writing Program. (2013). Five Types of Writing ~ Collins Writing Program. Retrieved July 3, 2014, from http://www.collinsed.com/5types.htm

Fuqua, P. (2005). Flower, orange hibiscus. [Image]. Retrieved July 3, 2014, from: http://www.discoveryeducation.com/

Curation + Aggregation = Confused Station

As I began Unit 2 I realized how "behind the times" I am for a younger, newer teacher. I began drowning in the amounts of information I was finding, reading about, and the sites I was beginning to access. I have never used Feedly, or Symbaloo or accessed any of the blogs and sites others have referred to as being their go to's for information. I am a guilty Google search engine user. I say guilty now because I am aware of how my searches are geared towards me and that I am only seeing a single story, not the whole picture, thanks to the two TED clips (Beware of online "filter bubbles" and The Danger of the Single Story). My eyes are now open and I'm on the hunt to find a curation/magazine tool that works for me and is something that I can balance and utilize for myself, my students and my PLC. 

• What tools have I explored and what made me choose this one? When I'm thinking of sources, what influences my decision?
• The tools that I have currently explored include Feedly and Symbaloo. Within Feedly I have began to access other tools and resources to delve into. I created a content area that I titled EducateME in which I added TEDTalks, Larry Ferlazzo, Free Technology for Teachers, and Edudemic. I know that in our text the suggestion when beginning was to only choose three to seven so as not to create overload, so my hope is that I won't feel bombarded (McLeod & Lehmann, p.43). I chose Feedly as a source to pull information in that would benefit my teaching career, both professionally and in order to serve my students, and it is a method that allows me to choose topics and sites that will send me information. It appeals to me as it brings content, news, and information directly to me. It allows me to look at those pieces in a snapshot view and choose whether or not I go any further. It seems to be quite user friendly and there are several videos on youtube that can be accessed when questions arise. I also chose Symbaloo as a source to organize the many sites I access on a daily basis to browse or use certain features. I can see myself benefitting from this tool as it is visually appealing, easy to access and use, FREE and suits my need for having an organized place for all of the places I like to visit on the web. That being said, it will benefit me greatly when going back and forth between my work and home computer. I will no longer have two separate toolbars with completely different pins that I can't ever remember the direct link to. It's a great solution to your typical bookmarks, or so it seems thus far. I look forward to using both tools throughout the summer to prepare for the upcoming school year and to keep myself educated with current technologies that better serve my students.

• How many of my sources are teachers or practitioners, how many are considered experts, do I have a balance?
• Outside of using my colleagues, my initial sources would include Pinterest, Twitter, YouTube, DE and search engines such as Google. With my new outlook on Google and other similar sites, I hope to utilize some of the blogs and videos I have been newly introduced to. Those particular sources that I have chosen are either run by teachers or they are directed toward teachers. I haven't done enough research to know whether or not they are run by experts, but I feel they each have more expertise than I do and will offer powerful search points when I'm looking for something specific. Between my colleagues, my initial sources and the new tools I have come across, I feel I will have a balance and be confident using them as credible resources that provide me with more than one story outside of my general search area.

• How will I look and find sources that will challenge me?    
• My intention is to use Feedly and other blogs to find sources that will continue to challenge me. Thus far, I feel challenged to understand the capacities at which I can use Feedly to broaden my searches, as well as find meaningful sources, other than the ones that Google provides to me based on its algorithm of what I click. My hope will be that the new sources I have found will encourage me to search for others, and that I will have a better understanding of how to go about this process.

I am wondering if there are tips and guidelines that some of you may have as I begin this new process ? I'm anxious and excited to begin this new journey and believe it will greatly benefit me as a learner and teacher. I look forward to reading the various sources my classmates are utilizing and their grasp on them.

McLeod, S., & Lehmann, C. (2012). What school leaders need to know about digital technologies and social media. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.