I was not very surprised by my personal results with the time management quiz. I scored a 60/75 and was given the "very effective" score with handling what I know needs to be done. The areas included on the quiz consisted of goal setting, prioritization, managing interruptions, procrastination, and scheduling. I feel that all of these areas are personal strengths of mine, and I can see examples in my teaching life and personal life. I will be the first one to admit that I have a Type A personality and am OCD about the ways certain things should be done. I also feel that my attention to details and organization allows my classroom to function and help students realize their own deficiencies with these skills.
*To-Do Lists: I am a HUGE fan of to-do lists. I make them for classes I teach and in my personal life. It allows me to think about items to accomplish in the next week-month, and then I get a huge thrill when I put a check next to a task and mark it off my list.
*Calendar/Planner: I strongly encourage students to keep a pocket planner or monthly calendar. I write down all my commitments so I can look out at each month. Everything from course tests, meetings, sporting events, travel plans, holidays, etc. I do not travel anywhere without my planner.
*Notes/Evernote: Most computers allow for sticky notes and reminders. Evernote is a great program where you can make notes and access from your phone. My husband has created some evernotes and it allows us to communicate on various topics. Evernote would allow students to create self-reminders for each content area or could also be used for personal matters.
*MyLife Organized: This app is compatible with almost all technological devices. A free 45day trial is available and then you would have to make a purchase to continue use. The program allows to-do lists, creating a hierarchical structure on level of importance, location-based reminders, create tasks via email, and sync to the cloud.
*Phone Alerts/Widgets:
*Toggl: Provides both a free and upgraded version at cost. The website is accessible from computers and mobile devices. It tracks your productivity on various tasks. More detailed productivity reporting requires the upgraded account. This might be more beneficial for a corporate office rather than a student.
13 Timely Tips for More Effective Time Management
10 Must-Have Tools for Time Management
One of the main reasons students struggle in school is because of a lack of organization. It is paramount that we help students improve on these skills as they are necessary for being successful in college and life. After completing items on my list, I like to reward myself...then it is back to tackling the next set of tasks. This is a skill that I pride myself on and realize it is a personal strength.
1.1.2 Creating a Content Map Quest
Bubbl Concept Map Creator is a fantastic resource for creating a concept map. I have used other websites before but this one was more user-friendly and easier for saving the final product. I actually just drew something like this on the board to help students study key concepts for their recent test on Macroeconomics. Now I have a digital file that I can post to our online learning system for future use.
My concept map below is centered around Macroeconomics. I used the light green color to indicate key themes that were the big topics to study. From each of the big topics, I included content to accompany each theme to give students an idea of what they needed to focus on in their studying. The concept map could be used to introduce a unit and show students what will be covered, or also used to direct their focus on studying.
The concept map is an alternate method of communication between stakeholders and an indication on the planning involved with developing and designing curriculum. The concept map also is a great resource for organizing thoughts and concepts for visual learners. Given necessary time, students could take advantage of this website to organize their thoughts for writing or concept grouping for other courses. Overall, I think this is a valuable educational tool and can be used to not only benefit students but also teachers during the collaboration process. I plan on sharing this within my content team of teachers and working this summer to create a concepts map for each of our 6 units of study.
1.1.3 Appearance Quest
Top five websites that exemplify sound design ideal for layouts, media, and visuals:
*CK12
*Mountain Heights Academy
*Interactive Sights for Education
*Georgia Virtual dashboard
*Smithsonian Education
Five websites that are sub-par in their visual appeal:
*I Know That
*Funschool
*ABCya
*SitesforTeachers
*Bad Instructional Design Resources
It is important for websites to be user-friendly and easy to navigate. While visuals keep students' attention, websites can not be overloaded with graphics. I had a lot more trouble finding poor examples of websites as more people are becoming aware of best practices and structuring their pages to appeal to their students and Internet users. I was very impressed with the examples I picked out as exemplary and gained some new perspectives for ideas to design my own pages in the future. The reduction in text is a growing trend and providing digital images to catch stakeholders eyes will resonate more with the learner.
2.1.1 Web Tools Quest
According to Discovery Education, a Web 2.0 tool is defined as:
This website provides a variety of examples for teachers who are beginning to familiarize themselves with Web Tools. The three categories I chose to explore further were Presentation Tools/Slideshows, Surveys/Polls, and Instructional Videos/Video Sharing.
Presentation Tools/Slideshows:
280 Slides: Create PowerPoint style presentations online (free)
AuthorSTREAM: Allows you to publish and share your PowerPoint presentations as video
Capzles: Create rich multimedia storylines by combining your photos, videos, blogs and audio (free)
Glogster: Create unique, media rich, interactive posters which can be shared online or embedded into wikis (free)
PhotoPeach: Easy to use slideshows creator. Supports background music, captions and comments (free)
Photo Story3: A windows desktop application that makes slideshows using your digital photos (free)
Prezi: A web2.0 application that allows you to create stunning visual presentations by zooming in, out and around a large, flat canvas or workspace (free)
Screentoaster: Online screen recorder that allows you to capture and share what is happening on your computer screen (free)
Slideshare: Upload and share your PowerPoint presentations (free)
Smilebox: Create e-cards, scrapbooks, slideshows, invitations, collages and photo albums from your photographs. More than 1000 customizable templates to choose from (free premium subscription for teachers)
Surveys/Polls:
Poll Everywhere: Create customized surveys and polls for websites and blogs
Survey Monkey: Create online surveys and polls (free basic account)
Tricider: Team decision making, brainstorming, and collaborative solution web 2.0 tool (free)
Instructional Videos/Video Sharing:
Commoncraft: Simple three-minute videos to help educators introduce complex subjects (free to view)
EmbedPlus: This website allows you to add extra controls to Youtube embedded videos such as slow motion, zooming, chapters and annotations
mailVU: mailVU provides the ability to record a video email at any time, and send it to recipients where they can open it at any time (free)
TeacherTube: YouTube but for educational purposes. This site is moderated so content is suitable for students. (free)
TED: Riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world (free)
Tubechop: Allows you to cut YouTube videos and share only the section that interests you (free)Youtube/edu: The world most popular online video sharing website sorted to show only videos from education institutions like universities and colleges.
I was very interested in the variety of web tools that are available for teachers use. One of the purposes of web tools it to add resources to the classroom setting, and help students develop as 21st century learners. I can see myself using several of the tools listed above as well as tools from other categories not features. The link below is helpful for guiding teachers to the right tools based on their specific needs and desired results.
I was not very knowledgeable on the terminology Web 2.0 but had some prior experience working with educational resources. I was blown away at the amount of applications out there waiting to be used by teachers and students to enhance the learning environment. These tools are vital for preparing students to practice 21st century skills, collaboration, and exemplary digital citizenship. I have already started looking for more ways to incorporate these tools into my current classroom setting.
For the created assignment, students will:
1. Use the following Web 2.0 Tool: Glogster
2. Create an interactive poster to be shared with the class on a World War II battle of your choosing. Minimum of 2 text boxes, 1 map, and 5 visual images must be included.
3. Use the following Web 2.0 Tool: MailVU Email your poster to instructor and include a 1-2 audio recording over-viewing the battle you chose, key names involved, and the end result of the battle.
The above assignment allows for freedom of choice on the part of the student. I wish I could have given them a few Web 2.0 Tool options to choose from and see the variety of submissions. Glogster is a user-friendly resource that allows interactive poster to be created. The students will practice digital citizenship by adhering to copyright laws when choosing pictures to include. Finally, students will submit the poster to the instructor via email and include an audio recording/voice over showing they have gained knowledge on the given topic. A follow-up activity could consists of a discussion board post where students share information with classmates and discuss what they learned through this assignment. This assignment would be an introductory activity to understanding Glogster. If time permitted later in the semester, students might be required to add more features to their poster (trimmed video clip, images, primary source quote, etc).
2.1.3 Using Web 2.0 Tools to Differentiate Student Assessment Quest
I was quite surprised with ToonDoo. One of the first things that caught my eyes on the website was the variety of options it provided. Everything from creating a comic book to drawings to characters, this tool would provide a differentiated approach to student assessment. For example, I could use this web tool with understanding the global conflict of World War II. Today in class, we introduced totalitarian dictators who rose to power in the Axis countries. Students would be able to demonstrate mastery of a standard by creating a character to resemble and possess similar traits to military leaders like Stalin (Soviet Union), Hitler (Germany), Mussolini (Italy), and Tojo (Japan). Students could also use the comic feature to recreate political cartoons depicting the relationship between certain leaders (Stalin/Hitler, Roosevelt/Churchill, etc). ToonDoo is also mobile friendly so students would be able to view their work and the work of their peers if shared within our classroom digital community. The capabilities within this resource would allow for differentiated student assessments.
3.1.1 Open Educational Resources and Creative Commons Quest
Open educational resources are defined as "teaching and learning materials that are freely available online for everyone to use, whether you are an instructor, student, or self-learner. Examples include full courses, course modules, syllabi, lectures, homework assignments, quizzes, activities, pedagogical materials, games, simulations, and other resources contained in digital media collections globally" (Source).
Creative Commons is the licensing placed on resources to be used digitally. I have to admit that I did not have much knowledge about creative commons prior to starting these TOOL quests and am still learning about the levels of protection and access that they provide. The visual below shows a scale of most to least open based on the skills of sharability, remixing, and commercial profit. The sharing factor is the most common for teachers, and we must navigate cautiously when locating images and resources to use within our digital classroom.
3.1.2 Fair Use and the TEACH Act Quest
Fair Use: Refers to anyone wanting to use materials, regardless of role in the classroom. Four factors are taken into consideration when determining if the use is fair or not. Those include the purpose of use, nature of work, amount of portion in relation to the whole, and effect on the market. The example provided gave good insight into what might be considered fair use and not fair use...copying an entire workbook for students instead of buying vs. copying an activity or small paragraphs.
TEACH Act: Stands for the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization Act. Applies specifically to educators. Copyright exemptions when the following criteria are met:
*The institution must be accredited and non-profit.
*The use must be part of instructional activities.
*The use must be limited to a specific number of students.
*The use must be for "live" or asynchronous class sessions.
*The use must not include the transmission of materials that are usually required to be purchased.
An online instructor's understanding of Fair Use is important is setting the example of digital citizenship from all levels. When trying to gather resources on the Internet, educators must think about the role of the resource in learning and the amount of resource that will be used. As the creator of instructional practices, the teacher has the important role of assigning resources that are open and meet the criteria for being fair game. Both Fair Use and TEACH Act impact the methods of content presentation in the online setting. Instructors also have the task of determining if information is reliable and credible. With the ability to create an instantaneous Google search, Internet users have to be careful of the resources that pop up. Teaching students about fair use is a skill that could be expanded upon in the classroom setting.
The included resources also allowed me to explore and save many of the websites to my personal Google bookmark for future reference. After viewing the butterfly image and factoring article which both demonstrated appropriate citations and credit given to the proper source, I thought back to instances where students attached visuals to presentations that had writing on them and had not received permission to use. The Creative Commons Search engine was my trusted source for the locating resources quest and was helpful in finding examples of an image, applicable text, and multimedia object.
The image above was found through Creative Commons Search for World War II images. This specific photo was also labeled for noncommercial use. The visual shows Allied troops approaching Omaha Beach during the Invasion of Normandy.
The video above was shared directly to this blog from YouTube. I searched through Creative Commons for videos and there were a variety of clips.
The final example of resources pulled from Creative Commons came from an article relating to the economy. The chosen resource, It's A Great Time to Be a Landlord, came from Bloomberg View and was published today. I like how the most recent articles are listed at the top. The only downside is I had originally chosen an article through the Wall Street Journal but was not able to view completely because I do not have a paid subscription.
This quest proves that there are endless possibilities when it comes to teaching tools, and educators must be cautious when searching and acquiring open educational resources.
4.1.1 Define and Explain Learning Object Authoring Tools Quest
InstructionalDesign.org states that the purpose of a learning object is to be interoperable, reusable, accessible, and manageable.
Free Tools:
*Khan Academy
Khan Academy has great discussions, articles, and videos to further enhance one's knowledge of a topic. There is no limit to the number of times they are accessed and are a credible source.
*Jamestown Online Adventure
A great learning simulation that I have done with high school juniors when discussing the discovery of Jamestown. Students make some key decisions to determine whether the colony will succeed or fail under their leadership.
*ISideWith
A self-assessment quiz that students can take to determine whose political viewpoints they best align with. A great discussion tool because many students support a particular political party but their responses to the questions don't always align.
Paid Subscription Tools:
*Articulate
Articulate is a fee-based software that would be helpful in designing online instruction.
*Pearson: Economics Textbook
Although a class access code is required, I like the idea of students gaining access to online extras including practice quizzes to reinforce content. Many textbooks have become accessible beyond computers to include tablets and mobile devices.
4.1.2 Principles of Building Portable Learning Objects Quest
Characteristics of learning objects include high quality, simple, interactive, focused, visually appealing, timely, independent, and consistent. This quest required me to think outside the box and practice backwards design to create a successful learning object. The website PowToon assisted me in creating the first video detailing the differences between the economics principles of demand and supply. It is a quick little visual and will help students see what the curves for each look like.
Powtoon: Demand & Supply
The second portable learning object was located on Wisconsin Online and was located through Creative Commons. I like this interactive because students are able to practice plotting data and then receive a review on how the data impacts the business cycle.
Determining the Phases of the Business Cycle
I can see the value of using portable learning objects in the virtual classroom. These would also be great resources to post for face-to-face classrooms to provide additional instruction and reteaching if necessary. The biggest drawback to these tools is the amount of time it takes to create them. They also require organization and thoughtful planning on the teacher's part before they can be created.
4.1.3 Aggregating Lesson Material Quest
Collecting or curating learning objects, resources, and materials enrich the e-learning environment. When choosing tools, one must consider accessibility, ease of use, the learning curve, associated costs, exporting content to users, and visual appeal of delivery.
ItsLearning
The learning platform currently used by my county. Within the program, teachers have collaboratively worked together to create resource courses for each course offered within the county. I had the opportunity a few weeks ago to attend a workshop to gather credible resources for our Current Issues class. This has been an effective educational tool for communication and presenting materials to our students.
Aziksa
An educational software that provides self-paced courses along with virtual classrooms and content specific resources. The company offers a 60-day free trial and then the user would have to upgrade. No costs were included on the main page.
Georgia On My Line
An all-inclusive platform that most institutions in Georgia are going to for online education. Technology fees are included in course registration and access is valid for currently enrolled students. This was quite easy to navigate and all information could be presented in one place.
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