The Hour of Code is Approaching So Why Should We Make the Time?

The Hour of Code is coming!! Get your students ready!

Did you know that the week of December 8 - 14, is Computer Science Education Week? Unfortunately our EC&I 831 class will be finished, so we will not be able to explore how we are getting students involved, but perhaps it's still worthwhile to share some ideas on how to bring code to the classroom.

So What is the Global Hour of Code?

The Global Hour of Code apparently is actually one of the largest events in history. The video above is very American oriented, so I found more information for  Canada Learns Coding. The premise of the Global Hour of Code is that "if you can learn how to make technology you can change the world". The idea is to promote the fundamentals of computer science for learners of all ages. If you check out the code.org site, you can see the links for different ages. It's not just something that is for older students, even students in the primary grades can learn some of the basics. In taking the time to get involved in the Hour of Code, learners of all ages, that's teachers and students, can learn that computer science is fun, easy and accessible.

Why Should Teachers Get Involved?

"Don't just play with your phone, program it." This great quote from President Barrack Obama, urges kids to become more than just users of technology.Students would benefit from learning how programs and apps are made and the fundamentals of the algorithms that go into making the digital tools we use. It was interesting to learn that right now in the U.S. alone, the rate of the number of computing jobs is rising 3 times faster than the numbers of graduates. At this rate, by 2020, there will be over 1 million computer science related jobs in the world. Which is a pretty easy sell, as these are good jobs. So as educators, we should look at this as an opportunity to further our students ability to be ready for the 21st Work force by developing these skills in students.

Perhaps we should look at teaching code as becoming one of the digital literacies that we need to teach to get our students ready for the future. Could coding eventually become as important as teaching writing and reading skills? Could you imagine the outcry of many teachers if this was introduced as being a part of curriculum?

How does this promote creativity, critical and innovative thinking, and problem solving?

When kids are engaged in making or creating the programs, they will have a new appreciation and understanding of what goes into using technology. Also by allowing kids an opportunity to get involved at a younger age, they are able to make those connections between logic and math. Coding is really another form of math.

In an article from Common Sense Media, "How to Teach Coding in Your Classroom, Even if You're a Novice Yourself", Douglas Rushoff, argues that like reading or math, coding is like a literacy of its own. Rushoff goes on to state:

“When human beings acquired language, we learned not just how to listen but how to speak. When we gained literacy, we learned not just how to read but how to write. And as we move into an increasingly digital reality, we must learn not just how to use programs but how to make them,” 

I like how encouraging kids to learn how to code empowers students to become programmers and engineers. All kids, boys and girls. If we hope to truly encourage all kids, particularly girls, we need to look at increasing exposure to skills such as coding. Rushoff also states, "we have embraced the new technologies and literacies of our age without actually learning how they work and work on us". So what are we doing to encourage students to look the impact of technology in their lives? Do we take time to explore with students how technology is impacting the way we interact? Do we explore with students the importance of not only digital citizenship and the ethics of online behaviour, but do we discuss digital etiquette? What are we doing as educators to explore more of the philosophical issues related to online activity and how it's impacting the way we interact?

How Can Teachers Get Involved?

You can sign up to join the Hour of Code Global Movement by checking out one of these sites:
Code.org Sign Up

You can even promote the Hour of Code by printing and putting up these posters in your school.

Tutorials and Sites to Promote Coding

Code.org - Has great activities that can help elementary students explore code.

Canada Learns Coding - This site is Canada's version of Code.org. Same premise, but one of which encourages all involved in Computer Engineering to donate one hour to help teach coding at a school.

Tynker.com - Teachers can create a classroom account for elementary students to get started exploring code. There is an app available with iTunes and Google Play, but it does cost $5.37. Not so affordable if you are buying several apps.

Common Sense Media Teaching Code - Common Sense Media looks at how teachers can approach teaching code, even if they are amateurs themselves.

Microsoft Hour of code Basics - Offers courses such as Kodu, which encourages building games, playing games and sharing games.

Khan Academy Coding Course -  For Hour of Code, we've created special introductory curricula to get your students started!

Twitter:

Follow Canada Learns Coding @HoC_Canada on Twitter to find out more about what different Canadian Schools are doing to get in Computer Science Education Week.

Maker Music Possibilities With Garage Band

I am Aware of My Limitations...

I am a musically illiterate individual. Well, maybe that's too harsh. I have an appreciation, I can maintain a beat, but I don't play any instrument... outside of a stereo.

Recently, I was called by a teacher to do a "GarageBand project". Once I helped to narrow down what curriculum outcomes she hoped to explore, we determined that I would come in to assist with Music class (gulp!) with a group of grade 8's (gulp! gulp!)... Music class? Me?? Well that's the point of this post, you don't have to have any musical experience, if you have GarageBand. Anyways,  I was actually pretty excited, especially after watching +Ryan Hicks video where he uses GarageBand with the iPad, "Creating and Learning with GarageBand". Honestly, I felt a little inspired and empowered that I too, could be a musician.



Photo Credit: C. Strife via Compfight cc

So to get ready for the presentation, I played. Yep, played with GarageBand. I was a little familiar with the program, but thought I should review the functions. So on-line I went and immediately I found some great resources. One video was created by a young kid, at MsNJProductions, who has excellent videos with GarageBand worth checking out! Anyways, as I played with the software, I decided that I should perhaps try to compose a song using the loops and layer a few tracks. I even decided to use my kids in my song (mainly because they insisted on dancing right beside me once they heard the beats). It turned out to be kind of a fun project for my family, and it really only took about 20 minutes to compose a tune. A tune of which I now have ingrained in my mind, because I've played it so much for my daughters.

Anyways, today I conducted my session with the grade 8's and kicked it off with the video from French rapper, Stromae, "Alors on Danse: How it was made" where he goes through a brainstorm process where he layers music via Garageband. Initially I was a little worried the kids would be turned off, but they actually liked it. After discussing how software can let all of musically illiterate become musicians, and letting the students hear my tune that I created - they were actually pretty motivated to get started. We then briefly reviewed how to use GarageBand via the software on the Macbooks, and by then, the kids were really chomping-at-the-bit.

The rest of the session went well. I demonstrated my keen knowledge of how to write a rap from a traditional Christmas song, and wowed the kids with my rap-writing knowledge... Actually I read up on it and discovered that in addition to great resources for GarageBand, WkiHow has excellent resources for writing raps, "How to Write a Rap Song" (not that I would know an "excellent" resource for writing a rap). I almost feel like I owe a thanks to the web and wiki-based community, WikiHow... Whose mandate is, "We're trying to help everyone on the planet learn how to do anything."
Yes, I feel like I can do anything... even write a rap song...

Photo Credit: Pedro Vezini via Compfight cc

Side note...

Here is my lesson that I created using our division's interactive software, Mimio Notebook, that I converted into a PDF, so I could upload to Scribd and add to this post. Scribd is another great tool for embedding docs into blogs and websites.

 

 

It's No Mystery Why These Kids Were Engaged With Mystery Skype!

Clue Keepers/Eliminators

Imagine a group of students...

* studying maps trying to find specific locations...

* using Google Earth and Google Map trying to find areas of the world that are north of the equator, west of the Prime Meridian and bordering the Pacific Ocean....

* intensively and quietly discussing clues to form questions to pose...

Back Channel Recorders

* carefully pondering answers to questions about one's community...

* using a back channel chat like Today's Meet to record questions and clues for future discussion...

* being conscientious when talking with peers about their community...

* working together and collaborating all in the hopes of being the first school to find the other's location....

Google Mapper in Action!

Think Tank Discussing the Cl

If you can imagine it, then perhaps a Mystery Skype came to mind. Today, I had the honor and the opportunity to work with a group of hyper engaged grade fives in a Mystery Skype. What an action packed 40 minutes!

Ready, Set, Go!

Signals for the other team

Intensely discussing possibilities

Prior to starting, Suzanne Louttit, the grade 5 teacher, reviewed all the jobs and groups of students who would be working together.  These students were not "green" to the Mystery Skype experience, as today's was their sixth "game" this year. In order to keep it fresh, Suzanne mixed up each group. Ensuring that students rotate from job to job, thereby getting an opportunity to work with different groups of students on different tasks.

Some of the jobs and responsibilities that  Suzanne incorporated in today's game of Mystery Skype:

*Inquirers/Greeters - "voice of the class" - Greet and say goodbye. Provide information after the "game" about the class.
*Question Responders - Answer the questions about the community/city/ etc in a YES/NO format, on behalf of the class about
*Think Tank - Ponder the clues and receive information from the Google Mappers, Clue Keepers to help zero-in on the location.
*Google Mappers - Use Google Earth and Google Maps to help zero in on the location using the responses to the questions given.
*Clue Keepers / Eliminators - Eliminate areas on the map of where groups should not look. Often paired with another task, if needed.
*Question Keepers - Write down the questions the home team has asked, as well as the opposing team. Keep the questions on 2 smaller white boards for post-Mystery Skype discussion.
*Recorders - Record the session... clues etc. and perspectives on how it went for further discussion. All recorded via Today's Meet.
*Photographer - Take photos of the event for further sharing and reflection.
*Runners - Run information to all groups about the latest clue.
*Problem Solvers/Information Collector - Record key information about the other school's location for future discussion. Explore everyday problems... ie: What is 85 degrees Fahrenheit in Celsius? What countries use Fahrenheit?
* Many of these jobs may be found on my webpage, www.teachingwithtechnologyhub.weebly.com be sure to check it out! They may also be found on Langwitches blog post, "The Excitement of Learning"

Timeline for Mystery Skyping

In a post-Skype interview, Suzanne discussed the following time frame when getting involved in a Mystery Skype.
1. Pre-learn about your community: geography, population, economy, information that relates to geographical landmarks or landforms like rivers, mountains etc.
2. Learn about geographical concepts like equator, Prime Meridian, latitude and longitude, as well a cardinal directions.

Clue Keepers narrowing the search

3. Ensure that the students have a good understanding of the expectations of their jobs. Practice the Mystery Skype with another "mystery person" if possible (another teacher pretending to be from another place... etc.)
4. Review etiquette and manners. How to behave prior to the game, during and after the call. For example, how you say goodbye as the teacher moves the computer around, so that all can wave.
5. Find a partner school. Join the Skype in the Classroom group and sign up to participate in a Mystery Skype. (That's what she suggests, however, you can join a Google group for Mystery Skype or even use Twitter - as I explained in previous post).
6. After you find a school who wants to participate in the game, review the time (and time zone!). Discuss the overall format that you are both familiar with. Perhaps have a practice call to ensure that there is a good connection.
7. The day of the Skype call... Check you device speakers to ensure they will play over the data-projector. Ensure all technology (if shared) is booked for your call or any other resources needed.

Multiple Groups in Action

8. Plan for at least 30 minutes for the "game". At the end of the call, let the students of both teams chat about their communities. Have a list of questions prepared for the post-game informal chat. Take the computer on a tour (wifi permitting) to "show" the other class around. You will probably want about 1 hour for pre and post Skype discussion and preparation.

Final search from the Think Tank

9. After the call, be prepared for a post-Skype reflection discussion. This can be in the form of an on-line journal, like a blog post. Discuss questions that the class asked, and how could they can be refined so that the zeroing-in becomes easier. Explore the jobs and the expectations and if there are some aspects that could be improved, or how could the individual improve?

Thoughts on Curriculum Connections

I asked Suzanne what she liked about Mystery Skype and aside from the obvious engagement of the students. As a grade 5 teacher, she found that learning about Canada or "our community" was pretty straightforward as it's part of the Social Studies curriculum. We also explored what about teachers who teach other grades? She stated that the students were learning how to communicate effectively; work collaboratively as inquirers to find a solution to a "problem"; learn transferable skills with mapping; develop digital literacy as well as digital citizenship. Overall the students have also enjoyed just learning about other communities and cultures, the comparisons of these communities with their own and in general have made connections of these locations to what they  read/hear  in the news.

What it comes down to... we can "cover" curriculum and ensure that every outcome is checked off in a tidy worksheet but do we excite kids about learning? Are we developing in our students a love for meeting people of other cultures. Are we getting kids excited about working together collaboratively on a common problem? These perhaps are the greatest considerations.

One final note, what I also loved about this project, was how technology was used in a way so that it wasn't an add-on. Suzanne used iPads for Google Maps, but she also used laminated maps and markers as well as Atlases. Yes, atlases!! She could use a digital tool for every aspect, but interestingly enough, I think there is a place for still knowing how to navigate  an old-fashioned paper map or an atlas in learning. I'm just curious, what are your thoughts on this??

What Tool Should We Use to Tell a Tale?

+Andrea Needer asked our ECI 831 Community, what tool teachers like to use for Digital Storytelling. I too had been pondering that exact question, especially since there are so many tools to choose from. During our discussion with Alan Levine @CogDog, I wondered what would the "Master Digital Storytelling Guru" recommend for telling a tale? Aside from suggesting that perhaps I check out his site and take a look at what's available, he didn't offer any outright recommendations to his favorites. And now I can see why....

Photo Credit: EAWB via Compfightcc

Interestingly enough just prior to our discussion with Alan, I had a teacher inquire about sharing a retelling project that she had been working on with the story, The Waltz of the Scarecrows. In her project she had the students create a retelling/ re-enactment of the tale, by having the students dress up and portray the events and the emotions of the story. Her project centered around the question, "How did scarecrows come to be?" or "Why do we have scarecrows?" After taking several photos, of the grade one students retelling and acting out tableaus for the story, she had asked how could she share this project with parents. She was familiar with using digital tools but wasn't sure what would be the best to produce this story prior to reportcards... Yes, she wanted to do a digital story prior to reportcards and conferences and still be sane enough to teach her busy grade one students!

Prior to our discussion, I told her that I needed to know what devices and programs she was able to access, and how much work was she willing to put into to learning the project. At first she wanted tons of "wow factor", which made me wonder if we were going to be creating a blockbuster digital story - and how much time did she think that we really had? Finally, I pondered, if we went with lots of flash, would the story be lost in the digital tools? Hmmm...

Danielle Degelman pointed out in her post, "Once Upon a Digital Story", that "Digital storytelling presents an exciting opportunity for students to share personal stories and create fictional stories that respond to various genres." That was it. Giving the students the opportunity to share their story or retelling. Was there a danger of losing the students' voice and their retelling of the Waltz of the Scarecrows with the tools, or was I coping out? Was it best to go with a tool that we knew and  could use well, or go for something that would allow us to hyper-edit and produce the story into something "shiny"? I had questions that needed to be answered.

So, last Tuesday, I attentively listened to Cogdog's wise words on how student voices can be unleashed with digital stories. The potential became evident in how digital stories can fully engage students in all aspects of the strands in English Language Arts through activities like the improvised Pecha Kucha or Pecha Flickr. Eagerly I waited to hear what tool he thought it would best for a digital storytelling project, allowing me to then share this wisdom with my friend. Maybe our question regarding what was the BEST TOOL for her scarecrow story would be answered... Yayyyyy! And... fist... System Overload.... My brain melted.  He provided not just one answer but  a blog, a wiki,  and another wiki's worth. Sigh... Thanks. Back to square one, and now I'm left with a puddle of a brain...and tons of resources to explore.

Photo Credit: Spamily via Compfightcc

Today, my friend and I discussed what tools would be best... again. We came to conclusion that it's not the tool, it's the story you want to share... (It's funny how I keep coming to this conclusion). We revisited her outcomes and what she hoped to achieve in the project. These outcomes were to explore the "big" or essential question, re-tell a story from a student's perspective and to act out these events. So what did we decide to do? What was easy and accessible for her? We decided to use Animoto to create a "trailer" for the project, using photos and video that she had captured with her phone incorporating questions and student retellings in simple form. I showed her how to use Animoto, which by the way was with my upgraded personal account (worth the price by the way). After I showed my friend how to navigate through Animoto, she was on her way. The next question was how to share the video. I suggested uploading it to Youtube, but keep the privacy settings on non-searchable and private, so only those of whom she shares the link will be able to access the video.

We later started to build her story in Photostory, which again is very easy to use. She will be able to later share these stories with parents when she compresses the story to a video file so that it can be seen with a Windows Video File... I think... This might be something that I need to explore, does anyone have more experience with Photostory regarding sharing?? I suppose that will require more research on my part.

If you are still not sure whether or not you should upgrade your Animoto account and if it's worth the price, check out Krista Gates blog post, "What's the story?", where she also promotes using Animoto.

Embellishing Reality & Improvising the Truth with Digital Storytelling

TED Talk to watch

Scott McCloud: The visual magic of comics

What does it mean to tell a story through visuals? What power do comics have in telling a story? McCloud a comicbook artist, explores his journey and philosophy as a comicbook artist. He examines symbolism, visual iconography and the role of vision in the artistry of comicbooks. He explains the art of storytelling, using images in digital storytelling mode with pictures. He discusses what does it mean to have vision and the 3 components that make up vision: the unscene or the unknowable; what can be proven or the tangible; or the unproven. He also explores what does it mean to have vision? What are the principles of vision? In the talk he share these four principles of vision, which are:

1) Learn from Everyone

2) Follow No one

3) Watch for Patterns

4)Work Like Hell

*Tips that we can all live by!

For comicbook artists there are four ways of looking at the world in four main comic book types:

1) the Classicist

2) the Formalist

3) the Aimist

4) the Iconclast

Throughout the discussion he examines how the comicbook artist makes a story come alive by activating all our senses. It made me realize all the components that went into making a comic, it's more than being a great artist with an eye for detail and a lingering sense nostalgia for this literary form. McCloud explores interactivity and hypertext in comics and "comics of the ancient world" and how comics can explore space and time the way information is shared. Huh?? He examines how comics could be shared so that the plot or the type of story or tale could be shared in the manner in how the comic is created. For example, a circular story would be shared in a circular manner, so that the panels were circular.

I love the graphical way he visuals how a story can be told. I immediately connected with Alan Levine's session and how the form for telling the story depends on the story that is being told. So going back to technology... It's all about finding the best tool or the best means to tell that story. Hmmm... It's all making sense now. Be sure to check out this TED talk. Great points to consider in telling one's story!

Here is a link that also includes visuals of Scott McCloud's elements of comicbook storytelling that connect well with digital storytelling. This link is to a presentation, "Digital Storytelling on the Go" created by the SAMR model creator Dr. Ruben Puentedura. I thought the connections between McCloud and Puentedura were pretty cool! Kind of demonstrates the learning that even experts like Puentedura can make from visual pen/paper artists. Storytelling is storytelling - digital or paper.

Now with my own personal applications to digital storytelling...

The Tales of an Unsung Technology Coach...

Here is the first part of a comic that I created using the free version of StoryBoardThat. The free version limits the user to creating comics that allow for only six panels. After some thought on writing a creative story. I gave up on that, and decided to just share some of my experiences in my new role as a Technology Coach. Maybe my creative juices were just tapped out...

Comic created via Storyboard That

After I create my second part of the comic, I'm going to look at narrating the comic with an audio recording uploaded to Soundcloud. How else could I add audio without downloading this image to Explain Everything or Educreations on a tablet. Other ideas?? Vocaroo?? A screencast?? Create a ThinkLink of my comic (screenshot or use Snipping Tool to capture) with embeds of my audio recording?? Hmmm....

How can we make it quick and easy?? I have a MAC which has iMovie and is great for video production, but most teachers don't. So the question I keep asking myself is... How can we make using technology easy for the non-digitally savvy user??? How can we make it all accessible and worthwhile for teachers to learn??

More Questions and Great Resources on Storytelling

In terms of digital storytelling, I have even more questions. So I wonder...

How can we make using the tools easy to tell the story??

What tool is easiest? For photos? Videos? How can we share these stories? 

Is creating a comic telling a story? Should I narrate over it?? What role does that play?? Should I have the speech balloons or thought bubbles??

In addition to the great resources Alan shared with us, I've been looking at resources on Digital Storytelling for primary grades with the work of Shelly Terrell. Shelly has tons of great tools and examines strategies to engage learners and help them tell their story in the blog post article, "Engaging Learners through Digital Storytelling: 40+ Resources & Tips", there is also another article on Edublogs, "20+ Apps to Support the Digital Storytelling Process". She explains some key aspects such as using creative commons images when telling stories which is pretty essential (unless you are a Creative Commons Criminal like myself! ;-) There is also a great link to Kevin Hodgeson's site, StopMotion Movies where he explores the process of storyboarding in creating Stop Motion Projects. He has great process oriented resources to guide teachers and students into great stories that are well planned and executed!

And in addition to the great tools @cogdog shared with us, it's worth one's time to check out this article on tools and digital storytelling  practice suggested in an article by Mindshift, "Ideas for Using iPads for Digital Storytelling" finally, be sure to check out Kathy Schrocks Guide to Everything Blog post on Digital Storytelling where she explore tools, strategies and assessment in making digital storytelling come alive in curricula. What I love it that she also has tons of examples to illustrate the many ways one can tell a story and the different shapes it can take to make the voice of the author heard by the audience.

Another great tool for sharing a story in the form of a journey is from StoryMap JS, which @Raelynn shared from our class. This resource I think would be perfect for telling a story which demonstrates a change in geographical setting. Right away, I envisioned students using this tool in English Language Arts to explore the journey of a character if the plot changes considerably. When I was co-conducting a "Teaching With Technology" session I introduced it to a teacher who was going to be using the Seven Series of books in Book Clubs with his grade 8 class. Immediately I thought as part of the unit, one could explore the geographical plot changes in the book and the emotional journey of a character as he partakes in the adventure to do the bidding of his deceased grandfather. By writing a storymap in this form, students could write the journey, then narrate it from the perspective of a character.

Here is a fan-made book trailer created by a student who loved the book, Between Heaven and Earth by Eric Walters. Creating book trailers could be a form of Digital Storytelling to get other peers enticed to read a book. This one I believe was made with the iMovie app.

Be sure to check out the resources above and the TED talk.

Stay tuned for more on my comic, "The Tale of the Unsung Technology Coach" - I will add more to this post with part 2 of my comic, which might become one of the aspects of my own Summary of Learning. Thoughts anyone??

Screencast: How to Add Creative Commons Images to Blogger

   by  jonwatson 

Hello all fellow Blogger Users!

Feeling Frustrated About Attribution and Need Help?

I might be able to help! :-) Maybe...



If you find giving attribution to images to be a pain, check out my video where I explore:
1.  Flickr,
2. Creative Commons,
3. How to easily get attribution information using the site: imagecode.org in HTML
4. Then add the HTML code information to your Blogger blog.

Digital Storytelling, Student Self Assessment and Digital Portfolios with Powerpoint... Yes Powerpoint!

   by  Macarena C. 

I love digital storytelling! So much in fact, that I think that this powerful tool can have the power for kids to not only compose stories on-line, but share their learnings about a particular area.

 In the Shelly S. Terrell's wiki, she has made a screencast to go with a slideshow about how she uses Digital Storytelling with younger grades. I really appreciate how she acknowledges the overall benefits when working with EAL/ESL learners and how this technology can help them tell their stories. Digital Storytelling video screencast by Shelly S. Terrell can be found on her site, Technology 4 Kids. She discusses what can be achieved with Digital Storytelling, with very simple ideas shared in an accessible way.

In her wiki, in addition to video resources, there are great samples digital storytelling projects and sites to check out. Other links to see on Digital Storytelling... Cog Dog's site, CogDogroo and Kathy Schrock's Digital Storytelling Site . There are so many amazing options for making this project format come to life!

I think I will be exploring some of these options to share in my major project. I plan on using some of the resources and help a grade 1 class tell their stories in the form of a story circle using tools with Digital Storytelling. In addition to this, I have been working with a Pre-K teacher on a Religion Project that incorporates Digital Storytelling. We decided just to go simple by using Powerpoint to insert pictures and audio of children's narration into the text. Very simple, but very effective for teachers. The beauty is that the Powerpoint format can be shared easily with parents! Although using powerpoint might not be flashy, it still is effective and is easy to use for teachers, particularly those who might not be comfortable with using some of the more complicated tools. Sometimes it's about making the digital tool accessible for the hesitant user, rather than making it complicated or frustrating.

This project got me thinking about how Powerpoint could be used with Assessment and Three Way Conferences. In addition to other portfolio work (digital or paper), students could use Powerpoint to create Metacognitive Digital Portfolios. In this portfolios, students could take pictures of pieces of their work they wish to discuss, insert pictures of the work (if it is in paper, just take a picture and upload) or take a screenshot of other pieces of work, then insert "Metacognitive Points" on the goal of the assignment, what they found challenging and their growth in relation to a particular outcome. Students could then record an explanation expanding upon the Metacognitive Points and insert that audio into the text. This Powerpoint could easily be shared via Office 365 prior or in-conjunction with the report card, thereby starting the dialogue for the Three Way Conferences. One of the benefits of inserting audio, rather than doing a screencast, is so that this portfolio could be an on-going project, and it wouldn't have to be recorded all in one shot.

   by  Innovation_School 

Gamification and the Maker Movement, the new reality in education??

Photo Credit: Flickr

I've been thinking a lot lately about Game based learning or "Gamification" as well as apps related to the "Maker Movement". Since it's been playing in my mind, I did a little research and found this short article that gives a snapshot of Gamification is and apps that were approved in the article,  "Smart Games for Game Based Learning" I also viewed, 

Jane McGonigal's hilarious and thought provoking TED Talk, "Gaming can make a better world". Watch it, it's 20 minutes well spent and has great connections to learning.

Honestly though, Gamification isn't such a new concept now; as schools are always in search of the most engaging apps to reinforce and extend learning for multiple curricular outcomes. However, it's the Maker apps that I think have great potential for Project Based Learning or Inquiry in the classroom, and are worth some examination! 

Design apps and software is something I have a little experience with. In the past I used Google SketchUp as a tool for a community redesign project, called Architecture Goes to School. It was undeniably a fantastic way for allowing students to dabble in architecture using a really effective free tool.  Recently I decided to check out and explore the Build With Chrome  app. This tool is a great way for students to take concepts from the concrete in playing and creating with actual Lego, to working more in the abstract with essentially digital Lego building blocks. (Actually in a classroom having a center where students can build with Lego, then move to a center where they can build with Chrome Build might be something worth pursuing. Hmmm.... Maybe a unit to consider...)

All of these tools are all resources for the Maker Movement, which encourages creativity, innovation and critical thinking. All essential principles central in constructivism. In an article, "Let's Make Sure Our Children Embrace the New Maker Culture", the benefits on learning with the philosophy behind the Maker Movement are explored with a push for encouraging it to thrive in schools. When the author, Roy Kieder states, "Makers today are at the forefront of advancement because they possess the skill of fast learning and adaptation. They are able to quickly move to new areas, study them, and connect them with other fields of knowledge.", as an teacher you can't help but get excited, as this is what we all want for our students.  It's pretty hard to deny the validity of exploring the Maker Movement in schools, especially with it's connections to developing traversal thinking skills.

A very popular app or game that has captured the attention of many kids (including my 7 year old daughter), is Minecraft. Initially I wasn't sure about the positive elements of this app, until my daughter started showing me what she had designed and some of the challenges that she had to figure out and problem solve while designing. As she explained her own creative process and what she had figured out, I could see what the craze was all about, and decided it was worth another look. 

However..... For use at home I see it's worth the purchase, but do we buy Minecraft as an app for school tablets??? Would there be a huge public outcry? (Probably) Not to mention that it's very expensive at a school-wide level. Yep it's only about $7, but multiply that by devices... It adds up. Plus going back to parent and public perception - would people get it?? Would the public 'get it', or is it just another battle like allowing smart phones in school. (I'm still trying to get my head around the fact that some school divisions don't allow them). 

Honestly, I think that this area is worth more exploration. I noticed that there was a Maker Movement MOOC in Cousersa that I need to sign up for. Now I just need to find a little time...

If you are interested in learning more about the Maker Movement, here are several articles and resources for further reading:

To learn the language of the Maker Movement (must be a lot of engineering terms???) Check out this article, 

"The Language of the Maker Movement: 39 Terms for teachers" 

This article focuses on maker apps in the classroom that might be worthy of purchase...

"24 Unique Maker Education Resources For Teaching & Learning" at Teach Thought 

If you want to check out some other digital maker apps check out this link to an article,
"39 Tools to Turn your Students into Makers" 

Awesome video from Edutopia to check out...

"How the Maker Movement Connects Students to Engineering and Technology"

I wish my school had the funds for learning that Quin's school does. 3-D printers?? Really??? We're just trying to achieve a 1:3 ratio of devices to students. An issue I'm sure many schools struggle with... 

Sugata Mitra TED 2013 winning talk

Contribution to Learning and Visibility

Questions to ponder this week...

a) How are you contributing to the learning of others?

b) How are you making your learning visible?

 

In response to the first question, I think I have made good strides this week in contributing to learning of others with digital literacy  - particularly for teachers. Then again, I better, my job kind of revolves around that! Seriously, I think that the last couple weeks have been primarily focused on assisting teachers in Regina Catholic with becoming more comfortable with the technology being rolled out. I've discovered through my sessions that teachers really mirror the students in so many ways. Although honestly, I must say that most students, regardless their "Tech Comfort" are far more willing to take risks with learning how to navigate new technology. This could be attributed to the whole "digital native" (reality or myth... however you wish to look at it) or the fact that they are far more willing to just "jump" or dive in. In the past couple weeks, it's apparant that most teachers are truly positive and willing to learn something new, and are willing to work through a few growing pains associated with a system-wide roll out of technology. However, there are other teachers - and usually there is one in every school, that is "grumpily-resistant" to change. And it usually means a little bit of grumbling or frustration...But with a little assistance and boosting of confidence, by telling them they know way more than they think they do... they come around. Being that my sessions are not mandatory for staff members, I'm always impressed that even though some of these resistant users are hesistant to learn something new... they are there, trying their best. For this reason, I truly respect their initiative and effort. I'm impressed that regardless much experience most users have, they are willing to learn something knew, as they know it is imperative that as teachers of the 21st century, we have to ensure that we are reaching our students any means we can... which includes the digital realm for which so many of our students "exist".  I hope that my contribution to the learning of others is one of reducing frustration and building confidence. So that the teachers I work with make the effort to try new ways of teaching students so that they in turn can see what digital tools have allowing them to shape their own learning. 

Now in response to the second question, how am I making my learning visible?? Well, by blogging one can see what I'm reflecting upon in my own Edtech pursuits. I am not a stranger to sharing my thoughts in a digital forum. Now this doesn't mean I'm sharing my innermost thoughts with the world or a collection of autobiographical poems, I just like to share my thoughts on using technology in education (as in this blog), as well my classroom lessons and units (as in my classroom blog). For me, teaching is not a private endeavor... far from it. I like keeping a classroom blog, as it gives parents the chance to see what were learning, which is even more important being that I have taught primarily grade 7/8's, and it also gives students a chance to further reflect on our units of study. I like the collaborative opportunity that maintaining a classroom blog offers. 

Anyways, before I go to far in this direction talking about the benefits of blogging, I should make a further effort to answer the question. Well perhaps in maintaining a classroom blog, parents and students can see not only what were learning, but my quick reflections on how the students are doing or what we need focus on in our learning. A reflective comment on my part here and there in my blog,  goes a long way in terms of parents seeing my professional engagement with teaching and learning. Parents can see that the classroom blog is more than a place to see what's for homework, but videos and links that connect and extend what we are studying. One of the best compliments and memories I once had was that a student told me that he and his parents enjoyed reviewing the links and the videos I had posted on different world cultures in my blog for a Social Studies unit. And by visiting my resources, they were motivated to find others. They were so into this exploration, that a couple days later, they sent me an email of other links they found that they thought I could use in teaching. So by making learning visible via a blog, a student was able to take what we were studying into their home. Of course this is kind of a once-in-a-career scenario, but cool nonetheless.

Finally, other ways I make learning visible is through my use of Twitter to connect with my PLN's (Personal Learning Networks). Honestly I have found that with Twitter and by following the right people, it's done more for my own professional development than any inservice or teacher's convention session. Twitter is PD on the fly - explore and take what you want. Quick snippets of what's relevant now from "average teachers" to infamous edtech gurus. I find that if there is something I want to learn more on based on a quick tweet that I scanned, then I research further. Really I can't say any more about Twitter, or people will start to think that I have shares in the company!

Am I making my learning visible? Somewhat...Hmmm, perhaps I could offer more transparency. I need to consider this further. So on that note, is there anyone in the group an expert on Garage Band?? I have to do a session with a class in the next week and I'm pretty green!! Any advice on using it with a group of grade 8's?? :-)