Heather's Presentation

Facts about digital storytelling
1. It is a combination of words, pictures and music.
2. Can be used to tell a personal or academic story.
3. A good alternative to traditional reports or stories.

I used my media literacy skills for my digital story in that I learned how to combine all words, pictures, and music in order to convey and idea.

Engrade Snapshots

Here are my Engrade snapshots. Please proceed to the previous blog to read my critique and reflection.

The Grade Book: Moving Beyond Pen & Paper

For the grading software assignment, I used Engrade.com. I thought the software was extremely easy to use. The features which I liked were:

• Assignment averages
• Citizenship section
• Ability to manually assign grades
• Different grading options
• Easily import to Excel

I thought the software is somewhat limiting in terms of being able to elaborate on each particular grade and why the student received the grade. I would like to be able to create a hyperlink attachment to each number grade which would allow access to an evaluation report or rubric which explains the grade or analyzes the grade.

I think this software would be very helpful for classroom teachers in that it is efficient and clearly organized. It certainly simplifies the process of grading when compared to paper and pen methods. I like that it creates class averages for assignment grades. I suspect this type of software is in its infancy. I would like to see options to create graphs of class and student achievement in order to provide the teacher with a snapshot of student and class progress.

The option to allow student and parent access to their grades is very concerning to me. Assessment and evaluation is a complicated process and can be confusing for a non-professional to understand. The thought of having a parent track their student's daily grades is, quite honestly, frightening to me. I compare it to a patient having access to their laboratory results. The patient has no training in interpreting such results, which is why patients must receive the results from their doctors who can explain those results to them. I feel the same measures are necessary for parents and students. I would prefer to speak with the parent if they want to know how their student is doing so that I may explain my concerns and explain the grades, rather than having them jump to conclusions and have unnecessary concerns or unreasonable optimism.

Digital Storytelling

The digital storytelling project was so much fun! It really allowed me to use my love of telling stories and my creativity. I have used Windows Movie Maker in the past in order to create slideshows for personal use and I was surprised at how easy it was to add narration.

This is an assignment I would certainly give to my students in my future practice. Instead of simply writing a story on paper, they can also express their stories through speaking and enhance their stories through the creative use of images. This will be a very appealing assignment to digital natives.

To view my digital autobiography, please click below.

Social Interactive Model in Lit & Tech

The topic of today's online class was "Cooperative Learning vs. Collaborative Learning." As we were exploring the differences between these two social interactive models of instruction, a thought occurred to me: I only need to look as far as the design of this course to find concrete examples of these different methods of instruction and learning.

For example, the entire course is based on the Social Interactive Model. That is, we work with others in order to learn about literacy and technology. Then, there are different types of social interactive technologies within the course. So, when we meet with the whole class and Dr. Smirnova asks us to answer questions for the class or assigns our group a task to complete, we are engaging in cooperative learning. Dr. Smirnova is acting as the facilitator and mediator. It is a teacher-centered activity. When we meet in smaller groups in order to complete an assigned task, we are engaging in collaborative learning. The activities are student-centered. The group is the director of the group's actions.

So, the next time I need to give an example in this course, I will be sure to look to the design of the course itself before going to outside sources.

Creating Assignments with Multiple Educational Goal

I have to be honest about my reaction when I read the crossword assignment on Moodle: I groaned with dread. All I could think about was all the school work I had to do and now I had waste my time in order to create a silly crossword puzzle?!

But, as I created the puzzle, I realized this was another of Dr. Smirnova's sneaky assignments. What seems like a simple task is actually a well-planned activity which creates the conditions for the student to learn something new. This assignment accomplished much more than simply creating a crossword puzzle. It accomplished the following educational goals:
1. By creating the crossword puzzle on Excel, I was forced to explore Excel and learn to use it in a new application.
2. By using the vocabulary from my assigned TDC chapter, I was forced to review the vocabulary words and their meanings.
3. The entire activity induced a reflective process in which I realized the educational value of this type of assignment.

Can I use create my own multi-purpose assignments in my future classroom? Of course. For example, instead of giving a direct instruction lesson on how to use Excel, I could use the same crossword assignment for my students using vocabulary words from a content area such as math or science. With today's demanding standards, this is an ideal and efficient way to develop computer skills while reinforcing content area knowledge.

If I were to do an assignment like this again, I would not approach it with dread. I would approach it with an open mind so that I may fully partake in the educational opportunity the assignment offers.

Collaborative Collapse

Working in a group is challenging for most people. However, I think it is particularly challenging for teachers. Why is this? Well, one of the appealing aspects of teaching for many is the aspect of being in "command and control" of the classroom. However, the days of being able to enter a classroom, close the door, and operate a classroom the way one sees fit, are over. Therefore, teachers must learn to collaborate.

Education takes many of it's cues from the business world. A quick Google search about business and collaboration indicates a dramatic shift in recent years from "command and control" style management policies to a more collaborative method of management. Why is this? Research shows that collaborative efforts yield a better product in a shorter amount of time. This has several implications for education. First, we are educating the workforce of tomorrow. They must know how to collaborate in order to be productive members of the workforce. Yet, how can we, as educators, teach them to collaborate if we ourselves cannot collaborate?

My collaborative experience for this course has been met with several issues which have presented a challenge to the efficacy and efficiency of the group. I began to reflect on the dynamics of the group in order to see if I could affect any positive changes. The first issue I have noted is a distinct "Me" mentality among members of the group (myself included). Just setting up a meeting time has been a challenge because, "I have to do this" and "I am taking this class and this class and this class" and "I can't believe these people think I can meet anytime they want." It would be far more productive to simply present a list of available openings. Most people are very busy and it's not a contest for who is the busiest. Complaining is a counterproductive waste of time.

Furthermore, expectation levels among the group are wide-ranging. Not everyone in a group is going to be a high-achiever. Just because one person strives for that A, doesn't mean that all members of the group are going to. Berating that lower-achiever or re-doing their work is detrimental to the group as a whole. A better way to manage that person may be to determine what their strengths are and to assign them that portion of the project. For example, if one person is a dynamic public-speaker, perhaps they should present a project. If one person is a good researcher, perhaps they should do the research. If another is creative, they should add the art work and creative effects to the project. As teachers, we understand that are students are going to have different learning styles. It's interesting that we do not apply this same philosophy to our colleagues. In education we refer to High-Achievers and Average Students. The business world refers to A-Players and B-Players. The following site provides great tips for managing both types of workers: http://changingminds.org/disciplines/hr/performance_management/b-players.htm.

Another issue in the group is an inability to delegate a job and trust the person to do the job. There is no point in delegating a job and then just doing it anyway because the delegatee did not do the job in the manner the delegator wanted it done. A better collaborative style would be to offer constructive feedback and encouragement in order to improve the overall work product.

Finally, a collaborative group needs a strong, consistent and present leader who can create a cohesive work environment.