Digigogy Issuu 3

Digigogy

Designing A Framework For GROWTH Issuu Three Special SCIENCE Edition: Pre-Service Science Teachers Articulate Task-Specific Tech Tools for Instructional Purposes

DIGIGOGY This issue of Digigogy was largely written by preservice teachers in a Master’s Program at Niagara University, much like the April Issuu. I had the pleasure of guest lecturing in their methodology class, and they created the pages for this Issuu in the moment. They described a technology tool with a frame for how they might use it in the classroom. They emailed their documents to me so that I could compile them into one document to create the file I’ve uploaded to ISSUU.com. I appreciate their willingness to share and collaborate with this 21st Century tool, and I hope you, the reader, appreciate this insight into their thoughts.

Contents

October 2010

©Michael Fisher

Mikefisher821@gmail.com Digigogy.com

Teacher’s Toolbox | 3 Teacher Contributions | 4  Preservice Teachers share a variety of technology tools with an overview of using the tool as well as their ideas for a specific purpose for that tool.

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Cover image remixed from: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1160569 This page computer image from Flickr user “izzymunchted” at http://www.flickr.com/photos/izzymunchted/1419115048/

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Champions of Ubiquity Now that the school year is underway, I thought I would write about a ―Back 2 School‖ idea for starting the year off on the right foot.

I’d like to first have you consider whether technology itself is worthy of being a set of ―skills‖ that we must develop. The usage of ―21st Century Skills‖ is quickly becoming a banal phrase and only carries as much meaning as the person who says it is committed to its meaning…and there are multiple meanings and interpretations!

That said, isn’t technology so infused for our students now that saying that we’re going to use it is like saying the movie we are going to go and see is ―in color?‖ Isn’t it a given?

(At least for the kids?)

So, I’d like to ask you to commit to being a ―Champion of Ubiquity‖ this coming year.

Assume the technology is a framework for everything you do or everything you offer to your students. Let your teaching methodologies and student assessment products be menu items rather than set in stone artifacts and modalities.

Give your students opportunities to design their own instruction based on their experiences, based on their own readiness and interest, or any other platform from which you might consider differentiating yourself. (You know this stuff…why should you be doing all the work?!?!? Let the kids be tired at the end of the day from their hard work—not you!)

Make a difference this year by becoming the teacher you wish you had, or by making instructional design choices that truly benefit the 21st Century Learner (including yourself!)

The ―21st Century‖ isn’t about the transference of information – it’s about the sharing of information and the collective creation of something new from that. It doesn’t matter what the label is on the learner…whether they are the teacher or the student or the administrator or anyone who wants to be in the process! Everybody is a learner now—that’s really what the 21st Century is all about! Here's to a great year!

Recently saved to 

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http://www.historypin.com/ —Pin your history to the world. Collaborative project with Google to ―map‖ your history through photos and stories. http://yttm.tv/ - The YouTube Time Machine. Pick and date, and go back in time with videos from a selected year! Lots of classroom implications here. http://livebinders.com/play/play_or_edit/26195 LiveBinder of using iPads in Schools. Lots of resources!

Get all my Diigo bookmarks at: http:// www.diigo.com/user/mikefisher821

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Title: www.Todaysmeet.com

Overview/Summary: TodaysMeet is a student and teacher friendly blog/ web board/ chatroom that holds live conversation. To create the chat room one enters a room name (Note: no spaces in room name allowed), how long to keep the room posted, and if you want twitter access. Upon entering the room there is a simple set up of “say” and “listen” that works similar to an instant messaging program. An instructor just has to provide a URL to students to have access to this chat room. The students just create a name and are given access to the chat. Other features include a transcript option which gives you the ability to organize the entire conversation from the very first post.

The projector feature organizes the entire conversation starting from the most recent post.

Screen Shot:

Instructional Use: This tool could be used for group discussion assignments. The teacher would create a group specific URL where group discussions could be recorded. This also could be used for a general help chat (homework help /tutoring/ test prep) where the teacher could help assistance to students at certain times during nonschool hours. Teachers also could post assignments on this blog site or place reminders of class projects/assignment whose due dates are coming up. Outside special guest speakers could meet up with students on a blog pertaining to class content and discuss certain specialties related to coursework.

Other Ideas: Connect multiple sections of a class

From Flickr user: langwitches http://www.flickr.com/photos/langwitches/4408017823/sizes/o/in/set-72157605083562304/

Google Search Stories Overview/Summary: Google Search Stories is a video creator. It allows the user to type in their searches and select the kind of results that best communicate their story. Making videos out of Google searches isn't exactly elaborate Hollywood film-making, but it lets everyone get in on the fun. All you need to do is type in your Google searches, pick some music and — presto! — you've got your very own Search Story to share with your friends or showcase on our YouTube channel.

Screenshot:

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Ideas for Instructional Uses: Any scientific process of multiple steps – ie, mitosis Evolution Story

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History of Scientists

Other Ideas:  Introduce a new topic/unit  Close a lesson  Go-to tool to get started  Assessment tool

Title: www.wordsift.com Overview/Summary: Word sift is a program that can take any text and create a ―word cloud‖ based on the most important and used vocabulary words in the text. It will also pull up images of the main word, but you can click on the other words in the ―word cloud‖ and other images of that word will appear. This program will also create a word web with definitions connected to it. This program is called visual thesaurus, which is a web link connected to this program. This word web has the main word in the middle with other words related to that topic along with definitions if you click on the word. On the side bar, there are boxes labeled nouns, verbs, and adjectives that are connected to the word. Another feature this program has is another side bar that when you click on a word in the word cloud, it will show you the portion of the text where that word is found.

Screen shot:

Ideas for instructional use: This website is great not only for science classes but any class.

It allows a teacher to isolate vocabulary words and describe them.

A teacher could use this program before starting a new section, a piece of text, article, and newspaper. This program can allow the students to analyze the vocabulary words in different ways; there is even a spelling bee game. It’s a good way to have students find what the important parts of a difficult or challenging text. This also lets the students have a tool that they can use inside and outside the classroom. If they are stuck on a word at home, they can simply type it in and see what happens. This can be used as a resource for writing papers and also finding relevant pictures that are actually related to the topic.

Other Ideas: Find key points or main idea

Voki Web Avatars

Overview Voki is an avatar creation service where one can record their voice and associate it with an avatar. It provides a personal touch to online classes putting a voice and a character to a question, comment or statement.

Instructional Use

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Students Posting discussion questions Reflection Summary/Review Blogging project about a topic  song  book on tape  speech  soliloquies  interview  advertisement Teachers Personalize an online presence Provide overview of what will be discussed in the day/ week Can get missed class information Announcements/reminders

Other Uses:  Lighten up serious topics  Introduce a theorist (make a Darwin and have him speak)  Basic Facts  Have different students recap the day

DIGIGOGY MAGAZINE Issuu 3 October 2010

ŠMichael Fisher

Mikefisher821@gmail.com Digigogy.com