Screencasting is the best. As I was preparing my lesson for Thursday and Friday I prepared a couple of screencast for the students to give them direction for the day. I also like the idea of being able to explain to the students once then direct them to the screen cast if they missed something.
Currently my Computer Applications class is studying spreadsheets. Not something the kids get excited and go home and tell their parents about. This time I have added a Google Maps hook as a way for students to share their individual travel budgets. There was some challenges getting the map shared correctly so student could edit the map (Google requires an email address). I created a screencast to show students how to add a placemarker and link to their shared spreadsheet. You may view the screencast by clicking here. The directions and complete write up are posted to the students as a shared Google Doc.
One issue with creating a colloborative map was getting all the students access to edit the map. I tried to collect their email address with a google form. That worked ok... I posted a question on the help section. One response was to create a new google account, then give the students the account id and password.
View Tade Price in a larger map
Reflection: Trends and Issues Chapter 21
The obvious issue for me while reading Chapter 21 in Trends and Issues in Instructional Design and Technology is schools need to change. The second is the do-ability of changing our system.
The structure and the content we teach kids has change very little. Where as the way we access information and creating meaning changed tremendously. I had the good fortune to attend the MACUL Conference Thursday and Friday(that may be why this is posted Saturday). Sitting in one session I looked around at everyone with a laptop, tablet, iPad, and cell phones taking notes and keeping tabs on colleagues, I thought now if anyone of us (teacher) had a group of students doing all the things we were doing there would be something wrong and we would put a stop to it. All my notes are archived in the "cloud" and shared with everyone from my school district that attended. IF I had really been with it I would have tweeted all my notes. The challenge then is how can we empower and our students to learn in the way how I did in the past 2 days.
"Another important need is to help educators realize that district wide ecological systemic improvement is not only needed, but doable." (p 218). While reading chapter 21 I was connecting the process to decision we are currently investigation at Western School District. Currently we are looking into a Bond issue and upgrading technology is one item on the plate. Going to the voters and asking for a Bond to update technology may be what Reiser and Dempsey define as Piecemeal. A 1 to 1 laptop or a super network change is a high price tag to pay if we continue business as normal. Seven period days learning and teaching is only available from 7:30 - 2:30 Monday - Friday. Shared notes, Googleing and texting are considered cheating and a waste of time.
I want a school district that fosters the type of learning experience that I had this week at MACUL. The value of the presentation was not the credentials of the speaker but the content and I was allowed to communicate with my peers via text, twitter, and a shared google workspace what I was doing and learning during my session.
Lastly reading the title of the person that Frederick County Public School System Executive Director of District and Community Relations made me think of this "Assistant to the Regional Manager".
Dwight K Schrute III
No comments:
Post a Comment