Final Project & Reflection

Introduction Video

My final project "Let's Tell Their Stories: Famous Vermonters" is about providing students with another way to show their learning, through digital storytelling using WeVideo.  Initially I started developing my final project on a Google Doc, but then decided that I wanted to present it in a Google Site.  Here is the Site. 

I have been working with a fourth grade class who is studying Vermont, and their culminating project in the spring is to do biographies, so I decided to do a project that I would be able to implement later in the year.  I wanted to make sure the teacher I am currently working with would be able teach the project comfortably.  I wanted to make sure the video project didn't limit student creativity, I think it's important we give them choice on what they wanted to create, as long as it met the exceptions of showing their learning about the person.  I had fun developing this project and I am exciting to work with students in the spring on it.  

It was good to create a project from start to finish.  Perhaps because my position is usually just working with others on creating projects, I don't usually see the whole thing through, so it really made me step back and think about every step.  I initially tried a couple different ways to develop my introduction video, because I didn't want to be on camera, but in the end decided I would just "get over it" and record myself.  Of course it took many "takes", but in the end I was satisfied with what I produced.  

I decided to put it all together in a Google Site, because I like the way you can visually structure things.  I tried to keep in mind who my audience would be, and I knew that simpler would be better.  

It's great that I have something I will be able to use later on this year! 

Week 12: Final Project Framework

My final project idea is to work with a fourth grade class on digital storytelling using WeVideo.   They will be wrapping up their year long study of VT by choosing a famous VT person to research.  Using WeVideo students will create a 5 minute digital biography about the person.  They will be able to choose the format of their video, for example recording themselves as the person, creating a music video, making a music video, advertisement, etc.

Students will use an online graphic organizer- either Google Draw or Lucidchart (or paper for those who would like) to curate their information.  Once they have gathered their information they will start planning their video using storyboards and writing scripts.  

Working in pairs students will use their Chromebook to record their videos.  We have CTL Chromebooks, so the camera flips around.  They will use microphone to record better audio.  They will then edit their video in WeVideo.  I will also be working with the teacher on setting up and managing her class on WeVideo.

Here is a link to my Final Project Outline.

Week 11- Advice to New Teachers

My initial advice to new teachers would be to start to build your own creativity.  Take up a hobby.  It could be something new that they’ve wanted to try out, or something they tried before.  Once they start, they then need to practice.  The focus should be on the process, not the goal.  To live in the moment, and appreciate all the steps.  As Robinson says “the answer now is not to suppress our creativity but to cultivate it more seriously and with a greater sense of purpose.” (Robinson, 2138).

Next they should connect to other teachers, look for inspiration from them.  Join Twitter, Facebook, follow other teachers blogs and Pinterest boards.  Take their ideas and modify them accordingly.  Don’t try to do it alone, education and teaching isn’t meant to be a lone thing to do.  While doing this they should be collecting and organizing their ideas, and then start to share as well, it’s important to give back too.  They need to realize that we all have the potential to be creative, so don’t be afraid to try anything.  Another important piece of the creativity process is to take the time to reflect on their teaching- did it work, why or why not? What could be changed to make it better?  Make sure all along that they give their self time to practice and learn, and remember not to be too harsh on oneself.  Expect from yourself as you would expect from your students, and remember “imagination is the root of creativity” (Robinson, 1890).

When we look at all the content requirements in education, I would tell new teachers to start with the big picture- the idea of backwards design, what is it you want your students to learn.  From there, then find the connection in the subjects, how can they be blended together?  Next look at what types of creative problems and questions can be extracted from this to engage students.  “When students are motivated to learn, they naturally acquire the skills they need to get work done, ” therefore the “real driver of creativity is an appetite for discovery and a passion for the work itself.” (Robinson, 1913).  They must remember it isn’t about the content, it’s about the learning.  If we can engage and motivate students, no matter what the subject is, they will learn.  Not only will they just learn, but they will invoke their own creativity within themselves, and take the idea of learning to the next level- to prepare students for life after school, to discover things they are good at, strengthening their will and skills to pursue them, and find their confidence, capability, and passions.  (Robinson, 1799).

Week 11 Reflection: Coding

As the Hour Of Code quickly approaches, it was great to start coding this week. A long time ago when I was in middle school, I learned how to write BASIC programs, but I have since forgotten how to do so.  It's been a while since I've used Scratch.  I used it when it first came out about 12 years ago, but haven't really gotten back to it since.  I'm glad to see new updates to the program. 

The Google CS First would be great to use with students. I liked the pace of the tutorials, easy for students to follow, and guides them along with success.   For the program below I tried all the basic features out.  I modified the sprite (changed colors, added parts from other sprites), created a gif (drew the color bomb), added sounds/music (I recorded the Candy Crush song from my iPad), and uploaded a new background.  I was able to move the ball and the sprite around.  If I was to add more to it, I would have the sprite somehow catch the balls.

Week 10 Reflection: 3D Printing

I have done a little work before in Sketch-Up, but Thinkercad was new to me. At first I had a hard time trying to figure out how to make my object, as I knew what I wanted to make (chicken roost holder) but couldn't seem to figure out how to design it. I realized that I kind of had to think a little backwards, then I was able to design it as I wanted. I wasn't able to get it printed up, but I'm still going to try. I really want 4 for my coop!

I think 3D printing offers students a new type of hands-on learning, that literally brings a new dimension to their learning experience.  It can also help bridge the gap between what a student imagines and the reality of a tangible object, and it lets students learn how to endure adversity and persist in problem solving.  It helps connect abstract concept to real life, aids in the development of spatial intelligence, and ignites the imagination.  3D printing increases active student engagement, emphasizes collaborative learning, and increases student exposure to problem solving skills and content knowledge.  The physical touch can make the connection for students, it brings the concepts alive.

3D Printing and Biology- Curated Articles/ Videos

I decided to look into 3D printing in biology.  It was hard to find articles on 3D printing and biology, but I found a couple.

In 6th grade my students study the human body.  The first site I curated was a video of students at Marshall University printing out skeletons of extinct animals and bones in the hand that they needed to learn.  In the 6th grade they could print out small models of an entire skeleton, that could be taken apart and put back together.  They could also print out organ system, and learn how they work.  Students also learn about cells structures, so bringing them into 3D form make understanding them much easier.   

In 6th grade my student every year dissect a real sheeps heart and virtually dissect a frog on their iPads.  I found an article from the Smithsonian where they were printing out whole frogs in parts, so  instead of dissecting a frog, students can build a complete frog.  I love the idea that an animal doesn’t have to die for our learning experience, that children aren’t exposed the harsh chemicals used in preserving the bodies, and yet still have the hands on learning experience of being able to look deeper into parts of the body.

This last one is a video about a child’s prosthetic hand, that he and his dad printed.  The idea we are teaching students, is that anything is possible.  Let make learning come alive, be engaging and fun, and let students explore endless possibilities.

Printing in plastic is just the beginning.  What if we could print food, organs, cells, etc.  What would our schools look like then?

Week 9 Reflection: Podcasting

What That BuZZZ All About?!

It took me a couple days to figure out what I wanted to do a podcast on.  I listened through a variety of podcasts, and finally decided that I was more engaged with podcasts that had woven in music and other sounds effects.  At first I was going to do a podcast at school, recording people about a topic, but then quickly realized I didn't have much time to get the recordings.  So then I turned it back on to myself, and asked myself what am I interested in that I could talk about, and that might be interesting to other people.  This brought me to the idea of making a podcast about bees.  

As a new beekeeper I have been very excited about learning about bees and what it takes to be a beekeeper.  At first I thought maybe to do a podcast about what it takes to be a beekeeper, but then I thought I might be able to grab the interest of a larger audience if I talked about what are some things we all can do to support the population of bees.

I decided to start my podcast out with a little 101 about bees, and then move into what can we do.  I wanted to do my podcast using WeVideo, as we have a school subscription and I had never thought of using WeVideo for podcasting, so I wanted to try it out.  Plus I knew that I could bring this idea back to my teachers, which I did, and I already have a couple who are interested. 

First I wrote a script of what I wanted to talk about.  I wanted it to have that introduction, middle and conclusion feel, as some of the podcasts I had listened to, so I tried to write it in that style.  I did two full recordings of it, and decided the second one came out better.  One tip I had read about, was when I was recording, if I made a mistake to make a pause, so that it would be easier to go back and edit.  This worked out great.  I didn't feel the pressure of trying to get it all correct in one speaking session. 

One major issue I ran into was that after I went through and edited the entire narrative, I went to add in sound effects (like Pooh Bear) and realized that WeVideo audio editing wouldn't allow me to drop audio between audio, without messing the rest up.  I emailed help, and unfortunately received back this response.  
         "I'm afraid that only the pieces on the Main track automatically arrange themselves. If you want to add the piece of audio from Audio2 track on the Audio1 track, between the two pieces, you will have to arrange every other piece that comes after. Sorry for the inconvenience this is causing."

So, suddenly I realized that my desire to add in lots of sound effects was going to be a much longer process than I had anticipated.  But I worked though it, and for my first podcast, I think it came out pretty well.

I have some students who are studying the Olympic in Ancient Greece, so I was thinking maybe have them make some sports podcasts.  In PE they are learning some Greek Olympic style games, and it might be fun for them to narrate them.  There are lots of great idea for using podcasts with students, I definitely need to try some out with them.

Week 7 & 8 Reflection: Midterm Collaboration Project

Transforming the Classroom- eBook

For this midterm collaboration project I ended up working with Jamie Gallagher. It was a little difficult figuring out who was going to work with who. I think we were all kind of waiting for the others to take the initiative and get things set up. The online environment made it a little more challenging, as we all tend to work at different hours, I felt sometimes I was just waiting for others to respond. Eventually I was partnered up, and then the next challenge was trying to communicate through our schedules.

 We started out project planning process by starting at the end- deciding we wanted to create a WeVideo. Working backwards, we ended up with the question of how to do PLPs and Project Based Learning help to transform schools, while supporting a creative learning environment. We first worked in a Google Doc, then moved our thinking to a storyboard template. From there we decided that we would make an eBook instead, partially due to time restrictions, and thought it would be a better way to present our collaborative thinking. We each worked on different pages of the books, then reviewed each other's work and modified it accordingly.  In the end, we developed an eBook that explains the idea of how PLPs and Project based learning can support creativity, we used Issuu to publish the book.

Reflecting back, it might have been easier to be paired up instead of trying to figure out who was going to work with who.  This process might have been easier face-to-face, as people's different access to the course work varies person to person.   I think time planning and expectations from each other are very important to have this process run smoothly.  Overall the collaboration experience was interesting, and yet eventually was doable.  It definitely showed me that online collaboration isn't as easy as I thought it would be.

Midterm Collaboration Project

For this collaboration project I worked with Jamie. The eventual outcome was an ebook, that explores the idea of Project Based Learning, PLPs and transforming schools to help support a more creative environment.

Week 6 Reflection: WeVideo

This was the week I have been waiting for, WeVideo. I have briefly used WeVideo in the past, but never really actually completed a video or really explored all the different features. For this video I really tried to explore through all the options and include them in my video. I added still photos, videos, voice recordings, music, and all the other effects and features. Fortunately I don't think it came out too cheesy, which I was little worried about, when one adds to many "bells & whistles". 

Video creation for students is a powerful way for students to demonstrate learning. They are a fun alternative to written assessment, give students a new way to express their voice and creative ability. Students watch videos all the time nowadays, and not just for entertainment reasons, they are watching videos to learn how to do things. We need to capture this interest and have them create their own media production. Not only is this engaging and helps student retain what they've learned, but it is also teaching them how to analyze and understand the media that they are watching. This type of creativity also involves higher order thinking skills, teamwork, writing, planning, producing and sharing.

 There are many ideas for student created videos. They can use them to tell a story, create a personal narrative, record a screencast demonstration, highlight a cause, interviews, create book trailers, demonstrate a science lab.... the list goes on and on.

WeVideo Movie

For my WeVideo project I decided to create a video for our art teacher, who just received the UVM Art Teacher of the Year award. The projects she does with students is amazing and so creative, that I thought it would be great for me to learn how to use WeVideo by creating a video about her art work at school. I have briefly used WeVideo in the past, so this time I really tried to explore all the available features. You can see this through my video, with all the different effects. I also recently got a voice recording microphone that I hadn't yet tried out, so I used it to include the voice of some teachers. I included still pictures and videos as well. I really had fun creating this video. I can see why video editing can take a long time, I kept going back and adjusting and fixing pieces. I'm pretty happy with my first real WeVideo creation and can't wait to share it with my faculty and especially my art teacher Katie.

Week 5 Reflections: eBooks

For this week's learning I decided to create a Jeopardy game that I would be able to use with students who are currently studying Ancient Greece.  As I was using the master template, I thought about having students make their own Jeopardy games.  I think it would be fun and motivating for them, and it would certainly make them learn about Ancient Greece.  I've done a lot of presentation in Google Slides, but I learned a couple tips off the Beautiful and Awesome presentations videos and Kelly Fitzgerald, that I will definitely be using on my next presentation.  My new learning was about master slides- this will make it much easier!

I really like idea of creating a collaborative ebooks.  Publishing it on Issuu gives it that book feel, which makes it come alive.  The "Big Red" stories were great!  Now with Google Draw we could give students the option to hand draw or Google draw.  We could also record their voices reading their stories.  I'd like to take the ebook idea back and talk with my teachers to see how we might use them with students.  I have a couple teachers in mind that I think would really jump on this idea.  

Having students participate in projects like these, really utilize the great features of docs and slides.  It is more engaging for students, taking them away from the tradition writing lessons we usually have them do.  It also then allows their work to be shared with others outside the classroom, which we know that students will work harder on their projects if more than the teacher is viewing them.  I have some great new ideas I can't wait to share with my teachers. 

Week 5- Jeopardy Game

This week I decided I would try to make a Jeopardy game.  My 4th graders are starting to study Ancient Greece, so I decided I would would make a game that they could use.  This was my first attempt at making a Jeopardy game.  Overall it was pretty easy to do.  I used a template that was provided in the class.  The hardest part was deciding on the questions, so I went to a 4th grade teacher and found out some of the topics they would be covering.

I'm also thinking about suggesting to these teachers to have their students make ebooks for this unit of study.  This is the second year these students will be using Google Docs, so this might an idea they would be will to try out and the topic would fit nicely into a collaborate ebook.  I meet with the 4th grade teachers weekly, so I'll see if it is something they might be interested in trying out.

Ancient Greece Jeopard Game

Week 4 Reflection: Visual Literacy

For this week's creation tools I decided I would try out Canva, which I had never used before and Pixlr, which I have used a couple times before.  I have used Sumo Paint and PicMonkey, so I wanted to explore some different tools.   I found Canva pretty easy to use, the quick tutorial was helpful.  This one starts with asking to pick from a template of designs, so I chose to make a presentation slide for an upcoming workshop.  Overall it was pretty straightforward to use, but what I didn't realize was that some of the features I had chosen cost money, so when I went to save it wanted me to purchased the image.  I wasn't about to purchase it, so my work around for this was to take a screenshot of my work.  

Next I used Pixlr, which I have used a couple times before.  I like this tool, because it is similar to PhotoShop Elements, a program I have used in the past with my art teacher and integrating technology.  I like the basic tools it provides, it give you much more control over your photo manipulation than PixMonkey.

I think these types of creation tools are wonderful to use in school.  It gives students the ability to share their ideas, imaginations, and understanding through a combination of original artwork, text, and images.  Using these types of technologies supports a variety of learning styles, encourages creativity, thinking, and communication skills.  It gives students a sense of pride in their work and fosters determination to achieve and share.

There are lots of ways students could use digital art in school.  Some things I've been thinking about are create anti-bullying posters, take pictures of themselves and manipulated them, add text to photos takes on field trips.  They could make themselves into a superhero by replacing their face with the superhero's face, or create logo parodies to support our Be A Star Program. This can all then be shared out through their blogs, webpages, and other social medias we use.

Passion Creations

The first tool I tried was Canva.   I thought I'd make a presentation slide for an upcoming workshop.  I replaced some of the little pictures with Google icons.  My thinking was to hide some of the Google apps icons with a bunch of other things to reflect the workshop title- "No so Apparent...".  This one captures my passion for sharing knowledge and learning to others, which is part of my job and the many presentations I give.  

The second tool I tried was Pixlr, which I have used a couple times before.  My design below is of an image I took of Mount Mansfield one morning to work.  The original photo is in the center.  I then recreated that photo with different filters, cropped the images so they would fit, then reconfigured the layers so I had them set where I'd like.  I chose this image because of my love of Vermont and all the things that come with being a "Vermonter".  When I think about what gets me excited, flowing, and inspired, it's the things I do because I live in VT- gardening, beekeeping, hiking, winter fun, running, outdoor activities with friends and family, and so much more!

Reflection Week 3

This week it was fun to use Google Draw.  I've dabbled in it a little bit before, but this provided the opportunity to explore more. I like the ability to reorder shapes, bring to front-send to back, and group them together.  This reminded me of using the Smart Board software.  In my concept map I was able remix photos to enhance some of the points.  The photos I used I took from the photo sources that were provided, the new ones for me were Pixabay, Morguefile, and Pexels, so I used these sites to find my images.  Out of the three I liked Pexels and Morguefile, I found they were easier to use.  Pixabay seemed to be more restricted.

I have been used Blogger for many years now, so creating a blog wasn't new to me.  While I have been using it for a while, I had to admit I haven't been good at keeping my blogs up to date.  I do like this idea of creating a portfolio for myself using a blog, so this will be interesting.

I have made blog headers before, but I hadn't used Google draw to do so.  I thought it was much easier than the process I had used before.   The picture I added for my header is a view from our house on the lake- one of my favorite spots.   I also hadn't used labels before either, so I liked learning how to set that up.

Thinking about how I can use these things with teachers and students, the first idea that comes to mind is having them use Google Draw.  I found it quite easy to use, especially since you can apply the same logic as using the Smart Software (which they currently use) and how it easily embeds into a Google Document. I can think of all sorts of projects where students need to draw and then add to a Doc, so this will be great to show them how it works.

I am also constantly talking about Creative Commons, so having some more free sites for images will be great to share.  Many of my teachers already blog for their classroom news, so anything new about blogging I might gain will be great to be able to show them.  I am looking for better ways to add slideshows to Blogger, so if anyone has any ideas please let me know.

Aspirations

What do you ASPIRE to?
Why did you take this course?  What do you hope the outcome will be for you?

For a long time I knew I always wanted to be a teacher.  There was something about the profession that just drew it towards me.  Perhaps it was the nightly dinner conversations that were always about education, as both my parents were teachers; or the idea of teaching the future, having a hand in supporting others in their quest of becoming a life-long learner.  In the end I knew teaching was for me.

I think my aspirations are more than just teaching.  It's about being the best person I can be in this life-time.  Treating others how I care to be treated and trying my best at being a good person.  To be kind, considerate, and passionate, to lead by example, and always keep striving for more.

I am taking this course because I like teaching others, helping them move forward, to support the change in education necessary to create the next generation of people who are also kind, communicative, risk-takers, who can problem-solve, while always continue to learn.

I know from observing my own learning, I too need to be inspired.  I need be helped to think outside my pre-set limitations, so that when I come back to teaching others, I have a fresh new perspective and vision for the future.  With this course I hope to challenge my ideas and push my learning forward.