So here we are. We find ourselves at the end of this workshop (a bit behind my peers). It seems as though I just started trying out these new tools only a few weeks ago. It has been a journey that has honestly prepared me to be a better teacher. I am very excited to see how this all comes to life in my classes this year. I hope you all enjoy (or at least view) this digital story.
Friday, August 23, 2013
Monday, August 5, 2013
Activity #16 (before #15) - My research about Twitter in the classroom
WEB 2.0 & STUDENT ENGAGEMENT
I actually have been looking into the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom in terms of their connection to student engagement. Since I love me some #edtech and I had to do research on something, I thought it might be a good idea to explore this whole Web 2.0 from yet another front. This front was more technical in the research. I'll just include a little of it here, as it gets a little dry.
One of the big topics that has been studied is the use of Twitter. To date, Reynol Junco has done several studies on how Twitter helps engagement at the college-level. One of his papers, The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades, is very interesting. Using the National Survey of Student Engagement he and his partners found that the experimental group had an increase in both engagement and semester grades.
I guess I figured that Twitter would engage students more, especially if they were already Twitter users. However, the degree to which engagement happens with the use of Twitter was unexpected. As far as grades are concerned, I didn't think Twitter would have been that important. I would think that it would take a lot more than some Twitter posts to actually increase grades. Well, it just goes to show that engagement is VERY closely related to grades. This just drives home the need for me to use Web 2.0 more in my classes.
MOOC's & THEIR LEADERS
This is fascinating to me...open, online classes. That sounds crazy. I have a friend that is a professor at Northwestern University that is launching his MOOC in September and currently has almost 20000 students signed up for it. WHAT!?! Are you kidding me? That's just plain nuts! I must admit that I have almost no frame of reference for this stuff and am learning from Owen every day (one of Owen's writings on the matter: http://owenyoungman.com/2013/07/13/mooc-hysteria/). It seems that this topic is something high schools should look into. For example:
I can't help but to think that high school teachers, especially in humanities, need to take advantage of these learning opportunities. For instance, Owen is one of the world's experts on media having been responsible for the Chicago Tribune's web presence, Red Eye, and Trib Local. His place in modern media education is at or near the top. Learning from him is EXACTLY the kind of content high schools need to use to engage students and get them ready for college-like environments.
GO MOOCs!!!
Here is a preview of Professor Youngman's class from YouTube:
References:
Junco, R., Heiberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27(2), 119-132.
http://owenyoungman.com/
I actually have been looking into the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom in terms of their connection to student engagement. Since I love me some #edtech and I had to do research on something, I thought it might be a good idea to explore this whole Web 2.0 from yet another front. This front was more technical in the research. I'll just include a little of it here, as it gets a little dry.
One of the big topics that has been studied is the use of Twitter. To date, Reynol Junco has done several studies on how Twitter helps engagement at the college-level. One of his papers, The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades, is very interesting. Using the National Survey of Student Engagement he and his partners found that the experimental group had an increase in both engagement and semester grades.
I guess I figured that Twitter would engage students more, especially if they were already Twitter users. However, the degree to which engagement happens with the use of Twitter was unexpected. As far as grades are concerned, I didn't think Twitter would have been that important. I would think that it would take a lot more than some Twitter posts to actually increase grades. Well, it just goes to show that engagement is VERY closely related to grades. This just drives home the need for me to use Web 2.0 more in my classes.
MOOC's & THEIR LEADERS
This is fascinating to me...open, online classes. That sounds crazy. I have a friend that is a professor at Northwestern University that is launching his MOOC in September and currently has almost 20000 students signed up for it. WHAT!?! Are you kidding me? That's just plain nuts! I must admit that I have almost no frame of reference for this stuff and am learning from Owen every day (one of Owen's writings on the matter: http://owenyoungman.com/2013/07/13/mooc-hysteria/). It seems that this topic is something high schools should look into. For example:
- Almost 4.3 million "students" are "enrolled" at https://www.coursera.org/.
- There at 417 courses
- 84 colleges and universities are offering these courses
- Courses are FREE
I can't help but to think that high school teachers, especially in humanities, need to take advantage of these learning opportunities. For instance, Owen is one of the world's experts on media having been responsible for the Chicago Tribune's web presence, Red Eye, and Trib Local. His place in modern media education is at or near the top. Learning from him is EXACTLY the kind of content high schools need to use to engage students and get them ready for college-like environments.
GO MOOCs!!!
Here is a preview of Professor Youngman's class from YouTube:
References:
Junco, R., Heiberger, G., & Loken, E. (2011). The effect of Twitter on college student engagement and grades. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 27(2), 119-132.
http://owenyoungman.com/
The formation of knowledge with Activity #13
FLUBAROO QUIZ
This is an easy quiz maker and an easy way to get feedback ASAP. Giving quick quizzes to kids is an easy way to keep them on top of the learning process. Here's my go at a quiz:
SOCRATIVE
Here is a little try at the Socrative quiz. This is going to be a huge addition to my classes as I think getting a pulse of what's going on will help guide my teaching:
http://m.socrative.com
Room Number 934008
PADLET
I like this feature so that students can get an idea of what others know. This would be a great collaboration tool.
Activity #12 - Stuff I not only can use, but SHOULD use
There are plenty of educational resources out there, but not all of them are something I find to be adequate. That's not to say they aren't good, but I'm not willing to budge on some of the mode of how I teach physics. That said, there are plenty of things out there that my students can gain knowledge from that I need to use. Here is an example of one of those things:
Visualizing Vectors in 2 Dimensions: Visualizing, adding and breaking down vectors in 2 dimensions
This, along with thousands or millions more, is something my students need to see/hear. That's because I can't be the only source of knowledge for them because that's not reality...especially in 2013. If we want kids to be able to gain knowledge from many different places, we need to guide them to those types of places. The more we guide them to GOOD information, the better our student will understand and the better they perform.
Visualizing Vectors in 2 Dimensions: Visualizing, adding and breaking down vectors in 2 dimensions
This, along with thousands or millions more, is something my students need to see/hear. That's because I can't be the only source of knowledge for them because that's not reality...especially in 2013. If we want kids to be able to gain knowledge from many different places, we need to guide them to those types of places. The more we guide them to GOOD information, the better our student will understand and the better they perform.
Actvity #11 - I'm not so sure I can do that
This is one of the best class activities that I've ever done. I'm not just sucking up...I'm serious. I know for a fact that I have messed up the use of digital media before - likely several times in this class. It is simply because I'm ignorant to all of the rules. Now, with a score of 80% on the quiz it may seem that I'm not all that good with copyright knowledge still, but I can promise you that I am. I can't wait to be on top of my game with digital media and making sure I do things right.
I have noticed CC stuff all over this class. I wish at this point that I had tried a little harder to look into it, but I will from now on. It is something that I want to make sure my students pay attention to it. It is unlikely freshmen will care a lot about these rules, but as long as they get some input from me and other teachers, eventually they will get the idea that there is an ethical way of using shared media.
Sharing is something that I don't intentionally do. I have my stuff out there on the web, but I never really worried about other using it. That said, I should make a point letting people know that my stuff is out there for them to use and share. Now, most of my content is not great (or even adequate), but I think there are a few out there that might want to use what I have. With CC, I could make those apprehensive about taking feel better about taking and making it their own.
I think CC is something that Google should build into their IMAGES section. It seems that it would be easy for them to differentiate CC content and non-CC content. This would allow for people to work even more seamlessly from one thing to the next. It would certainly make sharing my work easier.
I have noticed CC stuff all over this class. I wish at this point that I had tried a little harder to look into it, but I will from now on. It is something that I want to make sure my students pay attention to it. It is unlikely freshmen will care a lot about these rules, but as long as they get some input from me and other teachers, eventually they will get the idea that there is an ethical way of using shared media.
Sharing is something that I don't intentionally do. I have my stuff out there on the web, but I never really worried about other using it. That said, I should make a point letting people know that my stuff is out there for them to use and share. Now, most of my content is not great (or even adequate), but I think there are a few out there that might want to use what I have. With CC, I could make those apprehensive about taking feel better about taking and making it their own.
I think CC is something that Google should build into their IMAGES section. It seems that it would be easy for them to differentiate CC content and non-CC content. This would allow for people to work even more seamlessly from one thing to the next. It would certainly make sharing my work easier.
Activities #'s 8-10 - All of this and a little of that
PREZI
I guess I'm really not a fan of Prezi's. I know that their are many of us that do, but I feel like the information is lost in the motion. From a learning theory standpoint, they are certainly distracting, but that is from the standpoint of old theories. I don't learn well from them, but I am guessing that as time goes along, our kids will grasp on to material like this. I just need to work on my creativity.
VOKI
I'm all about the silliness in getting a point across. Voki's can do just that. Posting thes on my website or blog work as great ways to emphasise main points that kids remember. They are creapy, but I think a lot of fun can be had with them. I actually used another one of these as my introduction in a grad class. Most thought it was fun.
ANIMOTO
This is an easy way to edit video clips. I'm not sure that I will use this in my classroom just because Physics doesn't lend itself to this unless I was flipping my classroom. However, I think this could be put to great use in a project-based class.
I guess I'm really not a fan of Prezi's. I know that their are many of us that do, but I feel like the information is lost in the motion. From a learning theory standpoint, they are certainly distracting, but that is from the standpoint of old theories. I don't learn well from them, but I am guessing that as time goes along, our kids will grasp on to material like this. I just need to work on my creativity.
VOKI
I'm all about the silliness in getting a point across. Voki's can do just that. Posting thes on my website or blog work as great ways to emphasise main points that kids remember. They are creapy, but I think a lot of fun can be had with them. I actually used another one of these as my introduction in a grad class. Most thought it was fun.
ANIMOTO
This is an easy way to edit video clips. I'm not sure that I will use this in my classroom just because Physics doesn't lend itself to this unless I was flipping my classroom. However, I think this could be put to great use in a project-based class.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Activity #7 - It would be a negative to be without THE+
There isn't much for me to get excited about with Google+. Not because it isn't awesome, but rather I have been using it since it came out. In fact, I started messing with it before it was officially launched. I find it to be a great addition to the Google family. The biggest drawback is the fact that more people aren't on it because they see it as a Facebook knock-off. Too bad. It offers everything good that Facebook has and throws in some Twitter-like aspects, blogging, smartphone photo back-ups, Skype-killing video chats and a million other thing.
I love the Hangout feature. I will say that the video aspect of it is what I like the best because I can chat with multiple family members face-to-face at the same time. Now that it mashed together with Google Talk, the chat feature has allowed me to chat with friend, colleagues and students when I need to. I've Hungout via my phone, laptop and tablet.
I am now trying to figure out the best way to manage my Google+ accounts. I think the best move would be to use my dist113.org account for school related thing (class material and communication with student/parents) and keep my personal account for personal and professional (outside of district business) stuff. I have many people in this class in my D113 Learning 2.0 Colleagues circle for one account and Work circle in the other. Oh, well. As long as I'm connected, I can always clean up my circles later.
Monday, July 29, 2013
Chirpin' about Twitter - Activity #6
This Twitter thing is something that I really need to be a part of. I know so many people that use it for simply gather information on a social-level. For that reason alone I know that I would have a blast. Celebrities, athletes, news anchors and the like all put out information that I would find entertaining. This is the stuff that drives conversations with friend and those conversations can now happen on Twitter.
Professionally, Twitter is a place to quickly pick up ideas from those in the know. Sharing these ideas can only drive my learning and thus drive my teaching. There are such a large number of #EdTech people out there that have a world of information to share...just look at the Twitter Feed I embedded on this blog to the right. This stuff is awesome!
I really can't wait to get a little deeper into the Twitter world...it'll be sweet! Follow me@PalmbergPhysics
Professionally, Twitter is a place to quickly pick up ideas from those in the know. Sharing these ideas can only drive my learning and thus drive my teaching. There are such a large number of #EdTech people out there that have a world of information to share...just look at the Twitter Feed I embedded on this blog to the right. This stuff is awesome!
I really can't wait to get a little deeper into the Twitter world...it'll be sweet! Follow me
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Activity #5 - Google Chrome is a MUST!
Google Chrome is a MUST for anyone that spends a significant time online. So many ways Chrome can save you time help organize your web time. If you don't have it, GET IT NOW!
I particularly love the the extensions and apps that are out there. There is an extension or app that will help Chrome do just about anything you want it to do. With that said, Chrome, limited by your computer and bandwidth available, can only do so many things at once. With that in mind, it would be a great idea to get the Extension Manager. This simple extension will allow for you to turn on and off extension to help things run smoothly.
I also really like WolframAlpha extension. This extension can answer almost any question that you ask it. This is a great resource for teacher and students alike. It functions a little like Google, but has a much more robust calculations and also pulls together the thought behind your search/question.
I always seem to be in too much of a hurry to shorten the URL's that I use in class, so I just email the links out. Well, now that I have Goo.gl URL shortner handy, I can just post them on the board or shoot them out via a Tweet. It makes for a much more succinct message.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I love Google Drive. Well the direct connection from Chrome to Drive makes me love it even more. With the Save To Google Drive extension, you can save pages from the web right to Drive for working with or reading later. It is quite handy when you are trying to compile some information quickly.
I always sign into Google Chrome with my personal Google Account. Within Chrome (another AWESOMe feature) I operate via my personal Google Apps and District 113 Google Apps for Education realms at the same time. By using my personal account for Chrome, I can easily move between computers, to my tablet my phone without missing a beat.
I particularly love the the extensions and apps that are out there. There is an extension or app that will help Chrome do just about anything you want it to do. With that said, Chrome, limited by your computer and bandwidth available, can only do so many things at once. With that in mind, it would be a great idea to get the Extension Manager. This simple extension will allow for you to turn on and off extension to help things run smoothly.
I also really like WolframAlpha extension. This extension can answer almost any question that you ask it. This is a great resource for teacher and students alike. It functions a little like Google, but has a much more robust calculations and also pulls together the thought behind your search/question.
I always seem to be in too much of a hurry to shorten the URL's that I use in class, so I just email the links out. Well, now that I have Goo.gl URL shortner handy, I can just post them on the board or shoot them out via a Tweet. It makes for a much more succinct message.
As I mentioned in a previous post, I love Google Drive. Well the direct connection from Chrome to Drive makes me love it even more. With the Save To Google Drive extension, you can save pages from the web right to Drive for working with or reading later. It is quite handy when you are trying to compile some information quickly.
I always sign into Google Chrome with my personal Google Account. Within Chrome (another AWESOMe feature) I operate via my personal Google Apps and District 113 Google Apps for Education realms at the same time. By using my personal account for Chrome, I can easily move between computers, to my tablet my phone without missing a beat.
Using Google Apps for Education in Activity #4
I have been messing around with Google Apps for a few years now, but have finally had the right motivation to really try hard to utilize more of them more often...this class. Seriously, though, Google has managed to bring together so many power and collaborative tools. A teacher would have to be crazy not to tap into what they have to offer. Now, by no means does Google have everything down pat or have all bases covered, but it is reasonable to think that one could operate much of what they do personally and professionally in the Google Universe.
One idea that I am going to work on this fall is to use Google Drive to allow groups to work together on creating a lab report. There isn't anything new about having groups work together to create a lab write-up, but often the finished product shows that the effort was a little disjointed. Before, students would email their part of the report to each other, with one person left to compile everything. This was a difficult task with different formatting used by almost everyone. Google Drive allows for them to all work on the same document and then just share with me when they are done. No paper ever needs to be printed and virtually no time needs to be wasted on formatting. Both the students and teacher will save valuable time.
Using forms and Flubaroo will a great way to assess learning quickly. Now, I will likely use it as an entrance quiz or exit quiz to see where kids are at after a lab or discussion. Strengthening formative assessments in my class has proven to be helpful to solidifying concepts with my student.
I created a calendar for each of my classes. This is where the assignment sheets of the past will become more useful to students and their supports. I will post class plans for the future and alter them with homework so kids will always be able to see what is coming down the road and what they might have missed on a day they were gone. The key with this one will be staying on top of planning forward and updating changes when they happen. Waiting will always lead to not doing it when its needed...if at all.
All in all, Google Apps for Education is going to make my communication with my student infinitely better. The 2013-2014 school year is going to be a whole new experience in Mr. Palmberg's class.
One idea that I am going to work on this fall is to use Google Drive to allow groups to work together on creating a lab report. There isn't anything new about having groups work together to create a lab write-up, but often the finished product shows that the effort was a little disjointed. Before, students would email their part of the report to each other, with one person left to compile everything. This was a difficult task with different formatting used by almost everyone. Google Drive allows for them to all work on the same document and then just share with me when they are done. No paper ever needs to be printed and virtually no time needs to be wasted on formatting. Both the students and teacher will save valuable time.
Using forms and Flubaroo will a great way to assess learning quickly. Now, I will likely use it as an entrance quiz or exit quiz to see where kids are at after a lab or discussion. Strengthening formative assessments in my class has proven to be helpful to solidifying concepts with my student.
I created a calendar for each of my classes. This is where the assignment sheets of the past will become more useful to students and their supports. I will post class plans for the future and alter them with homework so kids will always be able to see what is coming down the road and what they might have missed on a day they were gone. The key with this one will be staying on top of planning forward and updating changes when they happen. Waiting will always lead to not doing it when its needed...if at all.
All in all, Google Apps for Education is going to make my communication with my student infinitely better. The 2013-2014 school year is going to be a whole new experience in Mr. Palmberg's class.
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Reflections on Life-Long Learning in Activity #1
I will have to say the thought of reading about The 7 1/2 Habits of Effective Lifelong Learners seemed like a task that was going to just be busywork. I was pleasantly surprised to find the ideas very thought-provoking, particularly the first one. The reason I kind of latched onto this one is because it totally makes sense, but I don't approach learning new technologies that way. This isn't because I don't want to use technology to become a better teacher, but I want love to learn new tech for the sake of learning new tech. How I apply that tech and actually turn my learning into something is what comes later. I guess this is really just an extension of trait 7.5. It seems that trait 7.5 is kind of opposite of trait 1...or it's just me.
Saturday, June 22, 2013
Activity #3 - Today Isn't Yesterday, So Why Do We Teach Like It Is?
Here's a video that speaks right to the idea as to why teaching must hange in order to meet learners needs. I love this video and think Sir Ken Robinson hits the nail on the head 2ith this TED Talk. Enjoy!
This is the URL if the link above doesn't work:
http://goo.gl/o9IaB
http://goo.gl/o9IaB
Thoughts on Web 2.0 from Activity #2
(Note: This post is a bit short and probably error-filled due to typing on a tablet keyboard on an uncomfortable hospital seat wIting for Palmberg Baby #3. Quality and clarity of thoughts should not be judged based on this or any other post in the next few days)
I think of today's learners as being more "community" learners than "digital" learners, but I suppose that is justme being overly semantic. Kids have always been social, but we have never really focused on that aspect of childhood when it came to teaching. However, the world now operates in a much more social realm, so it would make sense for the education community to start moving - quickley - that direction. If the World Wide Web is truely a web of people as Tim Berners-Lee suggests, then in order for it to be truely social, it must be a two-way street with people consuming AND producing content.
Ideas grow bigger and faster when more thinkers are involved and the version 2.0 of the WWW is the way to connect the inds of those thinkers.
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