678 Artifact Reflection #2

In Module 4, I reflected on the feedback that several of my classmates gave on my PBL unit ideas and ended up pursuing my third topic listed. My essential question for is “Why is all the ice on Earth melting?” I started to get some ideas about this topic in the last USF course (677) I was enrolled and the idea seemed plausible to pursue with my high school Earth science students. You can find my climate science PBL unit outline HERE.

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This is a science topic that requires considerable research and students can arrive at multiple “correct” answers to satisfy the essential question. Most of the technology listed in the unit outline I have used before with my students, with the exception of the infographic platforms. Because I want my students to create quality infographic posters as one of their end products, I expect that I will need to provide some instruction in order for them to use Canva, Piktochart, and/or Adobe Spark. I'm excited to see what my students create!

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I think that sharing information outside of the classroom is a powerful means to communicate with other people. Student-generated infographics about climate science not only show other teachers what’s going on in other departments but it validates the importance of this topic to other students who are not enrolled in the class. This type of project-based learning promotes student voice and choice; something they would readily admit they don’t have the opportunity to engage in very often in any of their classes. This should be a great opportunity for my students to show what they know in supporting the essential question “Why is all the ice on Earth melting?"

Once I try this PBL unit for the first time next school year, I'll be able to reflect on the pros, cons, and outcomes of the unit, collect student feedback, keep some of the infographics for future school years to show students, and use my experience to educate others in my building. I worked tirelessly on this unit and hope to find success with it next school year.

Elements and Principles of Graphic Design

Module 5 - Graphic Design and Typography

Why might incorporating graphic design into the classroom be valuable?
Graphic design and the use of infographics can communicate information in a direct and powerful way. I was introduced to graphic design and infographics at the ISTE conference last summer (2018). I gathered some great resources from the sessions I attended and have tried to find ways to incorporate infographics in my lessons but haven’t used them with my student’s designing their own. I’m most comfortable with Canva, Google Drawing, and Adobe Spark.

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Thinking about how students absorb information, how might teachers better support the learners in their classrooms? 
My high school students are very tech savvy and seem to respond well to infographics. They can absorb small bits of information quickly, but seem to be overwhelmed many times with longer news articles. Using graphic design to teach, communicate and present information is stimulating for students. I am a strong supporter of giving students the choice to complete larger assignments or projects in their own way. They have the option to communicate information using what some educators might call a choice menu. In this way, students are allowed time and space to master their learning. graphic design and infographics could be one way for students to demonstrate their learning and expand their digital skills at the same time.

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Envision an activity, unit or event that is approaching. How might you incorporate some of the design principles?
I’m getting ready to start a climate science unit - a very hot topic these days in the science and political realms. I have my high school students research both sides of the global warming debate. They set up their own Padlets to organize their research, data, facts and figures, graphics, videos, and resources. They eventually “choose a side” and support their viewpoints with evidence that is backed by valid and reliable resources. This question is giving me that fluttery, tingly feeling when I want to try something new. An infographic from each student or group of students could be a powerful demonstration of scientific research not only for my students in class BUT for the entire school if we made them into actual hang-on-the-wall posters. I might be silently squealing with delight!

#ISTE2018 - Things I Learned, Things I Love, Things You Should Know About...

The International Society for Technology in Education held a massive conference this summer in Chicago, bringing together teachers, administrators, and tech specialists to learn about the most effective and innovative ways to integrate technology in the classroom. The ISTE conference offered sessions on a wide range of topics, where presenters shared ideas, strategies, and tools for using technology to enhance learning.

Apart from the scheduled sessions, the conference brought together 18,500 people from all across the U.S. and 87 other countries. Connecting with other like-minded educators had a whole host of benefits:

• strengthened my resolve to keep getting better with teaching and technology
• established connections that will last well beyond the conference
• provided effective and exciting teaching practices

So how did I, a science teacher from a small high school west of Chicago, find out about this conference and burst onto the scene? TWITTER. Twitter has really been a turning point in my 16-year teaching career. It has become a go-to resource to connect to awesome people who broaden my horizons and inspire me to take risks and be innovative.

I attended the NSTA (National Science Teachers Association) conference when it was in Chicago three years ago. Same location, same setup, lots of walking and LOTS of sessions. My experience three years ago definitely prepared me for ISTE’s conference. Except maybe for the walking tech zombie part...many of us were walking around with our devices, hoping to avoid others who were also looking at their device getting to or from somewhere in our quest to get in line for a session, show up on time for an amazing raffle prize in expo hall, or just find a bathroom!

#ISTE2018 took it to the next level when it came to useful (but sometimes overwhelming) amounts of information. I did my best to stay organized and pull together resources from my sessions that I could use and could also share with my colleagues. My experience was stimulating, productive, and engaging. This graphic (created using one of my new tech tools, Adobe Spark!) offers some buzzwords that summarize my 4-day experience.

Based on this list, an outsider might think I didn’t actually attend a technology conference! But it wasn’t really about technology - it was about how to use technology tools to enhance what teachers are already doing in their classrooms! Sure, the big guys...Google, Microsoft and LEGO, were in attendance but it wasn’t about them. It was about teachers helping teachers be better teachers as they use technology to educate their students.

Innovation, creation, and curiosity were mentioned in the bulleted list above. These words were echoed over and over throughout the four days. Young students traveling from all parts of the nation and even internationally were in attendance to share with attendees their passion for learning. They were excited to share how they were using technology in their classroom to any stranger who approached their table. Andy Weir, the author of The Martian, referred to the problem-solving main character, Mark Watney, in his keynote speech. Kids need to tinker and figure things out (with or without technology). And @TheTechRabbi, Michael Cohen, shared a moving and powerful message to all who sat before him, reminding the audience that “innovation is not achieved by knowledge and skill alone. It’s through having belief in yourself, belief in others and belief in something bigger than us. We need to give our students the courage to believe that they can create incredible things in the world.” The ability to challenge and engage students was a common theme throughout the conference and renewed my spirit in preparation for the coming school year.

When #TeachersBecomeStudents, amazing things happen in our quest to be lifelong learners. A little professional development goes a long way in rekindling our passion and love of learning.

679 Course Reflection

That’s a wrap for EEND 679!  There were many takeaways from this course and several great discussions that helped me get better at using and implementing technology. I’d like to thank the instructor and my classmates for an informative and beneficial course on assessment and improving student learning.

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At the midpoint of the course, module 5, I had the chance to dabble with Genius Hour/Passion Project. It’s definitely a concept I’ve heard and read about, but haven’t found a way or a reason to “fit it in” with my science courses. After being given time in class to learn something new and to learn new things from others, I’m thoughtfully reflecting on how I might start to incorporate this project with my students. I enjoyed being given the freedom to choose a topic to research more about, but I struggled to settle on a topic. Based on other classmate’s experiences and feedback, I feel more confident attempting to start a Genius Hour/Passion Project with my students and plan to do some more research to prepare for next school year. I like the idea of passion projects and hope to find success with it in the near future.

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In my artifact blog post, I made reference to the digital badge assignment and the formative assessment design assignment. I also found the infographic assignment and the student portfolio/self-assessment assignment to be useful for my students. After reviewing infographics of others in our class, I was blown away by how professional, clean, and informative they were. I had never used Piktochart or Canva before, and I certainly didn’t need much convincing to use it for myself and my students during the school year. It takes classes like these to introduce me to some really great ideas and I’m thankful to my colleagues for their infographic examples. Module 6’s student portfolio discussion and self-assessment assignment were also great learning experiences for me as I related to other’s background with student portfolios. I also found value in organizing several different student self-assessment forms. The practice of student self-assessment is an important piece in their education, no matter if they are a kindergartener or a 12th grader. I’ve been pushing my students to perform more self-assessments and reflections of their work. By the end of the school year, they really start to appreciate their achievement, progress, and growth. It’s easy for me to plot their progress over time, but there is more value when they can appreciate their journey over the course of a school year.

EEND 679 is my third course in the sequence of courses for the Teaching with Technology Endorsement. I've gotten a lot out of this course and intend to incorporate some of the new things I’ve learned from the instructor and my classmates/colleagues next school year.