Digital Portfolio

What a challenge! I have created resume's before, but never struggled with them like I did with this. When creating my portfolio, the hardest part was deciding what projects to include. Since this is one of my last classes, I had quite a bit to choose from. I was really happy with the projects I created during my digital storytelling class, so I included a few of those. I also liked the projects I created in my digital tools class. I don't have evidence of all the awesome things that my students have created over the years, so I just went with things I had done. Another challenge was figuring out the platform I used. I have looked at Wix before, but never used it because I didn't feel it was very user friendly. However, I couldn't find any other sites that really stood out to me, so I rolled with it. Eventually, I was able to figure everything out and created, in my opinion, a pretty good portfolio!

Chelsea Pelfrey's Digital Portfolio

Broadcasting

First, let me say the hardest part of this assignment was trying to figure out a topic to share that I thought others would be willing to listen to and get something out of. I finally decided on sharing collaborative apps and websites that can be used in the classroom. Once I made that decision, the rest of the process didn't seem to be too complicated.

I chose to use Google Hangout as my platform. To do this, I simply went to my Google+ and clicked on Hangouts in the drop down menu on the left. At the top of the page is a tab that says Video Hangouts. Once I clicked on that all I had to do was click Start a Video Hangout. When the Hangout opens it gives you the option to invite people via email or use the link that is provided to invite people. On the left side of that window there are buttons for Chat, Screen Share, and Capture. I really liked that it was super simple to share what I needed to for my conference.

I will say that I was super nervous at the beginning of the conference. I think it is an ingrained fear that no one will find what I am sharing relevant. However, once I got going with the conference, it seemed to flow pretty well. Many of the tools I shared had been used by my participants, and we were able to learn from each other, which I always find great!

I'm not sure I will do any other video conferences simple because I don't have new things to share with others. However, I do enjoy attending video conferences, and I always find new things that I didn't know before.

Attending a Live Webinar

A few weeks ago I attended the webinar "Getting Creative with SCRATCH". Scratch is a free web-based coding program that allows students to create animations from scratch. It also has the option to download the app to your computer. While this option is nice, there are fewer options available. The webinar's presenters were Douglas Kiang and Samantha Morra. Since I have used Scratch before, the discussion about the platform itself was pretty much review. What I love about Scratch, and something they mentioned too, is that it's pretty addicting. Kids love it! My students used this program to create animations of a scene from the novels we read this year. It took them a little bit to figure out, but with the help of the tips that are located on the right hand side of the screen, they were able to really create some awesome products! I have to say that I really enjoyed the entire show, and it's something that I could use snippets of to show my students how to use the program.

Lesson Plan Integrating Social Networking

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin was a novel that my sixth graders and I read this last year. We really enjoyed reading it and following along with the characters. As we went, students took notes about the characters, setting, and plot on a website they each created. Looking back on it with the idea of integrating social networking into it, I now realize I could have done so much more! I'm leaving out the 8 week reading plan because that would really be something that would be teacher discretion. Here is my plan incorporating social media.

The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
Goal:
Read the novel The Westing Game and participate in online discussions about the characters and storyline.
Objectives:
Students will participate in online discussions each time a section of the story is read.
Students will build a website evaluating characters, setting, and storyline.
Instructions:
Using Edmodo, create a group for students to join. Once all students have joined, post an introduction for students to practice responding to. Something as easy as a prediction about the book would be a great starting point. After reading each section of the book, students are required to respond to a discussion post about what they just read. Once a week, select students will post a question they have about the reading, to which the other students must respond. Continue this throughout the entirety of the book.
Evaluation:
Students receive points for each discussion post. If the student strays off topic, the teacher can step in and post a question or statement to redirect. Students also receive points for each section of their website that is accurate and well thought out. Fewer points are awarded for vague descriptions.

Seven Day Social Immersion Challenge Reflections

This week, we were challenged to participate in either a Twitter-thon or a Photo a Day Challenge. I selected the Photo A Day because I am always taking pictures with my phone. Throughout the week, I had to constantly be thinking about what pictures I wanted to take and post to my blog. I was more alert to the things around me and always looking for the beauty in everything. So, each day I made it a point to find something to post for my challenge.

Since the only camera I have is on my phone, I had to find a way to post my pictures easily, so I downloaded the Blogger app. I had never really blogged from my phone before, so that was a new experience. Also, it made it to where I didn't have an excuse to not post my photo. One thing I didn't like during the process was my phone itself. I have an Samsung S4 Mini, so the keyboard is super tiny. Also, because of auto-correct fails, I had to make sure I proofread all my posts before I published them.

Overall, I really enjoyed the challenge. I think that I will try to take a photo a day throughout the summer and post them to my blog or my Instagram and keep the trend going. It's really fun to find new things to take a picture of. I also might look for some different challenges and participate in them.

Seven Day Immersion Challenge-Sunday

Today hubby and I tied our flowers that had fallen over back up and staked them. These beauties are some we planted last year. So happy they survived and are as beautiful as they are! #sevendaychallenge

Seven Day Immersion Challenge-Saturday

Driving around with my husband is one of my favorite things to do. I love every minute! #sevendaychallenge

Seven Day Immersion Challenge-Friday

This week I had some down time, do I immersed myself I'm books that I've been putting off. This book was amazing! I have never been more inspired by a book in my life. Definitely a teacher read and one all teachers should read at least once. It will make you appreciate where you are, or know that there are others in the same boat as you. Worth the three days it took me to get through! #sevendaychallenge

Seven Day Immersion Challenge-Thursday

For the first time this year, I actually witnessed the birds enjoying our bird bath. As I was sitting on the porch reading, I heard splashing. Couldn't figure it what it was until I saw them splashing around. It was so fun to sit and watch them. #sevendaychallenge

Seven Day Immersion Challenge-Wednesday

My in laws have the most peaceful spot to be on the planet. Here is their view. #sevendaychallenge

Seven Day Social Immersion Challenge-Tuesday

Today was haircut day for my baby pooch. He was so excited to be going for a ride, he could hardly contain himself when we left. However, when we got there, his feelings weren't the same. I dropped him off and picked him up a couple hours later. What a huge change from the hairy mop he was when I dropped him off! He's so adorable with his hair cut, and I know he is a lot cooler for the hot Kansas summer. #sevendaychallenge

Seven Day Social Immersion Challenge-Monday

I had nothing to do today, so I decided to take a nap with my Turd. He was all snuggled up, but I just couldn't fall asleep. So I took a picture of him! #sevendaychallenge

Digital Story Created Using Only a Cell Phone

I Knew I Wanted to be a Teacher When...

Mobiles in the Classroom: Scary or Innovative?

Yet again, this week, I had the opportunity to interview one of my roommates from college. She is a high school Language Arts teacher in Colorado, after teaching in Michigan for a few years. In order to find someone to interview, I posted my need on Facebook, and she responded. I wasn't sure what type of mobile devices I wanted to focus on, so I was really excited to find out that her students use all types of mobile devices. Here is what she shared with me about her experiences using those devices in her classroom.  

School Policy: Our school allows teachers to use their own discretion with personal devices. We feel that any form of technology is welcome in our classrooms as long as it is used appropriately. Some teachers still require students to "Power Down and Put Away", which was the previous policy about devices in the classroom, but for the most part, devices are welcome in classrooms. If a device is being misused in the classroom, we follow the cell phone removal policy:

1st Offense: Take away device, bring it to the office, and call parents. Student may pick it up at the end of the day.

2nd Offense: Take away device, bring it to the office, and administrator call parents. Student may pick it up at the end of the day.

3rd Offense: Take away device, bring it to the office, and administrator call parents. Parents may pick it up at the end of the day.  Device is no longer allowed in the building.

My Classroom: In my classroom students have to put their devices in the upper right hand corner of their desk. If a student has multiple devices, they stack the devices.  Devices have to stay on the desk at all times.  If the devices go in the student's lap, the device then migrates to my desk.  Students are allowed to listen to music, look up information, or even text, with teacher approval.  Any texting tends to be responses to parents or other family members.  Devices are mainly used for gathering information and listening to music.  If a student has a question about anything, they are allowed to use their device to get the answer.  They do not have to ask if they can use it; they just have to keep it on their desk.  When listening to music, students have to use earbuds, and the music cannot be loud enough for their neighbor to hear it.     

Parental Involvement / Feedback: Initially, some parents had concerns about this policy, but this mainly came from parents of students who don't have smart devices.  Students had gone home and said that they had to have a smart phone for my class.  Once parents were informed that this was not the case, everything was fine.  I explained to parents that students have access to my iPad to look up information, if they choose.  In addition, students work in groups most of the time, and at least one member of their group usually has a device.  After the initial concerns, parents were appreciative of the policy because it embraced technology.  Parents also appreciated being able to text their students during my class, if they had a question.

Challenges: There were still a handful of the 150 students who misused the devices.  When this happened, I talked to parents and the device stayed on my desk for a week of class. Parents were extremely receptive to this move.  In addition in the beginning, the students who did not have smart phones felt a little self conscious.  Once they made their own routine for accessing information, everything was fine.  Many students just snagged my iPad or a friends devices to answer their question.  My students always left little surprises for me on my iPad.  The surprises tended to be just selfies, and it was never anything that upset me.

What I learned: I learned that cell phones and personal devices are no longer taboo in today's classrooms.  If a teacher embraces the use of all kinds of technology in the classroom, it empowers students to find information on their own and creates a certain amount of academic independence. 

I was completely blown away by the information she gave me. WOW! I love when I learn about the amazing things my friends are doing with their students. People I knew before they started molding the minds of our future. My friend really put it out there that she encourages students to use mobile devices in her classroom. She doesn't make them power down or unplug when they enter her room. If I put myself in the mindset of one of her students, I would love her class. It also makes me rethink what it might be like to experience this as a teacher. I feel that if this was an option, the teacher would have to be strong enough to stand their ground in the event of controversy with parents, students, or administration. While this is something that I would love to do, I'm not sure if I would be brave enough to be an innovator in my building in this sense. 

Always Something New

Today I'm going to share a few new sites that I have discovered, how to sign up, navigation, and how to incorporate it into education, professional development, or personal life.

Wideo
The first site I'd like to share is an online video maker. I selected this site because the name just sounds fun! Creating an account was super simple and FREE. The only thing that may be a drawback here is that the site is still in beta, which means it could be a here today, gone tomorrow type of site. However, I decided to give it a try. Here's a basic overview of how to use it.

Since this is the first time I've ever been to the site and I'm the type of person who is a little timid to try something like this without a base of knowledge, I clicked on the "Learn" tab at the top of the page. One on this page, you have 7 "How To" videos to choose from and watch. The first 5 of them are all 5 minutes or less in length, which makes for an easy quick intro to the different options that are available in Wideo. Video 6 is a 30 minute long webinar and video 7 is about an hour long. If you have the time and really want to learn how to use this program, watch these! On this page, there is also a link to download a storyboard. This is a great option to have when using with students. 

Now, to create a video. You can start with a template from the template page or click "New Wideo" to see all the template options, including a start from scratch option. These two pages are very similar and take you the same place, so I'm not sure if both are needed. When you start from scratch, it opens in a new window with a short tutorial video. You can watch this or not. I found it helpful and would recommend my students watch it before getting started. 

As I started creating my video, I loved that there are a ton of options to choose from when creating something from scratch. I also like that a tip box pops up on the side of the screen when you begin to animate your objects. Basic step-by-step instructions make it a no brainer to animate. LOVE! :) I did have a few glitches at first when trying to animate my text. However, I played with it a bit and would be able to coach someone through it, now. 

I stumbled through a couple slides and came up with a very short intro that can be showed to staff at my new school. I simply saved it, gave it a title, and clicked share. I did find that in order to download your video, you have to pay for an upgraded account. However, you can embed or post a link to it without charge. So....here's my wideo!

42 Tasks

As a person who is big on making to-do lists, I often find that my lists disappear, get buried under other paperwork, or aren't sticky enough to stay put. 42 Tasks is the answer. Registering is a breeze and this program is free.  Also, there are apps for both Android and Apple, which is great for all users. To add an item, just type what you want to add to your list in the box, then click enter. A calendar with a few different options will pop up. 

Select the day you want to add it to, choose which folder and time, then click save. The list seems to generate according to the order you add it, but simply click on the month tabs to go to exactly which month you want to see. There are a couple other options, such as selecting a background color. Limited choices, but the background doesn't matter much to me. You can also add notes to your agenda items and create different workspaces. 

If you add something to the wrong workspace, simply click on the pencil beside it and change your workspace. Easy peasy! I definitely will be using this in my new position this year! I am also going to share it with my coworkers.

Another great thing about this is that you can add contacts to your workspaces. That way, you can work on a project together and add to one list instead of having multiple floating around in cyberspace. Due to connection issues, I wasn't able to download the app to my phone to see the comparison between the two. However, I am planning to download, so I can have the app at hand all the time. 

Padlet

Padlet is a site that I have used before in the classroom, but today I'm giving it a look from the prospective of an Instructional Coach. Since I plan to use this site next year, I went ahead and created an account. 2 steps and you are in! Once you have created an account, click on the plus sign and create your new board. 

This is the the panel that shows up on the side of the page when you create your board. You can modify settings from here. I clicked on "Modify Wall" to get more options. Here's what I ended up with. 

I really like that you can select different options for labels or add your own photo. Depending on what you are using it for, you can add a portrait that fits your topic, such as a picture of the capital building for a post on government. This is where I added a title and description as well. I also added a background. Settings for this are similar to that of the portrait option, add one that they give you or your own. One option that I really like is the layout option. If you can handle the chaos of the freeform option, your users can post anywhere. If that bothers you, like it does me, you can select the "stream" option and posts are made below the last thing posted. 

The privacy options are great when using this with a class. I don't like to use things that can be searched for by the public when my students are using it. Personally, I like using things that are password protected. I feel it locks things down a bit more for my kiddos. I also liked being able to choose the URL that can be shared. Makes it a lot easier to type in. Or you can use the link given to you, and use a URL shortener to share a shortened link with users. 

I used this site when it was called WallWisher as a brainstorming board with my students. Now that it is Padlet, and has more options, I really like it! 

This is definitely a site that will be used during PD sessions for back channeling or during staff meetings to gather more information that may not have time to be shared.

Out of all the sites that I shared and explored today, I really like all of them. I plan to use them all next year and can't wait to get started!

My Toolbox Runneth Over

With a wealth of tools available to teachers, it's sometimes hard to decide which ones are useful and how to best use them in education. Here's a look at a few amazing tools and how they might be used in the classroom, school, or at home.

URL Shorteners
Nothing is more frustrating and overwhelming then trying to get to a website that is 652 characters long.

This is where URL shorteners come into play. My students have always had trouble getting to websites if they don't have a simple link to click on, so I started using URL shorteners to make this process easier when I don't have a link embedded for them to click on. Here is the link to my blog, which I will share with staff in my building next year in my new role of Instruction Coach. http://goo.gl/oYL2gn This will fit easier on a business card than the actual link to my website and will be easy to share. I have used this many times with my students when I need them to get to a Google Form to take a quiz. As you know, the links to those look similar to the one in the meme above. Using goo.gl as a URL shortener, I have been able to make it easier for my students to access what I need them to more efficiently.

QR Codes
QR codes are being more and more evident in every day life. Sitting at my table right now, I see one on my McDonald's cup, one on a phone case package, and one inside the cover of a book I recently finished. All I have to do is pull out my phone, scan the code with my QR Reader, and I am taken to more information about the product I have in my hands. However, more and more educators are using them in their classroom every day. Next year, I plan to use Delivr to post a QR code outside my office door that will boast the Website of the Week. Since I can't currently move into my office due to construction on my building, I'm posting the QR Code image here. This will be the first site of the year that I will have posted.

Bookmarklets
The term "bookmarklets" is new to me, as I have always called them extensions. However, I've used them for years to access sites quickly, "pin" something from the web to Pinterest, or cut out excess junk from an article I'm trying to read with Readability. This unit has introduced me to a new bookmarklet called Quietube. Simply drag the bookmarklet to your bookmarks bar, and you are ready to go. When showing a Youtube video to a class of students, you never know when something inappropriate that would violate CIPA laws will pop up. Here's how it works. Find the video you want to show on YouTube and click the Quietube bookmarklet. Everything else on the screen will disappear, and you will be left with your video that will play on a blank screen to show to your students. Genius! I will definitely be sharing this one next year with my staff. :)


References:
I want you to type this website into your browser. www.history.com/HG345fsdxf43214322545646/index/gfdhfcvgbncvbcvbdasdgf12134/#13/GHT67ITS/derp.html. (n.d.). quickmeme. Retrieved May 24, 2014, from http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3oi5rs

Digging Deeper

As educators, we are constantly researching new sites and ways to enhance learning and engage our students. I feel that I am pretty tech savvy, but there are new sites being created daily. So many that it is often hard to keep up. I love that this assignment is forcing me to look more into sites that I see regularly and research how they would work in the classroom.

Curation
Let's start with the site Symbaloo. Symbaloo is a very simple site to use and navigate, which I love. There is nothing more frustrating when looking into a new site than struggling to figure out how to navigate it. Basically, Symbaloo is a visual way to set up bookmarks. Creating an account was a breeze and took less than a minute, I verified my account, and I was ready to go. Symbaloo sets up a quick start board for you when you create your account with many well known sites already in it. However, I wanted to create a board just for sixth grade, so I clicked the plus sign at the top. Bam! New board. To add a tile all I had to do was click on the tile. There are two ways to go about setting up a tile. You can either copy and paste the URL, or search for the site you want to add. This was my favorite part. There were SO many sites already in there! My board was set up in no time. In the past, I have taken the time to set up a class website and include links to all the sites I use throughout the year. This is WAY easier! Plus, I know for a fact that my district is going to be offering a PD day this summer on using Symbaloo. I know many educators use it for quick links, which is how I would use it. However, I think it would be great for administrators to use for their staff, and Instructional Coaches to use for their fellow teachers.

Creative
In the creative sense of technology, a site that I've never had much luck with, but know many others that have, is VoiceThread. The basic idea is to create a slideshow that can be narrated over. Simply upload your images, record your audio, and create your thread. Once you have created, share the link with others who can view your thread and leave comments that are either typed or spoken. A teacher friend of mine uses this all the time with her third graders. One project I love that she does is a report on the Venus Fly Trap. Students create pictures of the plant. The teacher scans them and saves them to a designated location that the students can access. The students then upload the photos and verbally talk about the plant after they have researched it and written a script that they read. Their projects are always really great! Personally, I had to use VoiceThread for a Wilkes course. I muddled my way through it, but was always afraid of recording my voice. I think the best part of using this with students would have to be the speaking part of it. Many students are like I am when it comes to recording themselves. Knowing they have to speak in order to share their information forces them to have to practice the information before sharing it.

Social
Twitter is a unique "monster" when it comes to education. Many of our students have Twitter accounts and tweet multiple times a day. To them, it's a basic way to share what they are doing. However, move Twitter to the educational setting, and it's a whole new ballgame! At the beginning of the year, my principal asked me to present to staff how to use Twitter in education. So, I mustered up my courage (I didn't use Twitter at the time), created an account, and started exploring. Personally, I use it to follow fellow educators and education users. If I post something it is education related. This is not a site I use on a personal level. For the classroom, however, I wanted to create a class account that I could post updates of what was going on in our classroom and share important dates with students and parents. Many educators do this! I also know of districts that use Twitter to post updates about what is going on in that district, including sporting events, construction updates, snow days, and graduations. Even though Twitter was intended to be used personally, many educators are branching out and using it in ways that benefit their class.

New Tech In the Classroom

This week, I talked to another 6th grade teacher in my building. I asked her if there were any new tech tools she was using with her kids. She stated that this year, she decided to use Nearpod with her class. Here is her synopsis of it.


"Nearpod is a great app that allows me to set up lessons on the iPad that students follow along with.  I can incorporate pictures, videos, and websites, as well as assessing students understanding along the way by having them draw a picture in the app, answer a question, or write a short response.  We can then view some of the drawings or responses as a class to make sure that everyone is understanding.  The app also saves reports of how the students did on the multiple choice questions.  There are many lessons already made or I can make my own lessons.  It is a great tool to keep the students engaged and learning."

I asked her how she decided to use the app. She told me, "I saw a presentation about Nearpod at a technology conference I went to and definitely wanted to try it out in my classroom.  I liked it because it seemed like a more engaging way to present information to students and get feedback from them throughout a lesson."

She says the the only obstacle for using it was ensuring that the app was downloaded onto our iPads. Since it is a free app, that was not a problem.

Advice she would give to another teacher would be... "I would tell other teachers to make sure that students are using headphones when doing a Nearpod lesson.  The videos don't quite sync up so it is quite noisy if everyone is watching a video at the same time."

I was very intrigued by what she told me about Nearpod. I, too, had heard about Nearpod at a technology conference, but never had the opportunity to use with due to the lack of mobile devices in my last district. My colleague is someone who is willing to step out of the box and try new things with her class. I feel like I am pretty up on technology, but I have a tendency to not use a tool because of various constraints. I'm really inspired to be working with her and love that she is willing to share her knowledge with me and others in our building.

Creative Commons License

According to Creative Commons, the attribution non-commercial license "lets others remix, tweak, and build upon your work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge you and be non-commercial, they don’t have to license their derivative works on the same terms." I chose this license because I feel it is important for teachers to share their ideas with others. I also feel like if a teacher chooses to share their work on a blog, then they don't mind if others use their ideas in their own classroom. Before Pinterest and other such sites, teachers browsed blogs, forums, and other such websites to find ideas and ask other teachers questions. Now, teachers pin their ideas. The number of ideas I have found on Pinterest is amazing! I always say, "How did anyone teach before Pinterest?" It is because of this that I chose the license I did. 





This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Hope for the Homeless Board Builder

We, as teachers, must teach our students respect by showing respect. Where does this fit into our rigorous curriculum? As Gardner states, “if one wishes to raise individuals who are respectful of differences across groups, a special burden is accordingly placed on education in the social sciences, the human sciences, the arts, and literature” (p. 114). Children are always watching what the adults around them are doing and listening to what they are saying. I have caught myself, on multiple occasions, saying things that are meaningless to me, but full of meaning to my students. By showing students what they say and do has an effect on others, we are developing their respectful mind.

According to Gardner, “the task for educators becomes clear: if we are to fashion persons who respect differences, we need to provide models and offer lessons that encourage such a sympathetic stance” (p. 110). The lesson I have developed is one that I would use with my BIONIC (Believe It Or Not, I Care) Club. The students in my building come from, mostly, lower SES. Students who have little or no food on the weekends, and students who may not have a safe place to live are more abundant than most realize. This lesson focuses on homelessness in our hometown. While it may not be something that is stated, many of our students can identify with this problem. In order to teach them how to react respectfully when coming in contact with someone who is homeless, they need to understand what is happening and how to help change it. 

The assessment piece of my lesson calls for an action plan. “Educators should prepare young persons for a life marked by good work” (Gardner, p. 127). Having students develop a plan of action puts them in the driver seat. Their ethical mind is developed by taking action, while interacting with people from another “class” than themselves develops their respectful mind.

Board Builder is a great tool for students to use in the classroom to develop all five minds. An extension for my lesson would be for students to create their own board to share with others about the given topic. They can easily enter media straight from Discovery Education, or upload content from another source. They can then share their board in a public forum to share with others. I have used this resource before and will continue to use it as long as it is available.

Reference:

Gardner, Howard (2009-02-01). Five Minds for the Future. Harvard Business Review Press. Kindle Edition.

Final Video Blog

Spotlight on Strategies

After having trouble trying to decide what strategy to choose, I finally decided to go with problem solving. In my classroom right now, we are, as you know, working on our Mission to Mars challenge. A big part of this is problem solving. My students have a set goal they are working toward, with me as a facilitator. They have to use their problem solving strategies in order to figure out what elements their habitat must include. Another reason I went with problem solving is based around the push of the CCSS. Common core pushes for students to be able to not only solve problems, but to explain their reasoning. Because of this, I feel teachers should be integrating more problem solving into their curriculum. 

With today's technology being so ever present in our students' lives, it is important that we use that technology in our classroom as a part of our every day routine. When problem solving, there is a lot of research that must be done. When I was in elementary school, we had to go to encyclopedias to find the information we needed. (I remember copying pages out of an encyclopedia for my senior research paper.) Today, students can simply ask Google or any other well-known search engine for their answer. However, true problem solving can't be figured out by asking a single question.

Using digital media to enhance problem solving not only gives students an edge in their research, it also has the potential to tap into resources that most students, myself included, never knew possible. Next week, my 6^th graders will be talking to an expert from NASA about their project. They have been researching and planning their habitat for a week and are excited to be able to ask someone who may have many of the answers they need. They will be writing questions they want to ask the expert before they actually talk to him. They will then have their video call and learn the answers to their questions. My hope is that the answers that are given will get them thinking and steer them in a direction I could never have done.

Digital media and problem solving go hand in hand in the sense students have access to more information than they ever knew possible. Using this information when problem solving can lead them in a whole new direction.

Content Creation and Digital Media

After working in a technology rich classroom for a few years, I have become someone who loves having my students create digital projects. When looking at this week's blog post prompt, I decided to go digital and have my students respond using Edmodo. Here is one response that really stood out to me.

"I prefer doing digital projects because I'm spend like 75% of my time in front of a computer screen, plus I'm not the best artist but digitally I'm awesome."

Last quarter, when I had my students choose their medium for their final novel projects, this student really excelled with his project. He chose to use Scratch to create an animation, instead of making a model. However, when we do art projects, he really rushes through his project and doesn't care to take his time on it. 

Another student said she wanted to be able to play games in class. Her reasoning was that they would be learning, but to them it would just be playing games. This particular student is a huge fan of Minecraft and wants to be able to use it in class. 

I am working on incorporating more and more options for digital creation among many of my students in order to meet the needs and interests of all.

Creativity in the Classroom: My version of Heaven

"If you're not prepared to be wrong, you will never come up with anything original." -Sir Ken Robinson
"We don't grow into creativity, we grow out of it." -Sir Ken Robinson
"The creator stands out in terms of temperament, personality, and stance. She is perennially dissatisfied with current work, current standards, current questions, current answers. She strikes out in unfamiliar directions and enjoys—or at least accepts—being different from the pack." -Howard Gardner


These three quotes really stood out to me this week during my readings and viewings. Being that I have always taught intermediate elementary grades, I find that much of the creativity my first couple years only existed in Art class. We didn't color pictures, and we didn't create pieces of art. However, we sure did practice for those state assessments! Where is the creativity in reading a passage and answering multiple choice questions about it???

Then, I discovered the power of technology and digital media! I was pretty sure I had died and gone to heaven. My first year of using technology in my classroom was very centered around trying to find activities and create lessons using the tech. Then, I learned to turn things around. The technology wasn't my curriculum, but it sure did enhance it! Instead of giving my students a test at the end of a story in reading class, I had them create a comic strip or a slide show. I learned very quickly that the power of creativity lies in the options my students are presented with. 

As for the question of "Do schools kill creativity," I don't believe they do it on purpose. With all the high stakes tests and even higher teacher responsibilities, teachers don't feel they have "time" for their students to be creative. There is so much stress put on teachers today. All the negativity that weighs down on teachers causes us to lose steam, thus dampening creativity because it requires a bit of chaos. 


References:
Ken Robinson - "Do Schools Kill Creativity" on TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) 
Gardner, Howard (2009-02-01). Five Minds for the Future (p. 83). Harvard Business Review Press. Kindle Edition. 

The End of Earth: Providing Ways to Develop and Synthesize the Mind

According to Gardner (2007), "interdisciplinary investigation is very important [and] is typically motivated by one of three considerations:

1. A powerful new concept has been developed, and it is inviting and timely to test the reach of that concept.
2. An important phenomenon has emerged, and a full understanding of that phenomenon calls for, or even demands, its contextualization.
3. A pressing problem emerges, and current individual disciplines prove inadequate to solve that problem (p.56-58)."

When I came up with the idea for my "End of Earth" PBL unit, I (unknowingly) used number three from the list above to alter current reality and create a pressing problem. As a Language Arts teacher, it becomes very difficult to adequately bring in other disciplines. This unit was based off of a non-fiction article from our text book about the Sojourner Mars Rover. While I have a final project in mind, and will lead my students to that final outcome, creating a sustainable living environment on Mars, I am working on creating both discipline and synthesis throughout the entire unit.

Gardner states that "the disciplined mind has mastered at least one way of thinking-a distinctive mode of cognition that characterizes a specific scholarly discipline, craft, or profession (p.2)." He goes on to say that "research confirms that it takes up to ten years to master a discipline (p.2)." While I know my students will not be spending ten years working on this project, rather 6 weeks, my goals is to begin to develop a discipline by assigning groups to work on one piece of the whole project. For example, one group will be working on creating the habitat. Within that group, smaller groups will be focusing on the physical environment where they will build, materials that can sustain the atmosphere on Mars, etc. Creating these small groups with a common discipline will ensure that they are using different sources to come up with information that will help the entire team to be successful.

"The synthesizing mind take information from disparate sources, understands and evaluates that information objectively, and puts it together in ways that make sense to the synthesizer and also to other persons (Gardner, p. 3). In order to obtain synthesis in this unit, my students will be completing weekly "press releases" that will be shared with the other groups in order to show progress toward the common goal. They will also be participating in weekly discussion posts and writing bi-weekly picture essays. 

Even though this project is taking place in my Language Arts classroom, my students will have to draw on information from other sources and subjects in order to complete the project. Because they will actually be creating a model of their living environment, students will need Math and a concept of scale in order to keep it small enough to fit in my classroom. They will need Science to complete the concepts of space, gravity, and basic human needs for life. They will be writing each week and conveying their information that makes sense to a variety of audiences. Finally, and very importantly, they will be researching all the information they need in order to make their new life on Mars successful.

Gardner, H.  (2007).  Five Minds for the Future.  Boston:  Harvard Business School Press.