Education is a social process.  Education is growth.  Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.  John Dewey
  Education is a social process.  Education is growth.  Education is not a preparation for life; education is life itself.  John Dewey
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  • Welcome
  • Educational Technology
    • Connect
    • Create
    • Listen
    • Organize
    • Visualize
    • Write
  • Professional Development
    • Operation vs. Application
  • Blog
  • Work Examples
    • Ethics of the Atomic Bomb
    • History of Communication Learning Model
    • Mashups
    • TPACK Teaching Case
    • Visual of Production Cycle
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Tech Tip Tuesday: Revisiting the SAMR Model

2/21/2017

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This week's Tech Tip Tuesday is coming back around to the concept of SAMR.  You'll recall we had a discussion about SAMR a few weeks ago.  You can revisit that discussion here, and you can review the levels with the image below.  
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While SAMR is a great model to explore the integration of educational technology in the classroom, there are still some issues that we should consider.  For instance, the model tends to privilege the two levels of redefinition and modification.  This privilege can have the unintended consequence of marginalizing good, quality teaching that does not employ digital technology.  There are still great lessons that use non-digital (re: paper and pen!) technology.  Also, by placing substitution at the bottom of the model, it can negatively impact teachers who are otherwise willing to try new technologies in their classroom.  By creating this hierachy, it can feel like a long way to climb up the ladder in order to "effectively" integrate technology.  It is also important to point out that SAMR tends to focus on the task instead of the people in the classroom.  It seems to still rely heavily on a teacher-focused classroom instead of a student-focused one.  So what if we focused on the people instead of solely on the task at hand?  Kathy Schrock expanded on a model created by Jen Roberts in order to explore the combination of Bloom's, SAMR, and the integration of technology.  You can see the image below.
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As you can see by including Bloom's, the instructor can focus on higher-order cognitive skills.  By then building on SAMR but focusing more on people over tasks, the instructor can move away from a teacher-centered classroom and more to a student-centered, tech-integrated classroom.  This shift allows for more choice and more student autonomy while addressing students' needs and interests and focusing on authentic learning.  
Want to learn more?  Check out How to Integrate Google Apps with the SAMR Model
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Tech Tip Tuesday: Go Green(ish) and Use Print Friendly!

11/22/2016

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Today's tech tip is a quick and easy way to save paper and ink.  How often have you been online and wanted to print something, but you aren't sure how to get rid of the ads on the sides of the screen?  Well, now there is a tool to help you!  Print Friendly is a free online tool that helps you erase ads, pictures, and other elements you do not want to print.  Check out the video below for more information:
The best browser for Print Friendly is Google Chrome.  You can also download an extension for Print Friendly that works with Chrome.  An extension is like an app that is integrated into the Chrome browser.  It will add a green icon in your Chrome toolbar so you can easily use Print Friendly without needing to go to the website and copy/paste a URL.  
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So now, if you absolutely must print, you can save paper and ink by removing all the unwanted ads and images not applicable to what you are reading.  Have other ways you save paper and ink?  Please feel free to share in the comments below.

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Tech Tip Tuesday: Using Verso to Engage Students

11/8/2016

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What does discussion look like in your classroom?  Do you normally see one student dominating the conversation?  Do you have other students who are too shy to join in the conversation for fear of being wrong?  Often our classroom discussions can be lopsided due to dominant students or even derailed by students introducing an off-topic to the mix.  We want all of our students to be engaged and feel empowered to join in a class discussion.  We also want to give students time to think in order to provide deeper answers.  

​Verso can help you create dynamic class discussions by offering a safe, anonymous space for all students' voices to be heard and valued.  

Overview of Verso:
  • The instructor sets up a question or prompt for the students
  • The students then respond by typing in their thoughts
  • Students can use any type of device that connects to the Internet to respond
  • Students can see others' responses after they submit their own response, though every response is anonymous
  • Students can then comment and even upvote on others' responses, adding another element of engagement to the discussion

While student responses are kept anonymous, the instructor can see everything on their own dashboard, including who is typing and commenting.  The instructor also has the ability to remove any inappropriate responses immediately.  Students can also flag inappropriate comments and responses.

For more information on using Verso, please watch the video below:
Want more resources?  Check out the links below!  Also, be sure to leave a comment on how you use or plan to use Verso.  
  • ​Verso and Google Docs
  • Verso Sample Activities
  • Verso Case Studies
Now, go get started with Verso!
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Tech Tip Tuesday: Tools to Support QuickWrite Assignments

11/1/2016

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We all want to find different ways to get our students to reflect on their learning.  One way to do this is to have students do a quickwrite.  You can use this type of assignment as a weekly, in-class exercise, or you can ask students to do this in preparation for class.  The quickwrite is designed to encourage students to reflect on the week's content and revisit their notes to review what they learned.  It is a way to ask questions about course concepts without having to do a review in class.  Quickwrite also helps the instructor to identify areas of review; for instance, if many students mention they are still confused about a concept, the instructor can follow up with review immediately instead of waiting to see students miss certain content questions on the exam.

Here are five questions you can use in a quickwrite assignment, though feel free to create your own as well:
  1. What terms were the most important in this week's content?  Define any important terms in your own words.  
  2. What was the muddiest point for you (what did not make sense)?
  3. What would you like to know more about and why?
  4. How does this lesson relate to your other classes and/or experiences you've had outside of this class?
  5. Why do you think you were asked to learn this content?  How does it connect to what you've learned so far this semester?

When giving instructions about the quickwrite, be sure to point out that students should focus on the content information and not the operation of the course (i.e., grading).  Also point out students should write in complete sentences and answer each question thoroughly.  While they may not have an answer for question #2 (great!), they should definitely have answers for the other questions.  You can assign points to each question as a graded assignment, or you could leave it open as a participation and process grade.  Choose whatever method makes the most sense for your course and your students.  The quickwrite never needs to be a high stakes exercise; instead, it should be a way to ask students to reflect on their learning and give you information on what content needs to be reviewed.  

The quickwrite can be done on paper, or you can ask your students to do the quickwrite digitally (it all depends on your objectives, but be sure to consider TPACK!).  If you choose to go the digital route, you can give students options to complete the assignment.  Below are some great tools that your students can use to complete the quickwrite and easily share with you in a digital format:
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  • Evernote - Your students can create notebooks where they add their quickwrites and then share with you.
  • Google Drive and Docs - Google Drive is a great way to store and share documents.  Your students can create their own Google Doc and send to you via email, or you could create a class folder and share with your students so they can share their documents with you.
  • ​OneNote - Similar to Evernote, your students can create their own notebook for your class where they add their notes, assignments, and quickwrites and then share with you.
  • ​Padlet - (formerly Wallwisher) allows users to create their own virtual wall where they may post sticky notes with text, images, or other media.  Padlet is good for brainstorming and organizing during the writing process and may be used individually or in groups, either in real-time or asynchronously. 
  • Penzu is a free online diary and personal journal.  Students can write in their own diary or journal and keep it private or share it with their class.  

For more writing ideas, check out this list of writing tools!  Want to share how you use quickwrites with your students, please leave a comment below!

​Happy writing!

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Tech Tip Tuesday: Use This 5-Step Process to Confidently Choose the Right Apps

10/25/2016

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It’s easy to get confused when you set out to find apps that will best drive student learning. There are, after all, thousands of educational apps available in the iTunes and Google Play stores, and the number is growing weekly.

Like many educators, we also felt overwhelmed by the choices. But over the years we developed a process that allows us to sharply define what we need and then find the tools that help us meet our needs.

Here are the five steps we consider:

1. Start by defining the problem of practice
2. Address the how of learning
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3. Narrow down the type of tools
4. Look for sound advice
5. Evaluate the tools


​For more information on each of the five steps, read more here.
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Designer Information

Julie K. Marsh is a long-time educator, a PhD candidate at The College of William and Mary focusing on curriculum and educational technology, and the Coordinator for Distance Education and Instructional Design at Bon Secours Memorial College of Nursing in Richmond, Virginia.  Her current research interests include Design Thinking, Community of Inquiry, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), creativity in the classroom, open sourced educational resources, and participatory culture.  

Website by Eduhuh Designs                                                                                                                 (c) 2016 EDUHUH

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.