The goal that I wanted to accomplish was to attend a minimum of two professional development sessions to increase my understanding of new digital resources to successfully diagnose and troubleshoot issues without additional support. This goal was important to me because I wanted to be able to not only introduce my students to computer science standards, but to get them to explore and navigate new digital tools. In doing so, I wanted to be proficient in them so I can support them along the way without having to depend on outside help.
I did accomplish my goal, but not as I initially thought. I was able to attend one professional development session for one of the new digital resources my students needed to use, Zearn. This was a virtual PD session offered through the district. The other sessions were not offered live, so I completed the professional learning courses independently. These modules were for the district’s learning management system, as I wanted to reach an exemplary level of usage and knowledge. As I worked through the goal there were quite a few “aha” moments as I got to see how the resources I was learning about were helping my students reach a deeper level of understanding. The pain points were in times where I wished I had the knowledge I was learning sooner, so I can help my students sooner. As such, going forward, I am going to try to sign up for some professional learning opportunities over the summer. In addition, during pre-planning, I would try to refine my list of digital tools that I want students to learn and use and start to embed them into my lesson plans from day one.
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My lesson plan was on Classification of Organisms, the second unit in 5th grade science. Students learned about classification of animals and plants though PowerPoint presentations, podcasts, reading comprehension articles, and videos. In this unit, there were three objectives or learning targets measured through formative and summative assessments.
Please click on each image below to see a video of some of the digital tools my students used in action.
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Concept and Mind Mapping Tools and Podcast Tool Experiences
As Johnes (2022) reminds us, critical thinking is important beyond the school years and educators must do their role in preparing students to think and evaluate different options in order to make decisions. Concept and mind mapping tools are a great way to get students to think critically and make sense of their learning. According to Lucidchart, a concept map is a diagram that visually shows relationships between concepts and ideas. In contrast, a mind map works best for brainstorming and creative thinking as it is centered around a central topic (Concept Map Vs. Mind Map - What’s the Difference?, 2023). I have created both a concept map and a mind map in the past, using Miro (see Module 3 blog post for more information). However, for this module, I decided to use MindMeister and create a mind map to use with my fifth graders in our science unit on Animal Classification. The tool provides an array of templates to choose from and it was easy to use. The main concept gets built upon by branching out using the concept of "New Child Topic" and sub details can be branched out using the same connection or a "New Sibling Topic." The creation of the map was easy and public templates are available to copy and edit as needed. Podcasting is another great tool to use with students to increase their critical thinking skills. When students get the opportunity to podcast, the 4C's: creativity, collaboration, communication, and critical thinking are easily achieved (Bradbury, 2019). The idea of making a podcast felt a bit daunting at first since I had no experience with it. After exploring the different tools from the module, I settled for the Spotify for Podcasters. The tool was easy to use. Under the advanced features, there were options to edit and trim the audio, add smart background music that changed the volume based on the recording, and an option to describe the podcast in detail during the publishing part. To keep in theme with the current science unit, I created the podcast with my students as the audience. The podcast is titled 5th Grade INFO and the episode is titled S5L1, aptly named after the Science Georgia Standards of Excellence for the unit. As discussed above, I would highly recommend both of these tools to my colleagues as their benefits for student learning are easily evident. Incorporating both into the classroom allows teachers to accommodate various learning preferences, encourages active engagement, and helps students retain information more effectively. Resources that teachers can use to learn more about these tools are listed below:
Ideas for Implementing the Tools in the Classroom
Mind mapping has been shown to greatly boost productivity, creativity, memory and comprehension (Ayoa, 2015) In addition, some of the essential skills for critical thinking include communication and information skills (Joseph, 2019). Podcasting as a result, is an excellent tool for getting students to practice the listening and speaking standards, amplify their voices, be engaged and community build (Kary & Kary, 2022). Please see below for ideas for implementing concept and mind mapping tools and podcast tool in the classroom to support critical thinking:
Concept and Mind Mapping Tools and Podcast Tool Evaluation Tools
Digital Tool Evaluation - MindMeister Digital Tool Evaluation - Spotify for Podcasters Animal Classification Mind Map - MindMeister5th Grade INFO, Episode S5L1 - Spotify for Podcasters![]()
References
Ayoa. (2015, January 26). How to Mind Map with Tony Buzan [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Y4pIsXTV0 Bradbury, J. (2019, June 3). What is the Educational Value of Podcasting with Students? The TeacherCast Educational Network. https://www.teachercast.net/podcasting-with-students-samr-blooms/# Brandner, R. (2017, July 14). Mind Mapping for Children with ASD: Uses and Benefits - Focus. Focus. https://www.mindmeister.com/blog/mind-mapping-for-children-with-asd/ Concept Map vs. Mind Map - What’s The Difference? (2023, June 10). https://whenyouwrite.com/concept-map-vs-mind-map/ Johnes, S. (2022, September 13). Critical Thinking Strategies for Elementary Students: 7 Exercises and 5 Activities to Help. Tips for Teachers. https://scienceandliteracy.org/critical-thinking-strategies-for-elementary-students/ Joseph, M. (2019, November 19). Strategies to Increase Critical Thinking Skills in students. Teach Better - Created by Teachers. Fueled by Passion. https://teachbetter.com/blog/strategies-to-increase-critical-thinking-skills-in-students/ Kary, S., & Kary, S. (2022, June 18). How to Start a Student Podcast with Soundtrap | New EdTech Classroom. The New EdTech Classroom. https://newedtechclassroom.com/student-podcast-soundtrap/ What is a Concept Map. (n.d.). Lucidchart. https://www.lucidchart.com/pages/concept-map
Visual Learning Tools and Productivity Tools Experiences
The visual learning tool I used was Canva. I have a good amount of experience with Canva as I have used it throughout this program. As a challenge, I opted to use the poster templates. Schroeder (2021) emphasizes the importance of having a basic design that does not interrupt the learning, but merely reinforces it. So, after browsing different templates with the basic design in mind, I experimented with some of the advanced features, such as the animations of different elements and their position and layering capabilities (Clark & Clark, 2022). This tool was easy to use as it provided many resources for design ideas if you were not sure where to start. In addition, the undo feature made inserting and undoing different elements stress free. I would highly recommend this tool to other educators as an alternative to any media graphics and presentations applications. It is easy to navigate and offers many noteworthy templates within the Education tab. Visual literacy should be encouraged in the classroom for a variety of reasons, such as: it develops life skills, it teaches students to think critically, and it supports language development and other learning needs (Watts, 2023). Productivity tools offer some of that additional support by simplifying tasks or providing quick access. The browser extensions I used were Popsicle Sticks and Power Thesaurus. The two add-ins I explored were Pickit and Vertex42 Template Gallery. All of these productivity tools were new to me. I chose them because they worked with the Microsoft Edge browser and the Office 365 suite. The difficulty was not in their use, but in deciding which tools to explore. I found that Google has a greater variety of tools and even searching for ideas, most suggestions were catered to Chrome. I would recommend all four of these productivity tools to educators because they are easy to use and offer additions to the Microsoft Suite applications. Resources that teachers can use to learn more about these tools are listed below:
Ideas for Implementing the Tools in the Classroom
Visual literacy refers to the ability to interpret, understand, and create visual images and representations. Students should not only be able to understand visual content, such as photographs, diagrams, charts, paintings, and videos, but they should also be able to create effective visual messages. One way that educators can ensure that students have the opportunity to create is through project-based learning. In the module video, it is clear to see how the skills from visual literacy easily translate into students being able to learn through projects which results in higher engagement and deeper content knowledge (Edutopia, 2018). Please see below for ideas for implementing visual learning tools and productivity tools in the classroom and in project-based learning:
Visual Learning Tools and Productivity Tools Evaluations
Digital Tool Evaluation - Canva Digital Tool Evaluation - Popsicle Sticks Digital Tool Evaluation - Power Thesaurus Digital Tool Evaluation - Pickit Digital Tool Evaluation - Vertex42 Template Gallery
Browser Extensions
Popsicle Sticks Pros:
Power Thesaurus Pros:
Popsicle Sticks
Power Thesaurus
Add-Ins
Pickit Pros:
Vertex42 Template Gallery Pros:
Pickit
Vertex42 Template Gallery
References
Clark, J. L. a. S., & Clark, J. L. a. S. (2022). 10 Amazing features of Canva for Education. TechNotes Blog. https://blog.tcea.org/top-features-canva-for-education/ Combining The Gold Standard with 21st Century Technology. (n.d.). PBLWorks. https://www.pblworks.org/blog/combining-gold-standard-21st-century-technology Edutopia. (2018, October 21). Projects and Project-Based Learning: What’s The Difference? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhwuQU2-g5g Edutopia. (2020, November 19). How simple visual cues can improve your teaching materials [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NspVK9p_e_I Georgia Standards. (2023). GeorgiaStandards.org. https://www.georgiastandards.org/Georgia-Standards/Pages/default.aspx Gonzalez, J. (2023, June 21). Let’s make better slideshows | Cult of pedagogy. Cult of Pedagogy. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/slideshows/ Malamed, C. (2021). ELC 054: Do learners understand your instructional graphics? The eLearning Coach. https://theelearningcoach.com/podcasts/54/ PBLWorks. (2019, June 5). Tiny House project [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2gBFlPEZ2Q Schroeder, S. (2021). Using lessons from visual design to make better materials for students. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-lessons-visual-design-make-better-materials-students Tutt, P. (2021). How—and why—to introduce Visual Note-Taking to your students. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-and-why-introduce-visual-note-taking-your-students/ Watts, C. (2023, July 19). What is Visual Literacy? The Hub | High Speed Training. https://www.highspeedtraining.co.uk/hub/what-is-visual-literacy/
Nearpod and M-learning Apps. Experiences
M-learning or Mobile Learning allows students to learn on the go by providing them the content straight to their smartphones. Using mobile learning permits learners’ flexibility and convenience (Burton, 2023). Collaborative learning is an instructional approach that focuses on students working together to achieve a common goal. Collaboration amongst students allows for deeper thinking (Alber, 2017). Through mobile learning applications, students can collaborate and engage in higher-order level thinking while working on grade level standards. Applications such as Nearpod, Canva, Miro, and Quizlet allow for student collaboration while providing students with the advantages of M-learning. I chose to focus on the aforementioned applications because I have used them in the past but wanted to learn more and explore some of their advanced features. I have used Nearpod and Quizlet with my students, while Canva and Miro as part of this degree program. Nearpod was the easiest to use. That is in part due to the fact that I have attended district workshops offered by the company and had experience interacting with many of its features. Canva and Miro are also not difficult to use. Both companies offer a myriad of templates that you can customize to fit your needs. Quizlet is the most popular out of the three M-learning applications I reviewed in terms of its connection to curriculum. It is specific to education as it provides tools for studying and learning (About Quizlet, 2023). I would recommend all of these applications to my colleagues. However, I would provide them with examples of how they can be used and share the Nearpod presentation so they can get a better understanding of all of them. Nearpod has a great Teacher Resources section where teachers can find lessons by standard and with clear, measurable learning objectives. Nearpod can also support collaboration through its Collaborative Board where students can collaborate with classmates on specific lessons. Canva can support collaboration by allowing students to work on a project simultaneously. They can draft, revise and collaborate in groups of up to ten members. Miro can support collaboration by allowing students to work on a project simultaneously. Collaboration classroom games such as Pictionary, Hangman, Tic-Tac-Toe, Circle the Number and Crossword can all be used in all subject areas. Finally, Quizlet can support collaboration through game-based activities like Match, Gravity, or Quizlet Lives. The multiplayer games foster collaboration and teamwork, allowing students to work together, discuss concepts, and collectively solve problems. Resources that teachers can use to learn more about these tools are listed below:
Managing M-learning devices & Troubleshooting
In order for students to maximize their learning when using any sort of technology, rules and procedures have to be set in place from day one. Those technology rules will also apply to managing all m-learning devices. A great starting point is to utilize the district resources. Cobb County School District provides links for parents and students regarding digital resources on their Digital Citizenship and Responsibility page. The Cobb County School District believes that technology and its utilization enhances the quality and delivery of education and is an important part of preparing children for life in the 21st century. The District Administrative Rule IFBG-R Technology Acceptable Use describes the district’s AUP along with consequences for noncompliance. In addition, rules and procedures for managing devices will be reviewed as necessary. Students will have realistic learning goals, they will have opportunities to use a variety of mobile tools and platforms, and continuous feedback will be provided (Technology, 2023). For troubleshooting m-learning applications, students will have a few steps in place:
Ideas for Implementing M-learning in the Classroom
The resources provided above that teachers can use to learn more about Nearpod and the three M-learning applications, provide great ideas for implementation. However, as Davis and Davis (2020) remind us, most students are not "equipped with digital citizenship." As such, before any implementation can take place, teachers should consider teaching their students digital citizenship, how to properly manage and troubleshoot their technology, and remind them of the why behind the what. Students should have a clear understanding of what they are learning before using any other resources. Please see below for additional ideas for implementing Nearpod and the following M-learning applications:
M-learning App. Evaluations
Digital Tool Evaluation - Canva Digital Tool Evaluation - Miro Digital Tool Evaluation - Quizlet
Nearpod Presentation
Below you will find the Share With Teachers edition embedded link. To see the Student Paced version, please click on the link that will expire on December 4th or join at join.nearpod.com or in the app using the following code: RVJF4.
References
About Quizlet. (2023). Quizlet. https://quizlet.com/mission Alber, R. (2017). Deeper learning: A collaborative classroom is key. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/blog/deeper-learning-collaboration-key-rebecca-alber Burton, C. (2023). What is M Learning? Mobile Learning Pros/Cons & Tips. Thinkific. https://www.thinkific.com/blog/mobile-learning/ Davis, V., & Davis, V. (2020). Are smartphones in the classroom a smart move? Cool Cat Teacher Blog. https://www.coolcatteacher.com/e387/ Kharbach, M., PhD. (2023, September 24). Explore the power of Quizlet. Educators Technology. https://www.educatorstechnology.com/2022/10/what-is-quizlet-and-how-to-use-it-to.html Technology, M. (2023). What are the best Mobile learning tools and platforms for you? www.linkedin.com. https://www.linkedin.com/advice/0/what-best-mobile-learning-tools-platforms-you
Screencast and Assessment Tools Experiences
The only experiences I have had with a screencast tool have been within the course of this degree. In a previous class, I have used Screencast-O-Matic, now known as ScreenPal. However, for this assignment, I decided to use Screencastify. I found that using this was easier, as I simply added it as a Google Chrome Extension. The videos were automatically saved to my Google Drive and easy to access. When I made errors, I was able to quickly redo the video and use the editing tools to add it to my previous takes. In addition, I have used and am currently using both of the assessment tools that I have reviewed: Prodigy and Quizizz. Because I have used both tools for over a decade, they were easy to navigate and review. Links to the Digital Tools Evaluation instrument that I created in module one for each of the assessment tools and the corresponding screencasts are available below.
Additional information about each tool can be found below:
Screencastify 1. Overview of Screencastify 2. Getting Started--This is a Screencast video playlist that will walk you through installing and creating your first video. 3. Screencastify Blog | Video Tips, Tricks, Trends and News Prodigy 1. Getting Started with Prodigy (Help Guides) 2. Kampen, M. (2020, February 11). How to use Prodigy as an engaging station rotation activity. Prodigy Blog. https://www.prodigygame.com/main-en/blog/prodigy-station-rotation-activity/ Quizizz 1. Teacher Resources — Quizizz 2. Williams, S. (2020, October 17). Game-based learning: Kahoot! Vs Quizizz vs Quizlet. A Teacher's Ponderings. https://teacherspondering.wordpress.com/2020/10/17/kahoot-vs-quizizz-vs-quizlet/ 3. Mille, M. (2018, September 18). Meet the fast and the curious EduProtocol (using Quizizz) [Video]. YouTube..https://youtu.be/ExE61eXoOrA
Blended Learning
According to our content videos, blended learning can be viewed as a "marriage" between traditional learning and online learning (Models - Blended Learning Universe, 2021). By utilizing technology, educators can merge a multitude of instructional strategies and provide students with the best personalized learning possible. Though there are many models of blended learning, all of them can do so much more for our students when, as Talbert (2019) mentions, Bloom's Taxonomy is flipped on its head in terms of activities. Of the seven different blended learning models examined by the Blended Learning Universe, the one I consistently use is the Station Rotation (Models - Blended Learning Universe, 2021). Both assessment tools I reviewed, Prodigy and Quizizz are great activities during a typical station rotation as part of the online station (Tucker, 2023). In my fifth-grade math class, students rotate through four different stations. There is a teacher led station, a technology station, a math manipulatives / task cards station, and a folder game station. During the technology station, students have a list of online tools they are expected to use. Prodigy is one of them as students get assigned current content for review. During pre-assessment periods, the technology station also includes study guide practice on Quizizz. References Gieras, J. (2020). How to create engaging instructional videos. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/how-create-engaging-instructional-videos Michigan Virtual. (2018, December 13). Blended learning models [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zly9RMwgjI Miller, M. (2022). Station rotation: Save time, engage students in any K-12 classroom. Ditch That Textbook. https://ditchthattextbook.com/station-rotation/ Models - Blended Learning Universe. (2021, February 24). Blended Learning Universe. https://www.blendedlearning.org/models/ Talbert, R. (2019). Re-thinking Bloom's Taxonomy for flipped learning design. Robert Talbert, Ph.D. https://rtalbert.org/re-thinking-blooms-taxonomy-for-flipped-learning-design/#:~:text=But%20in%20applying%20Bloom's%20Taxonomy,remembering%22%20and%20%22understanding%22. Teachers’ Essential Guide to Formative Assessment | Common Sense Education. (2022, September 7). Common Sense Education. https://www.commonsense.org/education/articles/teachers-essential-guide-to-formative-assessment Tucker, C. (2023, June 30). Need Inspiration Designing Station Rotation Lessons for your Math, English, History, or Science Class? - Dr. Catlin Tucker. Dr. Catlin Tucker. https://catlintucker.com/2021/01/inspiration-station-rotation-lessons/ Professional Learning Goal
My professional learning goal in this course is based on Course Objective number 5 that states: Diagnose and troubleshoot technology issues related to newly discovered digital resources. After being outside of the classroom as an interventionist with mandated curriculum for the last two years, I am back to having my own homeroom, and teach math and science to 5th graders. As such, I am often discovering new resources, either district recommended, or school purchased. As my students and I navigate these new technologies, I would like to be able to diagnose and troubleshoot problems without having to contact our technology specialist who serves multiple schools or the tech department of different companies. My S.M.A.R.T. Goal is: This semester, I will attend a minimum of two professional development sessions to increase my understanding of new digital resources to successfully diagnose and troubleshoot issues 80% of the time without additional support. Evaluation Instrument After reviewing the list of evaluation tools, I found the application rubrics to be the most helpful. With Anstey and Watson (2018) in mind, I clearly saw that educators are the "ultimate decision-makers" in the tool selection process that we use in our classrooms. Therefore, I decided to go for a format that I often use with my students, and that is the rubric format. The most important criteria on the rubric are the connection to the curriculum and the accessibility. To make sure that instructional time is protected, any technology tool I introduce to the students, needs to have a purpose and be tied to the standards. In addition, due to the fact that I serve students with disabilities and English Learners, the accessibility part of the rubric is of paramount importance for the success of my students. Digital Tool Evaluation References Anstey, L. & Watson, G. (2018, September 10). A rubric for evaluating e-learning tools in higher education. Educause Review. https://er.educause.edu/articles/2018/9/a-rubric-for-evaluating-e-learning-tools-in-higher-education Digital tool evaluation. (n.d.). WISELearn Resources. https://wlresources.dpi.wi.gov/authoring/450-digital-tool-selection-checklist-and-evaluation-ru/view Educational App Evaluation Rubric. (n.d.). Ohio Center for Autism and Low Incidence (OCALI). https://www.ocali.org/up_doc/ho_3_pp-rubric3.pdf?1557548866 Evaluation Rubric For iPad Applications. (n.d.). California East Bay. https://www.csueastbay.edu/slhs/files/docs/resources/ipad-app-evaluation.pdf Student App Review Rubric. (n.d.). EdTech Center World Education. https://edtech.worlded.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Student-Review-App-Rubric.pdf |
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