:What no one knows yet…

Podcasting with GCast

Since entering the Classrooms for the Future equipped classroom at Fairview High School, I’ve been focused on teaching with podcasts as a way to enhance instruction and assess authentic web 2.0 skills.

Initially, I ran into some problems with podcast publishing. Thanks to some great research and support from FHS CFF coach, Pam Stevens, we found a podcast manager to import as a widget, and be user friendly for first time podcasters. The answer for our class was www.gcast.com.

Wetpaint and Audio Files

I chose wetpaint to host our class wikipage for several reasons (perhaps the subject of a future post), but ran into a limitation. One advantage wikispaces.com has over wetpaint is the ability to directly import audio wave files onto a page. Wikispaces effortlessly imports the wave file and places it on the wikipage with an embedded player. Wetpaint cannot perform this function. To have the class podcast, it became necessary to find a player to embed in the wetpaint wikipage. After some searching, Pam discovered www.gcast.com . It became our class podcast manager.

Gcast’s Versatility

If you’re not familiar with gcast, it is a free podcasting manager that can upload mp3 files and also convert phone calls into mp3 podcasts. There are advantages to using both of these functions within the class. Initially, we uploaded our audacity created podcasts using the class laptops. The sound quality was very good, but the process of converting the audacity file to mp3 format does take some time. Furthermore, connectivity issues hindered some students. That’s when the alternate method of publishing came into play. Using cellphones, which almost every student had, students dialed the toll-free number, followed the simple directions and began talking. When finished with the audio for the podcast, a few simple key punches and their podcast was added to the class manager. It’s easy, simple, and straightforward without a lot of technical know-how.

Podcasting integrated with instruction and assessment

I teach two sections: CP World Cultures and Psychology/ Sociology. I’ve used podcasting as a formative assessment in the World Cultures class, assigning a student created podcast at the conclusion of each chapter. For the Psychology/Sociology section, I’ve used the podcasts primarily to supplement instruction. I’m very pleased with the results of using podcasts and am actively looking to improve the quality of podcasting within my classrooms.

Please weigh in on the uses of podcasts, and experienced advice on podcast implementation would be appreciated.

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A New Beginning….

Since I last posted, I have completed my requirements for the Masters of Curriculum from Gannon University. The portfolio procedure guided me through the process of analyzing and reflecting on the educational practices I implemented and the technology I integrated in my sixth grade classes.  The portfolio, in a lot of ways, became a culmination of my sixth grade teaching experience.

Teaching in the high school, is a new experience…and a new beginning.

When I began the BOCE course, I did so with the anticipation of joining the FHS staff already using the Classrooms for the Future program. As things worked out, I began the 08-09 school year in a CFF equipped room including a Promethean Board and 27 wireless laptops!

I started this blog as a requirement for the BOCE class. In making a new beginning, What no on knows yet is also changing focus. As I use the tools learned in BOCE, this will be a place to record the implementation of Web 2.0 tools in my curriculum. I look forward to sharing the experience.

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Self Assessment Document

Masters of Curriculum and Instruction

Tomorrow June 3^rd 4:00pm, I’ll be presenting my portfolio for review. It has been nearly two years since the completion of the individual coursework. Indeed, since early August of 2006 I have had the portfolio project looming in the background – unfinished and mostly untouched.

There were a number of reasons for putting off the review, and I could give you a list of preoccupations and altered priorities. The plain truth is I didn’t feel right presenting the portfolio from a position of presumption. I didn’t feel confident walking into a meeting and saying, “This is what I think I will do?” Instead, I decided to focus my energies on implementing the instructional practice and taking teacher leadership positions within the Fairview School District.

The result, after two years, is the labor of intense craftsmanship. I focused on establishing a classroom environment based on choice theory and quality work. I worked with Edline, for the benefit of the students and parents in our district. I even taught other teachers how to use this tool. I created more detailed unit plans based on individual learning styles and culminating in authentic assessments for learning. I incorporated an internet classroom assistant into my classroom routines, and embedded individual lesson plans with technology. Using web-based inventories, students created their own learning profiles and studied their own multiple intelligence capabilities. I created differentiated units with understanding by design.

As a member of the Fairview School District Strategic Plan and Accreditation for Growth committees, I spoke openly about my beliefs and professional convictions. I even had a hand in creating our district Mission Statement: Developing the whole student: Achieving excellence in academics, athletics, and the arts.

Certainly the time since my coursework completion at Gannon University was filled with ‘doing’ things. I feel confident being able to go into the meeting tomorrow and saying, “This is what I accomplished based on the learning in my courses.” I am hopeful the Gannon staff with find my work satisfactory.

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 9-A-1 Web Applications

After reading the ComputerWorld magazine 2007 article Online Office Suites: The Winner Is Clear, I decided to focus on Google for Educators. I found a wealth of educator networks, lesson plans, and tools. The Wes Fryer blog post Google Notebook, Google Reader, and Firefox gave some practical uses for these Google applications. He pointed out some pitfalls to avoid, but overall recommended using Google applications.

After entering, I was quickly looking at the Educator Forums and even joined Nellie Deutsch’s Integrating-Technology group. I have a feeling when I’m finished with this class, I’ll be looking for ways to continue developing my web 2.0 proficiency.

After working with Google Notebook, I can see applications for students in my classes. I can see using notebooks as a great place to save and identify key information while surfing. The feature seems easy to use and applicable for independent student research or teacher directed learning. By making the notebook open to invitation or publishing it as a webpage, student access to research can be made easy. This would definitely help the visual learners in my class. Having this information web based means access from any network 24/7.

I entered Picnik and modified my avatar rather easily. This application was as described in the key information, a basic photo editor with a few advanced features. I found it simple and easy to use. I could see using this for visual learners as they work with slide presentations to create interesting and polished photos.

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 8-B-1 Paperless Classes

This post is in response to the prompts of 8-B-1. The article on paperless classes prompted me to think about classroom management. One of the tools I have used in my classroom is the Internet Classroom Assistant called Nicenet (http://www.nicenet.org/). After three years of incorporating it into my sixth grade social studies classes I have found the paperless aspect of assignments to be very efficient. When I post a conferencing topic on Nicenet, I ask the students to thoughtfully respond by the end of the week. This allows students the “wait-time” needed to deeply reflect on an answer. This also allows me to hear a response from all participants in the class. Additionally, student side conversation can then continue long after the concept was presented within the 41 minute class period.

Students can post from home or school, and once posted they are done. The sixth grader does not have to remember to place the assignment in their backpack, bring it to school, remove it from the backpack, and bring it to my class. The on-line ICA allowed for instantaneous completion.

Additionally, the audience for a posting is more than one, the teacher. Other students are then able to read the postings and respond.

My paperless space in Nicenet has allowed my students to interact in a way not possible within the rigid structure of the 41 minute period. Students learn to respect each other’s ideas and points of view devoid of the usual social cues. They hear the message for what it is saying.

In the article, the professors described the Web-enhanced classroom as a combination of face-to-face and on-line activities/resources. I have not gone totally paperless (I am still a digital immigrant), but I could see the advantages of it in my future practice.  

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 8-A-1 Big Shifts

As I read Chapter 9 “What It All Means” of Will Richardson’s book Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Tools for the Classroom; choosing only one of the “Big Shifts” for reflection was hard for me. For some time my teaching practice has been moving in the direction Richardson describes. I believe knowing where to find information is more important than memorizing the information (Big Shift #5, Know ‘Where’ Learning). I believe acquisition of knowledge and skills are best demonstrated, not posed as a multiple choice question (Big Shift #9, Mastery is the Product, Not the Test). I believe in student interest driven portfolios (Big Shift #7, The Web as Notebook). I believe in teaching the skills of the 21^st Century (Big Shift #’s 3, 6, 8). Philosophically I have been moving in this direction for some time, and have endeavored to incorporate these ideas in practice in my classes.

I did come away from the Chapter 9 with a vision for my classroom. I think a teacher needs a guiding vision, rooted in research, to connect the curriculum, instruction, and assessment taking place in the classroom. Until I read Big Shift #10 Contribution, Not Completion is the Ultimate Goal; did I realize a vision for the classroom of the future. Combining the shifts listed before it, shift #10 is the culminating vision for a teacher practitioner in the Web 2.0 classroom. The teacher as connector, collaborator, coach, and change agent redefines what it means to teach.

As I enter the high school next year and begin using the strategies learned in this course, I feel I will have acquired a new vision for my classroom, my role, and my expectations for my students. For me, this is my ‘shift’.

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 7-A-3 Responding to Connectivism

This assignment is the blogical response to a portion of the con-side of the Connectivism Wiki page.

To be honest, I’m not sure I have a have a firm opinion about connectivism as a learning theory yet. The arguments put forth by both sides make compelling reading. At this point, I’m willing to admit, “I don’t know”.

On one hand, I can see where Siemens is going as he places the changes in technology into modern context. I agree these changes need to be assessed as they alter the way we live, communicate, and (yes) learn.

On the other hand, I can understand the reservations of critics. Connectivism can be a way of looking at how we acquire new information, but does it explain how our brain processes and assigns meaning to information? I’m not sold it is a learning theory.

Would the description of connectivism as a pedagogical practice be diminishing? In my mind, no. Whether it is a learning theory or a curriculum model, is an argument for people who aren’t busy teaching students. I consider connectivism (as learning theory or curriculum model) to be a compelling argument for adding Web 2.0 tools and techniques into the classroom. At the end of the day, I want to use what I can to help my students grow and understand the world around them. Certainly, connectivism has given me some new ways to think about what is the best way to teach.

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7-C-2 Skype Ideas I can see several uses for Skype. In the past, I have used the phone in my room to conduct remote interviews with government officials and local college professors. I would put the phone on speaker, and my students and the guest would be able to interact. There was a limitation though, it could not be recorded. I like Skype as a podcasting generator and the conferencing function would facilitate the interaction of multiple students. Another idea, would be to have some kind of Skype office hours. Tell students you will be available and online for a certain time. If there were questions, students could be ask me, or, ask each other. A group conversation could take place with the members and teacher of the class. On a more personal level, my wife plans to use Skype to contact her brother while he is in India and England in May. Why not? It’s free!

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Using a daily podcast would fit right in with the unit I am about to begin. The unit is based on political parties and elections, which is tied to our overall goal of citizenship. I found a great daily podcast from NPR providing daily coverage of the election. I could use podcasts to help students understand the process and stay current on topics. I might incorporate the podcast as a bellringer activity to prompt discussion, or use it as supplemental information linked from Edline.  I chose this particular podcast because it is current. It explains the Democratic National Committee process on delegate selection. This is very topical, in that the Pennsylvania Primary is now one week away. http://podcastdownload.npr.org/anon.npr-podcasts/podcast/145/510268/89563742/KPCC%20News_89563742.mp3?dl=1

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 6-B-2 Podcast Differences

I really enjoy the challenge of podcasting. For now, my preference is to keep my podcasts brief and focused.  I like the challenge of condensing my thoughts into quick discernable bursts. Perhaps this is a by-product of our sound-byte society, or the influence of Dan Schmit and his Podcast: The Sixty Second Lecture.

I think the benefits of podcasts are there for the educational taking. I see podcasts reinforcing content and pedagogy. I subscribe to several organizations that use podcasts regularly. One coming to mind is The Gilder-Lehrman Institute. About twice a month, I receive podcasts containing lectures and presentations by historians.  Another educator using podcasts is Eric Langhorst, at his site Speaking of History you’ll see he uses podcasts to supplement his lessons and provide note reviews for his students.

Podcasting would delivers a stronger message than email, because the well directed spoken word can bring tone, rate, inflection, cadence, and subtle ques the written word lacks.

I have taken to podcasting, so far like the results.

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