Photo Story: When I Become a Teacher

Digital storytelling supports learning in school's because it "strengthens students critical thinking, report writing, and media literacy skills." A digital story can help a student express themselves in combination of different ways which will allow them to explore new ideas and feelings they have. "Her (Kim) story incorporates authentic voice, problem-resolution, narrative tension and a transforming realization." Digital storytelling allows the full process of critical thinking and creative process' which encourage children to use their imaginations and academic skills. "Digital stories provide powerful media literacy opportunities because students are involved in the creation and analysis of the media in which they are immersed." This is a link to my favorite spoken word video which relates to education. As a social studies major I would use digital storytelling to preserve oral stories, learn about different cultures around the world. I would consider this over an oral presentation or power point slide show.

Revised WebQuest

Here is our WebQuest


"A real WebQuest is a scaffolded learning structure that uses links to essential resources on the World Wide Web and an authentic task to motivate students’ investigation of an open-ended question, development of individual expertise, and participation in a group process that transforms newly acquired information into a more sophisticated understanding." 



According to this article, the WebQuest we presented would not be considered a "real" WebQuest. Whoops! Although the budget and Power point may not be considered "real" to this author, it does provide the student with budget techniques and a sense of learning a new culture of people. French words are spoken throughout the videos which can offer the student some understanding of the French people and their language. Although the author of the article doesn't agree with me I think this WebQuest is 1. Real 2. Rich 3. Relevant 

WebQuest Rubric

	Beginning	Developing	Accomplished	Score
Overall Aesthetics (This refers to the WebQuest page itself, not the external resources linked to it.)
Overall Visual Appeal	0 points There are few or no graphic elements. No variation in layout or typography. OR Color is garish and/or typographic variations are overused and legibility suffers. Background interferes with the readability.	2 points Graphic elements sometimes, but not always, contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. There is some variation in type size, color, and layout.	4 points Appropriate and thematic graphic elements are used to make visual connections that contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. Differences in type size and/or color are used well and consistently. See Fine Points Checklist.
Navigation & Flow	0 points Getting through the lesson is confusing and unconventional. Pages can't be found easily and/or the way back isn't clear.	2 points There are a few places where the learner can get lost and not know where to go next.	4 points Navigation is seamless. It is always clear to the learner what all the pieces are and how to get to them.
Mechanical Aspects	0 points There are more than 5 broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	1 point There are some broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	2 points No mechanical problems noted. See Fine Points Checklist.
Introduction
Motivational Effectiveness of Introduction	0 points The introduction is purely factual, with no appeal to relevance or social importance OR The scenario posed is transparently bogus and doesn't respect the media literacy of today's learners.	1 point The introduction relates somewhat to the learner's interests and/or describes a compelling question or problem.	2 points The introduction draws the reader into the lesson by relating to the learner's interests or goals and/or engagingly describing a compelling question or problem.
Cognitive Effectiveness of the Introduction	0 points The introduction doesn't prepare the reader for what is to come, or build on what the learner already knows.	1 point The introduction makes some reference to learner's prior knowledge and previews to some extent what the lesson is about.	2 points The introduction builds on learner's prior knowledge and effectively prepares the learner by foreshadowing what the lesson is about.
Task (The task is the end result of student efforts... not the steps involved in getting there.)
Connection of Task to Standards	0 points The task is not related to standards.	2 point The task is referenced to standards but is not clearly connected to what students must know and be able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards.	4 points The task is referenced to standards and is clearly connected to what students must know and be able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards.
Cognitive Level of the Task	0 points Task requires simply comprehending or retelling of information found on web pages and answering factual questions.	3 points Task is doable but is limited in its significance to students' lives. The task requires analysis of information and/or putting together information from several sources.	6 points Task is doable and engaging, and elicits thinking that goes beyond rote comprehension. The task requires synthesis of multiple sources of information, and/or taking a position, and/or going beyond the data given and making a generalization or creative product. See WebQuest Taskonomy.
Process (The process is the step-by-step description of how students will accomplish the task.)
Clarity of Process	0 points Process is not clearly stated. Students would not know exactly what they were supposed to do just from reading this.	2 points Some directions are given, but there is missing information. Students might be confused.	4 points Every step is clearly stated. Most students would know exactly where they are at each step of the process and know what to do next.
Scaffolding of Process	0 points The process lacks strategies and organizational tools needed for students to gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Activities are of little significance to one another and/or to the accomplishment of the task.	3 points Strategies and organizational tools embedded in the process are insufficient to ensure that all students will gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Some of the activities do not relate specifically to the accomplishment of the task.	6 points The process provides students coming in at different entry levels with strategies and organizational tools to access and gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Activities are clearly related and designed to take the students from basic knowledge to higher level thinking. Checks for understanding are built in to assess whether students are getting it. See: Process Guides A Taxonomy of Information Patterns Language Arts Standards and Technology WebQuest Enhancement Tools Reception, Transformation & Production Scaffolds
Richness of Process	0 points Few steps, no separate roles assigned.	1 points Some separate tasks or roles assigned. More complex activities required.	2 points Different roles are assigned to help students understand different perspectives and/or share responsibility in accomplishing the task.
Resources (Note: you should evaluate all resources linked to the page, even if they are in sections other than the Process block. Also note that books, video and other off-line resources can and should be used where appropriate.)
Relevance & Quantity of Resources	0 points Resources provided are not sufficient for students to accomplish the task. OR There are too many resources for learners to look at in a reasonable time.	2 point There is some connection between the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task. Some resources don't add anything new.	4 points There is a clear and meaningful connection between all the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task. Every resource carries its weight.
Quality of Resources	0 points Links are mundane. They lead to information that could be found in a classroom encyclopedia.	2 points Some links carry information not ordinarily found in a classroom.	4 points Links make excellent use of the Web's timeliness and colorfulness. Varied resources provide enough meaningful information for students to think deeply.
Evaluation
Clarity of Evaluation Criteria	0 points Criteria for success are not described.	3 points Criteria for success are at least partially described.	6 points Criteria for success are clearly stated in the form of a rubric. Criteria include qualitative as well as quantitative descriptors. The evaluation instrument clearly measures what students must know and be able to do to accomplish the task. See Creating a Rubric.
Total Score				/50

WebQuest part #2

Beginning	Developing	Accomplished	Score
Overall Aesthetics (This refers to the WebQuest page itself, not the external resources linked to it.)
Overall Visual Appeal	0 points There are few or no graphic elements. No variation in layout or typography. OR Color is garish and/or typographic variations are overused and legibility suffers. Background interferes with the readability.	2 points Graphic elements sometimes, but not always, contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. There is some variation in type size, color, and layout.	4 points Appropriate and thematic graphic elements are used to make visual connections that contribute to the understanding of concepts, ideas and relationships. Differences in type size and/or color are used well and consistently.  See Fine Points Checklist.
Navigation & Flow	0 points Getting through the lesson is confusing and unconventional. Pages can't be found easily and/or the way back isn't clear.	2 points There are a few places where the learner can get lost and not know where to go next.	4 points Navigation is seamless. It is always clear to the learner what all the pieces are and how to get to them.
Mechanical Aspects	0 points There are more than 5 broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	1 point There are some broken links, misplaced or missing images, badly sized tables, misspellings and/or grammatical errors.	2 points No mechanical problems noted.  See Fine Points Checklist.
Introduction
Motivational Effectiveness of Introduction	0 points The introduction is purely factual, with no appeal to relevance or social importance OR The scenario posed is transparently bogus and doesn't respect the media literacy of today's learners.	1 point The introduction relates somewhat to the learner's interests and/or describes a compelling question or problem.	2 points The introduction draws the reader into the lesson by relating to the learner's interests or goals and/or engagingly describing a compelling question or problem.
Cognitive Effectiveness of the Introduction	0 points The introduction doesn't prepare the reader for what is to come, or build on what the learner already knows.	1 point The introduction makes some reference to learner's prior knowledge and previews to some extent what the lesson is about.	2 points The introduction builds on learner's prior knowledge and effectively prepares the learner by foreshadowing what the lesson is about.
Task (The task is the end result of student efforts... not the steps involved in getting there.)
Connection of Task to Standards	0 points The task is not related to standards.	2 point The task is referenced to standards but is not clearly connected to what students must know and be able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards.	4 points The task is referenced to standards and is clearly connected to what students must know and be able to do to achieve proficiency of those standards.
Cognitive Level of the Task	0 points Task requires simply comprehending or retelling of information found on web pages and answering factual questions.	3 points Task is doable but is limited in its significance to students' lives. The task requires analysis of information and/or putting together information from several sources.	6 points Task is doable and engaging, and elicits thinking that goes beyond rote comprehension. The task requires synthesis of multiple sources of information, and/or taking a position, and/or going beyond the data given and making a generalization or creative product. See WebQuest Taskonomy.
Process (The process is the step-by-step description of how students will accomplish the task.)
Clarity of Process	0 points Process is not clearly stated. Students would not know exactly what they were supposed to do just from reading this.	2 points Some directions are given, but there is missing information. Students might be confused.	4 points Every step is clearly stated. Most students would know exactly where they are at each step of the process and know what to do next.
Scaffolding of Process	0 points The process lacks strategies and organizational tools needed for students to gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Activities are of little significance to one another and/or to the accomplishment of the task.	3 points Strategies and organizational tools embedded in the process are insufficient to ensure that all students will gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Some of the activities do not relate specifically to the accomplishment of the task.	6 points The process provides students coming in at different entry levels with strategies and organizational tools to access and gain the knowledge needed to complete the task. Activities are clearly related and designed to take the students from basic knowledge to higher level thinking. Checks for understanding are built in to assess whether students are getting it. See: Process Guides A Taxonomy of Information Patterns Language Arts Standards and Technology WebQuest Enhancement Tools Reception, Transformation & Production Scaffolds
Richness of Process	0 points Few steps, no separate roles assigned.	1 points Some separate tasks or roles assigned. More complex activities required.	2 points Different roles are assigned to help students understand different perspectives and/or share responsibility in accomplishing the task.
Resources (Note: you should evaluate all resources linked to the page, even if they are in sections other than the Process block. Also note that books, video and other off-line resources can and should be used where appropriate.)
Relevance & Quantity of Resources	0 points Resources provided are not sufficient for students to accomplish the task. OR There are too many resources for learners to look at in a reasonable time.	2 point There is some connection between the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task. Some resources don't add anything new.	4 points There is a clear and meaningful connection between all the resources and the information needed for students to accomplish the task. Every resource carries its weight.
Quality of Resources	0 points Links are mundane. They lead to information that could be found in a classroom encyclopedia.	2 points Some links carry information not ordinarily found in a classroom.	4 points Links make excellent use of the Web's timeliness and colorfulness. Varied resources provide enough meaningful information for students to think deeply.
Evaluation
Clarity of Evaluation Criteria	0 points Criteria for success are not described.	3 points Criteria for success are at least partially described.	6 points Criteria for success are clearly stated in the form of a rubric. Criteria include qualitative as well as quantitative descriptors. The evaluation instrument clearly measures what students must know and be able to do to accomplish the task. See Creating a Rubric.
Total Score				/50

WebQuest Strengths and Weaknesses

WebQuest	Strengths	Weaknesses
Gorillas	Offers a good opportunity for students to communicate and come to a conclusion about a specific problem happening in our world.	Although the WebQuest offers time with groups, most of the information they're looking for is a low level scavenger hunt type of work.
Shakespeare	Very thorough group work has to be done to accomplish this activity and offers a "consensus guide" to help guide students to organize their group work.	The Phase One Research is not guiding the student to what the important facts are within their interest. The links are just listed and it tells students to "explore" the website and share what they've found.
Earthquake	The project offers students a chance to build something together and see the results when the buildings are finished. Discussion would be key in figuring out how to assemble the building.	It's encouraged throughout the assignment to work closely with your group but on the Evaluation their is no grade for team work. This could cause students to do their portion and not be motivated to work together.
Foreign Country	At the end of the presentation students vote on which country they would like to visit and that student wins a prize.	There is no group work involved in the making of this presentation which offers no communication between the students.
Waves & Sound	It's a very thorough assignment and will encourage the student to ask questions	No group work is involved in this assignment and the "Teacher Page" lacks a lot of information.

Best: Earthquake and Shakespeare both assigments offer steady group work where conversation is key but an individual effort will go noticed.

Worst: Gorillas and Waves these two assignments offer minimal to no group work and the assignment itself is very juvenile with little heavy analysis going into the students' conclusions. 

Picasso Head Blog

I think learning styles do exist but they are not being represented properly. The idea of matching style with content makes the most sense to me. "Instead, teachers should worry about matching their instruction to the content they are teaching. Some concepts are best taught through hands-on work, some are best taught through lectures, and some are best taught through group discussions (Glenn, 2009)." I would take the idea's Pashler presented and use learning styles appropriately to convey different styles of information.




The second article offered a more simple way to describe learning styles and how they are used. I used to believe in the concept of learning styles but I think there is a more effective approach to help a classroom discover their full potential and what kind of learner he or she is. "learning styles are not really concerned with what learners learn, but rather how they prefer to learn (Clark, 2000)."





My MI came back to say "Naturalist." I found a geocaching activity that directly relates to Social Studies. Geocaching is a sort of treasure that happens all over the world. You get GPS coordinates to locate a box, which can be very small or very large. Inside the boxes people can put anything they want in them, in reason. For this specific geocache, students will answer questions about Constitution Day. Six caches represent six different facts about the Constitution and the people involved. This activity is not designed to be a test, its just to see what students do know about the Constitution. Click here to get connected to this activity.









References:







Clark, D. (2000, May 9). Big dog and little dog. Retrieved from http://nwlink.com/~donclark/hrd/styles.html



Glenn, D. (2009, December 15). Chronicle of higher eduacation. Retrieved from http://chronicle.com/article/Matching-Teaching-Style-to-/49497/



Sotherden, J., & Meredith, S. (n.d.). Constitution day geocaching . Retrieved from http://geocache.itrtblog.com/2010/09/constitution-day-geocaching/

Video Games #2

The videos helped me to discover that video games shouldnt be challenged with our children, they should be embraced. Im not anti video games because I used a lot of educational games growing up that helped me think better, type faster and keep up with the growing technology. As Im writing this blog, my boyfriend is playing Call of Duty while making a lasagna. Talk about multi tasking! :o) I enjoyed the different points of view but I especially liked the male speaker. He talks about gamification in places we would never expect, for example in smart cars when you have a pet plant that grows when you drive more eco friendly and dies when you dont. It just proves that technology is not going anywhere and adults need to learn how to embrace the changes and embrace the learning the 21st century kids enjoy and thrive on. In the first video the woman presents the statistics on the cube test as being improved on still after 5 months of the initial pre test and ten hour game play. This is remarkable to me because it proves that people are learning how to multi task better through these gaming sessions. I also liked her anology of chocolate and broccoli. It tied her entire point together that we need to find a way to challenge our children but let them play too. Katie Salen had some great points and ideas regarding gaming but I liked that she doesnt support a full time gamer status but recognizes the importance in these games and how they can really help enhance students' way of learning.


Artificial Wisdom claims to give educators and parents ratings on different video games to help identify the most beneficial to the students and child in regards to the educational aspects and the skills it teaches. They use a scale called GRADE which will give teachers and parents an idea of how the game specifically targets a certain educational area within the game.