Post-Project Research Begins!

Microsoft Word ClipArt

The Research Continues

Now that I am more knowledgeable in different forms of Web 2.0 and how much teachers know about them, it is time for me to continue learning about how to implement Web 2.0 technologies in the classroom. 

There are research articles based on the use of Web 2.0 tools and iPads in the classroom that I will be reading and reporting on in our Fall Symposium at Mount Saint Mary College.

 

The articles I am looking for are to have evidence of Web 2.0 technology being used in the classroom. I'd like to find out more about the effectiveness of Web 2.0 in elementary and middle school if possible, and learn more about the specific strategies teachers can use to implement it.

 

Presenting the S.U.R.E. Research, or "Web-2.0-ception!

Research Presentation - The (Web 2.0) Tools I Used and the Overall Experience

Recently, I created and presented a 15-minute summary of the S.U.R.E. Research - Facilitating Active Learning With Web 2.0 Technology. 

Now that's a long name - although as I showed this to my friends before presenting, and we decided to nickname it Web-2.0-ception (taking a tip from the movie Inception). We realized that there were so many uses of Web 2.0 within the Prezi visual that I had made, so the name was only fitting. You can access it below. Clicking the title will open it in another window so you can look back here as I explain the major ideas. Use Google Chrome and Internet Explorer for best viewing.

 Engaging Students in the Classroom With Web 2.0

I. Introduction/Definition
The first part of this presentation is an introduction to the S.U.R.E. team, a short description of the research highlights, and letting the audience know what Web 2.0 technology is with a Wordle.

II.  Rationale
We performed this research because there are teachers not familiar with what Web 2.0 really means. In addition, they do not have access to the technology in schools even though they agree that technology in the classroom is beneficial to students. I inserted the graphs created with Google Forms and edited them with Microsoft Paint.

III.  Origin of Web 2.0
 This section is a timeline that highlights a few major developments in Web 2.0's history, beginning with cloud computing and ending with the release of the iPad.

IV. Types and Uses
Here I discuss Edmodo, Content Acquisition Podcasts, efolios, and wikis. I also show the implementation of a Web 2.0 tool, Microsoft Photo Story 3. The reason for this is to show that even though I had never heard of it before, I taught myself to use it, and it was relatively easy to use. I briefly discuss an infographic that I found about flipped learning, then include teacher testimonials from our survey to show the audience that teachers are engaging their audience with these tools.

V. Interview With An Elementary Teacher
An elementary school teacher was gracious enough to provide me with an interview. I discuss with pictures what kinds of Web 2.0 are in her classroom, such as the Elmo document projector and the SMART Board. I learned that she uses BrainPop videos to engage the class, Google Drive to create documents and spreadsheets, and SMART Exchange to see what valuable resources she can implement in her lesson plans from other teachers. (A video statement from the teacher is provided that I edited in Windows Live Movie Maker.)

VI. Future Expectations for Web 2.0 in the Classroom
By discussing what training teachers would like and how many hours they would prefer to spend on Web 2.0, I conclude by letting everyone know how much teachers support technology in the classroom. I show the types of Web 2.0 teachers would like with a word cloud from ABCya! and wrap up the major points in our research.

VII. Resources
Here I simply list all of the resources I used or mentioned in the presentation. There are a lot. I also make sure to thank all of my collaborators for their help with all aspects of my research.

Let's Get Blogging - In the Classroom, That Is!

http://edublogs.org/

http://edu.glogster.com/

 

During my research, I have come across a Web 2.0 tool that I feel will become a big sensation in the near future - Classroom Blogging! 

[A blog is an online website where you can make text entries (such as a diary), but way cooler since you can modify the layout to what colors and specifications you like, add pictures, videos, link to other pages, and also have others respond to what you write (which is optional).]

Created by me with Web 2.0 tool Microsoft Paint, and font from Microsoft Word

Education is becoming exciting and engaging due to all of the new technologies available. Here are some of the benefits of and reasons to try a classroom blog (as noted by the Edublogs Challenge website):

• Blogging is a great way to get students excited about writing
• Peer feedback (aka writing responses to the blogs) can be very motivating and positive.
• You don't just have to blog! How about having a 100-word challenge by giving students a writing prompt? Sounds like fun!

 

Remember that students should know the appropriate way to behave online, and as a teacher moving into the world of technology, it wouldn't hurt to know the "Netiquette" - the etiquette of the net!

Resources for learning about netiquette and how to teach your students the proper behavior online (click the links to go there):

 

Daniel Anderson's Internet Behavior and Ethics Site

 

Edublog's Fair Use, Copyright, and Introduction to Using Images

 

 Study Guides and Strategies: Netiquette

 

 

When New Technology Arises - My Unexpected Encounter With Web 2.0

Web 2.0 Tool: Photo Story 3

The above video is short (1 min 20 sec) and did not take me long to make. I actually stumbled upon the Photo Story website through a blog during my research of Web 2.0 technologies.

Feel free to leave a response (the pencil button below this post) and let me know what you think!

Food For Thought

Making this video allowed me to reflect on how new technologies may be a little scary for teachers to learn at first. Not only that - it may take some time to learn how to use them, but once you do, the possibilities are endless - and it is your students who will gain the most from it! 

I am currently making a Prezi (which I have never done) and it took me about 3 hours to learn the basics. A video tutorial on Prezi's site was very informative - the video itself was a Prezi about how to make a Prezi! Talk about meta-cognition!

Infographics - A Visually Stunning Web 2.0 Tool

Our research continues as we are introduced to Infographics, which is a method of presenting data in a highly rich and engaging visual way. Here is one I found that directly relates to my research, since it is about the history of cloud computing (as mentioned in my previous blog post):

Image Source: http://www.infographicszone.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/the-history-of-cloud-computing.jpg

 In a beautiful and engaging visual timeline, we are able to follow the history of cloud computing! We can also see the icons/pictures representing the Web 2.0 technologies that are now being integrated into the classroom curriculum! This makes me very excited about Web 2.0 technologies and there are many more I am going to check out at http://www.infographicszone.com.

Sneak Peek - Analyzing the Data with Excel!

Our project leaders Dr. Lazarevic and Dr. Smirnova coached me on the difference between qualitative and quantitative data, as well as the statistical concept of central tendency. My task was to find the mean, median, and mode of the data and interpret the results in preparation for our first presentation at Mount Saint Mary College!

 

Quantitative data can be assigned numerical values. This data is measurable and includes ages, time, weight, speed, area, length, height, and others.

 

Qualitative data is descriptive and cannot be measured. Examples of questions that describe involve "colors, textures, smells, tastes, appearance, beauty, etc", as noted by Regents Prep.

We also learned about central tendency, and the three common ways to measure it: mean, median, and mode.

 

Finding central tendency means determining approximately where the center of the acquired data will fall. In a bell-shaped distribution, the center of the data should be toward the middle, as demonstrated in question 12 of our survey. I'll explain the mean, median, and mode below:

Notice that the question choices (the percentages on the left) were assigned numerical, or quantitative values (column B, numbered from 1 to 10). So what are the mean, median, and mode, and how do we obtain them?

Mean

When we take the mean of data, we take the average of the responses. For question 12 above, the responses had a total numerical value of 118. Then we divide our total response value by the number of responses (19) and get 6.21053. 

Therefore, teachers spend an average of 60% of classroom time using educational technology.

Mode

When finding the mode, we find out which of our responses was answered most often. For question 12, for our 19 respondents, since 60% was chosen most often, 60% is the mode.

Median

The median value is the value that occurs in the center of our data. When there are two values that occur in the center, such as in question 12 above [these values are 5 and 6], we average the two values by adding them together and dividing by 2. We obtain the value 5.5, which is rounded to 6.

Thanks to the website Descriptive Statistics for the helpful explanations!

First Responses Are In! More About The Data Collection

About Our Questions

Microsoft Word Clipart

 

Our Web 2.0 and iPad in the Classroom Survey has 10 open-ended questions and 32 closed-ended questions. According to Duke Initiative on Survey Methodology, an article about the aspects of a survey, a good survey consists of a mix of both open- and closed-ended questions. I noticed that the closed-ended questions are mutually exclusive, meaning there is no possibility of one answer "overlapping" another. This way we can obtain a clear understanding on the teacher's point of view for that particular question.

There are 18 ranking questions, which means that teachers are allowed to give their opinion on what they feel is working for them really well and what is not. The vague quantifiers (which for our survey signify how often a technology is used) are mainly used when asking about the specific Web 2.0 or iPad Applications that teachers use. The article mentions primacy and recency, which pertain to the first and last options in a set of answer choices. Being that a good portion of this survey is being conducted alone at the teachers' discretion, "respondents can see and process all of the responses before selecting one" therefore reducing the chance that teachers will opt for the first or last option only.

I am very proud of our work and would like to give a special thank-you to the principals of Valley Central School District and Yorktown School District for being so prompt in helping us achieve our academic goals!

Web 2.0-Infused Project-Based Learning

 "Web 2.0 refers to today’s internet. Its no longer just an information source, but rather a place where we all have identities." - Mister C.

Meaningful Learning Starts Here

I recently read a blog post from Mister C's Teaching with Technology for Maniahs, in which a teacher integrated multiple forms of Web 2.0 technology in order to create a PBL (project-based learning) lesson. Mister C explained the essential elements to successful project-based learning:

Significant Content >> Fiscal responsibility, addressed common core, digital literacy and citizenship and
used Edmodo, Google Drive, GlogsterEDU, and Facebook and created a website: Kidz Cool Treats.


21st Century Skills >> I had to research 21st Century Skills and learned how project-based learning is affected by:

• Life and Career skills
• Learning and Innovation skills
• Information, Media, and Technology skills
• 3 R's (reading, writing, arithmetic)

In-depth Inquiry >> Becoming knowledgeable about the background of the assignment and how things work

The Driving Question >> Asking and exploring in-depth the essential questions of the lesson

Need to Know >> The information that all students are required to know about the project; Note that Mister C. had his class create the list themselves so students could take ownership in their learning.

Voice and Choice >> Students were given a large amount of creative control!

Revision and Reflection >> Feedback was given from teacher to student, student to student, and from principal to class. Being able to take constructive criticism and make the students' work even better was a valuable process!

Public Audience >> Possibly the most rewarding and interesting part of this project was the fact that their ice cream was actually sold to the public! A website and Glog was created to get the word out, and students contacted a loan officer to help get their ice cream flavor out there. Facebook was also utilized to promote the product!

These types of meaningful, engaging, and creative lessons are the kind I look forward to teaching! They are also an example of how the Web 2.0 technologies are working for students!

Cloud Computing - What is it? Where is it?



http://www.thebeckon.com/pros-and-cons-of-cloud-computing/

Burlington Teachers Speak Out! - iPad Use

Learning in Burlington is a blog post from Burlington School District that actually surprised me. Teachers were asked about iPad use in their classrooms, and their answers were not what I expected:

• 4 out of 5 teachers said it would be beneficial if students took the iPad home
• 4 out of 5 teachers agreed that the iPad is a great addition to the classroom
• Uses for the iPad included notes, research, and the writing process

Teachers found problems with iPads to be students being distracted, iPad's inability to print, and (a surprising answer to me): Various options so therefore there is a lot to do, and not enough time to master all of the applications!

And finally, the App usage included:

• Study Blue
• Google Drive
• Evernote
• Notability
• Safari

Unfortunately, Fruit Ninja, Scrabble, and Boggle were the only additional Apps teachers would want to add - this is part of the reason why our research is so important - there are many interesting ways that applications can be used, and certainly many more to be found!

Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due - On Social Media Sites

We've been waiting, and now it is here: a guide to citing works from social media cites, which I am sharing from TeacherCast:

Using the guide, I will cite the source of this image and information in MLA style:  Mahon, Karen. "Social Media Citation Guide." TeacherCast. June 3, 2013. http://blog.teachercast.net/how-to-cite-social-media-mla-apa-formats-by-karenlmahon/. Date Accessed: June 3, 2013.

 

 

Why This Is Important

The importance of this is easily understood by answering simple questions: Would you want your great ideas and intellectual property to be claimed by another individual? How would you react if someone had taken your ideas and not given credit back to your site? As important as citing material written in books, magazines, and song lyrics, information online is just as critical to give credit to.