Gottfried Inspiration

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Getting a Global Perspective on Blogging

Back in March of 2016, I got a chance to be on a Skype call with a friend of mine and two teachers from Vietnam who were exploring ways that they could get their students to showcase their learning to employers for an organization called Orphan Impact. The following blog post includes some insights I got in the process:

The request to speak with the teachers couldn't have come at a more perfect time as we are about to roll out a new portfolio process at New Tech High. We have revamped our portfolio requirements to better meet the needs of the students, so that they have a real, usable tool to showcase what they know and what they are interested in.

When talking with the teachers in Vietnam, it became clear that for those students, a portfolio is a way to get students to reflect on their learning, so that they get more comfortable writing and speaking about their learning. I know that the biggest complaint at New Tech is that students believe the portfolio is just a hoop to jump through and does not produce a usable end product. They say that after their portfolio is created, no one every looks at it again. However, after talking with my friends in Vietnam, it is clear that the process of creating a portfolio does allow students to make their learning visible and that in turn helps them to go confidently into interviews . They have the words and ideas in their heads about what they have learned and are very forthcoming and clear when speaking about their experiences at New Tech. Some of that confidence comes from having to create a portfolio.

We have decided to move on to a more Blog oriented portfolio that allows for students to reflect all the way through their learning process and is focused more on process and less on end product. The social aspect of blogging provides an incredible opportunity to be seen in professional circles, as an emerging expert in fields of student interest. It also provides a way to network with professionals and like-minded people. It can also be used as a way to share information and teach others what the student knows, thereby cementing that information in the students minds as they teach. Blogging is an exciting arena to move toward and as it unfolds, students are already seeing benefits to developing a blog.

So, we are moving on to the next iteration of portfolio at our school, but as we move, I think it's important to realize that, even though students feel that portfolio used to be a waste of time, it was not. Speaking with the teachers in Vietnam, and seeing where they are headed, I am excited for them. I'm also more appreciative of where we've been and and what we've done so far at New Tech. We forget that we once were beginners as well. We forget to appreciate where we have come from. We are constantly dissatisfied with the status qu

Interesting Projects that Inspired my Capstone and Show My Growth

Edutopia Case Study and Adobe Voice

After a suggestion from a colleague to check out Adobe Voice, I decided to create a presentation using the iPhone and iPad app. This presentation talks about a case study I checked out on Edutopia, a fabulous website that has great resources about learning for teachers and administrators with loads of great case studies.

The presentation took me about 10 minutes to write the script and 15 minutes to record and create. The voice-over was created right in the app and the music and icons came from the Adobe Voice library of assets with the ability to take photos with the iPhone and use them right in the app. Click HERE or on the image above to see the presentation. You can also read a blog post on the three case studies I reviewed on Edutopia.

Brain Rules: Chapter 2 and Creaza

Here's another experiment with a presentation application called Creaza. Creaza includes a web-based video editing app, an app to create your own cartoon, as well as a mind-mapping tool. They offer a free 30-day trial period with enough free accounts for a whole class to dive in.

The presentation above used almost all their stock footage in one shot. I found the editing tool to be something that would suit elementary and middle school students well. High schoolers would quickly outgrow the tool and get bored with the limited options. The presentation centered around the concept of how exercise affects brain development and function. Click HERE or on the image above to see the presentation.

A Collaborative Project Exploring "The Creative Brain" using Powtoons

Research

Design Process

Support and Next Steps

I discovered the magic "More" button found at the bottom of all my Google Apps for Education. The "More" button takes to you a whole host of other apps that provide tools for audio editing, video editing, cartoon creation, and so much more. Most apps use a freemium model where you can get a limited use of tools in the app and if you want more, you pay a small monthly fee. There are always discounts for educators. Want to know how to access these apps? Read my blog on this very topic.

This presentation was done in conjunction with two other classmates who were not in the same room as me. We decided to use our video conferencing tool to record the audio while we were all in the same chat room, so the sound we recorded is a bit distorted. We figured out how each person could go back in and rerecord but ran out of time and only one person re-recorded. However, it was a great experiment and we learned a lot about how to use the tools we had, in order to collaborate, and at the same time being in three different locations! They offer a free 7-day trial which allows access to ALL the fancier tools in the application, but when the trial is up, if you used the fancy elements and animations you may lose your work or have to replace your items with lesser options.

The Role of Staff in Supporting Blogging

We have a mix of teacher experience when it comes to blogging here at New Tech. There are a few teachers who have a digital presence already, some of who want to have a greater presence and see the value in it, (if they can only find the time) and teachers who do not understand what value blogging has for both students and for staff.

Capitalize on Your Strengths

The more we can harness those who currently blog or see the value of blogging, the more we can effectively teach ALL stakeholders what can be done with blogs. When we rolled out this project we did not require teachers to create their own blogs, but there is an intention that at some point, we will ask teachers to create a professional blog that will be maintained throughout the year. Ideally, when the students are blogging, the teachers should be able to take advantage of writing time to update their own websites. It's unclear whether that is a realistic expectation, until all students are up and running with their own blogging skills.

Convincing Staff of the Value of Blogging

Admittedly, certain staff members did not see the value of blogging, particularly Math teachers who see the realm of blogging as falling in the realm of English Language endeavors. For one Math teacher, I provided a list of Math blog sites to show him how blogging can help connect people of similar interests, to share information about Math and teaching, and to establish one's self as an expert in their field. It can also help facilitate finding a Professional Learning Network (PLN) that one can turn to for advice and even support in the classroom. Teachers can find guest speakers to help come talk with students, or mentors that can help students work through problems and projects.

Here are two blogging lists, one for Science and one for Math:
http://www.nature.com/news/2006/060703/multimedia/50_science_blogs.html
http://math.stackexchange.com/questions/81/list-of-interesting-math-blogs

One Step at a Time

Currently, we are still concentrating on getting students up and running. As we share what we are doing in our classrooms regarding blogging, reticent teachers seem to be coming around. Currently there are 6 out of 20 teachers, who have dabbled in using blogs for students to document, teach and reflect. The subjects include Biology, Fitness, English Language, Performing Arts, Chemistry, and Digital Design.

We intend to support blog writing in our school-wide Advisory class and have asked students to blog on school-wide subjects such as "Cultural Responsiveness" and "Strategies for Success at New Tech." School-wide writing time has also been used to allow students to write blogs on personal interest and are student driving.