Week 4: 3/2/2021
Guest Speaker: Lisa Czarnecki
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Lisa Czarnecki is both an inspired and an inspirational teacher. She constantly refines her craft and is a devoted student of both teaching and learning. She is at the very top of the teaching field, and always looking for that marginal gain in student output by modifying the directions of an assignment, or the setup of her classroom, or the rubric she uses to assess student work.
Recently, we've shared many conversations about how to bend education technology to her exacting standards of instruction. Her guest-speaking presentation has perennially proven the most useful to students as measured by my exit survey. Sit back, relax, and learn from the master of digital field trips. |
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Digital Field Trip Overview
Break!
Loom and Zoom Video Recording
If you're working alone, the presentation software I recommend is Loom. It's quick, easy, and produces an easily shareable video that looks super professional. It does just run, so I would prepare ahead of time, knowing what stops you're making, in what order, and planning how you're going to present in an engaging way.
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If you're working with a group, that's awesome. The easiest way for everyone to present will be to create your own Zoom meeting. Some factors to consider, all shared in the video above (ironically, also made using Loom) involve making sure your meeting settings are exactly how you want them BEFORE the recording starts, practicing sharing a recording of something unimportant to make sure that all the sharing works how you want it, and deciding whether everyone will have screen sharing capabilities, or just one person. The last hiccup that happens during a Zoom meeting recording is making sure that everyone is sharing their computer audio. It sucks trying to share a brief movie clip and realizing later that no one could hear it.
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Homework
Due at 3:59 (before class starts) on 3/9/2021
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Today's homework assignment is to continue working on your Technology Reflection project by adding two slides: one for Zoom video recording, and one for Loom video recording. Regardless of whether you're working alone or in a group, both methods are fast becoming staples in the distance-learning, post-pandemic education era.
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Week 5: 3/9/2021
Prezi Tutorial
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We'll start class today with practice using Prezi with a low-rigor assignment: students will create a Prezi about ANYTHING they want just to get acquainted with the tools and practice the cool, "nested" features that the program offers. The overwhelming feedback that I got last semester is that I went too fast during this tutorial, so I will intentionally go slower during class, and made a series of video Prezi tutorials linked to the right.
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Break!
Slides, PowerPoint, and Avoiding Ugliness
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Today, we're going to delve deeply into the finer tech skills and design considerations necessary to create an intuitive, digital field trip. The tricks we'll learn this week can and should be used on every technology tool you create in your entire career.
For today's in-class engagement, you'll be assigned groups to work on a Google Slides presentation with only two slides: one positive example, and one negative, non example, of the two design criteria you're assigned. Basically, you're creating a good, and bad Slides based on one example of effective design criteria. Then, you'll show off your amazing and terrible work before having time to "writers workshop" our digital field trip.
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Homework
Due at 3:59 (before class starts) on 3/16/2021
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Two more slides to add to your Technology Reflection project today: Slides and Prezi. I ignored PowerPoint, because unless Microsoft Teams starts being a genuine and equal competitor against Google Classroom, PowerPoint will become a program of the past, and not the kind of program whose inclusion in your Reflection will land you a job.
In case you haven't noticed, one of the requirements for your Slides is an image of the logo for the software upon which you're reflecting. I always include those images on my website, next to your homework assignment. You can just right click and save the image if you need it... |
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Week 6: 3/16/2021
Peardeck and Nearpod for CFU and Engagement
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Checks for Understanding [CFU's] became all the rage during the great Common Core shift away from lecture and towards constructivism. Basically, a well-designed CFU is a structured way for a teacher to collect data and offer real-time feedback and adjustments to a lesson based on what the students actually know, or actually can do.
Combining this skill with a technology tool became infinitely more important during the COVID quarantine, because when teaching via Zoom, without some way to know whether students are engaged or not, you're just talking at sixteen black boxes and three ceilings. Two of the best tools in the land of CFU are Peardeck and Nearpod, and both are free Google add-ons that link directly to the Slides presentation you already had to make anyway. In short, they're assessment and engagement, simplified! |
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Applying these CFU software to your digital field trip is easy. All the tools are built right in, and they cover all the engagement and assessment capabilities you'll ever need (If you use Slides as your software.) Just this year, Peardeck allowed both teacher-led, and student-paced options, so the world of tech-based CFUs is expanding every hour. Hopefully, this presentation isn't outdated by the time I present it...
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Break!
Writers' Workshop
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Most of our class today will be devoted to a "writer's workshop." "Writer's workshops" live in quotations because in large part, you'll only sometimes write. You might be web designing, PowerPointing, Sliding, or Forming. Regardless of the ridiculous, fake verbs, the goal is the same: to offer you structured class time with the support of your peers and instructor to finish your projects.
This time is not optional. It is provided for technology and literacy coaching, questions specific to your exact technology project, and wording specific to your exact commentary. Do not leave class early because you're "pretty sure you get it," only to email me at 11:49 with questions about your project. |
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