Our Spring Break is during the week of 3/11, so we should take the opportunity the week before that (3/4) to meet again f2f for our second of three meetings. There we can go over coursework expectations for the rest of the semester, practice some hands-on content creation, and collaboratively modify the mid-term assignment to best suit Westerly High School's needs. Let pragmatism prevail!
Please arrive with either a solid outline of what topics you'd like to realistically cover in you digital chapter or the beginnings of what you have already begun to create. (For those of you that have not gotten comfortable yet with how to start, please arrive with specific goals about what would be the most practical for your setting and we'll collaboratively get you moving in the right direction.)
This shouldn't be an overly-stressful course, so please feel free to ask questions, make mistakes, and communicate your obstacles, so that we can make this the most productive learning experience possible.
I'll reach out to Deanna and see if we can schedule that same room (227) from 3:15-6 for 3/4. Now let's get started with S5!
Let's first watch this 5 min. video on the shift to Digital and Open Textbooks.
Now, on to Curriki. A great place to start is to hear about the history and mission behind the site. One of the biggest names in Silicon Valley, former Sun Microsystems CEO Scott McNealy, joins Curriki CEO Kim Jones to talk about their efforts to make learning materials free and open to everyone on the Internet.
Let's start with, "Viewing a Resource in Curriki"
Now let's look at what members can do with resources.
With all of these resources available and at your fingertips, you'll need to be assured that your access the best and highest quality information, so let's next learn about, "Reviewed Resources."
We'll skip the screencasts on how to rate and comment on resources for now, b/c that's a little more advanced, but when you're ready you can view it here.
Now it's time for the fun part---finding useful stuff. Let's start with, "Search Basics."
I've always been a big proponent of pragmatism in teacher training, so for the rest of your time this week I'd like you to spend time exploring these resources and looking for material to suit your specific educational setting. Please keep track of your thoughts and reflections and post them under S5's entry.
For those chomping at the bit for us to cover eReaders and tablets---your time will be here soon. Here's some of the latest data:
Have fun!
PS-Here are the comments from past teachers that took this course:
Summer '12
Now it's time for the fun part---finding useful stuff. Let's start with, "Search Basics."
There are few things more frustrating than searching endlessly for a resource and not finding what you're looking for, so our next video will walk you through the "Advanced Search" options and filters.
Most of the benefits to using OER's can be increased exponentially by working collaboratively with a group of your peers, so the last video we'll watch will be on how to access and create 'groups' in Curriki.
For those chomping at the bit for us to cover eReaders and tablets---your time will be here soon. Here's some of the latest data:
Have fun!
PS-Here are the comments from past teachers that took this course:
Summer '12
10 comments:
I must say after registering and exploring Curriki there seems to be a vast amount of resources which are applicable to the English classroom. For instance, I searched for Shakespeare resources and discovered more than I could possibly use. Some are sources I have used before, but because of the filtering it is easy to see what another educator thought, as well as a simple abstract. I am working from an IPad and would like to download the correct app and buy the necessary accessory so I can sync my device with the projector in my room.
I agree with Melissa. . .so much information from which to draw in the realm of ELA. I have been searching for documents, activities, etc. on the site to help me fill in some of what I'm envisioning for my "chapter," but am falling short. Because the chapter I've chosen is much more about skill than content, it's been difficult. I'll keep looking, though.
For others reading this that haven't embarked on their searching quest, I highly recommend the advanced search. Curriki offers access to so many layers of education--ie individual lesson plans, student-specific activities, entire curricula, etc.--that it can be overwhelming. I do hope to be able to use some of this to add to my own "chapter" work.
On another note, I wanted to respond to the first video. I heard through the grapevine we might be going chromebook. . .here's a link to learn more about them: http://www.google.com/intl/en/chrome/education/devices/casestudies.html#casestudy-crookcounty
If we are going 1:1 it will be so helpful to students without access and while some of my students don't revere their $90 textbooks, they do revere their ipods and cell phones, so perhaps it will not only help increase their respect for the materials the school does provide them, but it will also increase motivation, engagement, etc. The one "thing" I tend to wonder about is the "saving money" argument. Unless most of our school shifts from these textbooks into what we are exploring in this class, it seems teachers are still going to want to fall back on the traditional text unless they're trained in using the open educational resources? Anyone else agree?
Last idea I'd like to discuss is from the Tedtalk by Richard Baraniuk from our syllabus. He referred to this as a "Knowledge Ecosystem." I'm pumped to be a part of it and create microcosms within that ecosystem in our own school, departments and classrooms. It's that last microcosm I'm the most excited about. If students start creating these systems (check out the link on the syllabus regarding students helping create content). It makes so much sense as we're moving them to the CCSS world. . .
I agree with Melissa about the abundance of resources in Curriki and I hope that I will be able to narrow my ideas for producing my own flexbook or chapter. Right now, I am debating on the units for Quarters 1 through 3, and I am drawing a blank. Maybe tomorrow afternoon's session will help. I also agree with Anne about training needed- for students and teachers- in order to make the 1:1 and digital texts work. Hopefully our next PD session in March will be a step toward this- where we have meaningful PD that we can learn, apply, and use right away.
Anne-
I also heard about Google Chromebooks. I did a little research on them as well. Thanks for the link. I agree with the Pandora's Box the 1:1 tech to student ratio creates. The positive elements are endless, but it must come with immense tech support and teacher responsibility to explore.
It's me again, my Curriki research was not geared toward my flexbook chapter. I agree, I am skill-based for this task, rather centered around a book title.
I logged in last Friday to the curriki site and did not find very much for technology classes i.e. computer science programming.
I would like to respond to What Anne said about going to the 1:1 and not everyone moving forward with this online digital trend. I love digital as much as , and maybe more than, the next person. And a lot of what I teach really needs to come from the web as technology changes so much. But I don't want to think that we will go completely away from some text. I will make the analogy to local shopping vs the mall. Back in the day you did not have to leave town to find a pair of shoes we had them in town, but as people stopped shopping in town stores stopped staying in town. If we all stop utilizing the resources that the publishers produce we may see a rise in the prices of what is left and a limited product. Professional writers spend years creating books with all of the wonderful assessments, resources, and content. As a teacher I am busy teaching and really only want to either provide additional teaching material or in my case the only teaching material I can find that is current. It would be great if the money's the ditricts save on books from this type of practice would go back ino the school budget to help create smaller class sizes, but perhaps it will be just one more thing we are expected to do and just save money for the town. Thoughts
I'm doing this because I want to and I think it will engage the kids. I don't want to do this because I have to.
I do agree that we need pd on using these resources for all of the staff so they can be comfortable with it.
Hi all! I have also heard about the possible move to Chromebooks. I do not have any experience with them so I will have to do a little research. Either way I am looking forward to the move to 1:1.
I like the Curriki site. I found some very interesting and useful Physics resources that I could possibly integrate into my Physical Science digital chapter/book. They had such a variety of resources. There were some interactive's that I thought students would enjoy. I love that with all these resources you can combine different types of presentation of information and hopefully reach all the different types of learners: audio for auditory learners, videos for visual/spatial learners, written text for linguistic learners, hands on labs for kinesthetic learners, problem solving components for logical learners, and the opportunity to work together or individually depending on intra- or interpersonal learning style. These can all be combined in one spot so that learning can be seamless. Now I just wish I had 100 consecutive hours to bring it all together! For now I will settle for fragmented segments of time and work on it piece by piece.
Stacey
So i logged into Curriki and did not find to many resources for culinary arts. I did find many resources in open tapestry. So i am slightly confused on the mid term. Our question, are we suppose to make a video presentation gathering our online sources and use www.screencast-o-matic.com or sophia.org?
Just a FYI i saw in the tech department on either Wednesday or Thursday of this past week they where is the process of re-imaging some chrome books. not sure where they are being deployed though. My wife's school jusdt recently purchased some chrome books for the students. She stated that very nice and practical
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