Infographics

I was inspired at TCEA to start exploring a model of Flipped Professional Development.   After a week of toying with the idea I decided it was time to actually work design and complete a flipped training to get my feet wet.  I've learned a lot so far and I am only in the beginning stages.

Here are my take-aways so far:

1. It is a lot of upfront work!   


2. Have a good outline of what you want to cover and then create your presentation.  I started with the presentation and had to scrap it as I needed to get a better focus on the outcomes of the session.


3. Determine the best format to present the information.   What needs to be video, what needs to be written and what should be done face to face.


4. Choose a presentation tool to fit your audience.   I chose Prezi for this training because it allowed me to zoom in on the images so I could point out the details.   I thought using powerpoint would be too flat for a video and would lose their interest for this.  Also - I haven't played with it in a long time and wanted some practice.


5. Make sure you are having a good hair day if you are going to include a webcam shot of you during the presentation.  Vain I know, but this video will be around for a long time.


6. It takes a lot of work!   I know I am repeating myself, but I have spent hours on a simple presentation becuase my hope is to create something that I can use again and again with different groups.  That makes the time investment worth it.

I am going to set up the video in our district's moodle and will incorporate an embedded google form to ask questions after the video.  I am choosing google forms to demonstrate how the teachers can use them on their own websites when they are intimidated by moodle.

Here is my Prezi that I will be narrating and recording with Camtasia Studio.   The topic of the training will focus on creating Infographics in the social studies classroom using tools they are familiar with, more specifically Powerpoint.

Technology Tuesday: Infographics

Infographics are all the rage. I have seen them on blog postings, shared on facebook, pinned on pinterest, printed in papers and in magazines. Basically they are a graphic representation of information. Think about USA Today, they have been doing this for years, taking data and displaying it with bright colors and images to make a point and display the data in a way that is easy to understand. Several subject areas TEKS require students to be able to read data from a chart, graph or image and draw conclusions. Infographics are a way to do that.

For those of you that are visual learners here is a great video on Inforgraphics as a Creative Assessment:



Infographics as a Creative Assessment from Kathy Schrock on Vimeo.

Examples of Infographics:

• Huge Collection of Infographics and an analysis of each one: http://www.coolinfographics.com/


• Getting More out of Google Infographic: http://www.hackcollege.com/blog/2011/11/23/infographic-get-more-out-of-google.html 


• Examples of Infographics concering Education: http://www.coolinfographics.com/blog/tag/education


• Constant Celocity Infographic: http://www.slideshare.net/gabud/constant-velocity-infographic (student created and uses QR codes to extend the learning beyond the page)


• Kathy Schrock's Infographic Topic List: https://sites.google.com/a/kathyschrock.net/infographics/infographictopics to get you started researching

Use infographics in the classroom:
Search google using "infographics" and your keywords to see what is available on the internet. Use the projector to display and discuss the information available on the infographic.

Taking it a step further:
Students could make their own infographic as a creative assessment using Excel for the charts and graphs and Publisher for the layout of the information. What a great way to report on a country or a historical event, or any topic that is organized around data of some kind.

Students have to

• choose the appropraite data


• graphics to help visualize the data


• organize the information to tell a story or get their point across.

Other Resurces:

• Kathy Shrock is an expert on technology, resources and education and she has compiled a list of resources in creating an inforgraphic: https://sites.google.com/a/kathyschrock.net/infographics/links


• Blog article on using and creating infographics in the classroom: http://www.slideshare.net/gabud/constant-velocity-infographic

Twitter Tuesdays - September 13th

Resources and Ideas:  Contains many useful websites and tips for educators using technology.  Recent posts include google docs tips, September 11^th resources, and 3-D tours of the solar system. http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

@IanBurley31  - Wow, what a great tech resource, of tech resources!! http://www.freetech4teachers.com/ #edtech #educhat #soudhs

Library of Congress –This is a list of 10 fun things you can do at their website including virtual tours, trivia games, podcasts, webcasts, photos , science mysteries,  and catch online e3xhibits.  http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/10-fun-learning-library-congress-online/

@sheconsulting  10 Things U Can Do 4 Fun & Learning On The Library Of Congress Online http://zite.to/p1pPnM via @Zite RT @nmhs_principal #edu #edtech

StudyJams – these contain Math and Science concepts that students can explore with video, explanation slides and check for understanding opportunities.  These are from scholastic and are well done!   Some may be too basic, but many are appropriate for middle school.  http://studyjams.scholastic.com

@MsThomas79 Fractions: Here is the video from Scholastic’s Study Jams we viewed in class today and some inte... http://bit.ly/orieuN #edchat #edtech

Storybird – students can publish their writings or create books to explain a concept with Storybird.  This blog post explores ways two teachers have incorporated this tools into their teaching.  http://teachingwithsoul.wordpress.com/2011/09/09/new-teacher-boot-camp-fall-re-bootweek-3-using-storybird-ntchat/

@gret New Teacher Boot Camp Fall Re-Boot:Week 3 Using Storybird #ntchat by @teachingwthsoul http://j.mp/o9phbS #edchat

YouTube – “Last month, 16 teachers from across the country got together at Google’s Seattle office for the YouTube Teachers Studio — a sort of bootcamp to learn how to best use YouTube in the classroom.”  Contains 5 great videos that show what YouTube has to offer and why these types of videos are worth using.  http://mindshift.kqed.org/2011/09/five-reasons-why-youtube-rocks-the-classroom/

@stem_high  5 reasons to use YouTube in the classroom 5 reasons to use YouTube in the classroom - http://sbne.ws/r/8Usy #edtech #edchat

Wikispaces – New tool – set up projects in your wiki – worth taking a second look at wikispaces for use with students!  http://blog.wikispaces.com/2011/08/projects-a-better-way-to-work-in-classroom-groups.html

@geraldaungst I discovered Projects in my wiki today and am psyched! http://bit.ly/pvvm01 Brilliant! Thank you @wikispaces!

Twitter Tuesdays

I have been on twitter for several years now and have found it a great way to build my own Personal Learning Network (commonly refered to as a PLN).   I have found several people to follow that are also interested in educational technology.  Those connections lead me to new resources to share with you.   Each Tuesday this year I want to share some of those resources with you along with the original tweet  and who sent the tweet.  I have tried to group these resources into categories so that you can quickly go through and find ones that may be helpful to you.

Here are a collections of resources that caught my attention this past week on Twitter:

General Sites:

ConceptBoard - @addthis  Conceptboard - Realtime Teamwork & Collaboration Software http://t.co/YZ6KCl4

• Create interactive whiteboards that can be shared

Moodle -  @moodlenews: 47 Interesting Ways to Use #Moodle in the Classroom (started by @TomBarrett)  http://www.moodlenews.com/2011/42-interesting-ways-to-use-moodle-in-the-classroom-started-by-tombarrett/

•  A google presentation that lists different ways you can use moodle in the classroom.

 Language Arts

 The LightingBug -   @TCEA: Lightning Bug is a writing resource website with interactive elements for tween and teen writers. http://www.lightningbug.com.au/index.htm

  Math

SumDog - @briandvorak: Classrooms can enter the Sumdog contest: Sumdog - Free math games #edtech #math sumdog.com

• Math Games – can hold class competitions and play against players in other areas.


• Teachers can register for accounts and upload students.   Basic skills are covered, but might be appropriate for intervention classes

Social Studies

iCivics.Org - @PBSLrnMedia: New Free Online Game Lets Students Run a County #edtech http://ow.ly/65BE9

This website has free online games for students to learn how to:

• run a county government


• control the budget of the federal government


• be president for four years


• run a law firm that specialized in constitutional law firm


• Be part of a supreme court decision

An account does need an email, but I was able to use the +1 trick with gmail.

Idea #4 - Concept Mapping with Inspiration

Want to increase brain activity in your students,  encourage active comprehension and step-up dynamic discussions in the classroom?  It all can be done with one simple activity of concept mapping.

Today’s idea uses  the software Inspiration 8 (installed on all teacher machines on campus) and your projector.  The document camera can also be incorporated as student's share the maps they have created.



Why use Inspiration?

1. It's easy and already loaded on all teacher machines on campus.


2. Inspiration provides pre-made templates to get the concept map going for the big screen (choose New - From Template to see the options)


3. Keeps the map organized and easy to read for the class.


4. Circles can be changed to clip art for more of a visual impact.


5. Brainstorming is easy with the lightening bolt icon.


6. Maps and ideas can be easily rearranged without starting over.


7. Finished products can be saved as Word files and placed online for those who missed the class.

Ideas on How to Use Concept Mapping in the Classroom:

As a reading strategy:

1. Pre-reading:  have students brainstorm what they know about the items listed on the skelton concept map.  Add those ideas in and have students record on their own papers.

2. During Reading - Students then read the assigned passage and add in more details as they learn them.

3. Post reading - Compare maps with the class and add in details students might have missed.  (Use the document camera to show student's original maps.)

Extension:

• 
  
  
  
  • Sub-topics can be recorded on note-cards and students can add in more details about that topic as they read/learn more
  
  
  • Cards can then be turned into a paragraphs within a research paper.
  
  
  • Each sub-topic could become a research topic for the class.
  
  
  
  

As a note-taking strategy:

1. Give students a partially filled concept map and have them add to it as you discuss, research, etc. the topic given.


2. Have students create their own map of the story/event with main characters/main events in ech sub-circle and details surrounding from there.

Getting Started:

Download a how-to guide for Inspiration 8:  How to Use Inspiration 8

Watch a quick tutorial on the software here:


Documentation and research on using concept mapping in the classroom is based from "Classroom Instruction that Works" by Robert Marzano and Project Criss.

Idea #1 - Teach Students How to Read the Textbook

With the addition of document cameras and ceiling mounted projectors in the classroom, the challenge is learning to use this new technology to it's fullest.   This is the first in a series to offer teachers ideas:

Idea #1:  Teach Students How to Read the Textbook

Students do not automatically know how to read any given  textbook.  Each book is different with it's own structure and style.  Using a document camera and a projector, teachers can teach students to analyze the structure of their textbooks so that they can better comprehend what they are reading.

Students who have more knowledge of text structure learn more from expository material that students who are not aware of text structure.

The document camera makes it easy by allowing the teacher to project the textbook onto the screen for all to see, instead of having to hold up the book and hope students are looking at the same place they are.

The video walks you through the basics of teaching students to evaluate the structure of a textbook and to identify the resources provided.



For more information on teaching students how to read a textbook see:

• http://www.addchoices.com/reading_text.htm


• http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/25816.aspx

Wallwisher in the Classroom

I started to title this blog post - A New Way to Brainstorm - but then I realized that Wall Wisher offers so much more than that.

Wallwisher is a free internet application that allows you to build a wall that then you or you and others can post notes on.   To build a wall you will need to log in with an email account but an email account is not needed to post notes on that wall.  Good news for those of us working with students under the age of 14.    Privacy levels can be set for each wall and posts can be moderated.

Once a wall is built there are a number of ways to distribute or share your wall.  Walls can be embedded into a webpage, blog or wiki.  You can link directly to the wall for users to go straight there.  It also provides an RSS feed so walls can be monitored through your RSS readers, such as iGoogle.

As I started looking for how others were using this tool I found the ideas fit into a few categories.  (This was easy to do as I took the ideas that were posted on the wall and started moving them around to create the groups!)

• Brainstorming/ Idea Gathering


• Homepages - a place to gather resources, post announcements, leave messages, provide homework help, etc.


• Skill building - note-taking, vocabulary, sorting and summarization work wonderfully on this.


• Portfolios of Student Work - either as a class or an individual.

I created a wall with all the ideas of classroom use I have found by searching the web and have embedded the wall below.  Please feel free to add to it!

Get Started:

The best way to learn to use this tool is to jump in and get started!

Go to my wallwisher sandbox and make your first post: http://www.wallwisher.com/wall/RobinySandbox

Or go to: http://www.wallwisher.com - log in and build your first wall.

Please share your ideas for wallwisher or the walls you build!

Super Bowl Commercials in the Classroom

It's almost Super Bowl time! Appointment television at it's best with the thrill of the game and the fun of the commercials!   Why not use this important social event in American culture to pull students into learning? 

What has caught my attention the most right now is the use of commercials in the classroom.  Several websites have collected the "Best of the Best" of Superbowl commercials from over the years.  You can search by year or by product to choose attention grabbing hooks to your classroom.

Commercials can be hooks into your assignment, examples of what students can create themselves, or elements of it can be analyzed to illustrate what is happening in the classroom.

Take this Coca-Cola Commercial:


Science teachers could the laws of physics that were involved in moving the bottle and the insects that were used and what natural characteristics of that insect made it useful for each step of the heist.

Watch a propoganda ad to discuss what techniques were used to make their point.

Look for persuasiveness in an ad to see how you could use those techniques in your writing.

Any subject can have students make their own commercials based on what they are studying.   A few ideas are:

• Ad for why the Constitution is important today


• Show an M&M commercial and talk about the personification of the candy.    Apply that to the study of chemical elements.  Give your element a personality and it's own commercial.


• Persuade people to read your book

Any other ideas?

To find superbowl ads check out these resources:

• http://www.spike.com/superbowl - Ads that can be sorted based on year, product and popularity.


• http://www.superbowl-ads.com/index.html - Also based on year, the display of these ads are smaller and they cannot be embedded, but they do not have the related videos at the end of each one.


• http://www.frankwbaker.com/super_bowl.htm - has links to ads and facts and figures from throughout the years.

Some of these ads may not be appropriate for all grade levels.   Please preview all sites before using in the classroom.

Google Earth: Layers

There is something powerful about having first hand knowledge.  My daughter and I were reading an animal book recently that asks you to match up the pictures with different features, like feet, fur, colors, etc.  Usually we struggle through this book and she can't quite seem to see all the connections.  This time however she got all the matches right off.  What was different?  We had recently gone to the zoo.  Now all those pictures represented real things and she was more in tune with what they were asking since she had her own experiences to pull from!

This started me thinking about the power of field trips and what it really means to have a student that has never left the town they live in.  Then I thought of all the powerul tools we have to give students "virtual" field trips.  Google Earth is a great venue to make this happen.  With the ability to turn on different layers you can take the basic sattelite images and explore anywhere you want to go, includign the ocean.  Turn on 3D building layer and see the skyline of major cities, or of historic sites like the Alamo.

Here is a quick tutorial on how to use layers in Google Earth.

Google Earth: Ruler Tool

Google Earth is a great resource for engaging students in learning by using real world places and great visuals.  This is the first in a series of tutorial videos in using Google Earth in the classroom.

The ruler tool allows teachers/students to measure distances of real world objects without leaving their classroom.  You can measure the distance around an object, between point A to Point B or find diameter and radius.

You could also use this in Social Studies when discussing where things happened and how far things are from each other.  What did it mean to cross the Atlantic Ocean as a pilgrim?  How far did Santa Anna travel from Mexico City to San Jacinto?

Blogging in History

Several years ago I attended training at the University of Texas on Telecollaboration.  Most of the ideas presented in the training seemed so labor intensive that there was no way as a teacher or now as a Instructional Technology Specialist that they could be implemented.  Or I felt like I needed to know professors from all over the country before I could begin.  So I filed those ideas away and thought maybe some day I could attempt what I had learned.

Those ideas have come back to mind lately and I wanted to explore a few of those here.

Have an online conversation with a historical figure.

The original plan was to use email as the main means of communication.  Questions over access to the information in the emails and how the class could actively participate in conversation stopped me from trying this.  But with web 2.0 tools this could happen easily by substituting email for blogs.

This is not a new idea and you can find some examples of teachers already doing this online.

Basic premise: A Historical figure could begin keeping blog about the major events that happened in their lifetime.  Students could pose questions to the person to get a deeper understanding about how things worked.

• Teacher(s) could write the posts and students could ask questions through the comment section.


• Students could research the person and create the journal entries to be posted.  Other students could read the postings and ask questions about the information presented.

Examples:

• Harriet Tubman - http://dowell.typepad.com/harriet_tubman/


• World Was II - http://tappmiddleschool.typepad.com/ww2/ - blogs are not based on actual people but on historical events and fictional people

Other Ideas:

• Students could research a part of the world and write a blog entry as a person who lives there explaining what life is like.  Other students could comment on the entries and ask extension questions.


• Create a blog that represents a side of revolution.  The Texas rebels could use the blog as a way to communicate the latest in the war effort against Mexico and what has happened.  Students could write the entries or the teacher could also post entries that the students have to respond to.

This is just basic ideas to get the ball rolling.  More ideas?

Resources:

• http://center.uoregon.edu/ISTE/uploads/NECC2007/KEY_39273092/Wood_Historical_Blogs.pdf


• http://www.pbs.org/teachers/learning.now/blogging/