Finding a Grant

What.  I spent a great deal of time shuffling through a variety of grants.  Most of the grants did not fit with my class because I teach Social Studies.  I found that a large number of the grants concentrated on Math and Science or had a state or low-income requirement.  I teach in an affluent school district with a low number of minority students.  All that stated, I did find a grant provided by State farm Insurance that appears to be open to anyone who teaches K-12.  I would like to have found a grant that fits the needs of my classroom.  Money for apps would have been great.  The district is really supportive in this area but it would be nice to demonstrate my interest in helping in these budget sensitive times.

Why I kind of answered this question in the What section.  I think that getting the opportunity to have additional funds for the school and my class is always welcome. 

When Applying for the grant is an easy endeavor.  Simply fill out the application at http://www.statefarm.com/aboutus/community/grants/company/company.asp and wait for a response.  It appears it will help your possibilities if you mention any of the following.

• Financial Literacy
• Access to Higher Education/Closing the Achievement Gap
• Community Safety and Natural Disaster Preparedness
• Environmental Responsibility
• Societal Health and Wellness Issues

iTunesU

iTunes U

HOW:  I will be using iTunes U course builder for the ADDIE model project.  My students currently use the iPad.  Having the option of intergrating iTunes U into the classroom is just a natural fit.



WHAT:  Not sure how to answer this part of the question but I will take the opportunity to explain my plan for using ITunes U.  The course will be designed around the first unit that my student participate in. iTunes U allows me to create an environment where everything the student needs for the assignment is located.  The worksheets, directions, dues dates, quizzes, links and resources are all located in a central location that can be accessable through the students iPad. 



WHY:  I decided to use iTunes U course builder because I have used it before.  I am far from comfortable with it, but my experience has demonstrated the vast possiblities that iTunes U can provide.

Lifecard App

Review of iPad App.

As I mentioned in my previous post, my students will be using several iPad apps. to complete the ADDIE model project.  The app. I chose to review is the Lifecards app.  You can check out the app at http://goo.gl/EJfYe

Lifecards allows the user to create a digital postcard with their device.  The app is a great way to express your ideas, experiences and share photos.  The app cost 1.99 and though there are several free apps that have the same idea, non of them allow you to be as creative with such easy.  The term user-friendly is often thrown around in the world of technology but with Lifecards it is a perfect description.  The app has a large variety of themes to chose from so every postcard can be personalized to the occasion.

After picking the theme that fits your needs, you chose the layout of the digital postcard.

 After choosing the layout you simply click on the image area of the postcard and create or insert you image.

You can insert images from Facebook, your photo library, take a picture on the spot, surf the web or drawl your own.  The possibilities are endless.

The editing options seem endless.  Using standard iPad gestures you can minimize or enlarge photos, change the layout, alter the image and adjust the style of each aspect of the digital card.  Amazing!

Insert the text, adjust to your liking and share.  My students will be using the app to create a digital postcard from both the perspective of the Greeks and Persians during the Persian Wars.  Now instead of just writing about the conflicts, students can pretend they are there, sending home Lifecards to their loved ones, describing what they see, feel and hear as history unfolds around them.

Action Map

My action map is centered around the student creation of a digital story about the Persian Wars.  The story will be the culminating event of a unit on the Persian War.  The goal of the unit is to develop an understanding of the impact of war on its people.  Though the class will be learning about ancient history there are many parallels between the modern world and ancient world of the Greeks.  The steps involved sure up each activity and are implemented in a manner that will develop a sound foundation of the content while continuing to address the curricular standards.

Action Map

 

ADDIE Questions and concept map

Questions

1.    Who is the audience?

·      The audience for this project are 7^th grade students, homogeneously grouped.  The students are not leveled and of various learning abilities.

2.    What do they need to learn?

·      Goal

o   To produce a digital story describing the events of the Persian War

·      Objective

o   Find an app that will allow the students to tell the story of the Persian war in a digital format

o   Ensure the story identifies the timeline of major events that characterize the Persian War

o   Limit the length of the production to less than 5 minutes and more than 3 minutes

3.    Create a concept map based on preliminary research

·      Products of a series of brainstorming sessions, and are the starting points for the flow charts providing clear directions for the production of the product

4.    What are the delivery options?

·      Drop box

5.    What constraints exist?

Time can become a factor.  The students are of various learning styles and ability level.  Unified completion of the activity is unlikely.  Incorporation of additional detail to product will become needed as due date approaches

The students are between the ages of 11-12.  The students will chose which app will work best for the project then use an Apple iPad to complete the project.

6.    What will the students do to determine competency?

o   Students will have to complete the required reads and the worksheets that accompany them.  Students will complete a timeline comic strip exercise.  Students will complete a postcard from both the perspective of the Persians and the Greeks as if it was composed during or after one of the 4 main conflicts of the Persian War.  Students will take a quiz.

7.    What is the timeline for project completion?

o   Project completion will be three full weeks. Additional time will be decided on as class nears the end of the three weeks.

8.    What are the classroom/Web learning differences?

o   Students must submit a completion sheet at the end of each class. The sheet is a Google form that will be posted on my web page via a hyper link. A checklist will be provided to students so they can check off items when they have satisfactorily completed them.

9.    What are the pedagogical considerations?

Students will be provided written and verbal instructions.  Additional resources will be posted on my website.
 

Concept Map

My Collage

Here is the link for my Vuvox collage...check it out.

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http://www.vuvox.com/collage/detail/05de96702b

I recently read the Horizon Report: K-12 Edition.  The Horizon report, for those of you who do not know, is a comprehensive research venture that attempts to identify new and emerging trends and technologies in education.  The report addressed six emerging technologies that are reshaping the way teachers teach.  Of the six mentioned I am most excited about natural user interfaces.  Natural user interfaces allow the movements and gestures of people to control the operation of a device, program or system.  The most popular example of this type of technology is the XBox kinect.  The kinect device allows gamers to control the action through body gestures rather than a conventional remote control.  I am really compelled by the idea of technology adapting to the individual and creating a level playing field for every user, something every teacher who has had a special needs student has craved for.  For years technology has been developing new "user friendly" ways to both sell a product and exciting the user.  As technology has expanded to every aspect of our life, the increasing demand to need technology has made the way we use technology as important as the devices themselves.  Gesture based interfaces have dominated the technology market over the past two years.  Cell phones and tablets are popular for both their convenience and portability.  They are both, however, embraced for the gesture based interface that appeals to all ages.

karen cator: Transforming American Education

I recently watched a presentation by Karen Cator titled transforming American Education.  As an educator who has embraced the use of technology in the classroom, though at times reluctantly, I welcomed the message of a government policy dedicated to an Anything Is Possible approach to technology integration in our schools. 

The lecture style presentation designed as an informative platform to bring about awareness the to the current administrations education policy on technology integration was ironically delivered in a stale 90’s style PowerPoint presentation.  I would think the material would demand a more cutting edge approach to rolling out the carpet on technology policy.  Maybe some strobe lights and an iPad could have helped, but I digress.  The point was driven home; Digital literacy is an issue we face in a globally connected world that thrives on the geniuses of that next great technological invention.  The question is how do we make use of all these tablets, pads and Internet sources?

The movement to reshape the way we view education has been active for sometime.  The point I believe Karen Cator was making is that unlike previous decades and generations, when the talk of recalibrating education in our country and the world surfaced, it was often just a redressing of traditional models of education.   Cator places use at a crossroads when the best of traditional education and modern technology based learning can be fused to create a new form of educational schooling that is still anchored in concepts and standards but approached in a more inclusive and individualized format that meets everyone’s needs.  It is like one big IEP for the education system and the mandated requirement is that the infusion of technology be used as a guide, similar to the roll of the 21^st century teacher.

Transparent data, inspiring people of all ages and addressing the current gap in digital literacy are just a few of the points touched on her mulit-step platform toward integrating technology both now and the future generations to come.

New year

I have not blogged in sometime.  With the new school year on the way, I have a tremendous amount to fill everybody in on how I am using technology in the classroom this year.