Google Earth project

The assignment:
The purpose of this project is to create a media-infused experience that gives your students the opportunity to develop their respectful and ethical minds. For this project you will select a topic or concept that you teach and develop a virtual field trip in Google Earth through which students will learn about various cultures, be exposed to different perspectives on a topic or engage in critical examination of a global challenge. Your project will integrate digital media assets from Discovery Education streaming including an assessment component.

Requirements and deliverables

1. Virtual Field Trip that includes all of the following:
   • Home Placemark
     • This placemark, which begins at your school or hometown, will include directions (text or audio) about the purpose of your virtual field trip
   • At least four additional placemarks that include:
     • Information about the topic or concept (combination of text and audio and/or links to websites)
     • One or more images related to the topic or concept
   • Intentional use of the Google Earth platform
   • At least one activity during your virtual field trip should take advantage of the affordances of Google Earth. For example, have the students use the ruler tool to measure distances or direct them to view additional layers for more information.
   • Assessment component developed using the Discovery Education streaming Builders
     • Assignment Builder, Quiz Builder or Writing Prompt Builder
2. Reflection Blog (300-500 words)
   • Talk about the instructional goals of your virtual field trip and comment on how your project provides students the opportunity to develop their respectful and ethical minds.
   • Also, upload and link your Google Earth project (kmz file) within your reflection blog post. 
    
    

NOTE: The link to the .kmz Google Earth document is HERE, as well as below. You then have to download the document. This is the project BEFORE I solved any problems. I will provide a link to the corrected document as soon as I figure out a way to fix it! If you have any problems, please let me know.

Hmm...this was definitely a challenge! My Google Earth project, Sports Around The World, was fun to research, and fun to compose, until I realized that all of the information I was putting into the "get info" field was not showing up in the balloons, but was still accessible in the "get info" field.   Off to Google support I went...found a semi-answer, and still don't understand what to do. So, I have all of my information in the project, I've created the virtual field trip, but...have not come up with a fix for this problem! Thus, this is a work in progress.


I also had trouble inserting an image. I tried to put the Mexican Flag into the Placemark balloon, and that didn't work. I tried to insert it as an image, but then it showed the image over the entire map. So, again, a work in progress.

One of the great tools in Google Earth is the layers. I decided to add an extra activity for the students. As they travel around the world, I want them to record where it is warmest, where it is coldest, and what the average temperature of all of the places they visit is. To do this, they need to use the Weather layer. This also will help with their measurement skills-something that our recent assessment data shows the 5th through 7th grade students are weak in.

I also made a decision regarding the assessment tools available in Discovery Education. I decided to go with a straight quiz format. The students have already watched the videos and react the articles, so it doesn't make much sense to have them watch them all over again, especially when they can refer back to them in the Google Earth project if they want. So, I decided to have a quiz that was composed of mostly multiple choice and true/false questions. I also would plan to have a class discussion regarding the project, not only to have an additional assessment of what the students have learned, but also feedback on the project: How can I make it better? What technical problems did you encounter? etc.

I liked getting my "hands dirty" with Google Earth. I have used it before, but have not created a project. I think this a tool that I can use in all grades, and in all ways-not just with a project, but with a research question, or just letting the students explore geography.

The Ethical Mind

THE ETHICAL MIND

The Respectful Mind (video blog)

THE RESPECTFUL MIND

next video blog post....THE ETHICAL MIND

The Creating Mind (video blog)

THE CREATING MIND

next video blog post....THE RESPECTFUL MIND

The Synthesizing Mind (video blog)

THE SYNTHESIZING MIND

next video blog post....THE CREATING MIND

The Disciplined Mind (video blog)

The assignment:


For your final blog post for the course you will create a video blog about the ways you will continue to develop your five minds.
Your video blog should touch upon all five minds we have discussed but be no more than two minutes in length. You will not be graded on video production or editing; rather, your grade will be based upon your oral communication skills and the content.

THE DISCIPLINED MIND 

next video blog post....THE SYNTHESIZING MIND

Respectful and Ethical Minds

The assignment:


Reflect on Julene Reed’s article and post a blog entry that presents an idea for using digital media as part of a project, activity or lesson in which you aim to develop students’ respectful and ethical minds. 

After reading the chapter on "The Ethical Mind" in Five Minds for the Future by Howard Gardner, and experiencing several disturbing incidents involving students this past week, I realized that students need some direction and education regarding the qualities and characteristics of friendship. I truly believe that to be a valid and valuable contributor to society in general, and the community in particular, a person needs to understand how to like themselves, and to make and maintain friendships built on respect and trust. This can lead to collaboration, which in turn leads to valuable input and change within the community and the student's world.

Although the lessons in the computer lab lately have been focused on bullying, I am still seeing bullying within the classroom, particularly with the younger grades. Part of this has to do with friendship, and students not knowing how a friend is defined. An incident in the fourth grade class made me think that this class should be targeted when starting lessons on friendship. Two female students who have been known to "not be nice" and "bully" in the past couple of years (and have received consequences because of their bullying), have been again named as the bullies in several teasing and harassing incidents. One girl thought that one of the aggressive girls was her "best friend", but realized she could not trust her when she told her that she liked a boy, and then the girl asked the boy to a dance instead. This girl (the victim) is frequently targeted by others in her class because of her size. She also does not like herself very much. She is constantly in tears when in my room because of these incidents, yet feels very comfortable confiding in me more than other adults at our school. Part of my solution was to invite her and several other girls who also were being harassed by the two to eat lunch in my room. To watch these six girls, who previously did not "hang out", laugh and talk during lunch was a true pleasure. It made me realize that these students don't know what a friend truly is. I feel like I need to work with this class on learning about the issue of friendship and self-esteem (being proud of who they are as a person).

I'll start by introducing a vocabulary list of words relating to friendship and also to bullying and harassment. Using a google doc, I'll have the students sort the words into positive or negative columns. I'll then encourage them to pair with a partner, and add more words to the positive and negative column. This will lead to a class discussion about the task. 

The next step will be for the students to complete a survey about their likes and dislikes,. I'll compose this survey using google docs/forms, and then collect the findings and share the results with the class. I'll then compose groups of three students who have the same likes in at least one of the fields, and their task will be to come up with a list of words that are complimentary to others, and that they would like to hear a friend use. Included in these lists would be "trust" and "loyal". I would have the students use Wordle as a collaborative effort, and publish the words. I would create a wiki for the class about friendship, listing quotes from the discussion, the results of the survey, and the Wordle pictures. I would hope this would at least get the students thinking abut the words they use with others, and show them that they have more in common with their classmates then just the same teacher. The Wordle posters would be posted in the hall, hopefully inspiring conversations in other classrooms.

An additional activity could be creating Wordle posters using their answers for the survey questions, or just descriptive words about themselves. This would also give them another chance to see that they have more in common with each other than they think, as well as get them thinking about the positive traits that they have as a person.

I'm anxious to try this with the class. I'm hoping I can do this in the next couple of weeks. Wish me luck! As long as I can affect just one life...

Project 2: Glog "Freedom of Speech"

The assignment: 

Description

The purpose of this project is to illustrate a powerful strategy for having students communicate their understanding of a concept or topic by tapping into their desire to create their own content. For this project you will select a topic or concept that you teach and model the creating mind for your student by developing a “glog” that can be used an instructional tool. You will use Glogster EDU, a free Web 2.0 tool, to complete this project. The project will integrate content from Discovery Education streaming via the assignment builder, quiz builder and/or writing prompt builder.

Requirements and Deliverables

A “glog” that includes all of the following:

• At least one Discovery Education streaming builder (Assignment, Quiz or Writing Prompt) that integrates video content. You will link to the builder from your glog.
• At least two hyperlinks to external websites.
• At least two still images (original or from a copyright-approved source)
• Credits/Citations

Reflection posted on your blog (300-500 words) that includes your Glog project (embedded or linked).
How can you use Glogster in your classroom this school year to foster the development of the creating mind? Elaborate on the instructional purpose and the standards you will address. 

The glog:  http://shawhollis.edu.glogster.com/speech

The process:

My first thought was what subject do I want to cover in the glog? Looking at the requirements for the project, and the content in Discovery Education, I realized that my first choices, Steve Jobs and the History of Computing, didn't have many resources to use within the Discovery site. So, I thought about what else I could use in my computer lab, and what students I would target.I decided to create an assignment that covers current events, and that the students could relate to within their own lives. The Occupy Together (Occupy Wall Street, Occupy Philadelphia, etc) protests would be a perfect starting point, and I could tie in a Civics lesson and the Constitution! Middle school would be the perfect students to assign this project. They always are testing the waters, and want to push the envelope with their speech. From this line of thought, I came up with the idea of a lesson on what Freedom of Speech means, and relating it to the protests of today.


This subject would synthesize several academic disciplines: Social Studies, Civics, and Literacy, as well as relating to their lives, whether comparing it to their economic status, or their rights as an individual to what they are allowed to say and protest. I wanted to allow the students to summarize their conclusions from the videos and articles in a creative setting, using their speech, so I came up with the idea of a Photobooth video. When I actually assign this to the students, I may also use some type of green screen for their background.


I'm excited to introduce this to the students! I can also relate this to the protests I have been involved in and the testimony I have given in regard to worker safety. Many of the middle school students know of my participation in worker safety advocacy, and I can channel this right into the free speech discussion we'll have in the classroom. Hopefully I can empower these students to want to speak their mind, want to stand up for their rights and want to make a difference in this world!


This also ties right in to the 6th grade Philadelphia School District Core Curriculum and Civics lessons. Social Studies standards being taught include:

(from Center for Civic Education)
  
What are the Roles of the Citizen in American Democracy?

1. What is citizenship?
2. What are the rights of citizens?
3. What are the responsibilities of citizens?
4. What dispositions or traits of character are important to the preservation and improvement of American constitutional democracy?
5. How can citizens take part in civic life?

Common Core Standards

ELA: Comprehension and Collaboration

• SL.6.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
• Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
• Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
• Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
• Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
• SL.6.2. Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
• SL.6.3. Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

My worker safety advocacy resources:


Congressional testimony  April 2010 (start at 197:50)   written statement (pdf)
Congressional testimony  May 2004
Worker Memorial Day: Philadelphia (article)
Worker Memorial Day 2011 (video)
Philaposh
USMWF-a national family support group

Content Creation part 2

I continued my conversation with the students during lunchtime on Friday, and realized that creativity needs to be defined with them! I think everyone has a different vision and definition for what creativity means, but I also think we, as educators, hope that students see the broader picture, and understand that creativity encompasses all disciplines.

When I had the discussion with the students, I asked them point blank how we could be more creative in the classroom. Their answers were varied, from having  a less restricted schedule in the classroom to using the Promethean Board for more than just a screen. The last answer was one I jumped on. Finally-something I can change! Some teachers use the Promethean Board for interactive experiences. Some use it as a screen to watch educational videos. Some use it as a screen to show the assignments for the day. I need to change that! Students should be using the Board, not just teachers! Tuesday morning, when we return to school, I'm going to arrange a PD for my teachers so they can see all that can be accomplished with Promethean Boards, and how it can change the learning in their classroom! I'm excited! I'm ready for change!

Content Creation (part 1)

The assignment:

Have a discussion with one or more of your students about the role of creativity in the classroom.  What do they really value currently and/or what would they change about their learning environment when it comes to digital media and technology supporting creativity?

Post a blog entry that presents the findings from your discussion.


Hmm..so, I start a discussion about with some students today, and it breaks off into a discussion about Steve Jobs, and his creativity. I posted the following to the discussion "True Creativity in the Classroom":

In memory of Steve Jobs, an appropriate quote from him that relates to our readings and discussions..

"Creativity is just connecting things. When you ask creative people how they did something, they feel a little guilty because they didn't really do it, they just saw something. It seemed obvious to them after a while. That's because they were able to connect experiences they've had and synthesize new things. And the reason they were able to do that was that they've had more experiences or they have thought more about their experiences than other people."
May we all have experiences that enable us to enlighten us to the enjoyment of life.

RIP Steve Jobs


The biggest problem that these students saw was that, although creativity is able to be expressed outside of school, in school, everything in the classroom is too scripted. The only classes that they felt they could even be themselves in was Computers and Art. Even writing restricted their creativity. They do not like the writing prompts, since most of them are Constructed Responses, usually related to a reading passage. We will be continuing the conversation tomorrow at lunchtime..so you can consider this part 1. I plan on reading them the quote from Steve Jobs, and asking what they think about it, and what they would like to be able to do in the classroom. It should be an interesting lunch!