I meant to post this earlier when I gave my description about a project I used to do with my seventh graders. I used to ahve the students work in teams to create a radio show. One option that the students had as a segment to produce was that of interview/talk show. Students could write questions, interview someone in the school and record it for inclusion in the radio show. Here is a rubric similar to the one I used to use. I always gave students the rubric ahead of time so that they knew what expectations that I was most concerned with. There were times in my classroom when we, as a class, would co-construct rubrics. I always found this to be a really rewarding and beneficial situation for both me and the kids because one might think that they would want to make the rubric really easy so they would be assured an easy A. For some kids this was the case but for most kids, they really took on this opportunity for agency and gave really important and thoughtful feedback about what should be included on the rubric. The process was so time consuming but so worth it. This rubric below is not one that the students had input on, but it is a near representation of one I used to use. Click the link below to go to Google docs to download the rubric. I couldn't figure out how to embed it here. Sorry!!
https://docs.google.com/leaf?id=0B3LUU23gb0rUZDY0ZWUzZTctMTRhNi00ZTQ4LTljZmYtNzU3Mjg2NjZhMWQx&hl=en
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Website evaluation
I think that requiring students to do critiquing of websites is a really important thing to do because, for whatever reason, kids seem to think that whatever is on the web is good. They often fail to look into design features, use of space, and reliability. In college I had to do a big project evaluating five different websites and I found the critiquing process so valuable and eye opening that I required it as part of a GED English class that I taught for three years here in Eau Claire. Surprisingly the kids really liked it. I had designed an evaluation critique sheet in the form of a table and students had to answer various questions about the sties and make comments on different things. Their responses were overwhelmingly positive and I heard over and over again that the assignment made them look at websites differently. I know I do. When I visit a website I always find myself looking for a creator and the "last updated" date because information is changing quickly and if a website hasn't been edited for several years, and I am looking for current content, I will look somewhere else. I often use websites that I know to be accessible for my screen reader, or easily navigable with a magnifier. Some people might prefer the flashier sites but they ae really not for me. That is not to say that I like scantly designed websites. I like usable websites that are informative, current and accessible.
In thinking about evaluating a website, I actually first thought about a Ning that I am part of, not this one but one for another class. It really drives me nuts. First, the "look" of the site changes given the mood of the creator (or at least I have come to believe this). As opposed to our class Ning, which I have become fairly familiar with because i find it to be laid out in a very linear, easy to understand, non-cluttered fashion. This other Ning though will suddenly have videos on the main page or a wordle. Sometimes there will be embedded cartoons, which my screen reader only recognizes as "graphic". The links to course weekly assignments are in a different spot each week. Assignments are sometimes part of the weekly agenda and other times found on the main page, or under a discussion tab. One week I missed an assignment due date because I didn't even know there was an assignment because the requirements were laid out at the bottom of a page, but my screen reader got hung up in a graphic isaster and I wasn't able to navigate through the entire page.
Our class Ning is so different in that it has remained, in appearance, very consistent throughout the semester. Once I came to understand the environment, I could count on knowing where to find agendas and class expectations. There were no unnecessary flashy things that would get in the way of accessing content. I had relatively few snafus with accessibility. Links were, for the most part, all active and when clicked on, led me to the places I thought I would go. There were a few that didn't always link correctly but that happens to even the best designers. It was, all and all a reliable, content rich site. I wish that I could share the link to the other Ning so you could marvel at the differences but, sadly it is a private sigte for our class only so you'll only have to imagine a chaotic, graphics rich environment that is very visually stimulating, but not always user friendly.
In thinking about evaluating a website, I actually first thought about a Ning that I am part of, not this one but one for another class. It really drives me nuts. First, the "look" of the site changes given the mood of the creator (or at least I have come to believe this). As opposed to our class Ning, which I have become fairly familiar with because i find it to be laid out in a very linear, easy to understand, non-cluttered fashion. This other Ning though will suddenly have videos on the main page or a wordle. Sometimes there will be embedded cartoons, which my screen reader only recognizes as "graphic". The links to course weekly assignments are in a different spot each week. Assignments are sometimes part of the weekly agenda and other times found on the main page, or under a discussion tab. One week I missed an assignment due date because I didn't even know there was an assignment because the requirements were laid out at the bottom of a page, but my screen reader got hung up in a graphic isaster and I wasn't able to navigate through the entire page.
Our class Ning is so different in that it has remained, in appearance, very consistent throughout the semester. Once I came to understand the environment, I could count on knowing where to find agendas and class expectations. There were no unnecessary flashy things that would get in the way of accessing content. I had relatively few snafus with accessibility. Links were, for the most part, all active and when clicked on, led me to the places I thought I would go. There were a few that didn't always link correctly but that happens to even the best designers. It was, all and all a reliable, content rich site. I wish that I could share the link to the other Ning so you could marvel at the differences but, sadly it is a private sigte for our class only so you'll only have to imagine a chaotic, graphics rich environment that is very visually stimulating, but not always user friendly.
The final final
Web 2.0 Accessibility Issues for the Visually Impaired
When we think about accessibility we often don’t consider is, in this rapidly changing technological world that we live in, which seems to rely heavily on web 2.0 tools for bridging our global community, how this affects those with disabilities.
Why should we think about accessibility on the web?
Accessibility is important to consider whether designing physical or virtual environments. For organizations that receive federal funding, it isn’t just a good think to do, it is the law. In 1998, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act was established, requiring that US Federal agencies must purchase information technology products that meet accessibility specifications established by the US Access Board. According the According to the US Government’s Section 508 website, the adoption of Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people with disabilities and encourage the development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. All federal agencies, and those that receive federal A fall under Section 508’s governance and must seek to adopt and maintain accessible information and electronic technology for their employees and the members of the public needing access to their information. This includes public schools.
Common inaccessibility issues with Web 2.0 tools:
-Inaccessible login boxes or security tests with no audible alternative as an option. Voice software often recognizes this as graphic
-Inaccessible interfaces which depend on drag and drop interaction with the use of a mouse
-Inaccessible user-created content which utilizes images without alternate text, styles, fonts and designs that are difficult/impossible to read, or rich media that is included without captions
-Inaccessible controls on audio or video players that are not compatible with assistive technology
-Use of JAVA which, in an attempt to make a web page feel more responsive, the user is able to exchange small amounts of data with the server behind the scene without reloading the entire webpage, but screen readers often see this as image or graphic and not as text and will not read it.
What is assistive technology?
Assistive technology for the visually impaired can include applications like screen enlargement tools, screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, handheld media storage devices, cell phones and for some, dictation programs. Both Windows and Mac operating system designers have recognized the importance of accessibility and have made great strides to include universal accessibility features within their operating systems which they believe can eliminate or at least reduce the need for additional stand-alone software installations.
The versatility and potential that Web 2.0 tools offer to teachers and students is amazing, though, educators should proceed with caution before requiring that a tool be used by all students for completion of a task. Consider the following:
- Check out web applications ahead of time, read reviews, find out how it measures up in terms of accessibility.
-Ask the students with exceptional access needs whether they are familiar with the application and/or if the assistive technology they are using will work in tandem with the tool
-Be sure that the purpose for which the tol is being used makes sense given the diverse needs of the learner. For example, does making an iMovie make sense when a project might be completed a different way? Will the creation of a picture collage really move a student’s thinking forward if she cannot see the images? Can a student provide written feedback instead of using videoAnt?
-Keep up to date, or at least try, to stay on top of up and coming improvements to assistve technology and web applications. Even within the last two years there have been many improvements to tools for the visually impaired that have made things possible that only a few years ago might have seemed like a distant, if not impossible achievement.
To view my VoiceThread presentations, divided into two parts because of length, see below:
http://voicethread.com/share/1596170/
http://voicethread.com/share/1596340/
When we think about accessibility we often don’t consider is, in this rapidly changing technological world that we live in, which seems to rely heavily on web 2.0 tools for bridging our global community, how this affects those with disabilities.
Why should we think about accessibility on the web?
Accessibility is important to consider whether designing physical or virtual environments. For organizations that receive federal funding, it isn’t just a good think to do, it is the law. In 1998, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act was established, requiring that US Federal agencies must purchase information technology products that meet accessibility specifications established by the US Access Board. According the According to the US Government’s Section 508 website, the adoption of Section 508 was enacted to eliminate barriers in information technology, open new opportunities for people with disabilities and encourage the development of technologies that will help achieve these goals. All federal agencies, and those that receive federal A fall under Section 508’s governance and must seek to adopt and maintain accessible information and electronic technology for their employees and the members of the public needing access to their information. This includes public schools.
Common inaccessibility issues with Web 2.0 tools:
-Inaccessible login boxes or security tests with no audible alternative as an option. Voice software often recognizes this as graphic
-Inaccessible interfaces which depend on drag and drop interaction with the use of a mouse
-Inaccessible user-created content which utilizes images without alternate text, styles, fonts and designs that are difficult/impossible to read, or rich media that is included without captions
-Inaccessible controls on audio or video players that are not compatible with assistive technology
-Use of JAVA which, in an attempt to make a web page feel more responsive, the user is able to exchange small amounts of data with the server behind the scene without reloading the entire webpage, but screen readers often see this as image or graphic and not as text and will not read it.
What is assistive technology?
Assistive technology for the visually impaired can include applications like screen enlargement tools, screen readers, refreshable Braille displays, handheld media storage devices, cell phones and for some, dictation programs. Both Windows and Mac operating system designers have recognized the importance of accessibility and have made great strides to include universal accessibility features within their operating systems which they believe can eliminate or at least reduce the need for additional stand-alone software installations.
The versatility and potential that Web 2.0 tools offer to teachers and students is amazing, though, educators should proceed with caution before requiring that a tool be used by all students for completion of a task. Consider the following:
- Check out web applications ahead of time, read reviews, find out how it measures up in terms of accessibility.
-Ask the students with exceptional access needs whether they are familiar with the application and/or if the assistive technology they are using will work in tandem with the tool
-Be sure that the purpose for which the tol is being used makes sense given the diverse needs of the learner. For example, does making an iMovie make sense when a project might be completed a different way? Will the creation of a picture collage really move a student’s thinking forward if she cannot see the images? Can a student provide written feedback instead of using videoAnt?
-Keep up to date, or at least try, to stay on top of up and coming improvements to assistve technology and web applications. Even within the last two years there have been many improvements to tools for the visually impaired that have made things possible that only a few years ago might have seemed like a distant, if not impossible achievement.
To view my VoiceThread presentations, divided into two parts because of length, see below:
http://voicethread.com/share/1596170/
http://voicethread.com/share/1596340/
Finally-Final Project
Below are links to my presentations for this class. I guess my VoiceThread got too long and I had to split it... at least I think that is what happened.
http://voicethread.com/share/1596170/
http://voicethread.com/share/1596340/
http://voicethread.com/share/1596170/
http://voicethread.com/share/1596340/
Monday, December 6, 2010
Blog as Portfolio-the semester in review
Blog/Ning post: Treating your blog as a portfolio, review back over your blog posts and reflect on your own learning/changes in the course: what have you learned? how have you changed? what more do you still need to learn?
It has been quite a semester and I must say that I have learned a lot over the course of the semester. First, I think I came into the course viewing digital writing tools as a good thing that could be used here and there within the curriculum to support a particular concept. What I failed to recognize at that time, but do now, is that digital writing is the direction in which the teaching of writing is moving and that as language arts teachers, we must change with the times. That is not to say that everything should, or must become an online task. I believe that if there is still a more efficient way to complete something offline, I might still choose to do this. However, if using online tools can enhance a particular learning experience, or make more efficient the way in which I critique students' work, bring it on! As a learner I have been exposed to so many new tools like VoiceThread, iMovie, iPhoto, and podcasting not to mention Diigo, VoiceAnt and Flickr. Some of them I have loved, others I have not. Most of the time when I have not loved a particular program or tool, it is an accessibility issue for me. Some of the tools, while cool, are not the right things for me and my teaching, while others, like voicethread and creating and downloading videos to YouTube will become a part of my regular practices. I love Diigo (the version that does work with Safari). as well and that has become an invaluable way in which I keep track of things that I want to share with students, and things I come across that will help me complete my dissertation. Though not truly accessible, I work through the challenges. What I have learned, as someone sensitive to the diverse needs of students, is that these tools have amazing potential for the future of teaching writing,. What bothers me still is that teachers will want to jump in and adopt all of these tools without considering that some of these tools are not right for all students and, what can be something great, can become a giant barrier in the learning process for some students. What I'd like to learn more about are ways in which students with disabilities can participate in the use of these learning tools, without the frustration that I have felt this semester. I am sure there are ways that some of these programs can be made more accessible, or maybe there are alternative tools all together. We just need to figure that out.
If you were to have students create portfolios for one of your past or present classes (hypothetical class if you’re not teaching) what material would you ask students to include in this portfolio? How would you use the features of e-portfolios—for example a blog or wiki—to have students display and reflect on their work? What criteria would you use to evaluate students' portfolios? How might students use of the the Minnesota e-folio, for example, for high school seniors seeking work? What are some problems with the authenticity of student reflections?
If I were to have students use an e-portfolio, I would ask them to include weekly reflections of their teaching experiences (right now I work with practicum students) and perhaps videos of their own teaching. What I think would also be interesting for inclusion would be videos of students doing their teaching with VideoAnt used to then critique their own teaching experiences, highlighting what went well and what needed improvement. If students used a blog type atmosphere for hosting their portfolios, I would also like them to include links to sites that they find helpful in informing their teaching, finding lesson plans, professional organizations in their content areas or bookmarks to interesting articles related to teaching news around the nation. I am just getting my first experience with evaluation of practicum students as we approach the end of the semester but I would evaluate students using a combination of written feedback and a audio file most likely. I feel like, even with all of the technology that exists, there is still a need for that "paper trail" of what went on in a students' placement. On the other hand I know I'd give more thorough feedback in an audio file because I wouldn't have to write it all down and would be more likely to elaborate on my thoughts. I would certainly encourage students to use their online e portfolios for interviewing because then administrators could see an instantaneous display of a student's work and growth and even ability to reflect.
Given the nature of the course I teach right now, it would be challenging to incorporate the tools we've learned about in this course. My students are just getting into their classrooms so many of them are not yet teaching in the large group setting. This eliminates the ability to use videos yet. But perhaps in the coming semesters as I teach students further in their teaching experiences will these tools find a place in my teacher toolbox. Personally though, I have been sharing a lot more of our family with extended family and friends through posting of videos and pictures and creating slideshows/voicethreads to share. I am not so scared of trying to take on the technology. I used to leave the posting of videos and the uploading of photos to my graphic design/art educator husband because I saw that kind of stuff as stuff that he knew a lot about. Now I feel like I have a better understanding of how it works and don't need to wait for him to make and upload videos of our kids to our YouTube or Facebook pages. Additionally I have found that I am more apt to consider using a technology tool rather than just a paper pencil tool, especially as I prepare to design the curriculum for this summer school course that my husband and I are co-teaching. Middle school kids, and even elementary school kids are going to love this stuff!!! The class has been a great one for me!
It has been quite a semester and I must say that I have learned a lot over the course of the semester. First, I think I came into the course viewing digital writing tools as a good thing that could be used here and there within the curriculum to support a particular concept. What I failed to recognize at that time, but do now, is that digital writing is the direction in which the teaching of writing is moving and that as language arts teachers, we must change with the times. That is not to say that everything should, or must become an online task. I believe that if there is still a more efficient way to complete something offline, I might still choose to do this. However, if using online tools can enhance a particular learning experience, or make more efficient the way in which I critique students' work, bring it on! As a learner I have been exposed to so many new tools like VoiceThread, iMovie, iPhoto, and podcasting not to mention Diigo, VoiceAnt and Flickr. Some of them I have loved, others I have not. Most of the time when I have not loved a particular program or tool, it is an accessibility issue for me. Some of the tools, while cool, are not the right things for me and my teaching, while others, like voicethread and creating and downloading videos to YouTube will become a part of my regular practices. I love Diigo (the version that does work with Safari). as well and that has become an invaluable way in which I keep track of things that I want to share with students, and things I come across that will help me complete my dissertation. Though not truly accessible, I work through the challenges. What I have learned, as someone sensitive to the diverse needs of students, is that these tools have amazing potential for the future of teaching writing,. What bothers me still is that teachers will want to jump in and adopt all of these tools without considering that some of these tools are not right for all students and, what can be something great, can become a giant barrier in the learning process for some students. What I'd like to learn more about are ways in which students with disabilities can participate in the use of these learning tools, without the frustration that I have felt this semester. I am sure there are ways that some of these programs can be made more accessible, or maybe there are alternative tools all together. We just need to figure that out.
If you were to have students create portfolios for one of your past or present classes (hypothetical class if you’re not teaching) what material would you ask students to include in this portfolio? How would you use the features of e-portfolios—for example a blog or wiki—to have students display and reflect on their work? What criteria would you use to evaluate students' portfolios? How might students use of the the Minnesota e-folio, for example, for high school seniors seeking work? What are some problems with the authenticity of student reflections?
If I were to have students use an e-portfolio, I would ask them to include weekly reflections of their teaching experiences (right now I work with practicum students) and perhaps videos of their own teaching. What I think would also be interesting for inclusion would be videos of students doing their teaching with VideoAnt used to then critique their own teaching experiences, highlighting what went well and what needed improvement. If students used a blog type atmosphere for hosting their portfolios, I would also like them to include links to sites that they find helpful in informing their teaching, finding lesson plans, professional organizations in their content areas or bookmarks to interesting articles related to teaching news around the nation. I am just getting my first experience with evaluation of practicum students as we approach the end of the semester but I would evaluate students using a combination of written feedback and a audio file most likely. I feel like, even with all of the technology that exists, there is still a need for that "paper trail" of what went on in a students' placement. On the other hand I know I'd give more thorough feedback in an audio file because I wouldn't have to write it all down and would be more likely to elaborate on my thoughts. I would certainly encourage students to use their online e portfolios for interviewing because then administrators could see an instantaneous display of a student's work and growth and even ability to reflect.
Given the nature of the course I teach right now, it would be challenging to incorporate the tools we've learned about in this course. My students are just getting into their classrooms so many of them are not yet teaching in the large group setting. This eliminates the ability to use videos yet. But perhaps in the coming semesters as I teach students further in their teaching experiences will these tools find a place in my teacher toolbox. Personally though, I have been sharing a lot more of our family with extended family and friends through posting of videos and pictures and creating slideshows/voicethreads to share. I am not so scared of trying to take on the technology. I used to leave the posting of videos and the uploading of photos to my graphic design/art educator husband because I saw that kind of stuff as stuff that he knew a lot about. Now I feel like I have a better understanding of how it works and don't need to wait for him to make and upload videos of our kids to our YouTube or Facebook pages. Additionally I have found that I am more apt to consider using a technology tool rather than just a paper pencil tool, especially as I prepare to design the curriculum for this summer school course that my husband and I are co-teaching. Middle school kids, and even elementary school kids are going to love this stuff!!! The class has been a great one for me!
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Check out this PowerPoint
I have been a user of PowerPoint presentations as a teacher for the history of my teaching career, not because I like them as a learner myself, but out of necessity to accommodate the visual learners in my classroom. At first I needed A LOT of help even putting together a simple PowerPoint. It was comical really. Most of my help came in the form of eager advice tidbits from my seventh graders. I have to admit that my PowerPoints were not interactive, were very straightforward and had no animations, transitions or even pictures. I was satisfied with merely getting a presentation completed.
As a student I have had the agony of sitting through countless presentations that are the ideal model of how NOT to do a PowerPoint. Too many words, no interaction, you name it. Essentially I believe that some use PowerPoint as a replacement for teaching. Class becomes an experience of a teacher clicking through and reading through slides. That is not instruction. Anyone who can read can do that. This has heightened my awareness and attentiveness to creating presentations that are used as a resource and are informative yet do not completely replace the instructor. I couldn't quite get a handle on how to narrate this presentation that I am linking to here, but if I could have, I would have, in addition to what you will see on the screen, added a lot of my own thoughts to supplement the online images and text. I hope you still enjoy the presentation. I have it in my google docs so here's the link!
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B3LUU23gb0rUNjZmYmJlY2UtNzVlNy00NDNhLTllYjYtZGVkZDc0NDllMTU1&hl=en
As a student I have had the agony of sitting through countless presentations that are the ideal model of how NOT to do a PowerPoint. Too many words, no interaction, you name it. Essentially I believe that some use PowerPoint as a replacement for teaching. Class becomes an experience of a teacher clicking through and reading through slides. That is not instruction. Anyone who can read can do that. This has heightened my awareness and attentiveness to creating presentations that are used as a resource and are informative yet do not completely replace the instructor. I couldn't quite get a handle on how to narrate this presentation that I am linking to here, but if I could have, I would have, in addition to what you will see on the screen, added a lot of my own thoughts to supplement the online images and text. I hope you still enjoy the presentation. I have it in my google docs so here's the link!
https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B3LUU23gb0rUNjZmYmJlY2UtNzVlNy00NDNhLTllYjYtZGVkZDc0NDllMTU1&hl=en
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Digital Poetry
I find the melding of images and poetry to be fascinating. I enjoyed viewing the work of Thom Swiss because one could "read" his poetry numerous times and never have the same outcome. My poem is nothing like that, very linear because I lack the technical know-how to create something interactive, but I think it would be neat to learn how to do something like that.
I see the use of digital poetry as having great potential in the classroom particularly with middle and high school students. I think they'd really enjoy the experience of finding images to compliment text. By using hypertext, or doing something similar to what Thom did in his work would be really exciting.
While images are powerful, I do feel like when the author chooses the images to go along with a text, it takes a bit of the ability to imagine away from the reader. When I read things, I like to imagine in my mind how things look, how they unfold, and when the author does that for me, it takes away a bit of that ability from me. I liken this experience to going to see a movie that was based on a book. I may have imagined characters to look and behave one way, but the director and producers interpret things differently than I, and the characters might be nothing like I had hoped, leaving me sadly disappointed.
Due to the visual nature of the assignment, I had a lot of trouble completing the task. Someone else had to fit the pictures with the text, size the images and insert transitions for me because iMovie is not visually accessible to me. As a student in a class, being asked to use iMovie might be a very frustrating experience because it takes the student's independence away to a degree. I have not, as of yet, come up with a more accessible video production software though, so iMovie might be, at this time, as good as it gets.
Nevertheless, I hope that you enjoy my poem. It is entitled, "Today on Facebook" and is an original poem I wrote while in a class with Thom Swiss. I wrote it during the period of class when we were studying list poems, specifically Shards of Memory and how playing with time and fragmented ideas can be formatted into a poem. I used actual fragments of statuses from my own facebook profile. You'll have to excuse the blurriness of some of the pictures. They also were taken (mostly) from Facebook, but true to life, sometimes profile pictures on the site aren't exactly representative of top-notch photography but rather shotty cell phone pics.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)