Friday, October 19, 2012
Common Core Connections: Using Multimedia to Present Knowledge & Ideas
Technology can be a powerful tool to help us meet the Common Core Standards and move our students forward to prepare them for success in school and beyond. In general, the Common Core calls for the seamless integration of technology into the curriculum. There are also specific Common Core standards dedicated to using technology. The Speaking and Listening strand across all grade levels asks students to create presentations that are enhanced by a spiraling complexity of multimedia components.
I am excited and nervous about this standard. My excitement stems from a strong believe that students can construct deep knowledge about a topic as they engage in building a multimedia project. If used efficiently, a well designed student-driven learning experience can take the place of traditional methods of teaching content.
My nervousness stems from the possibility that some teachers might simply add a multimedia enriched project to the end of their unit as a culminating activity and then spend large amounts of class time giving each student an opportunity to present to a passive audience of their peers. In this case, there will be loss of instructional time, loads of frustration, and most likely lack of enthusiasm from students as technology is used to make them do more. Effective instructional technology integration calls for using technology as a tool for learning, not as an add on.
To truly make a difference, there needs to be an adjustment in instructional practices. My suggestion is for teachers to abandon the role of "Content Deliverer" and take an approach in which they become a "Facilitator of Learning".
Tips for designing an efficient and effective technology powered multimedia project:
- Start with an Essential Question to drive the learning. Make sure the answers to the questions are complex and can't be answered with a copy and paste.
- Provide students with multimedia platforms that allow them to take flexible learning paths to meet their unique learning styles.
- Allow students to work in collaborative groups to prompt discussion and decision-making.
- Serve as a Facilitator of Learning. Spend instructional time interacting with students as you informally assess, reteach and challenge them on the spot.
- Provide students with built in tech support so you can focus on the content, not the technology.
- Design sharing opportunities that are engaging and non-traditional. Return to the Essential Question and assign a related task for accountability. Provide students with access to a portable learning device and let them learn and explore instead of watch and daydream.
- Most important tip: Start by creating your own sample to fully understand the task you are asking students to engage in.
Here is an example of what a student might create as the result of a learning experience driven by an Essential Question. This Common Core aligned student-driven multimedia powered project is one that requires students to construct knowledge and it was created with ThingLink.
Essential Question:
Why and how did people struggle for social justice during the Civil Rights Movement?
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| This image was created with ThingLink |
A Playlist to Guide the Learning
Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
327 Common Core Aligned Playlists from MentorMob & LearnZillion
MentorMob playlists are displayed in a step-by-step format that allow users to interact with live web content right on the page, keeping students on track without getting lost in a stream of open tabs and new pages. As students progress through a playlist at their own pace, MentorMob keeps track of completed steps. Flexibility to move within a playlist is provided by a preview that's always accessible on the side of the screen, allowing users to jump to different steps as needed for reteaching and challenge.
The newly added LearnZillion Common Core aligned lessons focus on the use of narrated video for instruction. The pause button allows students to tackle the learning at their own pace, while built in learning supports make this an instructional tool that addresses a variety of learning needs. A Coach's Commentary on the side of each playlists provides teachers with additional information and support. Most of the math lessons provide guided practice opportunities and some of these playlists are also available in spanish.
Here are a few playlists to test drive.
Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!
Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!
Uses for Teaching & Learning:
- Differentiate instruction by assessing student needs and assigning specific learning playlists to individual students for reteaching and challenge.
- Try the Flipped Classroom by assigning learning playlists as homework and applying the learning during class time.
- Use playlists as a resource for parents to provide them with the tools needed to support students at home.
- Publish playlists on a website, blog or wiki for easy access, 24/7.
Coming Soon!
MentorMob Beta will be organizing all of the Common Core Content into one place in the months to come. In the meantime, perhaps the easiest way to find the playlists you need is to click on the link below and then use the drop-down menu to sort by alphabetical order.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
The Social Side of ThingLink
The folks at ThingLink have recently released some social features to make sharing and collaborating on interactive images a breeze. Please roll your mouse over the image below to explore this ThingLink image and learn more.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Explore the Great Barrier Reef: Google Wonders Project
The Google Wonders Project is an interactive website that allows visitors to discover many of the wonders of the world. Virtual visitors can get off the beaten path and explore wonders from 6 continents up close through Google's amazing street view technology. Virtual visitors can find factual information, stunning images, 3-D models and YouTube videos right on the page, which makes the World Wonders Project an amazing teaching tool.
The newest addition to the collection takes visitors on an underwater tour of the Great Barrier Reef. Divers used the world's first tablet-operated underwater camera to capture high-definition panoramic images of the reef to create stunning content.
The underwater expedition is part of a larger scientific study which aims to help bridge the gap between scientific awareness and public knowledge. Google has partnered with The Catlin Seaview Survey for a major study of the world’s reefs and has made images from from coral reefs in Australia, the Philippines and Hawaii available through Google Maps. There will also be a dedicated YouTube channel for project-related videos. It's probably only a matter of time until Google assembles more packages of teacher-friendly content from the underwater expeditions and makes them available through the Google Wonders project.
Visit the Great Barrier Reef on the Google Wonders Project
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Spin Xpress: Search for Creative Commons Images
Spin Xpress - Search for CC Licensed Media
Spin Xpress is a website that allows people to collaborate and share media. One of the features offered is a search engine that allows users to search for media by CC license type. After teaching students about CC licenses, this is a great tool for students. Embed it into your blog, wiki or website and provide students with quick and easy access to images that have CC licenses.  |
| Discover more cool tools for searching on GettingSmart.com 10 Free Tools for Everyday Research |
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