3.2 Managing Digital Tools & Resources
Candidates effectively manage digital tools and resources within the context of student learning experiences.
Artifact: How to create a Blogger account, commenting on blogs, reflection comment on blogs, What is Science? Glog assignment to be posted on blog, and how to post a Glog on your blog
Reflection:
Starting in the Fall of 2011, my advance physical science students started using blogs to publish assignments and projects while also reflecting on their experiences in class. Students were also expected to collaborate by commenting on the blogs in their chosen groups and discuss the science concepts learned in class online with their peers. The artifacts uploaded to support managing digital tools and resources include the PowerPoint showing the students how to create their Blogger account, the rubrics for both commenting and reflecting, the students' first blog assignment, and a handout on how to post their first assignment using HTML. All these artifacts demonstrate how to guide students as they work with new technology while also creating an environment where students can be individuals who interact with science standards.
Taking on the daunting task of having 150 students create and post to their own blogs taught me many lessons that revolve around how to manage technology. I learned to create systematic directions with screen shots to help all students’ set-up accounts. The screen shots were necessary since my students had a variety of technology ability levels. I also learned how to grade so many blogs! I had to create a detailed excel spreadsheet for each class with every student's name, blog URL, class period, and who their blog group was. The excel spreadsheet eventually morphed into adding places to check off if they had commented on each other's blogs. The amount of upfront work that goes into implementing something so large was more than I had bargained for. If I could change something, I would simplify the grading involved. Instead of grading every post the students did, it would be easier to have the blogs be reflections only and build in a grade for every 6 weeks. The grade would be dependent upon how many reflections were assigned instead of trying to give individual grades to every post. It takes time to grade, so giving myself a six week buffer would have alleviated a great deal of grading stress on me! Student learning was impacted heavily through the blogs, because it gave them a place to work with the science standards in their own manner outside of class. With the discussions, taking place through commenting, students helped each other learn the content while also learning new technology skills. This impact can be assessed by reading the student blogs and the discussions that took place on the various posts.
Starting in the Fall of 2011, my advance physical science students started using blogs to publish assignments and projects while also reflecting on their experiences in class. Students were also expected to collaborate by commenting on the blogs in their chosen groups and discuss the science concepts learned in class online with their peers. The artifacts uploaded to support managing digital tools and resources include the PowerPoint showing the students how to create their Blogger account, the rubrics for both commenting and reflecting, the students' first blog assignment, and a handout on how to post their first assignment using HTML. All these artifacts demonstrate how to guide students as they work with new technology while also creating an environment where students can be individuals who interact with science standards.
Taking on the daunting task of having 150 students create and post to their own blogs taught me many lessons that revolve around how to manage technology. I learned to create systematic directions with screen shots to help all students’ set-up accounts. The screen shots were necessary since my students had a variety of technology ability levels. I also learned how to grade so many blogs! I had to create a detailed excel spreadsheet for each class with every student's name, blog URL, class period, and who their blog group was. The excel spreadsheet eventually morphed into adding places to check off if they had commented on each other's blogs. The amount of upfront work that goes into implementing something so large was more than I had bargained for. If I could change something, I would simplify the grading involved. Instead of grading every post the students did, it would be easier to have the blogs be reflections only and build in a grade for every 6 weeks. The grade would be dependent upon how many reflections were assigned instead of trying to give individual grades to every post. It takes time to grade, so giving myself a six week buffer would have alleviated a great deal of grading stress on me! Student learning was impacted heavily through the blogs, because it gave them a place to work with the science standards in their own manner outside of class. With the discussions, taking place through commenting, students helped each other learn the content while also learning new technology skills. This impact can be assessed by reading the student blogs and the discussions that took place on the various posts.