FINAL PROJECT: Creating a Teaching ePortfolio

Portfolio development is a fundamental component of career preparation. The portfolio is not merely a folder of work, but a documented progression of our skills, accomplishments, creativity and goals. Employers today demand college graduates with working portfolios and, more importantly, with portfolio development skills. Teaching is one of the many careers now requiring up-to-date portfolios of its professionals.

But, how should a teaching portfolio look? What documents should it contain? What media must it display? We will explore the answers to these questions as we build our final AC230 projects. Our goal will be to create multimedia online teaching portfolios. These are referred to as ePortfolios or simply eFolios. We will learn a number of ways to create eFolios. You will then select the software most comfortable to you.

Reading:
Electronic Portfolios - by Teacher Tap
EPortfolios: What's the hype? - by iNews
Teacher Portfolios - by Dr. Barrett
Developing a Teaching Portfolio - by Ohio State U

Resources:
Blogger
rCampus
Web 2.0 Tools
Lesson Builder

Final Project Task: Use the software program of your choice to create an online eFolio of your teaching experience. You will present your eFolio in class on December 6th.
Final Project Content Requirements: Your eFolio should include your teaching philosophy, your resume or experience, two sample lesson plans and a reaction to your work.
Final Project Technical Requirements: Using LessonBuilder, Blogger rCampus or any other online capable software, create a five page eFolio. Include graphics and links as needed.

Final Project Procedure:

1. Create a diagram of your eFolio. The diagram should include the number of pages, the content and design of each page and how each page will link to the other pages of your eFolio. You will create this in class on April 17th.

2. Collect the information (text, images) and resources (links, media) you will use. Bring this information to class on April 29th.

3. Review the links above. Determine the software type to use.

4. Create your eFolio. (Apr. 29th - May o8th)

5. Email your file or link to jenheuson@yahoo.com.

6. Present your eFolio to class on Thursday, May 08th.

Lab 20: Using Blogs as a Classroom Tool

Description: What is blogging? Why should I learn how to blog? What’s all the fuss about anyway? A blog, short for web-log, is an online journal. The main difference between a blog and a personal diary is that blogs are usually public and can cover topics as diverse as “war zones of the world” and “what I ate for breakfast today.”

Blogging is an easy, and usually FREE, way to share your thoughts, feelings and, yes, even your knowledge. It’s almost like having your own online class except that it’s open to anyone you choose to let in (that is, of course, if they have a computer and Internet access)! As a teacher you can use this as a resource for class discussion or as a tool for collecting other online resources. Blogs can be used to give homework assignments, to gather online readings, or to provide journal questions.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 181 – 199; 314 – 361
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS, Web Browser, Blogging Software
Lessons: How To Blog Using Blogger Software

Links:

Understanding and Using Blogs
Beginner's Guide to Blogs
Blog
Legal Guide for Bloggers
Evaluation of Blogs

Tools for Searching Blogs
Google Blog Search
Yahoo Blog Search
Blogger Blog Search

Resources for Creating Web Logs or Blogs
Blogger
Live Journal
Technorati
CreateBlog

Lab Procedure:

1. Complete the tutorial for Blogger.com.

2. Using Blogger.com (or any other free blogging software), create a blog.

3. Your blog must fulfill the following requirements:

• 3.1. Be created for a specific (imaginary) class or lesson plan.
• 3.2. Include at least one web link that your students will use to complete an activity.
• 3.3. Include at least one photo or graphic that will enhance your students’ understanding of the topic.
• 3.4. Include at least one sidebar web link to additional resources or information related to the topic.
• 3.5. Include an activity or question that your students can answer by using the “Comments” function.

4. Make sure that you save and publish your blog. (You can delete it after I review it!)

5. Copy the URL of your blog into the body of an email and send to my email address. The subject line of the email should give your name and the lab number. EX: AC 230 Frank Jones Lab 07.

Congratulations! You have just completed the final lab for AC230.

Lab 19: Basics of SMART Board

Description: What is a SMART Board? It is an interactive whiteboard that is connected to a computer and a data projector. Once the computer image is projected on the board, the SMART Board can be used as a computer. By just using your finger you can control the computer. People choose the SMART Board interactive whiteboard because it helps energize presentations and motivate learners. The first interactive whiteboard was made in 1991.

Combining the simplicity of a whiteboard with the power of a computer, the SMART Board interactive whiteboard engages students and audiences around the world.The touch-sensitive display connects to your computer and digital projector to show your computer image. You can then control computer applications directly from the display, write notes in digital ink and save your work to share later. Best of all, the full-featured SMART Board interactive whiteboard is incredibly easy to use. If you can use a computer, you can use a SMART Board interactive whiteboard.

Reading: Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, Chapter 4: 118 – 169
Applications/Equipment Used: Windows OS; Digital Projector; SMART Board; SMART Board software; Web Browser; Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Links:
SMART Technologies Inc.- both the industry pioneer and market leader in versatile, intuitive group collaboration tools, including interactive whiteboards, whiteboard capture systems and software. Headquartered in Canada.
See Training Center for various tutorials and demonstration videos.
Engaging Learners the SMART Board way - contains sample SMART Board lessons.
SMART Board Lesson Ideas - lessons from Wacona Elementary.
SMART Board Ideas - contains several excellent sites explaining the SMART Board and many interactive sites that are great for students to use on the SMART Board. These Internet sites can also be enjoyed and used on any computer in school or at home even if you don't use a SMART Board.

Lab Procedure:

1. You will create a sample lesson plan of how you will use SMART Board to make your teaching more effective and attractive. Your lesson plan must include the following elements:

• Specify the grade level and the lesson topic.
• Describe the lesson objective.
• Explain how you plan to teach towards the objective.
• Describe in detail how you will use SMART Board to assist your teaching towards your lesson objective.
• Briefly indicate how you will assess the teaching effectiveness of this lesson.

2. Save your lesson as a word file with name jones_lab19.doc, with your name and the lab number at the top of the document.

3. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 19).

Lab 18: Designing Student-Produced Digital Video Curriculum

Description: So now you know the basics for producing and editing digital video, how will you use them in the classroom? What kind of lessons can benefit with the aid of digital video? There are a number of educators who have contributed their ideas and efforts to demonstrate ways of using digital video in the classroom. In this lab we will research some of these ideas and create some lessons of our own.

We will be focusing on creating curriculum for student produced projects that integrate digital video. Using cooperative learning strategies, we will define the following for our lessons:

1. Set a clear task for the group to accomplish.
2. Create a process, in list format, describing how to accomplish the task.
3. Give individuals specific roles in the production.
4. Plan opportunities for individuals from different groups to discuss their similar roles.
5. Define how you will monitor group progress and provide in progress feedback.
6. Define how the groups will present and share their work.

Reading: Multimedia Projects in the Classroom, pp. 21-36.
Applications/Equipment Used: Microsoft Word
Skills: Lesson Plan Design, Digital Video: Shooting, Transferring, Editing, Publishing.
Lessons: Finish Digital Video Post-Production Fundamentals.

Links:
Apple - Digital Video for Education
Digital Kids Club - by Adobe
Video Lesson Plans - by Kidz Online
Using Digital Video in the Classroom - by Stein Brunvand
Digital Video in Education - by Grossman Union High School District

Lab Procedure:

1. Research various lesson plans using the link above. Choose and Print a lesson to critique and answer the following about that lesson:

• Is the task of the lesson clearly defined? What processes need to be more clearly defined?
• Is this an individual or group project? If a group project are all the student roles clearly defined; what are they? If an individual project, how could others be included to make it a group project; what would their roles be?
• Is there a method to monitor the progress of the project? If yes, does it seem successful; how could it be improved? If no, how could the project's progress be properly monitored?
• Does the lesson have a method for presenting and sharing the completed projects? Does it seem to be a satisfactory culmination of the work put into the project; and why? What other possible ways could the projects be presented?

2. Create your own cooperative learning approach lesson that integrates digital video. Include the following:

• Define a grade level for the project.
• Define the task for the project.
• Define a process for students to complete the task, giving it in a list format.
• Give individuals specific roles in the production.
• Describe opportunities for individuals from different groups to discuss their similar roles.
• Define how you will monitor group progress and provide in progress feedback.
• Define how the groups will present and share their work .

3. Save your lesson critique and lesson plan as a word document appropriately named (EX: jones_lab18.doc ) with your last name, email address, and the lab number at the top of the document.

4. Send your word document to my AC230 Digital Dropbox on York’s Blackboard. The subject line should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 18).

Lab 17: Fundamentals of Digital Video Post-Production

Description: Post-production represents the editing phase of the project. Editing is where all the pieces are put together to make the final video. Whether you have shot hours of footage or just a few minutes, it's likely that you will use only a small percentage of your footage to stitch together the final video. To put your selected footage together, you are going to need to use a video editor.

Before the existence of computers, editing video required the use of multiple playback VCRS and one recording VCR. Tapes that contained the shot video were queued to the desired pieces of footage on the playback VCRS and then recorded piece by piece to the record VCR. This was a painstaking task that required a tremendous amount of organization to determine the order of all the pieces across many tapes.

Think of this process as similar to organizing your hand written notes and typing a paper on a typewriter. Any mistakes made while typing could mean retyping the page, or any desired major change would mean retyping many pages. In video, any footage that is recorded out of order or incorrectly can mean starting over from the point of the error.

Well, today we have word processors for typing and editing papers that allow flexibility and no need to re-type. The same is true for video editing with the word processor equivalent know as a "non-linear editor."

Non-linear editors allow video footage to be put onto the computer or "digitized," and then ordered and re-ordered in any fashion along a timeline. Also, graphics such as titles and photos can be added, and music and voice-over can be edited into the video on additional audio tracks. With this flexibility, more complex storytelling in video is possible and a more quality product will be produced.

Reading: Multimedia Projects in the Classroom, pp. 21-48
Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning, pp. 295 - 304
Applications/Equipment Used: Macintosh OS, iMovie, Firewire DV camera
Skills: Process of importing, editing, and exporting video on a computer.
Lessons: iMovie Tutorial

Lab Procedure:

1. A number of "clips" of video from the supplied source videotape are imported onto the computer.
2. These clips are edited into a "sequence" that contains at least six clips total.
3. A title will be placed in the front of the sequence over the first one or two clips. A title will be placed at the end of the sequence over black.
4. A selected "transition" between two clips must be made in one place in the sequence.
5. The movie must be exported as a Quicktime movie in the "Web" format. Save the Quicktime movie appropriately named (jones_lab18.mov) with your last name and the lab number.
6. Send your Quicktime movie to my AC230 Digital Dropbox. The subject line of the sent file should give your name and the lab number (Frank Jones Lab 18).