I have a few thoughts regarding my project ideas... But first,.....
I have to share with you some awesome news about me getting a set of ~10 netbooks in my classroom this next year! I've got some plans for using them for data collection (instead of our old CBL's), simulations, group lab reports, and much more! The tough part is deciding where to start. I'm pretty pumped about it!
Along those lines, I have a few ideas about my project and the technology I/we hope to be using with my students.
1) Have my students regularly comment on what they have learned after working (in groups) on one of the simulation websites (the PHeT website, to be specific). I was thinking that using VoiceThreading would be a good medium for them to post their comments and feedback. I do have a concern about that though, because I'm afraid that many comments are going to be the same, since they can view all the comments of everyone that posted before they did. (although, i guess i could just moderate them until they've all been submitted...hmmm..). Another thought is for them to create a screencast summary of their simulation investigations and then to post it somewhere like a class website (which I'd like to make some time). I already have created a Voicethread example I have posted earlier, if you want to take a look.
I wonder if this would this fulfill all of the project requirements? If not, here is something else I could add....
2) For my chemistry students, I was thinking that they could use some web tools to help them learn how to write a good lab report. For example, I would post 3 examples of lab reports (from previous students) to a Voicethread and then they could comment on what they thought of each report, and give it a grade according to the rubrics that I will be using to grade their lab reports, once they've got some practice at writing them. They could then work as a group, using Google Docs, on writing one collaborative lab report.
Any thoughts?
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I like the second idea. I am always looking for ways to involve students more in the lab report grading idea. Do you have any guidelines about how much students can grade others? Would you post lab report with or without name? I would lean towards without, and then the student social network would take care of identifying whose reports you posted.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I didn't read carefully to see the lab reports were from a previous year. You can ignore my last sentences. I can also see, time permitting, posting lab reports with your comments on them as an instruction tool. if you taught multiple classes, this could save time, as you only have to explain the examples once. Last year I taught four sections of the same class, and I could see lots of value in preparing something for students to view, and spending class time on something else. If I only have 2 sections, I am not sure the time is as well spent making the electronic work.
ReplyDeleteI also like the second idea. I ran across another collaborative writing tool this week that looked interesting called MixedInk. Here's the address:
ReplyDeletehttp://mixedink.com/main.php
That may also work for your collaborative lab report.
I think your second idea is awesome! I cannot wait to see your take on this collaborative idea! I think Tom is right about the instruction tool aspect of this endeavor. Also I think this is integral to practicing life skills: teamwork, eloquence, and responsibility.
ReplyDeleteLooks like we have a winner! The second idea is one I've been wanting to do (but didn't know just how I might pull it off,. til now!). Randy, I checked out the MixedInk site you mentioned. I liked the ranking/revision capability of it. Now,...a trip to school to get some files from the server, and I'll make this thing happen. Thanks to everyone for their input and I'm looking forward to seeing yours as well!
ReplyDeleteSteve, awesome news about the notebooks! My advice on where to start... start small, don't try to do everything (ie. use as much technology as possible) right from the beginning, just chose a couple of tools and perfect their integration. I made the mistake of trying everything out at once when I started teaching in a school where all students were required to have laptops. I left most projects half way because I and the students were so overwhelmed.
ReplyDeleteAbout your 1st idea- I have the same concern about using voicethread in this way in terms of seeing and repeating each other's comments (eg. if I were to give them a brainstorm question to answer on the voicethread). I'm not sure if you using voicethread for the particular objective that you meantion here (writing about what they learned) is really needed. Maybe just writing blog posts on their student blogs or if they have them or on a class wiki would be better.Maybe even creating short podcasts about what they learned? They're so quick to make, then you could post them all and they could listen to each other's to see what they each got from the unit. It seems like it'd be a pain in the neck for you to moderate all the voicethread comments beforehand. About using screencasting, I would be careful with the amount of time commitment this would require from students (you can see from people's blog posts that it was pretty time consuming so you'd have to make sure the gains are worth it). Also, what would they be screencasting, themselves navigating through the simulation, would this be of value to them and to you? Maybe creating a voicethread with some screenshots and adding comments might be better here.
The second idea is great, I agree with the other's comments. To prevent repeat comments, you could create three separate voicethreads (or shared collaborative documents, whatever), one for each lab report. Then have each group comment on one of the voicethreads... then you could switch them and have another group/s check out a different voicethread and comment over the comments of the previous group. Don't know if that makes sense...
Here is another way to use voithread for chem lab reports, check out these examples, I thought they were pretty good examples:
http://tinyurl.com/chemvoicethreads
Sorry for the super long post, hope it helps!
No need to apologize for the long blog post, Marta. Your (all) comments and critiques are welcome. I will heed your advice and hone in on a few web tools to use (and master) with my classes. I like your podcast idea , but that is something I haven't tried before. Got any good sites/advice for a podcast newbie? Regarding your vt comments about my second idea,.. what you said is exactly what my plan is (great thinking!). Not sure about the first idea's gains really being worth their (or my)time and effort. Lastly, thanks for the chemvoicethreads url, I'll look at it when i get the chance. Currently I'm balancing school work with fun packed days with my family visiting for a whole week!
ReplyDeleteHey Steve, I just wrote a blog post about Podcasting, specially for you. I have only used it once really, but I did a little research on the topic because I'm interested in trying some new ideas using Podcasts. Try it out, it's a VERY easy webtool to use.
ReplyDeleteSteve,
ReplyDeleteI am intrigued by your notebooks! Could you please tell me a bit more about them and the probe connection you are planning to use? I have a grant proposal due sooner than I thought , and this would be a great purpose for the money. I need more details!! Please and thank you!
Susan (berrendsci@gmail.com)
Susan,
ReplyDeleteBasically, I pitched the idea of the district buying me a few cheap ($40) study guides and 10 netbooks (are you familiar with these?), instead of new textbooks ($189 each). they will serve three main purposes; 1) Web access (on-line homework program, free on-line textebooks, simulations, various web-sites, etc..); 2) Since they have at least 2 USB ports, I can use the Vernier and TI motion detectors, force probes, thermistors, light sensors, and such (40+ different kinds in all) along with Vernier's LoggerPro software to collect data, analyze it, graph it. The CBL's or LabPros run about $200 each anyway, so why not get a computer instead?
3) Lab report writing, and presentation making.
Does that give you any ideas, Susan? ;)