Reflection of Group Work for EDLD 5363

I tend to balk at group work and find that the work falls to the one or two responsible people who like to get ahead. Well, this entire process as a group was great from start to finish. Everyone wanted to get things done efficiently and excellently. We began sharing our brainstorm of ideas on google docs and then put our ideas into an outline and then into a script. Joey did the filming using iMovie and added a drop box so that we could all view each scene to make comments. Many small and some large changes were made in the filming that was decided collaboratively by sharing ideas on the google doc. After a final version of the film was created, I was able to edit the original script with a lot of input from Suzie so that no detail was left out.

I am pleased with our PSA, we are after all amateurs and with the time and constraint of a 60 second limit I feel we made a product that clearly articulates our point and is engaging. The only thing that may have been better is to have been able to do a split screen but we did not have the ability using iMovie to do this.

We did not have any copyrights that we had to use the music was not the real Twilight Zone music and was not copyrighted. The facts we used were referenced in a slide at the end to give credit where credit was due.

One again our team worked well together, like a well oiled machine and I would be delighted to work with all of them again in a future course if that was need. Thank you to Joey, Suzie, Maria and Angelia! You all are the best!

EDLD 5363 Web Conference Week 5 Reflection

I have been working with a wonderful group of talented people. Our PSA is almost complete thanks to the diligent filming and editing of our group. All we have left is to update our script, add some credits and to determine our creative domain. I was looking forward to tonight's web conference to make sure we had the lastest information of what was due and when.

The web conference was very informative. Dr. Abernathy shared that there has been some difficulty with the EPIC courseware and the course relfection questions cannot be located. She has graciously agreed that we will not have to complete that portion of this weeks assignment which lessens the burden of work considerably.

She clearly told us the three major tasks we have this week. They are as follows:

1. Finish revising the pre-production information and get it up to date with our actual video.
2. Make sure to submit our google doc to our IA
3. Upload our PSA to YouTube and embed it into our wiki

I can see the finish line and it will be great to have all our hard work done just in time for Christmas break.

Reflection on Week 2 Web Conference EDLD 5363

I was glad to have the opportunity to attend the November 23, web conference. I found the discussion both oral and written to be very helpful. The directions on the assignment were a bit of an overload for a novice such as myself.  I had questions that I needed answered in the web conference. These questions were answered.  I learned from the web conference that I only need to make an audio podcast that gives directions as to how to use a video editing tool. The asssignment had a great deal of information on adding pictures, music and video which left me unclear if I could actually omit that in my podcast. I felt great relief that it only needs to be an audio podcast. I also now know that I need to find two more partners for next week and the recommended method is to use the discussion board. That is my next focus as week 2 ends. I would like to start week 3 with a group of four already in place.

The creation of my podcast went really well. It was the first time that I used audacity and Windows Live Movie Maker. The fact that there were no pictures to add made it much easier than the week 1 assignment. However, it seems that audio directions for a video maker is not an effective way to give directions, at least not in my opinion. As I was learning Windows Movie Maker and Audacity I viewed many video tutorials and the best part was that they were visual and I could pause on them and still see what I needed to do. When it is just audio you can't pause and still "see" the directions. I learned after I completed my podcast that I could have had music in the background if I had put that into Audacity with my audio narration. I did not realize I could do that when I created the podcast.

Reflections on Week 1 Web Conference for 5363

Today I was completely overwhelmed as I read the assignment for the week. I knew that I have no experience making a movie on the software recommended. As a matter of fact the only thing similar is the Animoto I created in EDLD 5306. That was not nearly as detailed as this will be and I won't be able to use Animoto to create this presentation. So with heavy heart, I entered tonight's web conference  unsure of how to get a partner to work with and how to share information with my partner, and with no experience of using Windows Live Movie Maker. Dr. Abernathy answered my questions by explaining to us that we had to select our own partners by  using the discussion board or asking someone on the web conference chat section. I was delighted when Suzie asked if I would like to be her partner. That was my first sigh of relief. Next, Dr. Abernathey explained how to use Google docs to be able to share with our partners and to edit their work and offer comments. By the conclusion of the web conference some of my confidence returned and I am now looking forward to the process of creating a personal video story. I still have many questions, and I miss having a person sitting next to me working with me to create a video...but that is the new world we live in!

Final Comments on EDLD 5301

            Since my earliest years in school I have a memory of loving to learn. I was the type of child who begged to go to school even when I was sick. Many others might say that is evidence of just how sick I was! It comes as no surprise that I would choose a profession as a teacher, so that I could continue to be in the classroom and learn. I feel the same way about taking the courses in this master’s program. I again have the opportunity to learn, be challenged and to get the input of professors and colleagues.

            One of the best ways to learn is by collaboration. Although I prefer to do my own projects, I love to hear and glean ideas from my classmates. A wonderful highlight for me was to get the input of my classmates on my action research plan. Many of them already use 1:1 laptops with great success. I was so encouraged to hear that none of them regrets using laptops in the classroom, and many had ideas as to how to make adding templates and saving work more efficient. The whole action research plan seems more exciting, knowing there are others who have journeyed this road before me and are willing to share the pros and cons they have found. The use of the discussion board and blogs made this possible.

            The internet can be a great resource for finding out information about many topics. After determining my topic for an action research plan, I worked closely with a parent at the school who will be our IT support for the 24 junior high laptops. I wanted to be prepared to meet with him and have ideas about things we should consider. I went to the web and found a page that suggested 23 things to consider when using laptops in the classroom. They were simple yet practical. One mentioned that the laptop should not be the center of the activity so that the lesson could not fail or win based on the laptop. We were able to discuss these ideas and add our own questions and concerns.

            The assignments each week were extremely relevant to developing and executing an action research project. None of them seemed like a waste of time or just mere busy work. As a hardworking professional I truly appreciated this.  The assignments provided wonderful scaffolding so that I understood the intricacies of an action research and how to go about bringing it successfully to a conclusion. Each week I learned another new tidbit that aided me in putting together my plan. The assignments also kept me on task and in constant communication with my site mentor. Without the assignments I would not have understood the “action” part of an action research plan.

            I do also have a recommendation for this class. I like the use of blogs for giving reflections on what I have learned and also for receiving input from my fellow classmates. I did however find it a bit challenging to attach my action research plan in chart form and then to attach my final draft of the research plan. I was thinking that maybe a wiki page would be a better format to attach charts and drafts. A wiki page allows the maker to upload charts and documents as pdf files, or allows the maker to  attach them in much the same way you do on an email. I did see that other students were able to upload their charts in a very professional manner on their blogs and I would love to know how they did so. Once again this only reconfirms for me the importance of being a lifelong learner.

            Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of this course! Thank you also for all the preparation that went into making this course a wonderful learning experience. I look forward to hearing from my classmates as they complete their action research plans throughout this year. May the learning continue and become a source of inspiration to those we teach.

References:

Groom, D.(May 19, 2009). 23 things about classroom laptops. Design for learning. 9/01/2011, http://deangroom.wordpress.com/2009/05/19/23-things-about-classroom-laptops/

Week 4 Conversation with Site Mentor

My meeting with my site mentor went very well. We met on Friday, Sept. 16 at 2:15 pm. We are both on the same page with the action research plan. There was nothing hugely significant that she wanted me to add. She wants to know if using 1:1 laptops will increase student acheivement in the junior high so that she can look forward to the possibililty of using 1:1 laptops in the lower grades as well. My coordinating this action research takes a large burden off of her shoulders and benefits the entire school. We are both looking forward to the results of this action research plan.

Week 4 Updated Action Research Plan

Goal: To increase junior high student achievement in science and history by using 1 to 1 laptops Action Step(s)        Person(s)          Timeline:        Needed                               Responsible       Start/End      Resources            Evaluation 1. Purchase 24 student laptops. Set up laptops for student use with needed software, and have a storage cart. Theresa Palanos Craig Urasaki Donna Garcia August 2011 – October 2011 Funding from the Pigs and Pinot fundraising event. Microsoft office suite. Someone to load the software. A storage cart. We will know this is completed when the laptops are fully loaded with software in the storage cart and located in the 7th grade classroom. 2. Gather data from internet sites that reference states and schools that use 1 to 1 laptops. Gather data from teachers that have used 1 to 1 laptops in the classroom. Find out the lowest grade 1:1 laptops are used Theresa Palanos Craig Urasaki Chris Picott September 2011 – January 2012  Internet sites from schools and states using 1 to 1 laptops. Teachers who have used 1 to 1 laptops.  Make a list of the top 10 pros and cons of using 1 to 1 laptops in the classroom based on other schools and teachers. 3. Develop one science and history lesson plan per chapter that requires the use of the laptops.  Theresa Palanos Craig Urasaki Chris Picott Mid-October 2011 – May 2011  Laptops with Microsoft Office Suite. Science and History textbooks to derive lessons from. Knowledge of how to use Excel.  Printed out student work from the lessons will be collected and graded to see the effectiveness of using the laptop for the lesson.

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Theresa Palanos EDLD 5301

Tool 7.1 Action Planning Template Goal: To increase junior high student achievement in science and history by using 1 to 1 laptops Action Step(s)         Person(s)       Timeline:          Needed                                Responsible     Start/End       Resources       Evaluation 4. Questionnaires for the teachers and students to be filled out after each activity that uses the laptops. The questionnaire will inquire about specific pros and cons of the use of a laptop for the specific lesson. Theresa Palanos Craig Urasaki Chris Picott Mid-October 2011 – May 2011  Questionnaire template. 7th and 8th grade students and teachers A compilation of the questionnaires with an analysis of the answers to make draw conclusions as to the effectiveness of the activity and conclusions on how to improve the use of laptops in the lesson. 5. Develop a plan for the classroom when one or more laptops are not working and are needed for that day's lesson. Theresa Palanos Craig Urasaki Chris Picott October 2011 – November 2011 IT person to contact. Check with junior high teachers and students to assess the effectiveness of the plan for days that laptops do not work.

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