Cecelia,+Student+Created+Multimedia+Instruction

Early Adopter: Inquiry & Design Challenge


My Destination Postcard:  A new initiative for me this year in my elementary music classroom is to have a different, themed "closing feature" each week. The last 5-10 minutes will be devoted to presenting these closing features each day. Week 1 will feature Composers, Week 2 will feature Instruments Around the World, Week 3 will feature Musicians Here and Now, and Week 4 will feature "Poetry Palooza". Of these 3 features, I strongly desire for the first 3 to be student-created videos that can be presented on Edmodo. I want to build capacity for students who desire to take on these projects so that any student would feel that they have the tools and know-how to pursue one of these projects.

My shift has changed just a bit. Instead of tackling these big multimedia projects, I want to start on a smaller scale, examining which pencil and paper projects can be redesigned as a technology and/or multimedia project. As the students become more familiar with the technology, they feel more empowered to take the initiative to tackle the bigger projects.

Name: Cecelia Peterson > =This picture is from a Google Presentation begun by 1st graders. Formerly, this had been a paper booklet project.=
 * =====Campus: Thornwood Elementary School =====
 * =====Grade Level(s): K - 5 =====
 * =====Discipline: Music =====
 * =====Topic: Student Created Multimedia Instruction =====
 * =====Focus Question: What are some pencil and paper projects/assignments that can be done instead through the use of technology?=====
 * Does the project with added technology add to the ultimate learning?
 * Is the time involved with adding technology a worthwhile investment?
 * Can you take the assignment beyond a replacement (paper traded in for technology) and bring it to a more global application?
 * =====// please be prepared to revise these throughout the challenge //=====
 * ===== Resources: //s// //earch for existing resources (articles, websites, blogs, videos, etc.) - please be sure to add them to our [|Diigo] //=====
 * ** Walking the Walk
 * How are you prepared to //Walk the Walk// this year? How will your journey reflect //action research// ?
 * When I run into obstacles, I will research what other teachers have done to overcome those same (or similar obstacles). Content groups on Edmodoare very helpful.
 * I consciously examine each activity/assignment/project and assess if it's an assignment that could be enhanced through the use of technology.
 * I examine each project with regards to time involved. The time it takes to do the project may take away from intent of learning the curriculum and therefore be counterproductive.
 * On the other hand, sometimes taking the time to learn the technology while incorporating the curriculum IS worth the time involved.
 * Are there enough devices? How can devices throughout the school be maximized?
 * One teacher brought her devices to my class with her kids so that we had more devices! Much more productive!
 * Please go to your personal learning journal page and respond to the following:
 * Identify your Goals & Objectives
 * Given an objective taken from the SBISD curriculum, I will determine whether or not that objective can or should be taught with the aid of some technology application or device after weighing time involved, equipment and resources needed, and whether or not learning the technology will benefit the students in addition to learning the music curriculum.
 * The music content must remain the focus. I am not a technology teacher.
 * What Obstacles/Problems do you anticipate?
 * Lack of equipment/devices.
 * Lack of time.
 * What can the students already do? Not much? Yikes!
 * What Strategies will you use to overcome these obstacles?
 * Ask classroom teachers to bring their classroom devices with them to music.
 * Introduce new technology first through Edmodo or modeled by the teacher BEFORE it's delivered as an actual assignment.
 * What resources and materials will you share via our EA wiki and learning community?
 * [|First Grade Google Project]
 * [|Eric Whitacre's virtual choir]
 * [|Thornwood Music Blog]
 * Data Collection:
 * Pre-assessment - //how will you determine the base-line of your students in your target area//?
 * At first these projects ARE the pre-assessments! It tells me a lot when I ask students to read a login card for the first time, to type for the first time, to navigate on the computer for the first time. I am allowing for the stumbles at this point so I know where each class stands.
 * I ought to somewhere document WHERE each class stands so that I don't have to depend on my brain to remember.
 * Action Research Assessment and Evaluation:
 * How will you measure success?
 * How will you know if you have succeeded?
 * What will you collect as evidence of success?

> Working on the Work
 * ===== Activity: =====
 * 1) Individually, design a student resource, activity type, or mini-challenge to try in the classroom over the next month to test. Then, get feedback from partners.
 * 2) Try out resource, activity type, or project during the month(s), documenting plan, process, execution and reflection and collect student work samples.
 * //Round 1 activity//
 * < // please add link to Round 2 activity // >
 * < // please add link to Round 3 activity // >
 * Mining the Effort **
 * What artifacts of your personal learning have you been collecting?
 * I am growing in the area of HOW to use different applications, interfaces, apps, and gaining proficiency with them.
 * I have online vehicles for delivering instruction and communication.
 * What process shifts do these suggest in your practice?
 * I have the desire to shift to a paperless classroom.


 * What artifacts of student learning have you been collecting?
 * Students are journaling on paper about what they're reading and listening to in a jazz unit.
 * Blogging about that would be ideal, but I don't have the means to do that yet.
 * Students are much more confident and competent working in small groups with technology.
 * 1st grade has a project they completed on Google Presentations
 * What process shifts do these suggest in their practice?
 * They would appreciate a shift towards paperless products that can be posted online.
 * Students are much more engaged in learning whenever they're in small groups with technology.

How is your journey like that of a storyteller? Of a researcher?
 * An Opportunity in Overalls **

It's more of a storyteller because many of my desires for this shift in learning are still in the theoretical stage.

What question did you start out to find answer(s) to?
 * What tweaks, edits, modifications have you made to your focus question?
 * What question(s) remain?
 * What new questions have surfaced as a result of your exploration this far?

I really don't think I need to tweak anything, but I do need to actively seek out the means to actually put into place the ideas that I have had. For example, I need to acquire at least enough devices for students to work in 2s or 3s.

As a researcher:

What are you measuring?
 * What patterns are surfacing?
 * What themes are emerging?
 * What does your data suggest?
 * My data suggests that our school's schedule is archaic and needs to be changed in order to accommodate this shift in teaching and learning.

As a learner:
 * Where have you allowed yourself to be vulnerable in this process?
 * How are you allowing yourself, your professional learning to be 'seen'?
 * In what way(s) have you found the courage to be 'imperfect'?
 * What //a-ha!// moments, elements of a 'spiritual awakening'/"breakdown" have you experienced? What might these insights suggested to you?

What story is unfolding from your research?
 * (//just bullet point notes for now//)


 * Defining Your Focus **
 * Collaborative Glossary (@http://tinyurl.com/EAvocab)
 * [[image:Card.jpg width="800" height="618"]]

>
 * Considering the bigger picture... **
 * What IS Early Adopters?
 * What is Early Adopters NOT?
 * What examples from your/your students practice might you offer others to "show" this?

//Please create a page for your activities that will help others understand the steps you are taking in your inquiry and design process.//

**Creating Your Activity Page [[image:InqDesign.png align="right"]]**
//example:// Jennifer F. Round 1 include component="pageList" hideInternal="true" tag="Peterson,music" limit="100"
 * 1) Please make a new page:
 * Title: 
 * Template: activity design
 * Tag : design, campus
 * 1) SAVE your page
 * 2) Check to be sure your page appears at the top of our Activity Share page