Lab Pages are Delicious

As an assignment for the CEP 891 K-2 Online Learning graduate class I am taking at Michigan State University I had defend my online project "Lab Pages are Delicious". The following is the "Justification Paper" for creating bookmarks in del.icio.us for elementary students.

Introduction

The project “MSCS LAB Pages are Delicious,” was developed as a means to make quality Internet resources easily accessible to the first through fourth grade elementary students I teach at two elementary buildings in the Morley Stanwood Community Schools (MSCS) district. The web site del.icio.us was used to bookmark free online resources in order to teach internet safety, enhance writing opportunities, and develop career awareness. A secondary objective was to begin to cultivate online resources with Web 2.0 elements, allowing elementary students to share their work with others around the world. The final component was to create a connection between curriculum in the classroom and the activities in the computer lab using a Google Page webpage called “MSCS Lab” as an entry access point to the del.icio.us bookmarks.

Implementation

To implement the project, the “MSCS Lab” webpage will be set as the browser’s home page on the lab computers for students to access the resources compiled. From this “home page,” 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th grade levels are linked to age appropriate del.icio.us bookmark lists, tagged “mscslab” and bundled under “Writing”, “Careers” and “For Teachers.” The computer lab will be utilized as a writing and research center as determined by the grade level teachers and the technology teacher collaborating on integration projects. To extend the learning potential, the “MSCS Lab” web URL will be distributed to students, teachers and parents via the school newsletter and web site allowing them to easily locate the bookmarked online resources from any internet connected computer in the library, classroom or their home.

Benefits

The “MSCS LAB Pages are Delicious” project is important for our district. Currently, our elementary labs have MAC OS 9 in one lab and Microsoft XP in the other. The first advantage this project affords is in the area of available resources. As a consolidated rural district, keeping instruction equivalent in each elementary building is a key concern of the administration and MSCS Board of Education. All teachers will have the same resources available for collaboration on technology integration projects across the district, making it easier to deliver consistent content in each elementary building. Secondly, the district may save financial resources that would otherwise be spent on updating software programs to meet the newly revised National Educational Technology Standards for Students. Free online resources will be current and more can be added as they are identified allowing funds to be spent on other needed improvements. Lastly, and perhaps more importantly, the current trend in education is for students to be involved in relevant and authentic learning in a highly global and digital world. Author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for the Classroom writes:

We are no longer limited to being independent readers or consumers of information; as we’ll see, we can be collaborators….In the process, we can learn much about ourselves and our world. In almost every area of life, the Read/Write Web is changing our relationship to technology and rewriting the age old paradigms of how things work.” (Richardson, 2006, p.2)

A Task Force, including the State Education Technology Directors Association (SETDA), the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE), and the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, presented “Maximizing the Impact: the Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21st Century Education System” at the SETDA Leadership Summit and Education Forum in Washington, DC. The report stated “In a 21st century education system, technology must be used comprehensively and purposefully to support students in mastering the full range of what they need to learn—core subjects, 21st century themes and 21st century skills.” (2007, p. 6). The “MSCS Lab pages are Delicious” project supports the districts youngest learners who are beginning this lifelong learning process.

Concerns and Reassurances

Parent concerns must be taken into account in an online project. As I explained the Kids’ Space: Beanstalk writing project to a few parents, one of the questions raised was “Will the web sites be reviewed by you first before it is bookmarked?” Another was “Who reviews the writing before it is put on the web site?” These are excellent questions which must be considered. Websites postings to the “del.icio.us/mscslab” bookmark site are password protected and must be approved before posting. As an example of the quality of sites, Kids’ Space submissions are reviewed by the web masters for appropriate content and materials. In addition, the web site explains the Children’s Online Privacy Act (COPPA) and adheres to its policy. According to the Federal Trade Commissions (FTC) Facts for Consumers (2000) “The policy must be available through a link on the website's homepage and at each area where personal information is collected from kids. Websites for general audiences that have a children's section must post the notice on the homepages of the section for kids.” In addition, for class project submissions, the teacher uses e-mail which connects to a unique file for submissions. Students use first name, grade and country, but are not identified by school, city or state.

Safety

Internet safety is a component of the online resource project. In the past, prior to Internet use in the lab, internet safety was “discussed” with the students. The resources provided in the “MSCS Lab Pages are Delicious” project connect students to fun games and activities to use online to learn important lessons about safety while using the Internet. The del.icio.us bookmarks also include useful links for teachers about COPPA from the Federal Trade Commission web site. Although my plan is to use my own e-mail address when submitting work by children, it is important to realize that students are, and will be more often in the future, communicating by e-mail in everyday life. According to the FTC (2000) “A parent or teacher's consent isn't necessary if the website is collecting a child's email address simply to respond to a one-time request for information.” Children do not hold the same concerns as their parents and teachers about online safety. Richardson (2007) states:

“Safety is now about responsibility, appropriateness and common sense as well…it’s our obligation to teach them what is acceptable and safe and what isn’t.…even in the early grades, teaching appropriate use is critical. Kids are coming to the Web earlier and earlier, and it’s obviously very important that we prepare them for life online.” (p. 10-11).

Educators must take an active role teaching students self discipline when using the Internet.

Summary

Allowing students, teachers and parents access to specific online resources will be empowering to my district. It will be the first “local” attempt to create an online learning environment for elementary students. In addition the resources will be integrated with core subject areas to address specific technology standards. An integral part of the plan involves safety in an online environment. Through the “MSCS Lab Pages are Delicious” project other online resources can be identified and emerge to drive teaching and learning methods into the 21^st Century world of digital collaboration.

References

(March, 1995-2006). Beanstalk. Retrieved September 19, 2007, from Kids' Space Web site: http://www.kids-space.org/

(2000, February). Facts For Consumers: How to Protect Kids' Privacy Online. Retrieved November 8, 2007, from Federal Trade Commission: Protecting America's Consumers Web site: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/kidsprivacy.shtm

(2000, December). How to Protect Kids' Privacy Online: A Guide for Teachers. Retrieved December 3, 2007, from Federal Trade Commission: Protecting America's Consumers Web site: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/pubs/online/teachers.shtm

(2007). National Educational Technology Standards. Retrieved December 1, 2007, from ISTE: International Society for Technlogy Education Web site: http://www.iste.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=NETS

(2007, November). Maximizing the Impact: "The Pivotal Role of Technology in a 21^st Century Education System". Retrieved November 25, 2007, from SETDA: State Education Technology Directors Association Web site: http://www.setda.org/web/guest/maximizingimpactreport

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Scratch is Free

Scratch is a great animation program available as a free download. It was created by MIT. We had a contest in our MAET2007 class to see who could make the best show. It was fun to see what the others in our group made. I have done a small amount of programing (decades ago). Scratch uses a pre-scripted drag and drop language. (Great for kids who don't type well.) This is what I completed in a few hours of work. http://scratch.mit.edu/projects/techie1/22334

Go to the Scratch Website to view or download my animation. If you want to see how it works or make changes, just download Scratch and open Santa1 to see the script.

Try making your own Scratch animation. http://scratch.mit.edu/
Have fun...

Does It or Does It Not Compute

This spring I received a free copy of Frames at the MACUL conference in Detroit. The assignment for my grad class, “Does It or Does It Not Compute” was perfect for learning more about this software. I wanted to find out what capabilities and limitations Frames might provide in an educational setting. After using the software for a few sessions my thoughts and discoveries follow.

Description of the Technology:

Frames, developed by Tech4Learning, is used to make animations without clay. The product allows the user to combine images, text, and audio to create stop-motion animated stories. An array of pictures is included in the software, but it also comes with rights to use Pics4Learning images online. In addition, the user is allowed to import images from files or capture images in real time using a digital camera. Once an animation is complete, options for sharing include movies for podcast, web, presentation, full quality, and animated gif.

http://www.tech4learning.com/frames/

Affordances and Constrains:

The software was fun to play, but the directions were difficult to follow. Knowledge of animation and how it is created is a necessary part of the user’s background in order to be successful immediately. As an elementary teacher, it is not something that I could give to the students and expect them to “find their way” using it. Since the program only has a few animation images that would help show the process, instruction and guidance is a must.

Looking for the potential this software would lend to an elementary classroom or subject, I would put motivation high on the list. Students would be very excited about creating their own animations using clipart, scanned drawings, or digital images.

The software accounts for individual differences. The ease of importing graphics to each frame would allow students with disabilities to have success. In addition, backgrounds are easily obtained for the less artistic. At the elementary level, the drawback in the beginning stages of the Frames software would be having patience to move an object across the screen in each frame to get the desired animation effect.

Innovativeness and Creativity:

Students, who understand the animation process, can work at a more advanced level creating exceptional ways to show the development of an event with photos or capturing images in real time. Recorded music or sound can be added to each animation as well. For the artistic child this software would create an avenue to share stories, characters, voice, and plot all in a fun format to share with friends. The publishing options which include movies for the web and podcasts allows the students to share products with a wider audience than their peers at school or their parents at home. After a few hours of using the software, I was able to create (with relative ease) a crude movie “Humming Bird Feeding” using a digital camera set at continuous photo setting.

One constraint is that it takes a large number of frames to create a story or complete the “thought” of the animation. Another constraint is that it takes a great deal of time and a keen eye to align each photo. Finally to get the sound to end at the desired point in the animation may take several tries.

Cognitive Growth:

The software promotes cognitive growth in the sense that students need to be able to sequence events in order to create an animation. The beginning middle and end are important features of a story. Using the software could enhance sequencing development of learners. If students learn to create better story lines or plots than the time involved to create a simple animation would be time well spent.

Curriculum:

Frames, a communication software, does not fit into one discipline area. As a Language Arts tool, it is important to sequence events in order to form a clear message. Thus the storyboard allows students to move ideas easily to construct meaning. However, students must have an understanding of the structure of the discipline they are studying in order to create animations. The software does not help to construct this meaning nor does it teach the syntax of the discipline.

The software can be used in all curriculum areas. One of the areas I would use Frames is in a Science class to study the life cycle of a plant. The students could begin to grow a plant from a seed. A picture of the growth process could be taken every day. Each day the photo would be added to the animation. At the completion of the study students could watch the animation and reflect on the growth of the plant starting from day one. This would not only serve as a review, but portions of the animation could be slowed to see major changes. Additionally, during major changes more than one picture could be taken during the day which would show significant change is occurring at a rapid rate. These could be grouped into smaller animations or grouped within the larger animation to study particular changes.

Redesign this Technology:

One of the ways I would redesign this technology would be to improve the instructions to include how to make an animation for the person who is unfamiliar with the process. In addition, I would include more “canned” images (I found two sets) of a complete series of events for students to practice making animations. Since the software appears to be geared to the elementary student, being familiarized with the animation process should be a top priority of the software. Overall, once the users is familiar with the software it is fairly easy to create an animation using Frames.