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Friday, July 19, 2013

Information Literacy for Teachers

Overview:  This lesson is meant to be an online lesson for teachers to access to help them to both understand what Information literacy is, and how they can use it to develop lessons for their students.


Objectives:
1. Help teachers gain understanding of what information literacy is.
2. Help teachers be able to use concepts of information literacy.


Initial Experience:


Concept Exploration:
1. Lets take a quick and friendly self assessment of of your personal literacy of the web.   If you haven’t done so already, check your answers here.  
a. How did you do?  Don’t worry about your results, hopefully you learned a bunch from this activity!


Make Meaning:
a. Now that you know how to use Google Scholar look up a topic you are interested in.  Now, search the same topic using the standard Google Search .  Did you notice that the results were dramatically different?


Create:
1. With one tool, Google Scholar do some research on the health benefits of chocolate.  
a. make a list of 3 true, researched benefits of chocolate.
2. With another tool of your choice (Google, Wikipedia, etc.) do a little more research on chocolate.
a. make a list of 3 opinions on the benefits of chocolate that people seem to believe but that may not be based in fact.
3. Share results with others.




Lesson Plan by Dustin Ellis.  July 2013


Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Trust Monitor Policy

Trust Monitor Policy
Love of Play Project


The Love of Play Project (LPP) is for educational purposes, and is for the benefit of the participants.  Your information will be kept on this site and never shared with anyone for any monetary gain.  All participants must agree to the following conditions:


  1. Participants must be accepted into the project first.
  2. Your school organization’s Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) must be followed in order to participate.
  3. Students are not permitted to use their family names, or last names at any point in their participation in this project.  They are also not allowed to submit personal identifying information such as phone numbers, addresses, or email addresses. However, any photographs submitted by you may be used on the site.
  4. All communication including forum posts, blog posts, or other contacts must be educationally linked to the LPP and be appropriate.
  5. Any misuse or inappropriate behavior should be reported to the site host as soon as possible.
  6. All work must be the student’s original work and the use of other sources should be attributed correctly.  Plagiarism will not be tolerated.
  7. All work will be submitted to the host teacher and then posted by the site host if deemed appropriate.
  8. Any inappropriate work will be removed by the sitehost.
  9. Any violation of these policies will be grounds for removal from LPP
  10. All tools used during participation in LPP are property of their respective creators and LPP is not responsible for their content.


    Edgar, Amanda. Trust Monitor Policy: Out of Bounds. retrieved from http://learningoutof bounds.weebly.com

    Goold, Elizabeth. Trust & Monitor Policy: One in the Spirit Sacramental Prep. retrieved from http://oneinthespiritsacramentalprep.weebly.com

    Herrera, Holli. Trust and Monitor Policy: The Niche of My Niche. retrieved from http://nicheofmyniche.org

    McMillan, Barbara. Trust Monitor Policy: Through the Digital Looking Glass. retrieved from http://throughthelookingglass.weebly.com




Saturday, May 4, 2013

Revised Site Content (Version 1.22)


I Love Games!!!


What?

Welcome to I Love Games!  This is a unique Global Project Based Learning (GPBL) experience.  This project is focused on harnessing student’s innate love of games, all kinds of games.  Students will be asked to share their favorite games and discuss the Who, What, When, Where, Why and most importantly the How of their games.  They will do this in two main ways.  First they will be required to participate in a blog that will expose them to students from other areas of the world, (their locations depend on the participants at any moment).  This will be ongoing throughout the experience, and the main experience will be the creation of a showcase of their chosen game.  This can be any number of visual media such as PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Presentation, SlideShare, Comic Book pages, Animoto video, traditional video, or even stop motion animation, and several helpful tools have been suggested here. 



Students will need access to a computer with Internet access, the software or web apps to create the main project, and the ability to comment on blogs.  It might also be useful to have a microphone and a camera or webcam depending on the project that is made.

Student Activities

Pre activity: As your students begin this experience they need to take the Before survey.  This is a simple survey that will ask them about games they like to play, types of games they play, who they play their games with, where they like to play them, and where they live.  (The information gathered here will be showcased on the site so they can see how their contribution made a difference, and what the overall data says about games.)

Activity #1: Students will decide what game they are going to choose as the one they will present.  Then they will research the game that they chose so that they will have information to create their final project with.  They will complete a research template.

Activity #2: Students will explore the different tools that they may use for this project.  They will spend time exploring them and then choose which tool they are going to use for the final product.

Activity #3:  Students will make a project showcasing their game.  They will bring together their research from Activity #1 and the tool they chose in Activity #2.  This will be the main proof of success!   This project will be showcased on the project website.  The site creator and each student’s home teacher will jointly choose which projects will be displayed.

Activity #4: Students will comment on the site blog and engage in a conversation about games with other participants.   Because this project is suitable for students of any age the blog spaces will be broken down into appropriate age groupings, such as ages 5-7, 8-12, 13-15, and 16-18.  This will allow more educationally specific and appropriate interactions between students.  This activity will be ongoing, and will require at least 5 posts per participant (or 5 per group depending on age). The oversight of how many posts in a certain amount of time may vary by age and will be managed by the home teacher.  Students may also choose to participate in Skype or Hangout sessions with each other if this is possible due to geography and technological concerns.  They may also wish to post videos playing their game of choice if possible.

Exit Activity: Students and Instructors will take the exit survey.  This survey seeks to guide the future development of this GPBL experience and provide useful and interesting data to the exiting participants.

What are the learning objectives?

·      Students will communicate via blog
o   This will foster good digital citizenship.
·      Students will research their chosen game
o   This will create a knowledge base from which to complete their project.
·      Students will create a multimedia presentation.
o   This will allow them to write and communicate their personal identity.
o   If done with others it will foster collaboration.
·      Students will develop a greater global awareness of other students.
o   This will foster understanding of other cultures.

What are the standards that are addressed?


  • The Common Core standard that is the focus of this experience is:
    • Writing Standard 6.  This standard focuses on collaboration on different levels.  Either face to face communication, or a wide focus, which this GPBL experience provides via learning to blog effectively.



  • The ISTE (International Society for Technology in Education) NETS-S (National Education Technology Standards for Students) standards that are addressed in this experience are:

  1. Creativity and Innovation
  2. Communication and Collaboration
  3. Research and Information Fluency
  4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
  5. Digital Citizenship
  6. Technology Operations and Concepts

Who?

Students are eligible from ages 5 to 19.  Each home teacher will decide the appropriate level of participation for his or her students.  You are their teacher, and you know your students best.  If this is a group of 6 year olds you might want to do this in a large group setting, discuss the topics, and then input the information at another time and show the students what they created.  If this is a group of 14 year olds, this would be appropriate as a paired or even individual learning experience as well.

The Project host is Dustin Ellis.  Mr. Ellis is a 4th grade teacher in Ventura County California, USA.  I love to play!  During the year I like to run, bike, play crazy games with my family, and video games with my children.  I like all sorts of games, board games, puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku, and especially trivia games!  My students are a happy bunch, that love to play all sorts of games too, and even more than play them they love to share their games with each other.  It is common for these students to have long talks about baseball, Pokemon, Minecraft, different card games, you name it, they love to play and share.


When?

This GPBL experience has two sessions during the year.  The first session will be from October to December, and the next will be January to March.  You need not begin in the beginning or end at the ending.  These are windows of time, and you can complete the project at your desired pace.  Some will progress and finish rapidly and others will need more time. 


Why?

In the world that we live in it is clear to see that there is much to be concerned about, but there is also much to be joyful about.  We all get a smile out of watching a young person wrapped in the fun of a game.  Seeing them make connections with others as they play!  Play is universal, and it is something that we can all share.  If you were to ask a young person to talk about their favorite game the response would be lengthy and very detailed no doubt.  This GPBL experience seeks to share that joy and create connections where there were none before, not by connecting cricket players all around the world, but by connecting people that love to play, and expose them to the joy of games they may or may not know about. 

This experience is an effective first step into the world of Global Learning.  It is a safe, easy and fun way to make connections with others that you would otherwise have no reason to connect with.

Friday, April 19, 2013

GLP Site Content

Cadre Mates, Please be as constructive as possible.  I am having doubts on my topic, or the way that I am going about it, and I need all the suggestions I can get.  So please, "fire away!"  Any criticism and comment is desired.

I Love Games!!!




What?
Welcome to I Love Games!  This is a unique Global Project Based Learning (GPBL) experience.  This project is focused on harnessing student’s innate love of games, all kinds of games.  Students will be asked to share their favorite games and discuss the Who, What, When, Where, Why and most importantly the How of their games.  They will do this in two main ways.  First they will be required to participate in a blog that will expose them to students from other areas of the world, (their locations depend on the participants at any moment).  This will be ongoing throughout the experience, and the main experience will be the creation of a showcase of their chosen game.  This can be any number of visual media such as PowerPoint, Keynote, Google Presentation, SlideShare, Comic Book pages, Animoto video, traditional video, or even stop motion animation. (symbaloo webmix here)

Students will need access to a computer with Internet access, the software or web apps to create the main project, and the ability to comment on blogs.  It might also be useful to have a microphone and a camera or webcam depending on the project that is made.

Student Activities
Pre activity: As your students begin this experience they need to take the Before survey.  This is a simple survey that will ask them about games they like to play, types of games, who they play with, where they like to play them, and where they live. 

Activity #1: Students will decide what game they are going to choose as the one they will present.  Then they will research the game that they chose so that they will have information to create their final project with.  They will complete a research template.

Activity #2: Students will explore the different tools that they may use for this project.  They will spend time exploring them and then choose which tool they are going to use for the final product.

Activity #3:  Students will make a project showcasing their game.  They will bring together their research from Activity #1 and the tool they chose in Activity #2.  This will be the main proof of success! 

Activity #4: Students will comment on the site blog and engage in a conversation about games with other participants.  This will be ongoing, and will require at least 5 posts per participant (or 5 per group depending on age). They may also post a video of them playing their game of choice if possible.

Exit Activity: Students and Instructors will take the exit survey.  This survey seeks to guide the future development of this GPBL experience.

What are the learning objectives?
·      Students will communicate via blog
o   This will foster good digital citizenship.
·      Students will research their chosen game
o   This will create a knowledge base from which to complete their project.
·      Students will create a multimedia presentation.
o   This will allow them to write and communicate their personal identity.
o   If done with others it will foster collaboration.
·      Students will develop a greater global awareness of other students.
o   This will foster understanding of other cultures.

What are the standards that are addressed?
·      Common Core Writing Standard 6  This standard focuses on collaboration on different levels with either face to face communication or a wide focus, which this GPBL experience provides via learning to blog effectively.
·      Most of the ISTE NETS-S are also addressed in this experience


Who?
Students are eligible from ages 5 to 19.  The teacher will need to decide the appropriate level of participation for their students.  You are their teacher, and you know your students best.  If this is a group of 6 year olds then you might want to do this in a large group setting, discuss the topics, and then input the information at another time and show the students what they created.  If this is a group of 14 year olds, this would be appropriate as a paired or even individual learning experience as well.

The Project host is Dustin Ellis.  Mr. Ellis is a 4th grade teacher in Ventura County California, USA.  I love to play!  During the year I like to run, bike, play crazy games with my family, and video games with my children.  I like all sorts of games, board games, puzzles, crosswords, Sudoku, and especially trivia games!  My students are a happy bunch, that love to play all sorts of games too, and even more than play them they love to share their games with each other.  It is common for these students to have long talks about baseball, Pokemon, Minecraft, different card games, you name it, they love to play and share.


When?
This GPBL experience has two sessions during the year.  The first session will be from October to December, and the next will be January to March.  You need not begin in the beginning or end at the ending.  These are windows of time, and you can complete the project at your desired pace.  Some will progress and finish rapidly and others will need more time. 


Why?
In the world that we live in it is clear to see that there is much to be concerned about, but there is also much to be joyful about.  We all get a smile out of watching a young person wrapped in the fun of a game.  Seeing them make connections with others as they play!  Play is universal, and it is something that we can all share.  If you were to ask a young person to talk about their favorite game the response would be lengthy and very detailed no doubt.  This GPBL experience seeks to share that joy and create connections where there were none before, not by connecting cricket players all around the world, but by connecting people that love to play, and expose them to the joy of games they may or may not know about. 

This experience is an effective first step into the world of Global Learning.  It is a safe, easy and fun way to make connections with others that you would otherwise have no reason to connect with.

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Final BWD Plan for By the Great Horn Spoon and The Gold Rush of 1849


Dustin Ellis
Azusa Pacific University
EDTC-524 E21 Instructional Design and Development
Dr. Bruce Simmerok

Unit Topic: By the Great Horn Spoon by: Sid Fleischman
Subject: History Social Studies
Grade: 4th
Time Frame to complete: 1 - 2 months


Stage 1 - Desired Results

Established Goals:
All numerical references are for the History-Social Science Content Standards for California Public Schools.

4.4.2  Explain how the Gold Rush transformed the economy of California, including the types of products produced and consumed, changes in towns (e.g., Sacramento, San Francisco), and economic conflicts between diverse groups of people.

4.4.3  Discuss immigration and migration to California between 1850 and 1900, including the diverse composition of those who came; the countries of origin and their relative locations; and conflicts and accords among the diverse groups (e.g., the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act).

TRANSFER
T1  Discuss the impacts the California Gold Rush had on the state of California (the land and the people) and what affects it had on the state in the 1800’s, today, and what will it’s legacy continue to be into the future.
T2 Discuss how ‘Opportunity’ played a role in the attitudes and actions of all the 49ers.

UNDERSTANDINGS
U1  People left their homes and families to make a perilous journey with the overwhelming idea that they could create better lives for them and their families, and then return home to make that better life happen.
U2  The events and people that participated in the California Gold Rush wrote not only their own stories, but changed the stories of both the land and people of California forever.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
Q1  Why would people leave their lives behind to seek Gold?
Q2  Was it right for people to go to California and leave their lives behind for a period of time?
Q3  Do you think the Argonauts intended to change California as they did?
KNOWLEDGE
K1  When, from where, and in the most general sense why people went to CA for gold
K2  What mining was like, (ie. mining methods) how successful most miners were or were not.
K3  What the conditions were like for miners.
K4  What the outcomes were like for various cross sections of miners.
K5  What happened to miners after the Gold Rush was finished.

SKILL
S1  Working collaboratively to research the facts of the California Gold Rush
S2  Sharing orally, digitally, and in a written form what they have learned.



Stage 2 - Evidence

Evaluative Criteria:

  • Participation in collaboration
  • Accuracy
  • Quality of products
  • Clear explanations
  • Historicity

PERFORMANCE TASK(S)
These tasks will show understanding through collaborative and social interactions through:


  • engaging in teacher prompted blog posts relating to the impacts the California Gold Rush had on both the people and land of California, and how those legacies are still impacting life today.  Performance will be determined via rubric.

  • students writing letters (either physically or via digital means) to other 4th grade students studying By the Great Horn Spoon and the Gold Rush while they are in character as either a character in the novel, or by taking on the persona of a person during the Gold Rush (i.e. a miner, a shopkeeper, a Chinese immigrant miner, a native american, a californio, a former slave, etc.)  Performance will be determined via rubric.
  • students engaging in a staged historical debate regarding the essential questions:
    • Why would people leave their lives behind to seek Gold?
    • Is it right for people to leave their lives to go to California to seek gold?
    • Do you think people intend to stay in California after they get their share of the rocks?
  • students will throughout the unit create and contribute to a project wiki that will demonstrate the knowledge goals articulated in stage 1. This will serve as a project portfolio and performance will be determined via rubric.


OTHER EVIDENCE

  • artwork and or artifacts included for the wiki
  • vocabulary quizzes throughout the unit



Stage 3 - Learning Plan

Learning Activities: Coded using W.H.E.R.E.T.O. and A.M.T

1. H Begin with the teacher dressing up as Captain Swain.  Perform a monologue describing the situation that happened after the Lady Wilma docked in Yerba Buena harbor.  Incorporate the Essential Questions from stage 1 into the monologue in authentic ship captain speak.  (Use a visual Google Slides Presentation [video or images only, NO TEXT] and or visual aides). A

2. W In a separate session, perhaps adjacent to #1 present each student with a prepared and attractive high quality copy of the Essential Questions for continued reference, and have a KWL discussion using K-W-L Creator.  Also discuss that a class portfolio that will be constructed and show examples, or tell that they are the first and will be providing excellent examples for students to come!  M

3. E Students will be reading By the Great Horn Spoon by Sid Fleischman throughout the project to both drive the relevance of the activities, and to create examples to relate the activities to. A/M/T

4. E Students will learn key vocabulary as needed and post artifacts of understanding (definitions, images, video’s) on the project Wiki. A/M

5. E/R Each student will comment on teacher created blog posts (after being taught correct blogging etiquette) related to transfer, understanding and essential element goals in Stage 1. M/T

6. E/R Students will work collaboratively (groups of no more than 3) to create historical fiction narrative stories that use the theme, “you are a 10 year old from Hartford, Connecticut in 1849, and you decide to book passage on a clipper ship bound for California to seek your fortune in the gold-fields.”  They will use Google Drive both synchronously and asynchronously to create the stories. Published stories will be posted to the project wiki. M/T

6a. E-2 Stories will be peer reviewed and commented on by other groups upon completion of first several drafts.  Using comment feature in Google Drive, but not edited! Students will make edits to their own stories as needed.  A lesson on appropriate peer commenting will be included.

7.   E Students will research the differences in the value of money around the world and how gold relates to this value.  They will also learn about the ethical problem of price fixing and price gouging based on cultural events such as the Gold Rush or the 1994 Northridge earthquake. M

8. E/E-2 Students will conduct research (find images and stories) about miners from several different cultural groups (group will be assigned by the teacher, one per group of students) and look for reasons why they left home, and how they were treated in California and why.  They will present their findings in a mostly visual Google Slides Presentation to the class.  These will also be put on the wiki. M

9. T Students will research current day California towns (towns will be assigned by the teacher, one per student) and they will answer two leading questions, “What kind of mining happened in this town during the gold rush, who settled here after the gold rush, and has this legacy affected the town today?”  Students will present their findings as a 1 page poster created using Smore.com to be shared on the wiki. T