Summer Learning

Photo Credit: Dreamstime

Each June is a race to the finish for most educators. Once school lets out it is often time for some rest and relaxation. For many educators summer also includes time for personal learning and discovery. I find that it is a great time to explore new tools and catch up on a backlog of professional reading.

This summer I plan to take an online course that focuses on better ways to aggregate information to allow for more efficient evaluation, synthesis, and sharing of information. The problem with easy access to information is that it can also be completely overwhelming. I am looking forward to learning about new ways to tackle the ever growing amount of information that I have subscribed to.

For others you may also be taking a class this summer or exploring some other professional opportunity. If you are looking for free online events and courseware there's a lot available this summer. Check out some of the following opportunities:

Classroom 2.0 Live Events

The Future of Education

SimpleK12 Webinars

MIT Open Courseware

The 23 Things Web 2.0 Project 

Edutopia Professional Development Blog Series

Reform Symposium E-Conference - Friday, July 29 - Sunday, July 31, 2011

Google Tools to Support Bloom's Revised Taxonomy

Over the years I have used many different Google tools for myself as well as with teachers and students. My experiences with Google tools started small but has grown to include many areas of both my personal and professional life. The biggest impact I have seen this year is how Google tools have successfully supported classroom learning objectives.

Most recently I worked with tenth graders who were using Google Sites for a biology project. Each team of students was able to collaborate on a given site as well as to link to their shared Google Docs. Students also found it easy to incorporate media from Picasa and other online sources.

This past week I was excited to find a resource that Kathy Schrock assembled that showcases Google tools to support Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. This resource is an interactive graphic that provides links to Google tools as each level of Bloom's Revised Taxonomy. I was surprised by how many tools on the list were new to me. This is a fabulous resource for any classroom teacher that uses Google tools.

To read more about why Kathy Schrock to put this resource together check out her blog.

Skype in the classroom

Skype in the classroom was recently released in beta. This is a great way to introduce Skype to students.

Skype in the classroom provides a directory of teachers who are looking to make a connection with classrooms and teachers around the world. This site also provides a resource area where teachers can share exemplars as well as other project ideas. Teachers can search the directory and resource area by choosing categories that best apply to them. This is a great starting point for teachers interested in trying out Skype with their classes.

Free Online Drawing Tool

Draw Island is a free online drawing tool that was just recently released in Beta. What I like about this drawing tool is its simplicity!

It gives you four standard canvas sizes to pick from or you can create your own custom size with a max of 2000 x 2000. The drawing tools are very easy to use and you can choose different colors, line thickness, etc. Another feature of Draw Island is being able to create simple animations. Finished drawings and animations can easily be downloaded to your local computer.

Draw Island does not require an account so no email address is necessary. This makes it even more appealing at the elementary and middle school levels.

Students can use this tool to create drawings for digital presentations. This tool could also be useful for demonstrating math or science concepts.

Google Body Browser

Note: Google Body is now Zygote Body 6/01/12

Google has released a new 3-D tool, the Google Body Browser! The Google Body Browser allows users to explore the human body similarly to how users can explore the world in Google Earth. The only way to access the Google Body Browser is by using a Web-GL enabled browser like Google Chrome 9 Beta or Firefox 4 beta. Web-GL brings 3D to the web without needing a plug-in.

This Google Labs project gives users the ability to rotate a virtual body, peel back layers of the body, as well as zoom in an out of various parts and systems within the body.

The Educational Value of Google Forms

Recently a teacher asked me for a program recommendation that would allow students to create a survey or a quiz while also providing immediate feedback. The teacher also wanted to be able to embed the surveys/quizzes on a class wiki.

For this project I suggested the use of Google Forms. The great thing about Google Forms is that you can see the results of your survey/quiz in real time. The results are automatically compiled in a Google spreadsheet.

Below is an example of a Course Evaluation created with Google Forms. You will also see the results of the evaluation in the spreadsheet below. Go ahead and fill out the evaluation form to see the results in real time.

If you are interested in trying this out for yourself the Innovative Educator blog has a great post on using Google Forms. There are step-by-step directions available.

MassCUE Reflections

This year's MassCUE conference was a very enjoyable day. It was great to be able to reconnect with past colleagues as well as meet many new individuals. It was great to talk with administrators, teachers, technology coordinators, and more. Some of the highlights for me were:

• The high school resources that Malissa Northup shared - I'll be sure to checkout GoAnimate and the NCES Online Graphs.

• Robin Talkowski, Rachel Fawson and Alison Breaux shared some great Language Arts resources to use with middle school students - I'll be sure to check out Storybird and Tikatok to create online books.

• I was also able to learn more about the advanced features of Diigo. I would like to use the "Teacher Console" more with teachers and students. Having access to a teacher account in Diigo is a real benefit. Diigo has certainly helped me transform my bookmarking practices.

• Mary Beth Bergh and Susannah Remillard really made podcasting come alive with their Mystery Theater Podcasts. They even had everyone participate during the session. Mary Beth has documented the whole project on her blog.

Which technology tool should I use?

Too often teachers and students are faced with the question "Which technology tool is the best option for the project I'm working on?" In the schools I work in, this question often surfaces when students begin to work on multimedia projects. I often explain to both teachers and students that it isn't as much about the tool as is the learning outcome.

For example when completing a multimedia presentation teachers and students are presented with endless options. Here are just a few:

• PowerPoint
• Keynote
• 280 Slides
• Animoto
• SlideRocket
• Google Presentations
• iMovie
• Movie Maker
• Photostory

The list of available resources can be daunting. For older students I often suggest teachers give students a choice of tools. Students with different learning styles will often gravitate toward different tools. Also, in some cases students will have a personal preference for a tool that they feel confident in using. In the end it is really about choosing the tool that is going to best support student learning objectives.

Another point to keep in mind is that some programs are Mac specific and some are PC specific. If a teacher would like to avoid this conflict all together they can choose a "cloud-based" program like Animoto or 280 Slides. Choosing a cloud-based program also allows students the option of continuing work on their project from home (as long as they have an Internet connection).

If teachers have the luxury to pick from several tools it is also important to acknowledge that each tool has its strengths and weaknesses. Some are great for group collaboration, while others are better suited for the individual contributor. Some are feature rich, while others have a limited tool set. In the end there really is something for everyone. Just remember it should always be about the learning experience!