Maryrita (Rita) Dunlavey

LBSC 642 Reflection # 3               

Nov. 27, 2013                                      

Camera Shy

I really enjoyed the presentation by Heather and Chelsea on Chapter Nine’s visualization tools, especially the discussion about visual and verbal learners.  In our discussion and readings, I concluded that I am a verbal learner, but, I learn better and understand more deeply when that learning is reinforced with a visual presentation.  I have no artistic ability so I also took note that I should be embracing these technology tools to help me overcome my artistic deficits in my life and work.  Noting this, I decided to explore and learn a little more about some visualization tools.

I have been intimidated by technology tools, but especially tools that require me to record voice and pictures, so I have conscientiously avoided using them as much as possible.  So, I decided to confront my fears and try out an older tool that I have heard great things about—Animoto, and a newer tool—Videolicious, that we learned about in class. 

Animoto has been on my radar screen for a number of years.  I first heard about it at a professional development meeting on Web 2.0 tools in 2009.  I was inspired by the presenter and shared it with my school’s teachers but we were never able to collaborate on a project with it, mostly due to technological and time restraints.  Videolicious is a new tool that we learned about recently in our class review of Chapter nine’s visualization tools.  In class, our group’s video failed to load and disappeared in the “black hole” and unfortunately, we did not have enough time to re-record it.  Again, I was inexperienced and camera shy, and a colleague did the video recording.  I vowed to tackle this tool on my own without the pressure of the “classroom” environment. 

Animoto was developed in 2005 as a web application.  In 2009, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) included it in its new list, Best Websites for Teaching and Learning, which they established to award sites that “foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration” (AASL, web, 2013).  AASL identified their standards that the site supports:

·         2.1.4-- Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and und understanding in ways that others can view, use and assess.

·         3.3.4-- Create products that apply to authentic, real-world context

·         4.1.8-- Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning

In 2011, Animoto released their iphone and ipad app.  Richard Byrnes in his “Free Technology 4 Teachers” blog, recommended this app as a good one to introduce to reluctant teachers.  Once they try Animoto, and learn how easy it is to use, they then might be more inclined to try other apps in their classrooms.  Animoto provides an introductory program for use in Education.  It gives teachers and librarians a six-month free trial subscription for use with up to 50 students.  The only stipulation is that students may not include any personally identifiable information with their accounts.  Teachers have commented that it is a very easy tool to use and learn.  It grabs the attention of students and provides an alternative to more commonly used presentation tools.  In support of our Chapter 7 discussion, Chris Roche, an educator posted on the Educator’s PLN, “When using Animoto, compelling video shorts grab students’ attention, create curiosity, and use visuals to stimulate thinking about prior learning.  Animoto will definitely help to bring your lessons to life.” (edupln.ning.com, 2011).

I decided to try Animoto and I downloaded the basic free web based tool on my computer.  The free or lite version is limited to a 30 second video, with limited background themes and music choices, and includes the “Animoto” logo on your video.  Here’s the link to their tutorial:   Animoto Tutorial

 I already had some photos and music on my computer so I just selected the mind map pictures I had from my presentation, chose a background theme (which includes the preselected music), added a title and description, saved, and uploaded it to Animoto.  Once uploaded, it can be shared via YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, or emailed.   I’m actually amazed at how easy it was to use; I was able to make a video without any screaming at my computer or pulling out my hair! Here is my mind map video: Mind map video. Since I had such a positive experience with my first try, I proceeded to make a family video to share for the Thanksgiving holiday (but I won’t share that here)!

Obviously, with an upgraded account, this would be a great tool for digital storytelling, creating book trailers, book reviews, or even just to highlight new books on a library website.  Even with the limited options on the lite account, students would have a fun learning experience with this tool.  Animoto gives them the chance to personalize an assignment with their own photos and music—adding an element of creativity to what could otherwise be mundane assignments.  As stated in our textbook, “producing videos requires learners to be active, constructive, intentional, and cooperative—to solve numerous decision-making problems while solving design problems associated with production” (Howland, p. 223, 2013).  Producing videos is now much easier than ever since digital cameras are just about ubiquitous today.  As mentioned in our textbook, making videos can improve students’ self-confidence, create feelings of self-satisfaction, allow students to receive feedback about how others perceive them, and fosters cooperative learning (Howland, p. 223, 203).  For this student (me), I felt immensely successful—I had tried something that I had convinced myself was very difficult, and it had worked!

As mentioned earlier, since our group’s class video failed a few weeks ago, I decided that I needed to try the Videolicious app again that Heather presented to us.  Feeling successful and confident after my experience with Animoto, I gave it a try.  Videolicious was a lot harder for me to learn.  It truly creates a video in that the narration of the story—the voice recording, not just text as with Animoto—is included in the app, so you must be able to organize another element in your production.  I found this a lot harder to do, especially because I was doing this by myself--I had to hold the iphone steady (without making myself look worse than normal), talk, and select pictures, all at the same time.  It took me many tries before I was able to get it right and unlike my experience with Animoto, I did say naughty words and stomped my feet!  Though it took me a lot longer to learn how to navigate this app, I must admit it has a more authentic video feel to it than the Animoto video.  Without the audio narration piece, Animoto resembles a slide show, albeit one that has a video feel to it.  It is is a more sophistical video editing tool than Animoto.  AASL included this iphone/ipad app on its brand new Best Apps for Teaching and Learning 2013 list as an app “of exceptional value to inquiry-based teaching and learning as embodied in the AASL’s Standards for the 21^st-Century Learner” (AASL, web, 2013).

Videolicious is not a web based app; it is only for the iphone and ipad, which could be a problem in a school setting, depending upon the technology used in your school.  It is geared for businesses but it does offer free accounts for personal users.  This account allows the user to make a one minute video with ten shots per video and storage for up to 20 videos.  The business accounts have three different levels with different prices and features.  It does not offer special pricing for educational users.  However, as Heather discussed in her presentation, it is being used in the classroom to enhance learning and make it more meaningful.  The following tutorial explains how to get started with Videolicious and how to use it in a classroom setting.  In addition, I have included my video production—“How to Access Resource Lists for the Digital Pen Pal Project”: 

I think both tools—Animoto and Videolicious, can be used in the classroom to enhance teaching and learning.  As compared to the production process described in the book, these newer tools have made the learning curve in producing and editing videos much more user friendly—they have retained the fun but removed the frustration factor, and thus made the learning more inclusive to many more types of learners.  No matter what tool is used in making the video, the learning experience lies with the modeling provided by the video, both in the physical performance and the mental processes used in the task.  Howland believes that “video feedback is perhaps the most constructivist use of video…video feedback is one of the deepest, most incisive learning experiences possible…video feedback can also be used to provide insights into the self” (Howland, p. 228-9, 2013). 

Using Animoto and Videolicious, either on your browser or as an iOS app, depending upon the depth of the lesson plan, aligns with the standards of many professional organizations—ISTE/Students, AASL Standards for the 21^st Century Learner, and Partnership for 2st Century Skills, Framework for 21^st Century Learning.

ISTE/Students:

1.a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes.

1.b. Create orginal works as a means of personal or group expression.

2.a. Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.

2.b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.

3.a. Plan strategies to guide inquiry.

3.b. Locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.

3.c. Evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.

4.a. Identify and define authentic problems and significant questions for investigation.

4.b. Plan and manage activities to develop a solution or complete a project.

AASL Standards for the 21^st Century Learners:

1 Follow an inquiry-based process in seeking knowledge in curricular subjects, and make the real-world connection for using this process in own life.

1.1.8 Demonstrate mastery of technology tools for accessing information and pursuing inquiry.

1.2.2 Demonstrate confidence and self-direction by making independent choices in the selection of resources and information.

1.2.3 Demonstrate creativity by using multiple resources and formats.

1.3.5 Use information technology responsibly.

2.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to analyze and organize information.

2.1.6 Use the writing process, media and visual literacy, and technology skills to create products that express new understandings.

2.2.4 Demonstrate personal productivity by completing products to express learning.

2.4.3. Recognize new knowledge and understanding.

3.1.4 Use technology and other information tools to organize and display knowledge and understanding in ways that others can view, use, and assess.

3.1.6 Use information and technology ethically and responsibly.

3.4.2 Assess the quality and effectiveness of the learning product.

4.1.5 Connect ideas to own interests and previous knowledge and experience.

4.1.8 Use creative and artistic formats to express personal learning.

4.3.4 Practice safe and ethical behaviors in personal electronic communication and interaction.

4.4.1 Identify own areas of interest.

                Partnership for 21^st Century Skills:

Information Literacy--

Access information efficiently and effectively.

Use information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand.

Media Literacy—

Understand and utilize the most appropriate media creation tools, characteristics and conventions.

ICT ( Information, Communications & Technology) Literacy—

Use digital technologies (computers, PDAs, media players, GPS, etc), communication/networking tools and social networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, and create information to successfully function in a knowledge economy.

In conclusion, I would start with Animoto to practice and develop my skills and increase my comfort level using these visualization tools.  As my confidence increases, then I would move on to lessons using the Videolicious app.  This is what I would choose for myself, but in reality, the students probably would be just as comfortable with Videolicious as they would with Animoto.  They will probably prefer Videolicious, since it does produce a more professional looking video.  In most cases, the Videolicious tool would be used by students working in a group setting, where they can share ideas and switch roles as they produce their video.  However, whichever tool is used will depend on the individual lesson plan and the individual school environment.  Either way, they are both good tools which can provide a fun and meaningful learning experience.

Yikes! Games in the Library! (LBSC 642 Reflection #2)

I have always encouraged games in the library but, due to limited technology resources and time constraints, most of the gaming that took place in the library was of the old-fashioned kind such as Chess and Scrabble. These games were always popular but I know that they're not quite what students think of as "gaming." Some of the so called games that were allowed in the library through firewalls and filters were online Chess, PBSKids, Cool Math 4 Kids, Hangman, and FreeRice.com.  Students were happy enough to have these choices available to them, especially if they were not "readers."  Often, I met resistance from some teachers when they came into the library and found students "playing" on the computers.  However, I persuaded them that reading and learning were taking place, just not from a book.  Often, as a result of playing a game or visiting a website, students found something that interested them; sometimes they were even inspired to read a book or magazine or delve further into a topic that they were first introduced to when playing games.  One of my sons developed his love of history after first playing the Civilization games by Sid Meier.  Games first, books later--but no matter what, learning was taking place.  

However, as a result of our class discussions and readings, I wonder if the type of game interaction that had occurred at my previous library might not be considered meaningful.  Had I just replaced board games, scavenger hunts, crossword puzzles, and word searches with electronic activities?  Technology should not be used to substitute for the traditional methods of teaching with pen and paper; rather, technology should be used to make learning more meaningful.  It should give students the chance to learn "with the technology, not from it" (Howland, p. 5, 2012).  In light of our recent classes, in which we learned about the advantages of using games for meaningful learning, I decided to explore one of the educational games discussed--Minecraft.

I first heard about Minecraft from an eighth grade student last year.  At first, I thought it was another violent shooting game, but he explained that it was a game in which you had to build a safe environment for yourself, that it could be played in violent mode or peaceful mode.  He was passionate about this game and claimed it was educational in the same way that Legos are considered good for kids' imaginations.  He convinced me, and I allowed him to play the game in the library as long as it was in the peaceful setting.  I have continued to hear good things about this game and how more and more libraries are responding to the craze by starting clubs.  After reading and hearing about this game again in our class, I decided that I should learn more about its educational benefits, why it is so popular, and whether it would be a good club activity for the students at my new school.

In a recent Wall Street Journal article, it was reported that there's a growing movement among teachers to use videogames as teaching tools.  It may have something to do with the fact that many new teachers are digital natives and feel more comfortable using them as classroom tools (Wall Street Journal Online, 10-08-13).  Another reason may be related to the recent research which found that "videogames can be powerful classroom instruments that prod students to think creatively to solve complex problems" (WSJ Online, 10-08-13).

I registered with Minecraft and tried to play their demo game but I was totally flummoxed about how to play. It was very complicated!  I did find a few good online tutorials--a great wiki and numerous Youtube videos. In the wikiHow to do anything, I found an entry for How to play Minecraft.  After reading it and after watching a long video on youtube, I was able to get the gist of the game.  However, to actually play the game, I would need a tutor!  Click here to watch the youtube tutorial.

     

 

I continued to search for more information about this game and how it can be used as an educational learning tool.  How does it meet the learning and technology standards for 21st century learning?  How does this game build active, constructive, intentional, authentic, and cooperative activities?  How does it "help students learn to recognize and solve problems, comprehend new phenomena, construct mental models of those phenomena, and given a new situation, set goals and regulate their own learning" (Howland, p. 2, 2012)?

In a recent article in the New York Times, Nick Bilton assuaged parents' guilt over their Minecraft addicted children, reporting that "in its creative mode, Minecraft is about building, exploration, creativity, and even collaboration" (New York Times Online, 9-15-13).  He interviewed a variety of educators around the world who are using Minecraft in the classroom because "they learn about city planning, environmental issues, getting things done, and even how to plan for the future" (NYT Online, 2013).  Not only does it help with subject content and critical thinking skills, but also in developing their online social skills.  It encourages the growth of "parallel play, where children are engrossed in their game but are still connected through a server or are sharing the same screen...Minecraft extends kids' spatial reasoning skills, construction skills, and understanding of planning" (New York Times, Online, 2013).

Another analysis of the educational merits of Minecraft was done by EdTech researcher Justin Reich, in his blog of September 29, 2013.  In his video review, he commends Minecraft as a legitimate educational game because it teaches students to understand systems, which is a central part of learning.  Another unique feature is that there is "no end per se to the game" (Reich, 9-25-13).  The player/learner plays the game by creating his own game within the larger game and is free to explore their created world as deeply as s/he wants.Reich believes the game teaches students the basics of computer aided design as it teaches design, proportion, material properties, and the rules of systems.  At the same time, it teaches patience and perseverance.  The only reason Reich cites for not using Minecraft in a school  setting is that, within the typical school day, there is not enough time to allow for its use.  Click here to view Reich's video blog:

From reading these articles and discussions, I would agree that playing Minecraft qualifies as a learning tool for the 21st century learner because to play it requires inquiry, critical thinking, and the acquisition of knowledge (AASL Standard 1).  Playing Minecraft requires an understanding of a system and how it works. To move forward in the game, the players must invent a social system to manipulate--build shelter, acquire land, clear it, grow a farm for food, build a means of transportation and a transit system to run it, barter for food and weapons, and communicate with other players.  These skills require the student to draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and acquire new knowledge (AASL Standard 2).  The multiplayer mode of the game requires cooperation, collaboration, and an understanding of the social rules of online interaction.  This aligns with AASL Standard 3--"share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society."  Minecraft is an open ended game; the player can do with it whatever s/he wants to do with it.  It demands that the player explore deeply the world they create and, in so doing, to make it aesthetically pleasing in terms of materials, design, and proportion.  When the play of the game reaches this depth, it meets the AASL Standard 4--"pursue personal and aesthetic growth."

I discovered that there is a joint venture between Mojang, the creators of Minecraft, and an organization of teachers that advocates for the educational gaming in schools, TeachersGaming LLC, to provide educational resources, lesson plans, tutorials, guides, and discounts to teachers and schools who want to integrate Minecraft into the school curriculum.  Click here to learn more about this organization from their website:  Minecraftedu.com.

I am now convinced that playing Minecraft is an authentic learning experience and I would like to explore starting a club at my new school, St. Anselm's.  I need to discuss this idea with the administration so that the block against online social and gaming sites be removed from the library computers, or at least that I be given a password to override the blocks.  I am sure that the middle school students at our school would love it. Right now, they are thrilled to be allowed to play Chess in the library (they are not as excited about Scrabble) so I have a little time to work out these details.

Any type of game playing in the library--be it board games, Chess, or virtual games--is a good respite form the academic stress faced by many students today, especially at my new school, which is quite academically rigorous.  In fact, in the recent issue of School Library Journal, Christopher Harris predicts that "board gaming is a strong contender to become the 'Next Big Thing' in schools" (SLJ, p. 16, Oct. 2013).  Since so much research today is done with digital sources, physically playing a game such as chess, or a board game, actually is a novelty for students in today's schools.  For more about this idea, read his article:  The Next Big Thing: Gaming the Common Core.

St. Anselm's 6th graders playing chess

What I need to remember and keep in perspective is that all types of games--physical games, board games, or virtual games, can be educational and engaging for the student.  One is not better for school, just by virtue of its format.  What is important is the type of learning and play the games provide and nurture in the student.  

Old Dog Learns New Tricks (LBSC 642 Assignment #1)

In the past few weeks as I have been forced to learn about blogs, tweets, and apps, I've been surprised at how much fun I'm having, but I am also a bit frustrated that it has taken me so long to get started.  I'd like to blame it on my kids since, whenever I've asked them if they thought I should have a Twitter account, they laugh at me in bewilderment and say, "why would you want to do that?" So, though I was familiar with the popularity of blogging and tweeting, it was not part of my routine. Regardless, I dutifully opened up a Twitter account and started learning.  Using Twitter has unleashed a new wave of information overload at my doorstep and now I'm learning how to navigate (some of) it.

In addition to all the links, blogs, and posts I have found using Twitter, I have also been reviewing the websites and and apps recommended by AASL (American Association of School Librarians)--AASL Best Websites for Teaching & Learning 2013, AASL Best Apps for Teaching & Learning 2013, to learn about various technology tools that might be pertinent to our upcoming class presentation.  Through perusing the links on these lists, I discovered a good organizational tool--Evernote.  It's an organizational mapping tool that helps you make sense of all the information you find while researching a paper or brainstorming a project.  As you find relevant information--notes, websites, blog posts, links, articles, images, audio, video, you can save them into folders.  Tags can be assigned to each piece of information filed into a notebook which makes later retrieval much easier.  The clutter and confusion of the research process is removed.  All the information is in one place and it can be accessed at any time from any device.  Though I am still learning all the ins and outs of this tool, it's been helping me to make sense of all the information I have gathered for this class.

Evernote is a tool that helps students meet the AASL Standards for the 21st century Learner: as the student finds, selects, and saves pertinent information, they are learning the essentials of Standard 1:  Inquire, think critically, and gain knowledge.  In implementing the research process--selecting files for folders, reflecting on the information retrieved, and assigning keywords for tags, students are learning Standard 2:  Draw conclusions, make informed decisions, apply knowledge to new situations, and create new knowledge. Students are often assigned to work on group projects in which they must learn to collaborate with other members of their group, and Evernote is a tool which makes collaboration and sharing of files easy. Collaboration and sharing of information helps students meet Standard 3:  Share knowledge and participate ethically and productively as members of our democratic society: Evernote is not only a good organizational, curating, and research tool--that is--"educational" but a site that can be used to organize your own personal interests--"fun stuff"--that you find as you read and discover. This appeal and ease of use across the learning spectrum meets Standard 4: Pursue personal and aesthetic growth.

We learned from our textbook, Meaningful Learning with Technology, that learning is meaningful when it is active, reflective, intentional, authentic, and cooperative. Evernote is a tool that if used as intended, will meet all of these criteria; it is a tool that gives students the opportunity to "learn with the technology, not from it" (Howland, 2012, p. 5).

Since I am a newbie using this tool, you might wonder if someone more credible than I am has endorsed it? Well, yes, Evernote was reviewed favorably by Alexandra Samuel in the Harvard Business Review Blog (12-18-12) as one of the better digital note taking tools available.  It's a creative digital tool because it makes it easier to capture your brainstorming, get organized, stay focused, and collaborate with your colleagues. Likewise, Edutopia included Evernote in its recent list of creative apps which would support creative thinking--Creativity on the Run: 18 Apps that Support the Creative Process.  Digital journals help us to tap into our creative side by making it easier to remember and archive our creative "aha" moments, and then sharing these discoveries with our colleagues.

Click here to view a tutorial on getting started with Evernote.