I used quizlet to create a small set of photosynthesis flash cards to preview next week's topic with Alex while she is with her dad. This is not only an easy quiz tool, but it has commonly used vocabulary and relevant photos so that you do not have to type in every single word for common vocabulary.


https://quizlet.com/_88kx3n?x=1qqt&i=2r325u

Quizizz is a great tool for students to use live or to assign as homework for them to complete on their devices. The instructor can view how well students did, whether the class did well or poorly on the whole, and which content needs more attention. Importantly, quizzes are easy to create within quizizz, by either typing new content questions and answer choices, or by importing content from previously created quizizz shared by others.

Next week during homeschool 2020, my 8 year old and I are going to learn about photosynthesis and plant a garden as an extension. I will make a nearpod for her to view, and then she can take this quiz on quizizz.


quizizz.com/join?gc=261248

Nearpod in the Science Classroom (and out)

This week is sort of crazy in the P-12 classroom throughout the U.S. My boyfriend teaches Marine Biology, and this week he is tasked with sending his students something to wrap up a unit on the Marine Food Web. On Thursday I taught his class, having students create Gyotaku (see Nearpod presentation to learn more), so I used the video from the presentation to create a full presentation that is "student paced" so that students can complete their projects while at home. This will both provide closure to the lesson and be a review of the unit. I used Nearpod for this presentation because I had used it previously in this class and learned how to make it more accessible for students to use outside the classroom--something that should be useful in the weeks ahead. I look forward to seeing what the student paced version provides in terms of student response. I am including some pictures of the gyotaku LJ's students created.

https://share.nearpod.com/vsph/7Cah4gBrMu

CODE: JELMG if you need it to access it.

My *almost* first attempt at movie making...

I told my 7 year old I had to make this movie for class, and she insisted on helping. In fact, she knew how to make a movie on my phone with iMovie. She planned out the video--a promo for Project Purr in Mobile, Alabama.

iMovie is SUPER easy! I was completely intimidated about needing to make a movie/do a voice over/include pictures/use multiple takes...but iMovie makes it easy.

Until now the main experience I have had is with helping film edTPA videos for student teacher interns (and those can't be pieced together--they are all one take).

I enjoyed this, and now Alex (my daughter) wants to start her own YouTube channel.

Check it out!

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1L4R5IpuS74aM-DR234ypQZRhw9ww3oNZ

Using NearPod to illustrate Web 1.0, 2.0, & 3.0

I recently started using NearPod in my online classes. I like the features that allow students to self-assess, but it honestly works better in a live, teacher-paced setting. Nonetheless, I have used it to explain the differences between Web 1.0, Web 2.0, and Web 3.0.

I wrote a published article several years ago regarding Web 2.0 applications. Reading back over it now, I see how simplistic it was, and yet some of the ideas (and the apps) still hold true. The focus of the paper was in "making online learning relevant" in the wake of our putting entire graduate programs online. We looked for some features that could be added to the LMS we were using at that time (we have since moved from eCollege to Sakai and now to Canvas), and we even presented about it at a couple conferences, because it was considered "cutting edge" at that time.

Web 3.0 kind of threw me for a loop. I read SO MUCH about it without really learning much at all. It wasn't until I "ask(ed) Siri" for help that I found a truly useful article to which I want to credit and offer for anyone else struggling over the differences Web 3.0/The Semantic Web offers over its predecessors (actually its contemporaries since Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 aren't actually going anywhere).

Mitra, R. (2019). What is Web 3.0?: The evolution of the internet. Blockgeeks.
               https://blockgeeks.com/guides/web-3-0/

Check out my presentation at:

https://share.nearpod.com/vsph/IExZe4ETMu

EDM 510 Leaning Theories

I created this matrix, using theories I already knew, except the newer theory in my repertoire--Connectivism. I had not previously thought of how these theories related to Ed Tech, but now I can start to see how they all relate--but now it's a meta-analysis--tech through the lenses of these theories or these theories through the lens of tech.

I am currently enrolled in EDM 510, an educational media course, through the University of South Alabama, so for a time my blog posts will reflect things we are doing in class, and since many of you following me are educators, I hope you will find some things that you can use.

GREAT NEWS! I am publishing a book of my poetry through a framework for educators who want to teach creative poetry and form poetry. 

BAD NEWS! I had to take down most of my work and many of my posts from this site (photography and poetry) because I am using it in my publication (and for a course), and can't have it posted elsewhere until after it is formally in print. I left behind a couple of fun pieces though, and I kept the background photography taken a a cemetery in Mobile (though it looks almost exactly like a one I took at Metarie in NOLA). 

Lesson to take away from this--don't post your work (graphic or written) willy nilly on social media if you want to publish it formally for fun and profit.