Zaption

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Zaption is a means for making videos interactive and a strong tool for your mastery learning tool kit that will be available to us by the end of the week. Check it out and ask Cathleen D, Sean M or Jason W to see how they is using it with Science and Econ Videos. Also here is a great tips sheet from a techy science teacher at ASB, Rory Newcomb.

 

Gamify Learning Extensions

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Helping to guide students from good to great, a 5 to a 6, a 3 to a 5 etc. is tricky and resource intense.  Below are three examples below that leverage the power to gamification worth checking out:

Vocab.com as I have previously shared  is one way to gamify  subject specific vocab.  Ask your ELL or English colleagues if you would like insight into how it’s being used at ZIS.

Quizup goes beyond Quizlet in that it matches individuals up in real time to compete in their knowledge of a selected topic..need more convincing… check out an IB Bio teacher at ASB’s experience.

 

Leverage Vocab.com

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Esther, Mary Ann and our English colleagues are using Vocab.com with students, and you can too!

To access vocab.com, make sure you are signed in to your school Google account  (Chrome works best) and go to vocab.com in any of the following three ways:

 Through Moodle’s left navigation bar

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Directly in Google Apps
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 Straight through the url vocab.com

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You can make your own vocabulary lists based on subject specific vocabulary and share them with your students. Talk to Esther, Liz or Ian if you want a brief tutorial, or read the instructions on the website itself.

Digitally Efficient Ways to Check for Understanding

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Interactive writing is one of the elements listed on Wes Fryer’s digital media creation grid I shared last week.  At ZIS Upper School some of our most efficient digital tools for interactive writing are:

  • Student digital portfolios
  • Google apps (docs, spreadsheets, presentations, etc) shared as anyone with the link can edit
  • Moodle discussion forums
  • Padlet walls

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These are all great digital tools, but in an of themselves they do not get at what’s needed most, quick, appropriate, timely feedback!  However, pair one of these digital tools with the right method for checking for understanding, and you and your students are on the road to formative assessment bliss.  I use the word bliss purposefully, because what most teachers and students want to avoid at all costs is the opposite:)

If you need some ideas check out this comprehensive list of 53 ways to check for understanding from Edutopia.

A Whole World at Your Fingertips to Provide Context for Learning

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How do you digitally enhance content with thick and rich context for students?  Below are three examples that simple and immersive ways to give context to new or difficult concepts:

 

INTRODUCE A NEW TOPIC/CONCEPT: Google Cultural Institute New Voices in Contemporary British Music as full immersion using a variety of multimedia

https://embed.culturalspot.org/embed/exhibit/new-voices-in-contemporary-british-music/QRFBBGkM?position=0%2C-1&hl=en

 

In Search of Beowolf Google Lit Trip including audio and video

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IB ASSESSMENT using Google Maps:

Group IV Project – To what extent does a human construct have an affect on the diversity… (consolidated data) project at the International School of Prague

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MIT MOOC: Learning Creative Learning—STARTS TODAY

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Once again, MIT Media Lab will offer a MOOC titled Learning Creative Learning.  This massive open online course is full of fantastic resources about engagement, passion driven learning and tinkering.

 

If MOOC’s aren’t for you but you would like to explore a little more about this style of learning check out this TED talk by Gever Tulley: Life lessons through tinkering   founder of tinkering school.

 

http://embed.ted.com/talks/gever_tulley_s_tinkering_school_in_action.html

Are You Using Educational Technologies Well?

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Are you using tech like a connoisseur?

Yes, I’m mentioning it again:) Why, because it’s essential that we use technology in ways that actually make learning better.  As Eisner (1991) would say- our ability to make fine grain discriminations among complex subtle qualities, seeking out what’s truly worthy, is not an easy task, thus we must revisit this concept often.

Ask yourself these three important questions:
1.    Is the use of technology enhancing conceptual knowledge?
2.    Is the use of technology elevating the level of engagement?
3.    Is learning being differentiated with technology to meet each student where they are at?
If you answer is no to all three…TURN OFF THE MACHINES:)