Assignments for Everyone

1.  Create a Voicethread.

You have two options for tying this assignment to your science class. OR, to fulfill this assgnment, you may also create a thread on any topic that you choose (including one for interaction among children in your placement.  If you include children you should make the thread private).

 Options:

a.  Some of you *will* create your group voice thread for science  Assignment #7: Critique your colleagues' teaching on your science syllabus.  One person in your team will  upload your lesson plans and can count that for this assignment.    (Then,  you each will do 2-4 critiques of others' lesson plans). (see instructions below).

b.  You *may* use voice thread to document your science inquiry project (assignment #4 on your science syllabus).

c.  Create any other education VoiceThread to teach a concept, to document what students have learned, to analyze a piece of student work or a video of your own teaching.

For  Assignment #7, you'll create a public voice thread.

1. Create your own identity.

2. Upload your lesson plan using at least three pages -- you want multiple pages so that type is easy to read.

3. Introduce your lesson plan with a brief commentary.

4. Embed your lesson plan voicethread on your cohort wiki (create a page under student projects).

5. Then, in the teams that Carrie assigns, critique the work of others on your team by adding comments.

6. Tools you must use:  

1. At least two different forms of commentary: type, voice, or webcam.

2. The draw tool.

For Science Assignment #4 and/or a Voicethread on another topic,  create at least three "pages",  make comments on each page

Tools you must use:  

• At least two different forms of commentary: type, voice, or webcam.
• The draw tool.

Deadlines: According to Carrie's syllabus for Science.  Last day of the quarter for Tech.

2.   Podcasting

For one version of your Book Talk in literacy, you'll produce a 2-3 minute "podcast" using GarageBand on the Macs and Posterous  for webhosting the audio file that you create.  See examples of podcasts in classroom life here.

 

Required elements:

 

• Audio recording of your voice
• At least 1 sound effect/jingle to open the podcast
• At least 1 sound effect/jingle to close the podcast
• Upload the audio file to the Posterous cohort website. 

   

  Register your email at the podium so that you can be invited to post to our shared audio blog.

   

  X10:  Email your your files to post@ext10.posterous.com.

  C14:  Email your files to post@C14.posterous.com

   

  Watch your email for a message verifying that you want to post.

    
• (someone create a link to the Posterous site on the Cohort wiki).

 

Content:  See Tony and Nancy's guidelines for Book Talks.

 

Deadlines:  Unless otherwise specified on Tony and Nancy's syllabi, the last day of the quarter.

 

Handouts for the Assignment.  Here, find screen shots to help you find what you're looking for in Garage band.    Garage Band 101.doc

 

Options for 5 Click Assignment:

 

Here are two other handouts with  directions for uploading podcast episodes to Gcast, an alternative to Posterous that lets you embed small players in wikis or blogs.   You may want to do use this method for the 5 click option.  converting your project to a .mp3 file (required for Gcast).

 

Garage BandtoMP3conv.doc

podcasting.doc  CHECK

 

Resources:

 

You'll find examples of classroom practice, resources for recording audio on PC and on Mac, other small audio tools and more on the Audio page on this wiki.

 

 

3.   Create an Internet Safety Plan for the grade level that you'll be teaching:

Explain how how you would keep children safe using one internet platform that you would use at your gradelevel (wikis, blogs, voicethread, any of the tools you explore for your clicks assignment)

• Include information on
• Privacy settings on the tool
• Instructions you'll give about the amount of information that children include about themselves on their work on this platform
• At least one paragraph on what you'll teach children about being a good "digital citizen" who contributes constructively to web-based collaboration and who respects the privacy of others.
  

   

Create a page of your Tech Portfolio to house this Safety Plan. You may NOT simply copy the safety policies of your school or district for this assigment.   Your assumption is that you're making the case that a tool not now being used extensively in your district can be used safely.

 

Due: the last day of class.

Resources:

 

You'll find a variety of resources from classroom teachers and others on the Safety on the Internet page of this wiki.

 

4.  Choose from the Choice activities for a total of 5 Clicks. 

Go to the Winter Assignment Choice Activities page for specifics on your choices.

Due:  The last day of class.

5.  Complete at least the Five required blog posts for Literacy class PLUS:  

Interact with at least three cohortmates' blogs by either a) commenting on their blogs and linking in the comments back to a similar post that you made on your own blog,  b) link to a cohortmate's blog within your post as you discuss similar ideas.  Make these interactions substantive -- no one wants to read comments or links made just for the sake of making them. You all have a lot to learn from discussion with one another :)

Note:  On blogger, I encourage you to play with some html code to create a "live" link to your blog within comments:  

<a href="/yourblogURL/">The Name of Your Blog</a>)

Due:  According to Nancy and Tony's syllabi, and for tech portfolio, the last day of class.

6. Update your Tech Portfolio to include this quarter's work.   

Format for this quarter's work is up to you, as long as I'm clear about what you did, can easily find your projects, and can understand what you've learned. 

 

Include reflective writing -- either a minimum of two paragraphs on each tool or a page at the end summarizing your quarterly work.  Basic questions to address in your reflections:

 

• How could tools like this be used to empower kids? To differentiate instruction?  To shift teaching and learning from teacher-centered to student-centered?  To enable higher-order thinking?   

• Compared to paper and pencil, what benefit might kids get from using these tools? 

• OR, how can tools like this enable me to work as part of a network of professionals committed to professional community and growth?

 

Due:  The last day of class.