Friday, April 22, 2011

BP8_Link to RILS Comments

The RILS / Relevant & Innovative Learning Scenario project has proven to be an exciting and creative one. I truly enjoyed introducing my university students to iGoogle and the various benefits it holds for them as undergraduates. The are very excited and are eager to truly put the Web 2.0 tool to work next semester. I received many accolades and thanks from my students for exposing this tool to them. I will be keeping track of them to see how they progress in their future classes.


I took the opportunity of reading and viewing the RILS of my fellow educators and bloggers. I enjoyed the work that they produced and the videos they created. Click on the links below to read the comments that I and other have made on their blogs:


Follow this link http://marchunt.blogspot.com/2011/04/bprils-project.html to my comment on Marc Hunt's blog: The "For What It's Worth" Department.


I took the opportunity to visit Jennifer Willliams' blog: Digital Tools for Educators. Click on this link to read my comment: http://digitaltoolsforeducators.blogspot.com/2011/04/elevator-pitch-for-classroom-technology.html




I also visited the blog of Lara Large: Photography and Printmaking and Adventures in Continuing Education. The following link will lead you to my comment: http://laralarge.blogspot.com/2011/04/final-project.html



Take the opportunity to check out their blogs and the great work that they are each doing in an effort to improve the learning environments for their students.


ETC_FINAL PROJECT

RILS PLAN: 
     Relevant & Innovative Learning Scenario

Project: iGoogle PLE: From Student to Scholar in a Matter of Minutes

Target Audience: 6-8 undergraduate students in the inner city community

Materials:
·      Computers / laptops
·      Internet access
·      Digital / video camera

Objectives: Participants will be able to:
·  Create a PLE – Personal Learning Environment using the Web 2.0 tool, iGoogle
·  Quickly access, search for, and list websites for scholarly articles, images, videos, etc
·  Create tabs for each course in which they are enrolled and easily track their assignments
·  Formulate opportunities to collaborate with teachers, students, and friends
·  Create a blog, blog posts, and follow other bloggers


Procedure:
1.     Open the link: http://www.google.com/ig
2.     Take the video tour for iGoogle features: http://www.google.com/help/ig/videotour/ and research it’s various applications.
3.     Follow the steps to create an iGoogle PLE-Personal Learning Environment.
4.     Select your theme and personalize your homepage
5.     Add a tab for each of your courses (you can select a different theme for each page)
6.     Click on “add stuff” and search the Gadgets to personalize each course.  Make sure that you include the following gadgets on each course page:
                        Box of Links
                        Blogger
                        Google Scholar
                        Google Reader
                        To Do List
                        Google Docs
7.     Once you have created your iGoogle PLE take screenshots of each tab you created.
8.     Using Blogger, each student will create a blog. Click on this link (http://www.blogger.com/) and follow the instructions on how to create your blog.
9.     Post to your blog the iGoogle screenshots you took, your experiences, and your reflections before and after creating and using iGoogle. Include whether you think this tool will be beneficial to you and how.
10.  Each student will email the URL address of your blog to each of your classmates and the instructor.
11.  Each student is to follow their classmate’s blogs and post comments to at least two of your classmates’ blogs.
12.  Once you have posted you comments you will email the instructor and your classmates a link (URL address) to your post. I encourage you to use your blogs for ongoing discussions. 

Web 2.0 Tool: iGoogle
A free Web 2.0 tool that allows you to organize and access your social networks, research, favorite and frequently used websites, g-mail, and more.  

Social Participation:
·      Participants will be creating their individual iGoogle PLE and make sure that gadgets for their social networking sites (i.e., Facebook, Twitter…) are visible on their homepage.
·      Each student will create a blog, link to each classmate’s blog and post comments in response to discussion questions.

Making Connections:
Students will have an opportunity to collaborate and discuss their individual viewpoint and knowledge before and after the project. They will discuss through their blog post comments, interviews, and reflections what they knew about the iGoogle app prior to beginning the project. They will be able to connect with persons world wide using the social networks that they created / added to their iGoogle PLE.

Create / Produce:
Each student will create and actively use an iGoogle PLE. Each student will create a blog. Each will participant in the creation of a post reflective video discussing what they knew about and what they learned as a result of the project.

Assessment Rubric:

Criteria
Exceptional
Excellent
Acceptable
Unacceptable

Individual
Input &
Initiative 

Completed homepage and a tab with pages for each course; included all required gadgets on each page and included content for each gadget

Completed the homepage and tab for one course with all gadgets but included content on only a few
Partially completed the project. Only created a homepage with only a few gadgets
Did not complete the project

Depth and Breadth of Project Content and Presentation




Completely fulfilled all of the project procedures: All content areas were addressed;
Content was well presented and cohesive
Majority of project procedures were met;
Some minor areas of content were not addressed;
Good content presentation
Some project procedures were met: Lacking in the major content areas of significance;
Content adequately presented
Majority of project procedures were not met;
Severely lacked content;
Poorly presented

Collaboration
(Analyze, Evaluate, Apply)


Took leadership role in process: Very attentive, respectful, excellent listener, provided good feedback and problem solving
Provides input to the process: Attentive, respectful, listened well and provided some feedback to team and group members

Provided a little input to the process;
Somewhat attentive to team and group members
Provided no input;
Or did not contribute positively to collaboration process

Use of web 2.0 tool
(Identify, Evaluate, Apply)

Exhibited expertise in the use and function of selected tool
Familiarity and knowledge of use of selected tool
Showed some familiarity and knowledge of selected tool
Exhibited little to no knowledge and use of selected tool

Writing, presentation, and style (spelling,
grammar, punctuation,
capitalization, structure,
organization)

No errors
Very few or minor errors, content adequately conveyed content
Several or major errors diminished content
Too many errors, painful to read / watch




















REFLECTIONS

Learners:
Participants will have an opportunity to create a pre and post research video discussing what   they knew about iGoogle and what they have learned as a result of their research. They will discuss how and if this new information has changed their perspective. They will also be able to include in the second video their feelings about the benefit and effectiveness of the overall project.

educators:
Create a pre and post research questionnaire / survey for participants. Review the video responses of the participants. Develop and review an assessment rubric to determine if the project objectives were met and evaluate the level of effectiveness of the project. Follow the criterion developed to evaluate the process and the final product.

iGoogle RILS Video Short





If you have trouble viewing video follow this link:
http://www.viddler.com/explore/rosetta/videos/14/



Monday, April 18, 2011

PE5-2_iGoogle

Hotep everyone!

Let's try this one more time. I have created a Prezi of my Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario / RILS Plan 2. This presentation, as did the previous one, will serve as an informative instruction for the participants on the purpose of the project and how to implement the RILS. It will also expose them to the Prezi tool before they use if for the project.

Follow the link below and view the RILS 2 Prezi:

Take a look at the revised Prezi. Again, click on autoplay if you're a fast reader.

My students have already expressed their enthusiasm in participating in this project. Aside from the extra credit they have stated that they liked the organization that iGoogle affords them. I am looking forward to more positive feedback from them this week. I'll keep you posted.

PE4-2_iGoogle

Well, here is the deal. Because I work at a university and we are nearing the end of our semester (final presentations, final papers, and final exams) I did not have a target audience in which to implement my original RILS. So after discussing my dilemma with Rena I am on to Plan B.

I have been discussing iGoogle with my students and showing them the benefits of the Web 2.0 tool. So they have agreed (for extra credit of course) to assist me and be the participants. They will be implementing my RILS Plan 2 this week. To quote the A-Team "I love it a plan comes together."

Saturday, April 16, 2011

PE5_Prezi

Alright, I think I'm getting the hang of the basics of Prezi. I have created a presentation of the first draft of my Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario / RILS. This presentation can serve as an informative instruction for the participants on the purpose of the project and how to implement the RILS. It will also expose them to the Prezi tool before they use if for the project.

Follow the link below and view the RILS Prezi:
http://prezi.com/w7_2nqveaumo/rils-plan-ancient-egypt-truth-on-the-nile/
You can view the Prezi at your own pace or click on autoplay if you're a fast reader.

I look forward to your feedback on the Prezi and the project.

Friday, April 15, 2011

PE4_Prezi











Well, I have been working on my RILS / Relevant and Innovative Learning Scenario on Ancient Egypt (of course) and I'm using my favorite Web 2.0 tool, Prezi. This was a challenging project but I think I've got the hang of it now. I did have to reel myself back in once I got started.

I thought it would be a good idea to use prezi to present the RILS project to the target audience since this is also the tool that they will be using in the project.

By using prezi to present the RILS to the target audience they can see an example of what they can produce. They can also see the types of images they may include and the ease of developing a timeline in this Web 2.0 tool. This is just the beginning. You'll see the finished product shortly.

Shem em hotep! (May you go in peace!)

Saturday, April 9, 2011