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:
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.
