Rube Goldberg Leads Our 6th Grade Students through STEM at ISTE

Join the Rube Goldberg Learning Community

Based upon the discussion at the end of our ISTE session, I have created a Google Doc where you can add your ideas and examples about how to engage Rube Goldberg problems in learning.   

Just click here to jump to the Rube Goldberg Community page.

How do we teach STEM using exciting and crazy devices like Rube Goldberg Inventions? 

Today I have the opportunity to share my ideas and experiences with doing just that. I will begin by introducing the facets of STEM education along with 8 essential elements for Problem-Based Learning which is the basis of effective STEM education.

Here are some of the materials I used and the resources I have consulted for this presentation.   Some of the materials I will be covering are also covered in previous Dr. Z Reflects postings so you will find some links at the bottom of this post.

Goldberg Presentation on Slide Share

Rube Goldberg-Related Resources:

• Videos - Shown before the presentation.
• OK Go - This Too Shall Pass
• Gold Rush
• The Page Turner
• Rube Playing Bach in the Forest
• Invent Tomorrow Links - List of the links I used sharing Rube Goldberg resources.
• Rube Goldberg Ideas video - List of videos that you can use to give your students ideas about the simple machines that create an invention.
• Video version of this lecture at K-12 Online Conference - This is a 20-minute version of this presentation that I submitted to the K-12 Online Conference.
• Teaching STEM Elements Using Rube Goldberg Inventions Powerpoint slideshow
• Nationalacademies - STEM Integration in K-12 Education - GREAT 4 minute video!!
• StemAdvantage.org - Good source for STEM Stats
• TeachThought - Incredible Education Blog 
• Difference between Projects and Project-Based Learning
• Buck Institute for Education -  Leading resource for Problem-Based Learning
• Rube Goldberg Inc. -  The company that supports Rube Goldberg projects.
• Purdue University 2014 Rube Goldberg Winners - See how University students create "Complex Chain Reactions to Achieve Simple Tasks."

Are Your Educational Games Actually Worksheets with Points? Here are 6 ways to Find Better Learning Games

I was just reading Cool Cat Teacher when I saw this posting.  It is an interesting topic but it was more interesting when I realized that I spent the last couple of days with the author, Kae Novak, here at ISTE.  She really knows gaming and I am learning a great deal as I work with the ISTE Gamers.  I will be movinging forward with introducing gaming into my fall classes and I am learning A LOT.

Pedagogical Tips on Gaming Successfully in the Classroom.

1. Understand what makes a good game.
2. Become a Game Master.
3. Find good games.
4. Learning best practices.
5. Connect with other teachers using games.
6. Consider how games can teach more.

You should go the the full posting at Cool Cat Teacher to read the rest of the discussion.

4 Fundamental Problems With Everything You Hear About the Future of Education

Jordan Shapiro

I am going to the TIC conference in Dubuque this coming week and the ISTE conference in Philly next week. I have been attending Educational Technology conferences for over 2 decades and have always loved going there.  I learn a lot from the sessions and I get to connect with friends that I have developed over the years.

This morning I read an article in Forbes by Jordan Shapiro.  This article, 4 Fundamental Problems with Everything You Hear About the Future of Education, included some insightful comments that I would like to share with you here. Below, I have listed the 4 myths that Shapiro enumerated along with some of my own narrative. I strongly suggest that you read the whole article connected to the link above to get the full flavor of the message.

1. Kids are bored and technology will provide better ways to engage students. - I agree with Shapiro when he says that it is about the teacher, not the technology. Unfortunately, the biggest barrier I have with the future teachers that I teach is that many of them have the belief that we need to integrate technology for technology's sake.  Not the case. Technology can provide opportunities for learning that would not be otherwise available but it can still be used badly. We can use video conferencing to connect 6th grade classrooms in different countries but if their activities are limited to teacher-led worksheet filling-out, there is little value. 
2. More data-based adaptive technologies will lead to child-centered curricula. - Intelligent tutorials are useful devices in building skills, but they aren't the answer to building child-centered curricula. If you have a skillset that your students need to learn, it has been shown that students can learn faster using adaptive technologies.  BUT the key is how these skills will be applied. This can't be done using data-based adaptive technologies.  Problem-based learning can provide the valuable learning experience that students can have when applying those skills.
3. Video games will finally contextualize academic content - Video games can present problems in a context but does that necessarily align with the real world?  When learners play "against the machine", they learn in the the context that the programmers provided.  When learners play against each other in a game like Civilization, they are provided a context within which they are working with other people. The game provides the playing field and the contestants provide the human emotions and decision-making processes from which they will learn. Experiencing the actual decision-making process that a person will undergo when negotiating a treaty or deciding about attacking a fortress can provide insight that couldn't be learned from a book.  When students have these experiences together, they can come to class and discuss their feelings and learn more about what historical figures might have done.
4. Learning should be more fun. - Shapiro points out that learning is NOT fun. Learning is an experience where you are stretched.  It is a situation where you are drawn from your comfort zone and expected to succeed. Can this happen in games? - Yes.  Is this necessarily fun? - No. It is challenging. Being challenged and having a safety net so that you can try new things without the chance for a huge loss can provide a sense of accomplishment but it doesn't need to be fun. 

While you can see that Shapiro and I don't see eye-to-eye on everything, you should read his article.  It has a lot of good points in it.

I just downloaded the .pdf of his book, The Mindshift Guide to Digital Games and Learning.  I haven't read it yet, but look forward to experiencing his advice.

What do you think about these points?  Please provide a third-leg to our discussion.

Z

Are YOU a Helicopter Professor/Teacher?

What do you do when you decide to move from "Sage on the Stage" to "Guide on the Side?"  Typically, you spend a GREAT deal of time setting things up so that you can create a learning environment where students learn by researching and doing new ideas instead of listening to you telling them these ideas.

A part of being a Guide on the Side is that you may feel like a 3rd wheel while you watch your students work together in class.  It's ironic that the best way for your students to learn can be to learn on their own with you "out of the loop."  You may not be directly involved in their learning experience, but you are guiding them through the learning process. You are taking a different role in the classroom.

This is an example of Teacher Lead - Student Driven

I just read an article in Faculty Focus where Berlin Fang is suggesting ideas that will provide your students with the "proper balance of challenge and support."  

Six Suggestions on How to Avoid being a Helicopter Professor

1. Allow Chaos
2. Embrace Desirable Difficulty
3. Increase Accountability
4. Reduce Redundancy
5. Remove Crutches
6. Mix Push and Pull

Dr. Fang introduces some interesting concepts in these 6 suggestions. He discusses Free-Range Assignments that are individualized competency-based challenges. He suggests that we should help students but don't teach helplessness. This sense of self-efficacy is accomplished by starting with scaffolds to support new learners, but methodically removing them so that students can learn to stand on their own.

What do YOU think?  Did that article hit the button with you or are you still a Helicopter Educator?

How to Avoid being a Helicopter Professor

Photo: Mark Ludy

Kids Give Tips on Writing Quality Comments on a Blog

Here are some quality tips on how to write quality comments on a blog that you just read.  I learned a lot.  Maybe this will be useful for you and your students.

Finding the Speed of Light with Peeps - Science Experiment

Yes, I know that this is different than the typical discussion on Dr. Z Reflects, but I just had to share this wonderful science experiment.  



This 5-minute video shares a wonderful demonstration of applied mathematics and science. Using a tray full of peeps, you can actually demonstrate how wavelengths move across a microwave. 

The experimenter (couldn't find his name in the credits) places a tray of marshmallow peeps into a microwave and turns it on for a couple of minutes. He pulls it out and then looks for the specific places where the peeps have really melted. These places are about 2.4 inches apart.  Based upon the assumption that the microwaves are melting the peeps in places where the wave actually travels through the peeps, it is possible to use these calculations to compute the speed of light.

I can see 10 year old students doing this and suddenly having a realization light going off in their heads by this demonstration.   This is a MUST WATCH video and MUST IMPLEMENT in your classroom.

Another Rube Goldberg STEM Session at UNI Elementary Literacy Conference

How Rube Goldberg Led Our 6th Grade Students to Pursue their Passions - UNI Elem Lit Conf from Leigh Zeitz
 

What do Rube Goldberg, STEM and Literacy have in common?  

That's a good question. I have been invited to share our Rube Goldberg experiences as a Featured Speaker at the UNI Elementary Literacy Conference.

Interestingly enough, I will be sharing the stage with Dr. Beth Van Meeteren (STEM in PreK-3rd Grades: A Reason to Develop Literacy); Marcy Seavey (Finding the Citizen Scientist in Every Child); and Rick Vanderwall (Media and Drama Integration with Literacy)   It will be an exciting opportunity for all.

Today I will be sharing our Rube Goldberg experiences in the 6th Grade Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School.  We will discuss the explorational process that we experienced while creating our own inventions to accomplish simple tasks.  These tasks might be turning off a light, erasing a blackboard, or popping a balloon. These may seem like meaningless tasks, but its not about turning out a light.  The emphasis of this process is the creative problem solving that our students experienced while they were building these inventions.

If you want to learn more about my presentation, you can refer to my other posts in DrZReflects.  The Slide Show is available in the list below as well as some of the other resources that I used in preparation.

• UNI Elementary Literacy Conference.
• UNI Teaching STEM Elements Using Rube Goldberg Inventions Powerpoint slideshow
• Invent Tomorrow Links - List of the links I used sharing Rube Goldberg resources.
• Rube Goldberg Inc. 
• Purdue University 2014 Rube Goldberg Winners
• Rube Goldberg Ideas video

STEM

• Nationalacademies - STEM Integration in K-12 Education - GREAT 4 minute video!!
• StemAdvantage.org - Good source for STEM Stats
• TeachThought - Incredible Education Blog

Project-Based Learning 

• Difference between Projects and Project-Based Learning
• Buck Institute for Education -  Leading resource for Problem-Based Learning

Do you have more resources you want to share?  Please add them to the comments below.

Z

Use These 4 Videos When Developing Project-Based Learning

Project-Based Learning is not an easy way to teach but it is much more rewarding for the learners and the teachers.  Here are some must-watch videos about Developing Project-Based Learning.  I have tried to share them in a progressive sequence that you can use to move through the process of learning about and through PBL.

Project-Based Learning: Explained

Looking for an easy introduction to PBL?  This Common Craft video developed for the Buck Institute for Education does a good job of describing PBL and how it fits into 21st Century Curriculum. An interesting part is that they only talk about 3 of the 4 Cs (Communication, Collaboration and Critical Thinking).  I wonder what they did with the fourth C, Creativity?

 

The Five Keys to Project-Based Learning

Well-designed PBL has been shown to result in deeper learning and more engaged, self-directed learners. This video provides a suggestion for five core elements of successful PBL.  Here are more resources at Edutopia where you can learn more about PBL.

Meeting the Challenges of Project-Based Learning

Introducing PBL into your class isn't an easy process. This video shares the difficulties and triumphs of Sammamish High School (Washington) teachers as they move from traditional teaching to schoolwide problem-based learning.

Assessment in Project-Based Learning

This 30-minute webinar explores how PBL might be assessed with the BIE Editor-in-Chief, John Larmer, and a team of educators.




Project-Based Learning is the epitome of 21st Century Learning. 

How are you using it?  What additional resources do you need to make it a reality in your teaching?

Z

Teaching STEM Elements Using Rube Goldberg Inventions

How do we teach STEM using exciting and crazy devices like Rube Goldberg Inventions? 

Today I have the opportunity to share my ideas and experiences with doing just that. I will begin by introducing the facets of STEM education along with 8 essential elements for Problem-Based Learning which is the basis of effective STEM education.

Here are some of the materials I used and the resources I have consulted for this presentation.   Some of the materials I will be covering are also covered in previous Dr. Z Reflects postings so you will find some links at the bottom of this post.

Rube Goldberg-Related Resources:

• 2015 Statewide Teaching and Learning Conference
• Teaching STEM Elements Using Rube Goldberg Inventions Powerpoint slideshow
• Nationalacademies - STEM Integration in K-12 Education - GREAT 4 minute video!!
• StemAdvantage.org - Good source for STEM Stats
• TeachThought - Incredible Education Blog 
• Difference between Projects and Project-Based Learning
• Buck Institute for Education -  Leading resource for Problem-Based Learning
• Rube Goldberg Inc. 
• Purdue University 2014 Rube Goldberg Winners
• Invent Tomorrow Links - List of the links I used sharing Rube Goldberg resources.
• Rube Goldberg Ideas video

Dr. Z's Presentations

Looking for an opportunity to get together?

I would love to have a chance to talk with you face-to-face and share your successes.  Sometimes it seems like this blog is too much one way.

Over the next few months, I will be speaking throughout Iowa and even visiting Philadelphia for the ISTE conference.   I decided to create a page on this blog where you can see my engagements (and more importantly, where I can see my own engagements.)  =-)

You can access this page by clicking on this phrase or by clicking the tab below our Dr. Z Reflects Blog heading.

Are You Looking for REAL Feedback as a Teacher? - TED TALKS

I just watched this TED Talk by Bill Gates.  He is talking about teachers recording themselves and receiving feedback on their teaching through placing a flip camera on a tripod in the back of their rooms and then just watching it themselves and beginning by being their own coaches.     You know, I am teaching all of my classes online this semester and am recording all of the sessions.  I have expected students to review the videos if they miss them, but maybe I should review them as well to see how well I am doing . . .

What do you do to get feedback on how you teach?

5 Word Clouds Reveal What ISTE Standards Emphasize

Recently I was preparing for teaching my course, Leading Change Through Instructional Technology. As I was reviewing the ISTE Standards, I became interested in looking for the emphases in each of the areas identified by these standards.  It was quite obvious that addressing the teacher standards would prepare Teachers for creating a learning environment where Students could learn in a 21st Century manner. The Administrators were envisioning and providing schools where teachers could create such learning environments. The Coaches were training Teachers to use the 21st Century Skills to create these learning environments.

While reading these standards, I took notice of the language used in each of them.  I decided that the best way to look for linguistic structure and commonalities was by drawing Word Clouds. I ran each of the standards through Wordle.net and they yielded the images below. Review them briefly and identify look for the dominant words in each of the clouds. Remember that the larger the word, the greater the number of times that word appeared in each standard. 

It is encouraging to see that Learning is the largest word in each of the first three clouds. The Teacher's second largest word is Students.  Technology is the second largest in the Administrator and Coach standards.  Look at these clouds identify the what's important in each of these standards.

ISTE Standards for Teachers

ISTE Standards for Administrators

ISTE Standards for Coaches

As I reviewed the Students cloud, it was interesting to see that Learning is not even included in their cloud. That is strange since the only thing the students are assigned to do is Learning. Information is the main word for the students. That is what the students need to manage. Look a little closer and you will see that the action verbs including Use, Analyze, Solve and Develop are some of the larger words in the cloud. These are the measurable behaviors that will indicate that learning has occurred. 

ISTE Standards for Students

The one set of standards that is unique is the ISTE Standards for Computer Science Educators. Inspecting the Word Cloud shows that the most important thing for these educators to do is demonstrate their mastery of the computer science content and pedagogy. These standards seem to be more directed towards evaluating the CS Educators' competence than preparing students for the field of Computer Science.  Hopefully this is just a difference in the authors' perspective and vocabulary than what was used for the other standards.

ISTE Standards for Computer Science Educators

The ISTE Standards provide important guidance for educators in preparing our students for the 21st Century.  

How do you use them to direct your teaching?  What are your ideas for the strengths and recommended areas of improvement for the ISTE Standards.

Z

Alan Kay - Invents the Future

Alan Kay is one of my heros.  He was one of the earliest pioneers in Object-Oriented Programming, personal computing and graphical user interface.  Dr. Kay has had a productive life where he was part of the Xerox PARC where they developed an entire genre of personal computing that was later used to create the Macintosh.

I have always tried to live by his motto:  

The Best Way to Predict the Future is to Create It!

Here are a couple of videos done recorded by Bob Greenberg.  He has been recording leaders in the field and has more than 120 recordings at his Brainwaves site.

10 Ways to Get Teachers to Embrace Technology

BodyGuardCareers.com

Using Technology to support learning is a useful idea, but sometimes it is difficult to induce teachers to Embrace Change. Notice that I didn't say Embrace Technology.  Change will only happen when educators believe that there is a reason to change and that it will make a positive difference in their students' learning.  This applies to changes in using technology or pedagogy or subject matter - whatever.

I was pleased to see that ExitTicket's suggestion for 10 Ways to Get Teachers Using Tech. While this is ExitTicket's move to try to induce change in schools to use their product (and they include the disclaimer in their posting) I would suggest that you read and consider these ideas to bring about change in your schools.

I am listing these 10 ways, but I would suggest that you visit ExitTicket's original site to learn about the particulars for each of these ideas:

1. Ban Alternatives for a Week.
2. Devote Time to Adding Content.
3. Designate an Ambassador.
4. Share Student Voices.
5. Preserve Existing Routines. (at first)
6. Put Resources in a Clean Package.
7. Sync Your Account.
8. Separate Initial Goals from Long-Term Goals.
9. Tech Tuesday.
10. Make It Fun.

Read through these and try them out.  I can't wait to hear about your successes and challenges in making this happen.

Z

Goodbye Mr. Nimoy

I am sorry to hear that Leonard Nimoy has left this dimension to Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before.  You can see that my family and I played roles in an episode with Spock and Kirk.  (I am the vulcan on the left side.)

Using Technology vs Technology Integration - The Difference Defines Success

One of the toughest parts about leading educators toward using technology to engage   learning is getting past talking about using technology for the sake of using technology to using technology to engage learning.  

Click the table to enlarge it to read it.

I was intrigued when I found the table below on Clif Mims' paper.li publication, Clif's Notes on #Edtech.  (It was actually created by ADITI RAO and published on Teachbytes.com) The beauty of using the table below, is that it provides a vocabulary that we can use when we discuss how to use technology with our colleagues.

Where does your curriculum lie in this table?

Technology Integration Matrix

There are other important tools that provide vocabulary for using technology to engage learning.  There is the Technology Integration Matrix (TIM) which provides a system of 25 cells that have 5 columns headed with terms identifying the Levels of Tech Integration (complexity of technology use/level of student centricity) across the top and down the left side are 5 Characteristics of a Learning Environment.  The beauty of this matrix is that provides a system that you can use to identify where you are in a lesson/activity you are teaching and then suggestions for how you can increase your level of Technology Integration.  Both the Original Florida version and the Arizona versions have videos and lesson plans for creating these learning environments.  I have included a more complete description of these tools in another posting, Building Learning Through Technology. Based upon the TIM matrix, I would say that most of the previous chart's activities in the left column involve Entry and Adoption while the right column describes Adaption, Infusion and Transformation.  What do you think?

Click the table to enlarge it to read it.

SAMR (Substitution-Augmentation-Modification-Redefinition)

You may not have heard about the TIM, but you have been using SAMR in your schools. This is another ?? for defining Technology Integration. Developed by Ruben R. Puentedura, Ph.D. to describe a ladder of implementation, this four-stage hierarchy considers the bottom two levels to be forms of Enhancement and the top two levels in the class of Transformation. While the students' role in the learning process is implied in the SAMR, I must admit that I like the TIM better because it specifically defines the changing roles of the students in the pedagogical process.

JUST IN: As I was writing this, I discovered another relevant graphic on FaceBook (yes, sometimes I veer off into FaceBook when I am looking for inspiration ;-) This is another graphic that fits the role of identifying how we want students to use technology.  In this case, I would say that the Wrong column includes Adoption and Adaptation in the TIM matrix and the Right answers may fit in the Infusion and Transformation columns with some of them not even fitting on the matrix but including things that we want to see in education, (i.e., Start Conversations.)  What do you think?

The final quote, "Technology is a Tool, NOT a Learning Outcome," encapsulates this whole posting.  Technology is not an end unto itself - it is a means to an end that will hopefully lead to empowered and active learners.

BTW, This graphic is created by Bill Ferriter who writes a blog entitled The Tempered Radical. I am glad that I found this blog because it appears that Bill is an aware teacher who is interested in sharing what he sees and providing interested insight into how schools work and how they can be improved.  One of the things that I noticed throughout his blog is that Bill appears to be creating his graphics (like the one below) by drawing it on paper and then scanning it.  That is artistic and is not something that we see too much anymore.

So what do you think?  

Is this something that you can use when you are working with your teachers, administrators and students?  What do you see as you look around your curriculum?  Where does it fit on the TIM or SAMR?  

What can you do to "Take it Up a Notch?"

Z

Who Are My Online Students This Semester?

I have had the privilege of having Educational Leadership students in my distance ed courses from all around the world. I also have a cohort of Instructional Technology Masters students and a class of Undergraduate Teacher Education students from primarily Iowa.

6:00 AM Crowd (9:00 PM in Korea. Last two are in Iowa and Texas)

International Students: This semester, most of my international students join me through the Masters Degree in International Teacher Leader Program taught by the UNI Educational Leadership and PostSecondary Education graduate program. They are building tomorrow’s education leaders through a program with American Schools in Europe, Western-Central-Eastern Asia, and the US.   I teach a course, Selecting and Integrating Instructional Technologies, which is required in their program. I am constantly impressed by this group’s dedication to innovative teaching and learning.  They are continually sharing progressive ideas and implementing new ones as they learn in class.  I am also impressed with their dedication towards attending class.  Many countries experience rolling electrical blackouts or Internet barriers.  We have students staying at school into the night because the connection is better there. Some of them find alternate sites like coffee shops to address their needs. This group meets with me at two different times on Tuesdays.

10 AM Crew (5 PM-Germany, 6:00-Egypt, 7:00-Saudi Arabia)

The South Korea and Philippines students meet me at 6:00 AM (9:00 PM their time). It is 6:00 PM for the Nepal student.  There are two students from the states (Iowa and Texas) who meet at 6:00 AM before they begin their teaching days.

At 10:00 AM, I meet with the Europe and Middle East crew.  It is 5:00 PM in Germany, 6:00 PM in Egypt and 7:00 PM in Saudi Arabia. We also have some students from Iowa.

6:00 PM Crew - Iowa and Arizona

7:30 PM Crew - Iowa

Iowa Masters Degree Students: I have another cohort of Iowa students (and one student who moved to Arizona) who are earning a Masters degree in Instructional Technology. They range from K-3 teachers to high school math teachers to Technology Integration Specialists to a web designer for UNI.  

It is another amazing group of educators who are constantly working to expand their students’/teachers’ learning experiences through technology.  This group is especially close because they had the opportunity to spend a week together on the UNI campus at the beginning of their cohort last June.  They will be concluding their program in Spring 2016.  There are a few other non-cohort students in the class but they have been accepted as members.  

I am teaching a course entitled Writing a Graduate Paper/ePortfolio where we are exploring the process of reading and writing a literature review.  It is a process where they will soon be submitting their lit review to me section by section and it will be necessary for me to return their writings to them in a timely fashion.   I have committed to returning them in 72 hours from class time.  I must admit that in the past, I have not been very timely but I hope that the scheduling system (see future posting) will enable me to fulfill my commitment.

Iowa Undergraduate Students: I am teaching an undergraduate course online as well. It is entitled Educational Technology and Design. This is an introduction to technology course that all students seeking a teaching credential must complete. What is unique about this group is that it is part of the UNI 2+2 program.  The 2+2 program works with the Des Moines Community Area College (DMACC) where students complete 2 years of college through DMACC and then 2 more years through UNI courses (primarily online.)  This is another great group of students who range from 20-year-old sophomores to non-traditional students who are parents with 4 kids.  Most of these students have full-time jobs which is why they are taking an online course.  

This course is completely asynchronous and we DON’T meet through video conferencing on a regular basis.  There are two occasions where I have met with each working group to discuss their progress on larger projects, but those are the only planned video conferencing experiences between the students and me.  I am highly recommending that they use Zoom.us or Apple Facetime or Google Hangout to meet online Face-to-Face.  They have tried chatting with one another but that doesn’t seem to be too successful.   I have provided them with information about how to create their own Zoom Rooms based upon the University’s Zoom.us license, but I will do that at the beginning of the group work next time.

It's going to be a great semester because of these students.

Communicating with Students Online

I am finding that one of the toughest parts of online learning is COMMUNICATION. 

Communication between teacher and students is ALWAYS important but there is another level needed for developing crisp communication lines when you are teaching online.

When you are working with online courses, your students are accessing your materials at different times on different days.  They have different circumstances and questions that often you don't anticipate.  Sometimes (definitely not often) they find problems with your online materials that aren't accessible, have conflicting due dates, link to the wrong materials, or are just plain wrong.  The problems need to be fixed and the students need to be informed about the corrections ASAP.   The key is to find a system for connecting with your students that is effective, efficient and useful.

Here are some types of communication that I have been using:

Syllabus - This is the most important tool because it is the premise for your class. This is actually true in any class, but it is especially needed for online courses so that they know the rules when they begin.

Agenda/Schedule/Calendar - I like to call this an agenda because it will may change as time progresses because of changes in the class or innovations that the teacher or students have identified.  It might also be because of unforeseen developments that have caused due dates to be changed or whatever.  It needs to be explicit about the time and date that assignments are due as well as the exact days and times when you and your class will be meeting online in a video conference if you are doing that.

Face-to-Face Video Conferencing (Weekly) - I prefer to ZOOM with my students on a weekly basis.  ZOOM is a wonderful video conferencing program that will allow me (and my students) to see each other at the same time.  This is limited to 24 students (and me) at a time on the screen.  (actually, it will allow up to 99 students at the same time but a single screen will only hold 25 people) It really provides a connection that may not even be seen in a regular class.  The downside of this is that when I teach evening class, sometimes we have to watch students eat their chili or sandwiches during class, but that is just part of the game. =-)

Face-to-Face Video Conferencing (Individual/Team) - Invariably, I meet with students outside of the weekly session sometime throughout the semester. This might be with a team of 3 or 4 students to discuss their progress on an assignment or it might involve meeting with them individually to discuss their topic for the Literature Review they will be writing this semester.

Weekly Emails - It is easy to overwhelm our students with emails.  You send out an email and then send another to clarify the one before.  I have had some students complain that they are getting overwhelmed with emails and lose track of what is important.  I had this same experience when I was taking a course on "teaching online courses" and it was frustrating.  I try to limit my emails to 2 emails per week - One on Monday and Another on Thursday.  The one on Monday is to wake people up for the week and the Thursday one is to comment on their progress so far and remind them of any Friday quizzes or assignments.

Announcements - We are using Blackboard 9 (BB9) for our LMS.  It has an announcement tool.  Actually, I use this Announcements tool to send out my weekly emails.  I write the announcement in BB9 and then click the box to send it out to the class.  This way I have sent them the email reminders and the content of that email is also available on our website in case they need a reminder (or they state that I never sent the email.)

Text Message Reminders - The biggest problem with online courses is described in the saying "Out of Sight - Out of Mind."  It is so easy to forget about things in a course where you never actually meet with the teacher or students.  My courses have a weekly meeting so that is less of a problem but it isn't gone.  I have successfully used a Text Messaging system called Remind.com.  I strongly recommend this system because it is easy to use; it is an "Opt-in" program where the students have the option of signing up or not; it allows you to schedule messages in the future; and it has a number of additional options that are being developed and released as we speak.   
       Some teachers feel that this is too much "spoon feeding" for the students, but I know that it has helped my students a great deal (even in on-campus face-to-face courses) because it provides an easy reminder.  They are ALL connected to their phones so this doesn't even need them to check their email.  It comes to them

Online Office Hours - This is a time when students can Zoom in with me to talk.  I sit at my desk with Zoom open on my computer and work on my many projects (like correcting assignments) while I wait for the Zoom doorbell to sound which indicates that a student has entered my ZoomRoom.  I would really like to have a system that would automatically contact me through my phone or tablet but I haven't found that with Zoom yet.  I could open Zoom on my phone and wait the same way I do at my desk but I am interested in having a special system that will send me a text with the student's name (since they signed in) and a special TOOT on my phone.  Haven't figured that one out yet, but will be looking for it.

So that is my perspective on communicating in online courses.  What do you do?  What have you done that is successful?  How can I improve my communication systems?  What has this inspired you to do?

Z

Reflections of Online Dr. Z

As I pointed out in my last posting, I am experiencing a new world this semester in that I am teaching ALL of my courses online. I have taught online courses in the past, but have always taught 1 or 2 in the classroom face-to-face with my students.  

This has been exciting but also challenging so I thought that I would chronicle my adventures through a blogging opportunity. In a previous posting, I asked my readers about whether I should create this additional blog in either WordPress or Facebook.  A variety of answers emerged.  Some suggested a Facebook Fan Page.  Others underscored the wonderful opportunity to learn WordPress.  One reader, a student in our program, suggested that this wife has had the most success by using both media.  She has a Facebook Fan page and a WordPress blog.  Whenever she posts to the WordPress blog, it will automatically appear on her fan page in Facebook.  All great ideas.

Finally, a golden word came from a friend of mine - CoolCatTeacher (Vicki Davis).  She suggested that I just use Dr. Z Reflects since it is already an active blogging venue.  I thought about this.  I considered my lack of consistency in posting to Dr. Z Reflects and how, if I started another blog, it would probably get worse instead of better. At least if I used Dr. Z Reflects, I would have a consistent topic for posting . . . but I wanted to have some exclusivity with this other blog - Online Dr. Z - so that those who were interested in online teaching would be able to just read those postings.

Suddenly, it dawned on me.  What if I could create a button that would search Dr. Z Reflects and return only those that were labeled with Online Dr Z.  Well, after some soul searching and web searching I found a way to do this.  You will see that I have created a button at the top of the right column. When you click on that, it will search for the Online Dr Z label and share those with you.  I know that the graphics are wonderful, but at least it seems to work right now.  

Give it a click and see what happens.  This will be an interesting experiment.  I have decided to commit to posting at least two posts per week for Online Dr. Z.  Additional Dr. Z Reflects postings will happen as well. 

Let's see what happens.   It should be fun . . . what do you think?

Z

I Need Your Help: WordPress or Facebook?

This semester I am teaching completely online.  I am finding it to be quite challenging and have been thinking about chronicling my journey. I want to write a journal of my experiences in teaching all of my classes online this semester and I am trying to select the medium. 

I will discuss what I have done, how I have organized it, my challenges, how I am doing things, my strategies, etc. I hope that this can be something that will help me organize my thoughts as well as provide a venue for ideas, suggestions and commiseration from other educators.

My challenge is the medium. I was all set to make this an opportunity to learn more about WordPress and how I can use it when hosted through my GoDaddy account. Conversely, it would be quite easy to set up an open facebook group. What are the advantages/disadvantages of each? Which could I use to connect with more people?

What are your thoughts?  What are your experiences?

Z

240+ Apps for Teachers Resources

Which apps should you use as a teacher?   I don't know - - - it all depends . . . It depends upon what you want to achieve, how you want to achieve it and who you want to achieve it with ...

I was just wandering the web when I ventured upon a few sites that provided sets of apps for teachers.  These really opened my eyes so I thought I would share them with you as well.

Rasmussen Colleges's 100 Apps for Teachers - This is a vast collection of apps that are divided into the following groups: Classroom Learning, Communication Tools, Personal Organization, Reference, and Teaching Tools.  You are likely to find a jewel in this collection. I found iBrainstorm and it looks a great tool for collaborative creation.

Apps for Teachers - A list of 8 apps that will address many of the typical tasks of a teacher including grading essays, taking attendance and managing documents.

50 Fab Apps for Teachers - This list by Scholastic is grouped by subject area.  They include language arts, math, science, social studies, music & art, special needs, lesson planning, classroom management, and communication & organization.  Some are free and some are a nominal fee. 

84 iPad Apps to Share With K-12 Teachers and Students -  This is a single page where Richard Byrne (of Free Tech 4 Teachers fame) has parked 4 slide decks of 21 best apps for PK-2nd grade, 3rd grade - 5th grade, Middle School and High School.  As always, Richard has effectively searched the field and gleaned a useful collection of apps for us to use.   

I hope that this collection of almost 250 app references is useful to you and your educator colleagues. Which ones did you discover and ultimately use?  What would you suggest for others to use?

Share this posting with others so that they can add to their collections of App-ropriate Apps.

Z