Venturella,+Amanda+Moseley


 * Cool Tools Reflection **
 * Tuesday morning: ** In session 1, the iRubric stimulated a lot of conversation in our group. We talked about incorporating it into the process for teachers to select and request apps on the new iPads we just got. I think I will use SimilarSites quite a bit, since sites change from free to subscription, or change so that they work better with an alternate search engine. I sometimes need a backup tool. Although I’ve already used Tricider and Livebinder, I enjoyed being introduced to other tools in session 2, especially Engage Community. Since I will be teaching Social Studies for the first time, I’m looking forward to using this resource. Google Forms is a tool that our media specialist uses quite a bit, and I hope to get her help in incorporating it into my classroom this year. Session 3 was the most useful for me. I had never seen Blabberize or Sock Puppet, and I’ve already started playing with these Web 2.0 tools. I can see so much potential for students to collaborate and publish. In my Language Arts classroom, I foresee using Sock Puppet to process persuasive writing prompts and research.


 * Tuesday afternoon: ** I went to the Online Reading session. In this session, we observed think-alouds designed to guide students through the process of evaluating and selecting online sources for research.


 * Wednesday: ** I attended the Social Studies session. We explored primary source documents using SCIM-C. This was the most relevant session I attended. I learned a strategy that I can use in my Social Studies classroom, and had time to work with a document using the model. We also explored GapMInder and Chronozoom. Very cool!


 * NLI LESSON PLAN: **

In Armstrong Sperry’s novel // Call It Courage //, the character Mafatu encounters many sea creatures in his hero’s journey. Based on what you learned about these creatures in your research, what advice might they give Mafatu to complete his journey?
 * Guiding Question: **

Organize their research using a graphic organizer Analyze word choice to communicate point of view Create and publish a poem that communicates their research on animal that Mafatu encountered in // Call It Courage //
 * Learning Outcomes: **

Production and Distribution of Writing
 * Common Core Standards: **
 * Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience
 * With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
 * Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
 * Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
 * Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources
 * Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

// Call It Courage // by Armstrong Sperry [|www.voicethread.com] Research webpages provided by Media Specialist I Am poem template Self-evaluation
 * Tools Used for this PBI: **

Activity 1: Students will begin a graphic organizer in the computer lab by accessing the teacher’s webpage and using the links found there to complete research about the following topics: hammerhead shark, albatross, octopus, and coral. Students will choose an animal to focus on for their final product. They will locate an image to use for their aquarium exhibit and save the image to a thumb drive. Students must be able to cite the source of their images.
 * Procedures: **

Activity 2: Using the graphic organizer from Thursday, students will assume the persona of one of the creatures to create an “I Am” poem. The poem must include all categories of research (habitat, diet, threats, appearance, and interesting fact). After creating a rough draft, students will cut the draft into strips, rearrange into 3 stanzas of four lines each, and glue to a sheet of paper. They will revise with special attention to word choice that suit their specific topic.

Activity 3: Students will create a VoiceThread account and upload an avatar they create in MSPaint. They will upload the photo of their animal. They will create a voice recording of their “I Am” poem.

Activity 4: Students will complete a self-evaluation.

1. Now that you’ve had this professional development experience, how are you defining “new literacies?” How do you think your definition has changed or evolved this week? To be literate in the “new literacies,” students must be not only able to access information, but evaluate it and then collaborate with others to use the information to create new content. My definition has changed to include the creation piece.
 * REFLECTION **

2. Describe some new literacies that you learned about this week? What did you know about these topics before the week began and how has your experience this week contributed to your understanding of these new literacies? As a new Social Studies teacher, SCIM-C has given me a framework to build my Social Studies lessons. I was really at a loss as to where to even start, but now I feel like I have a tool to create meaningful learning experiences.

3. In what ways are the new literacies prompted by technology? How do they affect one another? Technology affects the new literacies in that education is no longer about imparting knowledge, but rather accessing and using knowledge.

4. How do new literacies affect the way we think about academic content? Describe an examples of how some specific academic content is affected by changes in the ways we reading write and thinking (i.e. new literacies). In Language Arts, we used to write everything in an essay form. The new literacies have forced teachers to accept that an essay is not an authentic writing format, and move toward PBI.

5. How do new literacies affect the way we think about our teaching practices? How do they affect the development of new teaching practices or approaches to teaching? New Literacies force us to design instruction that primarily addresses higher order thinking skills.

6. During the week, you learning about several conceptual / theoretical frameworks for understanding the new literacies including, project-based inquiry, TPACK, Bloom’s revised cognitive theory, online identity, and global literacies (i.e. cultural competence, cultural awareness, cosmopolitanism). Describe your personal perspective on new literacies as it is informed by these conceptual and theoretical ideas. TPACK adds a new dimension to the craft of teaching. Pedagogical skill and content knowledge now overlap with technological knowledge.

7. How does the design process you learned about in your design studio work and the video digging deeper session support your understanding of the creative process? Starting with the end in mind has always eluded me, but this institute forced me to design a significant question and follow all the way through with the process. I am a little lazy with my unit design at times, but completing our design studio helped me see the value and feel competent enough to continue.

8. You learned this week about how to manage, and in some cases create, your online identity. What action steps will you take (are you taking) to manage and further extend your online identity? Holy, cow, I am all over the Internet! As the only person in North America with my name, I have to be vigilant about my online reputation. All of my content is professional, but I think a similar exercise would be a real eye-opener for students.

9. If you had one more day in the Institute, what would you like to learn more about and why? I would want to spend some time exploring the Intel Engage Community. I would also like to spend time on some of the apps from the iPad PowerPoint presentation.