Workplace Writing Professional Portfolio

This year will mark the first year that our Workplace Writing students will transition from a binder of compilation of work to a digital presence.  We decided to use Google Sites for a few reasons:

• Page Level Admission
• Uploading of Documents onto a Page
• Seamless integration with Google Docs (*Viewable Permission Rights Must Provide Access)

The site was created and uploaded to our school's template gallery.  Students will access the template on a Chromebook.

View Template

*If you can't view the template in your school's domain, please request access.

Impact On Students:

Creativity:  While a template was created, students have the option of change the color, font, and overall appearance to personalize.

Critical Thinking: Placing the correct information in the presentation form is very important.  Students will be directed to think critically about the content and the way it appears to the viewer.

Citizenship:  This is the most important aspect.  This portfolio represents themselves on this page, but their other digital content (Twitter, Facebook) must also portray them in a positive light.

iMovie On iPad - Adding Subtitles

Ms. Slusarek, high school Spanish teacher, wanted to have students add one word subtitles to highlight the specific chapter vocabulary that they use throughout the iMovie production.  They need twenty subtitles that will help check for correct spelling, contextual use, as well as, aids in audience comprehension.

I knew that text could be attached to video or images in iMovie on the iPad.  The key to making this work is to splice the video between phrases on the video storyboard.  When no transitions exist, there is a seamless transition between video clips that is NOT noticed by the viewer. The image below shows this.

I chose to use the Title > Middle option to make it look like a subtitle.  Overall, I believe this can be a great feature for students to create written word along with audio words.

View The Final Product Which Directly Relates To Cleaning Your Google Drive Promotion



Impact On Students:
Citizenship: I view this slightly differently in this situation.  Providing written words for students who may have hearing challenges is only fitting.  If the activity allows for students to understand the text better, great!  However, providing equal accessibility for all is fantastic!
Critical Thinking: Hearing the spoken word and translating it into written word takes a great deal of concentration.

Google Sign Out From Anywhere

Process:

• Sign into Gmail from any computer
• Scroll down to the bottom of all your mail
• Click Details (small, on lower right)
• Sign Out All Other Sessions

View Process

Impact On Students:
Citizenship:  Students and staff need to be diligent in protecting their digital reputation and representation on the web.  Logging out is probably the one thing that students forget to do on a regular basis.  Continue to encourage students and staff to be diligent in protecting their digital citizenship.

Parent Guide To Navigating Social Media

Our middle school counselors, Mrs. Gerth and Mrs. Wagner, asked me to create a presentation to help parents understand some of the social media tools their son/daughter may be using.

• Shared a riveting social media video
• Provided ten social media tools and some information about them
• Provided five "Action Items" they should incorporate immediately with their children
• Create accounts together
• Model Appropriate Posting Behavior
• Insist On Their Account Information
• Discuss Ideal Information Released
• Search Names, Search Friend's Names
• Shared Cell Phone Contract
• Shared THINK Poster
• Provided Survival Kit that creates conversations about social media

Presentation Link

Impact On Students:
Citizenship:  Students and parents need to be aware of the positive and negative affects of their actions using social media.

Movenote To Invite Teachers For E-Mentoring Program

MOVENOTE UPDATE: A Google Extension (app) is available.

Our middle school counselor, Nicole Gerth, wanted a tool that would provide information and a personal touch when inviting staff to become involved in our E-Mentoring program.  In the past an email was sent out with a presentation.  With the inclusion of a recorded video and the presentation, a personal touch was provided!

Consider using Movenote for your next Screen Cast.

View The Example

Movenote: Send video with Gmail

View It

Impact On Students:

Creativity:  Students can create written scripts which would force them to limit the words on the slide and increase the context of spoken word.  The creativity can also be encouraged through the video shot that would take place and the visualization of the presentation.

Citizenship: As Movenote would like to be interactive, replies are available.  Students need to focus on constructive replies that will be available on the world wide web forever.

Critical Thinking: Students and staff need to concentrate on the flow of the presenation and the words that correspond with the presentation.  Many times we hear people say, "I know what I am doing, but I just don't know how to explain it."  Critical thinking skills are need to explain the information.

iMovie Updates In iOS 7

Many great features have been added to the iMovie app in iOS 7 for iPad.  My Explain Everything video will, well, Explain Everything.  Providing students with a storyboard prior to creating will help in the process.

Important Features

• Three tabs get you access
• Video
• Project
• Theater
• ? Button always has answers (use it)
• Yellow tab has > provides more information
• +
• Movie
• Trailer
• Movie
• Flexible, Creativity
• Pictures/Videos
• Add any music you want
• Trailer
• Set areas for pictures/videos
• Set areas for text
• Rigid
• Music is provided
• Projects Tab>Click Specific Project
• Small Triangle Button--play video without producing it
• Box With Up Arrow--produce video
• Trash Can--Delete
• Pencil--Edit Title

Video Link


CANVA--Creation Tool

Impact On Students

• Creativity--It's all about creativity.  It's endless
• Critical Thinking--Providing a storyboard prior to creating a video will enable efficiency while using the app
• Citizenship--If the videos are being published to the web, consideration must be made for proper digital citizenship.

Medium--informational text

Essential Skeleton 2 iPad App For Anatomy

The Essential Skeleton 2 iPad app provides every student with a model skeleton that can be used to learn and master the bones and all their features.  Mr. Anderson believes this app is a great app especially in large classes.

Some benefits include of the app:

• Seeing individual bones
• Rotate bones 360 degrees
• 3-Dimensional
• Full model for each student (great for larger classes)
• Mobile
• Highlight individual bones
• Identify and isolate an individual bone away from the full model
• Annotation tools
• Zoom In & Out 
• Screen shot for Pic Collage and SMORE
• Correct audio pronunciation
• Multiple search options
• Exporting options of annotated objects
• Quick Reference to all skeleton parts
• Quiz Set Up-multiple choice & free response

Video Link

ITLS: Standard 3
The impact on the students...

• Collaboration--N/A
• Creativity--Combined with SMORE or Pic Collage provides for creative finished product of concepts learned
• Critical Thinking--Quiz format for analyzing aspects
• Citizenship--if documents are shares, students will understand that their creations are visible by the world.

Google Maps Tour Builder

Because of @rmbyrne 's FreeTech4Teachers post on Google Maps Tour Builder, I was able to create a tour of our school district's schools.  Our district encompasses a large geographical area consisting of five elemendary schools, one middle school, and one high school, a Google Map Tour was a perfect medium to show case our schools.

In 2009, my students created Google Earth Flying Tours.  While it was easy in the end, there was a learning curve that caused some students to struggle.

Google Maps Tour Builder required little to no learning curve.  Since we are a Google Apps For Education school, logging in and creating a tour will be a very simple process.

An additional bonus is the ease at which one can keep the tour private or share with a peer or staff member. Sharing documents through Google is second nature to our students so this process will be efficient.

View My Tour   View How To Make A Tour

Google Earth is available in BETA for Chromebooks
Google Earth integrated with Google Maps

The impact on the students...

• Collaboration--Students could work in partners or groups to create their tour
• Creativity--adding additional pictures that students take or find to each destination can provide additional insight.  The opportunity to include additional comments for each destination is important for deeper understanding.  Students need to determine the best path for their tour.
• Critical Thinking--similar to creativity
• Citizenship--students will understand that the map while by default is private, it may be shared with peers and teachers.  The map is on the web!