Multimedia Project Proposal
Proposal:
The purpose of my project is to create a teacher
workshop and interactive resource to communicate ways in which educators may
use digital portfolios to document, assess, and communicate learning. This project will allow me continue to
utilize technology as part of classroom practice, as well as support teachers
throughout the district in finding creative and meaningful ways to integrate
technology into their classrooms.
The following student learning objectives will be
integrated into lessons shared with teachers:
TECH.8.1.2.B.CS2 - [Content Statement] -
Create original works as a means of personal or group expression.
TECH.8.1.2.B.1 - [Cumulative Progress
Indicator] - Illustrate and communicate original ideas
and stories using multiple digital tools and resources.
TECH.8.1.2.C.CS1 - [Content Statement] -
Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others by employing
a variety of digital environments and media.
TECH.8.1.2.C.CS2 - [Content Statement] -
Communicate information and ideas to multiple audiences using a variety of
media and formats.
Additional content objectives will be covered in
lesson samples as well.
Rational:
This project will attempt to incorporate
technology into various content areas by offering lesson examples for creating,
documenting, assessing, and communicating learning through Seesaw Student
Driven Digital Portfolios. Since I
already incorporate a lot of technology options into the classroom, this
project will take practical classroom experience to the next level by providing
examples and resources for other teachers throughout the district. One of the best ways to enact change is to
provide real life examples and experiences from which teachers may learn.
By creating a virtual tool for learning,
teachers may work at their own pace, return to resources as they progress in
their own practice, and learning may be passed on to new teachers as they enter
the district. We are in the process of
rewriting our English Language Arts curriculum, and are currently working on
organizing ways for teachers to create and share resources to utilize within
and across grade levels. My hope is that
this will become a resource that can be added to our curriculum and will grow
with teachers as they find more practical applications across curricular
areas. By using a multimedia design, I
will be able to reach teachers as individual learners, and model effective ways
for them to integrate these approaches into their classrooms as well.
Audience:
This particular project is designed to reach K-2
classroom and special area teachers in our district. This year I created a virtual professional
learning community (PLC) utilizing G Suite tools to support connection between
teachers across the district. This has
been an important learning experience for me as I have found there is a vast
range of comfort and knowledge in the area of technology across the
district. Teachers range from those who
were reluctant to figure out how to log onto Google Classroom, to those who are
creating their own websites and flipped classroom environments. My target audience is the teachers of primary
students within the district. Seesaw Digital
Portfolios offer options for teachers and children that can be utilized
effectively to personalize and differentiate learning experiences. Although digital portfolios can certainly be
used across all grade-levels, my focus is on elevating learning and play that
is already embraced by district teachers of younger children. The goal is to communicate ways to
incorporate technology into what is already happening in the classroom.
In order to determine the specific needs of my
audience I have approached it on several levels. I have created a Google Form to identify
specific needs and comfort level among K-2 teachers. I have also met one on one with teachers to
walk through the process of creating a digital portfolio to get a sense of
comfort level and needs of beginners. In
addition to considering teacher needs, I have reached out to my principal and
assistant superintendent in charge of curriculum for thoughts on how this
project can positively impact the district by supporting specific needs of
current and future teachers.
Overview and Learning Objectives:
District teachers will be able to set up a class
using Seesaw Digital Portfolios
District teachers will be able to utilize audio,
photo, video, and drawing tools to incorporate learning experiences into the
classroom
District teachers will identify resources that
can be utilized to support and extend use of digital portfolios
For my workshop I will host an in-person session
and send out a link to the Adobe Spark Page that I will create with all
available resources. The Adobe Spark
Page will also be added to district curriculum resources to be utilized by
future teachers. The use of multimedia
tools embedded into this resource will allow teachers to explore and return to
activities at their own pace so that they can incorporate use of portfolios in
the classroom as their comfort level increases.
This resource will also be shared via the district teacher Google
Classroom used for communication among teachers throughout the district. After the teacher workshop, I will send out a
follow up Google Form to assess teacher learning and understanding, and
evaluate how I may continue to revise and extend resources moving forward. When speaking with my principal, he had also
suggested having a day when teachers can sign up for 20 minute sessions in my
classroom to come and observe use of digital portfolio tools in action. This hands-on opportunity would support
teachers comfort level as they navigate new tools.
Technology Tools:
In order to create an overall resource that
teachers may use to direct learning and interact, I will be creating an Adobe
Spark Page site. This will ensure that
even when teachers are not in the same physical space, they may access learning
tools. Within the Adobe Spark Page, I
will be sharing resources through the following multimedia tools:
Seesaw Digital Portfolios – We will look at the
web-based as well as app version of this tool for use in the classroom on a
variety of platforms. Audio, video,
camera, and drawing tools are all embedded within the use of the digital
portfolio itself.
Video Tutorials created by Seesaw – Seesaw has
many resources available to walk teachers through each step in digital
portfolio creation. I will be utilizing
these videos in conjunction with examples from my classroom experience.
Video Creation Software (to be determined) – To
create an inspirational video highlighting the need for portfolios which
capture experiences using a multimodal approach.
Animoto – To show examples of simple ways to
create video newsletters using the free teacher account.
Aviary – To edit classroom photos and show ways
in which photo editing can be used as a way to demonstrate learning.
Canva – For creation of infographics and visuals
for my Spark Page.
Various Apps to demonstrate app smashing for
more advanced users – Felt Board, Draw and Tell, Book Creator, PicCollage
Learning Theories and Principles:
When I began my exploration with technology in
the Kindergarten environment, I sought to find ways to elevate developmentally
appropriate learning experiences through the use of technology.
Some of my foundational questions have been:
How have changes in the 21st century
impacted learning and play for young children?
How have play-based experiences changed in and
out of the classroom, and what gaps are there because of these changes?
In what ways can we celebrate and elevate
learning and play through technology?
How can advances in technology support
personalization, differentiation, assessment, and parent/family communication?
Walker, Jameson, and Malcom (2010) suggest the
need for “developmental strategies for helping learners to bridge the gap
between informal, participatory learning and the expectations of academic study
(p.212). This idea may be applied to
young children as digital learning portfolios provide a link between informal
hands-on or play based learning experiences and how they relate to learning for
the young child.
For example, as children participate in an
informal block building activity they negotiate shape, size, communication,
problem-solving, and spatial skills. The
activity itself provides critical steps as children lay the groundwork for
mathematical thinking. Now consider the
same activity in which children participate in building, and are then able to
use an iPad to create a video of their building explaining their experience and
thought process. The uploaded video is
then shared with the teacher who is able to glimpse into the child’s world –
identifying areas of understanding and development. The same video is viewed by family members
who may then discuss the social and academic experience with the child outside
the classroom.
In this scenario, the digital portfolio has
provided a scaffold for children to extend informal play and learning into
academic knowledge. Transfer beyond the
classroom helps children to further solidify understanding, and apply knowledge
in the outside world. For young
learners, digital portfolios support reflection and connection which are later
embedded in social networking experiences.
Helping children to develop digital responsibility and citizenship when
they are younger may support their future experiences as they get older. Walker, Jameson, and Ryan suggest, “The
reflective skills that digital learners exhibit – attending to their peers’
input, reflecting on their own output, responding to feedback – are also vital
to make them fully rounded, competent members of the higher education community
(p. 219). By allowing young children to
develop the ability to document, reflect, and share their learning, we set them
up for success in the digital social and academic world ahead.
Digital portfolios offer a 21st
century alternative to the traditional written report card used to document and
share learning. While report cards
remain important in communicating overall progress, digital portfolios allow
for daily documentation which drives learning both in and out of the
classroom. Rather than having the
teacher the sole reporter and documenter, digital portfolios provide children
access to multimedia tools to show their learning. As Daley states,
The very vocabulary of multimedia encourages
approaches different from those used to write text. One ‘creates’ and ‘constructs’ media rather
than writing it, and one ‘navigates’ and ‘explores’ media rather than reading
it. The process is active, interactive,
and often social, allowing for many angles of view. (p. 36)
Embracing multimedia in within the context of
learning for the young child offers possibilities to communicate that may not
otherwise exist. For the child who does
not yet read or write, an adult must be present to hear the words or see the
actions that are demonstrating feelings, ideas, or understanding. The use of multimedia tools such as audio,
video, or photography offer the young child a means of communication and
reflection that can be applied across content areas. As it states
in the Resource and Policy Guide
for 21st Century Sills, Education, and & Competitiveness,
“Students can master 21st century skills while they learn reading,
mathematics, science, writing, and other school subjects" (p. 8). Beginning the process of learning 21st
century skills in the primary
grades can support development of skills that are
needed in today’s global economy.
Timeline:
Stage
of ADDIE Model
|
Activity
to be implemented or completed
|
Date
|
Completed
|
Analysis
|
Google Form for teachers
Meeting with principal to identify building
goals
Meeting with assistant superintendent to
identify district goals
|
February
6-February 17
|
|
|
Consult
with online Google + communities for ideas, input, resources
|
Feb
6 - ongoing
|
|
|
Reach
out to Seesaw to communicate project – ask about design colors and fonts used
in their logo to mirror in visual design for site
|
Week
of Feb 12
|
|
|
Explore
Adobe Spark site to familiarize with capabilities for uploading multimedia
elements (look for color options that complement the Seesaw logo)
|
Week
of Feb 12
|
|
|
Begin
collecting Seesaw samples from classroom work (photos, video, audio links)
|
Feb
12-25
|
|
|
Develop
inspirational video (connection to week 6 mini art school assignment)
|
Week
of Feb 19
|
|
Design
|
Create
thumbnail sketch of site pages/elements
Rationale/objectives
|
Week
of Feb 26
|
|
|
Create
course description
|
Week
of Feb 26
|
|
|
Determine
needs for learner/facilitator (iPads, chromebooks, laptops, smart board)
|
Week
of Feb 26
|
|
|
Create
Google Form follow up
|
Week
of March 5
|
|
|
Use
design principles to determine layout:
Header
Photos
Columns
|
Week
of March 5
|
|
Development
|
Develop
plan for in person workshop
Collect physical materials
|
Week
of March 5
|
|
|
Organize
Spark Page to follow the flow of the workshop
|
March
5-26
|
|
|
Test
site
|
Week
of March 26
|
|
|
Finalize
date/availability during staff meeting time
|
Week
of March 12
|
|
|
Finalize
site to be shared with teachers
|
Week
of March 26
|
|
Implementation
|
Present
in person workshop to share site and explore activities
|
April
6
|
|
|
Add
site link to district Google Classroom for teachers to access on their own
|
April
7
|
|
|
Reflect
on workshop after presentation
|
Week
of April 10
|
|
|
Share
follow up Google Form for teacher feedback
|
Week
of April 10
|
|
Evaluation
|
Use
evaluation feedback to modify site
|
Week
of April 17
|
|
|
Invite
teachers in to observe or visit classrooms to help facilitate set up and
implementation
|
Week
of April 17
|
|
Sources:
Daley, E. (2003). Expanding the concept of
literacy. EDUCAUSE (March/April), 33-40.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills.
(2010) 21st Century Skills. Education & Competiveness: A
Resource and Policy guide. P. 1-17.
Walker, S., Jameson, J., & Ryan, M. (2010),
Skills and strategies for e-learning in a participatory culture. In R. Sharpe,
H. Beetham, &S. de Freitas (Eds.), Rethinking Learning for a Digital Age:
How Learners Are Shaping Their Own Experiences (pp. 212-224). Routledge: New
York, NY.
.
