Final Project

My problem: I have to buy all my own copy paper for my classroom. I would like to cut down on the amount of paper I use by using online survey tools to take formative and summative assessments.  I'm also interested in cutting down the amount of time I spend grading, so if these tools are able to help me with that I would love it!

Online Survey Tools

In the world of online survey tools you have several free options as well as paid options.  Since I am a teacher and funds are limited I was only interested in exploring the free options.

The most popular tool is Survey Monkey.

When you create a survey using this software your survey cannot be longer than 10 questions.  There are 15 different types of questions you could ask, and up to 100 people can respond to the survey.  I found that it was pretty easy to use.  The major drawback to this application is that you cannot export the data collected from the survey.

Another great survey tool I found is called Typeform or CORE Plan.

This website was so easy to use.  You can select a survey template or build your own.  There are a variety of different types of questions you could ask.  I really like the picture choice question.  For second graders this is a great way to assess.  It is also a great way to differentiate while assessing students.  A big difference between Typeform and Survey Monkey is that once you have collected data from your survey you are able to export the data.

However my favorite online survey tool was Google Forms.

Google Forms has a variety of different types of questions.  You can also add images and videos as part to your survey questions.  Additionally you can ask unlimited questions and have unlimited respondents.   The best feature of Google Forms is that is automatically collects the survey results into Google Sheets.  Since I had already set up a Google classroom, which students are familiar with logging in to it is easy to assign a survey for students to take.  While it doesn't exactly grade the form for me it allows me to see quickly what the student's responses were and analysis isn't difficult.  I was excited with how easy this application was to use, and it will solve my problem.

Within the SMAR model

This technology falls into the modification category.  These survey tools allow students to complete assessments and feedback questionnaires online instead of completing these tasks paper and pencil.  They also allow you to streamline how you collect and analyze data.  

Pecha Kucha

Do you all know what Pecha Kucha is?  I had never heard of it before!   It is a very strict format of no more or less than 20 slides which stays on the screen for 20 seconds or less! That's not a lot of time!  Some other key components to a Pecha Kucha is having a lot of high quality graphics and not a lot of text.  I could see how this format would be very beneficial especially for online classes.

I began by making myself a script.  I knew 20 seconds wasn't very long, and I needed to plan what I would say carefully.

Next I created my powerpoint presentation with graphics and text.  

Finally with my script in hand I used Screencast O Matic to capture my presentation.

Here is my presentation!

As far as the SMAR model I would place this in the augmentation category.  PowerPoint, Keynote, and Google Slides are all software programs that have existed for years.  Pecha Kucha is simply a model of creating presentations to increase engagement.  By cutting down on text, increasing graphics, and limiting the time presenters are forced to get to the heart of their content and make it as engaging as possible.

Screencast O Matic

What makes an online video engaging?  According to a study done by Melanie Hibbert at Columbia University there are five components which make an online video appealing to students.  

1. The content of the video should directly relate to the content of the course.

2. The instructor uses a conversational tone and humor while delivering the content.

3. The content of the video is not something the students could have just read as text.

4. A high quality production.

5. The video length is 4 minutes or less.

So with all of these factors in mind I created a video showing first year teachers how to create online report cards using Edline software.  I felt this was important because there are multiple steps to this process, and while there are written directions, many teachers need these directions shown to them multiple times. 

So let me just say that was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.  When I first tried it, I didn't pay attention to the time because I thought there is no way this will take longer than 4 minutes.  Well my first attempt was 8 minutes long.  So I had to redo it, and I felt like I was rushing to keep it under 4 minutes!  

Screencast O Matic was so easy to use.  It was also super easy to upload it to youtube!  I had no idea that if you have a google account you also have a youtube channel.  I thought it would be super difficult but it really wasn't, and once it was uploaded to my youtube channel it was really simple to embed the video in the blog post...way easier than Jing!

As far as the SMAR model goes, I would place this application in the modification level.  Students could read text and directions, but by creating a screencast you are able to show them first hand what they need to know thus modifying what they had before. They are also able to rewind and watch multiple times if necessary.  T

Prezi

I've heard of Prezi before, and have dabbled a little here and there, but this is the first presentation I have created all on my own!

Here it is!  Habitat Prezi

All in all it was pretty easy, especially if you choose a template that is already made for you.  I typically use PowerPoint to create presentations, so I probably could have done this a lot faster with PowerPoint simply because I'm more familiar with it.  I liked how easy it was to insert youtube videos into Prezi, and I have to admit that Prezi has a certain stylistic component that PowerPoint just doesn't have.  I think it is easier to add more slides and pictures in a PowerPoint presentation, also powerpoint has the option of adding timing to the transitions (to be fair I don't know if Prezi does or doesn't I didn't play with that aspect). Prezi recently added a collaboration piece of technology, which is similar to Google Slides.

In terms of the SAMR model I think Prezi is simply a substitution technology.  It takes to place of other presentation models like Powerpoint or Google Slides and doesn't provide any functional change in what they can offer.