Assignment #1 - Educational Technology Tool

For this assignment, you will be creating a video that introduces an Ed Tech Tool that directly relates to teaching & learning (for example, introducing Canvas is less useful, and a tool like Canva (Links to an external site.) might be more useful). On the Google Doc sign-up (Links to an external site.), please specify what tool you are thinking of, so we don't have overlap. Don't worry, I don't expect you to be an expert in this tool, but I do want you to "play around" with it to see how you can use it in your classroom. Your video will provide an overview of how this tool can be used to support educational outcomes. Here is the link to FlipGrid Links to an external site. and the password is: gleason501 if needed. Or, you can use Canvas Studio as well-- your choice!

1. Overview of the features of the tool (including 3 affordances & 3 constraints).

Overview of the features of the tool (including 3 affordances & 3 constraints). For example, remembering that affordances mean the “possibilities” made possible through technology, I would say Twitter affords communication (conversation), information-sharing, identity development, and more.

For the affordances section, remember to tie your tool into the unit topic. For example, how does this tool afford learning (unit 2)? How does it afford learning "with technology" (unit 3)? How does it afford the development of new literacies (unit 5)? How does it afford equity-oriented education (unit 6)? 

Twitter does have constraints, including communicative constraints (people have limited text to compose, interact, etc), interpersonal constraints (you can follow, and be followed by, people you may not have a relationship with), and emotional/affective constraints (Twitter seems to engage people’s emotions in a different way than say, Facebook).

2. Classroom Application.

Here, you will suggest (at least) 3 ways this tool can be used in the classroom-- but remember, this is a short video, so your proposals for classroom application will be at the "idea level" and not at the "formal lesson plan level." For example, if I were doing Twitter, I would suggest that English teachers can use Twitter for character analysis (e.g., having students tweet as particular characters), History teachers can create a class hashtag (e.g., having students share information about #GunReform), and PE teachers can lead Twitter chats about particular topics (e.g., fitness trends). Then, I would explain (briefly) more about using Twitter in each classroom (English, History, PE). Note: you can stick to your classroom, or think more broadly (at the grade, school, or district level). 

Take-Away Tip: 

In this concluding section, you will summarize purposes of this tool, affordances/constraints, classroom application AND provide 1-3 "take-away tips" for your audience. If I were introducing Twitter, one of my "take-away tips" would explain how Twitter affords new learning practices in the classroom, and for that reason, letting a student tweet from the classroom account for a week helps students develop authentic, competent new literacies practices. 

Requirements:

The video should be around 5 minutes long and should be as "polished" as other final products (i.e., your video doesn't have to be memorized, but it should look professional). 

In addition to your own video, you will create short (less than 3 minutes) video responses to 2 peers. For your response, you should consider how the tool can work in YOUR CLASSROOM. How might you adapt the tool for your teaching & learning purposes? 

Note: 

Please submit "your video" by 9/5. However, in order to be graded in Canvas, please submit links to your videos (link to your FlipGrid video, and one link to each of your 2 video responses) in the textbox below by September 5.