The largest digital writing assignment I've ever created was the biggest flop. So let me share with you what I did, what happened and what I'd do differently.
**Group Instructions Project**
I was teaching a couple of sections of Professional and Technical Writing. A course requirement was a group project and instructions lend themselves naturally to a group assignment because of the complexity of creating an object, writing instructions, using illustrations, testing the final instructions on potential users, etc. The problem was I had five students that for legitimate reasons missed class frequently. I thought I had a perfect set of circumstances to try a distance-learning group project that used digital writing. I asked each potential member if they would be willing to do an online group and all agreed to participate.
''The assignment''
The assignment, in my mind at least, was straight-forward. They were to create a wiki using the U of M's wiki system that would explain to someone that hadn't used wikis before 1) what a wiki is 2) how to create a wiki 3) how to edit a wiki and 4) important issues that new users should consider before contributing or using a wiki. Group members didn't have to come to class (since their group had members in my morning and afternoon class) but they were expected to post each class period on the discussion board I created to divide up work and report back to the group to their progress. My assignment sheet was as clear as I could make it and about triple the length of my assignment sheet for the "traditional" assignment.
''What happened''
Absolutely nothing. The students obviously didn't really read the assignment sheet. Even when I sent emails to the group members reminding them to introduce themselves on the discussion board only one or two of them did so. More than a week into a two week project a few of them came to see me not understanding what a wiki was or why it was important for them to know.
Finally a two of the guys stepped up and took some leadership (grades are great motivators). They got the project divided up and one created the wiki and emailed his group with the link. But the group never became a group - they all did their segments of the project but didn't touch others sections even when their were obvious errors. They all claimed work as individuals and none of them did the posts that I required three times a week.
''What I would change''
If I were doing this assignment again I would require an initial face-to-face meeting with me to discuss the project, the objective and the requirements with the group. I would make individual points for participating in a timely manner as well as group points for having their work done so usability testing could occur. Not having them meet face to face was my largest mistake as a teacher, but I thought the introductions post and the post I asked them to do about their interests and strengths/weaknesses would start the conversation sufficiently. I failed to realize that EVERYTHING has to be for points in an online environment otherwise students see it as optional. Even when it is as important as communicating with their group, many students don't see communication as logically necessary.
If you want to see their final project it's at https://wiki.umn.edu/view/Main/Towar003.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church
Here is one of the photos I found that I would have included in my slideshow. This is my church back home, affectionately known as Church of the Holy Oil Can :)
Playing with Flickr
A few classes ago we were suppose to make some flickr slideshows and I hadn't had a chance to play around. So today (eek! I know how horrible this is) I did the assignment.
The only thing is I feel somehow not right downloading other people's photos when I don't have to. If I set them up as my favorites I can make a nice slideshow out of them (I did a show of University Circle in Cleveland) but I can't post them anywhere. Since I missed the chance to show them off in class I don't really see a reason to use other people's pictures. I will include one of the pictures I found, and would have used in a minute.
The only thing is I feel somehow not right downloading other people's photos when I don't have to. If I set them up as my favorites I can make a nice slideshow out of them (I did a show of University Circle in Cleveland) but I can't post them anywhere. Since I missed the chance to show them off in class I don't really see a reason to use other people's pictures. I will include one of the pictures I found, and would have used in a minute.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Wikis and group projects
Group projects are often dreaded by students who simply view them as extra work because it seems that more often than not you have a slacker among you. As a teacher, group projects can be hard to administer as you are not only teaching the subject matter, but also how to work with people, manage time, effectively criticize, divide responsibilities, etc.
Technologies can help but can also hinder the learning process. There is the learning curve and issue of access to the technology. There is the group vision that needs to be created and maintained throughout a project which can be harder to figure out when working remotely from each other. There also can be a lot more "big brother" going on when a teacher (and anyone else) can see who's been doing what and when.
Scott set up a wiki for our group project: a resource for Middle School teachers that would like to teach reader's theatre using technology. It sounds really cool, but I'm totally the novice in this and feel slightly out of my element as I try to figure out what I can possibly do to help... eeekkk! Working on a wiki with a subject area novice, Scott is brave. I'd like to do some interviews - maybe as podcasts (or perhaps vlogs) - with teachers that are currently using podcasting in their classrooms. I think it would be especially useful if we actually had middle school teachers to interview. Wonder where I can find some of those?
Technologies can help but can also hinder the learning process. There is the learning curve and issue of access to the technology. There is the group vision that needs to be created and maintained throughout a project which can be harder to figure out when working remotely from each other. There also can be a lot more "big brother" going on when a teacher (and anyone else) can see who's been doing what and when.
Scott set up a wiki for our group project: a resource for Middle School teachers that would like to teach reader's theatre using technology. It sounds really cool, but I'm totally the novice in this and feel slightly out of my element as I try to figure out what I can possibly do to help... eeekkk! Working on a wiki with a subject area novice, Scott is brave. I'd like to do some interviews - maybe as podcasts (or perhaps vlogs) - with teachers that are currently using podcasting in their classrooms. I think it would be especially useful if we actually had middle school teachers to interview. Wonder where I can find some of those?
Inspiration and other digital notetaking tools
I'm not a fan of digital brainstorming and organizational tools. I'm sure they work for someone, but to-date they haven't worked for me. Back in 2001 I tried a few attempts at computer-based notebooks that allowed a user to create outlines and notes and stories. Exporting them to MS Word was close to impossible and most of my writing (not that it was a tremendous amount) got stranded on these third-party apps.
Later I tried some programs like OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle. They seemed to be user friendly- but I didn't seem to have an idea in my head as to what I would do with them! So they sat on the computer unused.
Another C&I class wanted us to use Inspiration to put up our ideas. It was horrid. I think I perspired more than I was inspired trying to understand how to use the system. I never did figure out why you'd want to write on the lines.
This semester I decided to try Compendium because of the orientation videos we saw in class. There is still a steep learning curve and I really need to view the videos to figure out how do some basic things, but it appears to be useful in a way that other notetaking/mapping tools are not. I'm going to try to take the time to use it as a tool for my planning for a research project and see if it can be useful for me.
I'm still not sold on the idea of digital planning tools ... a steep learning curve makes them impractical for use in the classroom. With the current whiteboard technology that will allow students to draw, type and share in real-time, I'm wondering if the time for these software apps is past.
Later I tried some programs like OmniOutliner and OmniGraffle. They seemed to be user friendly- but I didn't seem to have an idea in my head as to what I would do with them! So they sat on the computer unused.
Another C&I class wanted us to use Inspiration to put up our ideas. It was horrid. I think I perspired more than I was inspired trying to understand how to use the system. I never did figure out why you'd want to write on the lines.
This semester I decided to try Compendium because of the orientation videos we saw in class. There is still a steep learning curve and I really need to view the videos to figure out how do some basic things, but it appears to be useful in a way that other notetaking/mapping tools are not. I'm going to try to take the time to use it as a tool for my planning for a research project and see if it can be useful for me.
I'm still not sold on the idea of digital planning tools ... a steep learning curve makes them impractical for use in the classroom. With the current whiteboard technology that will allow students to draw, type and share in real-time, I'm wondering if the time for these software apps is past.
True confessions of a college researcher
We were asked to talk a little about our methods as a researcher and what databases we use, how we determine validity/credibility and how we organize it for writing.
*Takes deep breath* I'm not much of a library person. I like libraries in theory well enough, but they just aren't very convenient. They are for some things (I mean I go to the Roseville Library/Dunn Bros. at least 3 times a week) - to grab a new mystery, rent a video, to study away from your apartment, and grab a cup of coffee. However, my local library does NOT have the academic sources that I need.
And I guess I'm just lazy. I don't want to travel a half hour to go to the U's library only to discover what I thought I needed isn't really useful, is lost, or someone else has checked it out before me. I adore full text. My search strategies are biased toward not having to change out of my Eeyore slippers and fuzzy pajama pants on a Saturday.
How do I research then? My absolutely favorite search engines are things like Educational Full Text and Google Scholar (GS). Google scholar might raise a few eyebrows, but I often can get better sources faster using GS and changing my key words because I can look at the articles to see if they are relevant. Also the U has a find it feature that allows me to get articles that aren't available for everyone but that are through the U. Advanced features allow me to sort limiting by year or by being a peer-reviewed source. Sometimes I find that I can get through GS what I can't get through the U due to broken links or paper-only availability.
What about needing a book? I actually do break down and go to the library for some things, but a portion of the time I buy used books online. Shipped right to your door many times for less than you might think. And there are never any overdue notices, fines or recalls!
How do I organize information? Sadly I'm not completely digital native - I usually cut and paste sections of text (and page numbers) into a Word document. I then open another document where I write the paper itself. I'll copy over direct quotes from my source text but most of the time I'll paraphrase from my source text and delete the source text as it is incorporated. This way I know that I haven't plagiarized and can see what material I still plan on incorporating, Many times I will make some book marks of online sources so I can get back to information easily.
I have not used de.lico.us but I am interested in perhaps using it in the future. I'm not sure i would be sharing my bookmarks with many people - who would be that interested? - but perhaps I will see uses for it once I start using it.
*Takes deep breath* I'm not much of a library person. I like libraries in theory well enough, but they just aren't very convenient. They are for some things (I mean I go to the Roseville Library/Dunn Bros. at least 3 times a week) - to grab a new mystery, rent a video, to study away from your apartment, and grab a cup of coffee. However, my local library does NOT have the academic sources that I need.
And I guess I'm just lazy. I don't want to travel a half hour to go to the U's library only to discover what I thought I needed isn't really useful, is lost, or someone else has checked it out before me. I adore full text. My search strategies are biased toward not having to change out of my Eeyore slippers and fuzzy pajama pants on a Saturday.
How do I research then? My absolutely favorite search engines are things like Educational Full Text and Google Scholar (GS). Google scholar might raise a few eyebrows, but I often can get better sources faster using GS and changing my key words because I can look at the articles to see if they are relevant. Also the U has a find it feature that allows me to get articles that aren't available for everyone but that are through the U. Advanced features allow me to sort limiting by year or by being a peer-reviewed source. Sometimes I find that I can get through GS what I can't get through the U due to broken links or paper-only availability.
What about needing a book? I actually do break down and go to the library for some things, but a portion of the time I buy used books online. Shipped right to your door many times for less than you might think. And there are never any overdue notices, fines or recalls!
How do I organize information? Sadly I'm not completely digital native - I usually cut and paste sections of text (and page numbers) into a Word document. I then open another document where I write the paper itself. I'll copy over direct quotes from my source text but most of the time I'll paraphrase from my source text and delete the source text as it is incorporated. This way I know that I haven't plagiarized and can see what material I still plan on incorporating, Many times I will make some book marks of online sources so I can get back to information easily.
I have not used de.lico.us but I am interested in perhaps using it in the future. I'm not sure i would be sharing my bookmarks with many people - who would be that interested? - but perhaps I will see uses for it once I start using it.
Watching all the balls drop
Supposedly successful people are able to juggle many things at once. I used to be fairly good at the juggling act, but now I'm trying something new --- it is called letting all the balls drop. This blog is one of the many balls attacking me. Perhaps referring to these balls as bludgers trying to knock me to the ground is a more accurate (and colorful) description.
I've been doing a lot of playing around with Moodle for presenting in class. The next week's debate sounds like it is going to be fun. I've downloaded so many new pieces of software recently to try out I'm getting confused what does what. Let me look into them and then I will post a little review of what I've downloaded and if I'm going to keep it.
I've been doing a lot of playing around with Moodle for presenting in class. The next week's debate sounds like it is going to be fun. I've downloaded so many new pieces of software recently to try out I'm getting confused what does what. Let me look into them and then I will post a little review of what I've downloaded and if I'm going to keep it.
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