Technology Plans

In regard to my final project for the seminar, I've prepared a flipped classroom lesson.  It would be a segment in a series on Biblical cantillation aimed at an audience of grades 6+.  It is a video-lecture that was prepared by smashing the following apps:

• iMovie
• Green Screen by Do Ink
• DavkaWriter
• Explain Everything
• Garage Band
• Drawing Pad
• Tellagami
• Action Movie

After viewing the "lecture," students would be directed to an activity such as:

• Blogging observations and questions.
• Practicing skills using auditory feedback.

For this coming school year, I hope to utilize the flipped classroom approach frequently for instruction, demonstration, and modeling in a variety of subject areas.  Then, depending on the subject, the learning objective(s), and the need for accommodation and scaffolding, I have the choice of many tools for:

·      Guided Practice – helping students start practicing new skills and applying new knowledge (Google  Docs (recording/audio feedback, project based learning, webquests, Google Docs self-grading quizzes, Quizzlet, and more).

·      Independent Practice — turning them loose to work on their own and in collaboration (digital storytelling, blogging, et al.).

I also look forward to the innumerable benefits of encouraging students’ creativity and providing opportunities to publish and share their individual and collaborative work with one another and the school community.

My Big Takeaways from the TTF

I am excited about the idea of introducing video-making into the classroom.  I think the kids are really going to enjoy it and I think that the various cuts done in film open up possibilities for exploring various ways to interpret and understand the Torah text.  Ideally, I would want my students to be as independent as possible with the editing and posting of video, music and pdf's.  As I ease into this, I imagine that I will be handling a lot of the final production elements and am a bit concerned about how much time that will take.  I think that I would benefit from further exploration of easy to use technology for the students to be empowered to complete the project themselves.

Wikispaces is a great, simple to use tool for my classroom.  I have been sending out weekly e-mails with assignments and class summaries but would be better served compiling it all onto wiki.