Your Name and Title: Jennifer Garcia
Learning Resources Centre Coordinator and ICT Teacher
School, Library, or Organization Name: Academia Britanica Cuscatleca
Co-Presenter Name(s): Silvia Serrano Head of ICT, Rodrigo Alfaro, ICT Teacher
Country from Which You Will Present: El Salvador
Language in Which You Will Present: English
Target Audience (such as primary school teachers, high school administrators, students, etc.): Primary and Middle School
Short Session Description (one line):
Teaching global awareness is taken to a brand new level when students plan, write and perform raps songs, produce music videos and collaborate across borders.
Full Session Description (one paragraph minimum):
When given the opportunity to make important choices, apply their creativity in an activity, which utlises extremely powerful and versatile digital tools, students tend to show a great deal of interest and strive to do their very best work. This effect is even greater when classes are paired up with those in other schools.
The project is designed to teach middle school students about global issues, utilising an array of digital tools, each of which are taught over the course of the project. It addresses technology skills through the Nets and offers a venue for bringing together students from different schools/countries in the creation of an online global issues wiki.
During the session, attendees will be given an overview of the skills covered in the project and the applications/tools that make it a success. Insight will be gained into how Google Documents, iMovie and MovieMaker, GarageBand and Audacity, Wikis, YouTube and Blabbarize can be leveraged to create powerful highly motivational learning experiences for students.
Participants will be shown examples of student work, as well as the steps to take in the development of such a project. Possible methods for searching out and linking up with partner schools will be discussed and lead on to potential challenges and ways to meet these challenges.
A realistic timeline including suggestions for specific lessons will be shared, along with the online lessons for the project at http://a-better-world.wikispaces.com. Ideas for structuring follow-up activities such as video conferencing and alternative takes on the project will also be discussed.
The project includes a series of digital lessons, housed in the teaching wiki or linked to from the wiki, which will be shared with participants. This wiki allows for ease of access to all partner schools and students. This resource contains an overview of the project, step by step lessons/online tutorials, as well as assessment criteria and links to the student project pages.
The final outcome of the project, the wiki pages containing the audio and videos is only one way of measuring success. Attendees will be shared into the rubric that is used as a guide for students as well as a tool for monitoring and recording anecdotal notes about student progress each step of way.
During the presentation the A Better World wiki will be used to demonstrate the online lessons used in managing the project, as well as collections of student work.
Participants will be taken through the main steps in the project one at a time, with reference to appropriate equipment and applications used to complete each step. Workarounds and alternative set ups and applications, will also be shared with participants
The presentation will begin with an overview of the project, which includes the online lessons and student project pages in the project wiki. Initial discussion will centre on the progression of activities, the time line for the project and sharing of some student projects.
A collection of sources for student research will be shared through the A Better World wiki, and alternative sources discussed. This will be followed by a discussion of the learning outcomes with reference to the rubric and how it was used, a rough timeline for lessons, as well as a discussion of the various challenges that were encountered.
Participants will learn how students use Google Text documents collaboratively, to collect relevant research notes, and structure the lyrics for their rap songs. We will discuss the benefits, as well as challenges, of collaborative writing, and identify ideas for leveraging the power of sharing, revision and comment options. Time will be taken to discuss effective ways of working, with students, utilising Google Docs, with a mind to highlighting ways to effectively manage and monitor student work and progress, while engaging students in the learning experience.
Participants will be taken through the recording process, examining options for voice recording including cell phones, iPads, Garageband and Audacity. They will also be shown how within both Garageband and Audacity students can create and remix audio loops for the Rap tracks. Again, ways of working will be spotlighted and potential issues identified.
Next participants will be shown Blabberize as well as a variety of alternative applications for creating talking or singing avatars. Participants will engage in discussion centered around best use and recommendations for achieving talking images that can be incorporated and dubbed into a final video.
Video performance, technical considerations, privacy issues, teamwork/roles and respect are areas that will be discussed while describing the filming process. Options for appropriate equipment will be shared as well as video editing ideas and applications, both free and purchased.
Participants will learn how to manage a shared wiki as a repository for student projects, while enabling all members’ access to editing. Sites and blogs will also be mentioned as alternatives for housing collaborative online projects. The use of YouTube as a repository for student video work will also be mentioned.
Further discussion will centre on methods for searching for and linking up with partner schools and the various, often, unanticipated issues, that schools may face. Topics will include web conference preparation and considerations, privacy issues, working across time zones, netiquette and sharing online spaces.
Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session:
http://www.iste.org/store/product?ID=305
http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/
http://a-better-world.wikispaces.com
http://education.skype.com/
http://www.globalschoolnet.org/
http://langwitches.wikispaces.com/Get+Globally+Connected
http://epals.com
http://live.classroom20.com/1/post/2010/9/global-education-conference-special-guests-steve-hargadon-lucy-gray-julie-lindsay.html
http://langwitches.org/blog/2011/07/09/the-global-competency-matrix/
Growing Up Global: Raising Children to be At Home in the World
By Homa Sabet Tavangar http://growingupglobal.net/page.php?id=2
http://www.ted.com/talks/view/lang/eng//id/1219
High Noon 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them by Jean-francois Rischard
http://www.amazon.com/High-Global-Problems-Years-Solve/dp/0465070108
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