Evaluate 3.1.2 – Self-Reflection on Teaching Abilities Quest

eportfolio:
https://goo.gl/NAv8Uf

Google Sites "Just Starting" Webinar comments:

"The instructor clearly knew her stuff and was interesting. I'm a little technologically challenged, so I'll probably need to go back and review the powerpoint she sent."


Post-course survey comments:

"STEM417.18 PBS National User # 4 - I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator. -Yes -Brilliant facilitation!!! First rate!!"

"STEM417.18 PBS National User # 8 - I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator. - Yes - Charolett was awesome!"

"STEM412.22 PBS National User # 2  I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator. - Yes - CAT was a fantastic facilitator. She was well-versed and very helpful."

"SCIE512.5 PBS National User # 2 I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator. -Yes- CT was very flexible and asked great questions to get the conversations flowing."

"TECH401.15 PBS National User # 1 - I would recommend that my colleagues take a course taught by this facilitator.  - Yes - Encouraging, objective, and offered reminders."


LinkedIn:

"Charlotte was an active facilitator of the online learning discussions during our PBS Earth Science class. She posted questions to deepen and encourage our dialogue and made the online community seem a friendly place for us to share with our colleagues."

"I took a class under Charlotte with PBS Teacherline. She exemplified the best type of online educator. She developed creative exercises, distributed great lists of resources, facilitated student-to-student communication, and gave prompt, relevant feedback. I felt that I got outstanding value from her course leadership, and have recommended PBS Teacherline courses to many other teachers as a result of my experience."

Evaluate 2.1.2 – Rubrics and Competencies Quest

Compentency:  S6E4. Students will understand how the distribution of land and oceans affects climate and weather. 

a. Demonstrate that land and water absorb and lose heat at different rates and explain the resulting effects on weather patterns. 

b. Relate unequal heating of land and water surfaces to form large global wind systems and weather events such as tornados and thunderstorms. 

Students will complete most of the assignments in the chart below, choosing the assignments they need in order to show competency. They will need to complete the data table, graph, one of the breeze videos, either the Global Winds and Jet Streams video or read the article on global winds, then choose how to present their product.

     Learning Objectives                          Assignment                                    Competency Indicator

a. Demonstrate that land and water absorb and lose heat at different rates and explain the resulting effects on weather patterns.	Heating Earth's Surfaces-lab activity *data table *graph *2 videos, land breezes, sea breezes *1 video Global Winds and Jet Streams *read article Global Wind Belts *post in discussion forum	Explain in the discussion forum how unequal heating of Earth's surfaces and local winds are related.
b. Relate unequal heating of land and water surfaces to form large global wind systems and weather events such as tornados and thunderstorms.	Choose how to show knowledge: *choice of essay, infographic, or digital story	Explain weather patterns, global winds, tornados and thunderstorms resulting from different rates of heating earth's surfaces.

Evaluate 3.1.1 – Differentiation Quest

I have taken real data from Gradecam and removed names in accordance with FERPA.

The Assignment Report above shows 4 classes' performance on each question of a pop quiz. The quiz was given to students to determine their knowledge of electricity and magnetism prior to assigning a summative assessment involving the same topics. Items 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 are questions on how electricity and magnetism are related and need reteaching prior to moving on. Items 5-8 specifically need to be addressed with all students. Understanding will be closely monitored. This quiz was taken by the students the day prior to spring break and they might not have been able to focus on the task as well as they should. After reviewing the questions missed most often by the 99 students (item analysis below) who took the quiz, I have determined question #2 to have two possible answers, either A or C. At the next synchronous meeting I will target items 5-8 as discussion topics. The class also has 9 inclusion students that work with a resource teacher during a tutorial class. I will ask the resource teacher to work with the students on items 5-8 to increase their understanding of the relationshiop between electricity and magnetism.

I will create a Kahoot review game and a Quizlet study game specifically targeting items 5-8 while including the other items. The standard is knowledge All students will have access to the synchronous meeting, review games and further "explanation videos." The summative assessment is a choice of creating a PowToon, Prezi or an infographic. All the choices have the same requirements. 
Students will be completing their summative assessment individually, but will be able to rely on their peer group for editing purposes. Groups will be formed according to results from Quizlet and/or Kahoot. There will be three students per group with low groups (scores 64 and below) mid-level (scores between 71-79) and higher-level groups (above 79). I will be available to all groups for assistance but will meet with and check in with the lower groups more frequently. Grouping by ability level allows students to learn at their own pace and to learn materials more deeply. There is power in a group that collaborates well. 

Evaluate 2.1.1 Data Driven Instruction, Analytics, Reporting Tools Quest

created at https://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/ 

The image above shows how many students are enrolled in each class, the term, start date and end date.

The image above shows who is paying for the course, whether or not the student completed orientation, the assessment the student will complete, and the type of student. This information is useful to the teacher in that it reveals the commitment level a student may have to the course. If the student is paying for the course, they might be more inclined to put forth more effort. If a student has not completed the orientation, they might have difficulty navigating the course and would need encouragement to complete the orientation or may even need assistance with orientation. 

This image shows a record of contacts made by the teacher to students and parents regarding progress in the course. This information serves as a record of attempts made to let stakeholders know this student is failing the course after one month. Whether the news is positive or negative, a record of comments must be maintained within the course.

The image above shows a welcome email was sent at the beginning of the course, then an update was sent to the parents of the student letting them know how well he student is doing in the class. All students' parents should receive updates on the progress of the student on a regular basis.

According to the description of the image above, the fractions on the left represent "...how many grades each student has scored..." and "...shows page views by student and date accessed." I am reading this chart as each row representing one student, the number of page views is the colored blocks and the dates shown across the bottom covers a period of two weeks. I am also assuming that graded means completed the assignment and the teacher has scored the assignment.

The first two students access the course almost every day. Students #1, #3, #4, #5 and #6 entered the course either Saturday or Sunday. Six students either returned or began on Monday. 

Student #7 returned on Friday to complete his/her assignments for the week, showing he/she may have rushed just to get it finished. Then Student #7 did not return at all the following week. Student #6 had a better first week than the second week as far as participation goes, but waited until Friday of the second week to enter and work on the course. Students #6, #7, #8, and #9 need to be contacted by email and a phone call with parents to discuss the importance of logging in and working on the course on a regular basis. Grades should also be discussed at this time as well as any technical difficulties the student may be experiencing.

Student #5 accessed the course on a regular basis but completed only 26 out of 59 assignments. This student needs a parental contact in order to discuss regular participation, assignment completion, and asking for help when needed. 

It was suggested to pay particular attention to how often email and grades are accessed, but there is no way to view this information in this graphic.

The above image shows major grades with one assignment that has not been completed. There is a typo in the first comment, it should say "state" and not "tate." It appears from the comment the teacher is allowing the student to redo the first assignment. The feedback on the third assignment is supportive and tells the student exactly what the teacher likes about the work. 

This image shows missed quiz questions the student needs to review.

Shown here is a portion of the grade book with grades and a link to personal feedback. This student is doing well.

Above is the detailed feedback for an assignment (I infer the Resume). Suggestions are made for improvement.

I suggest a policy for this virtual school that all students be required to login and participate a minimum of 4 different days of the week with no more than 2 days between logins.

Resources

https://www.jasondavies.com/wordcloud/ Copyright © Jason Davies The generated word clouds may be used for any purpose.

Evaluate 1.1.3 – The Summative Assessment Quest

Showcase an assessment created and include how the method was used to assess the validity, reliability, and security. Post the assessment in your blog.

Validity: 
The test was designed to test what students learned during classification lessons as well as some inquiry standards embedded within the lessons. Distractor responses are included in possible answers. 

Malamed suggests using these guidelines for validity:

1. "Keep the test items aligned with the high priority learning objectives.
2. Develop test items that measure the application of knowledge, as in scenario-based items.
3. Have test items reviewed by an expert who understands the skills that the workplace requires.
4. Ask a few target members of the audience to read through the test questions to ensure they are clearly worded.
5. Allow a test to evolve by monitoring learner performance. Revise items that cause difficulty or revise that aspect of the course."

Reliability:
Prior to taking the test, the online instructor should have a very good idea of how each student should score on the summative assessment based on formative assessments. A student's test score should be close to their course average. The test results should be similar to the overall average in the course. The test I have shared below was written by myself and given to my 6th-grade science classes as well as to the students taught by the other 6th-grade science teacher. Our test score averages were very close. Because this test is not a major test such as a benchmark, there are only 20 questions.

Reliability can be assessed by asking the following according to Malamed: 
"A test that is reliable will have a degree of consistency evidenced by these characteristics:

• The test items seem similar or highly related. The test comes together as one whole.
• There are no great leaps in difficulty, wording and tone. It might seem like one person wrote the entire test.
• If the test were administered to similar groups, you would see similarities in the scores across the groups.
• The test is long enough to assess the learner’s knowledge. Very short tests are more affected by the 'luck factor.'"

Standards:
6-1.2 Differentiate between observation and inference during the analysis and interpretation of data.

6-1.3 Classify organisms, objects, and materials according to their physical characteristics by using a dichotomous key.

6-1.5 Use appropriate safety procedures when conducting investigations.

6-2.1 Summarize the characteristics that all organisms share.

6-2.2 Recognize the hierarchical structure of the classification (taxonomy) of organisms (including the seven major levels or categories of living things—namely, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species).

6-2.6 Differentiate between the processes of sexual and asexual reproduction of flowering plants.

6-2.8 Explain how plants respond to external stimuli.

6-3.4 Explain how environmental stimuli cause physical responses in animals

Classification Test

Security:
There is only one question per page. The test-taker may not go back to previous questions when logged in. In order for viewers of this blog to see the test, the one-response setting is turned off.  I installed an add-on that will automatically close the test at a specific time.



Resources

Bergan, John Richard, John Robert Bergan, Kathryn Bergan, Christine Burnham, Scott Cunningham, Jason Feld, Karyn White, and Kerridan Kawecki. Building Reliable and Valid Benchmark Assessments. Rep. Tucson, AZ: Assessment Technology, Incorporated, 2013. Assessment Technology Incorporated, 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ati-online.com/pdfs/researchK12/BuildingReliableBenchmarks.pdf>.

Malamed, Connie. "Are Your Online Tests Reliable?" The ELearning Coach. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/are-your-online-tests-reliable/>.

Malamed, Connie. "Are Your Online Tests Valid?" The ELearning Coach. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2016. <http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/isd/are-your-online-tests-valid/>.

Evaluate 1.1.2 Quality Feedback Quest

Discuss aspects of the sample that align with the best practices discussed in this quest.

The feedback provided below is a formative assessment given to students as they worked on an assignment. The students were guided toward completion with necessary information on what additional items need to be included or corrected and what items meet the requirements of the assignment.

In this case, corrective feedback is given with the reassurance the student is doing the assignment correctly. The feedback encourages the student to continue working toward completion.

The feedback for this student encourages her to follow the requirements of the assignment yet states the work already completed is good.

The feedback in this case lets the student know their information is correct but there is one more item needed for completion.

Resources

Stenger, Marianne. "5 Research-Based Tips for Providing Students with Meaningful Feedback." Edutopia. N.p., 06 Aug. 2014. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. <http://www.edutopia.org/blog/tips-providing-students-meaningful-feedback-marianne-stenger>.

"ION | Illinois Online Network." ION Tutorials. University of Illinois, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ion.uillinois.edu/resources/tutorials/pedagogy/>.

Wiggins, Grant. "Seven Keys to Effective Feedback." Educational Leadership:Feedback for Learning:Seven Keys to Effective Feedback. ASCD, Sept. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept12/vol70/num01/Seven-Keys-to-Effective-Feedback.aspx>.

Evaluate 1.1.1 – Formative Assessment Quest

How might a teacher employ ways to assess student readiness for course content and method of delivery? To demonstrate this, create a formative assessment in a demo course you are creating. 

Formative assessments are an essential tool for the online teacher and give the teacher valuable information as to what areas need to be the focus of instruction. In order to be able to assist a student, one must know where they are in their learning, thus formative assessments. Synchronous meetings allow direct observations, but may not always be as revealing as we would like. Through frequent formative assessments such as a Google Form (ticket-out-the-door), a Monkey survey, or a short Flubaroo quiz with just a quick couple of questions, a teacher is able to learn the level of understanding students have at that particular moment and then differentiate instruction if necessary. 

One method of formative assessment I like to use during the teaching/learning process is the discussion board. I feel it is important for course participants to engage in a conversation regarding content and to have an opportunity to clear up any misconceptions using evidence from the course as soon as possible. Here is a link to a specific question designed to begin a discussion on land and sea breezes: https://goo.gl/OD5TCV.

Screenshot of discussion:

Create 4.1.3 – Aggregating Lesson Material Quest

Blendspace by Tes is an aggregation tool developed for teachers. Many types of digital content can be created, organized and stored for use in future courses. Blendspace is one of the most user-friendly digital sharing platforms. It is graphically attractive, clean-looking and has many features teachers find useful. Resources can be dragged and dropped into a lesson. This platform is used to flip classes, problem-based-learning, and to create, organize and share lessons. Blendspace is free.

Schoology is a free LMS tool. Content can be uploaded or created within the system, and then saved to use in later Schoology courses. Here, one is able to upload learning objects, documents, presentations, videos and other resources as well as create an area for communication. For individual teachers Schoology is free, but there is an Enterprise version available.

Edmego is a cloud-based paid LMS. At $295/month Edmego features preloaded SCORM and AICC courses and a place where one can upload and share content. Assessment and goal setting are also featured in Edmego. Content can be stored and accessed at any time to use in future courses. This tool is used mainly in business.


Resources:

"Resources." Georgia Virtual Learning. Georgia Department of Education, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://www.gavirtuallearning.org/Resources/SharedLandingPage.aspx>.

Shankar, Viswanath. "CMS and LMS – A Comparison." Web log post. ContentManagementNews. N.p., 20 Feb. 2007. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://www.contentmanagementnews.com/cms-and-lms-a-comparison-2007-02>.

Yanchury, Amanda. "The Current Top 5 Highest-Rated Learning Management Systems (LMS)." Web log post. InsiderHub. N.p., 01 Dec. 2014. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://www.insiderhub.com/the-current-top-5-highest-rated-learning-management-systems-lms/>.

Create 4.1.2 – Principles of Building Portable Learning Objects Quest

Based upon your specific content area, build two high quality, reusable learning objects. 

Descriptions of each layer of Earth's atmosphere.
This Prezi includes a short video about each layer.

I created this Powtoon as a sea breeze earlier in this course. 

Today, I edited it in Powtoon to show a land breeze.

Create 4.1.1 – Define and Explain Learning Object Authoring Tools Quest

Based on an understanding of learning object authoring tools, locate five tools–three tools that are free to use and two that are fee/subscription based (note that some web 2.0 tools may also serve as object-authoring tools).

Free:

Scratch is a free online tool where one is able to code stories, games, music, and animations. The work can be shared with others through YouTube, Edmodo, or downloaded. Creators may return to Scratch and edit or modify any previously saved file. I used Scratch to create an announcement to use in a quest for this course. Students could use Scratch to create an alternative summative assessment or a culminating activity.

Quizlet has a free basic account with an option to pay for an upgrade with more features and no advertisements. The basic account is all that is needed. Students and teachers can create study tools as formative assessments, save their work and return later to edit. Study sets can be shared with others, copied and then edited to fit one's needs. An interesting fact about Quizlet is that it was created by a student as a study tool, shared with friends and continued to grow from there. A new study game was just released within the past month (March 2016). My face-to-face students find Quizlet an excellent tool to use when reviewing content. Many make their own flashcards on Quizlet.

Prezi - a basic account is free and a more advanced account with additional features is offered on a subscription basis. Prezi is a different way to create presentations. Information is placed on one screen and is shown by zooming or panning on each idea. Images and videos can be included. From the home page, one is able to click on any part of interest. Both students and teachers can use Prezi to present information. Students can create a Prezi as a summative assessment or culminating project. Collaboration amongst students is allowed within a presentation, supporting a simulation of teamwork in the workplace.

Paid: 

Articulate Storyline has a free trial then requires a paid subscription beginning at $199 per month on up to over $1000. Articulate Storyline allows users to create a course, assess students' work, reuse content, create screencasts, add any video, create software simulations, and tons of other features are also available. For me, there is one huge drawback: Articulate is a Windows-Only product. According to David Anderson, "All you need to do is get virtual environment software that creates a Windows interface on your Mac. There are a ton of options for creating virtual environments, including Parallels, Apple Boot Camp, and VMware." However, from the number questions he receives on his blog, it seems there are a lot of bugs to work out. I would prefer to have a Mac version rather than have to install a virtual environment software in order to use Articulate. 

I purchased a year-long pro account with PowToons and have used it several times within the TOOL course as well as with my 6th-grade science face-to-face students. The user is in control of the content and is able to add photos as backgrounds, add music or record voice to enhance understanding. A PowToon presentation can be used in multiple learning environments, stored and reused in later courses. The presentation can be edited at any time as long as the owner has a paid subscription.

Resources:

Anderson, David. "How to Use Articulate Storyline on a Mac - E-Learning Heroes." E-Learning Heroes. Articulate Global, Inc., n.d. Web. 12 Mar. 2016. <https://community.articulate.com/articles/articulate-storyline-for-mac?_ga=1.139535603.1701056953.1457280311>.

"Articulate Online - Track E-Learning Activity Easily." Articulate Online - Track E-Learning Activity Easily. Articulate Global, Inc., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <https://www.articulate.com/products/articulate-online.php>.

Kuhlmann, Tom. "How to Create Interactive E-Learning | The Rapid E-Learning Blog." The Rapid ELearning Blog RSS. N.p., 30 Apr. 2012. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <http://blogs.articulate.com/rapid-elearning/how-to-create-interactive-e-learning/>.

Pappas, Christopher. "Free and Open Source Authoring Tools for E-Learning - EFront Blog." EFront Blog. Epignosis, 16 Oct. 2010. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <http://www.efrontlearning.net/blog/2010/10/open-source-authoring-tools-for-e.html>.

"PowToon - Brings Awesomeness to Your Presentations." PowToon. PowToon, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <https://www.powtoon.com/>.

"The Presentation Software for When It Matters." Prezi.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <https://prezi.com/>.

"Quizlet For Teachers." Quizlet. Quizlet Inc., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <https://quizlet.com/teachers>.

"Scratch - Imagine, Program, Share." Scratch - Imagine, Program, Share. MIT Media Lab, n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. <https://scratch.mit.edu/>.

Create 3.1.3 – Locating Resources Quest

Open educational resources are available in a variety of mediums. Using the content topic previously selected, locate an image, applicable text, and a multimedia object that apply to the topic. Ensure the resources are cited properly and post these items in your blog with the links.

 By Dan Craggs (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0) or GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html], via Wikimedia Commons

"Air Masses." CK-12. CK-12 Foundation, n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ck12.org/earth-science/Air-Masses/lesson/Air-Masses/>.

Except as expressly otherwise noted, all CK-12 Content (including CK-12 Curriculum Material) is made available to Users in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC) License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) , as amended and updated by Creative Commons from time to time (the “CC BY-NC License”), which is incorporated herein by this reference.

"Air Mass - Video Learning - WizScience.com." YouTube. YouTube, 2 Sept. 2015. Web. 03 Mar. 2016. <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2hzneqziHI>.

Create 3.1.2 Fair Use and the TEACH Act Quest

As discussed throughout this quest, Fair Use and the TEACH act allow educators to use copyrighted material for educational purposes. Referring to the checklist and resources provided, determine how this information may be applied in an online classroom. In your respective blog, discuss the following:

• How does an understanding of Fair Use affect one’s role as an online instructor?

• How do Fair Use and the TEACH Act correlate to the delivery of reliable content?
  

A teacher may not use a work just because the work is being used for educational purposes. The following four factors of Fair Use must be considered and met prior to using materials with students:

1. The purpose and character of the use
2. The nature of the work
3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the work as a whole
4. The effect of the use on the market or potential market for the original work

It is not enough that the material is being used for education and an entire work cannot be copied and distributed to students. Portions of works can be used if they meet the four criteria and if the originator is cited. Fair Use applies to the general public, including teachers, while the Technology, Education and Copyright Harmonization Act (TEACH) applies specifically to educators. 

Without Fair Use  and the TEACH Act, we would not be able to use resources otherwise unavailable to us.

A best practice would be to use creative commons materials whenever possible. If a teacher meets the criteria set forth by TEACH as stated below, then they may use cited materials with students in their current classes:

• The institution must be an accredited, non-profit educational institution.
• The use must be part of mediated instructional activities.
• The use must be limited to a specific number of students enrolled in a specific class.
• The use must either be for ‘live’ or asynchronous class sessions.
• The use must not include the transmission of textbook materials, materials “typically purchased or acquired by students,” or works developed specifically for online uses.

Create 3.1.1. – Open Educational Resources and Creative Commons Quest

For this quest, create an entry in your blog in which you develop a definition of open educational resources and explain the various Creative Commons licenses one may encounter when searching for these resources.

According to the Hewlett Foundation, "Open Educational Resources (OER) are high-quality, openly licensed, online educational materials that offer an extraordinary opportunity for people everywhere to share, use, and reuse knowledge." My own definition is OERs are educational materials for sharing with everyone, everywhere within the rules of citing the originator. Every Creative Commons (CC) license requires the user of material to give credit to the originator.

There are 6 licenses available through Creative Commons. 
1. Attribution - Allows users to use and change the work as long as the originator is given credit.
2. Attribution, Share Alike - Allows changes, used by Wikipedia, any new works based on original will carry the same license and allows commercial use, must credit the originator.
3. Attribution, No Derivs - No changes allowed, may copy and distribute commercial and non-commercial as long as credit is given to originator
4. Attribution, Non-Commercial - Allows changes, may not be used commercially, must give credit to originator.
5. Attribution, Non-Commercial ShareAlike - Allows changes for non-commercial use, must give credit to the originator, and the same license must be applied to any new works.
6. Attribution, Non-Commercial, NonDerivs - Most restrictive, may not change, for non-commercial use only, must give credit to the originator.

Resources:
"Creative Commons and Open Educational Resources." - Creative Commons. N.p., 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <https://wiki.creativecommons.org/wiki/Creative_Commons_and_Open_Educational_Resources>.

"Open Educational Resources." Hewlett Foundation News. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <http://www.hewlett.org/programs/education/open-educational-resources>.

"Open Educational Resources (OERs)." Jisc. N.p., 9 Dec. 2010. Web. 21 Feb. 2016. <https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/open-educational-resources>.