Aggregate, Curate and Create Your Own Textbook

One of the latest buzz words in social media is curation. Some media analysts ponder whether the content curator might be the next big social media job of the future.

In a review of Steven Rosenbaum’s Curation Nation, Frank Paynter wrote that: 

 'The job of curator has spread across the digital media world and may already have replaced “editor” and “publisher” in the minds of marketers and social media mavens’.

• What are the implications of curation in education? 
• How will content curation impact the textbook market? 
• Will it make textbooks irrelevant? 

We are seeing more and more publishers jumping into the digital textbook market but so far the digital editions are mere pdf versions of the hardcover versions. Moreover, these e-textbooks are still very expensive. Let’s take a look at these options for a popular high school Chemistry textbook:

What? The e-textbook version costs $115 bucks and the license is only valid for180 days. Are you kidding me?  High cost is just one of the reasons shown in this infographic: How far students will go to get rid of textbooks--and why.

The Journal's article: 5K-12 Ed Tech Trends for 2012 includes: ‘Beyond the Digital Textbook’ as one of the trends with the premise of adding interactivity to digital versions of textbooks. Apple has now partnered with the major textbook publishers with the newly unveiled  iBooks Textbooks.  There are a handful of textbooks available through iTunes at about $15. These books are constrained to be viewed using iBooks 2 in an iPad with Apple iOS 5. Moreover, it looks like Apple's new products do not allow social interactivity and collaboration.

Several concerns about Apple's new enterprise have been voiced in the blogosphere. I recommend reading Audrey Walters' posting: Apple and the Digital Textbook Counter-Revolution.

Is there an option for a free, relevant course companion? Yes!

With information being ubiquitous, I believe that teachers can (and should) take control of their courses by creating their own interactive textbooks. It might seem like a daunting task but the availability of quality materials online and the power of tapping into personal learning networks should make this a worthwhile learning journey. 

In this post I will explain the process of creating a digital textbook, tools for each step of the process and strategies for involving the students in its development. 

THE PROCESS

The process of creating your digital textbook involves three steps:

AGGREGATION

The first step is to gather the sources of information. The best way to aggregate content is through social bookmarking.  My favorite tools are Delicious and Diigo. 

I would recommend Diigo as ‘its features allow teachers to highlight critical features within text and images and write comments directly on the web pages, to collect and organize series of web pages and web sites into coherent and thematic sets, and to facilitate online conversations within the context of the materials themselves.  Diigo also allows teachers to collaborate and share resources among themselves.’                                                                     
TOOLS

Here is a short video explaining the main features of this tool:

Diigo V5: Collect and Highlight, Then Remember! from diigobuzz on Vimeo.

STRATEGIES

Collaborate, collaborate, collaborate! 

Teachers can work with colleagues within their subject area departments and beyond the walls of the classroom to aggregate resources through social bookmarking.

The main sources of information for my professional learning come through my Twitter PLN and the RSS feeds from Google Reader. 

If information becomes overwhelming, use an Aggregator such as Paper.li or The Twitted Times. These tools will sift through your connections' resources and gather the most significant ones.

CURATION

While aggregation can be seen just as collecting websites, the process of curation involves a deeper analysis of the aggregated sites to select the ones that have the most relevant information for a particular topic,  just like a museum curator summarizes and edits intricate subjects into easily consumable and enjoyable exhibits.

STRATEGIES

Use your subject area syllabus, state standards or learning objectives to hand pick the content for a particular unit of study. Focus on the essential questions to guide your selection of resources. 

In order to make your textbook interactive try to include images, videos and simulations to engage your students.

TOOLS

My favorite free tools for curation are LiveBinders and Scoop.it!

One of the easiest tools to post resources for your course is LiveBinders. 

Take a look at this example: Señora Evans - Course Materials and Resources

Another powerful tool for curation is Scoop-it!. This free tool allows you to create your own online magazine.

Take a look at my Scoop.it! PhysicsLearn, “Connections to learning resources for physics teachers and students'".

Want more? Here is a post with: 

30+ Cool Content Curation Tools forPersonal and Professional Use 

And here are some Curation Apps for the iPad.

CREATION

This is the most important (and fun) part of the process as you will design and share how the curated resources will be used in your class.

TOOLS

Creating an online repository using a wiki digital tool such as Google Sites, PBworks and Wikispaces will enable you to organize your resources neatly. You could also use LiveBinders as you can select a template that allows you to include text for each of your resources. If you have an Apple platform you can use  iBooks Author.  The free app offers a drag-and-drop template that can be customized with images, interactive diagrams and videos to create a stunning looking book.
Learning management systems (LMS) such as Moodle,  Edmodo and Schoology are also great alternatives with other neat features for educational social networking.

My favorite is Google Sites. You can easily post images, directly embed videos from YouTube, lecture podcasts, and Google Documents. You can also embed assessments using Google Forms and a calendar. Setting up the site as a wiki by adding the students as collaborators will enable authentic interactivity among teachers and learners.

STRATEGIES

Here are some guiding questions for creating your digital textbook:

• How are the learners going to use the information?
• How will they demonstrate their learning?
• Are they completing a document, creating an outline or answering a set of questions?
• What are the assessments associated with the material?

TEACHER AND LEARNER ROLES

The table below compares and contrasts the elements of the various levels of involvement of teachers and learners in the process of creating a textbook. You can use the traditional model where all steps of the process are managed by the teacher or move towards a learner-centered approach using the chart to determine which level is appropriate for your course:

Here are some examples:
Teacher as curator:
My unit on Projectile Motion includes content information, exercises, a virtual lab and a couple of assessments.
The wiki of my colleague Craig Savage with his resources for AP Biology and AP Psychology.
Students as curators:
American Democracy in Action, a digital textbook for AP US Government created by seniors at St. Gregory College Preparatory School

For excellent strategies to involve your students take a look at Silvia Tolisano's posting:  Students Becoming Curators of Information.

RESOURCES TO GET YOU STARTED

Here are some resources for all academic subjects:
iTunesU (iTunes University): This free app enables video, audio, and an integrated Learning Management System with available push notifications options.

CK-12 Foundation: You can customize your own FlexBooks with open-content in all subject areas.
Open Culture Links of 400 Free Online Courses from Top Universities

National Repository of Online Courses: Algebra, Calculus, History, Biology, Environmental Science, Physics and World Religions.

K-5 Resources

Language Arts/ English

Math

History/Social Studies

Science

World Languages

Also check the great resources by Jerry Blumengarten, the Cybrary Man Educational Resources

Are you ready to ditch your textbooks?

Cross-Posted at Voices From the Learning Revolution (PLP Network #vflr)

Images attributions:

http://bit.ly/yEayGf

http://bit.ly/AplMN7

http://bit.ly/ylQ15p

http://bit.ly/woxBHq

Engage = Connect

As the beginning of the school year gets underway I ask myself this question:

“What learning environment will I provide so that my students can’t wait ‘til the next class?”

I believe that every person is unique and every child can learn, but I recognize that students learn best when engaged, where expectations are appropriately challenging within an environment that is both safe and that contributes to the dignity and self-worth of all. Students respond to encouragement and to a structuring of time and activities that reinforces their striving to meet and exceed those expectations while at the same time recognizing their increasing capacity to manage responsibility and independence.

I also believe that engagement depends on quality interactions resulting from connections that happen inside and outside of the classroom.

Here are some of my Engaging-Connection ideas to make learning exciting and enjoyable in Honors Physics this year:

1. I will engage my students by making connections to their passions:
In Sports:
Our first major project is to design a special issue for a sports magazine (similar to “Sports Illustrated”) for their selected sport. This project will engage them as they construct their knowledge of the concepts of kinematics and forces.

In Music:

- As part of our unit in waves and sound, the students will design and build their own musical instrument.
- Our last day of school before the holidays in December, my students will create and perform their own Physics Carols.

In Art:
For the 6^th year, my students will participate in the AAPT Photo Physics Contest taking their own photos and explaining the physics behind them. For the past two years we’ve had three students showcased at the AAPT Summer Meetings where their photos have been admired by hundreds of physics teachers and professors from around the world.

2. I will engage my students by making connections to popular digital games.

Take a look at our classroom bulletin board:

Students were thrilled when they found out that I am an Angry Birds fan (well, who isn’t?).

We will have an opportunity to do a quantitative analysis of the game in order to answer some of these questions:

a. What is the mass of each of the Angry Birds?

b. What is the gravitational field in Angry Birds world?
c. Using energy conservation, calculate the coefficient of restitution when a bird bounces off the wall.

d. Is momentum conserved when the blue bird splits into three?
e. Does the white bird accurately represent projectile motion when it drops an egg?
(Thanks to Frank Noschese for his ideas!)

3. I will engage my students by making connections to the physics concepts through investigations and experimentation.

The development of physics concepts occurs best in a hands-on, inquiry-based environment. My students will design and test their own investigations as opposed to just following directions in cookbook type labs.

In the unit of Simple Harmonic Motion, my students will investigate the factors affecting the period of a pendulum. The culminating activity of this unit will be their constructing their own snake pendulum just like this one:

4. I will engage my students by facilitating their connection to the world through their own blogs.

The use of digital tools will afford them the opportunity to deepen their skills in communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and creation. At the same time, as part of a connected global community, my students will become self-starters who can model and coach while knowing how to learn and share with transparency and respect.

5. I will engage my students by enabling them to connect their learning progress to our physics learning objectives.

Our current educational systems, in both public and independent schools force the students to focus on their grades as opposed to focusing on their learning.

I have modified my grading policy to shift this focus from “getting an A” to “becoming proficient” in physics though a modified version of performance-based assessment. My students have received a copy of our Learning Objectives. As we move through the topics, the students have the responsibility of keeping track of their own progress. Their final grades will reflect their most recent learning. One nice caveat of this approach is the opportunity to skip homework assignments if they have mastered a specific topic. (Shhh, don’t tell them yet!)

6. I will engage my students by making professional connections:

a. With my colleagues at school:

Working together in vertical and horizontal teams will allow me to bring opportunities for cross-curricular activities that will enrich my students’ learning experience.

b. By participating in vibrant learning communities through Twitter and blogs and connecting with members of my PLN (Personal Learning Network) I will continue to grow as a learner and an educator.

I would love to hear your strategies for having your students engaged through connections!

Cross-Posted at Voices From the Learning Revolution (PLP Network #vflr)

Image Credits:

http://www.sxc.hu/profile/cobrasoft

http://www.flickr.com/photos/krish4u/

The PLP Experience

Just about a year ago I attended an ISAS Technology Directors conference at Trinity Valley School in Fort Worth. The speaker was Will Richardson. I have to confess that I had never heard of him (in what planet did I live on, really?). His presentation was like lightning!

As soon as I got back home I googled PLP and filled the form requesting more information. I invited some colleagues to attend a virtual session with Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, and at that moment we knew that we really wanted to join .

We formed a school team with Michelle from Upper Elementary, Emma and Sherie from Middle School, and Dave from Upper School. At our first face-to-face meeting we registered as members of a Ning and created our profiles. When we came back to school after the kick-off event, we were inspired to make the most of our PLP adventure.

Truth is, there was a little catch in our decision to join PLP. A year ago we had an accreditation visit, and the first item in the report concerning technology said, "The School should look into providing leadership for academic technology. This leadership can explore ways to develop and implement a school wide vision for academic technology, investigate professional development opportunities for both academic technology and all other classroom teachers." As a first step, I was appointed Academic Technology Coordinator to lead the school in addressing the accreditation report. Big task! I started gathering resources to create a LoTI survey that was completed by faculty in all divisions. After analyzing the data I knew I was going to need more guidance than just relying on my searching abilities!

PLP has opened my eyes to a world of possibilities.  All of a sudden I am supported not only by the top leaders in education, but also by a group of colleagues that are walking the same path and have the same expectations and concerns that I have.
My professional growth has been amazing to me. Through virtual sessions and ongoing conversations I now have a deeper understanding of  21st century teaching and learning. I have learned how to use several digital tools and, most importantly, I have expanded my learning network. On July 1st I joined Twitter, and as of this morning, I have over 300 followers. By the end of September I had created this blog, and in November all of my Honors Physics students had their own active blogs!

The professional development plan that I originally crafted back in November has been transformed into a well-defined program that already has had a tremendous impact in the school. All we had to do was to dig deeper into the myriad of resources received through PLP.
With creativity, passion and collegiality our team and technology instructors have been very successful in motivating and supporting our colleagues as they implement changes. After the culminating event this past Monday, we have renewed our commitment to move our school not only to address all of the accreditation report recommendations but much, much farther!

As I reflect on these past months, I'm reminded of Newton(*) when he wrote "If I have seen further it is only by standing on the shoulders of giants." I say this because one thing is clear: we wouldn't be where we are, without having joined PLP!

Here is our PLP Project Presentation:

Enlarge this document in a new window
Online Publishing from YUDU

(*) Quote originally attributed to Bernard de Chartres

Innovation in Learning: Student Voices

I often wonder what is the key to success on developing an innovative project?

This is my second year using wikis and my first using blogs in the Honors Physics class.  Some of my students have made insightful remarks in class and some of them have written on their blogs about the impact these digital tools have on their learning process. I decided to ask them some questions which lead to the production of the video below.


Here is the transcript of the video with relevant links on the wiki and their blogs:

WIKIS: COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION

Q: How do you see using the wiki for discussing problems a useful and innovative solution to get help and/or feedback with questions?
Cyrus
The wiki has undoubtedly been one of my best physics friends. It is a time-saver, giving me the option to ask a question when I have the time to ask it rather than having to go directly to the teacher wasting precious time.
It provides almost instant feedback to help us solve a problem or answer a question. Although Mrs. Gende always answers the questions, other students can also read and answer questions. Collaborating in the wiki has helped create a sense of unity in the classroom as we all work towards a common goal of better understanding physics concepts.
Wiki
Eric
By helping other students with problems and asking for help on assignments I think that our class community has done a good job not only by supporting each other grasp concepts but also by explaining concepts in new ways.
Wiki

BLOGS: REFLECTIONS OF OUR OWN LEARNING

Q: You have said that reflections are valuable. Please explain why you think they are helpful.
Emily
Reflections are very helpful to me especially before a big test. Reflections help me go over exactly what I have recently learned with a fine tooth comb. By this I mean in my reflection I do not try to generalize what I have learned or to any situation. I try to be as specific as I can, explaining how situations are different and when one thing might apply but in another case it wouldn't apply at all.
In every reflection I have to answer the question, "What you have found difficult is..." When answering this I have to be honest with myself. I can't lie, so as to make myself look like the next up and coming Einstein. In reality I usually find everything in that unit difficult at first. But as time goes on things clear up and I began to understand what the concepts are especially the more challenging ones. I force myself to reread the notes, look at the problems solved, and do extra research if needed.
This is especially good before a test, because I am reviewing not the problems and how to solve, but what to do when I am given certain information and asked to solve for a specific thing. This question allows me to ponder what I have found hard and use the reflection as a way to make it clear because I have to explain to the reader what I have not understood. This has also been a place where I remind myself of past mistakes.
Blog

Q: Why do you think it is helpful to write your reflection about what you learned in your own words rather than just summarizing the notes?
Puja
The first time I wrote a reflection, I summarized the class notes. I had a hard time figuring out how to put everything we had learned into my own words because I was trying to make it perfect. I then realized that summarizing the class notes wouldn't do any good for me or my peers who read my reflection. By writing the reflection in my own words has helped me to further understand the concepts and how they connect to the real world. The reflections help me to dig deeper into the topic and discover new ways to understand what we have learned more clearly and thoroughly.
Blog

Q: Have you seen a change in your problem-solving skills as a result of doing reflections?
Eric
My problem-solving skills have improved since I have done reflections. I think I have put more effort into understanding the material and the homework assignments. I have made my learning of the material rather than completion, a priority.
Blog

BLOGS: EXPLORATION AND CREATIVITY

Q: You use a variety of digital tools in your projects. What motivates you to go the 'extra mile' with your creativity?
Pippa
Creating a blog has helped me to learn the importance of preparation and presentation for school projects. Learning about different tools has also helped to enhance my artistic and creative capabilities.
By going the extra mile, I reach my potential with my creativity as well as my learning experience.
Pushing myself as far as I can go sets a good example for my peers as well as helping me create an awesome finished product.
I like the freedom of choosing my own tool over being told with specific guidelines what to use in a certain project. By having freedom, I can express my own individual creativity instead of the mandatory class guidelines which can often be bland and uninteresting.
Experiencing and learning with these tools, helps me by developing a diverse knowledge of how I can create the best possible project in any class with the help of online digital tools.
Blog

Q: Here are three questions for you: What sparks your interest in science, why do you think having 'open-ended' projects is better than 'assigned topics' and why do you think using digital tools is relevant to your learning?
Chris
Having grown up in a family that is very math and science oriented (both of my parents are engineers), I have always been interested in those fields of study (math and science) and have always tried to expand my knowledge as much as possible.
For me, being able to peruse personal interests within school activities is an amazing opportunity.
Having "open-ended" projects are better then "assigned topics" because they let a student relate a topic that is currently studied in a class to anything a student wants, whether it be a random connection that the student makes or a connection to something that they have learned about for a long time and have great interest in. Letting students make connections like these, at least for me, makes the whole process more interesting and enticing and can let a student truly understand the subject, not just memorize the facts.
For me, the use of digital tools is a great way to do projects because it promotes three different traits of learning: it promotes and develops computer skills, lets a student express a topic that is being studied, and also lets a student use their artistic side to design something. Whether it be a "Prezi," "Glogster," "Extranormal," or any other medium, letting the brain multitask seems to make the whole process more enjoyable and boost the whole learning experience.
Blog

BLOGS: GLOBAL COLLABORATION

Q: You did a great project about skateboarding. If it had been a regular project perhaps you would have gotten a bad grade, however, you had the opportunity to redo your project by revising your model. Explain why having people write comments on your blog was helpful.
Paxton
A feature of blogs that I find the most helpful is the ability to write and receive comments. We do this on a regular basis by writing on our peers blogs.
For our last project, our class got involved in global collaboration with other schools in Texas, Arkansas and Hong Kong. Each student in the class had 4 high school senior partners that wrote constructive comments in our blogs.
I had a great experience with my project since I had the opportunity not only to improve my skateboard project but to learn first hand how real science is done.
Blog posting before and blog posting after

VIDEO PRODUCTION
Student produced and directed. Credits at the end of the video. Enjoy!



Attribution keys photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/65919269@N00/172151897

Leading for Change. Part I

On my way to Philadelphia to attend Educon 2.2 I read John Kotter's  "Our Iceberg is Melting. Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions"; a neatly illustrated book that uses a fable to discuss change in organizations.

How can I apply the Eight Step Process of Successful Change to our school?

SET THE STAGE

1. The penguins in the change committee create a sense of urgency in the colony by helping others see the need for change and the importance of acting immediately.

I see a need for change in our school, a need for transforming our culture into a learning community that effectively addresses the challenges of teaching and learning in the 21st century. 

We are fortunate at our school to have not only administrative support but a solid technology infrastructure with interactive whiteboards, access to computers throughout the school and a great IT team. However, at the end of the school year we conducted a survey and we found that a majority of teachers do not understand how to integrate technology in an effective way.  There is little evidence of awareness of the pedagogical implications of teaching 21st century literacies as some faculty believe that showing a Power Point on a SMART board represents a high level of integration. Moreover, at the beginning of this school year only a couple of teachers were using wikis and very few knew the meaning of Web 2.0 and the educational value of social networking.

2. The penguin's change committee puts together a carefully selected group in charge of guiding the change. 

Our school made it possible for a group of five members of faculty to participate in a year long professional development model called Powerful Learning Practice (PLP). We have been immersed in a transformational experience by being part of a virtual learning community where teams from 20 schools participate in learning and sharing about 21st century literacies. We have learned that teaching and learning in the 21st century is not only about technology but about pedagogy and an understanding of global changes.

DECIDE WHAT TO DO 

3. The change committee then finds a vision of a better future and crafts a strategy in line with that vision. It is important to be able to see how the future will be different from the past, and how to make that future a reality.

Our PLP action research project consists in designing and implementing a sustained, standards-based (NETS) professional development program. We are striving for a five year plan with yearly evaluations.

MAKE IT HAPPEN 

4. The penguins communicate for understanding and buy in. In order to get the message out, the head of the change committee calls for a meeting involving the entire colony. 

I have conducted separate sessions will all faculty from three divisions to introduce 21st Century Teaching and Learning frameworks. Teachers have responded very enthusiastically and I have the impression that the message of pedagogy driving the technology and not the other way around has been conveyed.

5. The guiding team empowers others to act by removing as many obstacles to action as possible.

We are conducting hands-on training sessions in two modalities: group and individual. The positive effect is that the teachers are actually doing instead of just listening or watching a presenter. This knowledge empowers them to focus on the best way to integrate the tools into their teaching or student projects.

6. The penguin committee is aware of the need to create short-term wins.

This is an important step as it has the potential to create a ripple effect. I can relate two examples:

a. Back in January we had a faculty professional development day with a variety of sessions.  Throughout the course of the second trimester we have seen teachers in all divisions taking risks in applying what they learned in the sessions.

b. A couple of weeks ago I invited our head of school, the PLP team, our upper school librarian, and other members of faculty to participate in a Blog Posting Reading Challenge. The project was a success, the comments were very stimulating and thought-provoking. PLPers will be able to use several of the points addressed in the crafting of our research project. 

7. Don't let up until the new penguin colony is firmly established.

We have a very clear vision of the change we want to produce but keeping the momentum will be essential!
After we assess our first year of implementing our program we should take time for reflection to go back to the drawing room and prepare for the following year. The good news is that our head of school will support our joining Year 2 of PLP!

MAKE IT STICK

8. Finally, a new culture is created to ensure that the changes would not be overcome by tradition.

I do not think that there is an end to our reshaping our culture, this will be an ongoing process.

As new technologies emerge there will always be opportunities for learning and teaching, and that is exactly what makes this journey an exciting one!



Attributions:
Expedition to Antarctica and the Falkland Islands by John Dalkin

http://www.flickr.com/photos/59303791@N00/sets/72157611993037994/

Presentation for Inservice

Today and tomorrow I will be presenting to faculty during inservice days.

For the Upper Elementary teachers I will introduce the Myths and Legends Creator, hopefully some of them would be excited about trying it.

In the afternoon I have a session for Middle School teachers about Possibilities for 21st Century Teaching and Learning. The session's goal will be to introduce the three major 21st Century frameworks. I will start with Alan November's talk on Myths and Opportunities, followed by a Prezi and the introduction of the NETS-based professional development model.
Tomorrow I will present two sessions for Upper School faculty.

Here is the Prezi for the session, it was a lot of fun to create!

Professional Development NETS based

Just finished the PD program that will be presented to faculty during inservice. I designed it using the NETS for teachers as a framework. Includes digital tools but also sessions on teaching and learning like: authentic instruction, assessments for learning, Bloom's taxonomy and digital citizenship.

Pretty ambitious? yes, doable? sure but only with full administrative support and faculty buy-in!

This is the Academic Technology website that I created.

This is the page for the Professional Development model.

21st Century: jargon? buzzword?

This video makes a good case for TEACHING not just using technology tools.

What really matters

Pedagogy and technology go hand in hand.
A global collaborator, a global communicator. 21st century life-long learners.

Myths and Opportunities: Technology in the Classroom by Alan November from Brian Mull on Vimeo.

21st Century Skills

Last week I started the conversation on 21st Century Literacy.
Upper School: not really a conversation as time allowed was minimal
Middle School: the session exceeded my expectations, no doubt that MS is the foundation for preparing students for US; hopefully this will lead to department meeting trainings
Early Childhood: great conversation with Melissa, I was particularly impressed with her Google Site, a very professional look, and did I say I learn how to add items to the sidebar?