This week we are
looking at Group 4 tools, which included:
* Interactive Learning Objects
* Adobe Flash
* Google Earth
* Google Maps
* Google Docx
* Online concept mapping
* Online timelines
* Zooburst
* Museumbox
I looked at quite a
few of these tools, but this week I will be focusing on the online timeline
tool called Dipity and a concept mapping tool.
My Lesson Plan
In
the year 7 science curriculum, students undertake a unit on water. Within this
unit, they explore solvents and solutes and techniques for separating mixtures
such as chromatography.
In
my lesson plan, students are told that they are forensic investigators with a
crime scene unit and that a teacher has been kidnapped. The scene is set with
the use of Dipity, an online Timeline tool.
Dipity: an online timeline tool
Dipity
is very easy to use and quick to put together. Here is a look at how it can
work for a classroom setting:
Setting the crime scene: mind maps and prezi
Following
this, I would ask students to brainstorm what kind of evidence might have been
collected. They could present this in a mind map if time permitted. This would
be an ideal time to introduce the students to mind mapping tools with a simple
mind map that only required text. For this, tools such as bubbl.us work well
and are easy to use.
Next,
I would let the students explore the Prezi which gives them the timeline to
view for themselves and other evidence that has been collected and requires
analysis. The evidence has been collected and uploaded, including fingerprints,
fibre (fabric) samples and a chromatogram of a sample of the ransom note.
After
the students had investigated the use of fingerprints and fibre samples, they
could investigate the ransom note through chromatography. Ideally students
would come to the conclusion that chromatography could be used to investigate
the ransom note themselves (after having studied the concept in a previous
lesson). I would prepare pens collected from each suspect (water soluble black
pens), and let them use a coffee filter to examine which pen was the one used
to write the ransom note.
Students Present: MuseumBox?
It
was at this stage in my planning that I ran into some ICT issues. I had planned
to have the students upload their results for each piece of evidence and create
a Museumbox
of the perpetrator. Museumbox allows students to present information (images,
text, video and audio) on each facet of a cube. I had hoped it would function
as a kind of “murder board”, like all the good TV detectives use.
Initially
when I was planning out this lesson, I had a quick look at Museumbox and determined
it would meet my needs. I then continued on with my lesson development and made
my Prezi. In theory, the students would make the Museumbox themselves, but I
had decided that it would be best if I attempted one myself (mostly because
this course requires that I demonstrate I’ve tried the tool). This turned out
to be a good call, because it seems that Museumbox now requires a subscription
(per school).
After
some panicked moments, I decided all was not lost. I simply needed another way
to create a “murder board”. Preferably one that involved one of the Group 4
tools, because the point of this endeavour was to complete my reflection for
week 6. I calmed down when I realised that a mind mapping tool would accomplish
the same thing. It even looked and felt more like a trusty TV detective murder
board. All good.
Until
I tried to create one in bubbl.us and
discovered that if I wanted to be able to add images (such as a chromatogram),
I would need to upgrade from the free version. Panic stations, once more.
Finally,
after some googling, I discovered another mind mapping tool called MindMup.
Should you ever find yourself scrambling for a free mind mapping tool that can
cope with images, this one fits the bill:
It
also allows you to add attachments, create storyboards and collaborate in real
time. I did have an issue with trying to publish a mind map that contained
images. The free version only allows you publish or save mind maps that are up
to 100kb, which pretty much rules out the use of images. The way around this is
to save it to Google
Drive. So I also checked that out, and if you have a google account,
it’s a very simple process. The realtime collaboration feature also works
through google drive, and I can see that this feature would be very useful if
students are working in groups and brainstorming.
I
was really impressed with the MindMup tool. Here is a PMI:
So
after some minor panic attacks, I found a solution and came up with this mock
up of what I would like students to achieve at the end of the activities:
The
idea is that they would then present their evidence to me and the class to
prove that their chosen suspect is indeed the perpetrator. This would require
higher order thinking skills such as evaluating the evidence, choosing the most
important pieces of evidence for inclusion in the MindMup and then conveying
and defending their ideas.
The Lesson for Me
The
key thing I realised this week is that even if my plan is for the students to
make use of the ICT as opposed to me using the tool to present material, I
still need to invest the same amount of time in the ICT. I need to explore it
fully, so that I can guide the students. In the end, I had decided to imagine
that I were a student and complete the task myself. And thank goodness I did. I
can’t imagine what a disaster this lesson would have been if I had just flicked
through the MuseumBox website, decided it looked good and then instructed the
students to use it in class.
What
I’ve learnt is this: when you tell a student to use an ICT tool, you had better
know that you could complete the task yourself. Have a go at using the tool before you tell the
students to use it. You never know what hiccups you might uncover
(like requiring a paid subscription!).
References
ACARA. (n.d.). Year
7 plan – Australian Curriculum: Science. Retrieved from https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/p_10/ac_science_yr7_plan.doc
Dipity
tutorial
Retrieved
April 13, 2015
Retrieved
April 13, 2015
Retrieved
April 13, 2015
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