FieldTripZoom

We are on the verge of history!  In my last blog entry, I discussed our upcoming 1:1 Chromebook deployment to high school students.  Now, we have announced dates (Sept. 22-24, 26), which is just around the corner.  Expect some tweets on our device deployment nights.

Meanwhile, I want to discuss a new web-based tool called FieldTripZoom.  After they followed me on Twitter, I visited their site and was intrigued.  When I reached out with some questions, I was fortunate enough to speak with FieldTripZoom's founder and CEO, Michael Pfannenstiel.  The more I heard, the more excited I get about the possibility of how FieldTripZoom could impact student learning.

What is it?  It would be easy to call FieldTripZoom simply a "virtual field trip," but this is more than just another Skype session or Google Hangout. It is more accurate to call these programs "live interactive experiences." Most of the programs are not simply lectures, but have several planned activities that involve students learning on their feet and with their hands.  Some of the program's fees even include shipping a kit of materials to be used by students.  (One memorable program with the Alaska Sea Life Center involves "The Scoop on Poop," where you are shipped a collection of sea lion scat in order to analyze their feeding ecosystem.)  This short video trailer shows a class not just listening to a presenter but also applying their knowledge and skills.



The list of programs in their catalog (available for viewing once you sign up for a free account) is remarkably deep and diverse for a company that has only been around for half a year.  You can filter the options by category or just browse them A-Z.  I saw everything from the Baseball Hall of Fame to the Columbus Zoo to the Denver Art Museum to the International Spy Museum to the Royal Botanical Gardens.  The offerings are also targeted for a range of K-12 classrooms.

It should be noted that for an increasing number of programs, FieldTripZoom also are creating online interactives, which is perfect for our soon to be 1:1 district.   (Of course, teachers may want to develop their own digital pre- and post-formative assessments around the program as well.)

FieldTripZoom does have a screening process to make sure the programs are Core Content-aligned interactive experiences with educational value, from a presenter who is an expert in their field and can interact well with young people.

The technical requirements are easy: after creating an account on the site, you just need a computer, projector, and a webcam, and the teleconferencing software is simple to install.  Next, you choose a program, take care of the purchase price, make arrangements with the presenter on the day and time, and be ready to blow the minds of kids.

While these programs are often paid by individual teachers, Michael noted that if districts wanted to deposit a minimum amount in a fund, they could set up a "bank" where teachers could check out programs either freely (first come first served) or with administrative oversight.

How could you use it?  In a time when actual field trips are difficult to pay for or schedule, FieldTripZoom provides a viable and valuable alternative.

However, FieldTripZoom also could create a much deeper learning experience. For example,  it could be a part of a PBL where students can get authentic, real world interaction with experts in the field to drive their data collection (have students uncover content rather than a teacher "covering" it). It may even be a model where the student product of a PBL is to create their own "programs" for other students.  Think of the authentic payoff of high school seniors and juniors teaching a concept via Skype or Google Hangout to elementary students, which would include creating an interactive kit that involves their targeted audience.

Downsides?  There is obviously the cost of a program, which at first blush may sound prohibitive.  However, consider that if a class of 30 students each paid $5, you would cover the cost of an average program, and there are grants and other financial opportunities (including a handful of programs that are free).  Compare that to the cost of an actual field trip, not to mention the logistics of permission forms, student medical and allergic concerns, etc.  The other issue is not to forget the spatial and kinesthetic value of actually walking the halls and meadows on actual field trips.   Sometimes you have to just put down the technology and breathe life in.  It may be more Core Content-aligned to always quantify and spell the flowers, but we shouldn't forget to smell them too.

Shelby teachers, are you interested in FieldTripZoom?  Have any teachers out there already used one of their programs?  How did that impact student learning?  Let me know in the Comments below.


(Full disclosure: FieldTripZoom is a proud supporter of EdCamps around the nation, and will be one of our EdCampKy sponsors in October.)

Star Wars, Shakespeare, and Rebels

Let's travel back in time, shall we?  No, not to 16th century England.  About a year ago, while at a bookstore with my oldest daughter, I stumbled upon Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope.  Shakespeare and Star Wars?  The English teacher in me nearly swooned.  I bought it, loved it, and began thinking how I could use it in a classroom.  Six months and a grant later, my freshmen English students were reading and analyzing the text while comparing it to other media, such as the original film and a radio drama adaptation. At the end of the unit, Ian himself generously agreed to Skype with our classroom.  (He insisted I call him Ian, and I don't like to make New York Times best-selling authors mad.)

Tangent #1: I wrote a reflection on our Skype experience here, along with 7 tips on how to successfully run a Skype chat, in case you want to read more about it.

The WSSW educational experience ended up being a whole Core Content-aligned unit that lead into reading Romeo and Juliet, and I had created a significant amount of material.  Shame to let it go to waste and not be shared, I said to myself.  So I began thinking, and I Googled.  But soft!  What website broke through yonder Windows screen?   Star Wars in the Classroom.   Educators that love Star Wars?  Be still my heart!

I emailed Thomas Riddle and Wes Dodgens, the co-webmasters of the site, with my conundrum: a bunch of lesson plans, resources and handouts and nowhere to put them.  Turns out they were about to start a Rogue Initiative to gather just that sort of thing from educators.  And that's how my entire unit ended up online, and how I became the first Rogue.

Tangent #2: Throughout the process, the social media manager Eric Smith from Quirk Books (the publisher of WSSW) was extremely helpful and generous, so a tip of my hat to him.  He was also responsible for putting my academic materials on Quirk's site, as well as getting Random House to publicize my unit at librarian conventions and even Pinterest.

And now we come to present day.  Thanks to Star Wars in the Classroom, I have become connected to many like-minded educators.  One of them, Dan Zehr, is not only a teacher but a blog contributor to the official Star Wars website.  This week, Dan and his co-host Cory Clubb invited me as a guest on their Coffee With Kenobi podcast.

It was a thrill to talk about the impact of Star Wars on my life both personally and professionally, as well as do a literary analysis on a recent episode of Star Wars Rebels.  A link to the podcast's page is here.

Ian, Thomas, Wes, Eric, Dan, Cory: thanks to all of you for helping me merge multiple passions!

And for all of you educator readers out there...May the Edtech Be With You!

TUIT: Janice Bullard, CCE

Ms. Bullard facilitates while students take turns posing questions to their "mystery class."

Janice Bullard of Clear Creek Elementary is, relatively speaking, a new teacher.  This has not hampered her ability to be a teacher who uses integrated technology in her classroom.  I was very impressed to see her class in a Google+ Hangout video chat with students in New York.   When I learned this wasn't even the first time she's had a video chat, I knew I had to interview her for Edtech Elixirs.

In a side note, Janice's son was a student of mine just a few years ago.  Small world!


Share your story!  Where did your learning of edtech begin?

This is my fourth year teaching, and I’ve been at Clear Creek for 3 of those years. I guess my learning of edtech began the summer before my KTIP year. I volunteered at a science and math camp for 4^th and 5^th grade students at U of L. We introduced kids to digital storytelling, which also meant I was introduced to it. I used some of those tools the following year, which was my first year teaching. I also used Voicethread for the first time that year; my students loved it and I found it added layers of learning to what was a fairly typical classroom activity. Students wrote a short piece titled “What I am most afraid of” and then recorded it on Voicethread. This required them to practice reading it many times, which they didn’t mind because they got to record their voice and share with the class. I realized how kids could be motivated by the technology. So that is what seals the deal for me - extra layers of learning plus motivation.

Tell us about using Skype and Google+ Hangouts in the classroom.  How did it begin?  How did you find teachers to telecommunicate? How have integrating these tools impacted the learning of your students?

I read a book by Pernille Ripp this summer- Passionate Learners- Giving our Classrooms Back to Students. Through her book and blog I learned about the Global Read Aloud project, in which students from around the world read the same books and connect with each other over them. My class is participating, and through the teachers and classrooms we have connected with I learned about using Skype and Google Hangouts. I first connected with the teachers over Edmodo; we have since set up class blogs so that our students can talk about the books. We did a "mystery Skype" which was great fun. We have also shared via Padlet.

Pictures taken by the Student Photographer, one of the roles in the project.

My kids have completely embraced every part of the project. They loved the Skype and Google Hangout. It was planned so that the kids took ownership as much as possible. They had roles as questioners, answerers, greeters, map experts, etc. They propose discussion questions and decide which ones are strong enough to put on Edmodo, and are working at writing thoughtful responses. Reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking - it’s all there!


What other edtech tools are some of your favorites?

Right now, Edmodo is one of my favorites. I also continue to use Voicethread. Animoto is great for producing short videos. Padlet is very cool for sharing thoughts about pretty much anything.

What tools have you heard about recently that you are looking forward to trying out?

My teacher friend in Canada shared https://100wc.net, where people respond to prompts and share creative writing. I’d like to introduce that to my kids.

Any advice for teachers wanting to integrate edtech?

Just jump in, pick something, and try it. Most of the time there is a fairly short learning curve; sometimes you can even let the kids just figure it out for you! I would also say be prepared to love it and learn as much as your kids!

Ms. Bullard, thanks for taking the time, and you certainly deserve your #ShelbyTUITshoutout.

For those interested in connecting with other Skype teachers, check out Skype in the Classroom.

TUIT: Makenzi Hunter, SSE

When I asked several Southside staff members for a SSE teacher that comes to mind when you think edtech, the name Makenzi Hunter (@makenzihunter) came up repeatedly.  That perfectly corresponds to her peers recognizing her as the 2013-2014 Southside Teacher of the Year.  I interviewed Makenzi about her use of edtech.

Welcome to Edtech Elixirs!  Please introduce yourself to our blog readers.  

My name is Makenzi Hunter and I teach visual art to K-5 students at Southside. I am beginning my 4th year of teaching. I first learned of integrating education and technology in graduate classes at UofL. I was introduced to Prezi as a graduate class assignment and continued my own exploration after that.

How have you used your document camera to create a blended learning environment in your classroom?

In my classroom, the document camera is essential in preparing for instruction. Most of our projects are divided into 3 or 4 class periods. I use the document camera to record myself creating the artwork required for each class period. I play the video while introducing the lesson and it remains on while students are working to serve as a continuous model.

I heard you have used Aurasma, which is an Augmented Reality (AR) iOS/Android app.  Tell us about it.

The SSE related arts team was looking for an engaging way to present one of the Seven Habits of Leader in Me to the staff. The music teacher, Erin Jump, read about the app Aurasma and brought it to the group. Each of us created an Aurasma profile, recorded a video discussing part of the habit and uploaded it. We asked the staff members to bring their device to the meeting and download the app. Staff members were then able to walk around the halls, point their device at the prepared document [which triggers the video to play], and learn about the habit at their own pace.

What other edtech tools are some of your favorites?

I use Socrative as an assessment tool, SafeShare.TV for showing videos from YouTube and Evernote as an organization tool.

How important is it for an art teacher to integrate technology?

I feel that being an art teacher requires the use of technology. My students will only learn so much from the limited knowledge and experiences I have to offer, so I feel that it is my obligation to expose them to far more than that. I want to offer students the opportunity to visit a museum online,  converse with an artist through Skype, leave feedback for one another on a digital platform and document their experience through the use of technology.

What tools have you heard about recently that you are wanting to try out for the first time?

I am interested in trying Flipgrid as a tool to gather student feedback and Nearpod as a way to have more interactive instruction.

Any advice you would like to share with other teachers wanting to integrate edtech?

My advice to teachers wanting to integrate technology would be to only try one thing at a time. Full integration lends itself to trial and error which can be frustrating. Choose one tool that blends well with your current style of teaching and give it a try.

I want to thank Ms. Hunter for graciously giving her time.  She definitely deserves a #ShelbyTUITshoutout!