Answering the Initial Question

So how do gourds connect and intersect with technology? Time passes and for thousands of years gourds have moved with the times, apparently in quiet ways. They have a wide and varied history:  grain and milk carriers, the original hand grenade (filled with hornets, plugged, then lobbed into enemy territory where it hit the ground, burst open, and well, 'crazy as mad hornets' isn't just an expression, you know?), as national currency, containers, utensils, birdhouses, and canteens. As history moved forward, gourds moved as well.

  Now, the Internet and The Cloud are the newest forms of 'moving forward' and gourds move too, perhaps indirectly. Gourd gardeners and artisans benefit from the newest technologies for growing and crafting. Books are written and produced digitally, printed in foreign lands, and sold online. Tutorials are commonly found online now. Electronic communication and collaborations help promote gourd organizations. Currently the American Gourd Society is connecting with all the state chapters for leadership elections. SurveyMonkey is used to pinpoint rationals for decisions. Chapter members keep in touch with each other through blogs.

So, perhaps the gourd itself hasn't advanced technologically over time, but the world of gourds and gourd enthusiasts connect and intersect with technology to share and advance knowledge.

Thanksgiving

May all the Gourdeous memories and pleasantries be yours this ThanksGiving season!

Millenials

Full Report PDF

Where do I fit on the Millenial timeline of tech-savvies? I went to the Pew Research Center's article about Millenials. The detailed report makes the distinctions more clear and is worth checking out in addition to the bar graphs on the main page. When I scrolled down and took the Millenial Quiz, I was scored a 67. Several factors probably contribute to this score: I started texting with my son when he started college and seemed to refuse to use the phone to call home regularly,

I work with gifted students who keep me young, and I teach a research class that keeps me abreast of new ideas. So, considering these conditions, it would seem to be true in my case that chronological age is not an indicator of an information-age mindset. As an experiment one day last week, I had one of my classes take the Millenial Quiz as well: Allie 68, Richard, 62, Damien 53, Allie 50, and Daniel 43. The results seem to reflect what I know about their home lives. The first Allie is from a family that travels a lot and communicates via iPhones frequently. There is decreasing amount of home life 'fanciness' (as the kiddos say) to Daniel, whose family is considered 'old fashioned.' He believes he'll never get an iPhone in this lifetime if his parents have anything to do with it. Even then, his score is a 43--a higher score than a GenXer. [This is the student who pointed out the survey was flawed on two counts: 1) by answering the questions in a particular rhythm, the score can be pushed up or down and 2) it should have been given before learning anything about the topic since knowledge may have skewed the results. These are sidebars, but still...]

According to Jason Frand, ten attributes comprise the information-age mindset. These attributes can be divided into three broad categories which makes sense of a sea of values and behaviors.

Broad Observations of Change -- Broadly, I'm in.
Computers Aren't Technology -- I'm in on this one but not because it wasn't around when I was born but because I have gravitated through the changes over time: Selectric, to the Royal Alpha, to the first 8mb hard drive. Now one of my thumb drives is 16gb. Taking this class has changed my idea of technology where the computer and iPhone are the tools and the programs I use on them are the technology....a shift in thinking.

Internet Better than TV -- Not quite there yet. I don't watch a lot of TV anyway, so watching something on the Internet isn't appealing. Now, I do read research studies online FAR more than I read the physical journal where they are published.

Reality No Longer Real -- I'm in on this one based on things I've seen happen and not happen. Online personas can be invented, words can be a false front, and more and more trust is an issue when determining what is real and what is not. I teach Web Wisdom lessons to my middle school students and have them figure out when it is appropriate to doubt. Basically, when in doubt, do. I do.

Doing Rather than Knowing -- In. Time and space are newly defined with the speed of information, knowledge, and obsolescence. I tell my gifted students to consider what their first career will be because they will have several during their lifetime...giving them many opportunities to explore many interests. That works for the gifted thinkers who would naturally move through different careers anyway, but everyone needs to be constantly evolving and growing.

Getting Stuff Gets Done -- Basically in, with reservations.
Nintendo over Logic -- In. Trial and error has always been my way of getting something done. Thinking over details and micromanaging the consequences seems to take too long. Granted, sometimes that strategy has bitten me but overall it's how I have gotten things done.

Multitasking Way of Life -- OUT, out, out....just because many tasks can be done at once does not mean any of them will be done to a successful outcome, especially tasks involving original thinking. Confusing the emotional high of doing many things at once with getting stuff done is not productive.

Typing Rather Than Handwriting -- In when considering efficiency, Out when considering long term learning. Both techniques has a place in the mental game of learning and using them effectively to a desired end is wise.

Subliminal Needs Conditioned By the CyberAge -- More out than in.
Staying Connected -- Out. I don't think I need to be connected to others or to changing information all the time, and I certainly don't think others need to be connected to me constantly. It just seems weird to me that I can be accessed at someone else's whim. And, I have to tell you, I do NOT like being reprimanded for not answering my cell phone in one ring, or ever. Silence is a good thing. Being 'on call' to the world in not a good thing.

Zero Tolerance for Delays -- In, sadly. I have no patience, and the immediacy of the Internet and mobile access to information feeds into my need for now...on my terms of course. This is an example of my paradox: I don't want to be bothered by others, but I want what I want immediately.

Consumer/Creator Blurring -- Out. This is a sticking point probably because I personally have had papercutting art and gourd art lifted off American websites and sold on Chinese websites as original art. I use  these instances as teaching opportunities for my students. Intellectual property lines blur frequently when images can be snipped and captured and 'borrowed.' Who owns what, who can take, use, and claim work found online is tricky. Fair Use Laws cover aspects of use but even those are stretched. SO, even though I do not advocate free wheeling use of online materials, I do use online sources to explain why.


The Educause Research Center for Applied Research study, The EDUCAR Study of Undergraduate Students and Information Technology, 2010, makes a striking point about students and their personal use of technology and desired level of technology for learning. While personal use of technology has increased, especially in the most recent years of the study (between 2009 and 2010), the preferred level of technology in a learning environment over the previous 7 years is 'moderate.'  I suspect the increase in personal technology kept increasing as current technologies became accessible, but did the preference for technology in classroom stay at moderate? As the authors Smith and Caruso suggest, moderate could be a floating concept since moderate 7 years ago may not be what moderate was 2 years ago. As a student becomes more and more tech-savvy, wouldn't the level of expectations change to reflect what is considered old-hat and what is new?

I am considering a pilot program to take my research class from traditional research strategies (index cards, written documentation, manual surveys, etc.) to research on Google Docs. This will be new to many who have taken the class before, but for the 6th graders -- will this 'new approach' be considered as new as the 8th graders who did it the old way for the past 2 years? Will the level of moderation be equal to the different grade levels? Two years can make a difference.

Dapper Dan in the Voki Gourdpatch

Dapper's words on Google Docs.

This is a 70 word introduction to Dapper, the dipper gourd who runs the patch. He was brought to life in Voki, a talking avatar website that mimics online personal contact by animating a drawing with facial expressions and voice. Speech can be recorded or words can be typed then translated into speech--phonetically typed words actually resemble speech more effectively. The eyes follow the cursor as it moves across the image and about the page, adding to the humanistic quality.

This assignment, and fellow classmates, introduced me to another button on the Blogger writing/editing options. I always saw the HTML option next to Compose but moved over or around it thinking it didn't pertain to what I was doing. This happens in a gourdpatch: the dehydrated mold on the surface of gourd can be overlooked and taken for granted until one day, after the gourd is washed, when the surface mottling left behind so beautiful the gourd takes your breath away.

Dapper Dan took my breath away when he finally appeared in my post!

The NETS T standards tapped for this assignment are multi-level: 1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity by facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments; 2. Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments especially c-customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources when voice and a personal touch matters; 4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility especially d-develop and model cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with colleagues and students of other cultures using digital-age communication and collaboration tools.

1. Virtual environments are more and more common, and using that experience to engage learning is meeting students where they exist. 2. Personalizing Vokis for different learning situations allows not only freedom for the teacher but for the student also since he or she can replay a message/lesson over and over until the knowledge clicks. 4. Modeling cultural behaviors: by using two or three Vokis in different voices and accents, etiquette [online and real-life] can be modeled and encouraged.

Wordling along...

Field of gourd in the early fall.

A field of gourd plants.

I love to Wordle!  It's fast, it's fun, it's like casting a boatload of gourd seeds into a field and seeing what surprises appear. (Of course, initially all you get is a field of green, but then the fall approaches and the vines die back to expose the fruits.)

In this assignment however, the analytical aspect of Wordle came to the forefront. Since Wordle determines word size as a relationship between the number of times words appear within the body of information entered, any resulting large words imply a bigger focus. Therefore, entering two sets of word data into two different Wordles will result in a display of different word concentration and emphasis.

I entered the NETS T 2000 and NETS T 2008 standards into Wordle to make two different placards. I kept the same font and the same color palette. The evolution from one set to the other presents itself visually.

NETS T 2000

NETS T 2008

By looking at the two Wordles, it is clear the direction of technology standards have moved from emphasizing technology to incorporating technology as one of the tools for learning. Teachers exist in both, learning exists in both, as do resources, and students. However, the 2008 standards takes a more holistic point of view of technology whereas the 2000 standards, oddly enough for Wordle, treat technology as a stand-alone entity.

Applying this visual analysis to gourd artists and the types of products they tend to make over a career as a gourdist. As you can see, they start out making the obvious: bowls, jars, and birdhouses usually with kettle, canteen, or dipper gourds. After a period of time producing utilitarian products, they tend to move on to smaller, more ornamental products such as dolls, jewelry, and ornaments. These require less prep time, and far less gourd dust. A savvy gourdist picks and chooses gourd products carefully to avoid the dangers.

Gourd products folks start with. 

Gourd products that become mainstay.

In a similar comparison, let's look at the Virginia Lovers' Gourd Society vendor applications over time: 2009 and 2012. Both are applications for the Virginia Gourd Festival, but look differences.

2012 application

2009 application 

By 2012, the chapter had begun to encourage vendors to stress the importance of students and gourd educational purposes at the festival. This tilt of emphasis shows in the Wordles. Amazing!!






Using this strategy to make assessments would be in line with 2008 NETS T standard #2: design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools...  What a clever, interesting way to have students compare two sets of data and make conclusions! As part of the Plagiarism lessons, comparing copyright laws of 1950 and 2000 would produce some striking comparisons even among students who did NOT read the handouts!

I'm doing this today with a couple of my PRISMS kiddos, thanks Wordle!!

Hanging by a tendril...

Gourd tendrils,
though delicate in appearance,
can support large weights.

...so see what the next assignment is going to be! 

Seize the Day!!



Gourd allowed
to grow unencumbered.

Seize the Day!! Grab the chance and don't let it pass! Many students would seize learning pro-actively if they could move at their own pace and learn lessons about topics of personal interest. Therein rests the joy of Montessori education, ability grouping, and successful gifted education. Like students, any gourd will take the shape of a tight environment when it is placed in a mold to grow, but give it space for expansion and the fruit becomes beautiful!


Mimeographing practice handouts.

Practicing with a SmartBoard.

There are various paths for teaching and learning using the new mobile technology that students are surrounded by and live within. It can be used to drill facts that get spewed back, used to spur curiosity like any of the previous technologies (chalkboards, mimeographing, SmartBoards), or a combination. In any event, technology gets smaller, more portable, and more immediate. Writing facts on a chalkboard 20 times has the same mind-numbing effect and touching a SmartBoard 20 times to prove knowledge. The only difference is the eye/hand coordination and the parts of the brain activated.
Mobil technology combines 'doing' with learning, making it more dynamic and immediate reflecting how information is accessed outside of school. Whether information and learning accessed at school is shallow (lower order thinking -- drilling facts) or deep (or higher order thinking -- critical evaluations) depends on the education goal and use of the technology. The thinking skills accessed make a difference when learning: repetition and critical evaluation is vital, but not exclusively one or the other. Gifted students generally get a concept in one, maybe two, repetitions. Anything over that is counterproductive. Mobil technology can empower students in new and expansive ways by sidestepping the drill overkill. However, if questions don't inspire thinking, why bother? Will technology be used as the teacher or the tool?

Online public schools such as Carpe Diem Schools offer middle and high school education as an online experience on a main campus, or through the Student Support Centers. For gifted thinkers, this allows individual pacing. Since there would not be a 'classroom of students', individuals would not be held back so everyone can catch up. On the other hand, images of classrooms at these schools show students working individually...hardly indicative of personal, collaborative learning but more solitary in nature.

At St. Mary's in Ohio, students use Smartphones to use programs to sketch, write daily learning blurbs, investigate quick answers, and access flashcards. Small, portable, and easy to use, Smartphones technology is fast, efficient, and accessible as a tool in addition to the hands-on paper and pencil activities. Students engage in immediate answers, can work together in groups, and keep technology with them as they move through the day. But what if someone needs a little more drill? At what point does student learning get assessed so he/she can be stopped, backed up, and given a little extra practice?

In both scenarios, drill-and-practice or inquiry, there is the potential for classroom distraction since the very reasons that make computers helpful and SmartPhones efficient and portable can also provide opportunities for activities apart from educational purposes. Trust and responsibility must become part of education.

I feel prepared to engage in teaching with technology. I never used the SmartBoards much because of the 'toy-factor' -- even my students said they were nothing more than fancy white boards. Currently, I use Word extensively, online search engines and databases strategies, and assisting students with moving at a personal pace. We use the oldest laptops in the school system--ones that do not hold a charge anymore so there are cords wrapping around the tables and across the floor, keyboards with missing letters, two have duct tape holding the guts in the body. Word is currently expiring on the laptops, and being replaced with Apache Office Works. Yet, we move forward!

The students use the Index Card System for making notes--coding source cards to match the note cards. They learn how to write a survey: introduction, question organization, type of questions, differences between types of responses, and placement of demographics. They tabulate the results and prepare charts and graphs illustrating the results. The process takes about 3 weeks....using Google Forms would cut that time down to days and allow for additional surveys or further research!

The students currently keep a daily journal that keeps their reflections, daily summaries, and
key information about their topics. The binder is kept at school, or sometimes taken home depending on what is due or when extra time needs to be given to the project. Blogger could replace the journal, especially when combined with other tools and links. DropBox would allow written work to be accessed from anywhere!

An combination of what I've been doing and updated technology could turn a research class into a higher level thinking course that is in keeping with what happens in the world...certainly what is happening in the students' world. Using Google products would be an exciting avenue of learning and, for me, teaching.  So, to that end, this is what I've done:

I applied to the Frederick County Education Foundation for a grant to fund a pilot program to have 17 PRISMS students (my research students) use ChromeBooks next semester to have an almost completely online class. I'll finish the class site I built here during my GourdGracious days for the handouts, calendar, and course information. Instead of journals the students will keep blogs, build surveys with Google Forms, take quizzes, collaborate with each other, utilize DropBox, access their Smartphone apps on field trips, and generally move through their topics using the technology this old gourd learned this semester. IT is thrilled and figuring out the approvals we'd need to access the software and apps. The grant will pay for the equipment [I'm working gourd magic on this one!]

At the end of the semester, I'd assess the level of success with a survey. Of the 17 students, 8 have taken PRISMS twice before so not only will I get data from middle school students who have never had an online course before, I will get information from students who can make clear comparisons between the online and not-online class strengths and weaknesses.

As a pilot program, the results can be used to promote the use of technology, or parts thereof, with administrators and other teachers.  What starts as a gifted education experiment can expand to other areas. While it is true gifted thinkers need space to explore learning at their own pace without being slowed down by classmates, all students can be encouraged to learn to their ability. Mobil technology, or the sharing technology, could be a valuable tool to that end.

GourdGracious It's Technology -- a reflection

Kettle gourds.

A momentary interlude about gourds and technology: It is possible that even the mightiest beliefs age and can appear to have outlived its purpose and usefulness, only to come to life again with new purpose.


This tree at Richards Fruit Market was an old and brittle example of plant life that can get past its prime. However, after some trimming and grooming, evidence proved it still had purpose as the strength and support for many new gourd fruits! That's a lot like digital technology. There are tried-and-true ways of doing things (like doing surveys and collaborating) but when these are groomed with new ideas and ways of performing, the two can come together.

T-test Male and Female Averages

Being able to numerically describe differences, or the amount of difference is the basis for many budgetary decisions. In this case we are using the  NCES average reading scale scores for the 2011 school year of 4th grade students from the previous post to see if there is a significant statistical difference between males and female scale scores. Looking at the straightforward scores, there are differences but are they statistically significant?




The 2-tail P value is greater than .05--no statistical difference.

To judge if the difference is numerically significant, T test scores are generated.  The hypothesis used: there is a difference; the null hypothesis: there is no difference. To investigate this, I went to the saved NCES chart of 4th grade scale scores, clicked on Data, then Data Analysis, and followed the options to select a variable 1 (male) and variable 2 (female) columns of scores. The two-tail P value is greater than .05, indicating there is no statistical significance difference between the scale reading scores of male and female students.

Initially, I questioned my numbers since they did not match other bloggers' numbers although I followed the same procedure and the conclusion was the same. Upon a closer look, I see I included the Dept. of Defense Education Agency 4th grade scale scores. In my opinion, these scores are part of the whole United States picture, even though they may not represent statehood, the students are United States citizens taught by US teachers using US approved curriculum. The addition of this 'state' appears to have adjusted the P values, but in the same direction they were going without them.  Without this addition, the P value one-tale is 1.60684 and two-tail is 3.21368 (as opposed to 2.51748 and 5.03496, with them). Either way, the P value is greater than .05 indicating no significant difference.








This procedure can be applied to another situation led by the question: How do end-of-year scores differ among gifted students placed in heterogeneously grouped classes and gifted students placed in classes of homogeneously grouped classes? The dependent variable-course scores; the independent variable-grouping in heterogeneous and homogeneous classes. The constants: curriculum, class size, teacher qualification.

Hypothesis 1 Being placed in a class with a wide spread of academic abilities alters the scores of the gifted thinkers. Scores are not as high as the scores from classes where gifted thinkers are challenged to their own levels. Hypothesis2 (null): There is no difference.

Once the course (school year) is completed and end-of-year scores are calculated, Excel Data Analysis can be used to do a P value of variable 1 (heterogeneous grouping) and variable 2 (homogeneous grouping) and determine if there is a statistically significant difference between the two sets of scores.

ISTE NETSt standard affected by this skill is #5, engaging in professional growth and leadership. By speaking to scores and differences based on numerical data, school boards, civic leaders, and budgetary faces can be convinced and possibility encouraged to see that gifted thinkers act and react to academic surroundings.

Just for fun, what would one-tail and two-tail gourds look like?

A one-tail gourd.

Two tails.....

...now, what would the P value be?  I'd say Pretty!

Dependent? Independent?

Statistics. Variables. OH my!

 

 

Excel - Descriptive Statistics

All critical information is there...

Using an Excel spreadsheet, numerical data can be analyzed to recognize differences and patterns. By looking at the National Center for Education Statistics, and going to state comparisons, a search can be made by grade, subject, student group, year(s) and type of data display desired. In this particular instance, national 4th grade reading scores for 2011 were downloaded into my Excel program for review.  I realized the scores I would have been interested in were not an option: gifted scores by state and gender. (States vary wildly with regard to mandating gifted education and funding and although the NAGC will give individual information, I have not located an Excel types chart with all the information in one place. Maybe that's my special project!)

However, I did like how the title, reference sources and websites traveled with the download to act as a one-stop-shopping sheet--an appealing aspect.

By using the sorting and data analysis functions, the scores could be arranged in ascending order. I produced a scatter plot describing the placement of Virginia's scores compared to the other states and overseas schools on military bases (which counts as a state). The plotted scores reflect the ascending order. Virginia places #9 among the states, closely aligned with Vermont by .40 -- almost the same score difference as Maryland and New Hampshire (.38). There are 8 states with higher scores (DoDEA is one of them) and 43 states with lower scores. Virginia is 5.96 points above the average.

Overall, a striking point of interest is the fact that both outliers are on the east coast: high score (MA 236.7738666) and low score (DC 200.6279879), with DC also having the biggest difference between male and female scores.

The ability to sift through numbers and interpret them is a valuable professional and leadership skill. Being able to do it using technology is a way to speak to data in an efficient and effective way. ISTE NETS-T standard 5 would be addressed with this skill: evaluate and reflect on current research on a regular basis. By using digital tools, student learning can be guided as trends emerge.

On second thought...

The Diigolet isn't loading properly so articles and images can be saved, but the annotations are sketchy. Luckily there's boatload of gourdheads coming to town this week for the Virginia Gourd Festival so life is good all around! Escape the political craziness and get crazy with gourds! Margaret "Sparky" Sparkman, the National Gourd Lady, sure would have!

Diggin' that new Diigo!

Gourd Scoop

Technology is fluid!  That is the lesson today. Thank you Amy for bringing it to Dr. Pierce's attention. I just thought I was getting old, but now I know there is the new Diigo and it's in Links I Like space and I'm back on track!

PRISMS on a Google Site

On the one hand, and on the other hand...

This assignment was such a hot and cold love affair. On the one hand I wanted to achieve raging success because I would like to use a Google Site with my research classes next semester. BUT, on the other hand the learning curve was steep and made me question what craziness I was getting into!  Nothing made sense to me, and the jargon, which makes perfectly good sense to Google, made no sense to me as I was clicking around and trying to figure out what did what.

I chose a template that resembled note paper since there is a fair amount of documentation with research projects. Since it was to be used as a PRISMS website, I began preparing the sidebar to hold the packets I use for the class. My information as a teacher is there two-fold: first as the Who Is Mrs. Mohr which explains what I do and what it means to the student. Then, in a subpage, I get specific about credentials and interests...hopefully in a friendly way with a the resume, the organizations I champion, and the school phone numbers and email. On this page I linked the information in the text, whereas in the other packets the handouts were listed as files at the bottom since it seemed more appropriate to list the handouts plainly at the bottom where there could be no mistaking where they were.

My email is noted at the bottom every page. Right now, there are three packets showing but ultimately there will be 8 packets--each specializing in a different aspect of the research process. On aspect I particularly like is the fact that the subpages can be accessed under the text for the pages, so cross-referencing seems to be effortless.

What excites me about Google Sites is the possibility that I can use it as a vehicle to allow students to be more self-directed and self-pacing. As you can see I kind of danced around trying different links, inserting images, files, sidebar pages and subpages. It is still a work in progress, but the possibilities are clear to me. The Countdown in the sidebar is a shining star idea in my opinion and will be used immediately in my classroom if only as a classroom poster.

The technology standards touched by this assignment are #1 and #2 where students are inspired and encouraged to use technology to advance their learning, AND teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences. A student working on a research topic would really be energized to move forward at his or her own pace.

Now, how can this be used for gourd stuff?  Right now the Virginia Lovers' Gourd Society is beholding to the American Gourd Society for it's webspace. It is personal, and limited in that it relies on a webmaster and does not allow for member involvement. Perhaps with a Google Site, members can engage with other freely and build gourdpatches locally.

Ain't Misbehavin' on a Ukelele

Makin' gourd music!

Dr. Uke offers song chart diagrams for you aspiring ukulelists. Ain't Misbehavin' is one of my favorites!

You too can enjoy the wonder that is ukulele and move on to make a Gourd Ukulele!

YeeHaAa!

Rubistar M&Ms

In the research class I teach, I use a Justified-Renzulli Rubric. Here is an example of my original rubric in action. This is grading guideline that allows a student to go over-and-above the call of duty, and then getting credit for the effort. Another Gifted Resource Teacher came up with the Justified part of it, and I added the Renzulli part. We use this kind of rubric for all the PRISMS classes in the county.

For this assignment, I went to Rubistar to set up an account for making rubrics. I was pleasantly surprised that there were several categories of rubrics to choose from, making the building of a grading matrix fairly easy. I still made changes to accommodate specific needs but overall, it was a snap.

Gourd M&Ms!  The choice of gourdheads everywhere!

My first Rubistar rubric was for the PRISMS paper, the second rubric for the PRISM Showcase display, and the third one for the PRISMS Showcase presentation. It was like popping M&Ms! I had to make myself stop.

Using Jing to capture them and uploading them to Screencast provided another URL got me this: Writing the Paper, Building the Display, and Showcase Presentation but I didn't want an instance where students and parents could see that my magnificent rubric brilliance was actually commercially based (since the Rubistar or the Jing masthead is clearly displayed).

Finally, I saved them to my computer as a PNG image which I could then upload Google Docs which gave another URL to access them: Writing the Paper, Building the Display, and Showcase Presentation.

Saving them in an Excel format on the thumbdrive I use for all the PRISMS documents was handy. Not only do I have access to them online from whatever computer I happen to be at from school to school if I have access to Google Docs, but I can have them instantly from my personal device when I don't have access to them online. Logging into Rubistar allows for printing access but, again, that presupposes the computer I am at permits access.

So, where does that leave me Technology Standard-wise?  This certainly falls into the #3 and 4: the sharing of rubrics with students for lessons and assessments, and then sharing them with colleagues for professional collaborations.

And on the subject of math...

Variables...

I got an email today from one of the teachers saying several of my students came into class talking about a news report about a horrible math teacher who asked his students what do you get when you add 2 students to another 3 and put them in a microwave. **gasp!*

One of my kiddos chimes in and says "Yeah, that's a really bad math teacher -- there was no information about microwave size, sizes of the students, or wattage. How's the formula gonna work if you don't have the all the variables?"

Gourdhead counting to ten.

Now you know why I'm a gourdhead.

Gotta do this...

 A day in the life of a Gifted Resource Teacher:

Today the 6th grade class I'm working with is busily working on their altered book project, changing and altering a discarded book and inventing a new story using the words that already exists and one pipes up and says, 'Mrs. Mohr, do you know what my favorite quote about weirdness is?  It's that one by Dr. Seuss--you know the green eggs and ham man?" and proceeds to recite this quote....

Gourd Eyeball

We are all a little weird, and life’s a little weird, and when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutual weirdness and call it love. --Dr. Seuss



Now, I just have to say that's seeing things from a different point of view, no?

Self-Grading Quiz

The idea behind a self-grading quiz is to produce a quiz using Google Forms [much like a survey from the previous assignment] and produce a key and insert formulas in the corresponding spreadsheet where the responses accumulate to grade the responses. This is a very efficient way to grade lower level thinking (think Bloom's Taxonomy) where the answers are straightforward basic facts. Questions using critical thinking skills can be made with multiple choice or checklist response choices, but those seem to end up reading like trick questions -- the gotcha questions no one wants to encounter on a quiz because they seem mean-spirited. The quiz can be sent to students as a link so they can go to it and see and enjoy the theme, or it can be emailed as part of the message. In either case, with the advent of iPhones, apps, and The Cloud, quizzes can be available in more places than in a classroom.

Print Resources

My quizzes for the Gifted Academic Program kiddos are usually higher order thinking in nature and somewhat philosophical. They are not graded for black/white responses, so this assignment was a challenge. My Print Resources quiz is usually interpreted with pictures and limited text but it was the quiz most closely aligned with basic facts so it is the one I chose to translate for this assignment. The translated quiz was sent it to several people and myself at home. When I check my email, I found a message with the quiz as the message and a link that I clicked on to go to the live form that was complete with the book theme I had chosen.



Every gourd has a knot, but are still different.

Even then, I found the answers had to match the key responses letter for letter or the answer was counted as wrong, skewing the final grade. I used answers from a quiz I gave the class yesterday as a test. Word for word, many answers were wrong because of the variation in verbiage: collection instead of a collection, contents and index instead of table of contents and index, etc. It's like tying knots in long-handled gourds....the knots clearly exist, but they will still be individualized. I ended up going through and evaluating answers and making some changes before doing the formula to sum/average the responses seen on the spreadsheet. Clearly Tonya answered my quiz...most answers are right but because they don't match my key exactly her final score does not reflect what she knows. [Thank you Tonya, I appreciate your willingness to help!]

Because of past frustrations I have learned to rely on tutorials that I can watch over and over. This time I went to YouTube to get help along with the self-grading one Dr. Pierce listed on the assignment document. It was also helpful to read the written instructions on eHow and may work for those who are visual learners but need written words to follow.

Google Forms--Fast to Make, Fast to Take, Fast to Tabulate!

Using Google Forms turned out to be a learning curve, as all our assignments have been, I wasn't fully expecting. Yet, one that will probably be the most far-reaching assignment for the research classes I teach in middle school. PRISMS [Problem Solving and Independent Study for Middle School] is a semester-long research class where the students must generate authentic data to prove, disprove, or add to what they have located about a topic of their own choosing. Some produce surveys, some interviews. All are carefully constructed along time-honored techniques any good survey- or interview writing uses. Google Forms, by it's user friendly capabilities bypasses many of the stumbling blocks common to producing a mature and worthwhile data-gathering tool: the introduction, types of questions, order of questions, the ebb and flow of the questions to hold the survey-takers attention.

Surveying opinions among the troops.

In the assignment, I prepared a PechaKucha 20x20 survey that would gather information from my Gifted Academic Program students about doing a PechaKucha activity. I'm not particularly looking for numbers as I am thoughts...the reasons behind actions. By gathering opinions on one Spreadsheet I can make quick comparisons. This online version of surveying opinion is fast to make, fast to take, and fast to tabulate. [OMG, that rhymes!!  How cool is that!] Quizzes would be much easier to produce and administer too for the same reasons that this survey was to produce.

Gourd Spiders

I tried to email the survey to my sister so she could serve as a test subject, and although she is in the Google system she could not access it -- even with permission from me to accept her. Making it public [sharing it] made the difference. So, it can be sent to others as a link in an email so it opens in another page (and showing the theme) or it can be sent embedded in the email so the person doesn't have to leave their email page to answer and send back.

School, gourd chapter, after-school activities - Forms have many used and may well be the reason this gourdhead chomps at the bit to make changes in how classes are run in the near future!

Prezi

Teaching a research class to 6-8th grade gifted thinkers can be a lot of fun and allows me freedom to use irony and absurdity. Yet, even though gifted students can get concepts quickly and move on, they are still children and need to be taught. At the beginning of the semester, I teach question skills: the question formulation technique and Bloom's Taxonomy. Research is question driven and without these basic skills, their research efforts will be nothing more than producing a report or term paper. They need to understand what their thinking process is in order to proceed to original thinking. They know at any given time I will ask, "Where are you in Blooms?"

Wuertz Gourd Farm

In this assignment I explain Bloom's Taxonomy with the metaphor I use in class--cows. In keeping with the theme of this blog, it ends with a reference to gourds: a greeting at the Wuertz Gourd Farm of a cow sculpture wrapped in a Mexican serape with a snake gourd tied to its head and a sign that plays on the word gored. The kiddos will love it!!

Prezi is a presentation tool, related to a PowerPoint except that it is dynamic. It can incorporate PowerPoint slides, YouTube videos, pdfs, etc....it can be used online or offline, it can used as a collaboration tool between students, among teachers, across company teams. The editing tools are easy to navigate: the path moving from slide to slide can be changed easily, slides and images can be added or deleted, text added and subtracted. The basic level has limited capabilities but serves the purpose if the intent is to present information without the sophistication of different typefaces and backgrounds. But, as I said, the basic tools serve well. Movement is more interesting than a static image as the good folks at Cornell say.

Cow Gourd

The zooming aspect can be unnerving, especially when type is rotated from crazy angles to get it right-reading for viewing. Students in middle school will probably like it because it's soOOooo cool and Crah-AAzzYY!  Re-doing this for a teacher presentation, I would limit the 'whipping around' aspect a bit and approach the information more straightforward.

Many ISTE NETS-T standards are represented by this technique and assignment. First, #1--facilitating and inspiring student learning would be painless since I could begin a Bloom's lesson with Socratic questioning about the concepts of Bloom's, then show this as a model of walking through the 6 steps of learning before asking them to produce a Prezi example of walking through Bloom's.  This would naturally lead into standard #2 of designing and developing a relevant learning experience of not only Bloom's but of using a digital tool to express knowledge by the students building a Prezi of their own to show how a topic of their own can be applied to Bloom's. Standard #3 is modeling the process of a technology system to communicate information....their Prezis would go on to teach Bloom's to each other and perhaps other classes.

Even NEWER Technology!

Gourd Book
 

New Technology!

Gourd Gracious!  It's technology!

Handwriting vs. Typing

A vital question: In the next generation, will the handwritten note look like marks on a page? This began this week's Diigo investigations. Many of my students, gifted academically and in many cases artistically, have handwriting I cannot read. There is a reluctance to change on their part and I am supposed to 'let me be me'.  Surely this cannot be right. Lately I have recognized that my own son (23 years old) prints all his correspondence, what little there is. Where did the cursive go? Where are the distinctive signatures of our forefathers?

The additions to my Diigo list, Brainy Stuff, indicate research exists explaining how different parts of the brain is engaged when writing and when typing. I still need to locate research that connects handwriting with giftedness, but the initial information is striking. This site shows a comic view of handwriting over time, and when a keyboard was introduced.

Cursive. Can technology reintroduce the skill?  Or will it be reduce to a quirky cool thing to do?

PhotoStory -- From Seed to Sell

PhotoStory is one of the programs we actually DO have in my school district...not that I ever did anything with it. However, this assignment introduced me to the possibilities of its use when communicating information to others. Whether in the classroom or on the lecture circuit when the Virginia Lovers' Gourd Society visits schools and garden clubs, it can be a companionable way to share information in one area while teaching or demonstrating in another.

I chose to produce a story about gourds [hold back your surprise!!], in fact it is a mini-introduction to novice gourdheads about moving through the year: planting the seed to selling the finished piece of art. By preparing the PowerPoint first, and following the rules of contrast, lean text, and some humor, I believe the slides presented an interesting series of visuals. While using PhotoStory, I could adjust the time allotment for each slide to mirror the PechaKucha 20x20 format...20 seconds for each of the 20 slides. By specifying transitions, I could also control slide emphasis as they moved forward in the presentation and faded into each other. Narration, thankfully!, could be redone repeatedly until the gasps and breathy tones left over from my cold could be controlled.

A quick download of YouTube gave me a place to put the final story, From Seed to Sell. This short video could only be made better with background gourd music by the Richmond Indigenous Gourd Orchestra...something not available to me at this time.

I discovered the value of YouTube and uploaded videos while doing this assignment and seeking help for the particulars of how to do parts of it--you know, for those details that make or break a project. Searching the YouTube tutorials gave me all the answers I needed to download, process, and upload. If there is a process, someone has made a YouTube tutorial and during late night hours when I'm getting crazy that is helpful indeed! It has been a clear demonstration about how a series of tutorials would be helpful in my classes where everyone is working on a different project. As I help one student personally with hands-on information, others who need more routine knowledge can access what they need independently...an illustration of ISTE NETS-T #3: communicating relevant information and ideas using digital media and formats. OR #2: designing relevant learning experiences...OR #1 of inspiring students learning using real world exploration.

Second thoughts: Here are the YouTubes I used to get the job done: this one in the Leave It to Beaver style and this one which was less glamorous but more specific.

Powerful PowerPoint

This assignment was an interesting exercise in brevity and active surprise!  By scrutinizing the examples, considering the design elements of visual surprise, and trying to communicate vital bits of knowledge in a brief way, I believe I've put the power into my PowerPoint.

I am no stranger to developing presentations for large groups. One of my duties UNC-CH was to prepare PPts for the lawyers at the Institute of Government....back then PPts were the cutting edge of technology. Really. I'm that old. They had to be legal, detailed, with nothing left to the imagination. Thirty years later, preparing PPts for gifted research presentations, the level of detail does not have to be as expansive but sources are in-text cited and then included in a reference slide at the end to prove sources. The citing practice still continues when I prepare a presentation for professionals in the field...it is expected.




But with this assignment I needed to approach the information from a different perspective. I needed to display impact, directed to a specific audience for a specific purpose. I chose to prepare this PPt for giftedness as a guide for teachers who will have classrooms of heterogeneous populations but won't know what to do with gifted thinkers. Some teachers think giftedness is an elitist concept intended to give some students special favors.



Differentiation helps catches even those
not yet identified officially.

Some teachers are intimidated by students who may, in fact, know more than they do and resist differentiation where it may clearly be a valuable tool for those that are identified as gifted and especially for those not yet identified but who are in danger of losing interest and becoming an underachiever. [Underachievers are the gifted students who have been bored to tears by drilling the same information multiple times, or told to go slow so everyone can move together, or worse have teachers who believe differentiation means additional handouts about the same information the other students are learning.  **oUCH!!**  The gifted thinkers give up, they check out, and they appear lazy.]

For this PowerPoint I followed a 'story' that begins with comparing thinking to bread making. It moves on to what a teacher can do to address individual needs in the classroom and then how to recognize gifted traits in a student who may need to be referred for evaluation. It ends with a tie back to the beginning bread metaphor. I initially wrote my story as if I were talking to someone, then repeatedly edited it for brevity until I had gone too far and it made no sense. A careful back step made the information meaningful, but brief. I used color, contrast, and humor where possible to portray meaning without words, or few words. It was a delicate dance back and forth to select the right words, the placement, and the color to express meaning. Ultimately I settled on what you saw and saved it to DropBox so it can be accessed later and through many different devices. This PPt could stand alone as an emailed attachment to teachers who have my students sprinkled in their rosters, or could be used as a faculty in-service where I would speak additional explanation and provide handouts.

This assignment, using a PowerPoint with teachers, clearly defines the fifth standard of the ISTE-NETS-S: engaging in professional growth and leadership, in particular contributing to the effectiveness and vitality of the teaching profession and of the school.

The purpose and audience needs to be clearly defined when preparing a PowerPoint. The images need to be memorable so the information lingers long after the last slide slips away.