3.6: Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools and Resources
Candidates collaborate with teachers and administrators to select and evaluate digital tools and resources for accuracy, suitability, and compatibility with the school technology infrastructure. (PSC 3.6/ISTE 3f)
Artifact: ITEC 7445 Evaluating Emerging Technology
This artifact is a presentation that I made to review technology that exists in the school (a “GoPro” Camera) and how it might be used outside the current use (in sports to analyze plays in Basketball and Soccer) in the classroom to improve learning reflection for students in Geography and Science. The presentation also looks to providing a methodology, through the current School Technology Plan, to fund and sustain the use of this type of emergent technology. This presentation analyzed the type of technology already available through collaboration with colleagues in the Physical and Health Education Departments, and proposed methods of its classroom use and management to facilitate collaborative and reflective learning with colleagues in the Geography and Science subject areas.
This artifact is aligned to Standard 3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools and Resources. In this presentation, I selected technology that was already available for use in one discipline in the school and evaluated its wider use as a teaching and learning resource. The presentation also reflects on how this resource might be funded from the current Technology Integration Plan and its sustainability with existing school infrastructures.
The use of a Go Pro camera in the school was postulated for an existing Middle Years Programme (MYP) Unit of Inquiry where the Year 1 (6th Grade) students walk the local neighborhood with the objective of creating a digital map of the area for new residents. Having the footage of the walking activity would allow the students to further chunk real time footage and integrate into their digital maps as a point of reference. The GoPro camera was suggested for the pilot as one of these had been purchased by the Physical and Health Education Department in the school. Therefore, collaboration was necessary to secure the camera use for the field trip in a way that it would not disrupt the original intention for use in basketball and soccer games. Should the pilot be a success, the evaluation of the pilot for teaching and learning could position additional funding from the school technology plan or discipline budgets for the cameras suggested in the presentation to be purchased for ongoing curricular teaching and learning. This was also aligned with the emerging MYP framework for teaching across the eight subject areas as provision of this kind of technology would allow for more cross discipline opportunities by provision of short clips and movies of student work in the classroom to better foster interdisciplinary links and ideas for teaching and learning in the curriculum as a whole.
In completing this artifact, I was given the opportunity to investigate the use of technology that would have otherwise been siloed into a subject discipline for their use exclusively. By working with a department that I do not normally engage with, there was the opening of a wider door of technology integration opportunity for students to use this technology in other subject areas. Authentic conversations were generated as to the accuracy of the technology (using GPS with the footage, for example. Students found this interesting and challenging when integrating into their digital maps). Suitability for the field trip was also discussed – would one student “carry” the camera or would it need to be faculty and would training be required. While compatible with existing school technology, the conversation from the presentation also lead to questions of storage should the department purchase an item like this and would the faculty be ready to adopt this type of wearable technology on a holistic basis. Would this particular piece of equipment be of “novelty value” only?
To improve the quality of this artifact (as it was a pilot proposal), I would have liked the opportunity to do this project with the Year 1 (6th Grade) Geography field trip class. However, I was not assigned that class in the 2014 – 15 school year and not notified when the field trip was planned and executed. My reflection here is to better foster communication between the instructional technology department of the school and collaborative planning in curricular areas. Often opportunities to try emergent technologies are missed simply because there is not a technologist present to hear the curriculum planning ideas and to suggest some technologies to try.
However, I did get the opportunity to reflect with the Physical and Health Education Department on their consistent use of this technology for improvement in technique in Basketball and Soccer. Data collected here would suggest that the use of this technology for technique analysis has improved play in both sports. Both teams have risen in the private school leagues this year – assessed by marked improvement in play is attributed, in part, by active reflection using video technologies across this subject area. Therefore, an opportunity exists to observe this in action in this subject area and to transfer into other subject disciplines for improvement in techniques – for example in scientific experiments and geographical fieldwork analysis.
This artifact is aligned to Standard 3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools and Resources. In this presentation, I selected technology that was already available for use in one discipline in the school and evaluated its wider use as a teaching and learning resource. The presentation also reflects on how this resource might be funded from the current Technology Integration Plan and its sustainability with existing school infrastructures.
The use of a Go Pro camera in the school was postulated for an existing Middle Years Programme (MYP) Unit of Inquiry where the Year 1 (6th Grade) students walk the local neighborhood with the objective of creating a digital map of the area for new residents. Having the footage of the walking activity would allow the students to further chunk real time footage and integrate into their digital maps as a point of reference. The GoPro camera was suggested for the pilot as one of these had been purchased by the Physical and Health Education Department in the school. Therefore, collaboration was necessary to secure the camera use for the field trip in a way that it would not disrupt the original intention for use in basketball and soccer games. Should the pilot be a success, the evaluation of the pilot for teaching and learning could position additional funding from the school technology plan or discipline budgets for the cameras suggested in the presentation to be purchased for ongoing curricular teaching and learning. This was also aligned with the emerging MYP framework for teaching across the eight subject areas as provision of this kind of technology would allow for more cross discipline opportunities by provision of short clips and movies of student work in the classroom to better foster interdisciplinary links and ideas for teaching and learning in the curriculum as a whole.
In completing this artifact, I was given the opportunity to investigate the use of technology that would have otherwise been siloed into a subject discipline for their use exclusively. By working with a department that I do not normally engage with, there was the opening of a wider door of technology integration opportunity for students to use this technology in other subject areas. Authentic conversations were generated as to the accuracy of the technology (using GPS with the footage, for example. Students found this interesting and challenging when integrating into their digital maps). Suitability for the field trip was also discussed – would one student “carry” the camera or would it need to be faculty and would training be required. While compatible with existing school technology, the conversation from the presentation also lead to questions of storage should the department purchase an item like this and would the faculty be ready to adopt this type of wearable technology on a holistic basis. Would this particular piece of equipment be of “novelty value” only?
To improve the quality of this artifact (as it was a pilot proposal), I would have liked the opportunity to do this project with the Year 1 (6th Grade) Geography field trip class. However, I was not assigned that class in the 2014 – 15 school year and not notified when the field trip was planned and executed. My reflection here is to better foster communication between the instructional technology department of the school and collaborative planning in curricular areas. Often opportunities to try emergent technologies are missed simply because there is not a technologist present to hear the curriculum planning ideas and to suggest some technologies to try.
However, I did get the opportunity to reflect with the Physical and Health Education Department on their consistent use of this technology for improvement in technique in Basketball and Soccer. Data collected here would suggest that the use of this technology for technique analysis has improved play in both sports. Both teams have risen in the private school leagues this year – assessed by marked improvement in play is attributed, in part, by active reflection using video technologies across this subject area. Therefore, an opportunity exists to observe this in action in this subject area and to transfer into other subject disciplines for improvement in techniques – for example in scientific experiments and geographical fieldwork analysis.