The Snifflefree Snirds
During the Fall of 2017 I enrolled in a class to learn how to develop multimedia materials. My classmates, Lauren and Emily, and I were tasked with creating multimedia material for a client. Since I had already worked with Tom Blakeslee and his family, I reached out to them to see if they would be interested in having us create a website for one of their books. Tom and his family agreed that this would be a great opportunity for them to jump from solely written material to including multimedia material.
This project gave me a chance to collaborate with colleagues from across the United States via phone calls, text messaging, emails, and Google docs. Each one of the team members oversaw a different part of the website, allowing us to focus on a specific section. Being the only public elementary school teacher on our team, I focused on linking all of the curriculum to the Common Core State Standards and creating a teacher page. I also identified vocabulary words that viewers would need to learn to have a deeper understanding of the text.
Using a turnkey website, like Weebly, had some limitations. We wanted to be able to display The Snifflefree Snirds book and have it read aloud to the viewer. We were unable to find any free applications that allowed us to incorporate that. My goal is to find an affordable application that allows us to have one of the author’s children read the book aloud while the words are highlighted. However, Weebly did make it easy to use a template and change it to match our material.
This project gave me a chance to collaborate with colleagues from across the United States via phone calls, text messaging, emails, and Google docs. Each one of the team members oversaw a different part of the website, allowing us to focus on a specific section. Being the only public elementary school teacher on our team, I focused on linking all of the curriculum to the Common Core State Standards and creating a teacher page. I also identified vocabulary words that viewers would need to learn to have a deeper understanding of the text.
Using a turnkey website, like Weebly, had some limitations. We wanted to be able to display The Snifflefree Snirds book and have it read aloud to the viewer. We were unable to find any free applications that allowed us to incorporate that. My goal is to find an affordable application that allows us to have one of the author’s children read the book aloud while the words are highlighted. However, Weebly did make it easy to use a template and change it to match our material.
Instructional Resource Evaluation Screencast
As a leader, educator, and designer, it is important to be able to effectively evaluate a technology tool. In the Fall of 2017, I created a screencast reviewing a software program titled Zearn. Zearn is an online platform that has word problems, equations, and games based on Common Core math. My school district had recently purchased Zearn accounts for all teachers and students and, after watching a demonstration of how to use it, I became intrigued with the product. I was also taking a class that provided me with the resources to practice evaluation as an assignment.
When evaluating a resource, it is important have a guide or rubric to guide and focus your evaluation. To evaluate Zearn, I used Kathy Schrock’s Critical Evaluation of a Web Site: Web Sites for Use by Educators (2002-12). I found this document to be a good starting point as I was unable to answer all the questions. I also discovered that Schrock’s last listed copyright date was 2012, which left me wondering if the evaluation tool had been updated. The evaluation tool may not have been all encompassing, but it allowed me to start thinking critically about what would affect the use of Zearn by students, teachers, and other clientele. For instance, when filling out the background information about the technology used and Internet connection, I began to think about what this would be like in a school full of hundreds of students trying to access Zearn. At the time of my screencast, our district was upgrading all wireless ports and hubs, which was causing intermittent service; this affected the immediate implementation and usability of Zearn, leading many to doubt its usefulness. Since the network has been upgraded, teachers and students are enjoying a more stable connection to Zearn and other online applications.
To communicate my evaluation of Zearn I used PowerPoint. I was able to write short bullet points to summarize my ideas while orally expanding on my evaluation. This process was a valuable way for me to practice communicating. I found it helpful to write a script and practice several times before I started. Even with all the prior practice, it was also great that I did not have to completely redo the entire presentation if I made a mistake while speaking on one slide; instead, I could start the slide over.
If I had to do this screencast again, I think I would create my own evaluation tool using Schrock’s tool as a starting point. I would tailor the evaluation tool to the design of the technology being evaluated. I would include a section to check off use of curriculum standards under Part 4. I would also try another software program to communicate my evaluation. I would like to try a free online screencasting program, like Screencast-O-Matic. When first completing this project, I was nervous about having my project online for everyone to see and hear my voice. I finally feel more comfortable.
When evaluating a resource, it is important have a guide or rubric to guide and focus your evaluation. To evaluate Zearn, I used Kathy Schrock’s Critical Evaluation of a Web Site: Web Sites for Use by Educators (2002-12). I found this document to be a good starting point as I was unable to answer all the questions. I also discovered that Schrock’s last listed copyright date was 2012, which left me wondering if the evaluation tool had been updated. The evaluation tool may not have been all encompassing, but it allowed me to start thinking critically about what would affect the use of Zearn by students, teachers, and other clientele. For instance, when filling out the background information about the technology used and Internet connection, I began to think about what this would be like in a school full of hundreds of students trying to access Zearn. At the time of my screencast, our district was upgrading all wireless ports and hubs, which was causing intermittent service; this affected the immediate implementation and usability of Zearn, leading many to doubt its usefulness. Since the network has been upgraded, teachers and students are enjoying a more stable connection to Zearn and other online applications.
To communicate my evaluation of Zearn I used PowerPoint. I was able to write short bullet points to summarize my ideas while orally expanding on my evaluation. This process was a valuable way for me to practice communicating. I found it helpful to write a script and practice several times before I started. Even with all the prior practice, it was also great that I did not have to completely redo the entire presentation if I made a mistake while speaking on one slide; instead, I could start the slide over.
If I had to do this screencast again, I think I would create my own evaluation tool using Schrock’s tool as a starting point. I would tailor the evaluation tool to the design of the technology being evaluated. I would include a section to check off use of curriculum standards under Part 4. I would also try another software program to communicate my evaluation. I would like to try a free online screencasting program, like Screencast-O-Matic. When first completing this project, I was nervous about having my project online for everyone to see and hear my voice. I finally feel more comfortable.
Below you will find two different ways to access the screencast.