The partnership invited educators to participate in the live webinar series for Inquiry. I was honoured to share ways inquiry can be enriched through the use of technology, such as developing questions, information seeking, reflecting, documenting, assessing, and presenting learning.

An archive of the webinar can be found on the SSLA web site or through the direct link

As curricula advocates a “shift from a transmission-oriented pedagogy to a more open, inquiry-based mode of teaching and learning” (Bruce and Bishop, 2002), the ideal learning environment must now be characterized as flexible and adaptive to the changing needs of the learners. The construction of learning must be communal and dynamic, welcoming and valuing each member’s experiences and perspectives. Learning, due to its non-linear structure and student focus, is “messy” as learners critically investigate their unique questions apply understandings to new situations, create new knowledge, share learnings, and participate ethically and productively, using diverse methods and media. This active search for meaning and understanding undergirds inquiry.

An Overview

In Nudging Toward Inquiry (AASL 2009), Kristin Fontichiaro provides strategies for school librarians to gently move our K-12 instructional design closer to the inquiry approach.

Choosing Strategies and Tools

Immerse

During this stage, considerable time is spent determining readiness to learn, interest in topic, building background, and developing and inquiry stance.

Investigate

Coalesce

In this stage, students combine their understandings in order to construct, blend, and  build new knowledge.

Go Public

In this stage, students showcase their learning to their intended audience in order to persuade action or to enlighten others about a specific topic.

Resources

Harvey, Stephanie, and Harvey Daniels. Comprehension & collaboration: inquiry circles in action. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 2009. Print.

Mctighe, Jay. Essential questions opening doors to student understanding.. Alexandria: Assn Supervn & Curr Dev, 2013. Print.

  Ipads and Apps in the Classroom - Teachnology session presentation

 A digital backpack is mobile technology in backpack that includes detailed hardware, software, and instructional support materials to provide for project-based learning experiences in various formal and informal environments.

 Digital Backpack Support Documents (posters):

• Convey ideas through visual representation poster
• Produce and share powerful, compelling, digital media (stories, podcast, and presentations) poster
• Create well-crafted word processing documents poster
• Develop social responsibility through a positive virtual presence (digital footprint) poster
• Conduct powerful, self-directed inquiries and create solutions for complex problems poster
• Explain and share metacognitive processes to highlight learning (Formative Assessment) poster
• Create, Grow, & Maintain Communities of Learners poster
• Use information thoughtfully and ethically (digital citizenship) poster
• Use models and simulations to explore complex systems and issues poster
• Collect, interpret, use and share data poster

   The 5 components of a Simulation:

• A driving question
• A design
• Collection
• Display
• Analysis
• Sharing with a purpose

 Creating a Chart or A Graph

•   Geogebra
•   Google Spreadsheets
•   Lucid Chart
•   Pretty Graph

Collecting Data

• Survey Monkey
• Poll Everywhere
• Google Forms  
• Twitter

 Analyzing Data

• Excel- available on SPS laptops.
• Google Spreadsheet

Demonstrating/Sharing the Learning

Digital Whiteboards

                                                                               http://youtu.be/gYcdhaPr7G8                       

Visual Representations: 

 Infographics-  See Techy Teacher

     Comics     

           Posters                                         

p

 Tools Used During Workshop

Prezi

Excel

TodaysMeet

RealtimeBoard

Socrative

Download and Install  New Fonts

The first step is to find and install fonts. Free fonts are available online at sites like Dafont, Urban Fonts, Fonts2U, or Fonts.com

Dingbats are decorative characters or ornaments attached to keyboard letters. The ‘BlackJack’ font and the ‘2 Peas Love Me’ dingbats are  popular fonts.

Open An Image Editor

There are many choices of image editors, such as Photoshop, Aviary, Pixlr and Picasa. Picasa is free, and it will import and recognize all of the fonts installed on your computer.

Grab a High Resolution Image

A high resolution image is needed so when printed, the images and the fonts are clear and crisp. Import the image into Picasa and use the “Edit in Picnik” tool to resize. It is advised to size the vertical image to 2000 pixels by 2500 pixels for 8” x 10” printable art. To make it easy, download this plain white high resolution image and start with that.

Start Creating

Once you have your high resolution plain white image, open it in Picasa and begin creating with the basic font tool.

For example, to create signage about the fall season, change the background to an autumnal colour. To change the background, choose “Auto Color” under Basic Fixes and then choose “Tint” under Effects. Select any color background from that tool.

Next, lay out fonts, as seen below, with the Edit Text function. Picasa allows the user to increase or decrease the size of the font with one click and drag, and also tilt the words in any direction, whether it s diagonal or vertical.

Choose appealing fonts or words.  The following example is a ‘Autumn Favorites’ printable created in Picasa by Centsation using different fonts and changing up the colours for added variety. 

Once you familiarize yourself with the tools, you can create any 8” x 10” word art you can imagine, in any colour you like, from signage to posters. If you want something larger than 8” x 10” , simply have your local print shop print the larger size.

Learning is a consequence of thinking. Students’ understanding of content, and retention of content, increases when they think through—and with—the concepts and information they are investigating. Thinking through issues is not a solo, but rather a social endeavour. In classrooms, as in the world, there is a constant interplay between the group and the individual. We learn from those around us and our engagement with them.

Fostering thinking requires making thinking visible. Effective thinkers make their thinking visible, meaning they externalize their thoughts through speaking, writing, drawing, or some other method. Proficient thinkers are also metacognitive – they use a variety of strategies to plan, monitor, and assess their thinking. They can then direct and improve those thoughts. Visible thinking also emphasizes documenting thinking for later reflection.

- Project Zero

Visual Tool

 Educreations - Educreations turns your iPad into a recordable whiteboard. Creating a great video tutorial is as simple as touching, tapping and talking. Explain a math formula or create an animated lesson. With voice recording, realistic digital ink, photos and text, and simple sharing through email, Facebook or Twitter, now you can broadcast your ideas from anywhere.

How does the artifact convey the student’s understanding?
How do visual tools help student be metacognitive of their learning?
How can visual tools be used for formative assessment and responsive instruction?

• Popplet (iPad App)
• Skitch (iPad App) 
• Flickr
• Present.me
• Poll Everywhere
• Inspiration

Auditory Recordings

 AudioBoo

How does the artifact convey the student’s understanding?
How do auditory recordings help student be metacognitive of their learning?
How can auditory recordings be used for formative assessment and responsive instruction?

• Voice Memos - Record using Voice Memos, an app that is pre-loaded on the iPod
• Microsoft Lync
• VoiceThread
• Audacity

Wesley Fryers Tutorials, Videos and Samples:  Mapping Media to the  Common Core

Musical Tutorial of AudioBoo from Tricia Fuglestad on Vimeo.

Textual Responses

Evernote

How does the artifact convey the student’s understanding?
How do textual responses help student be metacognitive of their learning?
How can textual responses be used for formative assessment and responsive instruction?

• Socrative
• Padlet
  • Padlet Tutorial
• Diigo – Diigo V5: Collect and Highlight, Then Remember!
  • An introduction to Diigo for educators
• Today’sMeet
• Twitter
• Google Drive - Formerly Google Docs
• Titanpad
  • Titanpad video
• Wordle
  • How to Use Wordle

Exit Pass

• Socrative 
• Google Docs
• PickMe
• OR an aforementioned tool

When we “shift” the focus from teacher centered to a student centered classroom we need to use technology purposefully. Just because a technology is available or is popular doesn’t mean you have or should use it. As with any resource, make sure the technology will enhance your efforts to strengthen the classroom community and make learning active, interactive, and student-centered.

Technology uses enable new learning tasks not possible without technology. Bernajean Porter offers the following:

• Student roles expand to include explorers, producers of knowledge, communicators and self-directed learners
• Teacher roles expand to include facilitators, designers, learners, and researchers
• Learning and assessment practices are changed
• Students initiate technology uses as they create their own learning experiences.

 Getting Started

• Small Strategic Steps to get started 

Jigsaw

Graphic Organizer samples used during Jigsaw session   

KWL using Inspiration:  (Find under “run advertised programs” within Tech support icon)

KWL using Microsoft Tool:  Smart Charts

• Page 1
• Page 2

Venn Diagram using Inspiration

Project-Based Learning

 What is Project Based Learning?

Project Based Learning is an instructional approach built upon authentic learning activities that engage student interest and motivation. These activities are designed to answer a question or solve a problem and generally reflect the types of learning and work people do in the everyday world outside the classroom.  

• An Introduction to Project-Based Learning

• From Worms to Wall Street: Projects Prompt Active, Authentic Learning

• More Fun Than a Barrel of . . . Worms?!
  At Newsome Park Elementary School, assignments in project-based learning are helping students learn more, participate more, and want more.
• Project-Based Learning
  • What is it?
  • Examples That Work
  • Best Practices
  • Links to  Web Resources

Student-Led Inquiries

• Developing Inquiring Minds: Classroom Tour

Flipped Classroom

What is the Flipped Classroom?

Why Follow the Flipped Classroom Model?

• See How Aaron Sams Uses The Flipped Classroom Model
• Flipped Professional Development
• Why I Flipped My Classroom

Flipped Classroom Basics

Want to try the flipped model of instruction? Start small. Why not try it with one unit?

• Download a Printable Document to Learn More
• See How Shauna Hedgepeth Incorporates Jing Into Her Classroom

Cautionary Notes

The flipped model of instruction has its critics. Before trying a new model, learn of its pros and cons.

• What is a Flipped Classroom? (Article and Infographic)
• Should You Flip Your Classroom?
• The Flipped Classroom: Pro and Con
• The Flip: End of a Love Affair

Responsive Technologies

Responsive technologies support the teacher in implementing educational and pedagogical best practices of formative assessment and can create the conditions for a student centered classroom.  Providing students with timely, specific and consructive feedback is possible when using responsive technologies.    For the teacher, responsive technologies can assist the teacher in monitoring student progress and adjusting the lesson as needed.  For the student, responsive technologies have the power to provide the student with information as to where they are in relation to the learning outcomes and what they need to do to get there.  

Responsive Tools

Immediate Responsive Systems provide the student and teacher with instant information through surveys,  polls and quizzes.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

“Via BYOD, each student has direct access to the entire world’s information, to events, to places, to organizations, to people—in particular, to fellow students. With their computers, students can manipulate whatever they access and can create new content that they can contribute to the world’s information base. In a “We learn” classroom, as the teacher mentors, guides and tutors the students, the teacher, along with the students, learns content, instructional strategies and 21st-century skills.  – Cathlene Norris, Oct. 2011

• Students can conduct their inquiries
• Students can collaborate with teachers and peers
• Students can personalize their learning to ensure engagement
• It allows for opportunities to have choice- to experiment, research, demonstrate
• It acts as a platform for student voices
• It provides access to digital content that provides multiple pathways to the learning
• It helps student connect locally and globally that add authenticity to their school work
• It provides platforms for meaningful and authentic learning about Digital Citizenship
• It allows opportunities for students to construct opinions, arguments and ideas and evidence based reasoning within a collaborative framework

Resources

• About BYOT
• Transforming Technology and Levels of Use
• The First Five Days
• Ten Sites to Use with Mobile Phones

Imagining An Inquiry Rich Classroom

How Good a Motivator am I? – A Self-Reflection

Choosing Strategies and Tools

• Inquiry Chart – Table One
• Inquiry Chart – Table Two
• Inquiry Chart – Table Three
• Inquiry Chart -Table Four
• Inquiry Chart -Table Five
• Inquiry Chart -Table Six
• Inquiry Chart -Table Seven

Resources On TechyTeacher

• Immerse – Finding Information
• Investigate – Research Containers
• Coalesce – Digital Citizenship and Author’s Craft (Polls and Surveys)
• Go Public – Writing Collaboration – Presentation

Digital writing is not teach writing with computers, but rather to teach writing in spaces that also allow students to write with computers.  Technologies and digital publishing spaces allow students to weave and orchestrate multiple media to produce powerful,  interactive, and hyperlinked, artifacts. Embracing a digital perspective  involves a shift in pedagogy based on these principles:

1. Situated in contexts of rich affordances for writing. Affords basic infrastructural and semiotic wrtiting choices for students
2. Linked to a thoughtful, critical consciousness of technology. Facilitates a thoughtful, critical selection among tools for performing writing tasks and preparing compositions among many options
3. Anchored by multimodal approaches to writing.  Juxatposing, scripting, and layering multiple media, including photographs, charts, video, images, audio, diagrams, hyperlinks, and more to create sophisticated messages

Source: WIDE Media Network

Teaching Writing in the Digital Age - chart

Fostering the Writing Process Using Technology

Prewriting and Drafting: MindMaps: Inspiration Persephone Causes of Genocide Quick Tour of Inspiration video Kidspiration A Day at the Beach How to Create a Bubble Map in Kidspiration video (SPS purchased software)
bubbl.us Kite Runner How to create a concept map using Bubbl.us video  (Web 2.0 tool)
Padlet/Wallwisher (Web 2.0 tool)
Lino (Web 2.0 tool)
Today’sMeet What is Today’sMeet? Sample Get your students backchanneling with Todays Meet video (Web 2.0 tool)
TitanPad What is TitanPad? Sample TitanPad video (Web 2.0 tool)
Visuwords (Web 2.0 tool)
Revision and Proofreading: Microsoft Word – use track changes (SPS purchased software)
Google Docs on Google Drive – use revision history (Web based)
Voice Recording Audioboo Water Cycle VoiceThread (Web 2.0 tool)
Digital spaces: Miss Literal (Web 2.0 tool)
Wordle (Web 2.0 tool)
Designing and Publishing Digital Writing Refer to Writing Collaboration – under Presentations

 Digital Writing Resources:

• Digital Writing Response Chart
• Digital Writing Oops Cards
• MAPS chart

Digital Writing Prompts

• Featured Video Writing Prompts

Digital Spaces

 Writing Collaboration – Presentation offers additional digital spaces.

Reflection

 Assessment of the Day