Final Project for the WebTools Class

N.B. This is a pretty long post, so if you don't really feel like reading it, just read this next sentence: Please join The Science Teacher's Hub wiki so we can continue to share Science and Edtech resources after the class is done. Since we all already have a wetpaint account, its easy just go to the site and click on Join!! Thanks for checking it out.


My main goals for this final project were: centralizing all my web-based initiatives and create a foundation/ scaffolding to use for integrating technology into my teaching in the future. I had to keep looking back at my Guiding Principles to keep myself in check and make sure I was being realistic. I'm pleased with the result (or rather the progress) so far.

1. M.Toran's Hub- The first thing I did was create a hub for all my class websites and "professional development" pages. I did this using the free web builder and host called Yola (per recommendation of the FreeTech4Teachers post on Free Website Builders). I have used Weebly in the past as well and love the simplicity of it, but Yola, which also doesn't come with any ads, allows you to do more. I am very happy with it so far. My hub is made up of:
STUDENT PAGES: Intro Biology, AP Biology, Forensics, Biotechnology, Marine Biology & TEACHER PAGES: The Science Teacher Hub wiki (see below) and Marta Toran's Blogging Chit-Chat. Right now, most of my student pages are pretty empty, because since I'm not teaching at the moment, I need to wait unitil I start teaching again and know what subjects that will be, etc. before I can start putting up all the info. For an idea of what a class page will look, check out the Forensics one or the Biotechnology one (more details about class websites below)
(In the future, I will also add a personal pages tab to my hub which will include my jewelry business website, translating services I offer and the book club I manage here in my town.)

2. The Science Teacher Hub wiki- This is were most of my work went into this week. I have gotten so much useful information from my classmates that I thought it would be a good idea to create a wiki we could all (or whoever wants) contribute to once the class ends, maybe also past and future students of the WebTools course? The wiki I created is for Science Educators to share teaching ideas and resources. Here is a screencast tour I made of the site:




I created the site using Wetpaint, which I had never used until this class. I had made a haphazard attempt at using wikis with my class before, for example this (not that great) Biotech Class wiki, but I used Wikispaces. Both are free and pretty similar in their use, though Wetpaint sites seem more clean and organized. The only thing I don't like about Wetpaint is that you can't attach files to the body of the page, so it all has to be done through links (eg. via Google Docs) or added at the bottom of each page out of context.
Now that the site is up and running, and once it gets promoted (through our PLNs), it will require little maintenance from me, hopefully it will take care of itself and I can contribute as often as I can and give it a spring cleaning once in a while. There are already a bunch of resources I put up, many from material from this class and from classmates who gave me permission (thanks!) I didn't have time to put everyone's stuff up there, but please feel free to contribute with anything you think others will find useful.

3. Class websites- (These as I mentioned above are regular websites, not wikis or blogs) They will serve as repositories for general course information, posting assignments, access to grades, class resources and links. I've tried to do this before, but it was a few years ago and I used Dreamweaver which required sooo much work and I never quite got the hang of. Yola sites are so quick to edit and update that I feel this is would be a much more realistic feat this time around. The class websites will also be a good resources for parents who are interested in knowing what we are covering, as well as check assignments that I set. I haven't done it yet, but I plan on embedding a Google Calendar widget into each class page where I can add assignment reminders, details and deadlines.
Any class blogs or wikis I use with my each group will also be accessed through the class pages. What I do with each class in terms of using blogs and wikis will depend on the nature of the group and the school I teach at (eg. hw policy, tech policy, access to computers, etc).
-I can envision having a class blog for AP Bio maintained by the students (each blog on Blogger can have up to 100 authors). The way I envision it used is for asking questions and answering each other's by adding comments. They can also post links to review sites and any other resource they find that may be useful to their classmates. AP Bio is usually a fast paced course in which students are required to take ownership of most of their learning and guide themselves through the material with little input from the teacher. Having a blog where they can help each other out would take some of the load off my office hours, give them practice walking through problems together and at the same time allow me to moderate their activity and jump in when more explanations are needed. I would also post discussion questions myself for them to think about. At this level, I wouldn't make posting mandatory or grade it because I am confident they would use the resource without it being mandatory and I would get feedback on what they are learning/ what they don't understand without grading anything formally. I probably wouldn't do a wiki with this class because there simply wouldn't be enough time for them to create and maintain it.
-I would use a class blog in a similar way for Intro Bio, but at this level they would need a much greater input and constant encouragement from me. So I would use it more for posting thought-provoking questions they would have to comment on (eg. three brainstorm questions at the beginning of each unit that would also provide me with feedback on prior knowledge they have on the topic). I would probably also use project-specific wikis for them to communicate what they learn to the wider audience like their parents (eg. topics I may do this with are: Nutrition, Evolution, Genetics, Ecology).
-For Biotech I envision the students creating a PSA style wiki with information about what it is, how it's used, pros and cons, that kind of thing. Different topics could be featured as individual wiki pages (eg. Genetic Screening, GMOs, Cloning, Stem Cell Research, Tissue Engineering). The subject really lends itself to a wiki because it would hopefully serve to educate the public on something most are somewhat scared of and also very ignorant about. They could create online poll questions/ surveys send them to friends, families and peers, and we could then discuss the results in class.

4. Voicethread- I, like others in the class, was very impressed with this tool and pleased at how easy it is to learn and use. I think I would probably use it quite a bit in an introductory level Biology class: as homework assignments before or after completing a unit (Characteristics of Living Things would be a topic that would lend itself well to this because there is great potential for discussion and different points of view), as well as for student presentations. I liked the idea of having students come up with a question they want to investigate in the lab and creating a voicethread of their "journey" (see my previous Week 7 Reflection post for an example of what I mean). For group projects, asking them to do the comments with audio and/or video is a great way to ensure they all participate (more) equally.
Forensics is another course where I could get use out of this tool (eg. create crime scenes and have them comment on potential evidence they see, collaborate with other teachers by having their students create a case mine have to solve and viceversa). For the course's final project I usually have students create a CSI episode video showcasing techniques they learned to solve a case they make up. The filming, editing and converting/ uploading etc. of the movie however, are a huge time commitment from the students during a time they are also studying for exams in other classes. I think a voicethread would work great here in terms of preparation and execution, and would also allow me to give them feedback on the different sections of their presentation. I have made one below as an example of what I have in mind, though theirs would also have to include short video segments showing procedures for analysis of different types of evidence, because accuracy of skills is one of the things I grade them on. (Warning: Content might be upsetting to some viewers)



5. Other tools- Then there are the tools I will be using because they have already become second nature (eg. Google Docs, Google Reader, Picnik, Flickr, Creative Commons, ShareTabs, Animations, Delicious, Screencasting). Something which I will definitely be using a lot are embedded online poll questions and surveys. The best option for surveys I found so far is Google Forms, I was so excited to discover this app. I tried services like SurveyMonkey, which host online surveys for free, but most have a limit to the number of surveys you can create and/ or the number of users then you have to pay. Google Forms (part of Google Docs) is a simple way to create a web-based form which can then be shared by email, URL or embedded into a page. When the subjects submit it, all the results are stored as a spreadsheet and you can then also see a summary/ analysis of the results. I have each of my classes take a mid-term and end-of-term survey to give me feedback on their learning and my teaching. I used to do them on paper, but this would be so much more efficient, and I can save the results and compare them with other classes or terms.

Feedback, comments, constructive criticism always welcome. Thanks to everyone for your contributions to my PLN!