Pear Deck in the classroom

I recently bought a subscription to Pear Deck. Pear Deck is an instant response Assessment for Learning tool for 1 to 1 classrooms.

Pear Deck allows you to import Powerpoint and Google Slide presentations, as well as PDFs, and turns them into Pear Deck slides. You can then build questions from several types: multiple choice, text response, draw response, etc. I chose to run the session with a laptop and projector while controlling the presentation with my tablet in Dashboard mode.

The platform allows me to see who is answering what and I can project anonymous responses onto the screen. The teacher can lock responses but I have found the students get much amusement from realising they were incorrect and quickly try to change their answers before I can lock the submissions.

I particularly like the draw and drag question types. The drag type can be used with the thumbs slide that Pear Deck provide as a template; the students drag a red dot to wherever they believe it should be.

My lesson, on rusting and acids, went very well. The students were really engaged and trying to answer within the short timeframes I was giving them and then went to write more equations as posters in their groups. The lesson finished some recap questions and a couple of harder extensions; all-in-all, a pretty good lesson. I found that using the questions built into the presentation allowed me to finish exactly on time, whereas I can tend to overrun a little and not complete my lessons exactly as planned.

Question: do I continue to use Pear Deck regularly, risking the students getting used to it?

Daily Notices with Awesome Table Gadget

Teachers need a simple method of creating a message to be delivered to a particular audience in the school. The message needs to be available for a range of days and disappear when those dates have passed. The format of the messages needs to be uniformly attractive and readable so I needed a way to apply my design aesthetic to the teachers' messages automatically after they have been submitted.

My solution has been to use a Google Form to capture the message to a GSheet, and use the Awesome Table Gadget to present the notices to the school on a Google Sites page.



I have made use of the edit message script supplied by Romain Vialard and his team, along with their new template functionality. The template has allowed me to use CSS to style the messages and make them look uniform, but staff with a basic understanding of embedding and tags can make their messages more interesting if desired by embedding images or GSlides set to loop or static for a poster.

The CSS below is used to build the messages shown above from the "Form responses 1" sheet created from the Form submission. The tags in bold are the column headings from the Form submissions.

Notice

<div style="margin:10px"> <span style="font-size:2em;font-weight: bold;color:#008d4f;">${"Title of Notice"}</span><br> <span style="font-size:1.2em;font-weight: normal;color:#008d4f;">A message for <span style="font-weight: bold;">${"Notice for the attention of..."}</span> from </span><span style="font-size:1.2em;font-weight: normal; color:red;">${"Teacher Name"}</span> </div> <div style="margin:10px"> <span style="font-size:1.5em;font-weight: normal;">${"Notice Information"}</span><br><br> </div>

Awesome Table Gadget shows all the rows within the set range i.e. it lists every row in the sheet and therefore, eevry notice. For the daily notices to work, I needed the messages that were out of date to be removed. Awesome Table doesn't show the rows that are hidden so I used the script below, triggered nightly, to hide the out-of-date messages; I chose not to delete them in case of any issues with the system.

function hideNotice() {
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var sheet = ss.getSheetByName("Form responses 1");
var datarange = sheet.getDataRange();
var lastrow = datarange.getLastRow();
var values = datarange.getValues();// get all data in a 2D array
var dNow = new Date();
var curDate = new Date(dNow.getFullYear(), dNow.getMonth(), dNow.getDate(), 0, 0, 0, 0);
for (i=lastrow;i>=2;i--) {
var enddate = values[i-1][7];// arrays are 0 indexed so row1 = values[0] and col3 = [2]
if(enddate < curDate)
{
  sheet.hideRows(i);
}
}
}

The GSite shows teachers the tabs they need in order to create notices and edit their previously posted, and still visible, messages. The GSite also has another tab for students that uses Awesome Table to present the same message but without the column with the edit button. This is achieved by using 2 instances of Awesome Table Gadget: one for the teachers with the edit button column visible, and one for the students without the edit button column. By using the Page Level Permissions, I can show the teachers the tabs they need to create a message, while showing the students only the messages. 

Redefining the Exercise Book

I had the pleasure of presenting at the Deep Learning Malaysia conference where I talked about using Google Slides as an eBook. I paid attention mostly to the application of the SAMR model in order to demonstrate how I was using the technology to change the task and make possible the previously impossible. My main focus for the eBooks is to enhance tmy students' presentation and collaborative skills; you will find links to my rubrics and templates that I use with Doctopus and Goobric.

Google Sites as an LMS/VLE

I have seen various uses of Google Sites as a resource repository, but have yet to see it work as a true LMS where data is fed into a database and retrieved from a database the way most VLEs like Moodle, Firefly, and Schoology do. I decided that Sites needed more attnetion in regard to data management and have set myself the goal of replicating VLE behaviour using Sites, Sheets and whatever gadgets and coding is required. 

My first foray into using Gsheets as a database was with Andrew Stillman's Reportlet apps script (I had to request the code for Reportlet directly from Andrew). Reportlet does a nice job of representing info from a sheet and charting data, however it can take some 30 seconds to load. After communicating with Andrew with the hope that New Visions would invest effort into tuning the script, it seems that Reportlet is not part of their development program.

Over my next posts on this topic, I will demonstrate how I have used Awesome Table Gadget to pull data from Gsheets to present specific data to the logged in user. I will show how Apps Sheet can be used to build apps for users to log into the same data on Android, IOS and through a web app. Finally, I will demonstrate how to post data to a GSheet using a simple form (based on the work of Martin Hawksey.)

In order for Sites and Sheets to work like an LMS, the data in the GSheet for each student must be as up-to-date as possible; most VLEs do an extraction nightly so that data stored that day is available for the next morning. For this to work, my Student IMS will need to run a scheduled report each evening that exports as a spreadsheet or html file, so that the import functions in Gsheets can refresh each night automatically. The export and import of data from the IMS is the final phase of feasibility testing and should work in theory!

Lesson planning with Google Sheets and Calendar

When I attended university in Edinburgh, I worked part time in a pizza restaurant. One of the chefs was doing a post graduate degree in psychology; his thesis was on connecting the brain to a peripheral data source to extend the capacity of the brain. I can't help thinking that Smartphones are a big step toward this, along with other research in controlling devices with the mind and eye movement.

Access Timetable GSheet here

For me, I don't remember my timetable; I don't need to if it is on my phone. The problem is getting my timetable and planning off my computer and onto my phone.  Google Apps Script, or GAS, allows the various Google apps to talk to each other so it is possible to build a school timetable into a GSheet and export it to GCal. Inspired by some work by Martin Hawksey and Romain Vialard, I have written/used a script that imports, deletes and exports the content of my calendars, and updates them.

function updateLessons(){
  var sh = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var calName = sh.getRange("B1").getValue();
  var date_deb = sh.getRange("C1").getValue();
  var date_fin = sh.getRange("D1").getValue();
  var cond = sh.getRange("J2").getValue();
  var line = new Array();
  var toChangeTitleCnt = 0;
  var toChangeCnt = 0;
  var blank = "";
  if(calName=='default'){var cal = CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar()}
  else{
    var cal = CalendarApp.openByName(calName)};
  if (cal)
  {
    var events = cal.getEvents(new Date(date_deb), new Date(date_fin),{max: 4000});
    var sel= sh.getRange(3,1,sh.getLastRow(), 10).getValues();
    for(e=0;e<events.length;++e){
      var changeFlag = false;
      var ID = events[e].getId();
      for(n=0;n<sel.length;++n){
        if ((sel[n][8] == "x"||sel[n][8] == "X")&&sel[n][0]==ID ){
          changeFlag = true
          sh.getRange(n+3,9,1,1).setBackgroundColor('#55ff55');
          //sh.getRange(n+3,7,1,1).setBackgroundColor('#55ff55');
          //sh.getRange(n+3,6,1,1).setBackgroundColor('#55ff55');
          Utilities.sleep(50);
          SpreadsheetApp.flush();
          Logger.log('FLAG '+ e)
          sh.getRange(n+3,9,1,1).setValue(blank);
          sh.getRange(n+3,9,1,1).setBackgroundColor('#ffffff');
          break
        }
      }
      if(changeFlag){
        try{
          var toChangeTitle = events[e].setTitle(sel[n][5]);
          ++toChangeTitleCnt;
          var toChange = events[e].setDescription(sel[n][6]);
          var toChangeLoc = events[e].setLocation(sel[n][4]);
       
          ++toChangeCnt;
          changeFlag = false;
          Logger.log('Lesson Title updated : '+sel[n][5]);
          Logger.log('Lesson updated : '+sel[n][6]);
          }catch(Err){Logger.log('Event from a series')}
      }
    }
  }
  var msg = toChangeTitleCnt + " lesson titles changed + " + toChangeCnt + " lessons updated in calendar '"+calName+"'";
  ss.toast("Update completed", msg, 3)
  Utilities.sleep(3000)            
}

The update feature above is the one I use most. I teach 8 classes, so each has its own sheet. When I make a change to my planning I run the update function and it updates the events in my calendar; my phone syncs with the calendar and my changes are automatically available to me.

When I am finished planning my week and have updated each class, I run the import Calendar function on my main sheet that pulls all of the events in the calendar back into my GSheet. I have a technician that prepares my science equipment for my classes, so this import is important. The script that runs the import splits the content in the calendar description field to separate my lesson plan from the tech requisitions. With the tech requisitions in a separate column, I have created another equipment sheet that builds my requisitions order for my tech.

function importCalendar(){
  clrdisplay()
  var cal = 0;
  var sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  var calendarName = sheet.getRange("B1").getValue();
  if (calendarName == "default"){
    cal = CalendarApp.getDefaultCalendar();
  } else if (calendarName != "default") {
    cal = CalendarApp.openByName(calendarName);
  } 

  var events = cal.getEvents(new Date("September 1, 2014"), new Date("August 31, 2015"), {max: 4000});
   var day = new Array();
    day = ["Sun","Mon","Tue","Wed","Thu","Fri","Sat"]
 
  for (var i=0;i<events.length;i++) {
    var formRow = i+3;
 
    var tech = "=iferror(right(G" + formRow + ",len(G"  + formRow + ")-(find(\"||\",G"  + formRow + "))), \"No Practical Equipment\")";
    var update = "";
    var class = "=LEFT(F" + formRow + ",FIND(\" -\",F" + formRow + "))";
    var temp = ""
     temp = day [events[i].getStartTime().getDay()];
    var details=[[events[i].getId(), temp, events[i].getStartTime(), events[i].getEndTime(), events[i].getLocation(), events[i].getTitle(), events[i].getDescription(), tech, update, class]];
    var row=i+1;
    var range=sheet.getRange(row+2,1,1,10);
    range.setValues(details);
  }
}

function clrdisplay() {
  var sh = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSheet();
  var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
  var LL=ss.getLastRow()
  sh.getRange(3,1,LL,10).clear().setVerticalAlignment('MIDDLE');
} 

A couple of my colleagues have used my planner, and one has changed to use Planner.com, or Planneredu.com. These apps are nice, but I like the customisation building my own has permitted, and that my timetable/lesson plans are on my phone....and that I don't have to print out my tech requisitions because my tech is shared into my planning sheet.

Homework research

Homework has always been an issue for me, from when I was in school to now when I have to mark it. I have been reading Visible Learning by John Hattie  and smiled as he references Richard Russo (Russo, 2007, p.157 in Hattie, 2009, p. 235):

"She tried shit like doing her homework for a while, but it was counterproductive since she always did it wrong. Doing homework wrong, to her, was worse than not doing it at all, because doing it required time and effort and yielded the same results as not doing it, which required neither."

This is what Additional Maths and English were like for me at school; put in a lot of effort and not get the answers correct in maths, or receive greater criticism from the English teacher for misinterpreting what was expected.

Hattie refers to various research on the effect of homework on learning. The main conclusion is that it needs to not be complex, and has the highest effects "when homework involves rote learning, practice, or rehearsal of subject matter."

In an effort to generate time in class to allow students to do more practical investigations and increase their skills, I have been using a flipped learning model where students most access the basic knowledge of the topic and learn that before they attend class. Students access interactive learning resources that have poster style worksheets for them to complete as the view the presentation/video/simulation, after which they most complete a quiz. 

This model has been working but there are those students who do not do what is required of them and are not in a position to do the higher order application of the new knowledge in the investigation context. These students are given the opportunity to access the content with their teacher guiding them in class while the other students carry on developing their independent skills acquisition or application/analysis skills.

I expect students to get 100% on the quizzes; the quizzes provide immediate feedback with the correct answer! If a student can get 100% first time then well done, however if they cannot because they have not viewed the presentation content with an eye to identify and learn the content, then there is an issue. Is the task too complex? Are the students rushing the task? Are they even looking at the presentation before doing the quiz?

I need to eliminate the possibilities. The webpages I place the content in can be traced as to who accesses them and when. I believe I can eliminate the possibility of the students not accessing the content and if they rush the tasks by checking if they access and when. This will leave the possibility that the cloze passage activities I set are too complex--I don't think so, but by letting the students know that I am monitoring what they do and when, if there still is no improvement in their performances  then I can only conclude that complexity is an issue. If this is the case, I will have to reconsider my flip design or, at least, the style of pre-lesson homework I assign.

Collaborative eBooks

I want my students to get more out of being in my classes than simply doing well on the end of module test. I believe in Project Based Learning and in 21st Century Skills, and I want my students to be acquiring these skills as part of their normal class and homework behaviour.

The advent of Google Slides in our domain has allowed me to apply the SAMR model to the concept of the exercise book. In my Y8 class, the students work as a group to create an online exercise book, the EBook, in which all of the classroom theory, investigations, photos, video, tables, graphs, etc. must appear. The students are given a rubric at the start of each module that outlines what is expected of them for each lesson, it also defines presentation and group work expectations. 

The key that seems to have made the concept work is that a group is randomly selected at the start of each lesson to review the previous lesson's content and explain what they found; this has forced the students to do their homework and actually know what they are talking about. Feedback is provided by the class and myself as to the level of content knowledge the students have given, their presentation design, speaking skills and team involvement. 

Google docs is particularly effective in the observation of group involvement and task management skills shown by the students. Successful groups use the commenting functionality to tell  team mates what to do, and question each other as to what else is needed. Since I own the docs that the students use, I see all comments in me mail as they are made and I can monitor and respond where necessary to help out, or just give formative feedback. The revision history in Google docs shows precisely who did what and when; this is extraordinarily useful in identifying who is free-riding, and who is doing everything and not giving the others a chance to do their bit. 

Communication, cooperation, collaboration, team management and task management skills, along with presentation and social knowledge acquisition built in; a SAMR redefinition.

On top of the class presentation, I used the presentations on parents evening to highlight each child's knowledge in front of their parents--they had to present a slide of my choosing to their parents! The authenticity of the parent as an audience had a remarkable effect and I could only congratulate the kids on a job well done.

Jigsaw 2

I have used the Jigsaw model using research topics before, but I decided to try using it to allow my Gifted and Talented students have a go at it doing applied practicals for the structure and function of red blood cells and blood plasma.

I tend to overplan some lessons, particularly lessons I'm being observed on, and this was one of them. I designed 3 parts to the jigsaw, with a 4th section on students reviewing their homework theory. Having the 4 groups would allow me to move around a facilitate the various groups. For some reason, during the lesson, I decided to give the 4th group another practical to do that tied me to that table. 




Although the groups seemed to self manage well with the school nurse working with one group, which was the point, I was unable to chat with them and guide them to ensure they were on track to meet the demands of the tasks.

When pulling the jigsaw together, the group that presented did very well, showing that they had managed to complete the tasks with little guidance and connect the activities to the pre-lesson theory that they were asked to complete. Unfortunately, I didn't get to hear all of the groups and so could not confident that the students progressed in their skills.

After the lesson, I found and spoke to some of the students. All enjoyed the challenge of the lesson. Most had managed to build the jigsaw and share their knowledge and experience with their peers. Some felt that they needed more time to build understanding of each of the tasks as their teammates had not provided thorough enough feedback/peer teaching.

I am confident that the majority of students progressed but I need to revisit the practicals at the start of the next lesson on white blood cells. I will have the students rebuild their jigsaws and review the findings from each of the activities. 

On reflection, adding the extra activity which looked at WBCs was unnecessary but also could have been pushed to the next lesson with the blood plasma testing. This would have balanced the activities and created 2 experts per table for the magnification and surface area modelling activity. I believe this is a cool lesson and the next time I teach it, it will be awesome :)

SAMR: Digital Literacies

While attending Dr. Ruben Puentedura's session at the 21CL Learning Conference in HK (December 2014), I found myself in a group of teachers from very varied backgrounds and levels within a school.
In order to produce a product we might all use in the future, I suggested we look at a skills based SAMR Ladder as opposed to a curriculum specific one; Digital Literacies is what we came up with.

Created with Padlet

SAMR

On the 11-13th of December, I attended the 21CL Learning Conference in Hong Kong. I had the pleasure of meeting, and chatting with, Dr. Ruben Puentedura who is responsible for the SAMR (Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, Redefinition) model.

Ruben's slides: SAMR - Thoughts for Design | SAMR - Getting to Transformation

Ruben's ability to apply the model to any scenario he was asked about, from pre-school upwards, was awesome. 

Question Ladder to develop SAMR tasks:

Substitution: 

• What will I gain by replacing the older technology with the new technology? 

Substitution to Augmentation: 

• Have I added an improvement to the task process that could not be accomplished with the older technology at a fundamental level? 

• How does this feature contribute to my design? 

Augmentation to Modification: 

• How is the original task being modified? 

• Does this modification fundamentally depend upon the new technology? 

• How does this modification contribute to my design? 

Modification to Redefinition: 

• What is the new task? 

• Will any portion of the original task be retained? 

• How is the new task uniquely made possible by the new technology? 

• How does it contribute to my design?

Evaluation: Final Report

Networking

The CISCO ICDN 1+2 book is very good, if only 3 inches thick!

The networking course follows this book closely and supports it with links to videos on YouTube. I  enjoyed working through the binary and hexadecimal transformations, and designing the networks.

While the only evidence of this process is the answers to the questions/labs submitted to the course, I have been able to use my new knowledge in school. While trying to do a Google Hangout into school with a colleague and our shared class (I was off campus), we discovered that I could see and hear everything that was going on in the class but they could neither see nor hear me.

After presenting this issue to out school IT helpdesk and suggesting that they trace the packets and ports, the IT team found that both Skype an Google Hangouts were using the same port as the various torrenting sites that the school blocks--they block the port! The "Network Guy" was able to alter the network permissions to all permit the use of the communication apps that we wanted to use.

Evaluation: Review of a published evaluation report

Evaluation: Course textbook review

Google Apps For Education conference Kuala Lumpur

I presented my use of Andrew Stillman's Doctopus and Goobric at the KL GAFE conference. Through the power of Google Sheets, I bring all of the assessment data collected by Goobric into one spreadsheet that acts as a Markbook. Since all of the students are identified by their email address, I can filter all of the data for each of them to create a report sheet that graphs the data.

Check out the presentation and embedded videos.

Evaluation: Research or Evaluation

Server Project and Moodle Installation

I have written at the bottom of this introductory page that I felt I had failed due to not getting my server online. Amusingly, and rather frustratingly, I had my server online the whole time! I was trying to view my server from inside/behind my own router firewall, which doesn't work.

After contacting an IT forum and receiving the advice that loopbacks don't work within a LAN, I used my phone on 3G and not my wifi and discovered that everything was working; I wasted so much time!

Server Project and Error Log

While building a system, keeping a log of what went wrong and how it was fixed is an important part of the process. I need to be able to build this system again in the future; knowing how I solved the problems and helping others recreate my work is what the error log is for.

Evaluation: Types of Data

Evaluation: Request for Proposal

Evaluation: Choosing an evaluation model

Evaluation: Evaluator's program description

Evaluation: Do we need one?

Staff IT Induction and IT Training Program

I am involved in the coordination and delivery of IT skills training for new, and all, staff at my school.

One of the biggest issues new staff face when they arrive is that we have several systems that new staff need training on before they can teach. This year, 135 minutes were assigned for me to deliver a tech induction to 22 new staff members; I went with the theme of "Your First Day", and focused on covering what the staff would need. I chose this theme as staff in the past have complained of overload and I did not want to contribute further to that.

Since a full program of training has not been built into the term 1 induction, new staff are required to acquire further skills from the Head of Department/Faculty/ or Learning Technology Innovator for the department/faculty, in their own time. Since many of these positions have just been filled by new staff, there has been a real need for IT support; our teachers are expected to provide this as our tech support team only deal with the systems.

I also have a role in providing our Learning Technology Innovators (LTI) with opportunities to learn how to integrate technology into their classroom. These individuals are very important in disseminating tech skills, and the experience they gain from me, to their faculty teams. These roles are voluntary and based on the good will of the LTIs to give their non-contact time.

This year the LTIs, as a team, have chosen a model of "Group-Ups" where they have identified a lesson in their timetable to get together and work on their technology focus (they do not want to have to stay after school, and this has been ineffective in the past as many of the LTIs have other activities they need to attend). Since I cannot attend all of these as I teach 18 of 24 lessons per week, I have developed skills video demos for the LTIs to use in an independent study style. LTIs can post questions and highlight their own good practice through my G+ Learning Tech community for the school.

They have also decided to hold "Lunchtime Drop-ins" for new and all staff. These drop-ins are manned by all of the LTIs when they can, and staff can visit with their issues on a needs basis any day of the week.

My evaluation will look at the effectiveness of the video demos, the Group-Ups, the Drop-Ins, department IT sessions, management organised IT training, the induction program for IT, and other IT sessions I coordinate.

I have already taken a pre-training self-assessment of the new staff on the their skills; upcoming sessions will specifically target those that need that content. New and all staff will complete the self-assessment again later this term and I will request an attitudinal response to the effectiveness of the various training initiatives.

I want to be able to identify and report on the most and least effective strategies and develop suggestions for improvement. This will be in context of our going 1-to-1 in 2015. The hope is that a more comprehensive training plan will be developed for Term 1 2015 that takes account of both skills acquisition and incorporation of the T-PaCK model.

Evaluation: Gap analysis and Program Cycle

Evaluation: Benefits and Limitations

Evaluation

Edtech Challenges 2

In my first post regarding Edtech Challenges, I highlight an issue of students developing a portfolio of evidence that can follow them throughout their lives. After completing a module on Project Based Learning and completing research on the use of blogs and eportfolios, I now fully subscribe to this belief.
I believe the process of developing the Edtech Challenges object has allowed me to reflect on how both the institute in which I work and my own views on different students' motivations are guided outside of school. Giving students choice is important, but I have also feel that the ability of the teacher to assess the work done by students is manageable. Understanding the diversity in our learners is an important part of our role, however I also see the need to balance the work load for teachers. I build and use rubrics for assignments that give students the choice of how they "respond" to the challenge of the task. By providing a grading rubric, students know what is expected of them and the teacher can assess submissions based on these standards.

Scaffolding

According to Jaime McKenzie scaffolding:
1. Provides clear direction and reduces students’ confusion – Educators anticipate problems that students might encounter and then develop step by step instructions, which explain  what a student must do to meet expectations.
2. Clarifies purpose – Scaffolding helps students understand why they are doing the work and why it is important.
3. Keeps students on task – By providing structure, the scaffolded lesson or research project, provides pathways for the learners. The student can make decisions about which path to choose or what things to explore along the path but they cannot wander off of the path, which is the designated task.
4. Clarifies expectations and incorporates assessment and feedback – Expectations are clear from the beginning of the activity since examples of exemplary work, rubrics, and standards of excellence are shown to the students.
5. Points students to worthy sources – Educators provide sources to reduce confusion, frustration, and time. The students may then decide which of these sources to use.
6. Reduces uncertainty, surprise, and disappointment – Educators test their lessons to determine possible problem areas and then refine the lesson to eliminate difficulties so that learning is maximized
7. Delivers efficiency – Since the work is structured, focused, and glitches have been reduced or eliminated prior to initiation, time on task is increased and efficiency in completing the activity is increased.
8. Creates momentum – Through the structure provided by scaffolding, students spend less time searching and more time on learning and discovering, resulting in quicker learning
From: Scaffolding as a Teaching Strategy

I intend to provide my students with a project website where they can access the full content, schedule, resources, assessments - formative and summative - rubrics, basically everything they will need to complete the project in the absence of a teacher. Communication will also be built into the site; it will be in Google Sites and part of our GAFE domain. All of McKenzie's points will be addressed by the project site and will offer the teacher access to statistics of access in order to preempt Issues of students not getting involved.

I want students to be able to submit work and receive feedback on their performance immediately. Since some students will work at a different speed to others, having students self assess their work in the first instance seems logical. To achieve this, I will use a GForm that submits the students' answer to a GSheet that is attached to a GDoc template, via Autocrat, with the correct answers written in. the students will be able to self assess and then receive comments and feedback from their teacher at a later date.

Scaffolding of skill acquisition in research and practical write-ups may be accomplished in a similar way using a GForm that marks and gives feedback based on a set of correct answers. Calibrating the students' research and write-up reviewing skills may be done by giving the students an exemplar piece of work that has been produced by the exam board. The students can complete the form for each part of the research exemplar and receive feedback as to their accuracy. If the rubric they use is easy to understand, hopefully the students will come into line with the examiners as quickly as they do the the research I have read!

Arguing for PBL

Situated Cognition. Brown, Collins and Duguid (1989, p. 34), point out that although students are shown the tools of many academic cultures in their school career, these cultures are that of schools, and not the actual domain for which the tools are to be used. Students may pass exams but still not be able to use the skills and tools of the domain. Students need to be exposed to domain learning and the tools of the domain on authentic activities.

Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1989). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), p32-42.

Peer Review of a Synthesis Paper

I am about to begin the review of a peer's paper. I have to say that I am not comfortable enough with my own experience to do this.

In Edtech 551, the final submission piece of work was built up over several submissions with the instructor reviewing each submission, offering suggestions for improvement which were fixed and submitted with the next section, this continued until the final piece was done. I liked this, as the draft and review nature of the process allowed time for assimilation and an understanding of the process to develop.

Without access to exemplars that represent good, medium and bad standards of writing, I am not in a position to use the rubric provided in a valid way. A level 5 edit is required of a peer's work, but how can that be achieved if the reader doesn't know anything about the topic?

I will take care to provide my students with the scaffolding and support they need to do their best work.

Post peer review. The paper that I reviewed was on connectivism, a learning theory I haven't read much about. It would seem from the paper that there is some contention that connectivism is indeed a new learning theory or just an amalgamation of several others; I find myself in agreement with the latter stand point. My peer has written well over twice the length she should have that has made my ability to make suggestions for improvement difficult. I have seen from her writing that my paragraphs don't flow together well and I will need to reorganise a lot to make the ideas and contexts link better.

My peer has made some excellent suggestions for improving my work and has been extremely thorough in her review. She has highlighted what I have already identified as a need to improve the flow and connections; I will use her suggestions to improve.