Basecamp

Last semester I found myself struggling to manage a large number of complicated projects in my classes. Ordinarily I have no difficulty because, while some of the work involves learning new skills, much of what I have to do requires using software and tools I already know. But last semester was different. Last semester, every project involved new tools, resources, and applications. My learning curve was incredibly steep. I knew I needed some help, so I went looking for some project management software and I found Basecamp.

Basecamp is a web-based project management service that makes it easy for people to collaborate and work together. It is a place to assign tasks, create to-do lists, share files, have discussions, and keep track of due dates. Everything is stored on Basecamp’s own servers, and can be accessed anywhere at any time. If a user has a web browser and a device, including a smartphone or tablet, they can use Basecamp.

I love Basecamp. I tested it with a 90-day trial membership and liked it so much I became a subscriber. Basecamp is so simple to use. It has a clean, intuitive design that makes it easy to navigate and find what you want. I am able to organize my projects and to-do lists quickly and my dashboard gives me information about any changes in my projects so I stay on task.  I also appreciate the email updates I receive recapping the progress on my projects.

Basecamp offers online classes and tutorials to help users become proficient in very little time. Additional tutorials are available to help you with specific features, like adding people to a project. Overall, it is a simple, efficient, and effective project management service.

Basecamp isn’t free. After the trial period has ended you have to pay a monthly subscription, which can seem like a lot for an individual even on the most basic service plan. I always prefer a free tool, and may eventually look for something else, but for now, the cost has been worth it. I am more organized and efficient, and productive.

KQED Do Now

Back in August I visited some of my former colleagues as they were preparing for the start of a new school year. I was asked if I had ever used Twitter in my classroom, and if I had any tips for getting started.

I had to admit at the time that I knew very little about Twitter. I had never created a Twitter account, and while I guessed that it might be a great tool for connecting to other educators, I hadn’t ever invested any time in learning the tool.

At the time, I didn’t see how Twitter could be used in the classroom, but I told my friend that I’d look into it for her and would let her know what I discovered. After a little research I became intrigued, and two months later, I am astonished at the number of ways Twitter can be integrated into instruction.

The simplicity of Twitter means that it is easy to use and monitor, meaning that it can be a great formative assessment tool. It’s great for communication between teacher, students, and parents. In fact I can imagine so many ways I would use Twitter today.

I saw a tweet on my own Twitter feed that introduced the Do Now activities from KQED Education in San Francisco. Do Now is an innovative project that combines civic engagement and digital citizenship.

http://blogs.kqed.org/education/about-do-now/ 

I was inspired by a video on the KQED website of Dr. Michael Wesch, speaking at a TEDX conference in Kansas City. He said that in order to raise up citizens who will tackle and solve the world’s problems, our students must move from being knowledgeable and become knowledge-able. To help them become meaning makers we must engage them with real-world problems, in ways that involve all our students working together using all the relevant tools at their disposal. One way of providing this type of real world experience for our learners is through the Do Now activities.

What exactly is Do Now? Do Now provides activities that allow students to interact with real-world issues using tools like Twitter. Through the Do Now activities, students are given opportunities to find their voice as they connect their classroom learning to real-world problems.

http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2014/10/17/where-do-you-belong/

Do Now works very simply. Every Tuesday and Friday a new activity is posted on the Do Now website. For each activity there is a brief introduction of the topic, a media resource, and a question for the students to respond to by using Twitter.  The activities can be completed without teacher assistance, and be used to stimulate further discussion or to introduce new ideas and topics for further exploration. 

Teachers are enthusiastic about have using Do Now. To illustrate this, KQED created a video at that showed the impact of Do Now on the students at Burton High School in San Francisco. Students enjoyed using their cell phones in class, and found they were more engaged and less bored by their learning. Students felt that they learned a lot from the activities, and, to quote one student, “we were focusing on important stuff instead of the stuff we see in our everyday classes”. Students also experienced how their voices could reach beyond their own community and connect with the world at large. You can watch the video on the KQED website at  http://blogs.kqed.org/education/about-do-now/. 

So, what should you do if you want to adopt Do Now in your classroom? First visit the KQED Do Now website. Every Friday the activities focus on civics, government, and politics. Every Tuesday they rotate between science and the arts.  The activities take about eight minutes to complete and they archived and can be done at any time.

Of course, when I first learned about Do Now, I realized that teachers could create their own Do Now activities to meet the specific needs of their students and content areas. A teacher could select a topic, write a brief introduction, locate a resource, like a video, audio recording, or photograph for the students to view, and create a question for the students to respond to, using a hashtag on Twitter to collect the responses. Teachers could even collaborate with colleagues to create cross-discipline activities that engage students in authentic, problem-based learning. This is why I am so excited about the potential of the Do Now activities.

In 2007, Dr Wesch created a video called A Vision of Students Today that identified the most important characteristics of students in today’s technology and media rich environment. What it highlighted was how irrelevant students found what and how they were learning. The Do Now activities help address this disconnection by connecting students with real world issues and teaching them to engage with the world while practicing digital citizenship. More importantly, it offers students the opportunity to find their voices to change the future. I encourage you to examine Do Now for yourself.

Information about the Do Now can be found on the KQED website at http://blogs.kqed.org/education/about-do-now/. 

Dr. Wesch’s video is also available on the KQED website at  http://blogs.kqed.org/education/2014/07/03/what-is-the-value-of-social-media-on-your-professional-learning/. 

Take a look at Kahoot!

Kahoot!

http://blog.getkahoot.com

I recently discovered a free tool called Kahoot.  Kahoot is a game-based classroom response system. Using Kahoot, teachers and students can create and play quizzes, discussions and surveys using any device with a web browser.  Kahoot is a great idea for classrooms that have a 1:1 technology ratio, or a Bring Your Own Device  (BYOD) policy, and it applies some of the best aspects of gaming to classroom learning.

Kahoot has all kinds of features and is user-friendly so even young students can use it. You can check it out for yourself at https://getkahoot.com.

What I found really interesting is the way the designers at Kahoot chose to set up their tutorials, examples, and product information. The idea of non-sequential learning fascinates me. I get impatient with sequential tutorials when they require me to go through material that is easy to figure out or that I already know, so the idea of tutorials that are learner-directed is pretty exciting. I haven’t found too many sites that utilize non-sequential instruction, so exploring the Kahoot tutorials was a great opportunity.

The tutorials are posted on a wall, similar to Padlet. They aren’t in any particular order; you can browse and click on ones that interest you. Some have videos; some have links to other websites. As you scroll down the page you can see tutorials on how to set up your Kahoot account, how to create a Kahoot, how to launch your Kahoot in your classroom, mingled in with tips on creating video and gif animations, and lesson plans posted by other users. 

If non-sequential instruction makes your head spin, there is also a link to an excellent User Guide available for download. It is designed to be stored on your own computer for easy reference. The User Guide includes links to videos, blogs, lesson plans, and tips for maximizing your Kahoots. So, if you prefer step-by-step instruction, you will want to use the guide.

Kahoot is a great site, or sites, since you have to navigate between two separate websites, one for your account, and one for the tutorials and other information. The layout is simple and it’s organization is simple too. Clearly marked links near the top of the page take you to several other pages.

Kahoot caters well to users needs and interests. I can simply scroll down until I find something I am interested in and click on it.  Each article or tutorial is posted on the wall like a Padlet, and the title fonts are eye-catching and easy to read. The titles give enough information so you have a general idea of the subject before you click on it. The site feels very clean without being dull.

With lots of resources, including a page filled with videos on all kinds of topics relating to Kahoot, it offers something for every learner. I enjoyed learning about Kahoots this way.