Web 2.0: Exploration of Hyperdocs and Hyperdoc Tools
Hyperdocs Starting Point:
The concept of hyperdocs was not unfamiliar to me. Amidst the chaotic transition to hybrid learning in 2020, I took a brief summer course that gave a lot of clutch advice on how to provide structure, create flow and accomplish learning objectives by creating better online, hybrid and in-person lessons. We were essentially creating hyperdocs, although that specific name was not used. Looking back further to pre-Covid times, my science department transitioned away from textbooks about a decade ago and has used OneNote as our primary student resource. In reviewing my OneNote lessons, many (although not all!) are structured in ways that conform to the description of hyperdocs.
Example of OneNote page from M. Miller's 7th Science Class
One advantage I love in using OneNote for Classrooms is that I'm able to pull lots of Web 2.0 resources into my OneNote pages. Some of the resources I already use include:
- YouTube,
- FlipGrid,
- Kahoot!,
- Quizziz,
- GimKit,
- PhET Simulations,
- Scratch,
- BrainPOP,
- EdPuzzle,
- TinkerCAD,
- Padlet,
- Prezi,
- Canva,
- ThingLink,
- KidWind Simulations,
- the Microsoft 365 Suite, including
- Word,
- PowerPoint,
- Excel,
- Whiteboard,
- Forms,
- Stream,
- Collaboration Space in OneNote for Classrooms.
In addition to these apps, I can use hyperlinks to link to articles, journals, blogs, interactive websites and games on the internet for both directed learning and extension activities.
My goals for creating future OneNote lessons will be to use hyperdoc guidelines more explicitly in how I plan and structure my digital lessons. Specifically, I would like to keep the Engage, Explore, Explain, Apply, Share, Reflect, Extend guidelines in mind as I provide a variety of paths for students to accomplish their learning journey.
A Hyper-fountain of Resources:
What I discovered in my hyperdoc research this week as how many more resources are available than I ever imagined! Simply searching for science hyperdocs resulted in many examples of well-formed lessons that pull in a variety of resources and learning paths. While exploring these as well as reading the discussion boards on our ETEC 537 class page and the #etec527 twitter posts, I found additional hyperdoc ideas and Web 2.0 resources that could be used to create hyperdocs. Several take-aways that I would like to continue exploring in more depth include:
While I obviously haven't gotten a chance to try all of these out with students yet, I did incorporate a few of them in lessons this week with resoundingly positive feedback from the students.
Playtesting new Tools with Students:
I playtested Blooket with two 5th grade classes and one 6th grade class this week in the context of reviewing famous female composers as part of their fine arts / music class. The students each created a Blooket for their assigned composer by coming up with several multiple choice questions about the composer. In class, the "host" student would launch their Blooket game and share the join code with their classmates. The game can be played in several different modes. Popular modes with my students included Crypto Hack, Battle Royal and Fishing Frenzy. The Blooket can also be played in individual or team mode. A tips for teachers choosing playing modes: Crypto and Fishing have time limits you can set at the beginning of the game, whereas Battle Royal is an elimination-style game where the time limit is not predetermined. If you're concerned about time management in class, you may want to choose a mode that allows you to set the playtime. Overall, Blooket reminded me a lot of GimKit, when it first came out, but Blooket enables student creation and hosting, whereas GimKit required teachers to be the content creators. Both allow for a variety of engaging game modes that students seem to love!
I also playtested CoSpaces EDU with my 7th and 8th grade 3D Game Design Club this week. On the first day, I introduced them to the program and guided them through the log-in process using their school Microsoft accounts. I asked them to explore the introductory "Welcome" CoSpace environment (which includes embedded tips on how to use controls, create and manipulate objects and environments as they are practicing these skills). I then released them for "Free Play" to create whatever they wanted. Most students had the strong beginnings of 3D environments created by the end of the period. On the second day, I introduced them to some sample code I created as well as the MERGE cube add-on, which allowed for augmented reality (AR) games and simulations, and then released them for "Free Play". By the end of the period, most students were experimenting with block coding and camera controls. My hope is for them to be able to start sharing and testing out each other's games by the end of the next period. So far, all of the students have been very engaged, active problem-solvers and self-motivated. I hope to further cultivate this exploration by coming up with challenges to keep them thinking outside the box! Overall, I am much more impressed with the ease-of-implementation of this software compared to the Unity3D software I was previously using with these students. This scaffolds more organically with the Scratch coding they have previously been exposed to and also draws on visualization and building skills they may have acquired by playing games like Minecraft or Roblox. Unity was harder to install, required extensive system resources and memory, and was not intuitive for my students' current level of understanding, making it a more tedious hand-holding process that put me in the teaching role of "sage on the stage" more often than "guide on the side." As such, I prefer and recommend CoSpaces EDU for 7th and 8th grade game designers.
Comments
Post a Comment