Mackenzie's ETEC Blog

This week I playtested technologies specifically designed to support learning Middle School science content. In doing so, I identified the following and discuss the affordances and drawbacks I see in each one: Gizmos from Explore Learning offers hundreds of interactive labs, simulations, design challenges and more for math and science topics from elementary through high school. One of my favorite virtual labs to do with my students is the Digestive System Gizmo . As the students explore each organ in the digestive tract, they can adjust variables to try to get stool with the right consistency. (Complete with sound effects when the consistency is off!!) While I applaud Ms. Frizzle's "Get messy!" pedagogy, I believe this lab works much better as a virtual simulation than an in-person investigation.  Example 1: (Redefinition Level) Students use the Digestive System Gizmos simulation to conduct a virtual lab activity. Students are given a chance to explore and experiment b...

This blog is difficult to write because I could (do and will) spend hours playtesting new creativity tools for teaching. Forcing myself to stop exploring long enough to write and reflect is the real challenge. So, while my journey will certainly continue, here is my current reflection: Microsoft Whiteboard is an open whitespace app where students can create their own groups (inviting each other) or you can assign specific students to a whiteboard. I like that students can simultaneously, from different screens, draw, type, insert images, use post-it notes, highlight, etc. to create their own brainstorming space for new projects or ideas! I dislike revision control or exportability. It seems like it would be easy for students to write over or erase each others contributions so that not all voices would be equally heard. I think some of this could be mitigated by closely monitoring the space, since both the teacher and students have access.  However, beyond the brainstorming stage it...

  Reflect on your understanding of “folio thinking.”   As a graduate student trying to become a better educator, I am committed to my growth as a lifelong learner. The portfolio approach to documenting my progress and growth in this Master's program is relevant and meaningful to me because it is an artifact that can live and grow with me and be used as a reference for myself, colleagues or administrators to share my philosophy, resources and insights into educational technology.  In comparison to quizzes, tests, or other instructor-assigned assessments, the portfolio approach has several advantages. Firstly, that is allows my professors in the program to better follow the trajectory of my learning process, rather than rely on snapshots of individual assignments. This will help make gaps in my knowledge, flaws in my logic, or deficiencies in my communication more obvious and addressable. Secondly, the artifacts I choose to collect, prioritize and reflect on in my...

     In this first playtesting assignment, I explored several versions of blogging and vlogging in the context of playtesting the technology for use in education. 1. I started by testing several different blogging websites and formats. Blogging platforms such as Weebly, Wix and Wordpress were easy to access and sign up for, but included a lot of ads in the free platforms. I wasn't willing to pay for the upgraded versions, so I continued searching for other platforms. I also wanted to experiment with video blogging (or vlogging) which wasn't easily available via these platforms.  2. I decided to move forward with the Google-based "Blogger" platform because it integrated with other Google products and allowed me to post blogs without ads. This affords   the learner a cleaner and less distracting technology landscape without advertising. It also affords me the opportunity to incorporate files via my Google drive to enhance my blog posts and add depth and complexity...