Angela Burgess - Electronic Portfolio
  • Introduction
  • Video Reflection
  • Resume
  • Vision
  • Diversity
  • Standards
    • Standard 1 >
      • 1.1 Shared Vision
      • 1.2 Strategic Planning
      • 1.3 Policies, Procedures, Programs & Funding
      • 1.4 Diffusion of Innovations & Change
    • Standard 2 >
      • 2.1 Content Standards & Student Technology Standards
      • 2.2 Research-Based Learner-Centerd Strategies
      • 2.3 Authentic Learning
      • 2.4 Higher Order Thinking Skills
      • 2.5 Differentiation
      • 2.6 Instructional Design
      • 2.7 Assessment
      • 2.8 Data Analysis
    • Standard 3 >
      • 3.1 Classroom Management & Collaborative Learning
      • 3.2 Managing Digital Tools and Resources
      • 3.3 Online & Blended Learning
      • 3.4 Adaptive and Assistive Technology
      • 3.5 Basic Troubleshooting
      • 3.6 Selecting and Evaluating Digital Tools & Resources
      • 3.7 Communcation & Collaboration
    • Standard 4 >
      • 4.1 Digital Equity
      • 4.2 Safe, Healthy, Legal & Ethical Use
      • 4.3 Diversity, Cultural Understanding & Global Awareness
    • Standard 5 >
      • 5.1 Needs Assessment
      • 5.2 Professional Learning
      • 5.3 Program Evaluation
    • Standard 6 >
      • 6.1 Continuous Learning
      • 6.2 Reflection
      • 6.3 Field Experiences
  • Field Experiences
  • Blog
  • Capstone

Increasing cultural understanding and global awareness

4/17/2013

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Thirty years ago, students were limited to interactions with the other students in their classroom or school.  For some schools, such as in my system, Forsyth County, this meant that those students were not exposed to a very diverse population.  As a result, they had a limited understanding of diverse cultures.  Today, the advances and integration of technology into even the most remote areas has increased both understanding and respect for diversity.  The authors of Fostering Students’ Global Awareness: Technology Applications in Social Studies Teaching and Learning promote the idea that “through infusion of both global education and technology...teachers can foster students’ understandings of the interrelationships of peoples worldwide, thereby preparing students to participate meaningfully as global citizens (Crawford & Kirby, 2008).”  Indeed, while the article is specific to social studies classrooms, I would argue that exposure to different cultures should be part of all classrooms and subject areas.  As the business world continues to become more globally connected, an education about and exposure to diversity is essential for all students.

Crawford and Kirby continue by referencing David Thornburg’s 2002 assertion that “the most essential skills for becoming a future ‘knowledge-value’ worker are technological fluency, effective communication skills, teamwork, leadership, problem solving, and creativity (2008).”  In order to give our students the most exposure to the skills, they must communicate with others outside of their own community, learning the value of other cultures and perspectives.  Unfortunately, the ability of a teacher to take his or her students on culturally-rich and diverse learning experiences outside of the classroom is severely limited by the shrinking budgets that schools face.  Again though, technology comes in to assist.  David Houston wrote in his 2003 article “Can the Internet Promote Open Global Societies?” that “the Internet’s power as a communication tool comes in part from its capacity to disrupt the status quo by bring new knowledge at a very low cost to the far reaches of the globe.”   With the cost associated with such exposure brought to manageable levels, or even eliminated, the playing field can be leveled, the digital divide can shrink, and students from all classifications can share and exchange their ideas.  With the exchange of ideas comes communication, collaboration, and reflection.

Far from using the Internet “just for the sake of using it (Greene, 2012)”, Stephen Greene uses technology to open his students’ minds to stereotypes and then to eliminate them with knowledge.  For example, he uses videos from YouTube and other video hosting sites to expose his ESL students to authentic language, accents, and viewpoints from English-speakers around the globe.  He asks students to look at trending topics on Twitter and then to discover the meaning of the hashtag.  He asks students to present their stereotypes of regions and then to research to find evidence that either confirms or refutes the stereotypes.  Activities such as these are perfect for a language class, but would fit in well with any subject matter.

Another way to increase student collaboration and communication for the purpose of increasing cultural understanding and global awareness is to encourage blogging in the classroom.  Hosting an open blog with two-way communication between students at two schools in different parts of the world can double the global awareness benefits, and can even lead to global action.  As Crawford and Kirby argue, “By connecting classrooms worldwide, students can participate in global service learning projects (2008)”  that can lead to not only the above mentioned benefits, but also the traditional classroom benefits of more engagement, higher achievement, and deeper reflection.

RESOURCES

Crawford, E.O., & Kirby, M.M. (n.d.). Fostering students’ global awareness: Technology applications   in social studies teaching and learning. (2008). Journal of Curriculum and Instruction, 2(1), 56-   73. doi: 10.3776/joci.2008.v2n1p56-73

Greene, S. (2012, April11). Using technology to raise cultural awareness. Retrieved from             http://www.tmenglish.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=127:using-technology-to-raise-cultural-awareness&catid=12&Itemid=134

Houston, D.A. (n.d.). Can the internet promote open global societies?. (2003). The Independent, VII(3), 354-370. Retrieved from http://www.independent.org/pdf/tir/tir_07_3_houston.pdf


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Keeping students safe in the classroom

4/10/2013

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Things have changed since we were students in the classroom.  For many of us, things have changed A LOT.  The biggest change concerns student privacy and safety.  That is all thanks to the creation of the internet and advent of wireless technologies.

As Will Richardson states in Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Web Tools for Classrooms, student safety is about far more than simply not publishing full names and pictures.  Instead, “safety is now about responsibility, appropriateness, and common sense as well (Ch. 1, “Keeping Students Safe”, paragraph 1).”   Richardson relates an incident that occurred in his classroom where a student accidentally chanced upon an inappropriate site.  However, due to the time spent in class teaching students that “responsible” means more than avoiding irresponsible sites, but also reacting in an appropriate manner when coming across inappropriate sites, the situation was a teaching moment, not the “phone call to the office” that it could have been.

Among the many “common sense” things that have fallen to teachers to teach is the appropriate and responsible use of the internet by students.  During my research of sites available, the following useful conseils appeared:
  • “Every piece of information you post, and every action you take online has commercial value to someone (Washington State Office of the Attorney General, 2008).”  
    Most people think about the “private” information that they may or may not reveal.  But it’s important to remember that anything posted by or about someone can help to reveal that person’s identity.  If privacy is important, students need to be sure that they take that into consideration before posting.  Also, they need to know to let their friends know what is and what is not okay to say about them.

  • “Cyber bullying refers to cruel or bullying messages sent to you online. These might be from former friends or other people you know (Dowshen).”  
    The general idea of “cyber bullying” is threatening messages.   However, it is important to know that any mean or bullying messages sent online is considered cyber bullying.  If it happens, students need to know that it is not okay and how to go about reporting it.

  • “Teens may not realize that what they post sets their reputation.  Other people might judge them based on their profiles. It’s not just inappropriate photos that put them at risk. Teens might also post references to underage drinking and engage in mean-spirited chat. As kids get older, stuff they’ve posted in the past can reappear. According to a 2008 Kaplan survey, 10% of college admissions officers at the nation’s top 500 colleges looked at applicants’ social networking profiles. 38% of them said that what they saw “negatively affected” their opinion of the applicant (Common Sense Media, 2012).”
    I don’t actually have anything to add here.  They say it all, and say it pretty clearly.

RESOURCES

Common Sense Media. (2012, March 19). Internet safety tips for high school kids. Retrieved from http://www.commonsensemedia.org/advice-for-parents/internet-safety-tips-high-school-kids

Dowshen, S. (2011). Retrieved from http://kidshealth.org/teen/safety/safebasics/internet_safety.html

Richardson, W. (2010). Blogs, wikis, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms. (3rd ed.). Corwin Press.

Washington State Office of the Attorney General. (2008). Internet safety - teens. Retrieved from http://www.atg.wa.gov/InternetSafety/Teens.aspx


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Screencasts with Jing

4/2/2013

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During the summer semester, we were first introduced to Jing but the time constraints of the summer session meant that we did not get to the opportunity to play a lot with the process.  So this was my first time creating a screencast.  I have to admit that while I was intrigued, I was also very intimidated by the idea.  I think that I had the most hesitation about choosing a topic. 

I finally decided that I would introduce my students to using Quizlet.  This is a tool that I in both my French and English classes as a way to introduce new vocabulary and to practice those ideas that need memorization (vocabulary memorization, dates, authors, character descriptions, etc.).  For me, the process of joining seems simple, but it is something that causes confusion for students to every year.  My video for students is below.

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Edmodo and Classroom 2.0

3/31/2013

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My school system has had an LMS for almost as long as I can remember.  We began with Blackboard, but its use was neither clearly explained nor heavily encouraged.  However, about 7 years ago, we switched to a new LMS called Angel.  At that point, the view and focus of the system changed.  There were numerous training sessions on how to use Angel with our classes.  These sessions were held throughout the school year and offered multiple times, so that there was no excuse to not attend.  Additionally, the county leaders shifted their motivation.  Instead of telling teachers, “Here is a tool that you can use if you choose and if you are able to figure out how to use it,” we were told, “Here is our new LMS.  It is called Angel.  Here are the trainings you will attend and these are the dates by which you must meet the following implementation steps with each of your classes.”

Keeping this in mind, I have not experimented with many other online LMS tools.  Because we are expected to use Angel for all of our classes, I had not even tried Edmodo prior to now, despite the system having set up accounts for all teachers to use with their classes.  I believe strongly in streamlining information and processes, not duplicating them in multiple places.

Once I did experiment some with Edmodo and Classroom 2.0, I found that I had very differing opinions.  I can see why students would be more attracted to Edmodo.  Its landing page, so clearly based on that of Facebook, is engaging and streamlined.  I appreciate being able to see all of my news and events on one page, in an easy to read format.  Classroom 2.0, on the other hand, appeared to be too “busy” for my liking, with too much print in too small of a fon

Several years ago, Angel was purchased by Blackboard.  They agreed to maintain the program for a limited number of years, at which point support would end.  That time has come, and next year, we will transition to yet another LMS.  This time, my system has chosen itsLearning, with access beginning for those of us in the pilot program next week.  Having become quite proficient with Angel while still recognizing its weaknesses, I have high expectations.  Having now experienced what other LMSs can do, such as Edmodo, those have been raised even higher.  As I begin learning more about the system, I will share my findings.
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Podcasts for the Terminally Busy

3/17/2013

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Once you have a child, your days of being able to do almost anything without interruption are over.  These interruptions can be welcome distractions for many of the things that we do as educators (and students).  Grading a stack of essays in poorly written French (or worse, poorly written English)?  A child who needs help putting clothes away can be a blessing in disguise.  Researching the latest trends in technology for the classroom?  A well-deserved break is hidden in the request for assistance unloading the dishwasher.  While the interrupting child is no longer detrimental to TV watching (when one finds the time) thanks to the DVR, he can still wreak havoc on the morning commute as one tries to listen to NPR, or to the Bert Show.

Luckily for me, I discovered a solution to this problem in the form of podcasts almost a decade ago.  I began with podcasts about my favorite subjects: travel and Harry Potter.  I subscribed to “Travel with Rick Steves” and “Pottercast” at first, and quickly began growing my list of podcasts.  Over the years, I have also subscribed to podcasts about the French language, about history (check out “Stuff You Missed in History Class”), about world events (I have too many favorite NPR podcasts to list them all), and about running.

I have used some of these podcasts in my classroom as an additional resource for my students.  Learning about the French Revolution can be boring when reading about in French in a textbook, but can become more interesting and comprehensible when listening to two people talk about it while you walk the dog or drive home from school.  In the same way, a poem assigned for memorization can become easier to memorize if there is an accompanying podcast that focuses on meaning and pronunciation.  I have even asked students to create their own podcasts with the assistance of our digital language lab to model the style used in a podcast called “One Thing in a French Day” that we called “One Thing in an IB Day.”

Reflecting on these now makes me realize that I should perhaps bring some of these tools back again.  All of my students could benefit from greater experience with presentational speaking, whether in French or in English.  Additionally, because proper preparation for presentational speaking also includes presentational writing, students would gain practice with those skills as well.

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Social bookmarking

2/26/2013

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I have to say that this week’s lesson has been one of love and hate.  Well, maybe not “hate,” but frustration and dislike.  I will begin with the dislike so that I can end on a positive by talking about what I really liked.

Therefore, to commence, I am not a fan of Delicious.  While I love the idea of it (see my feed here), I find that I do not like it in practice.  I resisted the idea when it first came out, so perhaps it is just me being stubborn.  However, as I use my Google bookmarks button on every computer that I use, I find that not being able to easily import those bookmarks that I have been collecting for my entire teaching career is frustrating.  Through a quick Google search, it appears as though the site previously had a way to do that, but the feature has been disabled.  Now, the only bookmarks that can be imported are those sites sent out via Twitter or Facebook.  I do like the idea of being able to search through the sites that I tweet, but it seems to me that I could just as easily do so by searching my Twitter history.

So what do I use instead?  As mentioned previously, I use Google Bookmarks almost exclusively.  With any new computer that is mine to alter, I download the Google Toolbar so that I can have my bookmarks.  When I first received my new laptop for Christmas and began using Chrome for this program, I was devastated to find out that while I could add bookmarks in the browser, I could not access them via the same button.  Since then, I realized that I could simply add a bookmark to the bookmark bar and visit the web version of all of my bookmarks.  I know that this is simply my collection, and not social.  However, since I find many of my resources already via Twitter, I am still social, if my bookmarks are not.

On the other hand, I also use Pinterest as a form of visual social bookmarking (you can see my school “pins” here).  I have boards for everything I enjoy, from personal to professional to social.  As I collect more pins, I have found the need to separate them into sub-categories.  Pinterest could improve by following in the footsteps of Google or Delicious in this area.  I follow fellow teachers, EdTech bloggers, EdTech companies, and “gurus.”  All of these people share sites they find interesting and informative.  I share them in turn when I pin them.  I am also able to see what else has been pinned by similar pinners or onto similar boards.  To me, this is the definition of social bookmarking, even if not the recommended tool.

Lastly, to end on a positive, while not strictly part of the blogging assignment for this week, I did really enjoy finding new leaders in education and educational technology to follow on Twitter (see my profile page here).  Because they were not mentioned, I will share some of favorite Tweeters here as well:

  • @langology: Language news and language education
  • @joedale: Independent MFL and technology consultant
  • @msjweir: a high school English teacher and self-proclaimed technology “geek”
  • @WeAreTeachers: an online community of teachers of all subjects and levels
  • @21stCenturyTch: devoted to education in the 21st Century

Who are your favorite Tweeps?


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Digital tools to increase learning and engagement (plus a bonus for teacher productivity)

2/26/2013

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This week, I looked at lots of new online tools to help increase student learning and engagement.  On the list provided were some tools with which I was already familiar.  The one that I use most commonly is Quizlet.  A tool designed for learning vocabulary, it can also be applied to almost anything that can be broken into two parts.  When I began using Quizlet almost 6 years ago, I used it just as it was intended – vocabulary interaction.  I created flash card sets for my intermediate French classes with French on one side and English on the other.  Later, I began using it with my more advanced French classes.  For these students, I created sets of French words with French definitions, characters from stories we read with descriptions, dates from French history with events, etc.  When my son entered school, we began using it to help him study for tests in all subject areas.  He is now at the point where he makes his own sets, as he has realized that creating the sets also helps him to learn the material.

Another tool that I found (though not from the list) is one that I discovered via my Google Reader account, from Free Technology for Teachers.  The tool is called Blubbr.  Blubbr offers free accounts that can be created with an email address, or linked to Facebook or Twitter.  After having created an account, a user can then create interactive video trivia-style games using videos already available.  The teacher (or student) just needs to create the questions.  For example, my French 1 students are studying fashion vocabulary now.  I searched “la mode” and found videos of fashion shows in France.  Using clips of no more than 20 seconds, I simply added multiple-choice questions about what different people were wearing in each clip.  To see my game, click here or press play below.
While I think that these video trivia games will be fun for students to play, I think that they may be even more fun for students to make and share with the class.  Before a test or quiz, I could imagine taking a day in class for students to create their own video games and then share them via our LMS or a wiki.  One challenge that I foresee is the need to circulate constantly to help students with choosing video clips, and to be certain that they choose only acceptable videos.

A bonus tool that I found via my Google Reader account is For All Rubrics, an online rubric site that interacts with iPads and allows the user to import rubrics already created in .xls format.  I have been searching for an app that does this and had not yet found a free one that was not associated with a specific LMS (not the one that my system uses).  Accounts are free for teachers.  I have not yet played with it much but will do so soon.  Once I do, I will report what I find.

What is your favorite tool that you have or found?

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Wiki wiki in French and English

2/8/2013

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PictureImage Credit: La Giraudiere (click picture to go to site).
About five years ago, I joined a Yahoo! Group for teachers of French who used a common textbook for upper-level classes.  Through that group, I also found a linked group for teachers of AP French.  Both groups were communities where teachers could share information, struggles, successes, and of course, resources. However, as the groups grew, our ability to share information became more limited.  The group founders began looking for alternatives and settled upon Wikispaces.  I was uncertain, but the materials that we had collected were all moving there, so I had no viable option. I created an account and joined TAP-FLC (Teachers of AP French Language & Culture). This new wiki had all of the benefits of our previous Yahoo! group, with the added benefit that we could organize the material more easily, and edit our documents together. It was a perfect fit!

Since then, I have joined two other wikis for this program, and visited a multitude of others. They have all been hosted by Wikispaces, which has made it easy to keep track of them.  One of my favorites is LHS French Classes, which I discovered when I first had the idea to create a wiki for my classes at my new school in 2009.  Unfortunately, when the domain name that I wanted was taken, I stopped.  The teacher, Mme Theisin, has collected a trove of resources for all levels of French and sadly, I allowed her thoroughness to be my “excuse” for not creating my own site.

While researching educational Wikis for this module, I found two more that are inspirational to me.  The first, English * Lizeowiki, combines my two content areas, as it is a wiki for French students learning English at all levels. Because they are learning English, many of the handouts posted are in both languages.  While I have not yet contacted the teacher, I think that there could be a way to engage my AP French students with his students of English in collaboratively learning more about both languages and cultures. 

The second wiki has started my creative juices flowing, trying to find a way to incorporate student projects on a wiki.  The wiki is Lord of the Flies Essays and is home to a collection of essays by the students of one teacher.  It caught my attention, as my classes are just finishing reading Lord of the Flies, by William Golding, and while we are wrapping up the unit, I am always looking for materials to add to my “collection.”  Our next unit involved persuasion and we have discussed students producing persuasive Public Service Announcements, complete with annotated bibliographies.  Wikis like this one could provide a good place for students to collaborate, post their final PSAs, and keep track of who did what and when.

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Feeding our needs, fueling our feeds (Or, finding useful RSS feeds)

2/1/2013

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This semester, we have been asked to set up Google Reader accounts and follow a variety of different feeds.  For years now, I have seen the little orange “RSS Feed” icon and yet never known what it is or what to do with it.  However, over the past few weeks, I have begun seeing its use more and more as a quicker way to stay abreast of current trends and information.

Today, I would like to share a video course that I found via the roundabout way that the Internet typically works.  One of the feeds to which I subscribed is Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne.  In a recent post, Mr. Byrne introduced A New Crash Course in U.S. History, a new video series by John Green of VlogBrothers fame and author of The Fault in our Stars and An Abundance of Katherines.  I was intrigued.  I have a passing familiarity with John Green due to his association with all things Harry Potter, and knew that he has a large Internet presence.  This educational aspect of his work was new to me, and while I am not a history teacher, I occasionally bring history into my classroom as a way of setting up the context in which a literary work takes place.  Consequently, I went to the U.S. History Crash Course site on YouTube, watched the first (and so far, only) video with my 5th grade son, and knew that this was a potentially great resource.

After the video was over, it then showed related videos.  Lo and behold, John Green also has a Crash Course on English Literature!  The short introduction video is something that I wish that I had had when the year first started.  Watching it led me to other gems to use in my classroom, like a video about the French Revolution (perfect for French 4) and another about the Roman Empire and Julius Caesar (perfect for my upcoming 10th Grade Literature and Composition unit in which we read William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar).  As I said, I watched the first video with my son, who loved it so much that he is now pleading with me to finish so that we can watch another.  If my students like it even half as much as he does, then I will feel that I have accomplished my goal of increasing their engagement in the class.

If I had not already been convinced that my RSS feed would prove to be beneficial, last night’s perusing proved the point.  While I won’t talk about them all here tonight, here are some other tidbits that I found intriguing:

  • New interactive table offers accessible learning by Tech & Learning
  • Meet the winners of our 2013 Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards by eSchool News
  • Teaching Media Literacy with Memes by GradHacker

What about you?  Tell me your favorite finds in the comments.

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    Author

    Angela Burgess is a high school French and Lit teacher, as well as an Instructional Technology Specialist.  She is also  understandably a Francophile and technophile. She obtained her M.Ed. in Instructional Technology from Kennesaw State University in May 2014.

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