Wicked Problem Project Final

Part 1
Part 2

Please click the above links to view my Wicked Problem Project.

The Problem:

As a Spanish instructor, I had a wicked problem.  In fact, it was a problem that I struggled with as a Spanish student too.  Thus it was something I really wanted to fix!  The problem is the general lack of authentic language exchange opportunities available in the classroom.  I know from experience and from research that immersion into a language experience really helps to build confidence and skill in the new language.  But native speakers don’t come to my Spanish class, why would they?  So I have done my best to simulate these experiences during classroom exercises.  As creative as I have been, these experiences don’t equal an authentic language exchange.

The Solution: 2.  I decided to incorporate technology into a previous assignment that involved a face-to-face Spanish conversation (outside of class) and changed it to require a series of vodcast discussions between my students and a native speaker.  I plan to test my solution this fall.

(TP) The technology I chose, Skype, seems to support the teaching strategies and methods I use and then some.  Skype enables my students to have authentic language exchanges without the burden of a delay.  The goal is to replace a face-to-face conversation that puts my students in the Spanish “survival” hot seat.  Using skype and an add-on that allows them to record their conversations, students can have discussions, save them, review them, and share them.

(TC) The technology, Skype, makes the content in the problem more intellectually accessible.  The technology-content, knowledge needed by students must to be at a level that allows them to focus on the assignment, not the technology.  Thus, the technology must be relatively simple and support the activity as smoothly as possible.  Skype is free, common, and large and successful enough that it seems to have decent support.  Another perk of Skpye is that it allows both writing and speaking.   It is common and perfectly legitimate for people practicing conversations to ask someone to write down the word they are saying as they might not be able to hear the word clearly due to pronunciation, etc.  Having the chat along with the video would enable these channels of communication to exist, synchronously.  Students can listen, respond, read lips and body language, and share new vocabulary/double check with written language. 

(PC) My pedagogical choices make the content in the problem more intellectually accessible. This vodcast activity is replacing a face-to-face activity where students meet a native speaker and basically report back to me that they have had a conversation.  Pedagogically, the digital solution actually allows me to incorporate more of the course content into the project by giving students talking points that I’d like them to discuss.  I believe it is important for my students to leave my class with the skills and confidence to have a conversation in the target language.  This solution will allow for incremental practice within the context of the vocabulary and grammar lessons.  For example, early in the course we learn basics like how to introduce ourselves, say where we are from, ask how the other person is, describe their state of being (good, bad, so-so) etc.  Later the lessons are more complex, like describing work or school schedules, or describing and discussing friends and families.  Using vodcasts for each chapter, I can to incorporate more conversations per semester so students get the authentic language experience more often as a practice activity rather than as a final course summary activity. 

Since I am unable to implement this project until the fall, I don’t have many findings with the exception of my own experiences with vodcasting.  If the venue doesn’t have good support and is not intuitive then it is not worth the time and effort.  Students need to focus on the assignment with the technology as a vehicle to support learning, not as a hindrance. I was surprised at how something can LOOK easy, but when put into practice is frustrating!  Delights?  I am really excited for my students to try this new series of video chats out!  This solution allows my students to virtually cross borders.  They can review and review their conversations.  And they can compare their language skills from the first few weeks to the end of the course.  Seeing progress is inspiring!

No doubt, implementing this solution will provide both me and my students with many lessons!  The problem is very, VERY wicked.  It exists, and I want to deal with it!  I found it frustrating as a student, and now as an instructor.  This project opened my eyes to the idea of using educational technology to achieve the goal of my student’s having authentic Spanish language exchanges throughout the courses I teach.  This is very inspiring to me as a foreign language instructor and hope my students will be inspired by the project as well!

Group Leadership Project Final

Hi everyone,
Please see the link above to Team High School's Group Leadership Project for CEP 812.  We attempted to create a stand-along professional development piece for teachers on using Weebly to supplement/compliment courses.  We choose Weebly for a few reasons.  Many of us has played around with it a bit in previous classes and really liked how simple it seemed.  Scott, our fearless Weebly leader, had more extensive and positive experience with it which added to the perceived value.  I have used course management systems for several years now and was interested in the freedom and flexibility of using Weebly as an alternate tool, especially so parent's could see the content.  We chose to use the tool Weebly, to deliver the content.  The intent here was to demonstrate the usefulness of the tool as we taught our peers.  I learned more about Weebly from working on this project.  My specific content area was the video about how to blog.  I really like Blogger, but see myself using the Weebly blogging tool to keep everything streamlined when I implement a site as a supplement/compliment to future courses I teach.  We used Jing to record video because several of us had already had used it, it's free and easy too.  If I had to develop a similar product again I would add a bit more text or headings to lead the viewer to the videos.  The project is currently not one seamless presentation and to be honest, I am not sure if it is truly clear to the user where they should begin or end.  I think at this point it is difficult for me to judge that since I have worked on it so much.  Maybe by stepping away and coming back I would have a better idea.  Or better yet, we can test it out!
Thanks so much.
Kathy

Personal Learning Plan

Well, I took a risk and tried a program that I have seen my peers and instructors use throughout CEP 810, 811, and 812; PREZI.  I thought my Personal Learning Plan was the perfect opportunity to visually discuss my personal learning plan!  I really enjoyed our data visualization lab and the mind-mapping tools that I explored in the lab.  Prezi is like a mind-mapping program times a thousand.  I hope you enjoy my presentation!
Kathy

Wicked Problem Project – Part D Findings and Implications

The Wicked Problem Project was basically not as functional for me as I would have liked it to be this semester.  This is ONLY because I am currently not teaching.  I actually gained much from the project!  I was able to identify a problem (a lack of authentic language exchange), and create a solution to the problem (use the web to have web conversations with native speakers), and even implement some of the solution (make a plan, explore potential technologies, talk with the Lansing Community College help desk, AV support, and my chairperson), although not wholly.  Thus, I write this blog on findings and implications within an incomplete context.  I do really look forward to being able to implement the project and to learn from it, but I need to wait until the fall when I am scheduled to teach again.  Thus, no, my project did not get implemented as planned, yet (formative).  In terms of summative evaluation, I don’t have evidence of success yet either. 

I have basically tried to gain as much as possible throughout this class to apply it to the project.  Since my project solution involves meeting online, I learned that the technology must be easy to use, free, and as seamless as possible as to not distract or inhibit learning.  Lessons I have learned will come in the future.  One point I can add here is a lesson I learned from one of my peers in this course, and that is to be flexible and let the project evolve.  If the technology does not seem to be working, or if there is an easier way to do something, I need not be afraid to make changes.  Sometimes I see myself and other teachers make a plan and stick with it because that is “the plan” rather than making accommodations when barriers (a.k.a. opportunities) arise.  I’ll try to keep this in mind as I implement the project this fall. 

I certainly will endeavor to do the same project again.  I know this because I have already tried to do a non-digital version of the project in the past.  The problem exists, and I want to deal with it!  CEP 812 opened my eyes to the idea of using educational technology to achieve the goal of my student’s having authentic Spanish language exchanges throughout the courses I teach.  I feel that this course has enabled me to build on the idea and make it better.  Just writing out the plan and discussing the Content, Pedagogy, and Technology aspects have helped me see how the Universal Design for Learning model can be applied to benefit my students in more than one way.  For example, instead of having one face-to-face Spanish conversation, they can have several, gain instructor input, review their work, and compare their progress to their first conversations.  I look forward to learning about other benefits and learning from my student's experiences and my own.  This is very inspiring to me as a foreign language instructor and hope my students will be inspired by the project as well!

Group Leadership Project PART B - Storyboard and Script

Our Group Leadership Project, Part B, Storyboard and Script is coming along.  This link will take you to the script and this link will take you to the storyboard. Our Group Leadership Project is on using Weebly as a communication and educational tool to compliment the learning that is happening in the classroom.  My specific topic is on the Blogging feature of Weebly.  This is a very helpful feature to have since teachers can use the same easy drag and drop interface of Weebly and have a blogging component all in one place.  No outside blogging sites necessary, and no additional passwords to access them!  My specific work is shown in slides 42 through the end.  You can see my script both in the link to the script and in the link to the storyboard.  My script is viewable in the storyboard by clicking on View and then View Presenter Notes.

 Our group has had great difficulty getting together.  We have tried meeting online and communicating via email for the last two weeks but our success with this has been spotty at best.  I am not teaching currently, and work the typical 8 to 5 job, but I do remember very clearly how hectic the end of the school year can be.  I know my team is out there working hard because I can see the results of their efforts in our shared Google docs.  I sent an email today with the last steps that I see us needing (writing and recording a conclusion, making the site presentable, recording the introduction, etc.)  We will try to meet this coming Monday at 7 PM and if that doesn't work out then we will just have to trust each other to get the job done, do our best to work around each others schedules, and communicate via email.