KQED Education is headed to ISTE. Check out our workshops and presentations listed below and visit us in the exhibit hall at the PBS booth where there will be mini presentations, goodie bags and a Kindle Fire drawing each day!
Presentations The Personal is Political: Digital Storytelling with Purpose
Learn how online research literacy can serve as a critical component of digital media authorship and provide students with more than a mastery of storytelling, but a comprehensive understanding of remix culture and fair use policy.
KQED ESL Mobile News Blog
This lecture introduces KQED Education's ESL Mobile News Blog as a platform through which to explore how ESL students engage with news.
PBS Booth Mini Presentations KQED Do Now: Engage Students with Topical Issues Using Twitter
Monday: 12:30- 12:45pm
Tuesday: 12- 12:15pm
Wednesday: 12:45- 1pm
This past school year, 50 eleventh- and twelfth-graders at San Francisco’s Burton High School started tweeting in class for the first time.
Many were familiar with Twitter and some use it on a daily basis, but never for school. As in most instances, there’s a major disconnect between the role of social media in their lives outside school — where they use Twitter and Facebook to chat with friends, and update their status — and what happens at Burton. This class also demonstrates what recent studies have shown: that a large majority of kids have cell phones, even if they come from low-income families. In these two classes, 90% of students had cell phones, and 63% qualify for free or reduced lunch.
But the fact that they were tweeting in class was enough to get them excited in the project. The video below looks at the impact of KQED Do Now, a weekly activity for high school students that engages them in topical issues using Twitter, with these students and their teacher Wendy Berkelman.
This week, KQED's Arts & Media education team descended upon the University of California's Arts, Media & Entertainment curriculum institute (UCCI), which "brings together educators from around the state to collaborate on the creation of model high school courses that anchor traditional academic learning in real-world experience."
We are working with teachers, observing their curriculum design sessions, and sharing resources and tools for integrating media-rich projects into their courses, which cover a range of topics including media production, theater, and writing.
The following videos are a 9 part series on how to use iMovie '11. iMovie is a proprietary video editing software application which allows Mac, iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, and iPad 2 users to edit their own videos.
There are nine videos in this series although you can only see one player. The single player hosts all nine videos (thank you YouTube playlist). The series starts with Part 1: Basic Overview. To access the other eight videos, you must click pause and then click on the monitor icon at the bottom of the player (it's located next to cc button). You can then choose from the selection of other videos.
Use news as a teaching tool and learn to create your own short videos in this free, hands-on two-part workshop led by KQED Education staff. We'll cover basic multimedia production skills, talk about how to inspire students to create their own pieces, and go over additional creative ways of integrating news into the classroom. This training is perfect for high school social studies and language arts teachers looking for opportunities to keep up with the headlines and increase student engagement. The workshop will be held on two consecutive Thursday evenings: March 22 and March 29, from 5:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Participants must be available to attend both sessions.
Laptops and equipment provided (but BYOD if you wish); dinner included.
Dates: Two consecutive Thursdays – March 22 and March 29; both from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
KQED Teacher Tech Trainings are a series of free workshops offered to K-5 teachers interested in learning how to use digital media tools to enhance science learning. The trainings are designed to focus on a specific digital media tool, such as slideshow or audio recording, and build the confidence of educators to use and create multimedia projects in their classrooms. Many participants walk in to workshops with very little experience integrating technology and learning. By the end of the second class, teachers walk away impressed with what they learned and proud of what they produced.
“Wow! I learned how to create a PowerPoint in 2 days. This technology seemed so hard just a few days ago. Now I feel I can really use this technology in the classroom.” - Participant in TTT series one.
In two Saturdays a group of teachers learned how to create a narrated slideshow using iMovie and Windows Movie Maker. Educators examined how images, narrative, and voice weave together to produce engaging and informative content. Participants watched an example of a science-related narrated slideshow produced by KQED QUEST titled Mud Snails featuring an invasive species from Japan affecting Bay Area shorelines. This slideshow demonstrates the role images and narration play in explaining science information effectively and leaves you curiously wanting to know more. Take a look at QUEST’s segment on mud snails:
Using slideshows in class can add a new dimension to lessons. As mentioned above, it can help teachers create their own content for teaching, and older students can even create their own multimedia project as a means to digitally express their learning.
To start planning narrated slideshows in your classroom, download the script template and other tips to implement multimedia projects from our Media-Making Toolkit. Or if you're interested in joining KQED Education in a future workshop, visit KQED ScienceLab for a schedule.
Take a peek at some of our educators' finished projects in our playlist. Below, you can see Monina address 3rd grade life science content standard on biomes. Helen's interactive slideshow engages her first graders' inquiry of balance. Minda ties in the study of bison to spark interest on an upcoming social studies unit on Native American history. Anne provides a visual connection for her speech class who are interested in dinosaurs and fossils. Mimi demonstrates the science behind breath and voice for her music class. Sylvia shows her kindergarteners the everyday items that comes from a tree. Laurie looks at the various kinds of penguins for K-2 science students.
There are seven videos in this series although you can only see one player. The single player hosts all seven videos (thank you YouTube playlist). To access the other six videos, you must click on the text that reads "Playlist" on the bottom left corner of the video player.
Embrace them! Mobile devices are ubiquitous and they are here to stay. Instead of banning them from our schools’ classrooms, let’s give educators the support and resources necessary to adopt the notion that mobile devices can be effective learning tools for students.
Participants in this year’s QUEST Science Education Institute explored the idea of using cell phones and mobile devices as educational tools at a recent workshop. When asked about their view on the topic (through a text poll!), most responded that they are ready to embrace this technology, although there were some teachers that still have hesitations. All of their responses can be viewed below. The poll sparked a rich discussion on everything from concerns about inappropriate content to potential cost savings by schools and districts to high engagement by students.
We also took a look at how social media can be integrated into lessons with the use of cell phones. KQED Education’s Do Now activities employ Twitter as a way to engage students in sharing viewpoints on a timely topic. We investigated apps for mobile devices that allow students to record and edit images, video, and sound for use in media-making projects. Many cell phones these days take high-resolution images and video, making them ideal for capturing activities both in the classroom and out in the field. Check out SoundCloud* and DropVox for sound recording, the Garageband app for sound editing and the iMovie app for video editing. Files can be managed and shared with apps such as DropBox* and box.net*. All of these apps are available for Apple products; those with an asterisk are also available for Android.
And, for all you science teachers, science apps are numerous and can bring science alive with interactive features. Here is just a sampling of cool science apps:
Here is a four part video educast series on how to use FlipShare, the video editing program that comes with the Flip Camera. Each section will take you through a particular part of the process.
Part 1 is a general overview of the application's interface along with an explanation of how to download the software from the camera to your computer.
Part 2 covers how to save a video from the camera to your computer.
Part 3 explains how to make simple trims or edits to a single video.
Part 4 overviews how to compile more than one video to create a movie with text and music.
To navigate through the four videos, you have to click on the icon on the bottom of the frame that looks like a TV monitor -- it is located to the left of the plus sign (+).
KQED and California Academy of Sciences have joined forces again to present a second module of Science Lab! Eighteen dedicated San Francisco educators answered our ad and met at Cal Academy on November 8 to start session one
KQED's Science Lab is a free series of workshops designed to support K -3 educators integrate media and technology in the classroom to enrich teaching and learning science.
This Science Lab blog is our space to:
Share comments and reflect on the way digital media is impacting education
Provide highlights of each session and class assignments
Recommend free online PBS and KQED educational media resources to enrich science instruction
Offer strategies on how to use media in the classroom as an effective teaching tool
Offer free and easy-to-use ideas on how to use video and audio podcasting with young learners
Read interviews with Cal Academy's Ed team, SF educators and others!
Shout out to Cal Academy! We are grateful to the museum for hosting six sessions on site and allowing us to use the exhibits as our learning lab. Cal Academy's education team, Helena and Sarah, know science and more importantly, know how to make it fun in the classroom! That's why KQED Education is proud to partner with California Academy of Sciences.
Check out this video that provides an overview of Science Lab.
Hush! Hear that? Silence in the Steinhart Aquarium November 8, 2011
When visiting the museum, teachers are accustomed to noise and lots of it, usually the sounds of excited school children darting from exhibit to exhibit screaming about the cool and mysterious animals they see.
But for Science Lab teachers who have access to the Steinhart Aquarium after hours, the museum is quite a different experience. Being surrounded by leafy sea dragons and sharks without the chatter of second-graders makes studying these creatures a peaceful and hypnotic experience.
In session one, teachers were given time to start the science inquiry process by plopping themselves before an exhibit to observe, notice and wonder. Modeling these first few steps and validating student’s interests does wonders to build enthusiasm and curiosity for a topic.
Q1: What was the most interesting observation you've made at the Steinhart Aquarium?
What's In Your Digital Toolbox? November 15, 2011
Do you remember the 8mm film projector, overhead projector, pencil sharpener as the most important pieces of technology in your classroom? Or did you just Google 8mm film projector?
Digital media and technology have shifted the way educators teach and the way students learn. While many classrooms are fortunate to have a working computer and internet access, not every teacher uses it to its full potential. There are certain skills and confidence a teacher must have in order to use digital media and technology effortlessly and productively in the classroom. And in each school there seems to be a 'digital-divide' between tech savvy teachers and non-tech savvy ones. However, most educators, tech-savvy or not, are aware that the teaching practice must shift as a whole and mirror how students are learning and accessing information.
Q2: How are you, as a teacher, making changes to your teaching practice with the onset of digital media tools such as video, audio podcasts, blogs, etc? What equipment, knowledge and training is needed for everyone to add to their digital toolbox?
Flip Video Tutorial November 15, 2011
Below, is a four part video educast series on how to use FlipShare, the video editing program that comes with the Flip Camera. Each section will take you through a particular part of the process. Part 1 is a general overview of the application's interface along with an explanation of how to download the software from the camera to your computer. Part 2 covers how to save a video from the camera to your computer. Part 3 explains how to make simple trims or edits to a single video. And finally, part 4 overviews how to compile more than one video to create a movie with text and music. To navigate through the four videos, you have to click on the icon on the bottom of the frame that looks like a TV monitor -- it is located to the left of the plus sign (+).
Video produced by Matthew Williams
A Passion for Penguins November 15, 2011
What do penguins do all day? How often have you pondered that question?
The Cal Academy’s Live Penguin Cam is where you'll find your answer. The 24-hr real-time video footage focuses on the African Penguins located in African Hall at the museum. In session two of Science Lab, Sarah led the teachers through the guided inquiry process to find out what activities these penguins do during a certain time of day. Unfortunately, there wasn’t a whole lot of action when we observed the penguins’ behavior, unless you consider the state of resting mesmerizing.
We used the ethogram or observation data sheet that Sarah created to tally the activities of these penguins in 30-second intervals. Create your own ethogram to collect data on your testable question.
Did you know that an African Penguin:
is monogamous and returns with their mate to the same nesting site every year?
male and female share the responsibility for incubating the eggs and feeding the chicks?
lives 15 -20 years in the wild, often longer in captivity? (The oldest penguin at the Academy,Pierre, is 28.)
Read KQED QUEST's blog post to learn more about Pierre and why he needed a wetsuit! Also, check out the video on PBS LearningMedia to learn more about penguins. You'll find another reason to develop a passion for penguins.
Q3: In what way could you use a live web cam, such as Cal Academy's Penguin Cam, in the classroom to enrich science learning?
A Look at Leafy Sea Dragons at Steinhart Aquarium
November 29, 2011
SF Science Lab FY11 participants LayLay and Sue teamed up to present their final digital media presentation on the leafy sea dragons of Steinhart Aquarium. Check out how they navigated through their learning process using open inquiry and investigated the movement of these beautiful sea creatures.
Prediction vs. Hypothesis
by Helena Carmena
November 29, 2011
Through science inquiry, students experience their natural sense of wonder. The observations they make lead to questions, and these self-generated questions spark the interest to do research! Students learn more about the subject of interest through watching media, reading books, talking to a scientist, or poring over websites. Some of the questions may not be easy to answer by doing research but they could possibly be testable with appropriate planning.
Deciding on a question to investigate can be challenging. The study would need to be feasible, meaningful, not too big, and not too small. The question would be one they could realistically answer themselves through careful experimentation or making observations over time.
In the Investigation and Experimentation standards, students are required to make “predictions” to predict a future event. This is good practice to prepare students to later make a “research hypothesis” in the upper grade levels.
A prediction is only part of a hypothesis. A hypothesis is a tentative, testable, and falsifiable explanation for an observed phenomenon in nature. A “research hypothesis” is written with several different components:
If (hypothesis) and (method) ….then (prediction). See the example below:
If…salmon find their home stream by sight (sight hypothesis), and…a group of non-blindfolded salmon and a group of blindfolded salmon from the Issaquah and East Fork streams are released below the fork where the two streams join (planned test), then…the non-blindfolded salmon should be recaptured in their home stream more frequently than the blindfolded salmon (prediction).
Hypothesis writing can be challenging, but is an essential tool for keeping students (and scientists!) focused on exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it. Due to the complexity of writing hypotheses, we focus on writing predictions in the younger grade levels. As you can see, it is important to give opportunities to students so they can practice asking meaningful questions and making thoughtful predictions.
Want Free Access to Thousands of Educational Media?
December 5, 2011
PBS launched PBS LearningMedia, a digital media resource web site, to bring the best of public media content together in one place. PreK - 16 educators can access tens of thousands of digital resources designed for and aligned to core standards for classroom instruction. Create an account today at www.pbslearningmedia.org and start searching for digital resources to enrich the classroom learning experience.
Check out this slide show to help you learn more about this valuable teacher resource.
The following videos are a 5 part series on how to use Audacity. Audacity is a free sound recording and sequencing program that can be downloaded on-line for either Mac or PC. It is great for recording audio for a podcast or creating a more complex soundtrack for a digital story -- that includes voice-over, effects, and music, as you can create as many tracks as you like. The program goes hand in hand with Windows Movie Maker or iMovie which are both free video editing programs with limited number of audio tracks.
There are five videos in this series although you can only see one player. The single player hosts all five videos (thank you YouTube playlist). The series starts with part 1: Downloading Audacity. To access the other four videos, you must click pause and then click on the monitor icon at the bottom of the player (it's located next to cc button).
Do Now is a weekly activity for students to respond to current issues through the use KQED's award-winning online media resources and social media tools like Twitter.
