Create:  Using your lesson topic, build two high quality, reusable learning objects. Answer:  What is the intended use of your learning objects?  How might the objects be used in an online or blended classroom? I created the following objects with Educaplay as tools to review concepts in a recent unit on evolution. The interactive map assesses students' understanding of the graphic shown, called a cladogram. Cladograms are used to show evolutionary relationships based on derived characteristics. Students are to place the derived characteristics in their appropriate place on the cladogram. The crossword is an assessment of students' understanding of unit vocabulary. I really like that Educaplay gives me the option to share via link or embed. These would be easy to share as assignments on my LMS, Google Classroom or to embed in a teacher website. I could use either of these items as formative assessments to monitor students' progress on unit standards. Cladogra...

Research: Based on an understanding of learning object authoring tools, locate two learning object authoring tools (free or fee-based).  Link to the tools in your blog. Answer: How might each tool be used in an online classroom? What features should an online teacher look for in a learning object tool? When selecting a tool to author online learning objects, there are a few factors that I believe teachers should consider: Is this tool accessible across all student devices and operating systems? Is this tool a relevant and meaningful tool? Does the learner have some control over how they access and interact with the content, or is prescribed in another sit-and-get format? Are their decision points in the course/interactive that require learners in integrate the content in the module with prior knowledge and/or information from another source? (CRITICAL THINKING) Does the tool provide features for immediate feedback? I believe I'd say that before I would personally pursu...

Create: Using your lesson topic, create an assessment that allows students to produce a summative assessment product using web tools. Isolate one web tool that aligns with differentiation and student assessment. Post the tool to your blog. Create detailed instructions explaining to students the assessment requirements (imagine this as a lesson plan; give step by step instructions for someone viewing your class for the first time.) Then, create a sample product that uses the web tool to guide your students. In our current unit on evolution, students have studied individuals and experiences that shaped Charles Darwin's thinking, including his life-changing voyage aboard the HMS Beagle and the discoveries made on the Galapagos Islands. As a summarizing task, students were given the option to create a product demonstrating their understanding of the influences that shaped Darwin. One of the potential options were to create a social media profile for Darwin that shows how he would h...

Create: Select one of the web tools mentioned in Create and build a new learning focused tool to differentiate instruction. In my recent Content Map on evolution, I included a differentiated learning assignment, a Collaborative Webquest/Virtual Field Trip. Using a template that I found online, I shared a "hyperdoc" (Google Doc with various hyperlinks) with students through my LMS, Google Classroom. In Classroom, document can be shared with various share settings, such as "Students can view," "Students can edit" (meaning the whole class has access to the shared Doc), or "Make a copy for each student." I shared this Google Doc below with an entire class group. Students worked in groups of 2-3 to complete individual sections of this collaborative Doc. They opened the Doc to review the written content and the links embedded in it. These links directed learners to various pages within Google Maps, such as this link that shows the skeletal rema...

Research: Find five instructional web tools that offer a variety of opportunities for learners.  Link to each web tool considered in your blog. Answer: What is the intended use for each tool? How might you use each tool in online teaching? How might a student use the tool? Is there a cost associated with the tool? 1. Screencast-o-matic - This freemium screencasting software makes it easy for students, teachers, or anyone else to capture a video of part or all of their computer screen. It available as a web tool, a download, or a Google Chrome extension. According to the website, education plans are available that integrate with major LMS providers and that provide single sign-on (SSO) student accounts where students can create and curate their content. Users on the free plan get 15 minutes of recording, including their computer screen and/or webcam, if desired. A paid plan gets you more recording time along with a suite of editor tools like transitions, text overlay, blur (g...