Digital Badge Design Unit: My First PBL Experience

I'm the kind of teacher that takes the time to think through a lesson or unit and plan, but at some point you can't anticipate everything and just need to jump in!

This is precisely what I did with my first real PBL (project based learning) unit. Before the planning stages I read Setting the Standards for Project Based Learning and Implementing Project-Based Learning, then as I planned my unit I worked through the Project Based Learning Starter Kit, which was so helpful. Another great resource was the Buck Institute for Education's (BIE) website of resources.

So my first official PBL unit was a doozy, but hey go big or go home, right? I needed a way to assess my students' basic technology knowledge and skills and had been looking at using digital badges. As I contemplated designing a badging system that would entice students to earn them and be easily manageable, I thought who would know better then my students. I immediately started working with the resources above to create a PBL unit for my 8th graders that would have them designing the entire badge system. Here is my unit plan and my teaching and learning guide, both templates I tweaked from BIE's resources. 

The unit began with a solid start; I had planned well. I knew my students didn't know about digital badges and couldn't design a system without having a base knowledge of the kind of system we wanted to create. Using Schoology, I created a differentiated reading group activity where groups of students read and discussed a video or article about badging. 

Video and Articles My Students Read

I grouped students according to their reading level, provided them questions to answer, and required them to comment on their peers answers, to facilitate a conversation.

Instructions for Completing the Reading

Once the groups were done, all the students completed a whole class discussion in Schoology about what we needed to consider when designing our badge system.

Directions for the Whole Class Discussion

This was a great start, but my students were still unsure about what exactly we were creating, so we looked at models of badge systems. We looked at the Aurora Public School Badge System and a Schoology based teacher professional development badge system, designed by Brandi Miller. We then had a ton of discussion and captured our thoughts using Padlet, Google Docs, and more Schoology discussions. After a week of establishing our base knowledge and brainstorming which tech skills to create badges for, we got into groups and started our work.

Here was the tricky part. I have 3 classes of 8th graders and we wanted to all work together to create 1 badge system. To manage 90 students working on the same project I created a team of 3 project managers in each class whose job it was to manage groups and help me design the overall system pieces, like where would we house the system and what the process would be for submitting evidence and issuing badges. Each class also had 8-9 groups of 3-4 students, with a group leader. The group leader was the main contact to the project managers and the project managers were the main contact to me. I only worked with 9 students total, the project managers, and only jumped into working with a group if all other attempts by the students to work out conflict failed. This system worked well, allowed me time to get into group's work and give feedback and train project managers on how to manage groups and run meetings to check in with work progress and group dynamics.

Project Manager Running Group Check-up Meeting

Guidelines for Groups, List Generated by Students

During this 5 week unit, 8th graders were engaged all the way through the last week of school. We had amazing conversations about how to write instructions and create tutorials for the specific audiences of 6th, 7th, or 8th graders. Students deepened their understanding of using information and images ethically and steered clear of copyright or trademark infringement. They also demonstrated their complete understanding of basic tech content. But the best part of all....they took pride in their work and completely exceeded my expectations! 

Students Engaged in Designing Badges

I have a little bit of work to do to string together all the different pieces of our system, but they created outstanding resources for our 6-8th graders to independently learn and earn badges that will demonstrate their basic tech knowledge. This system will also help me pinpoint who knows what and allow me to better plan learning experiences and access tech skills, encourage students to become the teacher, and eventually turn over running the system to a team of students. My 8th graders successfully created 23 badges, each with 4-5 microbadges, and a variety of learning resources to help the earner learn. Here is just a small sample of what was created.

I know some of my colleagues thought I was nuts to tackle such a large scale project with 90 8th graders at the end of the school year, but this amazing work came about through the power of PBL. I'm inspired by the work my students did and look forward to implementing our new digital badge system in August.

Not Your Mama's Computer Class

Technology class is not about the technology.

Shocking that a technology teacher is saying this? Maybe, but stop for a moment and think how technology is used in the world around us. How many people stop to learn the tech before they use it? Instead they use the tech in a specific context, thus learning how to use the tech as they use it in a meaningful, purposeful way.

This week I joined the #connectedTL, connected teacher leaders, Voxer chat as they discussed "To Lab or Not to Lab" in terms of the relevancy of the traditional computer lab classroom in schools. I currently teach in a traditional computer lab classroom, the one with rows and rows of computers on tables, but what happens in my classroom is no where near what happens in a traditional computer lab.

I view my roll as the technology teacher like an octopus, reaching my arms into every content, finding ways to incorporate all subject areas into my classroom, so we have meaningful and purposeful ways to use our technology. I very rarely teach the tech tool, but I do have my students play and explore with it when we get started with a project, so they have a sense of how to use the tech. Then, it becomes all about the content and how we can use the tech to create something about or with our content. This leads to cross-curricular projects and stand alone technology class projects.

Students working on creating a better backpack during a design thinking unit.

             

Students filming a dark voyeur shot for one of their filming projects.

   

Working with my colleagues this year has helped me sure up my vision that my technology classroom is a place for making, designing, and problem solving as we become tech savvy. As my colleagues use more and more tech in their content area classrooms, the more my class can become the space where we take creating with tech to new levels and perhaps get into truly innovating. This will also lead to more complex and exciting cross-curricular projects as long as I continue to view myself as the octopus, reaching my arms into every content. That is the way the "computer lab" should be, certainly not your mama's computer class.

Talk, Don't Block

"How do you make sure that all of your students are using your class set of computers appropriately? I don't know that I could trust my students to do that!" 

The short answer?  We constantly have conversations about appropriate use.

This was not always the case. In my former position, I was in a district that made it difficult to have these important conversations in a real context. I taught digital citizenship lessons, discussing appropriate use of technology, but it didn't have as much meaning as it could have. 

Technologies like the chat feature in Google Apps, Thinglink, YouTube, they were all blocked. I get it. It's easy. If students are blocked from using technology that they can potentially use inappropriately, then there will be no instances of students using the technology inappropriately. AT SCHOOL.

The reality is that students are using these same technologies at home, outside of the school environment. When will students learn how to appropriately use these tools? From parents, is the hope. But when we, educators, are charged with teaching children the skills needed to live in our ever changing society, we can't hope someone else is doing the teaching.

When technologies are opened for students, within the parameters of laws, students and teachers can learn appropriate use through the actual use of the technologies. In my first 10 weeks of school in my new position, where the very same technologies are open, my students and I have had such rich conversation about appropriate use.

When students downloaded current Top 40 music from YouTube for a class project, it gave me the perfect opportunity to discuss copyright and ethical use of media. We discussed how we could purchase the same music in iTunes, but if we wanted to use it in published projects we would have to get permission. We also talked about why a song you would have to purchase, is on YouTube for free. And, just because there is a website that helps you convert YouTube URLs into downloadable files, doesn't necessarily mean it is legal.  Do you realize the learning that happened for my students because it was within a real context?

Currently, I have students who are using the chat feature in Google Apps to chat with students in other classes. This can be considered off task behavior of both students. Some may say to turn that feature off, but I love using that feature when working with students in their Google Apps. The answer? Talk about how when they are chatting with students from other classes, it is an inappropriate use of the tool. Explain why they should use it appropriately. This sets the expectation and solidifies the learning, which is how I have handled this situation.

We need to talk, not block. Give students real contexts for learning appropriate use of technology.

Give Students a Voice...Literally

I am so thrilled to be in a new teaching position, at a new school, in a new district, with a new philosophy. It has afforded me the autonomy to design learning experiences for my students that empower them to tell their stories. I have also had the pleasure of designing these experiences with my new colleagues.

Imagine 3 teachers (me - the tech teacher, the language arts teacher and the art teacher) sitting around a table waiting for a staff meeting to start in early August.
     "So in October I usually do an immigration writing project that coincides with the Dias de los Muertos art unit in the art class," says Cary, the language arts teacher, "but I want to change my project up this year to teach my kids how to write a biographical narrative using an interview as the planning piece. Would you be willing---"
      "Could we podcast the narratives!" I almost scream out excitedly.
      "That would be totally cool," Cary agrees.

Four weeks ago my 7th graders began their podcast project that coincided with creating Dias de los Muertos skull art, alters, etc. and writing biographical narratives and poems about family members in language arts. Students chose which family member they wanted to podcast about and created a list of interview questions in language arts. At the same time we started a genre study on podcasting in my technology class. We listened to podcasts from Storycorp and Radiolab and analyzed them for audience, purpose, content, context, and structure using this form. We especially paid close attention to structure because we needed ideas for how to structure our own podcasts. We also used these KWHLAQ charts (idea from Silvia Tolisano) to keep track of our learning. Next we explored Garageband for a few days to learn how to import audio tracks, create original music, and edit tracks. We then launched into putting together our podcasts about our family members, following these instructions.

I am so excited to share some of my students' work. Through the course of designing a learning experience that encompassed multiple disciplines and the learning of new tech tools, students were given a voice to share their stories. It is through their storytelling that you learn about who they are and where they come from. These podcasts will now be shared via QR codes within the Dias de los Muertos Art Exhibit in our multipurpose room in a few weeks. 

This project made me laugh, cry, and allowed me to get some perspective on my students and their families. Not only did my students learn some valuable academic lessons, I learned about my students. I call that a win-win!

Literally giving my students a voice in this project allowed them to learn on so many levels, gave their families a role in the learning, and gave the opportunity to create a keep sake to cherish for a very long time. 

With a Task, They Will Discover

Fourth period. Each student on a chromebook. Round 3 of introducing students to the KidBlog website. Tired of talking.

Flickr Image Credit

When all of the sudden it dawns on me, "Why am I the one stepping students through each step? I bet if I give them a small task, they will discover how to maneuver the site, teach each other, and do it faster than if I were talking them through it." Thus the release of responsibility began.

Introducing students to our blogging site for creating our genius hour reflection blogs (another post coming soon) was the perfect opportunity to let go of some control. As long as the task was manageable and I encouraged students to talk with each other, in some classes I actually had to remind them several times, students would be able to learn on their own. And, this would deepen their understanding in such a way that they would be less likely to forget how to maneauver the site.

Here was the task(s):

1. Change your display name to your first name only
2. Title your blog
3. Change your avatar
4. Post a new post titled "Test" with the text "How are you?"
5. Visit the class blog
6. Comment on one of your peer's post with the text "Great"
7. Think about why we would use tags on our posts

Needless to say my students handled it wonderfully. Once they started to talk with each other, they started flying

through the tasks. Once their time limit was up, I asked volunteers to verbally step us through the tasks so if anyone had not completed them, they would have an opportunity. This resulted in students who were proud of themselves, a renewed sense of our classroom community, and a break for me.

The point is...setting students up with a task that forces them to discover the learning will give students the opportunity to think critically and work together. I need to do this more often with tech and you should try it to.

The Thing About Tech

I recently went to Playdate San Jose in my attempts to find time to learn new technology. This was a day similar to the edcamp model I have blogged about before here and here. A day where I got to decide which app, tool, or website I wished to know more about and have time to discover. Not only did I walk away with an even more increased desire to find time to play with tech, I realized the thing about tech is...

1. There are lots of options. - This can be overwhelming and sometimes it requires you to focus on just one or two new pieces of tech to learn. 
2. You shouldn't get stuck in a tech rut. - What works best for you at one time in your tech lifetime may not be the best at another time. I got into a discussion with someone in one of my sessions about being open to trying new apps, not getting stuck in the "I like this because I've always used it" rut. This holds true for life in general, but I think this is most important with tech. With the ever expansion and retooling of tech, it is imperative that you be willing to try a new tool, app, or website.
3. You need to give yourself time to play. - To truly know whether or not tech is going to suit your purpose or need, you need to give it a chance. I'm not saying that you need to learn all the ins and outs, but at least give the tech a good test run before you decide it's not for you. 
4. Don't be afraid to try. - You cannot truly know what tech is all about unless you jump in and try. In all my years of hitting buttons and clicking here and there, I have never, I repeat, I have never broken anything. Ok, maybe I accidentally deleted some files, but I was able to get them back. The point is we need to act like our students in this regard and just click all over the place. Be fearless in your play!
5. Don't use tech just because it is there. - The use of tech should be purposeful. Have I used tech before because it was fun? Absolutely. But, the majority of my use serves a purpose. I think about my lesson objectives first, then about how tech can help in accessing, producing, and assessing those objectives. I think of the SAMR Model. Tech should not drive what you do, your lesson objectives should and there are times that pencil and paper are best. Using tech should take careful thought.

When all was said and done, I was exhausted and my head was full of ideas. I love that tech is ever changing and the fact that I can continue to learn it everyday keeps my brain fresh and my ideas current. I look forward to the next Playdate.