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11-24 Peer Review & Bitmoji Classroom


1. House Keeping

- Check Grades: I posted grades on eLC. Please check your grades and let me know if there are mistakes. If you have updated a previous project but don't see your grade updated, please notify me too.

- Thanksgiving Break: There are no assignments due during the holiday. I want you to truly enjoy the time celebrating with your family.

- Change of Plans: The originally planned last project of this course was Computational Thinking Project, which should fun but challenging to complete individually. That's why it was designed as a group project. However, the downside is that it is not that convenient to collaborate because of the limitations of platforms we might use. I know it's more difficult for you to schedule time to collaborate towards the end of the semester. So, I gave up this project and borrowed a project -- Bitmoji Classroom (an individual project) -- from another teacher. We'll talk about this in a little bit.



2. Peer Review for Online Collaboration Guidebook

Before we do peer review, I would like to address a few common issues:

  • The guidebook is about ONLINE collaboration, which means you should focus on online environments. Although many facilitating tools and activity procedures might be the same as in face-to-face classes, you still need to make it explicit this is about online collaboration.

  • This is especially true for the sample activity, because you need to specify how you make that type of collaboration happen online. You also need to consider your teaching content and the student characteristics.

  • For the "Facilitating Tools" page, You can add images anywhere you want and in the format that fits your page. You don't have to use the frames I added there.

  • Try to find a few alternative tools to the most commonly used ones such as Google Docs and Kahoot. These are great tools and no problem including them. But we want people to learn something new from this guidebook as well.

Peer review: we'll do it between groups and between classes this time. When you provide feedback, please think about: what do you like about their pages? What are some aspects that need improvement? What kind of suggestions do you have?

  • Group 1: give feedback to Group 2 in Class A & Group 1 in Class B.

  • Group 2: give feedback to Group 3 in Class A & Group 2 in Class B.

  • Group 3: give feedback to Group 4 in Class A & Group 3 in Class B.

  • Group 4: give feedback to Group 5 in Class A & Group 4 in Class B.

  • Group 5: give feedback to Group 1 in Class A & Group 5 in Class B.

  • Online Collaboration Guidebook by Class A

  • Online Collaboration Guidebook by Class B



3. Bitmoji Classroom Project (individual project)

What is a bitmoji classroom?

Bitmoji classroom has become popular during the pandemic when classes went virtual. Teachers try to create virtual classroom that somehow resembles a tangible classroom to engage their students. In a nutshell, bitmoji classroom are virtual classroom setups built in Google Slides or Powerpoint using multimedia elements. You'll read more to know more details on your own (See Homework).

Brainstorming bitmoji

For now, let's switch to breakout rooms to brainstorm individual lists that reflect on what you’ve learned this semester (and that will be used for your bitmoji classroom). This list should include:

  • information from readings (meaningful learning, UDL, ISTE standards, etc.)

  • tools

  • projects

  • general knowledge about teaching and learning

  • technology’s role in teaching and learning

Take the list you created and start thinking about what type of classroom you would create based on what you’ve learned, jot down some ideas of the types of activities students would do, tools you would use, etc. Try to imagine yourself in that classroom. You'll build your own bitmoji classroom starting from next week.

Build your own bitmoji classroom

Your Bitmoji classroom is made up of two parts (both go on your "Bitmoji Classroom" page in your portfolio) and it’s due Tuesday, Dec 8th before class:

  1. Detailed classroom layout in Google Slides – inserted onto your "Bitmoji Classroom" webpage. The layout should show at least one side of the classroom with furniture, materials, etc. that link to additional information of what is happening in your classroom.

  2. 3-5 paragraph description of what your classroom is like. The description should not only describe/explain the image you created, it should also demonstrate an understanding of the concepts addressed in our course related to meaningful learning with technology, universal design for learning, and technology’s role in teaching and learning. This description can be written in any one of the following ways:

    1. simple, detailed description

    2. letter to parents or students to introduce them to your classroom

    3. a “day in the life” description from the teacher’s perspective

    4. any other format that makes the most sense to you (you could record audio and embed it in your google slide if you prefer to narrate your description)

Resources:



HOMEWORK (All due before class next Tuesday, Dec 1st)

2. Finalize your pages on the Online Collaboration Guidebook. And then insert it to your portfolio page "Collaboration Guidebook".

3. Get prepared for the Bitmoji Classroom Project:

  • Read this short article or this short article (or both!) about “bitmoji classrooms”.

  • View one of these 3 tutorials about designing bitmoji classrooms

    • Option 1 – about 9 minutes, very quick overview, assumes existing comfort level with working with images in Google slides

    • Option 2 – about 17 minutes, a good middle-of-the-road overview

    • Option 3 – 41 minutes (!) but a great overview if you really aren’t great at navigating menus on Google tools. You’ll learn a lot about working with images and all of the features available in Google slides



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