Meg+Nicholson's+Cool+Tools+Review+and+Application+Plan


 * Cool Tools for Learning: Reviews**


 * Monday, July 13, 2009**

__**Thinkquest**__ The first cool tools session that I attended was sponsored by [|Thinkquest] and was facilitated by Denise Hobbs of the Oracle Education Foundation. Although I have been working in the North Carolina public school setting for the past eight years, I was not familiar with the specifics of thinkquest. This program appears to incorporate numerous instructional tools to support student relevancy and learning in positive ways: critical thinking skills, creativity, teamwork skills, and cross cultural understanding. Additionally, this "cool tool" includes over 7000 student generated websites that have been created for other students, which I know will inspire and motivate my students! Finally, the collaborative element of this program is especially appealing because I have seen first hand how collaboration significantly enhances student learning.

Although this cool tools session was a positive one, I would have liked the opportunity to engage in more collaborative and "hands on" learning. I'm excited about the possibilities of this program; however, I did not feel that this session offered as much applicable information as some of the other sessions.


 * Tuesday, July 14, 2009**

__**Second Life**__ The second cool tools session that I chose to attend was the Second Life session that was facilitated by Dr. Cris Crissmant. I chose this session because I was intrigued by the idea of our students participating in a virtual world that enhances student learning by allowing students to collaborate with not only their classmates but people around the world. Additionally, this tool is definitely "cool," and I know that my students will be excited about the possibilities of participating in a virtual classroom. Dr. Crissmant identified multiple ways that this tool can be used in classroom instruction: virtual book clubs, mathematical applications, and visiting author studies. This is certainly a provocative tool and is full of possibilities; however, my greatest concern is the complexity of the program and possible difficulties utilizing it.

Unfortunately, this session did not allow for any collaboration or hands on experience with the Second Life program. Although Dr. Crissmant easily manipulated the movements of the alvatars, my understanding is that it does take quite some time to become proficient moving throughout the Second Life world. Finally, I'm not sure about the practicality of this program in a secondary classroom-yet. There are still some safety "kinks" that need to be addressed as students could end up in a world that is not appropriate or is even somewhat dangerous.

__**Nintendo Wii**__ The third cool tools session that I chose to attend was the Nintendo Wii session that was facilitated by Dr. Angela Wiseman of North Carolina State University. I chose this session because I loved the idea of incorporating gaming into classroom instruction. I have seen how excited and engaged my students are when using Wii, and I wanted to discover additional ways of marrying fun and learning!

Dr. Wiseman posited multiple ideas about the implementation of wii in the classroom, yet she did not presume to have all of the answers about the practical uses of this tool within classroom instruction. This session generated many provocative questions and piqued my interest in the role of gaming in the classroom. Dr. Wiseman seemed to be particularly interested in the gender gap and how tools like Wii can help close this gap. First, I noticed that no matter how many times a character "dies," the players do not give up. They do not personalize this loss but instead just keep trying until they are able to overcome the obstacle before them. Wow! It is unfortunate, but students often feel as if they have failed if they don't immediately understand and master a skill; I find this particularly true with my male students. Second, it quickly became clear to both the players and the observers that if you continue to make the same choices, you will often achieve the same results; therefore, if you don't like the results, try something different! This is such a basic idea, yet it is surprising how many times students continue the same behaviors while expecting different results.

As Dr. Wiseman noted, there are still many questions to be answered about the use of Wii within the classroom, but this was a provocative session because it reinforced the need for teachers to think outside of the traditional "box" and to look for ways to utilize skills and tools that students already possess.


 * Wednesday, July 15, 2009**

__**ACR****E****: Assessment Pilot Using Moodle**__ The fourth cool tool session that I selected was ACRE: Assessment Pilot Using Moodle. This session was facilitated by Dr.Cindy Williamson, who is the Curriculum, Instruction, and Technology Director for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction. Although this session allowed for limited interaction, it was an informative one that addressed current issues in the North Carolina Education system: essential standards, improved assessments, and new accountability systems. My school and department had the opportunity to participate in an essential standards review for English 10; therefore, I was familiar with the newly honed "essential standards." These standards seem to be more accessible and less ambiguous than the current standard course of study. Although I am encouraged by the Department of Public Instruction's recognition of the need for change in the assessment process, I am concerned about how these new assessments will widen the every deepening digital divide. As a teacher leader, however, I know that the information gained through this session will help reinforce the need for change within my own school and will offer tangible support for these changes.

__**Digital Video as Process and Product**__ The fifth cool tool session that I selected was Digital Video as Process and Product and was facilitated by Dr. Carol Pope of North Carolina State University. I chose this session because of Dr. Pope's use of digital video to reinforce the concept of Writing to Learn or Writing Across the Curriculum. Dr. Pope utilizes flip cameras as a tool for students to organize, synthesize, evaluate, and collaborate within the Language Arts Classroom. Through the projects that Dr. Pope shared, it is clear that students quickly begin to understand the significance of not only creating but also editing. Editing is crucial to mastery, yet students often forget this process. The flip camera offers a fun way for students to learn the role of editing, and then this role/skill can be transferred to the writing process. Finally, this idea of digital video as process and product allows for different learning styles and multiple intelligences while also providing multiple ways of assessing growth and development.


 * APPLICATION PLAN**