Welcome to the 21things for the 21st Century Educator
Orientation
This site and the activities were developed to help provide 21st century 'tools' from the web which can help educators meet the National Educational Standards for Educators (NET-S) which were developed by educators and other professionals from around the globe. Building educator skills will help students upgrade their skills as you increasingly model and integrate technology into the learning environment.
Pre-Assess Your Technology Proficiency
Get started by taking the 50 question Pre-Assessment of your technology proficiency. This survey asks questions about your knowledge of tools, technologies, and classroom applications.
As you begin moving through each "Thing", you will next be asked to Pre and Post- Assess your skills in that "Thing". These quick assessments are about 5 questions and will show your growth and learning. All assessments are based on Teacher Perceptions of their own skills and abilities.
As you begin moving through each "Thing", you will next be asked to Pre and Post- Assess your skills in that "Thing". These quick assessments are about 5 questions and will show your growth and learning. All assessments are based on Teacher Perceptions of their own skills and abilities.
Recommendations for success in taking this for credit
1. Screenshots: If you do not already know how to take a screenshot (capture the image on your computer or device screen), then take the time and practice it. The instructions are provided below. We also recommend you download and install Jing to your computer.
2. Pacing: Completing the 21 activities will take time, and practicing the skills and using them in your own setting, classroom or job will make the skill become both easier to do and add to your repertoire of skills. Many educators in Michigan (over 1500) have already completed this 'course.' Favorite advice is to spend some time each night and to set goals on your calendar to help keep you moving along within the number of weeks the program is offered.
3. Virtual Sessions and Recordings: Some of the instructors using these materials will provide Virtual Sessions online. This means you can attend, watch, and interact (ask questions, etc.) during the sessions from the comfort of your home or other locations. The sessions offered by the 'creative team' that developed this site are recorded during an 8 week period and posted on the Virtual Session Recordings page on this site. You are welcome to watch them. Adobe Connect is the software used for these sessions. To learn more about them and how to participate, click on the Virtual Sessions Page.
4. Online Presence -as part of your work for this course you will be creating an 'online presence.' In the 'thing' titled "Face of Your Classroom" (on the menu to the left) is where you will begin this process. We find it is helpful if you set up your blog, wiki, or 'online presence' and start using it right from the start. You will be creating a place you can post your work, screenshots, reflections, ideas, questions and more to your online presence as you work through each of the assignments. Some of you may be taking this course through a CMS (Course Management System) such as Moodle or Blackboard and have alternative directions from your instructor.
5. Google Account - you will be asked to create a Google account (if you do not already have one). The purpose of this is to have a 'working space' as well as great Web 2.0 tools and a space for 'collaboration.' You will go through these steps in the "Collaboration Tools" thing, but it helps to create an account right away. Check out the Finding a Username below.
6. Keeping track of your passwords as you go through this course - Click on this link to open a Google document with a table which has been started for you. You may want to download it as a document, or copy it and save it into your own Google account to use.
7. Contact information for my class and instructor. Please click on the Partner Agency page to locate your Agency Coordinator.
2. Pacing: Completing the 21 activities will take time, and practicing the skills and using them in your own setting, classroom or job will make the skill become both easier to do and add to your repertoire of skills. Many educators in Michigan (over 1500) have already completed this 'course.' Favorite advice is to spend some time each night and to set goals on your calendar to help keep you moving along within the number of weeks the program is offered.
3. Virtual Sessions and Recordings: Some of the instructors using these materials will provide Virtual Sessions online. This means you can attend, watch, and interact (ask questions, etc.) during the sessions from the comfort of your home or other locations. The sessions offered by the 'creative team' that developed this site are recorded during an 8 week period and posted on the Virtual Session Recordings page on this site. You are welcome to watch them. Adobe Connect is the software used for these sessions. To learn more about them and how to participate, click on the Virtual Sessions Page.
4. Online Presence -as part of your work for this course you will be creating an 'online presence.' In the 'thing' titled "Face of Your Classroom" (on the menu to the left) is where you will begin this process. We find it is helpful if you set up your blog, wiki, or 'online presence' and start using it right from the start. You will be creating a place you can post your work, screenshots, reflections, ideas, questions and more to your online presence as you work through each of the assignments. Some of you may be taking this course through a CMS (Course Management System) such as Moodle or Blackboard and have alternative directions from your instructor.
5. Google Account - you will be asked to create a Google account (if you do not already have one). The purpose of this is to have a 'working space' as well as great Web 2.0 tools and a space for 'collaboration.' You will go through these steps in the "Collaboration Tools" thing, but it helps to create an account right away. Check out the Finding a Username below.
6. Keeping track of your passwords as you go through this course - Click on this link to open a Google document with a table which has been started for you. You may want to download it as a document, or copy it and save it into your own Google account to use.
7. Contact information for my class and instructor. Please click on the Partner Agency page to locate your Agency Coordinator.
Screen Shots
To document your work for the digital portfolio, it will be important to know how to take a 'picture' of your computer screen, browser window, or application and then paste it into the portfolio. We have provided directions for both the
Mac and PC in a pdf document below.
1. Screen shot with a PC running the Windows operating system and the Apple Macintosh system - Download pdf document . You can watch the video below, showing how to do this with a PC.
2. On an iPad (press the powerbutton and home button at the same time - it will save in Photos)
3. Another option is to download a program called "Jing" by Techsmith for the Mac or Windows PC
Also, check out Take-A-Screenshot.
Mac and PC in a pdf document below.
1. Screen shot with a PC running the Windows operating system and the Apple Macintosh system - Download pdf document . You can watch the video below, showing how to do this with a PC.
2. On an iPad (press the powerbutton and home button at the same time - it will save in Photos)
3. Another option is to download a program called "Jing" by Techsmith for the Mac or Windows PC
Also, check out Take-A-Screenshot.
Jing for screen shots
Are there times you wish you could capture your computer screen to show others how to do something or provide more personalized feedback? “Show me” videos can be extremely helpful for learners, especially in this age of digital medium. You can capture your screen, capture a photo of something you want to annotate, or create a video of the steps your students need to follow easily with free software and make it available for them to see online. The maximum length of video you can make with this FREE program is 5 minutes. Jing does require that you download the software, which is why we provide directions above, as well as provide additional options in the thing titled, "Flipping the Classroom."
Finding a Username
With billions of people using the Internet, you will find that the user name you want to use may already be taken. You will need to be creative and create a user name that you will remember and be unique to you. You can check to see if your user name is still available by using namechk. This site searches a number of popular social networking and Web 2.0 sites If you want help generating a name you can use the username generator.
Virtual Class Sessions and Resources
The ISD/Agency Coordinators teach this course. Some provide their own personalized Virtual classroom sessions using Adobe Connect. The 21things4teachers project team from Ingham ISD, Macomb ISD, and Shiawassee RESD record their virtual sessions each semester and post them on the VR Virtual Sessions Recordings page on this site after the live session.
Contributing Project-based Student Activities
You are encouraged to visit the 21things4students.net site and look at the student activities/lessons on the different pages. One of the requirements in the portfolio will be for you to create your own project-based activities based on the tools you are learning on this site. Be sure to use the correct template. You will be asked to submit them FIRST to your agency coordinator along with your portfolio document. When approved, you are invited to contribute them to the lesson repository on the student site.
Classroom lessons
Below are two examples of classroom lessons from the Staying Organized Page on the "21things4students.net" site.
Student lesson
Please note: If you are creating a new student activity, these activities are to be written for the student as if you were giving them directions in a classroom setting. Avoid the use of I and directly address the student (you will...).
| Student lesson
Please leave the survey link empty in the lesson as we will create that after it is added to the lesson and activity repository.
|
How to edit the lessons on the 'student' site and modify them
We encourage you to use any of the student activities on the 21things4students site, and modify them to suit your own setting and classroom. We request you not remove the teacher name credited with the lesson, but to add your name to the box at the bottom.
You will need a Google docs account to access and edit these.
Step 1. Log into your Google docs account
Step 2. Open one of the lessons. (click either of the buttons above for diigo or delicious)
Step 3. Click on the File menu and select "Make a Copy..." Click OK
Step 4. Your document will now be titled "Copy of xxxx (name of the lesson).
Step 5. Click on the title and create a new name for your document
Step 5. Edit the lesson and save it, modifying the NETS-S and METS standards as appropriate.
Step 6. If you want to make it available for students to view, click the Share button (top right) and where it says "Who has access" you can click on the "Change link" to make it available to anyone "Public on the Web", or to just those you provide the link to.
Click this link for a more complete directions.
You will need a Google docs account to access and edit these.
Step 1. Log into your Google docs account
Step 2. Open one of the lessons. (click either of the buttons above for diigo or delicious)
Step 3. Click on the File menu and select "Make a Copy..." Click OK
Step 4. Your document will now be titled "Copy of xxxx (name of the lesson).
Step 5. Click on the title and create a new name for your document
Step 5. Edit the lesson and save it, modifying the NETS-S and METS standards as appropriate.
Step 6. If you want to make it available for students to view, click the Share button (top right) and where it says "Who has access" you can click on the "Change link" to make it available to anyone "Public on the Web", or to just those you provide the link to.
Click this link for a more complete directions.
21 Things for 21st Century Educators by CCRESA, IISD, MISD, SRESD is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Based on a work at 21things.weebly.com.
Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://21things4teachers.net/
Page updated August 17, 2011.
