Sample of Digital Tools in College Assignment: Padlet Internet Artifact (DRAFT)

GNED 1512 – Assignment 2 – Padlet Wall

***DRAFT***

Step 1:  decide if you're working alone or in a group.

This assignment may be completed by an individual or as a group of 2-4 students – your choice.  If you choose to work in a group you will all earn the same grade (there is no peer evaluation) – so make your choice wisely.

Step 2:  reserve a topic. 

Here’s a list of possible topics to help you get some ideas, but you can choose any topic within the course content.  If you're not sure about your topic, email your professor to get approval.

• Event (eg:  TAM 2014/2015)
• Person (eg:  James Randi)
• Place (eg:  Cassadaga)
• Pseudoscience topic (eg:  Haunted Houses)
• Belief (eg:  Psychology of Belief)
• Research (eg:  Research Studies about Near-Death Experiences)
• Experiments (eg:  scientific tests of Pseudoscience)
• Organization (eg:  JREF)
• Pseudoscience Red Flags (eg:  Appeal to Authority)
• Dangers of Pseudoscience (eg:  medical, financial)
• Historical Pseudoscience (eg: things we now know are Pseudoscience)

Screenshot of course topics:

Reserve your topic in DC Connect discussions:  Assignment 2 TOPIC reservations.  There are NO REPEATS; topic reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.  If you're working in a group, only one student needs to reserve the topic for the group.  Once a topic is reserved in DC Connect discussions, no one else can use that topic, so YOU MUST read the other posts to check what’s already reserved.

Step 3:  learn how to use Padlet.

First watch this video to learn how to use Padlet (9:09):

View sample walls on the Padlet Gallery. 

Go to Padlet and create an account (to save your “wall”).  NOTE:  your wall will be shared on a course wall (accessible to all students). 

Step 4:  create the Padlet wall.

Your Padlet wall is an Internet artifact of your research on your topic.  Research your topic and include the following 11 posts on your Padlet wall:

• Post #1:  a suitable title for the wall and your full name (if you’re working in a group include all member names).

• Posts #2-10:  post 3 videos, 3 websites, and 3 images.  

Using Google or other Internet search techniques, look for 3 videos, 3 websites, and 3 images, and post these on your Padlet wall.  

Tip:  look for content that has some depth so you can analyze and write about it (keep reading!).

For each of your posts #2-10 write a brief paragraph (3-6 sentences).  Do not copy from a website, you must write your own paragraph!

The first sentence should describe the post (brief overview).  Then write 2-5 sentences analyzing your post through application of critical thinking and skepticism.  Your analysis sentences should include:

• identification and description of connections to course learning/terminology  - look for red flags, reasons for belief, other course learning/terminology;
• identification and description of limitations and flaws - look for mistakes, missing/incomplete evidence, fake evidence, assumptions, biases, emotions, credentials of the source, motivation of the source ($).

Helpful documents:  Week 2 Critical Thinking and Skepticism (PowerPoint file).pptx and Reasons for Belief and Red Flags Summary Page.docx.

Tip:  some posts have several course connections, limitations and flaws, while other posts have very limited course connections, limitations and flaws.  Therefore some paragraphs will be shorter than others, depending on the depth of the post and the learning connections you identify.

• Post #11:  post a Word document on your wall that answers the following reflective discussion questions:

1. What did you learn about the topic that most surprised you?
2. Provide a real-life example of how this topic is relevant or interesting for you.
3. Which research did you find most interesting?  Why?
4. What are you most likely to remember from this research?

Tip:  you will be graded on the overall organization and design of the Padlet wall so make sure your wall looks good, is easy to read, follows a logical order, and flows well.  Try looking at the Padlet Gallery to get some ideas.  Spend some time adding to the visual appearance (background, colours, drag to resize and reposition your posts).

Marking Scheme:

• Completion of all 12 content items:  20 marks
• Quality of content items and descriptive paragraphs:  30 marks
• Analysis (connections to course learning):  30 marks
• Organization and design of wall:  10 marks
• Mechanics of writing:  10 marks

Step 5:  submit your assignment in dropbox AND on the Padlet wall.

Submit to the dropbox for Assignment 2:  type a message in dropbox that includes a hyperlink to your Padlet wall, then attach the Word document that contains your reflective responses.  If you worked in a group choose one person to submit to dropbox, and make sure the dropbox message also includes all the group member names.

Post a link to your Padlet wall on the class wall at this link:  Winter 2016 GNED 1512 Course Padlet Wall.

Sample of Digital Tools in College Assignment: Wikiography Assignment (DRAFT)

GNED 1515 – Assignment 3 – Wikiography

***DRAFT***

This assignment may be completed by an individual or as a group of 2-4 students – your choice.

Assignment 3 is due to DC Connect Dropbox by 11 pm on Sunday, March 30.

Step 1:  Join the Wiki

·         You will be sent a link to your preferred email address inviting you to join a new Wiki created for this course.  If you didn’t receive the email invite, request it by emailing your teacher.

·         In the email invite click accept to join the wiki:  watch this video on How To Join a Wiki in Wikispaces (2:01) and follow the instructions.

·         This collaborative wiki will be publicly available.

Step 2:  Select and Reserve a Topic

·         Topic reservations are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

·         Go to the wiki to view available topics (there’s over 60 topics so far).  You will see that each topic has two spaces for reservations – once both reservations are filled, that topic is no longer available for others. 

·         If you have an idea for a topic that is not on the list, email your teacher to make a request.

·         Watch this video How to Reserve a Topic in Wikispaces (2:15) and follow the instructions to reserve your topic.

·         Your topic reservation is due by 11 pm on Sunday, March 16.

Pictured:  Partial List of Available Topics

Step 3:  Research and Add Wiki Contribution Content

·         Once you’ve reserved your topic, your teacher will create a wiki page for you to submit content.  Your wiki page will have specific sections with headings and questions.

Pictured:  Sample Student Wiki Page showing section headings and questions

·         If there are two reservations for your topic, there will be two separate wiki pages (one for you, and one for another student).  Make sure that your wiki page has different content than the other student submission for your topic (this is also first-come, first-serve).

·         Add content to complete your wiki page:

o   All research should be easy-to-read, clearly organized, and detailed.

o   Each content item should be introduced with an explanatory sentence describing the content.

o   Include references to course content and terminology.

o   Use complete sentences – spelling and grammar will be marked.

o   Include 3 videos.

o   Include 3 websites.

o   Include 3 images (make sure you cite your sources for these images).

o   Under the Critical Thinking and Skepticism section of your wiki page, include your own unique insights about how your topic research relates to critical thinking and skepticism.  For example, if your topic is Astrology, you could upload a video that debunks Astrology and then state specifically how critical thinking and skepticism are apparent in the video.  Here’s another example:  for the topic Dangers of Pseudoscience, you could upload a website with an example of a danger, and then state specifically how critical thinking and skepticism are absent.

o   Under the Future Possibilities section of your wiki page, include your own unique insights about possibilities for the future within your topic area.  For example, you could include insights about things like research ideas to prove or disprove a pseudoscience, projects that could advance our knowledge, or how we could advance education on pseudoscience or critical thinking.  These insights should be related to your topic.

o   Under the Research Reflections section of your wiki page, answer these questions:

§  What did you learn about the topic that most surprised you?

§  Provide a real-life example of how this topic is relevant or interesting for you.

§  Which research did you find most interesting?  Why?

§  What are you most likely to remember from this research?

o   Include your sources in full (include URL links wherever possible, and cite other types of resources).

You will be marked for completing the required instructions above. Your grade will also include marks for:

• The overall organization – make sure it’s easy to read, follows a logical order, and flows well.
• The overall design – make sure it’s appealing for the reader (looks good), spend some time resizing content and adding to the visual appearance.
• Include sources in full. The mechanics of your writing will be assessed (spelling, grammar, writing errors).
• The quality of your content, comments, descriptions, and responses will be assessed:

o For every item you add create your own summary comments to introduce the item and describe how it’s relevant and significant.

o Include multiple references to course content/terminology.

o Clearly state your own unique insights about how you applied critical thinking and skepticism.

o Include insights about any limitations/flaws and suggest possible improvements/future research.

Watch this video on How to Add Content to a Page in Wikispaces (8:53) to learn how to add different types of content (video links, website links, images, text).  Also watch this video on How to Backup my Wiki Work to Microsoft Word (2:06), and be sure to make regular backups so you don’t lose any of your work.

Step 4 – Create your Wikiography and Submit

·         Create a duplicate copy of your wiki page in Microsoft Word by following the instructions in this video How to Backup my Wiki Work to Microsoft Word (2:06).  This backup will be your Wikiography file.

·         Submit your Wikiography in DC Connect in Dropbox.  If you haven’t used Dropbox before, watch this video on How to Use Dropbox in DC Connect (1:41) and another video on How to Use DC Connect (4:58) - note dropbox is covered from 2:45-3:57.

Here’s the “How To” videos again:

·         How To Join a Wiki in Wikispaces (2:01)

·         How to Reserve a Topic in Wikispaces (2:15)

·         How to Add Content to a Page in Wikispaces (8:53)

·         How to Backup my Wiki Work to Microsoft Word (2:06)

·         How to Use Dropbox in DC Connect (1:41) and another video on How to Use DC Connect (4:58) - note dropbox is covered from 2:45-3:57

Week 1 EDUC5101G Post - Introductory First Blog

I am working on my 7th and 8th courses in the MEd program this term.  I'm finishing the program this year (maybe even this spring).  

I have always lived in Oshawa, and I've only worked at Durham College - I'm in my 25th academic year (8 years in support staff followed by 17 years teaching full-time).  I earned my BA at York University in Administrative Studies (similar to a Business or Commerce program).  I've also co-authored 3 textbooks and 2 workbooks for Nelson Publishing in the Office Administration discipline.  I'm a lifer in the education business for sure!

For the last two years I've been teaching online, at Durham College this means fully asynchronous.  I've been teaching two courses I developed from the ground up:  Paranormal and Pseudoscience, and World Mysteries.  The courses have a strong underlying theme:  critical thinking, an essential employability skill our employers value highly, and one that many of our students need to improve.

Students select their General Education electives from a pool of around 70 courses (every full-time student is required to take Gen Ed).  My courses "sell out" - I hook them with the cool content (who isn't interested in near-death experiences, ghosts, ESP, and the like)...and then I teach them science stuff, methodology, evidence evaluation, and how to apply critical thinking to topics they're totally engaged in.  I've gotta be honest, I LOVE my job.

Developing courses online at Durham College has been a huge challenge, at the same time it's been really interesting.  My MEd courses at UOIT have helped me a lot, in a practical way:  learning cool digital tools and using them right away in my courses; developing content that is entirely UDL for our students; and being an online student has taught me what works and what doesn't (from a student perspective).  EDUC5101G will no doubt give me lots of new ideas to incorporate.

If you're interested, here's a Snag It screencast video about how my Paranormal and Pseudoscience course works (kind of like a course commercial).  

On a personal note, my husband Mark manages to put up with me, and we have two kids, Nick (16) and Rylee (13), and two dogs.  Here's a couple pictures :)

I chose Blogger because I've used it in the past, and I like the functionality.

I'm looking forward to this course, and getting to know each of you!

Contact me...

michelle.rivers@durhamcollege.ca

Twitter:@profmichrivers