For this project I started out using the CPS software, but I was not able to complete the project. I never determined what the problem was, but I kept getting an error that there were no devices selected, so maybe I need the actual clickers? I switched to Google forms and the project went together much more easily.
Click here to see the Google Form
I didn’t experiment too much with the different types of forms. I used the multiple choice questions exclusively, but I think doing a writing or the other types of questions would pose no added difficulty. One problem I did have: When I moved the project over from CPS I had images of Romantic and Enlightenment art that would have been fun to include. In my cursory search I was not able to import the images and use them in the pre-assessment.
I will include big-picture ideas in the classroom, and one subject I have been reading about a lot lately is the difference between the Enlightenment and Romantic philosophies. The philosophies can be seen in their present-day manifestations in a number of ways; one would be the difference between one who looks to religion and faith for guidance (Romantic) versus one who looks to science for the same understanding Enlightenment). Each viewpoint has held sway during different times, but there have always (going back to antiquity) been those who have bucked the dominant views of the time and held personal visions of the nature of reality.
My Google form is a pre-assessment that tests the students’ knowledge of Romantic and Enlightenment ideas. I really like how easy it was to work in Google forms. I want to make sure that they do the assessment in class, so there is no temptation to cheat. In this sense, it seems that the clickers and CPS software might be the way to go.
For the pre-assessment I have 8 responses that are conveniently graphed. Below are some sample responses
Here is a lecture by philosopher Isaiah Berlin on the roots of Romanticism
Here is a Wiki site for information on the counter-enlightenment that followed the Romantic era
Here is a link to a website that focuses on Romantic poetry
For the ISTE articles I first chose an article titled “Retool Your School, The Educator’s Guide to Google’s Free Power Apps.” by James Lerman and Ronique Hicks.
This article covered the many ways Google’s free tools can be used in today’s classrooms. After the problems I encountered using the CPS software it was nice to switch over to Google and know that the project could be completed quickly and easily. The more I use Google’s tools, the more impressed I am with them. An entire classroom can be organized around Google’s free tools. This would save the time it would take students to download other applications. It would all be in Google, which is a big time saver.
For the second article I read a piece titled “Differentiating Instruction with Technology in the Middle School Classrooms” by Grace E Smith and Stephanie Throne. The authors do a nice job of explaining how technology can differentiate instruction in middle school. They also cover a lot of the social and emotional qualities of “tweens” and how technology can best be used to serve the middle school aged students.