Sara Gallagher's Blog

  TT2311:  Interactive Learning Objects & More Wisc-Online Wisc-Online  has a digital library of high-quality learning objects and materials that are free to educators and learners.   The site has games, courses (just a few), and an image library.  Their materials have a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License which makes it very easy for educators to use and adapt.   As a busy professional, I appreciate being able to take advantage of Creative Commons licensed material.  There isn't a need for me to create any learning materials when high-quality ones are available to me.  Pedagogically, these types of resources help me address the student's needs.  If I have a student who is struggling in an area that I may be material I don't cover directly in a course, I could use a learning object to supplement my materials. 

 TT2311: Check out my Diigo account Here's a link to my Diigo account . Honestly, I'm not liking the Diigo account.  It may be a tool that grows on me later. I appreciate the premise that it allows for social bookmarking and annotations that can be shared with others. I can see the academic and professional advantages. It's important for future teachers to maintain industry currency in their content area and teaching practices.  Using Diigo or a similar tool, allows them to organize their resources and research in one place.  

  TT2311: Ready-Made Content Open Educational Resources Open educational resources (OER) are teaching and learning materials that are licensed in the public domain or Creative Commons licensing that allows people to use the work without contacting the creator. Open Professionals Education Network (OPEN) College Open Textbooks MERLOT II 20 OER Sites every K-12 educator should know I absolutely love open educational resources!  I find it an excellent opportunity to provide students high-quality educational resources and decrease equity gaps by providing students access to their educational materials on day one of the course.  The use of OER allows my pedagogy to be more equitable and inclusive. I can select materials specifically for my students.  I can make sure to select images, readings, and examples that reflect my students.

  TT2311:  Synchronous Communication Web Conferencing Tools There are a variety of synchronous communication tools.  Here are a few resources to help you decide which one is right for you. Top 11 Best Video Conferencing Software Tools Comparison 2022 The 7 Best Video Conferencing Software Platforms for 2023 I have used multiple web conferencing tools.  Typically, I don't have an option on which tool I use.  As a whole, I currently use Zoom the most.  The tool allows me to meet with students synchronously using video, audio, and text via chat. It supports an interactive learning environment. Furthermore, it provides an opportunity for students to connect with each other and the instructor.  They can even collaborate on group work and projects.  Furthermore, it provides me an opportunity to bring in a guest speaker.      

TT2311:  Asynchronous Tools Polling & Survey Tools There are a variety of polling tools that can be used for asynchronous communication.  There are free tools (Premium options are at a cost) and ones that have a cost.  I have used the following at one time or another: Poll Everywhere Google Forms Survey Monkey Mentimeter Kahoot Each tool is a little different and the complexity can vary depending on the topic and your skill level. Polling can support pedagogy in a variety of ways.  Polls can be used before a lesson to determine the student's current knowledge, during the lesson to clarify any gaps, as well as post to determine how much they have learned.  Specifically, I like to use word clouds before beginning a lesson to gauge how learners connect to a topic.  For instance, I would use a prompt, What word comes to mind when you think about diversity in the classroom?   CC VY SA 4.0 International Resource Developing Poll Questions to Engage ...

TT2311:  Social Networking & Media Twitter Sara's Twitter link Since 2013, I have only Tweeted just over 400 times.   Typically, I consume the information and don't Tweet often but I retweet and like. I have also used it during conferences. Honestly, I am not a big fan, but I always want to support the presenters.   I haven't used it for instructional purposes in my classroom. I could see Twitter being an opportunity for courses that are incorporating real word scenarios. It exposes students to different perspectives, experiences, and resources. Also, it provides an opportunity to communicate with professionals that might not typically exist for students. If I chose to use Twitter, I would want to ensure I included information about digital literacy. Perhaps, partner with someone from the library before incorporating Twitter or another social media platform. During this course, I retweeted two posts. One was in celebration of a colleague who was recognized f...