School has Always Been a Game

I just finished watching this video from Dr. Chris Haskell from Boise State and 3D Game Lab. I would put the video here, but Blogger is coding it wrong and putting a different video in its place.

What I like about Haskell's brief talk is that he reminds us that school has always been a game, just not a game some students can win. Changing the game by providing choice and showing students how to master the learning requires rethinking how we do what we do. It reminds me of these talks by Rick Wormeli:

 I agree with what both men are saying. If we are after mastery, I don't see why products cannot be redone. In the classroom, I was a big proponent of redoing work for that reason. Adding in more choice in how the work is done can be frightening as we worry about standards that must be met, but in the end, if we have designed the learning experiences in a thoughtful way, all of this will be addressed.

As a parent, I squirm a little about some of this. I have no problem with my kids coming home with less work, and I'm glad I don't have to do a science fair project, as I already did those years ago. That said, I've had times when both kids really struggled with concepts and nothing was coming home that I could help with. The teachers refused to step in and help, and I watched both kids really deflate. If more happens at school, which I agree should be the case, then part of the paradigm shift has to also address parental support. What new questions should parents ask? How can parents support what is happening in the classroom? How can parents enrich? How can kids communicate what is happening during the day in ways that parents can understand?

Maybe I taught Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead too many times, but I do see how school has always been a game, just like many areas in life are a game. If that's true, how can we change the game to help make students excited about playing?

Thinking about teachable moments in the online environment - Is the "teachable moment" consubstantiation? If so, Burke shows us how to manifest them...

The teachable moment is something that all educators know, and it is something we relish when it happens in our classrooms. As parents, we have teachable moments at home as well, and we try to identify them and make the most of those moments when they occur. Some teachers feel being able to create teachable moments in an online setting cannot happen, but looking at Kenneth Burke's work on consubstantiation may prove them wrong. 

What is consubstantiation? 

Many of you know about my appreciation of Kenneth Burke's ideas, particularly that of consubstantiation and how that works within the realm of rhetoric.  Burke develops the notion of consubstantiation to explain the bond between text and audience and deems consubstantiation to have taken place when person A joins interests with person B, if only for a brief period of time (Rhetoric of Motives 20). When these two act together, Burke states, they have common sensations, concepts, images, ideas, and attitudes (21). To me, this is the essence of those "teachable moments" in my classroom. We were all "in sync," and I could see that, for that period of time, the students were making meaning and connections on a deeper level. 

Just like teachers talk about the "teachable moment," Burke believed consubstantiation to be the goal of rhetoric, thinking that all share an unconscious desire to identify with others, or be consubstantial with others (Blakesley Elements 15). We cannot truly be consubstantial long-term, but we can identify with another for a period of time and share that person’s ideas and attitudes, even if we have been manipulated to do so (16). Burke cites a number of techniques to create identification or consubstantiation, but the aim of all of them is to exploit and manipulate areas of ambiguity to “foster” consubstantiation (Blakesley Terministic Screens 13). An ambiguous situation, by definition, carries multiple interpretations. Providing an interpretation for an ambiguous situation in a way that guides the reader to identifying with one point of view over another is a rhetorical strategy to create consubstantiation between the reader and one character or situation over another.

In fiction, Burke argues that writers employ specific forms and universal patterns to create consubstantiation (Counterstatement 48). Forms arouse desires and then later fulfills those desires (124). Consubstantiation strives to form a bond, believing that attention to the ideas and concepts of the character or rhetorician follows the establishing of such a bond.

How can we foster consubstantiation? How does that apply to learning? 

1. Repetitive Forms
One such form to create consubstantiation is repetitive form. For Burke, repetitive form means “maintaining principles under new guises” (125) as well as repeating the same word or image over and over again. As an example of this, Burke cites Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels . Gulliver’s experiences show the repetition, Burke cites, of contrasts, as in each place Gulliver contrasts to the people he finds in different ways, and each contrast creates consubstantiation with Gulliver and commentary on society as a whole (125). Another example of repetitive form would be structures like the play within the play in Hamlet. Hamlet’s play “The Mouse Trap” repeats the plots and betrayals the audience (and Hamlet) learned from the Ghost. Betrayal resulting in the need for a son to avenge his father appears in Shakespeare’s play three different times, also reflecting repetition, as Fortinbras, Laertes, and Hamlet all struggle with murdered fathers and the need to find a way to show their duty as sons. While the nature of the murder of these fathers is very different, it is the repetition of the form of a son of a murdered father that encourages the audience to think on a larger scale about issues such as duty and revenge.

What does that mean for learning? To me, as teachers this means:
- We need to be cognizant of our repetitive forms. This can include our routines, protocols for certain experiences, and even our words and phrases. Do all of these things create an environment that could produce consubstantiation? If so, we are on the right track. If not, how can we change or modify? 
What kinds of messages do we repeat? If they are mostly negative with big red font, the student is not as likely to reach out and be open. 
- We need to be intentional about repetitive forms that are most likely to create an environment that could produce those teachable moments. When they happen in our classes, what were we doing? What were the students doing? What moved the moment beyond the mundane and into the place where profound meaning can happen? Those things can be replicated with care and when we take the time to know our students and communicate with them often. Even in an online setting, students should not be able to hide in a course or feel invisible. Too many reports show the need for a strong teacher/student and student/student relationship for the student to feel the class was a good experience and even for students to feel they learned something in the course. 


2. Conventional forms
Conventional forms show consubstantiation when the text meets categorical expectations (126). In this form, Burke uses the example of the sonnet (139). When a reader hears that a poem is a sonnet, he or she expects certain conventions of the form, including a certain length, possible rhyme schemes and even general topics. The reader’s preconceived notion of the sonnet creates a bond between the reader and the sonnet about to be read. If the sonnet varies too much from the conventional idea of sonnet, the reader can, even unconsciously, disconnect from the poem, thus breaking the bond (126). Another example of conventional form would be the Shakespearean tragedy. Audience members expect a tragic hero, with a tragic flaw, and a high body count by the end of a play with a minor character left to restore balance for the greater society. If the play does not follow the prescriptions of the tragedy, the audience member’s expectations do not meet with the performance, and the audience can disengage.

What does that mean for learning? To me, as teachers this means: 
- Structure is important. When we find that optimal structure, students count on that as they enter our course, be it physically or online. Providing students with the opportunity to shape that structure would be optimal, as it would give them a sense of ownership and investment on how the course works. This structure moves beyond the classroom as well. Consistency in style, resources, and other elements of online courses can help the student transition easily from one course to another and already feel a sense of familiarity. 
- Get to know the students. We can't assume expectations about a course, learning, or prior knowledge. One of the things I loved about teaching in one of the most diverse campuses in our area was this element. We could not assume. We had to build our knowledge together, share our expectations and agree on them, and then work towards building learning together. 

3. Minor Forms
 Burke includes minor forms, which he calls incidental forms, that also help create consubstantiation. Some of these include “metaphor, paradox, disclosure, reversal, contraction, expansion, bathos, and apostrophe” (127). For one of these devices to be considered a minor form in the design for consubstantiation, the employment of the form must aid in the building of an identification between reader and text. For example, a character could use apostrophe to talk to a car or a computer that stops working. This may help forge identification between reader and character because many readers can identify with a similar situation. Because many readers are dependent on cars and computers, this use of apostrophe shows the reader that the character is equally dependent on these things as well.

What does that mean for learning? To me, as teachers this means: 
- Threading - Providing an engaging thread to tie the course together will help students always see how what we are doing relates to a bigger picture, a larger question, or a process of reflection. With the thread in place, the teacher can make those connections initially then encourage the students to find the connections as the course progresses. The thread needs to be relevant to students and written in student vernacular for optimal success. If a course is built around questioning the American Dream, for example, each unit should explore this thread in new ways. 
- Relevance - For Burke, the minor forms only contribute to consubstantiation when they aid in building this connection. This means that our choices of images, examples, video clips, etc. need to be aimed at building a connection with the student, us, and the learning. My children have shown me all too many times that what I find engaging and interesting may not be engaging and interesting to them, hence why sometimes the consider listening to NPR a punishment... 

Barriers to Consubstantiation

Even with all of the forms possible to build consubstantiation, the reader may stay disconnected from the textual situation. Burke cites a few possible reasons for such a disconnect, which would require more effort on the part of the rhetorician to reach out to the audience. 

1. Ideological Variation
One reason includes a variation in ideology (172). If the audience does not agree with the ideology of the text, the writer has to work harder to overcome this gap. Advocating polytheism in a monotheistic society, for example, would be a hurdle some audience members would struggle to overcome. Such a character trait would also make it hard to identify with the main characters. For identification to take place, the writer would have to enhance the ways the character does connect with the audience, such as through other values, beliefs, and attitudes. 

What does that mean for learning? To me, as teachers this means:
- Get to know our students, no matter the environment- The more we know about them, the more we can design learning experiences for them that address and overcome such barriers. This means going beyond the surveys at the beginning of the year (not that those do not help) and connecting with them to find out who they are, what they care about, and where they want to go in life. 
- Address the elephant in the room - if a topic or character under study differs greatly from their sensibilities, do not shy away from that. Let students talk about the disconnect and help them process. Show them other areas for identification, and help them foster connections in other ways. 

2. Remoteness
Another reason could be remoteness of the patterns (172). Burke states that patterns are universals, but the individual potentialities to express those patterns are not (48). If the pattern expresses itself in remote ways, such as in an ancient setting, the audience would not immediately identify with the causes or characters in the text. Stories with “quaintness, absurdity, typicality, rarity, or picturesqueness” can overcome this barrier, however, because audience members may be more drawn to the text because of those qualities (175). An example would be Beowulf, because it is the only Anglo-Saxon version of an epic poem, which makes the poem rare and very remote.

What does that mean for learning? To me, as teachers this means: 
- Find the relevance in the remote material. What echoes of Beowulf, for example, exist today? One thing I bring up that connects with students the most is the ritualistic nature and symbolism of gift giving in the medieval period (also replicated in Tolkien's work - I talk about that in this book). I'd start by asking them to reflect for a few minutes on an awkward experience around a gift. Had they ever, for example, had a gift for someone that was not reciprocated as expected? How did that feel? Why do we feel the way we do about gifts? This idea of echoes shows students that remote material still matters and shapes us today. 
- Choose intentionally - When looking at remote material, be sure that all students need to experience that content for a reason. If the reason does not fit in with the thread, main questions, and overall direction of the course, it may be time to remove that material. If the reason does fit, then employ more forms to generate interest. Find a relevant and engaging hook. Place in moments for students to make meaningful connections to their own lives. 
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Blakesley, David. The Elements of Dramatism. New York: Longman, 2001. Print.
----- The Terministic Screen: Rhetorical Perspectives on Film . Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois UP, 2007. Print.
Burke, Kenneth. Counter-Statement. Berkeley: University of California, 1931. Print.
----- A Rhetoric of Motives. Berkeley: University of California, 1974. Print.

Challenge in Collaboration

Our students taking fully online courses spoke consistently about wanting to take online courses for the flexibility it would provide. Students want to go at their pace, set their own goals, and learn on their time in their way.

The problem with this desire for the teacher is how to build in collaborative activities, something that many students also enjoyed in their online classes. If my students are all over the place in a particular module or even in different modules, for example, how can I offer a collaborative experience that will reach all students where they are and not waste their time?

One way is to disrupt the normal pacing of a module with a challenge. Challenges can be for a small group you see are in a similar place in a module, but challenges can also be large-scale for the whole class to engage with.

Looking at the steps of Challenge-Based Learning from this article helps plan the kind of challenge that could help with designers. The key steps involved in designing a challenge for your course are these:

1. Coming up with the big idea - I would encourage this to be student led and teacher facilitated
2. Building the essential question
3. Issuing the Challenge
4. Facilitating and supporting learners as they break down the essential question into smaller questions and deciding on the research needed to address the complexities of the challenge (understanding what they need to know). 
5. Coaching learners as they generate a solution. The big idea and essential question should be complex enough to allow for many solutions. The solutions produced by the learners should be concrete enough to implement. The goals for the solution should be broken down into stages that are clearly attainable. 
6. Implement the solutions in the most authentic way possible. Let students decide the best way to showcase their work and solutions to others. 
7. Provide opportunities for students to evaluate the work of others and reflect on their own work and process. 

 Teachers can download a classroom guide here and look in the toolkit section of the main site for more resources. Here is an interesting example for a writing-based challenge. The students created a video and book about body image. There is a more step-by-step template here. Because Challenge Based Learning started with Apple, there are more resources on iTunes U as well, including a student guide and a movie.

 In the curriculum writing sessions we have held over the past two weeks, we have been talking about students being problem finders after watching Ewan McIntosh's TED talk.

Turning the problem into a challenge that encourages students to apply their learning, reach an authentic audience, and make a difference would be an empowering and engaging experience for students.

The challenge can be as long and wide-reaching (content-wise) as you want to make it. To me, this is the beauty of a threaded course that is not chronologically linked but instead linked around an idea. This way, the thread becomes the heart of the challenge, and the students can connect to that thread from wherever they are in the course. It links them together, even if they are individually working through different content.

So, for example, the blended English IV AP course currently has the thread of the outcast. With this thread, the teacher can issue a challenge to groups or to the course as a whole dealing with some of the many problems surrounding the outcast in society, something all students in all places of the course are thinking about and exploring. This could tie in to greater campus discussions, such as with cyber bullying, but it would not have to. Other courses with threads that embody the notion of change or the impact a person can make in the world could really capitalize on current events to make the challenge, and the course, more meaningful and relevant.

Mulling Over Motivation

When we talk to parents and students about online learning, we often talk about motivation and the need for students to be somewhat self-motivated to succeed and finish the course. Some believe that intrinsic motivation, the ability to motivate from within, appears innately, but after more research, I am not sure that I agree. I began to think about motivation more after reading this article the other day. Education provides many extrinsic motivators, such as praise, grades, and other accolades. I believe that education can produce environments that would spark intrinsic motivation in many cases. Here are some of the pieces I have been looking at to understand motivation more:

Daniel Pink's TED Talk - 

Pink's book Drive explains motivation and how to improve motivation. In his talk, he discusses the idea of offering incentives and how that works with motivation in general.

Research Studying Motivation - This research on motivation highlights education specifically. I think some of the recommendations at the end, especially about making connections and establishing meaning, support the comment from our student surveys about what made a course worthwhile and meaningful. I know that Pearson put up the study, but the literature review remains a good read.

Switch - I enjoyed reading this book last year. The Heath brothers uploaded a lot of free resources on their site, including this pdf that speaks particularly to motivation. In the case of Switch, the motivation under discussion is motivation to change.

Picturing Practice - The Schlechty Center discusses engagement in several of their publications. According to Switch, making change and being motivated to change starts with small, manageable steps. This resource has templates and scenarios to work out those kind of steps.

Mindshift article - This article has some interesting strategies to activate the student brain to think towards success and be more motivated. While some of the first parts are about genuine choice, which we hear a lot, I like the part about writing about a successful ancestor before undertaking a daunting task and other ideas.

After reviewing these resources and more, my big take-aways about motivation included:
- Meaning and Relevance - I am more motivated to finish work that I find meaningful and / or relevant to my work, studies, family life, etc.
- Manageable Steps - Like in the discussion in gaming, motivation research emphasizes the importance of a "win," or a success early on based on a manageable and attainable goal. If the project seems to hard or to take too long, I may not be motivated to even get started.
- Celebrated Successes - These celebrations do not have to be huge or even public, but big successes should be recognized in some way.
- Connectedness - As a teacher, I need to communicate regularly and often. Showing I care helps students be motivated to participate more. Being attentive to their comments, offering specific feedback, and recognizing their efforts will help with motivation as well, especially if the student's intrinsic motivation is low.

Why read? A variety of responses

For some time now, I have been collecting answers to this question, "Why read?" because I feel sometimes the different approaches to the answer of this question connect with different people, especially those who do not consider themselves readers or do not reach naturally for a book as a way to spend a rainy day or do not see the reasoning behind waiting until midnight for the next book in a beloved series becomes available. Here are some of the responses I have collected, and I would love to hear about more! 

Benefits of reading -  This Thinglink does approach a response to this question in a more traditional way. There are links here to research examining the scientific benefits of reading as well as the emotional / mental benefits of reading. 

Unlocking Imagination - This link goes to NPR's Nina Totenberg's interview with Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor upon the publication of her autobiography. This interview focuses on the role books played in her life, including classics and more popular genres. 

Learning from the Mistakes of Others - This is a reprint of an email from General Mattis detailing the benefits of reading on his professional military life and lists some of the texts he has found most helpful. In particular, I love how he describes reading as lighting "what is often a dark path ahead."  

Inspiration to Change the World - This blog post from Henry Jenkins illustrates how fan communities can create change in the world and prompt dialogue. In the report Jenkins links to in the blog post, readers can understand how issues within story can connect to political issues and ideas that readers care deeply about. 

Reading the World - Another NPR link! This article examines the ability of readers to infer emotion from images. The article also contrasts fiction considered more "literary" versus fiction considered "popular" and did find a difference. 

Daydreaming - this lecture from Neil Gaiman pulls in ideas from great thinkers such as Tolkien on the importance of reading to our world and to future generations. I find more and more each time I read it.

Future Predictions - This link explores the surveys given out by Latitude to predict where storytelling will go in the future. There are interesting predictions and descriptions of what audiences want from storytelling today. You can also take the quiz to see what audience archetype fits you best. 

Participatory Reading - This breakdown of traditional versus participatory reading helps me understand what reading means for students today and how I can use that knowledge when designing learning experiences for them. 

Game-based Learning and ELA

When examining the uses of games in an English Language Arts (ELA) classroom, the challenge for quality experiences rises.  The state and local requirements for these classes require students to be reading and writing, and ELA teachers can struggle with how to take advantage of the connection between playing games and learning.  Terry Heick (2012) listed several occasions for an “authentic and compelling role” for video games in the ELA classroom including as entry events to hook interest in a subject.  In section two, several games for ELA classes are discussed complete with images from the game.

          

      In the secondary ELA environment, the games I found seemed to fall within three categories. I will list the games under each category with images and a description.

Literature-Based Games:

Screen Shot from the Game

Lord of the Flies – The game serves as a review and extension of the novel.  According to the site, the players should use the game to refresh their knowledge of the text and hopefully gain new perspectives and questions about the text.  Within the game, players can match characters with quotes and symbols associated with them, discuss major themes of the text, and link symbols to greater meaning in the overall story.  Completion of one task moves the player onto other parts of the island.  While the game is simple enough for younger grades (4^th and up), the book usually is reserved for high school.  Overall, there are many chances for students to try to get things correct, but there is nothing meaty for students to do with the text.  Most of the work is matching, which is very low on Bloom’s.

           

Screen Shot from the Game

Oedipus Tyrranus – The game serves as a review and extension of the play.  Players are to imagine themselves as an audience at the Greek play and then infer why things are happening in front of them based on their knowledge of the play.  As with the game above, this game could be maneuvered by a younger audience, but the play’s use in high school would relegate the game to high school. Also, the lack of images and guidance would make this game frustrating for younger players who may not understand the play well before trying the game.  While considered a “game,” this particular experience feels like a quiz more than a game.  Most of the responses are multiple choice, and while the players receive feedback, there is not much to encourage them to push forward. 

Grammar Games:

The Home Page

Grammar Ninja – This game asks students to apply their knowledge of grammar to keep a ninja studio operating.  Students are shown sentences and asked to identify parts of speech. When players click on a word, the game throws a ninja star at the word.  Players can advance in levels.  Players will also be given a chance to rethrow stars if they choose a wrong word.  I am not a fan of grammar in isolation, so I would not recommend this game.  I think elementary students from about second grade could access the game and practice parts of speech.  The game would seem too easily after about eighth grade. 

 

Grammar of Doom – This game asks students to complete different exercises involving grammar and conventions of speech to advance through different spaces in a creepy castle.  Like with the game above, this game keeps the difficulty level low at first and grows based on the competence of the player.  Players are asked to move a verb through different tenses, find the opposite of words, and complete other tasks while moving through the spaces.  Players are also allowed to retry without too harsh a penalty.  These tasks are set for an older age, and I would put this game at grade levels fourth through tenth.  While I would still not encourage much play of the game, as it is also grammar in isolation, I think the thinking involved in this game was more complex. 

Skills Based Games:

Rhetorical Peaks – This game I used while still in the classroom and teaching both College Rhetoric and honors high school classes.  Developed by the University of Texas, Rhetorical Peaks invites players to investigate a murder in a quiet town full of famous rhetoricians.  The players can interview available characters, view the victim’s diary, and investigate the grounds to a limited extent.  The interview questions are from a question bank, so there are limited choices.  The point of the game is to analyze the rhetoric of the speakers and the journal and use that analysis to arrive at a conclusion.  Much to UT’s credit, no “solution” to the game has been published.  This experience is solely for students to come up with a theory and prove it with evidence.  I felt the honors students in high school could handle the game well, and they enjoyed debating their theories in class.  

If you have seen good ones, especially for the last category, please let me know !!!! 

Annotation and Collaboration

This week I have spent a lot of time exploring collaboration and annotation. What I want is for a group to be able to annotate together, comment together, and distinguish the comments either by color or name without forcing people to make an account. It's a tall order, I know, but this would certainly benefit the learning experience. For this post, I am not discussing apps because I want tools with multiple possibilities for access.

I started looking at social bookmarking, but the ones I explored were not robust enough. For true annotation, we need to be able to do more than highlight or mark. While some offer commentary and notes, the collaborative part was not as intuitive as I liked. There are likely other options out there, and I'd love to hear about them.

Here is what I found:

Markup Toolbar

Markup - Markup requires the originating user to bookmark or use a plug-in on their browser. The collaborative users who would follow would not have to, however. Once that is done, the user can find a web site and click on the plug-in to get a markup that looks like this:
This bar will appear in the top right hand corner of the screen. Using the bar, the site can be annotated with text, underlining, highlighting, etc. Here is an example:

Annotated YouTube Page

Once finished, the user can publish the Markup. The publish button appears under the pen once the page has been annotated. A screen appears with a website url.

The site can now be shared via the link and others can respond. Everyone can work on the same one. The downside to Markup is that it does not seem to work with Google Docs, even if I make the settings public. There are a few other sites, too, that will not pull up the Markup bar.

Bounce - Bounce provides a method for commenting on a website. With Bounce, the first person will type a web address onto the main page.

Bounce Main page

Bounce will then capture the web site and provide the user with an image to use as the basis for comments.The user can click on the site and a box appears. The box provides a place for the student to comment.

A Bounce Box ready for comment

When finished, the user can save on the Bounce toolbar at the top and share. Like with Markup, Bounce provides a website to share, but the user can also share via Twitter or Facebook. When the next user opens the link, Bounce will provide that user a different number and color. This is nice because it keeps track of the users this way. The downside with Bounce is that there is no way to highlight or do anything other than type a comment. No downloading is required.

A.nnotate Home Screen after Log-In

 A.nnotate - A.nnotate requires an account to be made. Unlike the previous options, this one allows users to upload files or for users to take a snapshot from the web.
This way, a pdf can be placed in the tool and the site provides an opportunity for collaborative annotation. Only the originating user needs an account for A.nnotate, so this helps somewhat. To annotate, the user will highlight text. After highlighting, a box appears for a comment. When finished annotating, the user clicks "share" to begin collaboration. Do not hit "done" if you want to conntinue annotating the document!
After hitting "share," a pop-up will appear with options including email and a link. Click the "guest annotation" to allow non-registered user to have access. Unlike the other tools, A.nnotate gives the creator the opportunity to review comments before displaying them. Also unique to this tool is the ability to create a folder of files to annotate and share. Unfortunately, future users can delete current comments. To keep from requiring account creation, future collaborators can choose a color for commenting and be consistent.

A Padlet Created for Image and Argumentation

Padlet / Lino - I know these tools have been around for some time, but I think they work well for types of collaboration. Both provide a digital corkboard for collaborative comments / ideas. Like with the other tools, only an account by the first user needs to be made.
Only the creator can remove posts. Like with Bounce, there is no way to highlight or underline. Some of these sites will allow uploads of files, and some comments can include links and videos, which can make the site very dynamic and active. 

Thinglink / Speaking Image - These tools provide a way to make images interactive. If using a text, and the text is short, these will work here as well (see example). By creating buttons on the page, users can customize the buttons to represent the types of comments made. These buttons can link to video, audio and more.

Thinglink of a short text with buttons

Buttons can also contain a text box for comments. Sharing the link opens up collaboration, and new users can add buttons and create comments as well.  Speaking Image allows users to trace and circle pieces of text to specify comments in a more detailed way. Speaking Image also provides the opportunity to build wikis with the images. Building the wiki would require an account to be made and accessed. Many possibilities exist with these tools, and annotating the image with commentary would help provide a starting point for discussion.

There are some others out there, but most fell under these kinds of categories. All have pros and cons, but I think all have great possibility. We have to think first about what we want from the annotation and collaboration and then choose the best tool for the job.

Wiggio - Wiggio is a collaborative workspace where groups can create, collaborate, share files, and even text, email and send voice notes to each other. While there is a premium version, the basic version

Wiggio Feed Page

is free. This even includes a calendar for the group that will sync to other calendars. Groups can chat, hold a personal meeting, and work on documents together. They can also poll each other to make decisions.

Various Ways to Gather Input

I'm back!  The year got away from me, just as I had feared it would.  I learned a lot last year, and I hope to be able to find ways to share some of what I've learned in new ways.

Lately I have been researching ways to gather input during a learning experience. I'm leaving this broad because I want to include professional learning for teachers as well as models for teachers to use with students. Below are some of the main options I've found outside of standard places like Poll Everywhere, and I would love to hear your input and suggestions!

Image of the Home Page

Dot Voting - Dot voting presents participants the chance to vote anonymously on a particular topic. Unlike some other tools, Dot Voting gives participants a certain number of dots. The creator of  the dot vote determines the number of dots. The participant can administer the dots in a variety of ways, making it possible to show preferences by giving one option more dots than another. To try Dot Voting, click here to place dots about professional learning.

Image of the Home Page

Answer Garden - Answer Garden provides participants the opportunity to answer an open-ended question. All answer choices will be placed within the answer cloud below the question. In a format similar to Wordle, Answer Garden will enlarge the answer choices that become more and more popular.  In the example here, more respondents chose Twitter, so Twitter becomes bolder and larger with each entry. Answers are anonymous, and the Answer Garden question can be embedded into other sites easily. 

Image of Home Page

 Tricider - Tricider also provides participants the opportunity t vote on and share ideas. Tricider this example, I entered pros and cons about my choice for a resource.
stands out from the other two in its ability to let participants weigh pros and cons, vote, and enter an open-ended response. Tricider also provides room to explain an idea and add an image. Unlike the above choices, Tricider is not anonymous. In