ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016

Kerry Whitehead

Description of Technology(s) Used

Edmodo
This is the main technology that is used. It is being used to push out different
activities to the students. It is used to push out the listening/reading of the
drama with comprehension questions with the app PlayPosit (fka eduCanon),
the quiz over the drama and the following assignments:

The blogging of the BIG question

Creation of their drama from an Aesop fable
Movie trailer poster
The blogging of radio play and Twilight Zone television episode

Edmodo is a learning management system that was created in 2008. Edmodo

resembles Facebook. Students dont need an email to join. Teachers just
provide the students with a join code. For students, this is a good platform to
ask questions. If they have questions they can post it in Edmodo and other
students can answer their question. The teacher also has a lot of control in
this system. The teacher can set the class settings as to whether the
students can post directly or if it has to be approved by the teacher. Teachers
can also post discussion questions for the students to respond to, however, a
drawback here is that there is no threaded discussion. Students can only
respond to the teacher. Threaded discussions are in the works. Teachers can
push surveys out to the students as a pre-assessment/post-assessment
activity. Teachers can create assignments and push them out to the students.
Quizzes can also be pushed out to the student. One new feature to Edmodo
is Snapshot. Right now this feature is limited to a few grade levels and ELA
or Math. With this feature the teacher can create a quick quiz focused on
the skill they were focused on. For example, 7th grade Reading. The teacher
can choose up to four questions to push to the students to see if they have
mastered the student expectation. Teachers can schedule when those posts
go out. The teacher and the students have libraries where they can store
documents. There is also a gradebook component to Edmodo. Once a
student turns in an assignment the teacher can grade it and send the student
their grade. One of the other major features is the parent component to
Edmodo. Teachers can give parents codes for Edmodo and it is associated
with just their student. Teachers can send notes to students or parents, or
both if that is what they decide. Students have the capability to earn
badges as they maneuver around the site. They can also choose their own
avatar or upload their own photo.
1

ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016

Kerry Whitehead

ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016

Kerry Whitehead

ETEC 527 Web 2.0 Rubric - Edmodo

3 Points
Effective

2 Points
Partially Effective

1 Point
Ineffective

Communication

This web tool fosters active

communication between
teachers and/or students.

This web tool fosters a

limited amount of
communication between
teachers and/or students.

This web tool lacks

communication tools
between teachers
and/or students.

Usability

This web tool is user-friendly

(easy to use and easy to
learn) for students and
teachers. It provides the
appropriate amount of self
help and technical support.

This web tool is partially

user-friendly to students
and teachers and
provides a limited
amount of self help and
technical support.

This web tool is not

user-friendly to
students and teachers.
It is difficult to navigate
with little to no
technical support.

Customization/
Generalization

This web tool has many

customization features that
can be differentiated for a
variety of ages, subjects,
assignments, etc.

This web tool has a

limited number of
customization features.
Its limitations make it too
specific for a broad
audience.

This web tool has a

few/no customization
features. It is too
specific to be used
outside of its targeted
audience.

Engagement/
Motivation

This web tool is visually

appealing, and it offers
features that can motivate
students for active
engagement.

This web tool is

moderately appealing. It
offers a few features to
motivate and engage
students..

This web tool is not

appealing. It is unlikely
that students will want
to use it because it
does not have any
engaging qualities.

Safety

This website is safe and

secure for student use. It is
ad-free, has strict privacy
settings, doesnt collect
personal identifying
information, social features
are age-appropriate, and
removes all content when
accounts are deleted.

This website provides

limited amount of safety
and security for student
use. It may have some
ads, it collects a limited
amount of personal
information, has a limited
number of privacy
settings, and/or retains
some of the usage
information is retained
when accounts are
deleted.

This website is not very

safe or secure for
student use. It might
contain inappropriate
ads, collect sensitive
personal information,
does not have an
option to delete
accounts, and does not
have a privacy policy
available.

Critical Thinking
Skills

This web tool lends itself

easily to fostering critical
thinking skills (creating,
evaluating, analyzing).

This web tool adequately

fosters critical thinking
skills, but it may require
assignment creativity.

This web tool does not

foster critical thinking
skills.

ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016

Kerry Whitehead

PlayPosit (fka eduCanon)

This is my secondary tool that I am using for this project. I will be using this
to present my mini-lesson and the reading of the story. There will be class
time to listen/read the story. I want to be able to focus on the skill they need
to master which is understand the elements and structure of drama.
PlayPosit is formerly known as eduCanon. eduCanon is an online learning
environment that can be embedded with learning management systems such
as Edmodo, Google Classroom, Schoology, etc. Teachers can use premade
bulbs (lessons) or they can create their own using YouTube, TeacherTube,
etc. eduCanon changed its name to PlayPosit on February 16, 2016.
PlayPosit allows teachers to upload videos and ask questions throughout the
video. There are five different types of questions that can be asked: multiple
choice, free response, reflective pause, check all that apply, fill-in-the-blank.
The teacher can also skip portions of videos and the teacher can add a
website for the students to go visit before starting the video again. Teachers
can monitor students progress and gather grades from the videos that are
watched.
This tool has a very limited ability to communicate. Its sole purpose is to
allow teachers to assess students through watching videos. The
communication would take place through the learning management system
that PlayPosit feeds into. For teachers and students alike this tool is very
easy to use and very easy to figure out. But if someone has problems they
have a large help bank. This is a tool that is not subject specific. Any age
group or subject can take advantage of this tool. The only assignment is the
watching of the video and answering questions as the video progresses. The
nice thing about this tool is that students can rewatch the video if they need
to. Once they answer the question they cant reanswer it but they can
rewatch. This would be especially helpful for our ELL population. This tool is
safe to use for the main reason that the teacher creates the account (if not
using a LMS that it can connect to). But even if the teacher is using an LMS
the students log in through the LMS. When accounts are deleted so is the
work that was completed. This tool does not necessarily foster creative
thinking but it all depends on the questions that the teacher asks throughout
the video they are watching.

ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016

Kerry Whitehead

ETEC 527 Web 2.0 Rubric PlayPosit (fka eduCanon)

3 Points
Effective

2 Points
Partially Effective

1 Point
Ineffective

Communication

This web tool fosters active

communication between
teachers and/or students.

This web tool fosters a

limited amount of
communication between
teachers and/or students.

This web tool lacks

communication tools
between teachers
and/or students.

Usability

This web tool is user-friendly

(easy to use and easy to
learn) for students and
teachers. It provides the
appropriate amount of self
help and technical support.

This web tool is partially

user-friendly to students
and teachers and
provides a limited
amount of self help and
technical support.

This web tool is not

user-friendly to
students and teachers.
It is difficult to navigate
with little to no
technical support.

Customization/
Generalization

This web tool has many

customization features that
can be differentiated for a
variety of ages, subjects,
assignments, etc.

This web tool has a

limited number of
customization features.
Its limitations make it too
specific for a broad
audience.

This web tool has a

few/no customization
features. It is too
specific to be used
outside of its targeted
audience.

Engagement/
Motivation

This web tool is visually

appealing, and it offers
features that can motivate
students for active
engagement.

This web tool is

moderately appealing. It
offers a few features to
motivate and engage
students..

This web tool is not

appealing. It is unlikely
that students will want
to use it because it
does not have any
engaging qualities.

Safety

This website is safe and

secure for student use. It is
ad-free, has strict privacy
settings, doesnt collect
personal identifying
information, social features
are age-appropriate, and
removes all content when
accounts are deleted.

This website provides

limited amount of safety
and security for student
use. It may have some
ads, it collects a limited
amount of personal
information, has a limited
number of privacy
settings, and/or retains
some of the usage
information is retained
when accounts are
deleted.

This website is not very

safe or secure for
student use. It might
contain inappropriate
ads, collect sensitive
personal information,
does not have an
option to delete
accounts, and does not
have a privacy policy
available.

Critical Thinking
Skills

This web tool lends itself

easily to fostering critical
thinking skills (creating,
evaluating, analyzing).

This web tool adequately

fosters critical thinking
skills, but it may require
assignment creativity.

This web tool does not

foster critical thinking
skills.

ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016

Kerry Whitehead

Lesson Plan for The

Hitchhiker
TEKS
8.5 - Students understand, make inferences and draw conclusions about the
structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support
their understanding. Students are expected to explain the similarities and
differences in the setting, characters, and plot of a play and those in a film
based upon the same story line.

Audience
8th grade Reading students

Warm-up/Hook
The play the students will be listening to/reading is a spooky play. To set the
scene I would pose a question to the students to get them thinking about the
mood of the play.
The textbook that we use has BIG Questions at the front of each story to help
start the thinking for students. The question is then revisited at the end of
the story.
BIG Question: Is seeing BELIEVING?
The students will blog their response on a blogging site that is districtapproved and teacher-approved (i.e. Google Blogger, Kidblog, etc.). A
homework assignment will be that the students have to respond to at
least 3 other student posts (they will be assigned students to respond
to).

ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016

Kerry Whitehead

ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016

Kerry Whitehead

Procedures/Activity(s)
This is considered a 10-day unit in our district curriculum
Mini-lesson
The students will go through a mini-lesson about drama, the elements
of a drama, stage directions, etc. This is the direct teach part of the
lesson. There will be a practice to go along with the direct teach. This
can be done with PlayPosit. The teacher will create a screencast of the
PowerPoint and ask questions along with way. The students will watch
this on their own time so that when they come to class the skill can be
focused on with the practice.
Reading of the drama
The students will log in to Edmodo. They will go to their apps page and
log into PlayPosit (fka eduCanon). They will have two assignments to
complete (Hitchhiker Part I and Hitchhiker Part II). The students will
have some class time but they will need to do some of the reading
outside of class. If they do not have a device to complete this portion
of the project, there will be tutoring available before and after school
so that the students can take advantage of devices at school.
As they are reading/listening to the play they will be asked questions to
monitor their comprehension.
Here is a sample:

PlayPosit will allow the teacher to grade the free response questions.
Once all free response/short answer have been graded it will give the
student a grade.
Creating a drama
The students will be put into small groups. Each small group will be
given an Aesop fable. They will be responsible for creating a play out
of the story. They will be required to use stage directions and dialogue.
The students will upload their dramas to Edmodo. This will allow
8

ETEC527 Final Project

Spring 2016
Kerry Whitehead
students to view other dramas and make comments on them. Once
again the students will be assigned dramas to comment on.

Extension
The students can upload their dramas to www.protagonize.com. Then
students will find the group that the teacher has created. They will put
their drama on the site. They will probably have to copy and paste
their drama. Each group will be assigned other groups dramas to go
look at and they will add to the drama. It will be one group and so the
teacher can assign dramas from other class periods for student to
comment on. It can extend past the original story, a kernel essay
using the dramas they created.

Movie Poster
The students will be given the site www.postermywall.com. They will
design a movie poster advertising the play being turned into a movie.
They will upload their poster in Edmodo for the other students in their
class. They will have certain elements required for their poster.
Students will be assigned posters to view and comment on.

Twilight Zone episode

The students will view the Twilight Zone episode that was made based
off the play. They will complete a Venn Diagram comparing and
contrasting the radio play and the TV episode.

Closing activity/task
Students will write a blog entry about the radio play and the TV episode.
They will have to explain, with evidence, what helped them understand what
was going on in the radio play and the TV episode (i.e. stage directions,
music, etc). They will need to identify the changes for the TV episode and
explain why they think the TV producers decided to make those changes.
Students will be assigned entries to read and comment on.

Assessment
The students will take a quiz over The Hitchhiker through Edmodo. They will
also complete a STAAR Reading passage covering the skill.