Project Title A3 Learning (Anytime, Anywhere to Anyone Learning)

Teacher’s Name: R.V.Raghavendra Rao School Name: Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Vizianagaram Country: India Phone No: +91 9490811620

Email ID: raghubloom@hotmail.com

Structure of the Project

Initially motivated by the Project Shiksha and further inspired by

meeting with the likeminded people at various platforms, I became

an addict of ICT but this addiction was for redefining the

classroom with the help of the miraculous power of ICT. I have

rediscovering the strength of ICT since past10 years and every time

it has helped me to think creatively and differently. With the virtue

of the power of World Wide Web, I have developed my own website,

wikis and blogs for students as a part of integrating ICT in

classroom successfully. During this journey I happened to get

acquainted with the of several innovative teachers and teacher

educators at the Innovative Teachers Regional Conference, in Cape

Town, Singapore, Hanoi and e-learning and e-learning technologies

Symposium conducted by C-DAC and Microsoft Leadership

Conclave-2011. This helped me to realize the concept of Extended

Learning Beyond the Classroom which have tremendous power.

Taking initiative from all this, I started working on the “Blackboard

Virtual Classroom" (for Online), m-learning (podcasting and

Screencast), Biology e-courses using moodle, One to One Learning

(using Mythware) etc. which would help even for visually and

physically challenged students and professional development of

Teachers too. It took nearly one whole year for me to plan and

implement this project successfully. The tools using for the project

are integrated in my websites http://biology24x7.in and

http://elearningbio.com . The elearningbio.com is still under

updating, but having versatile features which allows user to interact

in several dimensions.

I am in search of open source Virtual Class software, but I find

Learner Center sponsored by Blackboard is providing wonderful tool

“Vroom”, by using this I can conduct virtual class with 3 individuals

at time. I procured the required technology assistance from my

school (LCD, Laptop, Broadband Connection, web cam, software

and I managed web hosting service at my end. along with this our

government of India recently has started AVIEW (Amrita Virtual

Interactive E-Learning World) I am even this successfully imparting

for virtual learning.

Design of Learning Environment

The project implemented in the following areas:

In this project an attempted is made to integrate technology for

classroom teaching and learning at all levels. "Anytime, Anywhere

to Any one is a collaborative project in which blended learning

approach is followed and the student has been engaged in learning

activities beyond the class room, by continuously involving in

various online and offline activities.

One to One Learning :- A digital class room by using

Mythware.

Pod-cast and screen-cast: for Visually challenged and

physically challenged students.

Web based learning (e-learning)-

http://elearningbio.com and http://biology24x7.in

Blackboard virtual class

room http://try.bbcollaborate.com/trial/p.go?pk=9X0qbXy

GGv4Pn8HR

AVIEW - online virtual interactive e-learning

e-courses:- Biology e-courses created using

moodle; http://elearningbio.com/moodle/

for all activities it is also supported by Blog

(http://myclassbio.wordpress.com and http://tech4rteach

ers.wordpress.com),

Face

book: http://www.facebook.com/InternationalBiologyTeac

hers

Twitter: https://twitter.com/elearningbio

Forum: http://elearningbio.com/forums.php (For Teachers

and Students)

Project is implemented to students of Class 9th, 10th, 11th and

12th simultaneously, for a duration of 6 months.

eLearning Course Design and Development -

eLearning Rubric is designed to support the creation of quality online curriculum. The standards outlined in this document are employed across the secondary School system. The quality

standards outlined in the eLearning Rubric are grouped into two broad categories that affect a successful learner experience: Course Standards and Support Standards.

How are the standards ranked?

The standards outlined in this evaluation tool have been weighted with a level of importance between 1 and 3.

Critical. Value = 3

These standards are integral to an institution’s success in online programming. Omitting these items jeopardizes the success of any online learning endeavor. These items are the minimum acceptable requirements in each category.

Important. Value = 2

These standards contribute to the efficiency or effectiveness of a learner’s online experience. The omission of these items

will have a major impact on the quality of learners’ experience.

Beneficial. Value = 1

These standards enhance the quality of a learner’s online experience. While they may not be integral to programming, their inclusion improves learner and faculty satisfaction as well as administrative efficiency

· The level of language used is appropriate for the intended

audience. · The writing is free of bias relative to age, culture,

ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation. · The course has been piloted and/or beta tested · A bibliography or reference list includes a variety of

material, such as web links (URLs), books and journals, CD-ROMS, and videos.

· The course is designed according to a consistent format. · Learners are told whether learning activities are

sequential or whether they can be completed in any order.

· A course syllabus is provided. · Learners are informed of the ways in which they can

communicate with the instructor. · The course is as academically rigorous as its face-to-face

equivalent. · Learners can realistically complete the course, given

practical constraints, such as available time and resources.

· Appropriate supports are in place to ensure accessibility prior to learners' engagement with the course.

· Appropriate Universal Design for Learning (UDL) concepts have been applied

· Orientation information lets learners know where they are in the course.

· Graphic elements such as diagrams, tables, animation, and photographs illustrate or clarify information presented in the text.

· All components of graphics are clearly visible and aligned with text.

· The course is separated into modules (self-contained segments).

· Frequent opportunities are provided for practice and knowledge transfer.

· Learners are informed about expectations regarding group work and/or collaboration.

· Criteria and procedures for peer review and evaluation are clearly specified if these elements are included in the course.

· Links to information about institutional policies on grading and evaluation are provided.

· Lists of learning resources are divided into “required” and

“optional” categories. · Learning resources reflecting different points of view are

provided when appropriate. Content

· The content is directly related to learning objectives. · The content is accurate, relevant, and current. · The content is appropriate to the learners’ ability levels.

Instructional Activities · A variety of instructional strategies are used to ensure

compatibility with learners’ different interests, abilities,

and learning styles. · A variety of instructional or learning activities are used to

promote interactivity, such as online discussions, online conferencing, collaborative assignments, and listserv

participation. · Feedback is incorporated into learning activities. · Activities are sequenced logically, such as in

chronological order or from simple to complex. · Activities include higher order thinking skills.

Assignments and Evaluation

· Learners are informed about the criteria that will be used

for all evaluation. · Assessments are aligned to learning outcomes. · Appropriate assessment tools are used to measure

learning. · Feedback to learners is timely, detailed, and constructive. · Self-tests are similar to the final evaluation instruments. · Learners can use self-tests to track and evaluate their

own progress. Faculty Support

· Expert assistance in course development is available to

the instructor. · Instructors delivering the course are trained in online

course delivery methodology and techniques.

· Instructors are provided with support and assistance during course delivery.

· There are institutional incentives for innovative practices, and to encourage the development of online courses.

· Faculty orientation materials and demo courses provide information on the delivery platform, including handling incoming e-mail, e-mail attachments, viruses, and e-mail filters.

· There are institutional rewards for the effective teaching of online courses.

· Peer mentoring is available to instructors teaching online courses.

Student Support

· Course information is available prior to registration. · Learners are notified of minimum system requirements,

such as modem speed and computing speed prior to course commencement.

· Learners are provided with text information about how to access the course pr i o r to commencement.

· Student orientation materials and demo courses provide information on the delivery platform, including handling

incoming e-mail, e-mail attachments, viruses, and e-mail filters.

· Technical support information is provided during the course.

· Information regarding online learning skills and practices

is available to learners prior to registration. · The learner orientation

includes http://elearningbio.com and 24x7 helpdesk information.

· Learners are provided with information about accessing financial resources.

· Learners are provided with information about making complaints.

Evidence of Learning

In this project with various tools using website

http://elearningbio.com and http://biology24x7.in I have made

efforts to

Strategy implemented

In this study, a mixed methods analysis of a variety of data

sources reveals that diverse students from a variety of classroom

contexts view the short-courses as a useful learning tool, both as a

vehicle for a student’s own academic growth and for classroom

learning. Students were particularly interested in the ability to

participate in a collaborative learning practice with other students,

educators, instructors, and scientists from across the country and

world, and they found useful the flexible design of the e-learning/e-

courses. This short-course design offers promise for

future development opportunities.

The short course was taught using offline conventional method

without Integration ICT and conducted formative assessment with

paper and pen test. Same courses were delivered by integrating

web based learning, e-learning, pod-casting, Screen-cast Moodle

e-courses and Virtual Class. After that Students were sampled

within a limited number. 200 are participated, and they are of 14

to 16 ages an average of ten students from each class. Table 1

gives an overview of the number of participating students in the

class from K-9 to K-12. A separate assessment conducted for 11

students by only computer based assessment among three 05 of

visually challenged and 06 physically challenged.

Data collection

Case study

I used a variety of data sources, including paper and pen test,

online test, questionnaires, reflective essays, personal

communications, and field notes to study the bounded system of

participants in e-learning/e- short-courses. The case study is a

methodology that provided me with the ability to examine the

critical skills as a whole, giving an in-depth look at the experience

from multiple perspectives, studies rely primarily on qualitative

and quantitative methods.

Questionnaires

To study these short-courses as a e-learning development tool, I

have developed an online mixed questionnaire to examine student

views about the shared experience of the online short-e-courses/e-

learning. The mixed methods approach included open-ended

questions embedded in a series of Likert and yes/no questions. The

purpose of this design was to allow to gain a deeper understanding

of students’ feelings and impressions. Students were asked to

logged into the online survey system (using google form) and

answered 10 questions, a mix of Likert-scale, yes/no, and open-

ended items. Items were designed to discover information about

the students’ classroom context as well as how the e-learning/short

e-courses contributed to their enhanced learning and 21st century

learning skills, whether the short-courses were relevant to local

curricula, and whether they were able to apply this to everyday life.

Reflective essays

students participating in the live short-courses asked to participate

in reflective essay and very few are participated (8%)they are

asked to earn credit by providing additional projects. Those

students who earned credit completed additional projects based on

classroom implementation of science content and pedagogical

strategies learned in the e-learning/e-course's. These

supplemental assignments included reflective essays, in which the

students critically examined their implementation of what they had

learned. These essays served as a data source in this study.

Continuous communication

Throughout the Live, Short-Courses (6 months), teachers

remained in constant communication with participating students,

both during the courses. Team members, were available by phone,

skype, chat, forum and email to discuss content, and other issues.

I often received several emails a week from participants. Field

notes were recorded during this time and these notes as well as

emails are an additional data source.

Data Analysis

Data collected through the online survey form were automatically

liked to google spreadsheet. Responses from the Likert and yes/no

items were separated and percentages calculated for each

response. To analyze the open-ended questions, we followed the

procedures of grounded theory analysis (Guba & Lincoln, 1989).

The date is categorized in to different categories. then the

frequency was calculated and followed the same procedure to

analyze the other data sources too.

Experiment conducted at school to find out best assessment

practice

The topic was taught using lecture method without Integration ICT

and conducted formative assessment with paper and pen test.

Same topic Life Processes taught integrating web based learning,

e-learning, podcasting and Virtual Class. After that Students were

sampled within a limited number. Forty students are participated,

and they are of 14 to 15 ages an average of ten students from each

class. Table 1 gives an overview of the number of participating

students in the class from K-9 to K-12. A separate assessment

conducted for 10 students by only computer based assessment

among three 04 of visually challenged and 06 physically

challenged. A total number of 200 students participated.

Teacher was asked to develop questions by using eXe(offline) and

Googledocs, moodle(online). To maintain simplicity, all items in the

PC test were automatically coded and no manual coding was

required the automatic coding mechanism accommodated multiple

choice, complex multiple choice, Closed activity, image based

questions and “True or False response types. Most of the PC items

contained multimedia elements.

The paper test consisted of items that were also used for the

regular NCERT & CBSE questions in the test book. Among these

items are both multiple-choice items and items that require the

students to formulate the answer themselves with determined pre-

guide of experts. After completing the two tests, the students

responded to a student questionnaire containing questions about

self-concept, motivation, attention sills, home background,

attitudes and relationship to ICT. The study was implemented by

the use of 200 student PCs and one test server PC. As a

consequence, 5 days conducted the assessment in four different

classes. The study was implemented in the period from Oct 21 to

July, 26, 2013. In the test session, the students were divided into

two groups. One group started by doing the PC test, while the other

group did the paper test first. All the students sat in the same room.

Finally, all the students responded to the student questionnaire on

paper. Each test had a maximum time limit of one hour, while the

students were given 20 minutes to answer the questionnaire.

This principle was also applied in the CBAS study, both in the paper-

based and the PC-based tests. The PC test consisted of 30 items.

However, each of the test versions consisted of 25 items. Two

types of data were recorded from the PC test. Firstly, the students’

answers to all the cognitive items were recorded (“response data”).

Secondly, the student behavior throughout the test was registered

(“behavioral data”).

Time usage

• Boys and girls took approximately the same time, on average

(40 minutes).

• 10 % of the students took 50 minutes or more.

Media play

• Boys do significantly more “media plays” than girls (averages

of events 79 and 70, respectively).

• The correlation between the number of media plays and score

on the PC test is positive for the

Gender differences in achievement

Collaboration

Initially for this project collaborated with 10 Navodaya Vidyalays

and presently extended to 80 vidyalyas. Students and Teachers of

these vidyalaya are involved in this project for collaboration. I used

virtual class, youtube, Facebook, Blog, wikis, my website and forum

for effective collaboration and for continuous communications chat

rooms and skype are used.

Collaborative learning is a method of teaching and learning in which

student’s team together to explore a significant question or create

a meaningful project. A group of students discussing a lecture or

students from different schools working together over the Internet

on a shared assignment are both examples of collaborative

learning. I have implemented in my school with K-9 and K-12

students and the results were awesome. I uses videoconferences,

virtual rooms, forums, facebook in my collaboration with students.

I could notice in my students positive results such as deeper

understanding of content, increased overall achievement in grades,

improved self-esteem, and higher motivation to remain on task.

Cooperative learning helps students become actively and

constructively involved in content, to take ownership of their own

learning, and to resolve group conflicts and improve teamwork

skills.

Knowledge Building and Critical Thinking

To create awareness and How ICT skills help in knowledge

building, collaboration, problem solving and critical thinking. The

tools used showed there is not barrier and discrimination among

the children who adopt these skills. All the pedagogy used in this

project has “Knowledge Building, collaboration and High order

thinking skills”, based on this students were given projects “ ICT

for up-liftment of tribes, Small Help Groups and School without

Teacher. They have used remarkably the 21st century sklls to

complete their project and made remarkable impact on their

project. One sample project is already uploaded in PIL

resources”ICT for up-liftment of tribes. As information and

communication technology (ICT) becomes more widely used in

classrooms and schools, attention is being focused on how ICT can

make teaching and learning more effective. ICTs can be used to

assist people in their current economic activities, including farming,

Rural development, empowering tribals, for sustainable education

trade, and entrepreneurship. Students from the local communities

who generally learn computer skills rapidly could be trained to

serve as information intermediaries for the older generation for

their community upliftment. In this juncture students of Jawahar

Navodaya Vidyalaya, Kiltampalem, Vizianagaram have made an

attempt for the upliftment of Tribels in the near by villages viz.,

kasipatnam, addateega and sitanagaram of vizianagaram district.

This project is carried out under the Intel Learn Programme.

The Intel Learn program aims at bridging the digital divide and

helping youth to acquire the skills needed to compete in knowledge

based economy, the program has been instrumental in promoting

technology literacy and 21st century skills among children from the

underserved communities in the age group of 8-16.

Tribal people are the traditional forest-dwellers who live in

the lap of nature. According to article 366 (25) of the constitution

of India which refers to scheduled tribes as those communities, who

are scheduled in accordance with article 342 of the constitution.

This article says that only those communities who have been

declared as such by the president through an initial public

notification or through a subsequent amending act of parliament

will be considered to be scheduled tribes. Their lifestyle is

conditioned by ecosystem and in tuned with nature. They take birth

in the forest, grow there and even die there. They are living like

the frogs in their wells. Theydo not know about the outer world.

That’s why they are treated as backward.

The project “ICT for Upliftment of Tribal People” highlights

the contribution of ICT in developing the tribal life. The project is

carried out for a period of 30 days with utmost care and plan of

action guided by a teacher and a team of five students during the

month of January, 2011. It has been divided in to 3 phases

1. Pre- project phase

2. Project phase

3. Post project phase.

In the Pre-project phase preliminary information on various

problems was identified and gathered a data in tribal villages.

During project phase – A Detailed study was conducted mainly on

health, education, employment & low sex ratio. As part of case

study village heads, Sarpanch, Social Activist, Doctor & Teacher

were interviewed. It gave an opportunity to know about the

problems & conditions of the people as well as actions taken by the

government. Different programmes viz., Adult literacy

programmes, Computer literacy for school going children and

Health awareness programmes were conceived and carried out in

the locality in order to educate and sensitise the people about the

fast transforming world.

An online community in wikis was created aiming to enable

the communities to share the information among peers and to

inculcate a culture among them through which they can highlight

the problems of their localities on line. Our efforts had borne fruits

as many of the people who have witnessed our project came to

know about the use of ICT, value of education & health in daily life.

And also took a decision to support the tribal people as much as

they can.

The same villages were visited after 120 days and 180 days

as part of post-project assignment. During 1st visit (after 120

days) it is noticed the impact of project is in its juvinile stage in

which tribels have shown keen inclination to get transformed and

adopted the ICT in their daily life.

During the 2nd visit (after 180days) the impact of project is

profound on people who started using ICT in their day to day works.

It is evident from the steady raise in attendence in schools, the

decline in the occurrence of contagious diseases and the growth in

the usage of mobile technology.

It is felt that there is a long way to go in uplifting the tribes

by providing many more opportunities like this through a

continuous monitoring and observation. They should be given

chances to have first-hand experience by exposing them to the

latest changes and trends that are revolutionising the technology

by organising community based school projects which will certainly

have an enriching experience in the life’s of the poor tribels.

Extended Learning Beyond the

Classroom

elearningbio.com is an online learning site, seeks to enhance and

broaden the learning experience by providing high quality curriculum based learning and teaching resources to Schools, Students and Teachers. It provides students play a pivotal role in helping a student succeed in today’s knowledge oriented world. It

offers educational support in an interactive way, providing them the new dimension in their learning and teaching experience. This site provides a rich learning experience and through e-learning, m-learning, e-courses, virtual class, forum and social networking tools.

E-content E-Learning modules are designed in biology from grade 9 to grade 10. By keeping the objectives and goals of curriculum. E-content has been designed at four level text, pictorial, animation and videos and also aimed at different learners. Podcast and Screencast (m-learning) Podcast (audio lessons) and screencast (video lessons) enable the students and teachers to share information with anyone anytime. If a students is absent he or she can download it and view or listen the recorded lessons. I especially use these to physically and visually challenged students and achieved remarkable change in the student learning process. I could notice learning with their

autonomy, willingness and self-esteem.

Raghu’s Biology E-course (using Moodle LMS)

Raghu’s Biology E-course is an area will add resources and activities for their students to complete. It is a simple page with downloadable documents or it might be a complex set of tasks where learning progresses through interaction. Progress can be tracked in a number of ways.

Biology e course page is made up of central sections which contain the tasks and (if desired) blocks to the side. Students can be enrolled manually by the teacher, automatically by the administrator, or they can be allowed to enroll themselves. Students can also be added to groups if they need to be separated from classes sharing the same course or if tasks need to be differentiated.

Forum:

The online Subject discussion forum allows students to work together on projects in small groups, participate in on-going

discussions focused on course content, and to "present" group project products to the rest of the class. All of this is done independent of student location and time of actual participation in the discussion forum. This is coordinated with a separate web site for the readings and assignments of an online course. Making weekly participation in the discussion a requirement "institutionalizes" the discussion forum within the course. Student can make their own posting on various subject related issues in the form of questions and ask the experts etc., there are separate forums for teachers and students but the student can interact with teacher of his interest in the forum.

Student forum

• Collaborate with other students

• They Ask queries to Experts

• They can chat with Teachers

• They can attend online tests

• Download content

• They can post a useful link

Teachers’ forum:

• Allows Discussion with other teachers

• Post your Articles

• Post useful web links

• Collaboration with other teachers

Virtual Class Room: A virtual class room allows learner to attend a class from anywhere in the world and aims to provides a learning experience that is similar to real class room. I’m running a biology class with no physical classroom. The students meet with me online at mutually suitable times, in the late evening using 15 seat Blackboard

collaborate virtual class room, where we share asynchronously on a group discussion forum. So far I have been very pleased with the way class has been running. Below a short list of some of the impressions and experiences that have surfaced so far…

Removal of geographical barrier

Sessions cab be recorded

Quicker to organize, one to one communication

Students are very enthusiastic –passionate

Meetings are recorded for us- so if a student doesn’t

understand something we talk about she/he can go back

later and ‘re-live that part of the class

Teaching this way de-specifies out work hours.

Cutting Edge use of technology/ICT for Learning

ICT resources are promising that they help most students (differently abled) overcome barriers of learning

Virtual Class: to conduct online face to face v-class (blackboard collaboration) virtual class conducted on requirement basis to Teachers and Students on academic and professional development. Podomatic: Record podcast and broadcasting. Podcasts were used

in various school for visually and physically challenged schools. Moodle: E-courses

Created Screencast by using Camtasia provided Offline and Online to the students and teachers. Forums: The online Subject discussion forum allows students to

work together on projects in small groups, participate in on-going discussions focused on course content, and to "present" group project products to the rest of the class. All of this is done independent of student location and time of actual participation in

the discussion forum. This is coordinated with a separate web site for the readings and assignments of an online course. Making weekly participation in the discussion a requirement "institutionalizes" the discussion forum within the course. Student can make their own posting on various subject related issues in the form of questions and ask the experts etc., there are separate forums for teachers and students but the student can interact with teacher of his interest in the forum.

Educator and

Innovator & Change Agent

As an innovative educator I strive to empower students and teachers with new emerging tools in education.

Flipping Learning to Humanize the Student Experience

In bygone days, students had to be in a classroom to learn. That

is where the teacher was, that is where the books were. The only

time a teacher had to explain concepts to his students was when

all together in the classroom. Accordingly, certain types of learning

activities were conducted in the classroom, and other types were

set as homework.

But the constraints on which the current model were based are no

longer real. Any student with a computer or smartphone now has

access to the same pool of information as her teacher. Likewise,

teachers and students can now communicate about the learning,

using free tools at any time whether in the classroom or out. This

gives us the chance of deciding afresh which learning activities will

be most beneficial if assigned for "homework" and which are most

beneficial in class time. In this presentation, Rao will explain the

"flipped classroom" model. In this model, students listen to their

teacher's explanations at convenient times outside the classroom,

and use the class time for activities infused with human

interaction. The result is a class of students that is more

connected, more collaborative, more human.

Redefining Classroom

In this presentation, Rao will explain why he believes it is necessary

for teachers to adopt new approaches to teaching a new generation

of learners. His intention is not to promote "high-tech" skills in

teachers, but rather to encourage widespread adoption of easy-to-

use technologies that are 'high-concept' and have the power to

transform classroom interaction. In the last decade, informal

communication between young people has been revolutionised by

social networking sites, instant messaging, mobile phones and

numerous other technologies that give them instant access

to information and people any time, anywhere. In his presentation

Rao will show how any teacher is able to change the way he or she

communicates with students, taking advantage of the very same

digital communication tools that Gen-Y students use.

From podcasting to social networking to mobile phones to virtual

classrooms, this presentation will explore the potential in digital

communication technologies to challenge notions of where, when

and how class members interact, and even who the class members

are.

Rao is adamant in his belief that teachers don't need

"computer skills" to transform their classrooms, but a willingness

to question their 20th Century paradigms and rethink their role as

an educator in a world where information is available on-demand

and communication is instantaneous. He will show real-world

examples of the ways in which teachers have used the ideas he

promotes, across a range of subjects and year levels, to make a

profound impact on student engagement and learning outcomes.

Professional Learning Workshops

The Tools of Engagement

“You don’t need to be very good with technology to do very good

things with technology.”

This workshop will explore easy-to-use technologies and gadgets

that Rao has found to be simple, engaging, powerful and

inexpensive. These tools provide two great advantages: (1) they

let teachers teach in new ways and/or at times that would be

otherwise impractical and (2) they increase the human element of

teaching by automating repetitive (but necessary) instruction

thereby affording a teacher more class time for those right-brain-

directed interactions that cannot be automated but require human

interaction.

This presentation can be tailored to any length. The more time

available, the more tools that we can cover. In any presentation

about Web 2.0 tools, Rao will show teachers some tools that are

very easy to use, free, and inherently engaging to

students. Teachers will feel empowered to walk into class the very

next day and start using their new repertoire of engaging and

powerful tools.

iPadogogy

The iPad is not just a great content consumption device but a

powerful content creation device in the hands of a student. The

combination of a high quality camera, video camera, microphone

together with an internet connection and thousands of apps makes

it, in many ways the device of choice for teachers who want their

students to learn and express themselves creatively.

This workshop will explore various ways of using the iPad in ways

that enhance the learning experience for students. While a

thorough coverage will be given of some of the best educational

apps available, a second important focus will be placed on

transformative teaching and learning practices that complement

the introduction of iPads in the classroom.

Among other things, the following will be covered:

The simplest ways of managing files,

Sharing documents and other files between class members.

Suggestions for managing student behaviour, related to the use of

iPads.

Some of the most effective apps to use for teaching and learning.

Flipped Learning

In bygone days, students had to be in a classroom to learn. That is

where the teacher was, that is where the books were. The only time

a teacher had to explain concepts to his students was when all

together in the classroom. Accordingly, certain types of learning

activity were conducted in the classroom, and other types were set

as homework. But the constraints on which the current model were

based are no longer real. Any student with a computer or

smartphone now has access to the same pool of information as her

teacher. Likewise, teachers and students can now communicate

about the learning, using simple, free tools at any time whether in

the classroom or out. This profound change in when and where we

access information and communicate, gives us the exciting

opportunity to decide afresh which learning activities will be most

beneficial if assigned for "homework" and which are most beneficial

in class time.

In this workshop, Rao will explain the "flipped classroom" model.

In this model, students listen to their teacher's explanations and

participate in online discussions at any time of day or night (instead

of completing "homework"). This frees up more class time for

learning activities infused with human interaction. The result is a

class of students that is more connected; more collaborative; more

human.

One focus of this workshop will be on simple, effective tools for

communicating via podcasts, screencasts, vodcasts, and social

media. But a second, equally important focus will be on the

effective use of the class time that is made available.

Audio Podcasting

In this workshop, Rao will demonstrate how any teacher can easily

make a podcast for her students using the free software

Audacity. Audacity allows a teacher to record his or her voice, edit,

add sound effects and music, and export the resulting podcast as

an MP3 which students can listen to anytime, anywhere on their

iPod or mobile phone. Imagine making it possible for your students

to listen to you speaking while they are on the bus, walking to

school or doing their chores? Record vocabulary, poems or songs

that you want your students to remember, or get your students to

make their own podcasts! Rao will also demonstrate how your

podcast can be uploaded to the Internet where your students can

easily access it from home or school.

Podcasting - Beyond Voice Recording

Some teachers who have made educational audio podcasts have

been overwhelmed by a glowing student response. Others have

made podcasts that have failed to capture their students'

interests. What is the difference?

In the classroom, a teacher can command her students' attention

using eye contact, body language, gestures, facial expressions,

physical position in the room, as well as visual stimuli and props. In

an audio podcast she has none of these. Nevertheless a podcast

does provide the opportunity to enchant and engage using devices

not available to the classroom teacher. This workshop will explore

those devices and strategies.

This workshop is hosted by Rao one of the world's leading

educational podcasters with an audience of around 9000

students. The emphasis of the session is not on the technical

aspects of making a podcast (although these will be covered briefly)

but on the strategies that make listening to a podcast engaging -

even addictive for students. A selection of samples from various

teachers in various subject areas will be played as examples.

Screencasting

“Teach more effectively and save time doing it!”

In this workshop, Rao will introduce you to all the best tools for

screencasting, including Jing, Snagit, Camtasia Studio and

Screenflow and if time permits, Profcast and Podreel. In each case

the use of the tool will be demonstrated, and the strengths and

weaknesses of each, hi-lighted. Learning to use the software and

equipment will take you half way to making screencasts that

amplify the effectiveness of your teaching, but equally important

are the strategies that make screencasts engaging to students, so

attention will also be devoted to these.

Virtual Classroom

“Who needs a classroom?”

Whether your class is large and you are looking for ways to increase

individual student participation, or whether small numbers threaten

the continued running of your class, the ‘Virtual classroom’ concept

has much to offer. Designed to allow classes to meet when class

members can’t be physically together, Black Board Collaboration is

also an excellent tool to use with a “regular” class both in and out

of the classroom.

Rao has used Black Board Collaboration extensively both in and out

of the classroom with his regular class, and has also been teaching

an ‘online class’ of students from small schools that could not justify

running a class for so few students.

Virtual classrooms are so effective that in the future they are sure

to become a common way to run a class. Jump ahead of the curve

and come to this presentation to be challenged about how you can

use this simple, but powerful tool to great advantage in your own

teaching situation.

Emerging Web 2.0 Tools

“Inject some new zing in your lessons! “This workshop will

demonstrate a smorgasbord of web 2.0 tools (that is, tools that are

operated through a website rather than being downloaded to your

computer). Each tool has been selected because it is (a) easy to

use, (b) allows you to do something novel and (c) are engaging and

fun for students.

Podcasting

In this workshop, participants will learn how to use a number of

tools to create podcasts which include images and media. An

enhanced podcast is a podcast with pictures that display on the

iPod screen as students listen to the audio. A screencast allows a

teacher to demonstrate anything that can be shown on the screen

of a computer, captured as a movie file, complete with the teacher’s

vocal explanations or narration. A vodcast is a video podcast

showing either the person speaking or video of the subject that she

or he is speaking about. A Voicethread is a group podcast, where

all the students in a group can contribute to a single conversation

about an image, text or video. The tools used for each of these

applications is simple to learn, and in most cases free to use.

How to give memorable presentations

Most PowerPoint presentations are boring. As more and more

teachers use PowerPoint in the classroom, they will only get more

boring. Research has shown that the Slides that most presenters

use actually detract from the power of the message rather than

adding to it! In this session Rao will demonstrate what makes a

good PowerPoint slideshow engaging and interesting, even

captivating, and what makes a bad PowerPoint slideshow

boring. Having learned some principles of good PowerPoint design,

participants will learn skills including how to make a non-linear

PowerPoint show and how to use a PowerPoint slideshow to

motivate and inspire your students.

for forum: http://elearningbio.com/forums.php

Facebook Groups Technology in

Teaching: https://www.facebook.com/groups/tech4fteachers/

International Biology Teachers

: https://www.facebook.com/InternationalBiologyTeachers

For workshops and training : https://www.facebook.com/groups/econtentkvs/

Tools Used

· Microsoft Office, · Camtasia (Screencast and Podcast) · Jing, (screen Capturing) · Snagit, · Photosynth (panorama view) · photo story (Digital Story) · Dreamweaver,(PHP) · Frontpage, (html) · Mythware,(one to One learning), · Blackboard(Virtual Learning), · Moodle(LMS), · facebook, · google+, · youtube,

· wordpress, · wiki, · twitter · skype