Professional Learning Reflection - Discovery Education

Professional Learning Reflection - Day of Discovery at the Berrien RESA

The Day of Discovery at Berrien RESA was very informative about a tool that we all have access to. Much of the content that is broadcast over the Discovery Channel is available along with much more. The streaming service is available to all staff members and students within the district. If you are planning on using it, please plan ahead to ensure that we can get the access that you and your students need. The day was highlighting all of the items that are available to us within in the district. Libby Galster, a professional development presenter from Discovery Education led our discussion and activities.

To get access to the site, you simply have to let Tonya know and go to the Discovery Education website.

One of the coolest parts of the day was a highlight on the ability to make a board. A board is similar to a hyperdoc or glogster, it is an interactive poster with videos, text, pictures, and other content built right into the document. This can be incredibly powerful for you to create for your students, but think of the possibilities if you were to have your students create these items. Specifically, think of the ownership that students would have to demonstrate over the content if they created their own boards. Boards were an incredibly cool feature that could really extend classroom activities.

What do we want kids to do with
technology?
@PlugUsIn

While I loved the technology that was on display, the spotlight on strategies that Ms. Galster shared. Discovery Education has a variety of these available on their website. These were amazing because they are ways that we can easily teach using terminology that our students are comfortable with. For instance, one of my favorite strategies was the “Table-top Texting” strategy. Using the table-top texting, students participate in a back-channel discussion or sharing of topics that allows students to do it with post-it notes. This allows students the opportunity to share in a safe space but also allows them to connect with technology that they use. You can read more about table-top texting here. Another great summarization tool was Tweet-Tweet, which is a paper simulation of a twitter message. Both of these examples bring digital citizenship into the classroom in a positive light, instead of the constant “don’t do this” that so many students hear about social media.

In an overarching way, the session was focused on what do we really want our students to do with technology? What is the point of the technology in the classroom? Ms. Galster shared with us Bill Ferriter’s (@PlugUsIn) excellent sketch note entitled “What do we want kids to do with technology?” Followed up with a video of a young man who managed to get legislation passed regarding sharks in his home state. It was an important reminder that technology is only the tool, not the learning outcome.

To assist in the transition, I am ready to work with anyone that wants to work with Discovery Education. We also have the professional learning tab that will allow us to extend and share our learning as we go. If you have any more questions, please let me know.