FTT - GIFs and Snips

GIF or Jif?

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

Steve Wilhite, an American Computer Scientist at CompuServe, was probably not aware that on June 15th, 1987, his invention would ignite the “Great Schism of the 21st Century” as it were, by creating an image format called the Graphics Interchange Format, otherwise known as a GIF. Of the many random things that I am passionate about, I am a fervent supporter of pronouncing GIF with a soft 'G,' and no amount of references to the hard 'G' in graphics will change my mind. Regardless of how you pronounce GIFs, we can all agree that the simple, 8-bit image format has greatly improved the way we communicate and instruct online. While I have enjoyed many GIFs of cats doing funny things over the years, I have found GIFs to be an invaluable teaching tool to show a process instead of just describing one. GIFs have carved out a niche in between text and video and can be found on most how-to guides.

There are dozens of free GIF makers out there, but I found that the simplest one for educational use is called GifCam. It’s lightweight at a shocking 700 kb, making it smaller than most JPEG image files. So let’s get down to the brass tacks, how do you use it to create GIFs? Let’s start by creating a simple GIF of adding a link to Schoology.

You can download GifCam free here

Step 1: Demarcation

To create the boundaries of what you want to capture, simply manipulate the GifCam window itself around the area.(I am fully aware of the Inception-esque feel of creating a GIF, of myself creating a GIF)

Step 2: Setup Recording

Click on the little arrow to the right of the “Rec” button. 10 FPS is typically enough for our intents and purposes. Here you can also enable “Capture Cursor” to show your mouse arrow.

Step 3: Record

Click the “Rec” button to begin. Do what you need to do to complete your GIF and hit the “Stop” button to end the GIF.

Step 4: Save and Export

Now that your GIF is recorded, press the “Save” button on the side. Rename your precious GIF into your folder and you’re all set! (depending on the length of the GIF it may take a few minutes)

Step 5: New GIFs
When you want to create a new GIF, you need to go back to the arrow next to the "Rec" button and click, "New."

One more for the road - Steve Wilhite famously said in 2013:
"The Oxford English Dictionary accepts both pronunciations. They are wrong. It is a soft 'G,' pronounced 'jif.' End of Story." Boo-yah

You can use GifCam on your browser, desktop, Microsoft product, and other programs. Have another GIF program or another recording tool? Share below!

FTT - Albert.io

Online Test Prep

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

One of the best years I’ve had as a teacher came unsurprisingly when I was single, had no dogs, and was asked to teach AP economics for the first time. With no relatively real responsibilities yet, I took the challenge of an AP spot by completely immersing myself into my curriculum, and was free to spend most of my extra time focused on my classes.

When I finally met my students, I had this overwhelming desire to do right by them and get them the scores, and more importantly the college credit, that they sorely needed. Now while I’ve come to understand that the almighty 5 is not the most important value of a good education, the rapid inflation of college tuition, and the subsequent rise in student loan debt, puts educators in a position to balance teaching to the test and keeping the integrity of their vocation.

To this point, Albert.io is a resource I sorely wished I had access to all those years ago. The educators and professionals that make up Albert’s team have put together an extensive online test prep resource for AP exams, SAT/ACT, and graduate exams like the GMAT, GRE, and MCATs. Some early piloting done by Deerfield’s AP Psych team last year yielded some great results, and we are excited to expand it to some of the other AP courses. Here’s a snapshot at some of the features Albert.io offers:

While there is a heavy focus on AP subjects, Albert.io has a strong selection of assignments and analysis on subjects like the humanities, accounting, finance, and others.

Their online study guides are comprehensive and include basic multiple choice practice, FRQs, and full practice exams.

The multiple choice section categorizes questions by unit and difficulty. Once submitted, revealed solutions give a detailed explanation of why a particular answer was correct, and just as importantly, why the other options were incorrect. Data is collected site wide and students can see how other users have answered.

Sample FRQs are plentiful and provide sample solutions, explanations, and the FRQ scoring guidelines.

Full practice exams are timed, organized, and have detailed instructions to replicate the real thing.

AP exams are rigorous, and the stress on our students near overwhelming. This resource can a tremendous help to our AP teachers and students in their quest of learning advanced materials and mitigating the pressures that come with it. Do you have experience with Albert.io or other online resources? Comment below!

FTT - SAMR Model

Image from: Wikimedia Commons

Let's Think About What We're Doing: The SAMR Model

@LisaBerghoff/@MrKimDHS

When I first embarked on the new position of Director of Instructional Technology, 3 years ago, several friends and family members who are not educators asked me to explain my job to them. Was I going to fix computers? No. Was I going to hook up projectors? No. Was I going to show teachers where to click to access their files? Sometimes. Eventually my younger son, who was 8 at the time, explained it best. He said "She's going to teach teachers how to use chromebooks in ways that aren't stupid". That explanation still comes to mind when I think about my goals in how I work with teachers. We all agree that we don't want our kids staring at screens all day. We know that interpersonal, face to face communication skills are extremely important to be successful in today's world. However, technology also plays an important role in learning as we can now re-imagine tasks and kids can do things that were inconceivable before.

As we take a deep dive into the school year with our 1:1 chromebooks, our new LMS- Schoology, and our use of the TI Inspire CS CAX calculators, I believe this is the perfect time to take a deep breath, take a step back, and look at the WHY. When we plan lessons, activities, and assessments, what is our purpose? When it comes to ed.tech, one of the most widely used models to examine purpose is the SAMR model. This framework was created by Dr. Ruben Puentedura and it categorizes 4 different degrees of classroom technology integration.  One thing to keep in mind is that although there are 4 levels of technology integration and it appears to be a hierarchy, not all lessons should be striving for the redefinition level. At times, substitution is the most appropriate use of technology for a particular lesson. Therefore, there is no need for judgement here, let's just be aware of what we're doing, understand why we're doing it, and be mindful that every lesson is not at the same level. The SAMR model is a simple way to take a look at our use of technology in the classroom and can help give us some direction as we move forward. 

Here is the SAMR model explained in 120 seconds by Candice Marcotte:

Still not sure how the SAMR model works?
Here are some examples that I came up with that are NOT classroom related.
Maybe some of these will resonate with you.

Substitution:

I used to have a paper calendar/planner book that I took with me everywhere. I loved that book! I loved looking at my whole week at a glance. Now, I use the calendar app on my phone to mark down appointments and events. This is pretty much just a substitute for the paper calendar that I used to use. 

Augmentation:

I can share my digital calendar with my husband. This way, if he is making plans, he can look and see what we already have planned without needing to call and ask or look at a paper calendar that would be located at home. Sharing calendars digitally makes it easier for us to coordinate plans in a timely manner. 

Modification:

My digital calendar can now alert me when I need to leave to go to an appointment. Using traffic information and gps technology, the calendar app on my phone sends me an alert in enough time for me to get there on time. This has changed the way I manage my time because I no longer need to look up travel times or distances and try to plan my day around that information. 

Redefinition:

If I can't make it to an appointment in person, my Google calendar app will generate a link to a Google Meet/Hangout so I can join the meeting over my computer or phone. I can use the webcam and microphone so the meeting participants can still see and hear me and I can participate remotely. 

This feature has enabled me to participate in meetings with people who are in different states, timezones, even different countries! I have participated in online professional conferences in real time but without needing to travel. This could not happen without technology and we couldn't even imagine it several years ago. 

Have you been using SAMR to think about your own classroom lessons and activities? Post in the comments section below.