Name: Melanie
Posts by mruda:
- Age appropriate. The app had to be appropriate for school age children. I was looking for something beyond the ubiquitous apps for toddlers and preschoolers that teach colors, numbers, and letters. At the other end of the spectrum were apps for SAT prep. They didn’t fit the bill either.
- Focus on vocabulary development. I eliminated apps with an emphasis on spelling, sight words, phonics, or grammar because my focus was on helping kids learn the meanings of new words. Being able to type a word or unscramble the letters reinforces words that kids already know, but it doesn’t necessarily help them expand their vocabularies. For this reason, I also avoided word-find and letter-scramble type games, although you’ll see at the end of this post that I made some exceptions.
- Limitations of the Technologies Used
Not recognizing technical limitations at the start can result in lots of rework at the 11th hour. Before writing a word of content or creating any assets, be sure to discuss the limitations imposed by the technologies, such as:
- screen size
- use of browser plug-ins
- band width
- which browsers, software, and hardware the client will use - File Organization
Documents. Audio. Graphics. Animations. Videos. It’s not unusual for an e-learning project to require hundreds or even thousands of files. Decide ahead of time how the files will be organized, especially those files that are “touched” by several team members. Set up the folder structure before work begins. - File Naming
The bigger the project, the more important it is to establish file-naming conventions, especially if the project is data-driven. And be sure to document the conventions in a Project Style Guide. That way everyone knows what has been agreed upon. - Content Style Guide
Establishing a Content Style Guide is necessary for maintaining a consistent writing style, particularly when there is more than one instructional designer on the project. It also acts as a reference during quality assurance testing. The Content Style Guide usually includes grammar elements as well as standards for common phrasing and treatment of project-specific content. - Graphic Treatment
Decide ahead of time about the size and treatment of graphics. - Graphic Request Process
When only a few graphics are needed, a brief conversation at the graphic designer’s workstation or an informal email may be fine. But when there are many graphics to be produced and track, a request form brings some order to the process. Graphic request forms should include the following information:
- Due date
- Location and names of the source files
- Description of what is to be produced
- Height and/or width of production files
- Location and name (if different) of production files - Online teacher training that explains the research behind Word Learning Strategies and gives an overview of the lessons
- A core curriculum of 45 teacher-led lessons for 4th and 5th graders on the Word Parts, Context, Dictionary, and Combined Strategies, complete with a Teacher’s Guide, student activity sheets, 8 full-color posters, and other classroom materials
- Three kinds of online instruction for individual students: remediation for students requiring more time to learn specific strategies, idiom instruction for ELL students, and instruction on Spanish cognates for Spanish speaking ELL students
- To order Dr. Graves’ book, go to http://www.amazon.com/Vocabulary-Book-Learning-Instruction-Language/dp/0807746274/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1295641645&sr=8-1
- For more information and a demo of The First 4,0000 Words, go to http://www.thefirst4000words.com/
- To see samples from the Word Learning Strategies Program and monitor its progress, visit http://www.wordlearningstrategies.com/
- Reflection is the cement that holds learning in place. When kids can name what they’ve learned, they are more likely to remember it.
- Reflection gives kids a chance to recognize their accomplishments. Learning can sometimes be invisible, and it can truly feel like “nothing” has been achieved. Help students identify ways their knowledge has grown.
- Reflection is a life skill—eventually kids should be doing it on their own without prompting. Socrates said, “An unexamined life is not worth living.” This may be an overstatement, but it still makes the point that pausing to reflect on an experience adds value to it.
Vocab-a-splat Is Here!
April 10th, 2012
In my last blog, I noted the dearth of vocabulary-building apps for kids in early elementary school. The team here at Seward Incorporated is excited to announce the release of an iPad app that will help fill the void: Vocab-a-splat!
Many children’s apps claim to be educational, but their value is negligible. Not so with Vocab-a-splat. Vocab-a-splat is an educational game with a pedigree. It is a spin-off of The First 4,000 Words, a web-based program used to teach the 4,000 most frequently used English words. Research-based and field-tested, The First 4,000 Words has been proven effective with students in grades 1-4.
The words taught in Vocab-a-splat come from the same well-regarded sources as those used for The First 4,000 Words: The Educator’s Word Frequency Guide and Hiebert’s Word ZonesTM corpus. Vocab-a-splat contains 20 levels, each with 10 vocabulary words centering on a theme such as “Family,” “Science,” or “All About You.”
About now you might be thinking, “This all sounds well and good, but is the game fun?” Yes, we think it is. And our testers, aged 4-6, agreed. Using a slingshot, players fling balls at the pictures that match the spoken words. Players try to make 10 matches before running out of balls. Animations and sound effects sustain the fun.
Vocab-a-splat is now available for free at the App Store. Download it today. Your favorite kindergartener will thank you.
What’s the Word on Vocabulary Apps for Kids?
February 13th, 2012With a shiny new iPad 2 in hand, my mission was to find cheap mobile apps that help kids in grades K-6 develop their oral and reading vocabularies. A search on vocabulary within the education category in the App store yielded a couple hundred hits, though not many met my criteria:
After sifting through the choices, the resulting list was surprisingly short. Here are some apps that directly address vocabulary development.
Martha Speaks Dog Party by PBS Kids
This app is suitable for kindergarten and first grade, as well as for younger children. It received a Parents Choice Recommended award in the Spring of 2010. Dog Party contains three games and a pop quiz.
Doggie Dress Up is a mix-and-match slider game in which the child chooses accessories for the dog party guests. Martha comments on the child’s creations, using words such as stylish and fashionable. Then Martha explains what the words mean.
In Martha Says, children put Martha’s dog friends through their paces, and by doing so learn synonyms for walk, stroll, and run.
Chow Time is the least contextual of the games but the most sensory. Children see three plates that are decorated in a motif related to the target word, such as striped or triangular. After selecting the correct plate, the child moves their finger over the plate so the dog’s tongue can lap up the chow.
WordGirl Word Hunt by Scholastic Inc.
Another app suitable for early elementary is WordGirl Word Hunt. This app presents unknown words within narrated stories about WordGirl, a superhero who uses her powers to fight villains. Children use visual and context clues to select the correct meaning. They’re rewarded for their correct choice with a game in which they tilt the iOS device to make WordGirl fly.
Vocabulary Central Grade 6 by Pearson
This app offers six units of literature-related content, although the 16 words taught in each unit seem to be only loosely tied to the unit names. For example, the first five words taught in the Fiction and Nonfiction unit are confirm, decision, determine, evidence, and fact.
Each unit has three activities: Flashcards, BQ Tunes, and Vocabulary Trivia. Each flashcard provides everything you’d want to know about a word: its definition, part of speech, a model sentence, a photo, and more info such as synonyms and antonyms. The value of BQ Tunes is that it presents the words in context. Vocabulary Trivia is a quiz show type of game. Players answer timed multiple choice questions about the meanings of the words.
And here are a couple more apps worth mentioning, though I’m loosening the criteria to do so. Knowing the meaning of a word isn’t necessary for success in these games, but they’re fun to play. Definitions are included as a peripheral element.
Textropolis by Nimblebit LCC
In this game, players rearrange the letters in city names to form as many words as they can. As the number of words increases, the cityscape is filled with objects. For example, players might use the letters A-M-S-T-E-R-D-A-M to form words such as master, arm, and mad. As each word is formed, its definition is displayed. The sequel, Fishtropolis, uses a similar premise–players use the letters from fish names to form words. A nice feature of these apps is that they support use by multiple players who share a device.
Chicktionary by blockdot
Want to dress up some chickens as pirates? In Chicktionary, you can do that! The graphics, animations, and sound effects make for light-hearted fun. Like Textropolis and Fishtropolis, the object is to form as many words as possible using the letters from a long word. Players can access a definition by tapping a word, although doing so is a clunky process that opens up the browser and interrupts the game flow.
Do you know of other apps developed for children age 5-12 that focus primarily on vocabulary development? If so, please leave a comment.
Designing Educational iPad Apps for Kids
October 18th, 2011In a college writing course I took, the instructor advised us to begin our research with broad exploration of a topic before honing in on the specifics. Years later, I continue to follow her advice. My current interest is in learning how to design educational iPad apps for elementary students. This blog entry highlights the four most helpful resources I’ve encountered during the beginning stages of my research.
Shuler, C. (2009). Pockets of Potential: Using Mobile Technologies to Promote Children’s Learning. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/Reports-23.html
Chion, C., & Shuler, C. (2010) Learning: Is there an app for that? Investigations of young children’s usage and learning with mobile devices and apps. New York: The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop.
http://www.joanganzcooneycenter.org/Reports-27.html
These two reports from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center are thorough, interesting, and easy to read. In Pockets of Potential, Shuler convincingly argues that the advances in mobile technology hold great educational potential for today’s students. The report describes the key opportunities and challenges in mobile learning, summarizes the relevant market trends and innovations, outlines goals for mobile learning, and provides 25 examples of how mobile devices are already in use in educational settings.
Learning: Is There an App for That? delves further into trends, presents the results of three studies that were undertaken to explore the feasibility and effectiveness of using apps to promote learning among preschool- and early-elementary-aged children, and discusses the implications these findings have for industry, education, and research.
Gemmell, M. (2010) iPad Application Design
http://mattgemmell.com/2010/03/05/ipad-application-design/
The iPad is a mobile device that fills a unique niche between smart phone and desktop computer. In his blog article, Gemmell does a nice job of identifying the unique features of the iPad. He offers suggestions for designing a user interface that capitalize on the iPad’s strengths while still working within its limitations.
Nielsen, J. (2011) iPad Usability: Year One
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/ipad.html
Jacob Nielsen, a widely-recognized authority in website usability, has weighed in on app usability for the iPad. The Nilesen Norman Group observed and interviewed 16 iPad owners as they used 26 apps and 6 websites. iPad Usability: Year One describes the conclusions. None of the apps tested were educational games, but many of the recommendations still apply. The full report is available for download at http://www.nngroup.com/reports/mobile/ipad/ipad-usability_2nd-edition.pdf
Headache Prevention for Project Managers
August 2nd, 2011In my work as an instructional designer, I’ve always been fortunate to work on a team with at least one programmer and one graphic artist. The advantage to this approach is that each of us can bring our strengths to the project. I can concentrate on good design and not worry (too much) about the idiosyncrasies of the latest design and development tools.
But having three or more people developing one product also presents challenges, since no two people think alike and are likely to make conflicting assumptions. Before team members hunker down in their respective cubicles to crank out content, code, and assets, they should establish a detailed internal development process. Coming to a common understanding about process at the beginning of the project will prevent multiple headaches at the end.
Here are some topics for discussion before development begins:
The most stressful time in a project is typically toward the end when everyone is scrambling to finish up. Not being able to find a file or needing to rework content because it doesn’t fit on the page only adds to the stress level. Some of the stress can be prevented by establishing a detailed plan at the start.
Strengths of Video in E-Learning
May 31st, 2011Suppose you’re developing an e-learning course. So far, you have a lot of text and some graphics, and are looking for a way to spice things up. “Everyone likes movies,” says a colleague. “Let’s add some video.”
Should you do it? Well, that depends. Always consider the message you’re trying to convey. Video is a good choice for these purposes:
· To demonstrate soft skills
Video conveys emotion in a way that no other media can. Use it for teaching soft skills related to personal interaction with clients and members of your work team. Video allows the learner to pick up on the subtleties of body language, tone of voice and facial expressions.
· To inspire and convince
Because video can communicate on an emotional and personal level, use it to inspire and convince. At the start of a business-wide initiative, you might include video of the CEO talking about how the initiative will benefit the business and the workers. Or consider including testimonial video from the learner’s peers—people who have successfully implemented the product or process change into their own work.
· To add realism
Videos add realism. They can help a simulation in sales training or a case study in a nursing course come to life.
· To establish credibility
When educators and health care providers are introduced to a new product, practice, or method, one of their first questions is “What does the research say?” One way to establish credibility about the research is to include video of an expert.
· To demonstrate a procedure
When done well, videos are an effective way to demonstrate a procedure. You might use video to show how to assemble a piece of equipment, operate a machine, perform a medical procedure, lift a heavy package, or swing a baseball bat.
Here are some tips for producing effective procedure videos:
o Consider the screen size in which the video will be viewed. If the video is being played in a small window, it will be difficult for the learner to see what’s happening. Use close-ups to be certain the learner can see the critical action.
o Keep the video short enough that the learner isn’t overwhelmed with information. This is a good time to apply George Miller’s frequently cited rule: learners can hold about seven bits of information in their working memory, plus or minus two. If you’re producing a video for a procedure with many steps, consider breaking it into parts.
o Learners might not understand everything after one viewing. Provide controls to rewind, fast forward and move slowly ahead. Also include a scrub bar, the bar that shows the progress of the video and allows users to play back from any point.
Every form of media has its strengths. Video is NOT a good means for conveying lots of factual information. For that purpose, choose text, charts, or a table. But when emotion and the subtleties of human communication are critical to the message, nothing beats video.
Smart, Custom Solutions for Real World Problems
March 8th, 2011“Literacy is not a luxury, it is a right and a responsibility. If our world is to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century we must harness the energy and creativity of all our citizens.”
-President Clinton on International Literacy Day. September 8, 1994.
Visit Seward Incorporated’s website, and you’ll see that at Seward, we strive to create smart, custom solutions for real world problems—problems like illiteracy.
Many U.S. students are not developing the reading skills they need to succeed in school, become participating members of society, and join the increasingly knowledge-oriented U.S. workforce. The most recent regular National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reading assessment (Lee, Grigg, & Donahue, 2007), which reported results for fourth graders and eighth graders, indicated that only 67 percent of fourth graders and 74 percent of eighth graders scored at or above the Basic level, the lowest level of performance defined by NAEP.
Through funding provided by Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants, Seward has created two products for elementary school students that help them develop their reading skills. Both are supplemental programs grounded in research and educational theory built around themes that are motivating to kids. And while both contribute to literacy development, they do so in very different ways. The table below highlights some of the features and differences of the programs.
|
Product |
The First 4,000 Words |
|
Digging Reading |
|
|
Focus |
Vocabulary building |
|
Reading comprehension |
|
|
Purpose |
Teaches the 4,000 words that most frequently appear in print |
|
Teaches nine reading comprehension strategies that students use to unearth the deeper meaning of what they read |
|
|
Format
|
Primarily electronic, with paper-and-pencil tests. Includes Teacher’s Guide. |
|
Primarily print, with teacher training on a DVD. Includes Teacher’s Guide, posters, student activities, quizzes, and tests. |
|
|
Contents |
355 online lessons |
|
53 30-minute teacher-led lessons |
|
|
For whom? |
Students with weak vocabularies |
|
All students |
|
|
How?
|
The teacher sets up accounts for the students and checks on their progress, but students work on the lessons independently. |
|
The teacher teaches the lessons to an entire class or a group of students. |
|
|
When? |
At a time assigned by the teacher |
|
During reading/language class |
|
|
Based on these educational principles |
Students experience multiple encounters with individual words. They receive definition and contextual information and actively process the word meanings while listening to stories, playing games, and taking assessments. |
|
Synthesis of direct explanation and transactional strategies instruction, with an emphasis on motivation, engagement, and confidence-building. |
|
|
Theme |
The Vocabitat Students enter an imaginary world called the Vocabitat, a vocabulary habitat. Eight animal characters guide the students through their learning.
|
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Archaeology Students learn how reading comprehension strategies are similar to the tools used by an archaeologist. For example, Determining What is Important is symbolized by a sieve. Like archaeologists who sift through the dirt to find hidden artifacts, students sort and sift through the text to determine the most important information.
|
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For more information about Digging Reading and The First 4000 Words, go to https://shop.sewardinc.com/
Seward Inc. Helps Build Strong Vocabularies Two Ways
January 25th, 2011There’s no question that a strong vocabulary greases the track toward academic success. The question is, “What can teachers do to help students increase their vocabularies?” Seward Incorporated and Dr. Michael Graves have collaborated in developing two easy-to-implement products that help students build strong vocabularies.
In The Vocabulary Book: Learning and Instruction1, author Michael Graves proposes a comprehensive four-part vocabulary program for all children:
1. Providing rich and varied language experiences
Most parents would agree that, especially in their early years, children are sponges. Capitalize on their ability to indirectly learn new vocabulary by providing rich and varied language experiences. For children in the primary grades and younger, the best way to facilitate vocabulary growth is through myriads of interactions that involve listening and speaking. A good way for students in the intermediate grades to increase their vocabularies is through frequent and extensive reading.
2. Teaching individual words
Another way children learn vocabulary is through direct instruction. Not all vocabulary can be taught this way, but some of it can be. Teaching individual words involves more than having students look up the words in a dictionary, however. “Vocabulary instruction is most effective when students are given both definitional and contextual information, when learners actively process the word meanings, and when they experience multiple encounters with the words.” (Graves, 2006, p.6) In other words, read to kids, discuss the meanings of the new words, and have students use the words on their own.
3. Teaching word learning strategies
You may be familiar with reading comprehension strategies such as asking questions before reading and summarizing when you’re finished. Students can also use strategies to develop their vocabulary. The most widely recommended ones are using context, using word parts such as prefixes and suffixes, and using the dictionary.
4. Fostering word consciousness
The more students become aware of words, the more likely they are to use them skillfully and precisely. Encourage students to watch and listen for new words. Promote word play, and provide writing opportunities.
Seward incorporated has partnered with Dr. Graves in developing two vocabulary-building products that teachers can use in their classrooms:
The First 4000 Words
The focus of this product is on individual words. More specifically, this supplemental web-based program teaches the first 4,000 most frequently used words in the English language. Students learn the words by seeing them in a story and hearing a definition accompanied by an illustration. Meanings are reinforced through multiple encounters with the words during interactive games.
Word Learning Strategies - The Power to Unlock Word Meanings
This product, which is currently in development, addresses the third component of Dr. Graves’ program. Upon release in Spring 2012, the product will include:
For more information:
1. Graves, M.F. (2006). The Vocabulary Book, Learning and Instruction. New York: Teachers College Press.
Active Learning’s Forgotten Partner
November 30th, 2010Parent: “What did you learn at school today?”
Child: “Nothing.”
Every weekday evening, this scenario is played out in countless households across the U.S. Why is it so hard for kids to answer this question? Maybe it’s because kids—indeed, students of all ages—need more practice with reflection as part of the learning process.
Most educators would be quick to acknowledge the important role of action in the learning process. To quote Confucius, “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” It is in the doing, and less so in the listening and watching, that students learn. The “doing” could be solving a problem, sketching a flowchart, having a debate, or building a model.
But students in the classroom also need time to think, ask questions, and summarize for themselves. In a word, they need opportunities to reflect. It is the yin-yang relationship of action and reflection that creates new knowledge. Reflection, however, is often the forgotten partner.
There are at least three reasons why it is important to include time for reflection as part of the learning process:
When parents ask, “What did you learn today?” maybe the reason their kids reply with a shrug is that they don’t have an answer at the ready. For some great ideas about reflection activities, see the articles Action + Reflection =Learning and Combining Action and Reflection in the Classroom at http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tapinto/v3n2.pdf
Learner-Centered Instruction in 25 Words or Less
September 1st, 2010I was recently looking for a concise definition of learner-centered instruction. But when I did a Google search, I was surprised at the lack of results. Oh, I got plenty of hits (181,000) but I couldn’t find much in the way of a 25-words-or-less type of definition. Most of what popped up were lists of learner-centered characteristics and descriptions of what learner-centered instruction is not. All of it helped shape my understanding, but there were not many “definitions,” per se.
I did find this commonly-cited definition of learner-centered instruction from McCombs and Whisler1, which was close to meeting my purpose:
Learner-centered instruction:
The perspective that couples a focus on individual learners (their heredity, experiences, perspectives, backgrounds, talents, interests, capacities, and needs) with a focus on learning (the best available knowledge about learning and how it occurs and about teaching practices that are most effective in promoting the highest levels of motivation, learning, and achievement for all learners).
But, it was lengthy (55 words), and I wanted something more crisp. So, in the end, I attempted to write my own.
Learner-centered instruction:
An instructional approach, grounded in constructivism, that focuses on the learner and results in deep learning.
In my definition, I chose to emphasize four main ideas:
· Learner-centered instruction is an approach
Sometimes, learner-centered instruction is referred to as a technique or a method, but it is much broader than that. A few fun activities does not learner-centered instruction make. Learner-centered instruction requires a particular mindset, and it influences all of the teacher’s decisions: what to teach, how to teach, and how to assess.
· Learner-centered instruction is grounded in constructivism
The theory of constructivism, proposed by Piaget, holds that students cannot simply be given knowledge. Rather, they construct knowledge for themselves by connecting new information to what they already know through active interaction with the world around them.
· Learner-centered instruction focuses on the learner
Traditional instruction is driven by curriculum requirements and revolves around the teacher, who is the primary actor in the constructivist work of organizing information and presenting it. As the name implies, learner-centered instruction revolves around the learners. It begins with their interests, needs, abilities, and background knowledge, includes them in decision making, engages them in real world tasks, and fosters their development as independent learners.
· Learner-centered instruction results in deep learning
The phrase “deep learning” really resonates with my introverted, instructional designer soul. The converse, surface learning, is what students do to get by; they study for the test, and then –POOF!–the knowledge is gone. Deep learning, on the other hand, involves integrating and synthesizing new information with prior knowledge. Deep learning is stick-to-your ribs fare–it is learning for a lifetime.
Recently I ran across another definition—this one from http://dictionary.babylon.com. It meets my condition for “crispness,” although it’s slightly over the 25-word limit.
Learner-centered instruction:
An instructional process in which the content is determined by the student’s needs, the instructional materials are geared to the student’s abilities, and the instructional design makes the students active participants.
Do you have a definition of learner-centered instruction that you like? Why do you like it? How would you define learner-centered instruction in 25 words or less?
1. McCombs, B. L., & Whisler, J. S. The learner-centered classroom and school: Strategies for increasing student motivation and achievement. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1997.
