This document describes several educational projects that utilize Google tools to facilitate networked and collaborative learning across different locations and disciplines. It provides overviews and examples of projects focused on topics like environmental science, immigration, and local communities. These projects are designed to develop students' disciplined, synthesizing, creative, respectful and ethical minds through collaborative research, data collection and analysis, problem solving, and digital sharing of information and results. Teachers are encouraged to connect students globally on research initiatives and to scale projects for different age groups while maintaining core learning goals.

1. Networked Learning http://www.thenetworkedlearner.com Thomas Cooper, The Walker School Designing and Leading Collaborative Projects:Using Google Tools to Integrate Geography, Science and The Arts Networked Learning 2010

2. Where to find this informationThe Networked Learner Wikihttp://thenetworkedlearner.wikispaces.com Networked Learning 2010

3. Five Mindshttp://www.howardgardner.com/http://www.thinkers50.com/book_extracts/gardner.pdf Disciplined Mind Synthesizing Mind Creating Mind Respectful Mind Ethical Mind Networked Learning 2010

4. Application to Five Minds Disciplined Mind: Asks students to explore their world, ask thoughtful questions, to look at a problem and collect data on it over a long period of time in order to gain an in depth understanding of the issue. Synthesizing Mind: Asks students to take information from various text, interviews and other data sources, including other disciplines, and to evaluate it objectively, in order to get the big picture. Creating Mind: Ask students to look at problems in different ways in order to develop unconventional solutions to solve a problem. Respectful Mind: Asks students to be globally aware and to welcome differences, and to work effectively with others in different places and from different cultures. Ethical Mind: Ask students to good citizens, to look beyond our own self interest and see how are education and work can serve to improve our community. Networked Learning 2010

5. What is Understanding by Design? Its about constructing understanding It’s about uncoverage, not coverage Its about identifying the big ideas It’s a set of tools to make you more productive It’s about revisiting assumptions with increasing complexity Wiggins and McTighe (2005) Networked Learning 2009

6. Stages of Design Wiggins and McTighe (2005) Networked Learning 2009

7. Doorways to Design An Important Topic or Content Established Goals or Content Standards An Important Skill or Process Design Template Stage 1 – Desired Results State 2 – Assessment Evidence Stage 3 – Learning Plan A Favorite Activity or Familiar Unit A Significant Test A Key Text or Resource Wiggins and McTighe (2005) Networked Learning 2009

8. Games are Popular Because They Ask The User to … Create an Identity Explore New Territory Solve Problems in Alternative Ways Lower Risk Taking Require Interaction, Specialization Allow for Customization Have Situated Meaning Require Performance Before Competence Networked Learning 2010

9. The Video Game Learning Cycle: Similar to Scientific Process and Problem-Based Learning The Kids are Alright (Beck and Wade 2006) Networked Learning 2010

10. Gaming Can Save the Worldhttp://www.ted.com/talks/jane_mcgonigal_gaming_can_make_a_better_world.html Researcher at the Institute of the Future in Palo Alto, CA Wants to build games that teach us how to solve the problems of the next century. To build games that inspire use to be inventive, to collaborate and cooperate. Example: Urgent Evoke http://www.urgentevoke.com/ Networked Learning 2010

11. Projects can be found in the nav. barThe Networked Learner Wikihttp://thenetworkedlearner.wikispaces.com Networked Learning 2010

12. Overview of Many Projects Clean Watersheds environmental science, pollution sources, water quality Grades 5-College http://cleanwatersheds.wikispaces.com/ Expedition Lit Trips English, history, explorers http://expeditionlittrips.wikispaces.com/ Grades 10-College First Light astronomy, telescope tech http://expeditionlittrips.wikispaces.com/ Grades 10-College Networked Learning 2010

13. Projects (cont.) Fueling America science, alternative energy tech (needs rebuilding) Includes: photoshop, sketchup, and Google Earth Grades 9-College http://sites.google.com/site/fuelingamerica/ GEPLC http://geplc.wikispaces.com/ College Land of Hope social studies, immigration Grades 9-College http://landofhope.wikispaces.com/ Networked Learning 2010

14. Projects (cont.) Our Lost Children social studies, marginalized children http://ourlostchildren.wikispaces.com/ Grades 9-College Our Town Social studies, geography, anthropology Grades 5-7 http://sites.google.com/site/exploreourtownproject/ Poetry of Place English, history, poetry, art Grades 7-College http://poetryofplace.wikispaces.com/ Networked Learning 2010

15. Projects (cont.) Walk on the Wild Side science, biology and environmental science Grades 6-College http://walkonthewildside.wikispaces.com/ Vernal Ponds science, biology, environmental science Grade 9-10 http://sites.google.com/site/vernalpondsproject/Home Networked Learning 2010

16. Distance Learning, CollaboRation Networked Learning 2010

17. Open Room in Elluminate for Collaboration with Colleagues http://www.elluminate.com/academic_edition.jsp The Walker has an open room in Elluminate that you can sign up and use free of charge if you want to connect with others. To schedule use of the room, contact Thomas Cooper at thomas.cooper@thewalkerschool.org. If you end up using the room frequently, was ask that you join the our school cooperative. Details at http://thenetworkedlearner.wikispaces.com/Elluminate+Schools Networked Learning 2010

18. Online Tutorials in Elluminate Day: Tuesday Time: 4 – 5 pm EST Where: Walker Elluminate Room Session Link: https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.8B942458B63AE7F3ADFA8A510BD0DE&sid=2009238 Coordinators: Thomas Cooper, Alice Barr Networked Learning 2010

19. Teachers as Designers (Learning Experiences in Stage 3 of Design) Instill a Desire for Exploration Customize Based on Student Interests Teach How to Identify Problems Do Research Collect and Analyze Data Objectively Connect and Collaborate with Others Communicate Our Results Increase Global Awareness Develop Character, Encourage Citizenship Networked Learning 2010

20. Walk on the Wild Side Projecthttp://walkonthewildside.wikispaces.com/ Networked Learning 2010

21. Wild Side Project Overview: Focus: Biology, Ecology, Geology Other Disciplines: Geography, Technology Suggested Age: 5th – College Time: 1 Field Day, 2 Class Days, 2 Tech Days Equipment: GPS Unit, Computers, High-Speed Internet, Water Quality Test Kit Software: Google Earth 5.0, Wikispaces Networked Learning 2010

22. Wild Side Composite Layer The power of collaboration on a GE graphic visualization project is that students from different schools can complete an individual walk, create a layer and then share it with other students. During a field trip, students get an in depth knowledge in their areas, but can also use the collaborative layer to look at walks around the globe and get a broad understanding about a species or the health of an ecosystem. Networked Learning 2010

23. The Learning Process – A Detailed Example Tide to Howard Gardner’s Five Minds and Understanding by Design Networked Learning 2010

24. Clean Watershedshttp://cleanwatersheds.wikispaces.com Networked Learning 2010

25. Project Overview: Focus: Environmental Science and Ecology Other Disciplines: Geography, Technology, Health Suggested Age: 5th – College Time: 1 Field Day, 2 Class Days, 2 Tech Days Equipment: GPS Unit, Computers, High-Speed Internet, Water Quality Test Kit Software: Google Earth 5.0, Wikispaces Networked Learning 2010

26. Many Projects have UbD’s Networked Learning 2010

27. Exploration: Students can use Google Earth to explore their town. Have the locate the school and surrounding water sources. Trace the school’s water back to its source. Identify any businesses that might contribute to various forms of water pollution. Students can use the path tool and placemark balloons to document this process. Students can use Earth’s measuring tools to understand how far away they these places are. Students can also look at how geology affects the movement of water, such as in the case of run-off from farms or other pollution sources. Networked Learning 2010

28. Problem Identification: Students can use Google News to identify news articles about the subject then mark known locations in the Google Earth layer they are constructing. Problems are never isolated. Students can discuss and identify situations that might contribute to the main issue. Students can concept map the issue in Google Earth. They can use balloons to geolocate information and use the path tool or balloons with arrows icons to show the relationship between balloons. Networked Learning 2010

29. Walker Students Investigated Nitrates from Golf Courses Networked Learning 2010

30. Customization: Develop projects that have broad themes, but allow for specific choices to reflect student interests. Poll students about what articles they found interesting during the research phase. Put students in groups with similar interests. You can use a Google Spreadsheets to track your groups. Embed the spreadsheet in your project site so that participants know who is studying what issue. Groups in other participating schools can see who is studying a similar project and ask each other questions. Students can use Google Alerts to keep up to date on new developments from Google News, or you can set up alerts to notify you when student groups post new information to their blog. Networked Learning 2010

31. Conduct Research on Contamination Sites (Google Earth Search on Golf Courses) Searches Golf Courses (N, P, K) Concrete Plants (Ca, Mg) Paper Plants (Cl) Coal Plants (S, Hg) Pig and Cattle Farms (N) Metal Fabrication (Fe, Mn, Cu) Networked Learning 2010

32. Collect Data Continually: Task students with collecting data from a number of different sources. Also ask the to collect data over time. Students can conduct interviews of company officials or people affected by the problem. Student can use GPS units to mark the point of test sites that are remote and hard to find so that repeated testing on an issues is done in the same location each time. Students can use a video camera do document the environmental status of the site before notifying officials. Recently CENS is teaching teachers how to add sensors to smart phones and program them to collect data on the environment. Networked Learning 2010

33. Center for Embedding Networked Censing (CENS) http://research.cens.ucla.edu/http://urban.cens.ucla.edu/ Networked Learning 2010

34. Data Analysis: Student can use a Google form during lab experiments to upload data to Google Docs. They can be stored in a Google spreadsheet and then embedded on a Google project site page so that data can be shared. Charts can be made from school data, or as your database is added to by other schools, students can look at how their results differ by geographic location or by type of industry or type of pollutant. Networked Learning 2010

35. Post Data to Share(Google Forms) Networked Learning 2010

36. Tools Can Provide Immediate Results(Google Forms) Networked Learning 2010

37. Connect and Collaborate: It is important for our students to work with other in different geographic locations. Students need practice entering into social discourse. A teacher can set up an extra Announcement page in a Google Site that can be used by students to ask questions of each other. These students could be in different classes in the same school or preferably working on the same problem in different schools. The teacher can set up collaboration groups using a Google Spreadsheet and then embedding it in a Google Site page. Networked Learning 2010

38. Communicate Your Results: Students can use Google Docs to write reports on their findings. They can share this document with the people they interview so that they can check the students facts and see what the student is saying about the issue. They can share the document with the teacher so that they can give comments before the paper is due. Students can have their document go through a peer review process by collaborating with your peers in other classes or other schools. Teach students to 1) give praise for what was done right, 2) make a suggestion where there could be improvement, and 3) offer possible solutions for the improvement. Networked Learning 2010

39. Increase Global Awareness: Design projects to be collaborative. Ask yourself how the project would be different in another location. Results can vary by geology, water availability, types of industry, laws, and cultural practices. Encourage other schools to participate and add their information to your site and collaborative layer. Make friends in the process. Networked Learning 2010

40. Encourage Citizenship: Develop a plan of action to fix a problem. Don’t stop a collecting and posting the data in your layer. Create a Google Doc for you plan and share it with your students have them talk about what the data means and how they could go about fixing the problem. As teachers we want to design projects that meet our curriculum. We want to have the project outlined and tested before the students start. They feel left out of the process and are more hesitant to do the work. This is a great place to get the students involved. You can review the doc as a collaborator and make sure the project is manageable. Some ideas are cleanup, writing letters to officials, or educational campaigns. Networked Learning 2010

41. Land of Hope Project Incorporating Bookmapping Networked Learning 2010

42. Land of Hope Projecthttp://landofhope.wikispaces.com/ Networked Learning 2010

43. Land of Hope Project Overview: Focus: Immigration Other Disciplines: Geography, Technology Suggested Age: 9th– College Time: 10 Class Days, 5 Tech Days Equipment: Computers, High-Speed Internet Software: Google Earth 5.0, Wikispaces Networked Learning 2010

44. Find the UbD in the Nav. Bar Networked Learning 2010

45. Find the Book List in the Nav. Bar Networked Learning 2010

46. Steps to Book Mapping Identify a major theme. Determine what books, short stories, biographies, or poems you would like to use. Determine what literary themes, or concepts from other disciplines you want the students to understand. Read and Discuss the Book Outline the Book as You Go Storyboard the Book Learn to Use the Software Conduct a Peer Review Construction the Layer Networked Learning 2010

47. Scale projects for other divisions Networked Learning 2010

48. Google Earth Professional Learning Community(college professionals)http://geplc.wikispaces.com/ Networked Learning 2010

49. Our Town Project(elementary students)http://sites.google.com/site/exploreourtownproject/ Networked Learning 2010

50. Our Town Lessons Start simple but keep the learning process you want in mind. You can simplify a complex project for younger students while still following a basic research model. The Our Town Project asks student to explore their town, identify problems, collect and share data, promote global awareness and engage in digital citizenship and teach character development and ethics. Work Together by Houghton Mifflin Networked Learning 2010

51. Summary – Create A Digital Tribe Think about the major themes you want to address and choose at least 2 other minor topics in your project. Use these topic to reach out to other teachers who are experts in these fields and design a collaborative project. They can be in your school other parts of the globe. Use Google Tools to manage the flow of information for your project and to keep in contact with each other. Start small and don’t give up if it doesn’t work right away. As your participants grow, use their expertise to improve the project. Our educational efforts will be more rich and diverse if we use these tools to break down geographic barriers and to tap the skills and knowledge of our colleagues in other regions. Networked Learning 2010