Stephen Zanotti
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MAHS - SLC
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15 Years of TechnologySink or Swim
A retiring principal tossed me the keys to an unwanted and largely broken-down Mac lab before the ink dried on my teaching credential. i was the school newb. This was the early 90s and the only computer I ever used was a clunky IBM286. My BS degree in biology and emergency credential didn't come close to preparing me for computer repair or lesson design. Lucky, I was able to build a network of veteran teachers that mentored me to kept me from drowning those crucial first years.
In the classroom, HyperStudio Stacks became my new favorite toy. The creativity I expressed using Roger Wagner's tools was a life-preserver I donned every day. Soon I was designing and implementing interactive HyperStudio Stacks that integrated all the core content areas for 6th grade. My new principal assigned me to creating staff development for technology integration. Soon thereafter, local LAUSD District Instructional Technologists included me in a number of projects to integrate technology into middle school math. At that time I had no knowledge of the ADDIE model and designed my lessons using novice level teaching instincts. I started out with some good instincts. In the summer of 2000 I met Bernie Dodge at Thatcher School's Teach the Teachers Collaborative. There I built my very first website and created a WebQuest. Bernie's work connected me to Educational Technology, the COMET program, and many elements of this reflection. Quiet, MY Ego Is Talking
Self-Awareness (Being a Technical and Creative Force)
This picture on the left could easily be me in the 70s at Nevin Elementary. I was a big clumsy kid that lacked physical and social skills and branded as a special-ed. student. Adolescence developed my introverted persona and strengthened key areas of self-confidence and self-reliance. As an adult student in the COMET program, my colleagues might not agree with all of this self assessment. II think they've experienced more of Steve, "The Jokester". I'd say that side of me developed from not being able to dribble a basketball or hit an underhand pitch. Self-help books define this as a make-friends strategy. It's a coping mechanism for finding approval, attention, and validation. If other introverted people are anything like me, conversations in their own head always sound entirely logical and rational. Most assuredly, their own ideas and conclusions are simply the best. "Best" is a bit of exaggeration, which I am prone to use on occasion. I have found the university faculty do this as well, so I'm in good company. I did grow to know my strengths as the COMET coursework progressed, I made all attempts to situate a working dynamic that played to areas I could best contribute. An excellent example of this is the Rapid Prototype interactive module I completed in EDTEC544 with Jose Lutero. In this partnership, Jose's role was the content expert in the area of classroom engagement strategies. My role was the creative designer and technical developer with the Captivate software. A good argument can be made that this single project touched on all the competencies within COMET, but it's the working relationship between Jose and I that I'll remember. Interpersonal
This Master's program has been a little like group therapy, in that I am at least more self-aware. No more perfect examples come from two separate projects I worked on in EDTEC 544 and 670. In 544 I work on two team projects. In both cases I worked to sway the team towards my design's conceptual direction. Like the rat in this maze, I knew the best path to take and ignored or discounted other ideas. I found that this was easier to accomplish if I took on a leadership role as well as the primary product developer. Most often being a team's "techie" person, I'd leverage those skills facilitate project control.
Later I realized that my team dynamic was to try to control the process and product outcomes while feeling my partners were not doing their fair share. Of course, I was the one creating that situation for the team. I had minimized their contribution to suit me in the fist place. Even after completing several team projects in the COMET program, I still recognize this as an area of improvement. I continue to prefer to work independently and it's in that situation where I feel I have produced my best work. Technical
One solo project that stands out among several course deliverables that demonstrate my technical competency is a EDTEC572 project. I created a complete instructional package using Adobe Captivate. This project was designed, developed, and tested while I was on an Earthwatch Expedition in a remote mountain area of the Lake Tahoe.
I had to be a little more creative using web resources at the time. Communication via Adobe Connect was only achieved by hiking a mile down the mountain for SmartPhone reception. Web research and gathering media content had to be accomplished in the same manner. I also used my Android as a WIFI hotspot and tethered to my laptop. I felt a little like MacGyver. For me it was mobile learning in a very true sense. The completion of this package required all my multimedia skills and a few new ones in video editing. This project contains hours of video training and several interactive learning and assessment components. Dr. Dyer's research group and Earthwatch now utilize this as a primer for the hundreds of Caterpillar Expedition Volunteers they involve each year in gathering specimens. Bonus Feature
As a bonus tool, the module also contains a Android App created with App Inventor. This simple caterpillar decision tree aids volunteers who need to identify the different species of caterpillars found in the Tahoe area. This QR code will go to the application download. This Spring my own students will attempt to make their first Android App after playing with MIT's Scratch for a few weeks. This will be a 1st for me including this tool in my course. I'm sure to have more "ahaa" moments.
Principles, Theories and Models
Another solo project I take great pride in highlighting is the instructional board game I created named Spin Zone. Spin Zone is a fun and engaging game designed for small groups of 12th Grade English language students learning about fallacy in logic. The game design incorporates several game mechanics framed by Zimmermann in Gamification by Design and Schell's, The Art of Game Design. I utilize challenges, a point system, leaderboard, and wagering to up motivation within the game. I combined with social interaction and positive feedback to engage game players.
I published Spin Zone with GameCrafters.com and soon it will be available for purchase, I'm planning to market this game to high school and community college English departments. I may even turn a profit from this work. In the most recent evaluation I decided not to go further in refinement until I consulted with legal professionals in the area of copyright. Professional & CareerThe NCUST A-PLUS Project is another COMET experience that touched on several competencies. Our team's role as educational technology consultants is placed as a capstone to my Master's achievements. One unexpected experience came from the readings in Efficiency in Learning, (Clark 2007). I have developed a visceral dislike textbooks and avoid them completely when possible. Mostly they don't suit my optimal learning style, but this book was a real game changer. Admittedly, many of my past instructional products have been well-beyond being "media rich". Some say my designs tend to be densely overcrowded, much like this reflection page. Maybe I need to review cognitive load principals again. I remember emailing Carla once thanking her for introducing me to a book. I told her how I immediately changed my instructional design products for the positive. More does not mean better. When I created NCUST'sperformance aids, Ruth Clark was guiding my hands.
The NCUST needs assessment involved creating an analysis instrument. The survey out team developed for NCUST illuminated a gap in my own technical skills. Asking good questions, that is, designing a valuable survey instrument, is an area I need more practice. I can still have memories of Carla's and Marcie's voice in saying, "What is it that you want to know?" The voice in my head replied back. "Why don't I know that?" The survey we created for our clients turned out not to provide us with all we could have known entering the ISD process. In fairness, low client participation certainly contributed to suboptimal outcomes. Surprise Trust Fall
The A-PLUS project was centered on improving communication. In this case, the NCUST organization's Associate Director identified an opportunity to improve performance by utilizing web communication tools to strengthen relationships with their network of partners. Our consulting team began with a broad mission plan. Our contract reflected the original project description. We needed to adapt our planned audience from fifty, then to about a dozen, and finally to a single individual. This exemplified a rapid prototype ISD model since out team was constantly assessing and implementing design changes throughout the process.
In hindsight, our project wasn't exactly executed as planned , but it was just as valuable. This picture works as an analogy on a few levels. Leaders sometimes forget other individuals don't share the same knowledge, skills, values, and opinions. Carla often reminded me that what I considered an insignificant skills gap was something another person could fall into. Leadership of our client's organization thought that there would be enthusiastic buy-in from all their employees without seeing the pitfalls on the ground they were treading. In the end, we focused on people who were engaged in the process with us. In our case, that was only one little duck, Lynne Perez. However, we are assured that this individual now has the skills, knowledge and confidence to take on the role as a teacher herself. By the day of our final online meeting, our client demonstrated confidence with Google Docs, Hangout, Circles by sharing relevant NCUST documents with other coaches. She expressed satisfaction with her accomplishments as a very meaningful addition to her skills as an instructional coach. What would Dr. John Keller say about this? The BIG Pay Off
Technology in my classroom has evolved in a big way for the last two years. Imagine that's me in the picture saying, "I love COMET this much." The COMET program has turned my classroom, my students, and myself into performance improvement opportunities. Each EDTEC course contained elements I could instantly implement within my teaching practice.
EDTEC540 honed my web-mastering skills and how I taught HTML and Dreamweaver to my Web class. EDTEC541 gave me the opportunity to create a web based performance aid for my entire faculty. This in turn improved communication concerning student performance to families. The EDTEC700 mini-courses were a treasure trove of new skills. After creating my own Digital Story, my students had the same empowering experience. I discovered and quickly adopted Schoology as a course management tool. This allowed me to leave behind less effective tools and improve my students participation in class exponentially. I now use screencast recordings to either flip, scaffold, or remediate nearly every new lesson I create. Screencasting stemmed from courses where video production, vodcasts, and authoring multimedia was part of the instructional goal. In turn, I've shared these new skills with my students and now they can potentially improve their performance in all of their classes. Just last week, this assignment combining, Google Tools, Excel, PowerPoint, and SlideShare. |
Master's Projects
Final Comprehensive Interview &Presentation Zanotti's Online Portfolio Comedian's Web Presence Commercial Business Website Easy Grade Pro online tutorials PDF Performance Aids Performance Analysis Job Aid Report Engagement Strategies Behaviorist v. Constructivist Earthwatch Expedition Module Emerging Technology SmartPhone App Inventor Personal Learning Network Earthwatch EduBlog Utilizing Web Resources Survey Instrument Final Research Report Final Research Data Digital Storytelling Lesson Plan Edu-Bloging Online Course Management Vodcasting Training Google mLearning - Mobile Ready Demographic Research mLearning Lesson Plan mLearning VoiceThread mLearning Exploration PPTx Geocaching Google Tour Geocaching One Stop Story Games and Simulation Spin Zone Game Board Game Pilot Test Motivational Design MDD Design Document SDCRAA Presentation NCUST A-PLUS Final Client Meeting Screencast Tutorial Team Meeting Google Tools Job Aids Project Website Project Report Project Presentation Web Based Multimedia Assignments Page Advanced Teaching with Technologies Assignments Page NCUST Consultant Presentation View more presentations from Steve Zanotti. |