Monday, November 25, 2013

Module 3: Badging in Virtual Education

“While open badges are not by any means pervasive in education systems, they appeal to many educators because they are considered to be more authentic signs of knowledge comprehension and skill acquisition than standard tests, grades, or course credits.”
 -New Media Center 2013 Horizon Report K12 Wiki

Peer Assessment Assignment

I'm currently undertaking free online classes via Coursera for the course Emerging Trends & Technologies in the Virtual K-12 Classroom. So far, so good. I'm loving it.
On this post I will be documenting progress on the Peer Assessment Assignment that is due for submission by Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
Assignment Description:
As we look to employ new methods of instruction in virtual education by utilizing emerging trends and technologies, it is important that we thoroughly evaluate a particular technology's ability to map to a given lesson, course or program. In this peer assessment, you will have an opportunity to identify a trend or type of technology that we have discussed in this course and reflect on its appropriateness for a specific activity you would like to conduct in your own educational setting. You will then receive feedback from three of your peers on series of dimensions based on the rubric provided. 
You should begin by identifying a specific activity or lesson that you want to create, improve, or change. Once you have identified the activity, you should then determine what specific learning outcomes you wish your students to achieve through the activity. Next you should select the technology or trend you would like to apply to the situation and plan how students will interact accordingly. Finally, you should determine how you will assess both the students' work in the activity and the activity itself. 
Questions:
1. Briefly describe the particular activity or lesson you would like to create, improve, or change. Include the following information. Your response should be  no more than two pages of text long.
  • Grade level (or age of students) and subject 
  • Overview of the activity 
  • Up to three student learning outcomes this activity will address. If your institution is required to meet specific government-established standards, please also note them accordingly. 
  • Reason for creating, improving, or changing the activity
2. Identify the technology or trend you would like to apply to the lesson. In no more than two pages of text, answer the following questions: 
  • Why did you choose the technology? 
  • How will the technology enable your students to accomplish the stated learning outcomes? 
  • What challenges do you foresee in employing the technology? 
3. Identify how you will assess your students' work in the activity and the activity itself in no more than one page of text.
Format:
Please follow the format as described above. You can either paste the text in the space provided below or attach a file. Word files (.doc and .docx) will not be accepted and should be converted to PDF files for uploading. Other files accepted by Coursera are: .txt, .csv., .html, .htm, .css, .pdf, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, and gif.
Resources: 
You should identify a technology or trend that falls into one of the major categories that we have discussed in the course. These include: social technologies, game-based technologies, gamification approaches, and the use of open content including MOOCs. For example, you may want to utilize a specific game appropriate for your subject area that we did not discuss in class but that would be very useful in helping your students meet the particular learning outcomes you have set forth. I encourage you to look for things that you would truly want to utilize in your virtual classrooms so you can get feedback in preparation for actual implementation.
Grading: 
Your assignment will be peer reviewed by three of your classmates, and you will review the work of three others. To receive full credit for this assignment you must evaluate the lessons of three of your peers. A grading rubric is included to guide you in your peer reviews. Keep in mind that other people will be grading your lesson, so grade their lesson as fairly as you would want yours graded. The peer assessment period will begin on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 8 am. The deadline for assessing three lessons is Friday, December 13, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
Other: 
There is no word or page minimum. Please do not exceed five pages in total for the assignment. Specific page guidelines are provided in the description of the assignment. Submissions must be in English.
Lesson Deadline: 
The submission deadline for the assignment is Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
*Please post any questions you might have about this assignment to the Discussion Forum/Peer Assessment Questions Thread. Thank you!
***Sample Assignment***
Question 1 Response
Years ago, when I taught second-year college level Spanish, I dreaded having to teach the imperfect past tense. I would inevitably provide some direct instruction on when to use the imperfect tense and how to conjugate verbs, give students lots of worksheets to fill out, and ask them to write about their childhood. For this assignment I want to use an online technology to redesign this lesson and provide students with engaging, fun, and interactive activities. My objectives are: 1. Identify the different uses of the imperfect tense, 2. Conjugate the imperfect tense to describe your childhood 3. Demonstrate proper oral usage of the imperfect tense (both in writing and speaking) 4. Create a Voice-thread describing your favorite childhood pastimes. The lesson will begin in a face-to-face class. I will begin by showing students images of me as a child and model the use of the verb gustar, to express things I "used to like" to do as a kid. As a class, we will reflect on why we might want to use the imperfect to talk about our childhood. Then, I'll pass out children’s books and have students work in groups to find instances of the imperfect tense. I'll then have students share their findings and state why they think the imperfect was used. At the end of the lesson, I will explain the online project- Mi infancia. For this part of the lesson students will create a Voice Thread about their favorite childhood pastimes. Step-by-step directions on how to design and create a Voice Thread will be provided by me. 
Question 2 Response
Voice Thread is a cloud-based asynchronous application that allows users to upload and share documents, presentations, images, videos, and audio files. Once created, other users can add comments to the Voice Thread. There are many advantages to using Voice Thread to teach language learners. Voice Thread allows learners to practice the target language by presenting ideas, having conversations, and listening to both native and non-native speakers. Since conversations happen asynchronously, students have a chance to construct their responses and record their thread multiple times. As a teacher it also allows me to provide comments orally. In my lesson, Voice Thread will also allow students to share a little about themselves while practicing their Spanish.
There are a number of challenges I see. I’d like students to upload photos of themselves as kids, as well as include photos of childhood objects and activities. While it might seem relatively simple, it will require students to upload images to their computers and find images. Secondly, creating a thread where the oral presentation and the visuals match will require a lot of work. My fear is that this will take away from the actual language acquisition outcomes. 
Lastly, the virtual component of the lesson requires students to have access to a computer with internet access and Voice Thread. 
Question 3 Response
The great thing about Voice Thread is that it can be used to assess the students’ understanding of grammar usage, conjugation, and pronunciation. For this activity I will use Voice Thread as a formative assessment. Once students have provided feedback on their thread, I will provide each student with feedback on their content, usage and conjugation of the imperfect, and pronunciation.
 ***Rubric for this Assignment****
Question 1
0-The author’s description does not include the information outlined above.
4-The author’s description is lacking several critical characteristics, making it difficult to understand some aspects of the lesson.
6- The author’s description is clear, but lacking in details.
8- The author describes the activity in great detail. Information is clearly presented.
Question 2
0- The author does not identify a technology or trend.
2- The author identifies the technology, but it is unclear as to why it was chosen and/or possible challenges.
4- The author identifies the technology, how it will promote learning, and possible challenges. Response lacks some details and/or is vague in some parts.
6 -The author clearly explains reasons for choosing the technology, how it will promote the learning goals, and possible challenges. Precise details are provided. 
Question 3
0- The author does not include an assessment.
2- The author identifies an assessment, but it is unclear how the assessment will measure the intended outcomes.
4- The author identifies an assessment that measures outcomes, however the response lacks some details and/or is vague at times.
6 – The author identifies an assessment that measures outcomes and thoroughly explains how the outcomes are measured.

Source: Coursera

Peer Assessment

I'm currently undertaking free online classes via Coursera for the course Emerging Trends & Technologies in the Virtual K-12 Classroom. So far, so good. I'm loving it.
Basically, 
Assignment Description:
As we look to employ new methods of instruction in virtual education by utilizing emerging trends and technologies, it is important that we thoroughly evaluate a particular technology's ability to map to a given lesson, course or program. In this peer assessment, you will have an opportunity to identify a trend or type of technology that we have discussed in this course and reflect on its appropriateness for a specific activity you would like to conduct in your own educational setting. You will then receive feedback from three of your peers on series of dimensions based on the rubric provided. 
You should begin by identifying a specific activity or lesson that you want to create, improve, or change. Once you have identified the activity, you should then determine what specific learning outcomes you wish your students to achieve through the activity. Next you should select the technology or trend you would like to apply to the situation and plan how students will interact accordingly. Finally, you should determine how you will assess both the students' work in the activity and the activity itself. 
Questions:
1. Briefly describe the particular activity or lesson you would like to create, improve, or change. Include the following information. Your response should be  no more than two pages of text long.
  • Grade level (or age of students) and subject 
  • Overview of the activity 
  • Up to three student learning outcomes this activity will address. If your institution is required to meet specific government-established standards, please also note them accordingly. 
  • Reason for creating, improving, or changing the activity
2. Identify the technology or trend you would like to apply to the lesson. In no more than two pages of text, answer the following questions: 
  • Why did you choose the technology? 
  • How will the technology enable your students to accomplish the stated learning outcomes? 
  • What challenges do you foresee in employing the technology? 
3. Identify how you will assess your students' work in the activity and the activity itself in no more than one page of text.
Format:
Please follow the format as described above. You can either paste the text in the space provided below or attach a file. Word files (.doc and .docx) will not be accepted and should be converted to PDF files for uploading. Other files accepted by Coursera are: .txt, .csv., .html, .htm, .css, .pdf, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, and gif.
Resources: 
You should identify a technology or trend that falls into one of the major categories that we have discussed in the course. These include: social technologies, game-based technologies, gamification approaches, and the use of open content including MOOCs. For example, you may want to utilize a specific game appropriate for your subject area that we did not discuss in class but that would be very useful in helping your students meet the particular learning outcomes you have set forth. I encourage you to look for things that you would truly want to utilize in your virtual classrooms so you can get feedback in preparation for actual implementation.
Grading: 
Your assignment will be peer reviewed by three of your classmates, and you will review the work of three others. To receive full credit for this assignment you must evaluate the lessons of three of your peers. A grading rubric is included to guide you in your peer reviews. Keep in mind that other people will be grading your lesson, so grade their lesson as fairly as you would want yours graded. The peer assessment period will begin on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 8 am. The deadline for assessing three lessons is Friday, December 13, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
Other: 
There is no word or page minimum. Please do not exceed five pages in total for the assignment. Specific page guidelines are provided in the description of the assignment. Submissions must be in English.
Lesson Deadline: 
The submission deadline for the assignment is Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
*Please post any questions you might have about this assignment to the Discussion Forum/Peer Assessment Questions Thread. Thank you!
***Sample Assignment***
Question 1 Response
Years ago, when I taught second-year college level Spanish, I dreaded having to teach the imperfect past tense. I would inevitably provide some direct instruction on when to use the imperfect tense and how to conjugate verbs, give students lots of worksheets to fill out, and ask them to write about their childhood. For this assignment I want to use an online technology to redesign this lesson and provide students with engaging, fun, and interactive activities. My objectives are: 1. Identify the different uses of the imperfect tense, 2. Conjugate the imperfect tense to describe your childhood 3. Demonstrate proper oral usage of the imperfect tense (both in writing and speaking) 4. Create a Voice-thread describing your favorite childhood pastimes. The lesson will begin in a face-to-face class. I will begin by showing students images of me as a child and model the use of the verb gustar, to express things I "used to like" to do as a kid. As a class, we will reflect on why we might want to use the imperfect to talk about our childhood. Then, I'll pass out children’s books and have students work in groups to find instances of the imperfect tense. I'll then have students share their findings and state why they think the imperfect was used. At the end of the lesson, I will explain the online project- Mi infancia. For this part of the lesson students will create a Voice Thread about their favorite childhood pastimes. Step-by-step directions on how to design and create a Voice Thread will be provided by me. 
Question 2 Response
Voice Thread is a cloud-based asynchronous application that allows users to upload and share documents, presentations, images, videos, and audio files. Once created, other users can add comments to the Voice Thread. There are many advantages to using Voice Thread to teach language learners. Voice Thread allows learners to practice the target language by presenting ideas, having conversations, and listening to both native and non-native speakers. Since conversations happen asynchronously, students have a chance to construct their responses and record their thread multiple times. As a teacher it also allows me to provide comments orally. In my lesson, Voice Thread will also allow students to share a little about themselves while practicing their Spanish.
There are a number of challenges I see. I’d like students to upload photos of themselves as kids, as well as include photos of childhood objects and activities. While it might seem relatively simple, it will require students to upload images to their computers and find images. Secondly, creating a thread where the oral presentation and the visuals match will require a lot of work. My fear is that this will take away from the actual language acquisition outcomes. 
Lastly, the virtual component of the lesson requires students to have access to a computer with internet access and Voice Thread. 
Question 3 Response
The great thing about Voice Thread is that it can be used to assess the students’ understanding of grammar usage, conjugation, and pronunciation. For this activity I will use Voice Thread as a formative assessment. Once students have provided feedback on their thread, I will provide each student with feedback on their content, usage and conjugation of the imperfect, and pronunciation.
 ***Rubric for this Assignment****
Question 1
0-The author’s description does not include the information outlined above.
4-The author’s description is lacking several critical characteristics, making it difficult to understand some aspects of the lesson.
6- The author’s description is clear, but lacking in details.
8- The author describes the activity in great detail. Information is clearly presented.
Question 2
0- The author does not identify a technology or trend.
2- The author identifies the technology, but it is unclear as to why it was chosen and/or possible challenges.
4- The author identifies the technology, how it will promote learning, and possible challenges. Response lacks some details and/or is vague in some parts.
6 -The author clearly explains reasons for choosing the technology, how it will promote the learning goals, and possible challenges. Precise details are provided. 
Question 3
0- The author does not include an assessment.
2- The author identifies an assessment, but it is unclear how the assessment will measure the intended outcomes.
4- The author identifies an assessment that measures outcomes, however the response lacks some details and/or is vague at times.
6 – The author identifies an assessment that measures outcomes and thoroughly explains how the outcomes are measured.


Emerging Trends & Technologies in the Virtual K-12 Classroom

I'm currently undertaking free online classes via Coursera for the course Emerging Trends & Technologies in the Virtual K-12 Classroom. So far, so good. I'm loving it.
Basically, 
Assignment Description:
As we look to employ new methods of instruction in virtual education by utilizing emerging trends and technologies, it is important that we thoroughly evaluate a particular technology's ability to map to a given lesson, course or program. In this peer assessment, you will have an opportunity to identify a trend or type of technology that we have discussed in this course and reflect on its appropriateness for a specific activity you would like to conduct in your own educational setting. You will then receive feedback from three of your peers on series of dimensions based on the rubric provided. 
You should begin by identifying a specific activity or lesson that you want to create, improve, or change. Once you have identified the activity, you should then determine what specific learning outcomes you wish your students to achieve through the activity. Next you should select the technology or trend you would like to apply to the situation and plan how students will interact accordingly. Finally, you should determine how you will assess both the students' work in the activity and the activity itself. 
Questions:
1. Briefly describe the particular activity or lesson you would like to create, improve, or change. Include the following information. Your response should be  no more than two pages of text long.
  • Grade level (or age of students) and subject 
  • Overview of the activity 
  • Up to three student learning outcomes this activity will address. If your institution is required to meet specific government-established standards, please also note them accordingly. 
  • Reason for creating, improving, or changing the activity
2. Identify the technology or trend you would like to apply to the lesson. In no more than two pages of text, answer the following questions: 
  • Why did you choose the technology? 
  • How will the technology enable your students to accomplish the stated learning outcomes? 
  • What challenges do you foresee in employing the technology? 
3. Identify how you will assess your students' work in the activity and the activity itself in no more than one page of text.
Format:
Please follow the format as described above. You can either paste the text in the space provided below or attach a file. Word files (.doc and .docx) will not be accepted and should be converted to PDF files for uploading. Other files accepted by Coursera are: .txt, .csv., .html, .htm, .css, .pdf, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, and gif.
Resources: 
You should identify a technology or trend that falls into one of the major categories that we have discussed in the course. These include: social technologies, game-based technologies, gamification approaches, and the use of open content including MOOCs. For example, you may want to utilize a specific game appropriate for your subject area that we did not discuss in class but that would be very useful in helping your students meet the particular learning outcomes you have set forth. I encourage you to look for things that you would truly want to utilize in your virtual classrooms so you can get feedback in preparation for actual implementation.
Grading: 
Your assignment will be peer reviewed by three of your classmates, and you will review the work of three others. To receive full credit for this assignment you must evaluate the lessons of three of your peers. A grading rubric is included to guide you in your peer reviews. Keep in mind that other people will be grading your lesson, so grade their lesson as fairly as you would want yours graded. The peer assessment period will begin on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 8 am. The deadline for assessing three lessons is Friday, December 13, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
Other: 
There is no word or page minimum. Please do not exceed five pages in total for the assignment. Specific page guidelines are provided in the description of the assignment. Submissions must be in English.
Lesson Deadline: 
The submission deadline for the assignment is Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
*Please post any questions you might have about this assignment to the Discussion Forum/Peer Assessment Questions Thread. Thank you!
***Sample Assignment***
Question 1 Response
Years ago, when I taught second-year college level Spanish, I dreaded having to teach the imperfect past tense. I would inevitably provide some direct instruction on when to use the imperfect tense and how to conjugate verbs, give students lots of worksheets to fill out, and ask them to write about their childhood. For this assignment I want to use an online technology to redesign this lesson and provide students with engaging, fun, and interactive activities. My objectives are: 1. Identify the different uses of the imperfect tense, 2. Conjugate the imperfect tense to describe your childhood 3. Demonstrate proper oral usage of the imperfect tense (both in writing and speaking) 4. Create a Voice-thread describing your favorite childhood pastimes. The lesson will begin in a face-to-face class. I will begin by showing students images of me as a child and model the use of the verb gustar, to express things I "used to like" to do as a kid. As a class, we will reflect on why we might want to use the imperfect to talk about our childhood. Then, I'll pass out children’s books and have students work in groups to find instances of the imperfect tense. I'll then have students share their findings and state why they think the imperfect was used. At the end of the lesson, I will explain the online project- Mi infancia. For this part of the lesson students will create a Voice Thread about their favorite childhood pastimes. Step-by-step directions on how to design and create a Voice Thread will be provided by me. 
Question 2 Response
Voice Thread is a cloud-based asynchronous application that allows users to upload and share documents, presentations, images, videos, and audio files. Once created, other users can add comments to the Voice Thread. There are many advantages to using Voice Thread to teach language learners. Voice Thread allows learners to practice the target language by presenting ideas, having conversations, and listening to both native and non-native speakers. Since conversations happen asynchronously, students have a chance to construct their responses and record their thread multiple times. As a teacher it also allows me to provide comments orally. In my lesson, Voice Thread will also allow students to share a little about themselves while practicing their Spanish.
There are a number of challenges I see. I’d like students to upload photos of themselves as kids, as well as include photos of childhood objects and activities. While it might seem relatively simple, it will require students to upload images to their computers and find images. Secondly, creating a thread where the oral presentation and the visuals match will require a lot of work. My fear is that this will take away from the actual language acquisition outcomes. 
Lastly, the virtual component of the lesson requires students to have access to a computer with internet access and Voice Thread. 
Question 3 Response
The great thing about Voice Thread is that it can be used to assess the students’ understanding of grammar usage, conjugation, and pronunciation. For this activity I will use Voice Thread as a formative assessment. Once students have provided feedback on their thread, I will provide each student with feedback on their content, usage and conjugation of the imperfect, and pronunciation.
 ***Rubric for this Assignment****
Question 1
0-The author’s description does not include the information outlined above.
4-The author’s description is lacking several critical characteristics, making it difficult to understand some aspects of the lesson.
6- The author’s description is clear, but lacking in details.
8- The author describes the activity in great detail. Information is clearly presented.
Question 2
0- The author does not identify a technology or trend.
2- The author identifies the technology, but it is unclear as to why it was chosen and/or possible challenges.
4- The author identifies the technology, how it will promote learning, and possible challenges. Response lacks some details and/or is vague in some parts.
6 -The author clearly explains reasons for choosing the technology, how it will promote the learning goals, and possible challenges. Precise details are provided. 
Question 3
0- The author does not include an assessment.
2- The author identifies an assessment, but it is unclear how the assessment will measure the intended outcomes.
4- The author identifies an assessment that measures outcomes, however the response lacks some details and/or is vague at times.
6 – The author identifies an assessment that measures outcomes and thoroughly explains how the outcomes are measured.


Assignment Description:
As we look to employ new methods of instruction in virtual education by utilizing emerging trends and technologies, it is important that we thoroughly evaluate a particular technology's ability to map to a given lesson, course or program. In this peer assessment, you will have an opportunity to identify a trend or type of technology that we have discussed in this course and reflect on its appropriateness for a specific activity you would like to conduct in your own educational setting. You will then receive feedback from three of your peers on series of dimensions based on the rubric provided. 
You should begin by identifying a specific activity or lesson that you want to create, improve, or change. Once you have identified the activity, you should then determine what specific learning outcomes you wish your students to achieve through the activity. Next you should select the technology or trend you would like to apply to the situation and plan how students will interact accordingly. Finally, you should determine how you will assess both the students' work in the activity and the activity itself. 
Questions:
1. Briefly describe the particular activity or lesson you would like to create, improve, or change. Include the following information. Your response should be  no more than two pages of text long.
  • Grade level (or age of students) and subject 
  • Overview of the activity 
  • Up to three student learning outcomes this activity will address. If your institution is required to meet specific government-established standards, please also note them accordingly. 
  • Reason for creating, improving, or changing the activity
2. Identify the technology or trend you would like to apply to the lesson. In no more than two pages of text, answer the following questions: 
  • Why did you choose the technology? 
  • How will the technology enable your students to accomplish the stated learning outcomes? 
  • What challenges do you foresee in employing the technology? 
3. Identify how you will assess your students' work in the activity and the activity itself in no more than one page of text.
Format:
Please follow the format as described above. You can either paste the text in the space provided below or attach a file. Word files (.doc and .docx) will not be accepted and should be converted to PDF files for uploading. Other files accepted by Coursera are: .txt, .csv., .html, .htm, .css, .pdf, .jpeg, .jpg, .png, and gif.
Resources: 
You should identify a technology or trend that falls into one of the major categories that we have discussed in the course. These include: social technologies, game-based technologies, gamification approaches, and the use of open content including MOOCs. For example, you may want to utilize a specific game appropriate for your subject area that we did not discuss in class but that would be very useful in helping your students meet the particular learning outcomes you have set forth. I encourage you to look for things that you would truly want to utilize in your virtual classrooms so you can get feedback in preparation for actual implementation.
Grading: 
Your assignment will be peer reviewed by three of your classmates, and you will review the work of three others. To receive full credit for this assignment you must evaluate the lessons of three of your peers. A grading rubric is included to guide you in your peer reviews. Keep in mind that other people will be grading your lesson, so grade their lesson as fairly as you would want yours graded. The peer assessment period will begin on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 at 8 am. The deadline for assessing three lessons is Friday, December 13, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
Other: 
There is no word or page minimum. Please do not exceed five pages in total for the assignment. Specific page guidelines are provided in the description of the assignment. Submissions must be in English.
Lesson Deadline: 
The submission deadline for the assignment is Tuesday, December 3, 2013 at 11:55 pm.
*Please post any questions you might have about this assignment to the Discussion Forum/Peer Assessment Questions Thread. Thank you!
***Sample Assignment***
Question 1 Response
Years ago, when I taught second-year college level Spanish, I dreaded having to teach the imperfect past tense. I would inevitably provide some direct instruction on when to use the imperfect tense and how to conjugate verbs, give students lots of worksheets to fill out, and ask them to write about their childhood. For this assignment I want to use an online technology to redesign this lesson and provide students with engaging, fun, and interactive activities. My objectives are: 1. Identify the different uses of the imperfect tense, 2. Conjugate the imperfect tense to describe your childhood 3. Demonstrate proper oral usage of the imperfect tense (both in writing and speaking) 4. Create a Voice-thread describing your favorite childhood pastimes. The lesson will begin in a face-to-face class. I will begin by showing students images of me as a child and model the use of the verb gustar, to express things I "used to like" to do as a kid. As a class, we will reflect on why we might want to use the imperfect to talk about our childhood. Then, I'll pass out children’s books and have students work in groups to find instances of the imperfect tense. I'll then have students share their findings and state why they think the imperfect was used. At the end of the lesson, I will explain the online project- Mi infancia. For this part of the lesson students will create a Voice Thread about their favorite childhood pastimes. Step-by-step directions on how to design and create a Voice Thread will be provided by me. 
Question 2 Response
Voice Thread is a cloud-based asynchronous application that allows users to upload and share documents, presentations, images, videos, and audio files. Once created, other users can add comments to the Voice Thread. There are many advantages to using Voice Thread to teach language learners. Voice Thread allows learners to practice the target language by presenting ideas, having conversations, and listening to both native and non-native speakers. Since conversations happen asynchronously, students have a chance to construct their responses and record their thread multiple times. As a teacher it also allows me to provide comments orally. In my lesson, Voice Thread will also allow students to share a little about themselves while practicing their Spanish.
There are a number of challenges I see. I’d like students to upload photos of themselves as kids, as well as include photos of childhood objects and activities. While it might seem relatively simple, it will require students to upload images to their computers and find images. Secondly, creating a thread where the oral presentation and the visuals match will require a lot of work. My fear is that this will take away from the actual language acquisition outcomes. 
Lastly, the virtual component of the lesson requires students to have access to a computer with internet access and Voice Thread. 
Question 3 Response
The great thing about Voice Thread is that it can be used to assess the students’ understanding of grammar usage, conjugation, and pronunciation. For this activity I will use Voice Thread as a formative assessment. Once students have provided feedback on their thread, I will provide each student with feedback on their content, usage and conjugation of the imperfect, and pronunciation.
 ***Rubric for this Assignment****
Question 1
0-The author’s description does not include the information outlined above.
4-The author’s description is lacking several critical characteristics, making it difficult to understand some aspects of the lesson.
6- The author’s description is clear, but lacking in details.
8- The author describes the activity in great detail. Information is clearly presented.
Question 2
0- The author does not identify a technology or trend.
2- The author identifies the technology, but it is unclear as to why it was chosen and/or possible challenges.
4- The author identifies the technology, how it will promote learning, and possible challenges. Response lacks some details and/or is vague in some parts.
6 -The author clearly explains reasons for choosing the technology, how it will promote the learning goals, and possible challenges. Precise details are provided. 
Question 3
0- The author does not include an assessment.
2- The author identifies an assessment, but it is unclear how the assessment will measure the intended outcomes.
4- The author identifies an assessment that measures outcomes, however the response lacks some details and/or is vague at times.
6 – The author identifies an assessment that measures outcomes and thoroughly explains how the outcomes are measured.