The fact that our working memories have a small capacity and a short duration is worthy of headline news. Post from: The eLearning CoachWhat is cognitive load?

This post is part of my continuing series of weekly lesson summaries. My goal is to give parents & caregivers in our school community the resources needed to extend student learning at home, and to share my professional practice with teacher colleagues around the world in the hopes of improving my craft. Week ending 05/02/14 Kindergarten What we learned / did / explored together: We worked for another week on our PowerPoint alphabet books. Only being able to use the Lab #1 (with PCs and PowerPoint) for 30 minutes a week (due to its use by other classes) is a challenge but the kids are doing well and we’re almost done! What I observed / inferred / connected: I continue to be amazed by how the kids a) work independently and b) really seem to be having fun with this lesson. One reason, I believe, is flexibility. We provide sample words for each letter but do allow them to use their own. "Octopus" is, for some reason, the most commonly suggested word! What students can do at home: Even without PowerPoint at home, kids can still benefit from keyboarding simple words using any word processing program. If the program includes clip art, that can be searched too. I do not recommend image searches on the Internet unless you have web content filtering software at home or are familiar with Google SafeSearch, one of Google’s free and very effective safety tools. There’s always the Kindergarten Symbaloo for fun learning games and keyboarding activities! First Grade What we learned / did / explored together: This lesson is a hybrid I built based on a Common Sense Media lesson called "Is This Yours?" and one of the "Prosocial Skills" that is part of our Character Education curriculum (#37, "Asking Permission.") We began with a conversation about ownership, specifically, what items/objects/possessions kids had at home that they could use or play with on their own vs. having to ask permission first. We distinguished between objects and permission to do something (play outside) or go somewhere (to a friend’s house.) We reviewed each of the five rules (Decide what you want to do; Decide whom to ask; Plan what to say; Choose the right time and place; Ask in a friendly way) and then the kids provided some examples to establish personal meaning. We then had the students pair up and brainstorm some sentences asking permission, emphasizing correct sentence construction (and spelling, as much as possible). Students then took turns writing their sentences in a Google Document (a presentation, actually), being sure their sentences included initial capitals, one space between words and a question mark at the end. What I observed / inferred / connected: Kids’ writing skills are very strong this year - a credit to the hard work and dedication of the entire First Grade team. Student sentences were terrific and varied, their handwriting was neat (I later revised the worksheet, as suggested by Mrs. Edelmann, to include horizontal lines to help with alignment), and they worked diligently and without complaint for the entire session. Doing this assignment with a partner helped a great deal. Kids guided (and corrected) each other and generally made the end product more interesting. I was particularly impressed with sentences once they were entered into Google Docs. They were very well crafted! Google Docs performed flawlessly. Google Presentations can be very effective for small word processing/writing tasks in Kindergarten and First Grade, especially when I need to mix instruction and other activities with writing (kids were actually editing a shared copy of my presentation.) What students can do at home: Write! You don’t need a fancy computer (but if you do have one, use it!) Have students write any sentences at all they wish (giving them a good prompt helps.) Check for: use of an initial capital letter, one space between words, good sentence formation, and an ending mark. Review the steps in Social Skill #37 mentioned above - see how many they recall! Check out the First Grade Symbaloo for fun learning activities. Second Grade What we learned / did / explored together: Students warmed up with some keyboarding practice using Typing Pal. We talked about empathy - what it means to be empathetic and why it’s important. We also talked about problem solving and affirmed that second graders are great, natural problem solvers. We launched a new blog - "Second Grade Problem Solvers" - designed to develop empathy & understanding as well as helping the kids get ready for PARCC testing next year, which includes online writing. I also talked about our blog mascot, "Success Kid," a symbol of triumph in a situation that goes better than expected. (For more background, click here.) Our first "Second Grade Problem Solvers" lesson involved a hypothetical scenario requiring the students’ thought and advice. Each second grade class has a different blog post to respond to (in the comments). I reviewed all student comments before they were posted but essentially made no other edits. This is authentic student work. What I observed / inferred / connected: This lesson worked very well. I tried to make the situations as realistic as possible. So far, it seems to be working, as the students enjoyed both reading the post and brainstorming advice to give in each case. Some of it was funny, some was touching, but all of it was authentic. What students can do at home: Talk about what it means to be empathetic and why it’s important. Ask your child to remember a time they needed a boost and got one from a friend, how much it meant to them, etc. Encourage your child to visit the blog (click here) and respond to a different post. I will approve all comments once I have reviewed them - nothing appears on the blog without my authorization. Students do not need a login to post a comment; we will be providing them with login credentials in an upcoming lesson. For online practice and skill development, the Second Grade Symbaloo awaits! Third Grade What we learned / did / explored together: Students warmed up with some keyboarding practice using Typing Pal. We are following up our LEGO WeDo robot lessons with some exposure to the wonderful world of Scratch, a free and amazingly popular programming environment designed just for kids. Programming in Scratch is straightforward and visual, allowing for endless experimentation, trial & error. The learning curve is extremely gentle. We provided some printed instructional cards (basically step-by-step guides) and after a short explanation of the program’s layout and operation, we let the kids go. We ended class with entries in our personal STEMLAB journals, something new we are piloting in third grade through the end of the year, designed to get kids thinking about their learning. We’ll save a few minutes at the end of every class for these quick writing tasks. We’ll see how this goes and probably expand their use in the fall. What I learned / observed / inferred: Scratch is enormously powerful, yet simple to use. Our limited class time presents a challenge, but by providing printed instructional cards, we let the kids work at their own pace on projects they chose. Several students worked on designs of their own. We will be expanding this lesson in the future and providing individual accounts for kids on the Scratch website. What students can do at home: Several students proudly proclaimed they already had Scratch accounts and knew how to use the site. Parents can click here for more information on how to get their kids programming. Check out the Third Grade Symbaloo for fun learning activities and KEYBOARDING PRACTICE! Fourth Grade What we covered / did / explored: Students wrapped up the "Remembering Kindergarten" project with the addition of images of their designed school and additional text describing it. Students also received (or will receive) their 3D printed schools. The rubric above was reviewed and I added comments throughout the documents, which many of the kids took time to reply to. It’s been a terrific experience! What I observed / inferred / connected: This project unleashed more creativity and imagination than any other project we’ve done so far this year. In addition to being good preparation for PARCC (online writing), it was good practice with Google Docs. Kids really enjoyed getting their 3D printed schools to take home. There is something extra powerful about holding something in your hand that you designed yourself. What students can do at home: Sketchup is free to download - click here - and I know several students have already done so (because they told me!) I recommend the Sketchup MAKE version only because it’s the most current and will get regular updates. I actually dislike what they’ve done with the interface and prefer the version we use at school, which is Sketchup 8 (available here.) Don’t take my word for it, have your kids try ‘em both and decide! The good news is that anything they design in Sketchup can be rendered in 3D, all I need is the .SKP file! Check out the Fourth Grade Symbaloo for fun learning activities, in particular, keyboarding.

A couple of weeks ago I spent a very enjoyable day at the LikeMinds Conference in Exeter. What is LikeMinds? Well I’m not completely clear to be honest. I attended because it was local, because some of my inspirational network locally were going and because Molly Flatt was speaking. Molly Flat - who is she? Well I came across Molly when I discovered that I had missed the event last year and while trawling the post conference stuff I came across either her talk or maybe a blog post ( I don’t remember so well that far back). But through that I discovered her blog and her wonderful writing. Molly also writes for the Guardian. Molly is a Word of Mouth Marketer (WOM) and works part time with 1000heads. Deep down though she is a journalist and aspiring author. She talked at the opening plenary session and I expected her to champion the ‘conversations’ that happen though the raft of social media platforms, and specifically Twiter, but she talked instead about the innovation of the ‘book’ and why sometimes you just have to let the dust settle before you write your thoughts and ideas down. She introduced us to a magazine called ‘Delayed Gratification‘ and celebrated the idea of ‘slow journalism’. Thank you Molly for that reflective but insightful session. Slowness is something to be cherished is our increasingly fast paced world. This blog post is an example of that - it was drafted on the train on the way home but took weeks to make it onto the big wide web thingy. To continue on this slow theme  I am currently reading ‘The Discovery of Slowness’ by Sten Nadolny. "The Discovery of Slowness  is a novel by Sten Nadolny, written under a double conceit: first, as a novelization of the life of British Arctic explorer Sir John Franklin, and second as a hymn of praise to "slowness," a quality which Nadolny’s fictional Franklin possesses in abundance." Wikipedia This ‘slowness’ thing is catching on in lots of disciplines (slow food, slow journalism, slow design and even slow cities)  primarily as a response to the way in which most things in life are speeding up. I’m interested in slow learning but I don’t yet know what that is - apart from being diametrically opposed to fast learning which is what most of my clients seem to want these days. What else occurred at Like Minds? Glenn Le Santo shared some anecdotes and stories on the death of the journalist’s business model. Seems like lots of business models are under threat these days. Just ask the Greeks or the Italians. We ended the plenary session with a debate around the proposition ‘Are all Companies now Media Companies?’ The general consensus is that companies are having to be much more hands on when it comes to managing the information that they create and the conversations that they have with their customers. Glenn wasn’t impressed with the idea that you can sell something and talk about it all at the same time but that’s the way the smart companies are going. If you create and develop the conversation you can shape the behaviour of your customers in ways that simply aren’t possible using traditional media levers. Following a nice lunch hosted by James Whatley of 1000Heads I attended an ‘immersive’ on Online Video delivered by the dynamic duo of Stephen and Roger from Watershed PR. Now being an e-learning guy I have been increasingly interested in using video as an integral part of an online learning experience but making a video is much harder than it looks. Just check out the number of people (and budget) it takes to make a Hollywood movie and you get the picture (sic). The dynamic duo took us on a high speed tour of some of the things you need to think about when you want to make a video to promote your business. Visual storytelling featured strongly but also simple tips on scene setting and drawing viewers into the action. I can’t watch my local TV news reports now without visualising the storyboard. How sad is that? I expected some innovation in the format of the conference but in practice it followed the same old conference formula with a plenary followed by some break out sessions (called ‘Immersives’) with a final plenary at the end. We did get to lunch at various locations around the lovely city of Exeter with the speakers which was a nice touch. A more inspirational format might be more appropriate for an event which is supposed to tap into the zeitgeist. Many years ago when I was in the Technical Writing business I attended a series of innovative but brilliant conferences in Europe. Called the FORUM Conferences they relied on a lot of interaction between presenters and delegates. They used ‘idea markets’, ‘immersives’ and championed the ‘rule of two feet’. It sounds quite chaotic I know but the quality of the conversations was amazing and the whole thing worked in a wonderfully human and organic way. Idea Markets will again be a cornerstone of the conference. Developed 30 years ago by Ulf Anderssen and Lars Forslund in Sweden, INTECOM’s Ideas Markets have become recognized as the ideal way to present and exchange information. Rather than have delegates sitting in docile rows listening to a speaker deliver information in a one-way setting, in an Idea Market everyone participates in an interactive exchange of ideas. It’s exhilarating and refreshing! Finally LikeMinds is a social media savvy organisation so it wasn’t unexpected that Tweeting would be a feature of the event. Thankfully though the ‘backchannel’ didn’t feature too heavily and we were spared a Twitter wall. I never did get to download RokkMedia’s custom Like/Dislike app and I don’t know how well it was used during the event - with no reliable WiFi connectivity wasn’t brilliant but sometimes a little disconnectedness makes life more pleasureable. Is this the last slow word on the Like Minds 2011 conference? Maybe, maybe not.

You never know when it's going to hit the fan. Take these steps to avoid trouble.Post from: The eLearning Coach10 Ways To Protect Yourself From Client Issues

Christmas is fast approaching and I’ve been asked again this year to write a guest blog article for the E-Learning Network’s advent calendar of e-learning insights, advice and stories. I’m not sure what to write about this year but I thought I’d share my contribution from last year on ‘Storyboarding’. There’s a free storyboard template in it for you if you manage to get to the end! The storyboard is the vehicle by which conventional e-learning gets done, but the storyboard is a much misunderstood thing both by those in the e-learning business and by customers. The problem is that everyone does storyboarding in a different way. Some even abandon the storyboard altogether in favour of the rapid prototype (more on this disruptive approach later). One of the problems with the storyboard is that it has to perform so many functions throughout an e-learning development project. Here are some of its possible tasks: It acts as the scoping vehicle (have we included everything?) It may provide initial visuals for client review It determines the level of interactivity though the programme (and therefore determines the amount of effort required to build the end product) It provides the main review document for the client and the subject matter expert (SME) It contains all the final on-screen text or voice-over script for client review In may contain low resolution versions of all the photographs and images that will appear in the final programme. It is used as the key briefing document for the development team. Clearly this is a big ask for one document. And to make matters worse the audiences are so completely different - the client who is paying, the SME who is looking for accuracy, the project management team who are assessing effort and the development team who are looking for a clear brief on how it should be built. Of course in many cases the storyboard is supported by additional documents but these are often left by the wayside as the client focuses on the tangible visual feel of the storyboard. So we recognise that the storyboard has to achieve a lot so how should it look to achieve this massive task? The Visual Storyboard I’ve worked on a vast number of e-learning projects over the years and either though experiment or dictate (my client has forced me to use their in-house approach) I have tried a broad range of approaches. As a visual person (aren’t most instructional designers visual) I favour the visually rich storyboard built in PowerPoint (or any other graphics and layout friendly software). Now, just because I use PowerPoint does not mean that the storyboard should look like a PowerPoint presentation. PowerPoint provides us with a blank canvas - what we put onto that blank canvas is limited only by our imagination (and the imagination of those who we work with). Having opted for the visually rich approach there are two possible avenues open to us. We can adopt a realist approach or we can adopt a sketchy approach. The realists use actual photographs , proper fonts and smart layouts. Sometimes these storyboards looks almost like the finished thing. If you are developing with a rapid tool such as Articulate or Adobe e-Learning Studio they probably will be the finished thing. The sketchers on the other hand use rough layouts, basic outlines, silhouettes and  often placeholders for images and graphics. Which would you prefer to review as a client? It’s a tough call - some clients get the sketchy approach - they recognise that it is the first step and can see how it can be developed towards the final product. For me it isn’t a simple choice between one or the other. It depends on your natural way of working as an instructional designer, and on the preference of the client (and indeed the rest of the development team). I prefer to start with the sketchy approach since this lets me work quickly and focus on the learning and the learning interactions rather than the look and feel. One of the strengths of this approach is that it also provides more scope for the designers to add their magic. However in some cases this approach can come unstuck - some e-learning  companies operate a production line and the last thing they want is too much autonomy on the part of the designer. Sometimes I will build an early sketchy draft - review this with the development team and the client - then translate it to a more realistic version before it is signed off for build. The Script Storyboard But what if you (or your client) doesn’t do the visual approach at all? Well the most popular alternative is the straightforward written script. This is a much more word focussed approach - think Tolstoy or Dickens rather than Picasso or Monet. This approach is favoured by some clients because it keeps more obviously to the message - which is often more simply conveyed in words than images. Images are interpretations and these can be subjective. These script storyboards are usually developed in a word processor and they therefore get the benefit of all that fancy review and mark-up functionality that exists in a product like Word. As they are purposely light on imagery and layout these scripts will often contain lots of ‘described interactions’ (the instructional designer describing a learning interaction rather than actually visualising it). Some clients do seem to feel more comfortable with this script based approach but transforming the script into an engaging visual e-learning experience can be a real challenge - there simply isn’t enough visualisation done to make the job of the designer and developer straightforward. Usually they need considerably more input at the briefing stage. No-Storyboard at All Finally we have the ‘no storyboard’ approach. How does this work? Well it’s hard to describe but it requires a degree of collaboration and insight that aren’t quite so important using the conventional approaches. The concept behind the no-storyboard or rapid prototype approach is that all clients really want to see is the final thing - and if we can show them what that looks like really early on then we can dispense with storyboards altogether. This is a good concept but it has some problems. We still need some way to capture all the content, and the designers and developers still need input from the instructional designer so in practice there is often still a rudimentary storyboard - it’s just that it’s not seen or reviewed by the client but becomes an internal design document only. This approach actually works for me - I’m a big fan of building something quickly and showing the client quickly (warts and all) but it can be tough to implement in a conventional production environment - things are continually oscillating between the instructional designer and the build team and this can seriously mess-up the project schedule. However time lost at this prototyping stage is usually regained again at client review. Usually the client is much more satisfied with the end product earlier in the development cycle and there are therefore less costly changes towards the end of the build. Which Approach is Best? So which approach works best? Well there are of course strengths and weaknesses for all three but here is a guide to help: Use a visual storyboard when:  The client gets visuals You are using a rapid development tool You need to work quickly You are planning lots of learning interactions You are developing a new course template Use a script storyboard when: The client is precious about the words the SME has provided When proofing the message and the text is critical (e.g. for regulatory purposes) When you are working with a law firm (seriously) You are simply working to a pre-defined course template Use no storyboard when: The client is completely naive when it comes to e-learning When you are attempting something unconventional such as a game or complex scenario You are experimenting with your design and development team (trying new learning interactions or a new player for example). Clearly as instructional designers we all have our favoured way of working but it’s also critical that we work in a way that is transparent for both the customer, the SME and the development team. It’s important to recognise that the storyboard is only a representation of the final product. Early on it may look a bit rubbish but as the team works towards the final goal it will crystallise the thinking and the design. Imagine the storyboard as the rough underpainting of that final masterpiece. One day our storyboards may even become valuable in their own right! What works best for you? Are you a no-storyboard fan or would life be hell without it? In the spirit of Christmas, I’ve attached a Visual Storyboard Template for you to use/modify as appropriate. PowerPoint e-Learning Storyboard Template

Summer is here, a great time for rest, relaxation and exploration - and I don’t just mean for kids! It’s been a great year and we’re planning even more greatness for September, including a relaunch of and some new directions for this blog. Stay tuned!

Most instructional designers have not been taught how to conceive abstract visuals, so here are some guidelines.Post from: The eLearning CoachWhich graphic should I use?

Today’s the day! We’re back! It’s the first day of the new school year for 2014-15! Entering the third year of my re-imagined K-4 Computer Lab program, they key word is "evolve." We’re keeping what works (and discarding what doesn’t) in relentless pursuit of the best possible mix of elementary technology skill instruction, guided inquiry learning, and applied engineering concepts. Let me set the stage for you for the new school year! New State Technology Standards Coming Over the past several months, I have had the privilege of serving on an New Jersey Department of Education committee tasked with updating the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Technology. The last update was in 2009; so much has changed since then! Mobile devices are everywhere; connections & collaborations between students and classrooms are easier than ever; and a surging "maker" movement is encouraging kids to do everything from tinker with broken toys to design for 3D printers and even learn how to write code. These trends and more are reflected in the recently published draft standards for technology, and in the work we will be doing in my classroom this year. Say Hello to Google Classroom In grades 2-3-4, my students will be using a brand-new tool from Google (just launched in August) called Google Classroom. We are among the very first schools in the country to leverage this new application at the elementary level. Google Classroom will make it easy for students to access and turn in their work while raising collaboration to a whole new level. This short video will give you an idea what Google Classroom is all about. Entering Our Third Year with Engineering is Elementary As the basis for the "STEM" emphasis we incorporated into our elementary Computer Lab program two years ago, Engineering is Elementary continues to provide us with a flexible, robust and powerful platform for guided inquiry learning. Just ask any NCS Elementary student what they remember most about my class last year - I will bet their response will be an EiE project! These wonderful units, purchased with grant money we received in 2012, combine beautifully written and illustrated stories with sound explorations of the Engineering Design Process, culminating in hands-on engineering activities the kids love. This short video does a terrific job explaining the program, its focus and benefits: The Importance of Foundation Skills  I often say to students that keyboarding is the single most important skill they will acquire in my class. We will once again be using the online Typing Pal service (grades 2 & up) and a variety of other web-based programs to provide students with a solid grounding in keyboarding skill. For students younger than Second grade, we focus on what we call "keyboarding awareness," which basically is a working understanding of the basics of a keyboard’s layout, location of the "power" keys (including enter, escape, shift) and when to use each hand to type a letter (as opposed to finger-specific reaches.) Foundation skills also refer to effective utilization of a mouse (this is becoming more and more important in my class as handheld devices overtake traditional computers in the home), the ability to log onto a Windows-based computer with an ID and password, traversing network drives & managing files, printing, and word processing, spreadsheet, presentation and database skills (taught both with Microsoft Office and Google Apps.) The School-Home Connection Students come to my class once a week for 40 minutes. Let that sink in. Once. A. Week. 40 minutes! We have, as you can see, a TREMENDOUS amount of work to do every year - and extending learning at home is a HUGE help. Whether it is keyboarding practice or working with Google Apps or even exploring the learning activities on my grade-level Symbaloo pages (KDG | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th), every little bit helps. I often hear, too, of students going home and replicating the EiE STEM projects we’ve undertaken. (Sorry about the mess, Mom & Dad - but that’s real learning, too!) Simply put, we are partners in your child’s education. Thank you in advance for your help! That’s all for now. Let’s get busy! Mr. Jarrett

I’m currently working with a client on developing an online programme that is partly about a key business process and partly about a software application that supports that business process. We are using WillowDNA’s Pathway platform to deliver a mix of learning activities organised as a ‘learning pathway’. The interactive bits are developed in Articulate and we are using Camtasia for software walkthroughs. We are also using lots of short videos produced in house featuring key people in the business (including the CEO) and also stories from users in the field from across the worldwide business. In the last couple of years the use of video in e-learning has grown significantly. In the old days video was way too bandwidth hungry for corporate networks and it was also very expensive to produce. The bandwidth restrictions are now much less stringent and suddenly there are devices all around us that will capture high quality video and tools that will allow us to publish that video simply and quickly. This morning I reviewed a 30 minute video which contained some ‘to camera’ pieces from the leadership team. The footage was completely unedited and so contains practice runs, people looking away from the camera, asking the cameraman questions and even joking with the camera team about the mistakes they are all making. Now I know that our task is to remove all the mistakes and end up with a something that looks professional (the way the BBC would do it) but it dawned on me that by taking out the less professional bits we also lose a lot of the humanity. The unedited video made me smile - I warmed to the CEO making mistakes and joking about it. I know that the final edits will get across the message succinctly but will the whole thing feel authentic? For me this feeling of authenticity is critical for successful learning experiences and sadly it’s one of the things that almost always gets edited out in e-learning programmes. When I deliver a face to face workshop there are lots of authentic bits included - by accident more than by design. We may tell a joke or share a story or just laugh about something that has come up in a Q&A session. I think it’s important that we strive to keep this authenticity in online learning as well. When it comes to video, speaking ‘off the cuff’  to the camera is so much better that using a script. It may feel a bit scary and there will be some pauses and moments of imperfection but overall it will feel much more authentic.