Evaluating Emerging technology assessment (EETA) White County High School Professional Learning Community (PLC) Meeting Presented by: Shannon Britt

Introducing- swivl the robotic technology http://www.swivl.com “How presentations should be delivered.”

Emerging technology Swivl is a productivity tool used to capture presentations. This device records video and audio. Name of the product- derived from its ability to ‘swivel’ 360 degrees as well as rotate forward and back 20 degrees in order to display the area where the designated remote/recording device is located. Supports WCHS technology vision by beginning the ‘flipped classroom’ process- record lectures and upload them to your school website for future use by students

options for your classroom: SWIVL Approach- record initial lesson and use it to refer students back to key points Typical Lecture Approach- useful but why do the same lecture 3 times a day?

Description and purpose- Swivl is versatile- compatible with smartphones (Android and iOS), tablets, and DSLR cameras.

Description and purpose via www.swivl.com/support -

Funding & training- Mr. Osborne, our principal, has purchased 3 Swivl bases complete with wireless audio remotes and lanyards. If WCHS deems it necessary, we can purchase more of these units through our technology implementation fund. Necessary training on the use of this equipment will be completed via PLC by Mr. Brian Buffington, Pioneer RESA Technology Representative. Brian will also be our contact for TECHNICAL SUPPORT (available via email or phone).

Meeting standards- This emerging technology can be used to meet Georgia Performance Standards in a variety of ways (P-12 grade levels): Allows alternative mode of receiving information for students. Provides additional support/differentiation for confusing concepts or concepts missed by students due to absences. Provides a means for students to make their presentations in class, have them recorded, and view and potentially publish the results.

Promoting research-based, learner-centered strategies- Students will be able to use this technology to record their own presentations in class. For example, if a student wants to demonstrate the process he used in creating his Science experiment/project, he could use Swivl to record the step-by-step process for the class. This recording could be saved and uploaded to the teacher’s webpage for future students to view.

Authenticating the learning- Swivl certainly has the capability to provide students with an authentic/meaningful learning experience. Whether it is a portion of the teacher’s lecture that is uploaded to her site and viewed by the student or if the student created a video that was displayed, the results are beneficial. This technology allows ‘lectures’ to be minimized and presentations to take life!

Promoting higher order thinking (hot) skills- Swivl will allow for higher order thinking skills to take place due to the fact that students should and will be asked to create their own presentations using Swivl. Higher order thinking skills also come into play after having students view a Swivl recording and posing questions about the validity of the information or asking questions that incite further research on their part to find answers.

Collaborating- Not only can teachers collaborate and ‘share’ presentations with one another but the students can collaborate on presentation options. Students might work with peers to create a presentation explaining the content covered the previous day in order to promote clarification and mastery of goals and skills.

Equipment/software needed to use swivl- Luckily for us, the items needed are provided- Swivl base with tripod iPad (school-issued), Smartphone, or DSLR camera Swivl lanyard and remote for audio recording This blue tooth, wireless audio device allows for the audio to be clear even when the person speaking is 20+ feet away from the Swivl base.

Limitations- As far as I know, there are few limitations concerning this device. The device has its primary function of recording video and audio for the purpose of revisiting the information at a later date. When saving your recorded work, save it to your desktop or ‘my documents’. Let me know if you see any ‘hang ups’ with this new, robotic technology.

Cost- To purchase a Swivl for personal use, the base with remote and lanyard is $300. Again, we have the privilege of using 1 of 3 purchased by our principal.

Research available for this emerging technology- In a school environment, this new robotic technology has revolutionized the teaching process for many teachers. Not only is this a way to capture video (with the Swivl Robot), but it is also a way to share your work with your very own, pre-purchased devices (Smartphones, iPads, Tablets, cameras, etc.).

Lecture Swivl introduced Flipped Classroom

Communicating locally and globally- Swivl allows students, teachers, parents, and educational shareholders the opportunity to be a part of what occurs ‘in’ and ‘out’ of the classroom. Anyone you share your videos with can see the learning that takes place in your classroom. Swivl is innovative and sharp; students will be engaged if this technology is used. Communication becomes easy- use Swivl to record a ‘Welcome’ video for students and parents. Use Swivl to record a lecture you share with a ‘key pal’ across the nation!

Safe, healthy, legal & ethical issues- Of course, in a school environment, educators must be careful when recording/video taping students and their work. Incorporate a permission slip in your syllabus that states that parents must return slip ONLY if they will NOT allow their students to participate in making or being a part of Swivl video capture.

Diversity- This technology definitely allows ALL learners the unique opportunity to get involved in the lesson/concept being taught. Students are free to rewind and review the information if it is in video (Swivl capture) format. Students can see the step-by-step processes taken in producing products. Students can pause when overwhelmed or when they need to view the lesson later- ‘flipping the class’ is quite student-centered.

Professional learning and evaluating this technology- Teachers will be able to attend Professional Learning Community (PLC) Meetings in order to ensure the effective and proper use of this new technology. Surveys will be given to teachers who choose to implement this technology into their classrooms. Questions will determine the effectiveness of its level of engagement with students. Student surveys will be administered also.