IT's Elementary

Empowering, Encouraging, Equipping Educators and Students

Integration of Technology Standards in the Classroom

May 1, 2012 by · 2 Comments · Coetail 4

Last week the question was “Whose job is it to teach technology?” My answer can be found here. This week the readings were about how can we ensure that the technology standards are being met in classrooms. Here are some of my thoughts and take aways from the readings.

First of all, how do we help teachers to reach the standards? ISTE has standards for teachers. Do all teachers need to meet the standards? I don’t know if it is necessary for all teachers to meet all the standards, but teachers should be aware of the standards and continue to learn and grow, not only in their content area but with skills that will help their students to learn.

Tom Johnson writes about the need to showcase technology and have the technology facilitator looking for solutions and working with the classroom teachers giving ideas of what is available and how it might help to reach the standards the teacher is working towards. Two important questions that should be asked by the specialist are: Why? and To what end? is the technology being used. He also mentions the need for continued professional development regarding technology for all teachers. Personally I think having teachers share with other teachers or even better having students share with other teachers what they have learned or used would be very powerful.

Marc Prensky in Shaping Tech for the Classroom brings out another important point: involve the students. He mentions that most conferences he goes to there are no students in sight. I have to admit I have not been to a technology conference in several years but I don’t remember students being involved. I do know that there are some conferences that are beginning to include students. Kim Cofino and others at YIS sponsored the Beyond Laptops conference and students were involved. The asbunpluggled2012 in February was another conference where students, teachers and leaders came together. So although many places still are slow in including the students, small steps are being taken by some forward thinking educators and technology specialists.

Jeff Utecht in Evaluating Technology  Use in the Classroom  refers to four stages that Marc Prensky writes about in the Edutopia article.

  • Dabbling.
  • Doing old things in old ways.
  • Doing old things in new ways.
  • Doing new things in new ways.
Jeff takes them one step farther and develops questions that supervisors and administrators can use to help in evaluating the use of technology in the classroom.
  1. Is the technology being used “Just because it’s there”?
  2. Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in Old ways?
  3. Is the technology allowing the teacher/students to do Old things in New ways?
  4. Is the technology creating new and different learning experiences for the students?
These are questions I need to be asking myself as I plan the use of technology in my classroom. I know that I have had some activities that fit into each category but hopefully I continue to challenge myself and my students to find new and different learning  experiences that will increase student learning. I don’t think that all technology use needs to be new and different, but it shouldn’t all be Old things in Old ways or Old things in New ways. There is a time and place for each.
There are 2 other frameworks that can also be used when evaluating the use of technology. The SAMR model seems to begin with Enhancement that has 2 components: “Substitution, Tech acts as a direct tool substitute, with no functional change” and “Augmentation, Tech acts as a direct tool substitute, with functional improvement.” Then there is a move up the ladder to Transformation with “Modification, Tech allows for significant task redesign” and “Redefinition, Tech allows for the creation of new tasks previously inconceivable.” The components make sense but it seems that the goal is to reach Redefinition and yet each component seems important and valuable.  I found Maggie Hos-McGrane’s posting a bit disturbing. She seemed to think that the Enhancement level should be left to the classroom teacher and and the Transformation level was for the technology experts. I would like to see the experts help the classroom teachers become more comfortable with a more cooperative spirit among the technology experts and classroom teachers. Actually I would like to see a circular or horizontal expression of the model where students and teachers are moving back and forth and not trying to move up to the top.
The other framework that is worth investigating is TPACK – Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge. This model is designed as a venn diagram where Technological Knowledge, Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge all overlap. Here the technology experts and classroom teachers work together to find what is the best way to help the students meet the standards and show their learning. The experts in technology, content and pedagogy are all working together to develop the best teaching and learning strategies.
Any use of technology in the classroom should be to increase student learning. Is there one size fits all and this is the best way. I don’t think so. I think that just as educators we differentiate to help all students achieve, the expectations for teachers need to be differentiated. That doesn’t mean some teachers don’t have to do technology or can stay in their own comfort zone or cave, the technology experts, teacher leaders, and administrators in a school need to share new ideas and be willing to step in and help the classroom teachers continue to develop new tools in their tool box. It may even mean that students need to step up and share with their teachers. Finding ways to showcase student learning through technology should be part of the on-going professional development for classroom teachers.
I saw the following photo the other week. Technology is the base that supports student and teacher learning.

Technology Supporting Learning

Photo by Langwitches

 

 

 

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Teaching Technology Standards – Whose job is it?

April 23, 2012 by · 6 Comments · Coetail 4

This week for Coetail the question is: Whose job is it to teach the NETs standards to students and how do we ensure they are being met in an integrated model?

The technology coordinator, administrators and learning team(made up of department heads) at my school have been asking and are continuing to ask this same question. Our school just recently completed a WASC(Western Association of Schools and Colleges) reaccreditation. One of the recommendations for school improvement is to continue working on the integration of technology into the curriculum. Along with an intentional push at integration we are also looking at the need for grade level learning targets and how we might track what is being done. Like many other schools there is a lot of technology happening in many of the classrooms. However, there is not a coordinated effort to track what is already being done nor is there a scope and sequence.

This was our first year of technology integration in the elementary classrooms.We have used technology in the past, but we also had “computer class” where the students went for 30 minutes each week. We no longer have the class but we do have a technology facilitator who will come into the classroom and teach along side of the classroom teacher. One effort we have made in the elementary school to track what is being done is to set up a google doc where the teachers add how they have used technology in the classroom during the previous month. This is by no means exhaustive, it is a beginning. In May we will be looking at the information we’ve collected and use it as we plan for next year and encourage each other with what can be done. One thing I am very pleased about is all of the elementary classes have their own blog. Each teacher is using it in a slightly different way, but each teacher has been learning new technology along with the students.

I know that my class has been helter-skelter with what we have done with technology. Because of the Coetail classes I have done a lot, but I don’t feel it has been in a logical or consistent manner. I know the students have learned a lot and I have learned even more. For example, earlier in the year I registered with Storybird but never introduced it to my students. The other week we were Skyping with a class in Canada and the teacher and I decided to have the students write collaborative stories. Mrs. Watson asked if I had used Storybird. I had to admit although I had an account I had never used it. I quickly set up student accounts without really knowing what I was doing. I have been learning with the students. On Friday they did a second page of the collaborative story and today I gave them time to play around and create their own stories. It has been fun to watch the students in my class collaborate and help each other. They have asked, “How do I…?” And usually my answer is, “Try this and play around.” I really don’t know. We are waiting for our Canadian friends to add to the next page of the story.

So what does this mean in relationship to NETS standards? I think it is important for all teachers to know what the standards are for their school. If a school doesn’t have standards look at NETS and/or American Association of School Librarians. Then find ways to integrate those into the content. Do we need grade level learning targets? I’m not sure. I know I want to write down some ways to meet the standards, but with the constant change and new applications that are being created is it necessary to have targets written down?

Our school has adapted the NETS into the following standards:

  • Students create original digital products
  • Students apply technology to collaborate and communicate.
  • Students research efficiently and effectively using reliable online resources.
  • Students apply problem-solving strategies to organize content and complete projects.
  • Students address current ethical and societal issues in the use of technology by applying a Christian world-view.
  • Students demonstrate fundamental skills related to operational systems, input methods, and software applications.
As a classroom teacher I know that I have introduced some of these and some of them I have not yet introduced. Knowing what the standards are and knowing what we have done this year I know that next year I will start earlier and introduce things in a different order. I don’t think that having grade level learning targets to check off would necessarily help me. I do believe it is helpful to have teachers check in with a technology coordinator, a department chair or supervisor on how they are having students use technology in the classroom and to talk with the teachers in the grade level above and below.
Some other interesting reading on standards includes:
       What Difference Might One “S” Make?                                                                                                   Media Literacy/Core Subjects &21st Century Themes
So whose job do I think it is to teach technology standards? Every teacher who uses technology and expects their students to use technology needs to know the standards and be expected to teach them.
Is there one way to accomplish this? I don’t believe there is ever only one way to help students achieve their goals or for schools to achieve their goals.
What is the best way? I think most school are still searching and discussing how to integrate, track and achieve the standards.

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Desks and Tape – Lessons Learned

March 30, 2012 by · No Comments · Daily Five

Setting up a classroom. That may seem a strange topic with the year 3/4 finished, but Saturday I spent 3 hours cleaning double stick tape off of the students’ desks. Last year we started Daily 5 and CAFE. I had attended a workshop by the Two Sisters and was excited. The K, 1 and 2 teachers were all onboard. I decided to set up our room with common work areas. We had three groups of desks around the front of the room and a few desks that I had taken the legs off so it was more of a table that the students could sit on the floor and use.

Desks made into a work table.

Desks with part of the legs removed, students sitting on cushions.

The desks were turned so the students couldn’t open them. Their books, journals, etc were kept in baskets. Pencils, markers, crayons, etc were in baskets on the tables for everyone to share. The students were not assigned seats, but always found a place where they could work and it worked well. We did eventually get rid of the desktop computers and had 6-8 netbooks in the classroom.

This year I planned on doing the same set up except moving the meeting area to the front of the room because we had a projector installed above the whiteboard. We started off with students allowed to choose their own seats on the carpet and at the desk groupings. Unfortunately it did not work as smoothly with this year’s class as with last year group. There were frequent arguments over whose seat it was because a water bottle had been placed on the desk. On the carpet there was general chaos. Frequently my teaching partner and I were asking students to leave the group and sit at a table. After 6 weeks or so, I gave in, put the legs back all the desks, divided them into groups of 4 or 5 and gave each student their own seat. I still had the desks turned so they could not be opened.

After Christmas I turned the desks around and the students were allowed to keep their things inside the desk rather than in their book box and other baskets. I also made name tags with a place for the students to write 2 goals. These were laminated and then taped on the desks with double stick tape. This is NOT a good idea. When the name tags came off to be replaced with the names in cursive and 2 new goals, that I didn’t laminate, sticky residue was left on the desks. Every paper it came in contact with left a bit of its self. The non-laminated name tags were looking horrible so I made new cursive name tags with no goals attached, but laminated. Before attaching them to the desk I decided it was time to clean off all the goo. I needed “goo gone” but didn’t have any so with elbow grease, “magic” eraser and some other toxic smelling cleaning agents the desks look fabulous! I almost don’t want to attach the new name tags.

I have tried various groups and most recently put them in three rows with seven in a row. Two groups of two on the ends and three in the middle. I usually don’t like rows because every time a student opens and closes their desk it moves forward a few inches. By the end of the day we have to move all the desks back 4 – 6 inches. One of the main reasons I’ve gone with rows is in April the students will be doing Iowa Tests of Basic Skills. Needless to say, our meeting area in the front of the room is gone, but we still have a meeting area in our library. The really nice thing about meeting in the library is the students get to look out the window at the double cherry blossom tree which should be in bloom in April.

Will this new arrangement work? I don’t know. I know this present group of students like to talk. I would like to let them choose where they sit to work and not have name tags on the desks, but for the rest of this year, I know that won’t work. Will I try that again next year? Probably.

It was interesting when the present third graders walked by and saw the second graders had assigned seats this year, several seemed envious. K and 1 both have tables, although 1 does assign seats at the tables.

What have I learned from all of this?

  • Ever group of students is different.
  • What works for one group may or may not work for the next group.
  • Be flexible.
  • NEVER use double stick tape on desks!
I hope to continue to reflect more about my journey with Daily 5, Cafe and Daily Math along with my Coetail reflections on technology in the classroom. Setting up the classroom is such a small part and yet a very large part of how a classroom works.

 

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Course 3 – Final Project – Movie Trailers

March 15, 2012 by · 9 Comments · Coetail 3

The final project for this course was done early in the course. If I only knew then what I know now! We had a weekend course with Andrew Churches and Kim Cofino. As a big part of the weekend we worked in groups to develop a visual media project. David wanted to create a movie trailer with his students using iMovie. That sounded interesting and fun. My students had begun our author study on Jan Brett and they would soon be performing several of Jan’s stories as readers theater productions.

David and I spent time on Saturday and Sunday creating a movie trailer that told about our Coetail weekend at YIS. It can be viewed here. It was interesting when I showed this to my class, the first reaction of many was “This is going to be scary.” When I asked why and assured them it wasn’t. They replied, “Because of the music.”

We had about 2 weeks until the performances and so we had to move quickly. (I know that next year it will be a slower and more scaffolded process.) There are 22 students in my class and each student was in 2 plays. I had divided the students into 5 groups with each group responsible for creating the backdrop for one play. Now each of those groups had a second responsibility to follow the prescribed storyboard and create a movie trailer. Some of the groups were able to finish their backdrop more quickly and begin working on the storyboard and trailers.

We were not familiar with a storyboard except for one time with writing a story. Next year we will use storyboards more often.  I would like to make a storyboard that will be easier for the students to use.(There are several formats on iMovie but the students need exposure to various types of storyboards and more space to write.) The students were encouraged to set up the shots and take the videos. Some groups did a much better job of this than other groups.

I know that next year we will begin working with video taping much earlier. The students have had opportunities to use the camera, but not necessarily  videotaping. I have since started sending home our class mascots Brisky Bear or Bubblez the clown fish, a camera and notebook with  students each week and then other students on the weekend. Next year we will begin sending them home earlier in the year and practice more with the cameras.

We have done readers theater performances before and students evaluated themselves, but we will practice and look at how our faces and bodies convey messages more carefully. We will hopefully begin the storyboard and taping of the movie trailer a bit earlier in the process so that we are not completing it the day before the performances. This year was a learning experience for the students and for me. The parents who came to the performance got to see the trailers before the actual plays and they are posted on our classroom blog for students and parents to view. Although David and I created a rubric for the trailer/process, because of the short time we had this year and lack of preparation, I didn’t feel it fair to try to grade the students. I know they all enjoyed watching the performances and learned some new camera and collaboration skills. The parents also enjoyed the movie trailers. I have also learned a lot about what I want to do next year. The students were able to help with some of the editing although it was difficult to give all the groups the same help, time, and guidance.

Here are the movie trailers that my students made, with some help.

Here is the “unit plan” for the movie trailer – This is just part of the Jan Brett Unit.

Learning Targets -

  • DT4.2.01 I make creative products and presentations
  • RL4.2.05 I use my work time wisely
  • PC 3.2.01 I can collaborate productively with my classmates.


Essential questions -

  • What are the powerful elements of expressive drama?
  • How can we use the elements to improve our performances?
  • How can we use drama to help us express ourselves?


Essential Understandings -

  • Effective communication usually combines different elements such as confidence, creativity and cooperation
  • My facial and body movements add to the meaning of what I am reading and saying and/or dramatizing.


Content -

  • Jan Brett books – The Umbrella, The Mitten, The Hat, The Three Little Dassies, Town Mouse Country Mouse
  • iMovie

Skills -

  • Students will use their faces and bodies to dramatize the story.
  • Students will use a camera to take video clips of other classmates performing.
  • Students will use a storyboard to plan and create the movie trailer.


Resources -

  • Scripts for Jan Brett plays
  • Student created backdrops for the plays
  • Masks from Jan Brett’s website for the characters
  • Jan Brett website – http://www.janbrett.com/index.html
  • Video camera
  • iLife 11 movie trailers – The Adventure Movie allows for the most characters to be named


Final Assessment
Your task is to create a movie trailer for your readers’ theater performance that will make your fellow students and parents want to come to see your performance.

 

Criteria Oscar Nominee Hollywood Star Celebrity Amateur
Use of storyboard Every shot was planned before the shoot. The wording matches the shots. Most of the shots are planned before the shoot. Most of the wording in the trailer matches with the shots. Some of the shots are planned before the shoot. Some of the wording in trailer matches with the shots. Did not plan the shots before the shoot. The wording does not match with the shots.
Appropriate video clips The clips are the appropriate length. Most of the clips are the appropriate length. Some of the clips are the appropriate length. The clip lengths are random.
Creativity Your trailer has consistently creative points to interest your audience. Your trailer has many creative points that helps to interest your audience. Your trailer has some creative points that helps to interest your audience. Your trailer rarely has creative points that helps to interest your audience.
Collabo-
ration		 You and your team discussed decisions and consistently worked together You and your team worked well together most of the time. You and your team worked well together sometimes. You and your team had many disagreements and difficulty working together.


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ReMix and Mashup

March 12, 2012 by · 6 Comments · Coetail 3

This week I had reading to do about remix and mashup. As I read these and various other articles I was feeling overwhelmed and saturated. I know that teaching my students about remixing is something to think about in the future, at this point in my own understanding I’m not sure what second graders need to know.

Presently, I am trying to empower, encourage, equip not only my students, my colleagues but also parents. In the last two months I have worked with my students on making movie trailers of their Jan Brett Readers theater performances. More about those in my next blog post.

The students have been taking home our class mascot, Brisky Bear, with a camera and recording trips they have taken. When they bring the camera back to school I have uploaded the photos to our class blog and then help the students with writing about the photos. Recently I got the idea from another blog, to send home a notebook with Brisky and the camera. The students can then record their adventures in the notebook and read each other’s writing. Since Brisky was so popular and everyone wanted to take him home I introduced a second stuffed friend, Bubblez. Now they each go home during the week with a student and another student on the weekend. This has added to the number of posts we are adding to our classroom blog. It also adds to my uploading photos and typing text.

Bubblez and Brisky on the play structure. Photo by Mua

While looking at other classroom blogs my classroom connected with Mrs. Watson’s 2/3. I commented on their blog and they began to ask questions about Japan and our school. Together we answered some of the questions and commented on some of their student blogs. Mrs. Watson and I decided to have the students introduce themselves via a video in preparation for a skype chat. They have sent us a video and we are still working on videoing and then editing it. Each student choose some place in the school to introduce, along with introducing something about themselves. I am glad to have 2 high school teacher assistants who have helped with the taping.

Through Mrs. Watson I also learned about #d5chat on Twitter and the Daily Five wikispaces. Last year we began using the Daily Five structure for language arts and CAFE for reading instruction. For the last month I have joined the #d5chat on Saturday mornings in Japan. This past Saturday I planned a “Twitter Party” for my colleagues. One has a Twitter account, but never uses it. The others don’t have accounts. So I thought the best way to introduce them to it would be to participate in the chat. Three of my colleagues came and we were able to share ideas about Daily Five and learn some technology. I also am feeling much more comfortable with Twitter and have appreciated all the people I have connected with to create an “armchair” professional learning network(PLN).

I have held two Technology Tidbits for parents, one in January and one in February. There is another one planned for Wednesday, March 22. So choosing a topic and preparing a presentation for the parents has also been a challenge.

I’m glad to be able to empower, encourage and equip my students, colleagues and parents but there comes a point of overload. I need to apply a few more of the lessons I’ve already learned and share them before I forget. I have also done something for myself using what I have learned in creating a short iMovie from a retreat I went on last week.

Even in creating this I learned several things. I was able to put in just the audio of a segment I taped that had audio and video. I had one friend who was unhappy that I had included a photo of her in the original and although she said I could leave it in, I was able to add in a different photo. Although this isn’t a remix since the video clips and photos are all mine, learning how to add audio that isn’t “prepackaged” on iMovie is a step forward for me in learning about remixing and mashups.

As I consider remix and mashups for my class, I think we have started a discussion that incorporates the idea of remixing. According to Lawrence Lessig “It means using the work of others in a way that is transformative, or critical. The remix creator should acknowledge the work she remixes, by giving attribution somewhere in the work.”  Presently the students are working on writing their own “Goldilocks” story. They had to choose their own characters, setting and 3 things that their “Goldilocks” tried. This is going through the writing process with a storyboard, rough draft, editing and a final draft. We’ve also started having discussions about using someone else’s ideas. The students get that taking something that isn’t yours and saying it is yours isn’t right. They are learning to follow the “Golden Rule” – “Do to others what you would have them do to you.” Matthew 7:12 (New International Version 1984)

One of my favorite sites about remix was by Kirby Ferguson, Everything is a Remix. All four videos are well worth watching until the very end, not just until the credits.

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Introduction to Infographics/Data Visualization

March 4, 2012 by · 9 Comments · Coetail 3

March 2 was Dr. Seuss’ birthday. It was celebrated around the world with many people reading and rereading his wonderful books. There are many great websites about Dr. Seuss. We read some of his books in our class last week and will be reading some more this week. The first grade class across the hall has each child read and share with the class one of Dr. Seuss’ books. When I saw this infographic I thought what a great way to challenge my students as they read to find a favorite quote.

We would first spend time reading the quotes on the graphic and discuss why someone might collect quotes. What do the quotes mean? Have they every heard someone share a favorite quote? Why do we remember and use quotes?

Since we have been memorizing bible verses from the beginning of the year I would start with each student choosing a favorite verse. Then see if we could group them by themes or books of the Bible. At this point I would have the students work in small groups to take a photo or create a picture that would add to their group of verses. Then create a poster that would be our infographic.

The next challenge would be to find a quote they would like to remember.  Each student will be given several sticky notes in their book box. When they find a quote, they can copy it to a sticky note along with the title of the book and their name. We will collect the sticky notes on a small whiteboard on the easel. At the end of a week or two we can create our own infographic of favorite quotes from favorite books. This might be an ongoing project that students can work on in small groups as they find quotes they like and share a theme with others or are by the same author.

What is an infographic or data visualization? From the visual.ly website

  • visualizations that present complex information quickly and clearly
  • visualizations that integrate words and graphics to reveal information, patterns or trends
  • visualizations that are easier to understand than words alone
  • visualizations that are beautiful and engaging

The infographics I want to create with my students would not involve data, or patterns or trends but would be an introduction to what can be created. I have been fascinated by the free technology that is available to help create data visualizations. Gap minder is particularly fascinating. I would love to hear if anyone has ideas for its use with elementary students. It seems more geared for secondary or at least upper elementary students.

At this point in time, helping students to see that we can present data and information in a variety of ways is the first step. Then helping the students to learn to read and interpret the data and information seems the next step. Learning to collect data and create an infographic would be the final step. I’m not sure at this time if that is a step that my elementary students are ready for. We have done some basic graphing and maybe it is something to consider in our graphing unit next year. Has anyone tried data visualization with lower elementary students?

I did find it fun to create an infographic of myself twitterized. Since I am still a newbie with twitter it was pretty much accurate.

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Digital Storytelling

February 27, 2012 by · 2 Comments · Coetail 3, Tech tools

Digital storytelling, when I first heard this topic, I thought about how my students might share stories they are writing using technology. I knew of a few online programs and apps for my iPad that I’m still learning about. I was really thrilled when I came across this site from a Diigo in Education update. But as I’ve read this past week, I realized digital storytelling is not just for elementary students, that is just the beginning.

Digital storytelling is for anyone and everyone who has a story to share. One of the best definitions I found was here. ”Digital storytelling - A digital story typically begins with a script. The storyteller then assembles rich media to support the ideas and emotions in that script, including music or other audio effects, personal or public domain images, animations or video, and other electronic elements. The storyteller pieces together and edits the digital story, creating a short movie, usually about two to four minutes long,”

So how will I use digital storytelling in my classroom? In some ways, I’m not sure where to start. I subscribed to voicethread several years ago. At that time we used it for the summer reading program. I used it twice last year. This year I keep wanting to get to it, but feel overwhelmed with all the other things I’ve been learning.(I presently have 2 different windows open with 24 tabs on one and 10 on the other. I keep finding interesting sites.) Maybe voicethread is where I need to start, but then I’ll be giving the students one more login username and password. Fortunately they do better than I do at remembering the passwords.

There is another possibility and that is with our buddy class from Canada. They sent us a video introduction. Presently my students are working on self-introductions and introductions to our school. We taped some last week and need to finish them and edit it. Then Mrs. Watson and I are planning a skype between the classes and possibly a collaborative storywriting. I know that her students have used storybird so that might be what we do. There are so many possibilities!

A few weeks ago my students were performing readers’ theater plays. In preparation for those plays and as a project for this course(more about that later) the students created imovie trailers. The more I’ve learned about digital storytelling I realized that I’ve done this backwards. The students have used a storyboard for creating a story and used a storyboard for the trailer, but how much more effective would it have been if they had created a digital story before the trailers. I know that next year we will begin the process in September of creating digital stories.

If you are looking for some other good resources for digital storytelling check out this wiki. The creator, Alan Levine, shares over 50 online resources for digital storytelling. If you’re looking for a class to get started go here. There are a lot of resources available, iPads, iPods and iPhones are making it simpler and easier for even young students to create and share their work.

Made a movie of my class making pizza. Need to learn a lot more about it, but it is a start.

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Presentation Design

February 20, 2012 by · 4 Comments · Coetail 3, Tech tools

Learning about presentation design this week has been interesting, but not particularly relevant to what I do with with my students. I looked in my Keynote folder and found 2 presentations I’ve made to use with the faculty. In both of the presentations I was introducing technology integration to the staff. My first presentation was made a little less than a year ago for the elementary staff to introduce the idea of technology integration and what we were planning. Little did I truly understand or know what would happen this year.(I want to say the elementary staff have taken some big steps and some small steps to integrate technology across the curriculum.)
Technology

The second one was created when the headmaster asked if I could share in 5 minutes or so what the elementary staff has been doing to integrate technology. I know the second one could have been better on many points as I made it in a relatively short time, late at night because I was concerned that my computer might freeze when presenting. (I had some difficulty with my computer when it is upgraded to Lion and I would connect or disconnect from a projector. Those problems have been solved, and I want to thank Ryan.)
Technology in Ele – 2:1:12
Even as I made the 2nd keynote I learned some things. A video clip will play as a clip and not be a still photo. I used screenshots to capture each classroom blog, actually going to the blog would have been more effective, but I was concerned about my computer freezing and having a very limited time. I know that I probably should have fewer bullet points on some of the slides of the first presentation.

I enjoyed watching  Don McMillian, Life After Death by PowerPoint. This was made in 2008, he has another similar one from 2010 that is twice as long with a few different points. Garr Reynolds with Zen Presentations seems to be the guru of presentations.

I think the most important points that I have learned are:

  • Know your audience, if possible.
  • Keep it simple(too many bells and whistles or words can be distracting).
  • Keep it memorable.
  • Less is often more.
  • Create a handout if necessary.
  • Your slides should not be your presentation – if all the information is on the slide, why are you talking?
Will I use these points soon? Probably as I work on a presentation for parents at my next Technology Tidbits.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Classroom Blog – Open or Closed?

February 13, 2012 by · 2 Comments · Blogs

Should a classroom blog be password protected? Why should a blog be “open”? These are questions that I have been wrestling with this year. In August I began my own journey into the world of integrated technology by starting the Coetail course. This blog is a result of taking the Coetail classes and most of the posts have been related to readings and projects we are doing in the class. This post is my own journey to answer the question: Why should a blog be “open”?

This year I also started a classroom blog, that is password protected. I have also subscribed to various professional and classroom blogs. I have very much enjoyed reading Mrs. Watson’s 2/3 Class from Canada. My students and I have commented on her blog as well as her students’ blogs. We are working on finding a time to skype and set up a collaborative writing project. Another blog that we have looked at is Mrs. Yollis’ Class blog from California. We have also commented on Mrs. W and P-1-2 @Hartson Primary in Australia. Since they have just begun a new school year we haven’t had much interaction yet. As we have looked at these blogs, seen what the students are learning and commented, we have also had some other authentic learning opportunities. When we looked at Mrs. Watson’s blog the student asked, “Why is the time wrong? And the date?” They had noticed a widget she has that gives the current time and date and it wasn’t the time or date on our clock. We had a discussion about where Canada is and the rotation of the earth and sun. We also had a discussion about hemispheres when I read the response that Mrs. W had sent about just returning from summer holiday. They are in a closer time zone but we are having winter and they are having summer.

This weekend thanks to Mrs. Watson I discovered Kathleen Morris and her wonderful blogs. In a blog she posted about blogs, Linda Yollis made the comment “Passwords are barriers. The more accessible my blog is, the more likely I am to have parent involvement.” One of the reasons I want to have the blog is so parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles can see and respond to what we are doing in the classroom. It gives parents and students a platform to discuss what the students have done. The more steps parents have to go through the less likely they are to follow through. Linda also has a great post on a wikispace about blogs. There she writes that blogs are like having an Open House all year round. She articulates better than I can why I think blogs should be open.

  • Students have an authentic audience for their writing and that has an impact on the quality of their posts.
  • Students revisit and reflect upon the lessons when they read the posts on the blog. The learning doesn’t stop when the chapter or unit ends, commenting keeps the learning alive.
  • Students learn how to navigate around the Internet and how to present digital information in a variety of ways.
  • Students have opportunities to participate and contribute to an online community. Teaching this skill to students in elementary school helps prepare students for more individualize online collaboration in the middle and high school years.(We can teach netiquette before students abuse it.)
  • Students practice a letter-writing form, when they comment. Letter-writing form is a third grade standard.(In our school it is also a 2nd grade standard)
  • Students learn about geography by tracking our visitors and sharing comments with our blogging friends. Skyping with blogging buddies brings geography to life!
Kathleen has her own list of what comes from open blogs.
  • opening their eyes to a world outside of their own neighbourhoods,
  • learning terms such as hemispheres, time zones, continents etc in a very authentic way,
  • developing a tolerance of others through understanding how different people live,
  • learning about our Term One “Food” theme in such a rich and genuine way,
  • improving their writing skills every day with so much authentic practice,
  • using technology in a purposeful way,
  • so excited to make new friends!
Having passwords keeps the blogs limited to the same people who always see the students’ work, the teacher and a maybe few parents, most of whom don’t bother to comment if they are looking at the blog. Students are excited about using technology in “real” situations. Knowing there is an “authentic” audience who will respond raises the stakes and increases the learning.
Kathleen made a video about the benefits of blogging. It’s 15 minutes, but well worth the time.

Are there problems and dangers with an “open” blog? Probably some of the same problems and dangers that can occur anywhere. The teacher is still in control and even with an “open” blog the comments are still moderated by the teacher. Students are only identified by first names and photos of students do not have the students’ names attached, only who took the photo.

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Visual Literacy in the Classroom

February 12, 2012 by · 4 Comments · Coetail 3, Learning

This week as part of the Coetail course we were asked to read several articles about visual literacy in the classroom. Renee Hobbes in her article gives examples from kindergarten through middle school and high school of media literacy. No students are too young and we do a disservice with older students if we don’t teach them the critical thinking and evaluating skills they need for all types of media. ”Media literacy is not a new subject area and it is not just about television: it is literacy for the information age.”

The second part of our assignment was to find a photo to use to support our curriculum using Creative Commons. I was glad to learn there are advance searches that can be used. This search allows you to find photos and other media that do not have “all rights reserved.” My problem was to choose a curriculum area that could be enhanced by using a photo. We are presently in the midst of practicing and preparing for several readers theater plays by Jan Brett. Most of the students are also in the middle of the writing process to create their own “Goldilocks” story. We have just begun practicing for World Maths Day and World Spelling Day. In Bible class we are beginning a unit on the parables of Jesus. I began looking at some of the objects in the parables but couldn’t find anything that I thought second graders would relate to.

My problem: How do I find an appropriate photograph when I don’t know what I want to use it for? Finally I had an inspiration. This month we have decided to emphasize “empathy” in our elementary classes. I began looking for photos that were tagged “empathy.” I looked through several pages and then I saw one that touched my heart and I thought second graders could respond to.
A childs BFF

By Ulrica http://www.flickr.com/photos/ulricaproduction/4937239031/

I want my second graders to discuss the photo and create a word bank/idea bank on chart paper. Some of the questions I will ask them to discuss are: How do you think the teddy bear got there? What words might describe the teddy bear? What words might describe the child who lost the teddy bear? After a class discussion I would ask the students to individually journal about: What connections can you make with the child who lost a favorite toy? What could you do if your friend lost his/her favorite toy? I also hope that by creating a word bank the students may find some new words and ideas to use in their writing.

On another day I would like to continue the discussion about the elements of the photo. Why do they think only the teddy bear is in color? What if it was all black and white? All color? Would it create the same feelings?

We are taking a lot of photos this year for our classroom blog. Each of the students is getting a chance to be the class photographer. Every photo tells a story.  Are you telling a story with the photos you take? Maybe at this point show some of the photos the students have taken and have them evaluate their own work.

I know as a teacher, I’m seeing personalities in the photos that some of the students have taken. Last week I gave cameras to two of the students as they went to Art and Music. The one student took 6 photos in music class, mostly of the same person/people and all from the same angle although 2 were close ups. The other student took 23 photos from various angles that showed the teacher, the students and even the final product.

Earlier in the year when we were mixing gingerbread cookies one of my photographers did a great album of the process. Each ingredient that was added had a photo. Only one photo showed a few of the students who were working.

As I learn more about visual literacy I know there will be many more lessons to share with my students. These lessons will hopefully be reflected in my own photos as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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