Stepping Back and Moving Forward

Last year, with excitement and trepidation, AHS entered the world of 1:1. To celebrate the instructional changes that resulted, and to support one another by sharing implementation strategies and tools, the Tech Tip Blog was created. The decision to step back from 1:1 this year is a mixed bag. The discipline issues associated with the roll out will not be missed, but we need to once again examine our instructional approach. What worked well, what we know made a difference for students, can still be our focus. As it should always have been about the end goal and not the tool, we can adjust. Moving forward, we will continue to highlight tools that are aligned to OUTCOMES; celebrations and examples of classroom use, recommended social media use and library recommendations. Send your questions, tech needs, examples and recommendations!

Formative Assessments

One of the most important aspects of teaching is formative assessment. Before discussing tools, it is important to have a common understanding of what formative assessment is and is not. 

What it is: 

According to FAST SCASS (Formative Assessment for Students and Teachers/State Collaborative on Assessment and Student Standards):

Formative assessment is a process used by teachers and students during instruction that provides feedback to adjust ongoing teaching and learning to improve students' achievement of intended instructional outcomes.

Key Features: 

• Formative assessment is a process, not any particular test.
• It is used not just by teachers but by both teachers and students.
• Formative assessment takes place during instruction.
• It provides assessment-based feedback to teachers and students.
• The function of this feedback is to help teachers and students make adjustments that will improve students' achievement of intended curricular aims.

With 1:1, there were several tool choices that allowed teachers to quickly and easily assess at any time during class. With the adjustment to iPad carts, formative assessment electronically is not as easy. But there are tools that combine the ease of technology but don't require 1:1 with students

Recommended Tool: Plickers            

The app is available from iTunes and Google Play, and is compatible with most Smart phones and iPads. I will send out work session times for creation and practice next week for those that are interested.

Twitter - Friday Follow (#ff)

Did you know that you can follow a hashgtag (#) as well as a handle (@) ? There is a community of educators in Michigan that uses Twitter as way to connect. You can follow the account (@MichED) or use the hashtag (#MichED) for conversations and organized chats on Wednesdays between 8 and 9 p.m. 

Library News

This week's recommended read comes from our new Superintendent, Dr. John Stryker. As the district is faced with budget issues that could be devastating, some hard decisions will need to be made. Dr. Stryker has identified a book that he is using as a guiding principle for these decisions. The Administrative team, as well as the Board of Education. are doing a shared read. It would be great for all staff to understand the method and reasoning behind the decisions.

Add caption

Available from most online book sources, there are also copies available through the St. Clair County Library System.

Creating Community in a Digital Environment

As many teachers move to a more blended approach in their classrooms, it is important to understand the pedagogy that goes with online learning. The greater the portion of the classroom activities that go online, the more concerted the effort to developing the teacher student/relationship in the environment needs to be. It is all about RELATIONSHIPS.

Think of the first day or week of school activities that you do with your students in your face-to-face classroom. The "get to know you" activities". Why are these necessary? It is our first opportunity to get to know our students, to begin the connection process. All people, not just students, engage differently online than face-to-face. If we are to understand them, and recognize times of success and difficulty, we will need to know our students as well in our online environment as in our classrooms. There will be students who are active and engaging in the classroom who do not like to participate online. There will be students that never engage in your classroom that will become not only participants but leaders online.

As you plan your opening week, develop a way to connect you and your students in your online environment. Begin the relationship building just as you would in the classroom. It will set the tone for your expectations, lead to fewer inappropriate activities online and start the online connections. The book recommendation and presentation below are resources to help you begin this process.

Book Recommendation:

 Continuing to Engage the Online Learner (available in print an as an ebook) is an easy to understand guide that consists of two parts. In Part I, the authors use the theory of Connectivism to provide a foundation, based on research, for building engagement. The book is designed to provide an overview, but also to serve as a reference, returning at different stages of implementation. Of special interest in Part 1 is the identification of how engagement evolves in phases. While we are focusing on Phase 1: Connect at the beginning of the school year, the engagement continues through Phase 2: Communicate, Phase 3: Collaborate, Phase 4: Co-faciitate and Phase 5: Continue. In this last phase, the guidance provided by the instructor diminishes as students become more empowered in their learning. Part II is a compilation of suggested activities that align with the 5 phases.

Presentation:

Hook 'Em, then Reel Them In!

As students become more digitized, reading has become a less popular form of entertainment. As educators, we know the the stakes are higher than ever; not just as a result of the standardized test movement, but the comprehension level required for college and career success. In order for students to be CCR by the end of high school, ACT has determined that most students will need to have read the equivalent of 25 books per year. Obviously, this number is beyond the scope of a classroom. We need to provide the incentive and opportunities for students to choice read.  Using digital tool provides the hook. From there, we just have to reel them in!

Elementary

www.mel.org

In Michigan, we have a state library website with very useful resources. In the last database upgrade, there was a focus on improving Pre-K - elementary resources. One of the new databases is BookFlix, a Scholastic reading resource that includes paired informational and fiction books. Children choose the stories based upon themes. The books can be read to the viewer and optional "games" are included that introduce sequence of events, vocabulary and more. 

At all ages and grade levels, most students are more interested in how other students review the book than a teacher, parent, librarian or adult. Using QR Codes and/or Augmented Reality students can use a device to learn more about books for choice reading by hearing from other students. Armed with a device, students can scan QR codes or the book covers for Augmented Reality and hear why the book should be read. Or even a video of the book being read to them.

Resources:

• Augmented Reality: Definition    Aurasma     Applications
• MeL (Michigan eLibrary): Kids     Teens      Books and Literacy
• QR Codes: Definition      Reader App       Creator       Instructions

Middle 

Students in the middle grades love stories. Developmentally there are a lot of changes, and connecting with experiences of others is a way to navigate this exciting but challenging time. More than elementary grades, many students (especially reluctant readers) will make connections with same gender protagonists. One way I have experienced success in connecting students and books is to have movie discussions. Students know the genre of movie they are most interested in seeing. Use the connection to suggest books of the same genre. Following the movie theme, book trailers have become very popular. Think movie advertisements for books. Authors and publishing houses, as well as students and fans, are creating 30 second advertisements for books. 

Students connection with biographies links well with the Cultural Geography studies of 6th and 7th grade social studies. Whether historical or geographically relevant current biographies, choice reads allow students to put a human face to the concepts studied.

Resources:

• Book Trailers for All : Website   YouTube Chanel  SchoolTube Chanel
• Publishing Houses: Penguin Random House Harper House
• Book Recommendations: Birth of an Empire; I am Malala, 

High School

The 9/11 Book Talk

High School students are capable of engaging in thoughtful discussions with difficult topics. The following digitally connected book introductions took place 2 years ago when a World Lit class was scheduled for book talks and an introduction to choice reading projects on 9/11. The resulting conversations were eye opening. Consider, today's student has grown up with post 9/11 as their frame of reference. Their world did not change. This is their world. There are many cultural assumptions and misunderstandings as a result. Books can provide different perspectives to consider or extend understanding of people, places and beliefs.

September 11, 2001: FAA Closure of US Airspace from BC Lê on Vimeo.

Come Back To Afghanistan

                    

 Resources:

Pinterest: Booktalks      If you liked....    Classroom Boards    Searches

Social Networking: GoodReads   Library Catalogues

Book Reviews: Good Reads     Barnes and Noble   Google Books 

Curriculum Connections:

CCSS: Literacy 

• RL.1.2. Retell stories, including key details, and demonstrate understanding of their central message or lesson
• RL.1.7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
• SL.1.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• RH:.6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g. in charts, graphs, photographs, videos or maps) with other information in print and digital texts
• RH: 6-8.9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or compare the approaches the authors take.
• WHST.6-8.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently
• SL.9-10.5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
• RH.11-12.6 Assess how point of view or purposes shapes the content and style of a text.

Michigan: GLCE and HSCE

P4.2 Citizen Involvement

• Act constructively to further the public good.
• 7 – P4.2.1 Demonstrate knowledge of how, when, and where individuals would plan and conduct 
• activities intended to advance views in matters of public policy, report the results, and evaluate 
• effectiveness.
• 7 – P4.2.2 Engage in activities intended to contribute to solving a national or international problem studied.
• 7 – P4.2.3 Participate in projects to help or inform others (e.g., service learning projects).

Google News

The last two weeks has seen Google moving to respond to the requests for more support in the Google Apps for Education (GAFE) project as well as accessibility over iOS devices. The result is a better fit between our 1:1 iPad initiative and our GAFE system. Some of the upgrades are available immediately and some are in beta for release by next school year.

Featured iPad Apps

Google has separated Documents (Docs) and spreadsheets (Sheets) from Google drive in independent apps. This update providers more options for use on iOS devices, including the ability to edit Docs and Sheets in the app, WITHOUT being connected to wifi. In terms of accessibility for students outside of the classroom, this provides opportunities for students to complete assignments without Internet connection. Watch for Slides (presentations) to be available soon. 

Having downloaded both last week apps last week I have found them functioning as promised. One thing to note is that the apps to require upgrading your iOS to 7.0 or later.

Maximizing Google

Perhaps the most significant addition to the Google Apps for Education (GAFE) offerings, is the introduction to Google Classroom. Released in honor of Teacher Appreciation week, Google claims "It helps teachers create and organize assignments quickly, provide feedback efficiently, and communicate with their classes with ease. Classroom is based on the principle that educational tools should be simple and easy to use, and is designed to give teachers more time to teach and students more time to learn." 

Google Classroom is not as robust a learning management system as Moodle, but it can be a great way to begin blended your classroom and providing a more organized approach to managing the Google tools that you are using. Consider this tool to organize your classrooms for the 2014/2015 school year.

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform   

Whatever management system or learning platform that you choose to use, following accessibility guidelines is important. One of the advantages of a learning platform is the ability to provide students with multiple representations of material, including digitial text. However, many students with disability struggle with visual aspects of an online system. One way to address this is to provide a text description of any images that are used on your platform. The video below will demonstrate  how this is done in the Moodle platform.

Twitter Friday Follow 

As Google continues to upgrade apps and release new items, the best way to stay informed is to follow them on Twitter or subscribe to their blog. They also release cool applications of their apps or retweet examples from users.

Professional Development

As we near the end of our first year of 1:1 at the high school and look to move forward with 1:1 at the middle school, the areas in which we need more professional development become clearer. Personalizing PD has been part of this technology roll-out, but when we began we "didn't know what we didn't know"! Let's begin planning now how we want to end the school year, or even continue to develop our understanding and integration of technology, over the summer. One option is to consider the professional development modules and courses developed by the REMC Association of Michigan through the Michigan Learns Online Portal. If you are interested in completing a course, I can arrange for the courses to be uploaded to our ACS Moodle and facilitate. For most, you can access the information and material and use as needed, even if you don't complete assignments as a course. For a complete list of MLO Professional Development learning material, visit the website.

Featured iPad Apps

There are two professional development courses offered through REMC Michigan Learns Online. The first, iPad for Education, includes a section on built in Accessibilty features of the iPad. Other sections include setting up e-mail and how the iPad helps meet technology standards.

The second course, Integrating iPad in the Middle School Classroom, provides a more pedagogical approach to the iPad as a tool. While the emphasis, with lesson plans and examples, is middle school, the content is applicable to all grade level instructors.

Maximizing Google  

While many have integrated Google Drive into the classroom routine, Creating Student e-Portfolios with Google Sites focuses on reflective writing as a sustained process. Not just for English classes, the connected standards cover all content areas. As the Common Core requires student demonstration and application of learning, reflective portfolios deserve consideration. The course begins with this introduction to e-Portfolios in the K-12 classrooom, including what they are and why they should be used. The course then moves forward with instructions on how to use Google tools for e-portfolio creation. 

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform   

In the Flipping Your Class With Moodle course, teachers are introduced to the flipped classroom model. Moving beyond the model, teachers are led through beginning steps to creating and using a Moodle classroom. Units includes course design, adding resources in Moodle, using discussions in Moodle and creating assessments. As a self-paced option, the course can provide real-time, when you need it support for your management system. Addressing varied learning styles of teachers, the course includes articles, documents, websites and videos for training support.

Twitter Friday Follow 

Integrating social media in the classroom can be seen as risky. What is the proper way to implement as well as which media and devices should be used are just the beginning of the questions most educators ponder. The Socially Networked Learning Course takes the educator from an introduction to social networking to applications in the classroom, including examples from teachers with different social network tools. Twitter is featured as one of the networks. 

For the #FF (Twitter Friday Follow) recommendation, the REMC Association of Michigan (@mi_remc) shares conferences, technology tips, resources and recommendations. While not prolific in number of tweets, the posts are consistent in topic and focus.

Cooperative Learning

Like many strategies in education, cooperative learning is not a new idea. It is an idea that is gaining favor once again as PBL is becoming mainstream and the job skills focus less on content knowledge and more on skill development. According to a Gallop poll report (Read at this link),   in collaboration with Microsoft Partners in Learning and Pearson Foundation, "real world problem solving" is the skill most necessary for success in today's job market. The report specifically references that technology use in the classroom is not preparing students for the collaborative technology skills necessary in the real world. We can change that! The tools presently available to use allow the delivery of instruction to shift, making the real world connections with content and providing collaborative opportunities for growth. Most technology tools also allow teachers to track individual student participation and contribution, one of the difficulties associated with group work in the classroom.

Featured iPad Apps

As the Gallop poll results show, students need to be engaged in group work that requires collaboration long-term. To be successful, students need to have a way to organize their information, ideas, and products. While there are many options of Apps and web-based options, the Lino app allows all of the above in a visually pleasing and easy to manipulate format. Free from the iTunes stores, the developers describe the app as an "online stickies service that offers stickies and canvases. You can post, see and peel off stickies on canvases freely. Stickies posted from iPhone/iPad App can be accessed with PC browsers". 

By creating a group, students can use the tool collaborative. View the explanation on the Lino website:  or watch the teacher demonstration video of how he uses Lino in his classroom.

Maximizing Google  

Many Google Drive Apps are made for collaboration. Within Google Drive; documents, spreadsheets and presentations can not only be shared but become collaborative projects. Collaboration can be in real time, allowing discussions using the "chat" feature:

        

While teachers understand the power of group work done well, there are difficulties with the process that seem consistent. Two of the most difficult to overcome, without the right technology, are accountability of contribution and the need to occassionally work outside of the classroom. Google Drive apps solve both of these problems, allowing students to access and edit the shared material from anywhere they can access the web, and allowing the teacher to track individual contributions through the "revision history" feature. The video below provides an overview of both of these features.

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform   

The popularity of Wikipedia introduced the world to the concept of a "wiki". It is synonymous with online collaboration and students quickly realize the real world application.  Applications in the classroom are almost limitless. For instance, science classes could create a Wikipedia like encyclopedia of concepts throughout the course. Social Studies could assign note-takers, with shared note files in the wiki. English classes can create poetry wikis to share. And math could create a wiki repository of "help" videos, either created by students or located online. For better understanding of the concept of a "wiki", visit the TeachersFirst Wiki Walk-Through Page.

 For ideas of how to implement wikis, as well as step-by-step instructions and tips for creating a wiki in Moodle, view the video below. The video is quite lengthy at almost 10 minutes, but the content example, as well as detailed instructions, are well worth the time.

Twitter Friday Follow 

While Kagan has a product to sell, their tweets often feature articles, links and blogs related to cooperative learning as well as pictures and examples of cooperative learning in the classroom. 

Hybrid or Blended Learning

With the integration of 1:1 technology presenting classroom management and instructional delivery challenges, converting to a blended or hybrid class can be a viable solution. The secret is to view the transition for what it is: a process. The great thing is that the popularity of blended instruction, as well as the research that supports the method as more effective than face-to-face traditional classroom or online, makes professional development options easy to find. A great introduction to the topic will take place during the Twitter #MichEd chat Wednesday, April 2nd, 2014. Co-moderator, Chris Stanley, will share his experiences in his 3rd year as a hybrid class instruction. The chat will be built around Chris' recent blog post on the topic: "Teaching in the Hybrid Class". As always I am willing to support you at whatever step you are at in this process. Below are some suggested tools that could support blended learning.

Featured iPad Apps

The best apps for your class are the ones that allow students to participate, access and create based upon your content. As we continue to find the right tools for the job, students and teachers will use different tools. One way to take advantage of the iPad app display is to use the built in feature that allows any website that you choose to be placed on your screen as an app. 

Maximizing Google       

One of the Google Apps that is often overlooked is Google+ communities. There are a number of ways for educators to use this tool: from communication with students or groups to developing professional learning networks. Are you the only Physics teacher in the school? There is a community that will connect you with other Physics teachers around the state, country or even the world. ETML has some helpful blog posts to get you started: "Everything Teachers Need to Know About Google Plus" and  "10 Google Plus Communities for Educators".

Getting the Most Out of Your Learning Platform   

When transitioning to a blended or hybrid classroom, the platform from which you deliver content is a critical decision. There are pros and cons to the various platforms we use, as addressed in this article in a previous post. Here are some considerations for the advantages of developing your content in a Moodle Course:

• Pre-packaged lessons and units can be added with ease (such as content from Florida Virtual Courses, ReadWell Units from the WriteWell Curriculum, and teacher created materials from Michigan Learns Online.
• While there is a learning curve, you never reach a limit to what your platform allows as you continue to build your skills and practice.
• As a true learning management system, students are prepared when they reach college and University as many courses (not just blended or online) use a learning management system.
• I am here to help! In addition to videos, help docs and experience, I can assist you virtually or with scheduled PD. 

Twitter Friday Follow 

Chris Stanley, who will co-moderate the #miched chat on Wednesday, April 2nd, has been part of the hybrid course implementation at Fraser High School for the past 3 years. His tweets highlight success in his classroom, blog posts, and beneficial articles. 

Library News

Choice book projects are a great way for students to be exposed to content area concepts, meet the reading requirements for college readiness standards and explore topics of personal interest. This is a great way to extend content area learning. Consider booking collaboration time to create a project or assignment rubric. April breaks will make the month pass quickly! Let's start planning today.

iPads can be a great tool for an independent reading project. Students can choose digital books or create projects. The article "23 iPad Alternatives to the Book Report" is a good place to begin.