I'll be honest.
I haven't used my ActivInspire/FlipChart/Promethean software much since our last Elite meeting.
I don't really know why. I understood it during the meeting. I thought I could see many practical applications. But I guess I just didn't find the time. Teaching a new unit and having some materials from the previous teacher has made it tougher to branch out. Really, that's all the more reason TO branch out. Nevertheless, I felt that by watching the assortment of YouTube videos, I might get re-inspired to attempt to implement this software more.
Video #1: Turning a PowerPoint into a FlipChart.
I started with something close to my comfort zone. PowerPoint. These I have! I don't want to get rid of my usable PowerPoints, but I'd like for them to become more interactive. I didn't realize that there were two ways to make a FlipChart from a Powerpoint. I thought they all had to be imported as images and then, as a result, were un-editable. Not so!
Video #2: Advanced Text Techniques--Drag a Copy
Moveable text. This seems so helpful for grammar, punctuation, vocabulary, and writing assignments. One step I know I'm going to forget: selecting "Drag a Copy" when creating moveable text that doesn't disappear from its original location.
Video #3: Working with Text
This video actually made me feel pretty confident/competent because I knew most of the tips. This made me feel even more guilty for not working in ActivInspire sooner... so, a 4th video is in order!
Video #4: Profiles--ActivInspire
I had forgotten about all the tools in Profiles already. It seems like there are some very handy math tools. I want to spend more time investigating these...
Video #5: Custom Profiles
I think this video is a bit advanced for my current ActivInspire level... I do think I'd like to return to this and get ideas about adding Excel to my Profile once I get the clickers. I would also like to know how Colin got the hovering highlighter orb for presenting. It's so easy to follow him as he talks.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
"Launching Learning"
I recently did just as I was told--I leaned back, stopped thinking, and just watched Kevin Honeycutt's Pre-Conference Keynote address, "Launching Learning." http://k12onlineconference.org/?p=1129
Upon learning of his childhood space passion, as well as his students' project, the first thing I thought of was my childhood love/obsession with the movie Space Camp. A real cinematic gem! A group of scrappy teens get accidentally launched into space during a simulation activity at their summer space camp. What's not to love?
At first, I just thought of Space Camp because maybe I wanted to reminisce about my former crush on Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the obnoxious kid in the flick. But really my memories of Space Camp directly connected to what Honeycutt spoke so passionately about. Just that one movie made me want to go into space, or at least learn more about it and feel the adventure of those squirrelly kids being launched into the orbit. But also, those kids in the movie were doing exactly what Honeycutt said--learning to love to learn through hands on, direct applications of their interests.
In listening to Honeycutt talk about the nay-sayers of learning pioneers like himself, I had to admit that some of their thoughts echoed in my own head. Who has the time? The money? The resources? The kids with drive? The energy? And all of those are valid issues to address when planning a major project like his, but with the right group of kids or the right unifying project, anything is possible, right? We need to be teaching students to think, learn, love, and live real true education. And one thing he said really hit home--"If we don't role model this, how are they gonna get it?" How dare I be a nay-sayer. If learning from me, then my students would be nay-sayers, too.
I can't say that I could throw myself into an Apollo 13 project with as much gusto as Honeycutt and his students, but maybe my students could. And I can't say that I have a strong idea of what I could/would do in place of that genre of study. But that's the beauty of what Honeycutt is saying: it doesn't matter what I'd want to learn about. It matters what students would find interesting.
And with the internet at their fingers, anything is available and possible.
Upon learning of his childhood space passion, as well as his students' project, the first thing I thought of was my childhood love/obsession with the movie Space Camp. A real cinematic gem! A group of scrappy teens get accidentally launched into space during a simulation activity at their summer space camp. What's not to love?
At first, I just thought of Space Camp because maybe I wanted to reminisce about my former crush on Joaquin Phoenix, who plays the obnoxious kid in the flick. But really my memories of Space Camp directly connected to what Honeycutt spoke so passionately about. Just that one movie made me want to go into space, or at least learn more about it and feel the adventure of those squirrelly kids being launched into the orbit. But also, those kids in the movie were doing exactly what Honeycutt said--learning to love to learn through hands on, direct applications of their interests.
In listening to Honeycutt talk about the nay-sayers of learning pioneers like himself, I had to admit that some of their thoughts echoed in my own head. Who has the time? The money? The resources? The kids with drive? The energy? And all of those are valid issues to address when planning a major project like his, but with the right group of kids or the right unifying project, anything is possible, right? We need to be teaching students to think, learn, love, and live real true education. And one thing he said really hit home--"If we don't role model this, how are they gonna get it?" How dare I be a nay-sayer. If learning from me, then my students would be nay-sayers, too.
I can't say that I could throw myself into an Apollo 13 project with as much gusto as Honeycutt and his students, but maybe my students could. And I can't say that I have a strong idea of what I could/would do in place of that genre of study. But that's the beauty of what Honeycutt is saying: it doesn't matter what I'd want to learn about. It matters what students would find interesting.
And with the internet at their fingers, anything is available and possible.
Monday, December 3, 2012
Classroom Observation: 7th grade Science
Today I visited Melissa Nussbaum's class. Her goal was to have students participate in an online virtual lab.
Mrs. Nussbaum linked all of the necessary resources (all found on United Streaming) on her website and distributed a handout for the students to complete while working online. Students were instructed to complete the virtual lab three times and experiment with different variables. The website provided all the needed instructions and students could work at their own pace. Students appeared excited to have the opportunity to work on the computers.
At 8:06, 26 minutes into class, the majority of students were still attempting to log on to their computers--at no fault of the students or teacher. At 8:15, with only twenty minutes left in class, the final student got logged on to the computer and could begin.
Observing these frustrations with laptops and the internet connection reassured me that I am not the only person dealing with these frustrations. The internet and computers at Truman run so slowly that these issues have actually prompted the creation of a technology committee. We really don't know who to turn to get help or answers. The district level technology support staff seems to overworked that there is no physical way for them to be in all places at one time.
I don't want to be a snarky, negative teacher in commenting on these issues, but it's difficult to observe a technology lesson without recognizing the very large issues at hand. Plain and simple: lessons with technology are difficult to teach when the technology does not work effectively or efficiently.
Mrs. Nussbaum linked all of the necessary resources (all found on United Streaming) on her website and distributed a handout for the students to complete while working online. Students were instructed to complete the virtual lab three times and experiment with different variables. The website provided all the needed instructions and students could work at their own pace. Students appeared excited to have the opportunity to work on the computers.
At 8:06, 26 minutes into class, the majority of students were still attempting to log on to their computers--at no fault of the students or teacher. At 8:15, with only twenty minutes left in class, the final student got logged on to the computer and could begin.
Observing these frustrations with laptops and the internet connection reassured me that I am not the only person dealing with these frustrations. The internet and computers at Truman run so slowly that these issues have actually prompted the creation of a technology committee. We really don't know who to turn to get help or answers. The district level technology support staff seems to overworked that there is no physical way for them to be in all places at one time.
I don't want to be a snarky, negative teacher in commenting on these issues, but it's difficult to observe a technology lesson without recognizing the very large issues at hand. Plain and simple: lessons with technology are difficult to teach when the technology does not work effectively or efficiently.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
A reflection on "Writing Re-Launched"
A Reflection on "Writing Re-Launched"
Lines that stuck out to me while reading:
"Digital writing assignments match the real world."
It's so apparent as I teach, coach, and grade standardized essays how rare and unique the strict essay format is. Why do I teach it? To prepare them for high school and college. But if this a format that they won't need there, should I be teaching it at all? Digital writing assignments do make a ton of sense for real-world prep, but do they for high school? How do I find this out from hs teachers and their expectations? Or, how can I incorporate the two? I love the idea of using GoogleDocs, which I have used before, but I do get a bit nervous about having kids make accounts.
"As part of their oral presentations, students were required to include a technology-based visual aid, such as an interactive poster made through Glogster or a word cloud created with Wordle."
I recently used Glogster in Elite and really liked it. I think this would be an awesome addition to a presentation, especially since it's more interactive. Wordle is fine, but it lacks the depth of Glogster.
"Historically, collaboration is 'thought to be cheating' in schools, says Eidman-Aadahl. But outside of the school setting, in higher education and the workplace, she says, 'collaborative writing is huge.'”
True! Though I really don't enjoy collaborative writing, it is one way that I've written more as a professional. It's so valuable to recognize other writing styles and how they coincide/overlap/differ.
"Another distinction between the two types of writing is that while traditional writing formats, such as journaling, are frequently used for private reflection, digital writing is almost always meant for an audience. Once published, digital pieces, such as blogs and YouTube videos, are often widely available and searchable on the Web."
It's so funny that even though I don't always enjoy collaborative writing, I have witnessed kids love it! They really do appreciate having an audience. They are more clear, more focused on details, and happier to revise. I love when they take their writing seriously.
"Digital writing, by showing students how writing can be used, often enhances the drive to learn the basics."
Ah! Yes! Showing HOW writing can be used. I love this idea of finding a variety of ways that students can learn how writing is used.
A snarky comment, just because I'm dork and I have to:
"A friendly letter is more likely composed on a smartphone than on stationary."
Hmm. I wonder if this author realizes that one of the beauties of technology, spell-check and grammar-check, can't catch mistakes like this one with a common homophone. Not all friendly letters are less likely composed while standing still...
Lines that stuck out to me while reading:
"Digital writing assignments match the real world."
It's so apparent as I teach, coach, and grade standardized essays how rare and unique the strict essay format is. Why do I teach it? To prepare them for high school and college. But if this a format that they won't need there, should I be teaching it at all? Digital writing assignments do make a ton of sense for real-world prep, but do they for high school? How do I find this out from hs teachers and their expectations? Or, how can I incorporate the two? I love the idea of using GoogleDocs, which I have used before, but I do get a bit nervous about having kids make accounts.
"As part of their oral presentations, students were required to include a technology-based visual aid, such as an interactive poster made through Glogster or a word cloud created with Wordle."
I recently used Glogster in Elite and really liked it. I think this would be an awesome addition to a presentation, especially since it's more interactive. Wordle is fine, but it lacks the depth of Glogster.
"Historically, collaboration is 'thought to be cheating' in schools, says Eidman-Aadahl. But outside of the school setting, in higher education and the workplace, she says, 'collaborative writing is huge.'”
True! Though I really don't enjoy collaborative writing, it is one way that I've written more as a professional. It's so valuable to recognize other writing styles and how they coincide/overlap/differ.
"Another distinction between the two types of writing is that while traditional writing formats, such as journaling, are frequently used for private reflection, digital writing is almost always meant for an audience. Once published, digital pieces, such as blogs and YouTube videos, are often widely available and searchable on the Web."
It's so funny that even though I don't always enjoy collaborative writing, I have witnessed kids love it! They really do appreciate having an audience. They are more clear, more focused on details, and happier to revise. I love when they take their writing seriously.
"Digital writing, by showing students how writing can be used, often enhances the drive to learn the basics."
Ah! Yes! Showing HOW writing can be used. I love this idea of finding a variety of ways that students can learn how writing is used.
A snarky comment, just because I'm dork and I have to:
"A friendly letter is more likely composed on a smartphone than on stationary."
Hmm. I wonder if this author realizes that one of the beauties of technology, spell-check and grammar-check, can't catch mistakes like this one with a common homophone. Not all friendly letters are less likely composed while standing still...
"An Idea Whose Time Has Come"
This past month has been crazy.
Between collecting 120 essays and attempting to grade them in a timely manner (how long is "timely" anyway?) and trying to buy a house (eeeeee!), I have unintentionally shirked my blogging responsibilities. For shame.
However, just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I haven't been reflective. Oh, I have!
1. I forgot that I used to do audio comments while grading papers. The kids loved this! Why did I ever stop? I only did one class at a time. Could I do 120? Hmm. I need a microphone...
2. A co-worker grades papers using her "pen" and her computer as a tablet, then she saves them to Moodle. I have no idea how she does this, but I want to learn. This allows her to keep a copy of the paper she graded. Brilliant. All my graded and returned essays are floating in an abyss of binders/lockers/recycle bins.
3. I used stations/centers once in the last month. It was a beautiful mess. By that I mean, the kids were all engaged but it was a bit of a chaotic scene. I want to do this again, but better.
And so, on to my official reflection on "An Idea Whose Time Has Come":
The article opens with an illustration about how much access kids have to technology and how they utilize it. I couldn't help but think about some friends of mine who recently had a baby; he's now 4 months old. The mom mentioned that she is getting the new iPhone and they're going to keep her old one and give it to Fletcher to play with. At 4 months old, this kid is getting an iPhone. I don't even have an iPhone! So, for him, he could begin the BYOT initiative as early as daycare. But seriously, how many other kids are in this same position? I bet more than I realize...
I appreciate the positive, can-do attitude of this article on students "Bringing Your Own Technology." It is so easy to get hung up in the nitty gritty details of programs like this because we are scared. Yes, scared. I am well aware that my students, at least the ones with regular tech access, probably know more about their devices (and technology in general) than I do. It's not because I don't try; it's because it's second nature to them and they spend way more time acclimating themselves to it. But it's scary to relinquish control and not be exactly sure how a lesson will go. I like that Sheninger says that his school, "did not let excuses, such as equity, stop us from moving forward with an initiative that is turning out to have real value to our students and teachers." While I think the word "excuses" should be changed to "realities," I get his point. Move forward. At the very least, TRY.
Between collecting 120 essays and attempting to grade them in a timely manner (how long is "timely" anyway?) and trying to buy a house (eeeeee!), I have unintentionally shirked my blogging responsibilities. For shame.
However, just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I haven't been reflective. Oh, I have!
1. I forgot that I used to do audio comments while grading papers. The kids loved this! Why did I ever stop? I only did one class at a time. Could I do 120? Hmm. I need a microphone...
2. A co-worker grades papers using her "pen" and her computer as a tablet, then she saves them to Moodle. I have no idea how she does this, but I want to learn. This allows her to keep a copy of the paper she graded. Brilliant. All my graded and returned essays are floating in an abyss of binders/lockers/recycle bins.
3. I used stations/centers once in the last month. It was a beautiful mess. By that I mean, the kids were all engaged but it was a bit of a chaotic scene. I want to do this again, but better.
And so, on to my official reflection on "An Idea Whose Time Has Come":
The article opens with an illustration about how much access kids have to technology and how they utilize it. I couldn't help but think about some friends of mine who recently had a baby; he's now 4 months old. The mom mentioned that she is getting the new iPhone and they're going to keep her old one and give it to Fletcher to play with. At 4 months old, this kid is getting an iPhone. I don't even have an iPhone! So, for him, he could begin the BYOT initiative as early as daycare. But seriously, how many other kids are in this same position? I bet more than I realize...
I appreciate the positive, can-do attitude of this article on students "Bringing Your Own Technology." It is so easy to get hung up in the nitty gritty details of programs like this because we are scared. Yes, scared. I am well aware that my students, at least the ones with regular tech access, probably know more about their devices (and technology in general) than I do. It's not because I don't try; it's because it's second nature to them and they spend way more time acclimating themselves to it. But it's scary to relinquish control and not be exactly sure how a lesson will go. I like that Sheninger says that his school, "did not let excuses, such as equity, stop us from moving forward with an initiative that is turning out to have real value to our students and teachers." While I think the word "excuses" should be changed to "realities," I get his point. Move forward. At the very least, TRY.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Student Feedback from Present.me
Well, the results are in!
Present.me was a hit!
My first class of the day is a co-taught English course. My co-teacher said that when Present.me opened and my face popped up, our students got silent immediately. Ms. Marks said that the kids were quiet and paid attention the entire time I spoke. Hurrah!
The kids said I was like "the Wizard of Oz" and thought my mistakes were hilarious. One student felt like I was "staring into his soul" from the screen. Another wished I'd called them out by name and told them to be good. I guess they just wanted some more entertainment.
When I asked students if they preferred listening to me on Present.me or just listening to a substitute, they said they didn't care either way. This made me feel good about it because I'd prefer the kids listen to me give instructions and hear them exactly how I want. I am a control freak, I guess.
Success!
Present.me was a hit!
My first class of the day is a co-taught English course. My co-teacher said that when Present.me opened and my face popped up, our students got silent immediately. Ms. Marks said that the kids were quiet and paid attention the entire time I spoke. Hurrah!
The kids said I was like "the Wizard of Oz" and thought my mistakes were hilarious. One student felt like I was "staring into his soul" from the screen. Another wished I'd called them out by name and told them to be good. I guess they just wanted some more entertainment.
When I asked students if they preferred listening to me on Present.me or just listening to a substitute, they said they didn't care either way. This made me feel good about it because I'd prefer the kids listen to me give instructions and hear them exactly how I want. I am a control freak, I guess.
Success!
Friday, October 5, 2012
Present.me: Waiting for Feedback
Today's a Vertical Team day for me, so I am out of the classroom today.
Or am I?
I said I wanted to experiment with present.me for a day I was out. I wanted to leave my lesson or instructions for my students. It's the controlling I-love-my-job-but-I-enjoy-getting-away-every-now-and-then-but-it-stiiiiiinks-to-create-sub-plans part of me. Could present.me just be the answer I've been waiting for? Tell a sub 'press play' and then the students watch the rest unfold before them?
We'll see.
Present.me was super user friendly. I created the Power Point I wanted to run during my presentation, created my account, and then uploaded the slides quickly to the website.
Then I was ready to record. I saw myself appear on the screen. It's always a horrifying experience seeing yourself bob about on the screen in front of you. Do I really have that many chins? Sweet Pete, has my hair looked like that all day? My students must be absolutely incapable of comprehending what I say if my eyebrows do that all the time and my voice sounds this appalling! Get over it, right? If this actually accomplishes what I want it to, present.me will be worth it, chins and all.
I recorded about five minutes of footage. I'll admit: I didn't even take the time to re-record my goofs. It's more authentic that way, right? The kids will stay tuned in to chuckle at me. And I'll say, parts are funny. Watching myself attempt to gesture at the Power Point I know is hovering close to my head is humorous. I never did get that part down. Oh well.
https://trumanmslibrary.present.me/private/8EAA23C3-334B-413E-BDA7F15EC5D0E68D
So now I sit and wait. Will it work? Will a sub actually show up to press play? If a sub didn't show up, could someone else hypothetically press play and let the class go? Would they actually work feeling my 'presence' from the screen?
Or am I?
I said I wanted to experiment with present.me for a day I was out. I wanted to leave my lesson or instructions for my students. It's the controlling I-love-my-job-but-I-enjoy-getting-away-every-now-and-then-but-it-stiiiiiinks-to-create-sub-plans part of me. Could present.me just be the answer I've been waiting for? Tell a sub 'press play' and then the students watch the rest unfold before them?
We'll see.
Present.me was super user friendly. I created the Power Point I wanted to run during my presentation, created my account, and then uploaded the slides quickly to the website.
Then I was ready to record. I saw myself appear on the screen. It's always a horrifying experience seeing yourself bob about on the screen in front of you. Do I really have that many chins? Sweet Pete, has my hair looked like that all day? My students must be absolutely incapable of comprehending what I say if my eyebrows do that all the time and my voice sounds this appalling! Get over it, right? If this actually accomplishes what I want it to, present.me will be worth it, chins and all.
I recorded about five minutes of footage. I'll admit: I didn't even take the time to re-record my goofs. It's more authentic that way, right? The kids will stay tuned in to chuckle at me. And I'll say, parts are funny. Watching myself attempt to gesture at the Power Point I know is hovering close to my head is humorous. I never did get that part down. Oh well.
https://trumanmslibrary.present.me/private/8EAA23C3-334B-413E-BDA7F15EC5D0E68D
So now I sit and wait. Will it work? Will a sub actually show up to press play? If a sub didn't show up, could someone else hypothetically press play and let the class go? Would they actually work feeling my 'presence' from the screen?
Friday, September 28, 2012
UnConference
Today is the Lindbergh UnConference. With a glorious Starbucks pumpkin spice latte (a true sign of Fall, warmth, and comfort on a drizzly day away from students) in my hand, I had the pleasure of attending the librarians' session: Cool Tech Tools & Tips.
Wow, those ladies had a wealth of information to share. It was great that they put all of their resources on one wiki; I could easily bookmark it and return to it later. No keeping track of handouts in file folders--huzzah!
http://cooltechtoolstips.wikispaces.com/
My Truman pal, Vicky Stanford, presented on present.me. I am totally interested in this new resource! The basic idea: upload slides and video to a website, record yourself, and have these two things play simultaneously. So groovy. One thing Vicky discussed as a possible use (which I actually thought about while she was talking!) was to use this for days when you are away from the classroom. Perfect for ELITE 3 days.
The free subscription allows you to use/create three 15 minute presentations a month. I always panic about being away from my classes; I never feel like I can convey my ideas and lesson plans appropriately to a substitute teacher. Enter present.me. I could easily (or at least I think easily) upload a Powerpoint that goes with my lesson, and then I could record video of myself actually teaching the lesson. All a sub would have to do is press Play. They could even go back, replay, and then go on. The negative: a 15 minute time limit. I'd have to limit myself to a mini-lesson. But I could do it! It's as close as I could get to actually being there with my students. AND then I could post the link to present.me on my website or on our team Facebook page. Pretty. Awesome.
My hope: test this out before our next ELITE 3 day.
Wow, those ladies had a wealth of information to share. It was great that they put all of their resources on one wiki; I could easily bookmark it and return to it later. No keeping track of handouts in file folders--huzzah!
http://cooltechtoolstips.wikispaces.com/
My Truman pal, Vicky Stanford, presented on present.me. I am totally interested in this new resource! The basic idea: upload slides and video to a website, record yourself, and have these two things play simultaneously. So groovy. One thing Vicky discussed as a possible use (which I actually thought about while she was talking!) was to use this for days when you are away from the classroom. Perfect for ELITE 3 days.
The free subscription allows you to use/create three 15 minute presentations a month. I always panic about being away from my classes; I never feel like I can convey my ideas and lesson plans appropriately to a substitute teacher. Enter present.me. I could easily (or at least I think easily) upload a Powerpoint that goes with my lesson, and then I could record video of myself actually teaching the lesson. All a sub would have to do is press Play. They could even go back, replay, and then go on. The negative: a 15 minute time limit. I'd have to limit myself to a mini-lesson. But I could do it! It's as close as I could get to actually being there with my students. AND then I could post the link to present.me on my website or on our team Facebook page. Pretty. Awesome.
My hope: test this out before our next ELITE 3 day.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Reflective Practitioner
Ever since I started teaching, my mother has told me that I need to write a book.
A book including the kid who fell asleep in class and only woke up when he heard a bag of Chili Cheese Fritos opening. A book including the noble, popular 8th grader who stuck up for a class geek and put his friends in their place. A book including the "Mad Pooper"--the kid who decided school waste baskets were for his personal waste. Oh, I have stories.
A book.
Here's how many pages I have written in that book:
Zero.
So, let's start small, shall we?
A blog. A place to keep my ideas, reflect on my classes, and plan for improvement.
A reflective practitioner.
I will be a reflective practitioner.
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