One More Shot....

Welp folks, I failed miserably last year at blogging, but I refuse to give up.  

Perseverance

http://www.virtuesforlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/perseverance_photo.jpg

I am here to say that I am trying something new this year in the hopes that my busy life will allow me time to post more often.   I ask that if you have visited my blog in the past that you will continue to support me and my efforts to share wonderful tools, best practice and ideas.  It is my goal that the things I share will spark interest and creativity and assist you in transforming your classroom into a place that fosters independent thinkers, student-driven projects and technology-infused curriculum.

Thanks for sticking with me and remember please feel free to leave me comments on how I can improve as

Informational Text Resources

As one of the primary sources of EdTech/Instructional Tech at my school, I have been trying to connect my Tech Talks each month to the teacher's curriculum as well as continue to focus of technology as a tool to enhance teaching and learning.   I don't want them walking away from a 45 minute gathering thinking it was a total waste of time.  I want what I am sharing to be useful to my staff.

We have been focusing on the Common Core, as most everyone has, and we all know the emphasis it places on informational text.  This focus coupled with an article I read on ASCD led me to create a simple compilation of news sites or sites with a strong non-fiction focus for my teachers.  All of the websites I compiled are created for a younger audience.

Students are still overwhelmingly selecting fiction text; maybe due to the fantasy elements, the characters or the storyline/plot, but information text can be just as exciting.  We need to figure out a way to make the real world intriguing to kids and I think we can if we allow them to read about what interests them.

I have created two resources that can be used in the classroom, via iPad or computer.  Both include the same set of resources.

The first tool I used to house the sites was Thinglink.



Here I tried to note the appropriate age group each site was geared toward. All sites can be visited by students and content can be read; however, you can create accounts for students on a few and they will then be allowed to comment on articles.

The second tool I used to house the sites was FlipBoard. (you will need to install the app on your device(s))

This is a fantastic tool that allows you to curate your own magazine.  How cool would it be to allow  your students to curate their own magazine filled with information that interests them!

I hope that you find these sites useful and begin to integrate the real world/current events into your classroom.

Enjoy!

Busy Skyping!

We've been busy video conferencing with other classes and experts around the Globe.  Check out our map below.  We will be adding to it in the coming months.  :)



View Our Skype Journey! in a larger map

Winter Olympic Connections

The Sochi Winter Olympics are fast approaching and what better a way to collaborate globally with others!!  We know the games are watched by millions, if not, billions of people of all ages, worldwide. SO, why not connect, share and collaborate with each other during the events.

I have a 4th grade class that is very interested in making some connections and participating in activities with other classes around the world.  We would love to make a connection with an english speaking class in Russia, especially in or around Sochi!  To be honest, we have not thought about the process or activities quite yet, but if you are at all interested in collaborating with us through Edmodo, Skype or any other tool(s) please add your name to this Google Doc or contact me through the Skype link below.

Name that Book! Mystery Book Skyping

  

All of this Mystery Skyping has got me thinking! We all want our kids to read more, right? And comprehend it, remember details, be able to retell...what if we participated in a Mystery Book Skype, "Name that Book".
Two classes partner up and select 5-10 books to read over a period of time - could be picture books or Jr. Novels - then each class chooses a book that they want as their mystery book. During the Skype each class asks questions about the books and try to figure out the "mystery book". I think this would be a fun way to reflect on all of the books and remember the details.During the process the classes could be creating story maps (or other tools) to organize the details and then use them during the Skype. I also thought it would be fun to have a discussion board created where the kids can share their reactions and thoughts about the stories with one another.If anyone might be interested in this activity please fill out the Google Doc I provided or click on the link to Skype below.

iPad: A Teacher's Pet

Why am I only now seeing this??
Tony Vincent has done it again - he has created this awesome resource of some of the best apps out there for a teacher to use to stay connected, collaborate, manage their classrooms and more.  This graphic should be in the hands of all educators using an iPad - it will definitely help in utilizing the device to its fullest potential.

Great job Tony and thanks so much for sharing this fantastic infographic.

iPad as Teachers Pet

Women and Coding

Great segment on the Today Show about inspiring women/girls to begin a journey and computer programming.  Come girls...get up, stand up and join the male dominated field of computer science. There is a bright future ahead for you if you do.  :)

Side note: While listening to this segment I was shocked that only 9 states recognize a computer science class toward high school graduation. WHAT!!?  That must change.

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Thing What?

Thinglink...heard of it?  Apparently it's been around awhile and I am just now finding out about it. This is another great tool which will be placed in my "go to" toolbox for transforming teaching and learning in the classroom.  A thinglink is and interactive image tagged with Weblinks, audio, video, images or text.  I created a super basic thinglink below to share with my staff at our "Tech Talk" tomorrow morning.  Of course...after I came up with the idea to create a thinglink about thinglink I then came across others already created - should have known!!  You can find a slew of thinglinks created for all age groups and subjects by browsing their site.  This tool can be used to pre-teach, teach or assess.   Who needs a textbook when a teacher can create a thinglink filled with handpicked, relevant resources/information that meets their students needs.  Howard Gardner would be proud - think of all the modes of learning that can be met with this one tool.

If you haven't heard of thinglink then hop and board and try it for yourself.  I would list all of the different ways that it can be used, but honestly the ways are endless.  If you need a little inspiration search thinglinks, think about your objectives and plan how you can use this to create a more student-centered classroom.

Enjoy!!


 

Copyright and Creative Commons

Creative Commons?  I think there are many people who really don't know what that is.  They are aware of copyright and "borrowing" or using other's work, but when they see a CC or some other symbol by an image on the Internet do they know what it means?  It wasn't that long ago that I was in the classroom and did not pay much attention to the symbols by images.  I would "borrow/use" images off Google all of the time and to recognize the author I would only provide a link.  Not good enough - especially for our students!!  Our students are using the Internet to produce more and more content and they MUST know the proper way to give credit when using other's materials.

For those of you who need some basic information on Copyright and Creative Commons take a peek at the images below provided to me from gcflearnfree.org.

Image Source:Shihaam @ education-copyright.org

I have also embedded a great overview video that goes more in-depth on all of the different licenses and what the symbols mean.

As educators we really must prepare our students for 21st century learning - this is one topic of many that needs to be had in schools/classrooms.  The next project you have your students complete make sure you model to them how to use the advanced search in Google to filter by license and be sure to have them provide the source of the material being used.

I attended a great workshop on creating iBooks this summer and one of the attendees provided us a link to his Wiki page that houses a slew of Open Educational Resources (OER).  These links are  great place to start if you are having your students create content or, for that matter, if you are creating content.

OER List

Learning Playlists

Earlier this winter I attended the ICE conference and noticed that many presenters were using a Web tool called MentorMob.  As soon as I saw it I knew that it was something that I wanted to try out.  MentorMob is a free tool that allows you to create learning playlists.  What is a learning playlist you ask...well watch the short video below.



These playlists can include articles, websites, videos, images and even quizzes.  It allows you to create a space to compile resources for students to use during a research project or for an introduction to a unit or for that matter a whole unit.  You can use the space to collect digital projects to share with family, friends or the community.  I think it is a great tool to use to create a more student centered learning environment.  Best of all they can easily be embedded into websites, blogs or learning management systems (ie. Edmodo).
I recently started a collection of resources for our third grade teachers to use in their class.  They are starting a unit on Canada and Mexico and their relationship to us.  Instead of the teachers standing in front of the class sharing information about the two countries for the next few weeks, the kids will visit the playlist, collect their own information and then create an eBook sharing what they learned.  The teachers are then freed up to facilitate as needed and teach the more difficult to understand information. Take a peek at the start of our playlist!

Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!

Text to Speech

Being a former first grade teacher I always struggled with students having the ability to read online content. I would search and search for sites that the students would not struggle reading. Many times I would pair them with buddies from higher grades to help them with their research or project. Other times I would set up our MacBook's text-to-speak option and teach the students the key combination short-cut. However, not everyone has MacBooks with that option!
I recently came across two text-to-speech extensions for the Chrome Browser,  Select and Speak and Announcify.  Both can be added to your browser toolbar in just a few seconds.

Select and Speak: highlight any text on a webpage, click the icon in your browser, and listen to the reading of the text.  Great for younger students who are just learning how to read, for struggling students or for students who just need help with a few words now and again.


Announcify: any time you're viewing a webpage you can just click on the icon in your browser and have the whole page read to you. It enlarges the text on the page and removes all sidebar content as well, making it easier to read. 

Follow the links, install the extensions and happy listening!

Running Records and iPads...

Tired of papers piling up on your desk, having trouble finding time to score your running records...?

Well, this app is for you!  

My colleague was introduced to Record of Reading in her graduate class and she was sold.  This app is an exact replica of a running record form - except it is digital!  It allows you to take a running record using your iPad (more efficient if you use a stylus) and then it scores it for you - all of the formulas are embedded within the app.  It also allows you to record the student reading, so you can replay it if needed.  Once the record is calculated you can then email it in PDF form to yourself or better yet couple this app with Evernote and organize all of your running records in one place - you can go completely paperless!    BEST OF ALL....IT'S FREE!

Get Students Engaged in Writing!

Every heard of BoomWriter?  It sounds like a very cool Web tool that I think will engage all types of learners.  

BoomWriter in a nutshell is an online storytelling application that presents the first part of a story and then leaves the next part up to the students.  After the students write each of their chapters, they are submitted and then the other participants read all of the submissions and vote on the best one.  The best part is that the writing is anonymous so the students are voting solely on the written work, not who wrote it!!

Take a peek at the video below - it gives a much better introduction!

Keep me posted if anyone tries this out in their school  :-)

Tablets

It is amazing how many tablets there are to choose from now!  My school has pretty much evolved into a Mac-centric school, thus far investing in 200+ iPads and many other Apple devices.  As much as I love our iPads, they are not the easiest to manage.

I have come across a few other tablets that are designed strictly for education; Kuno, iStartSmart (for early learning, check out this article), Nabi and most recently Amplify.

The way that these tablets are designed make curriculum, assignments, lessons and your students more manageable and creates a more student-driven, individualized environment!

Check out these two videos demonstrating use of the Amplify Tablet




If you have used any of these tablets please leave a comment as I would LOVE to hear your feedback and opinion.

Wallwisher Update

I am sure many of you have used Wallwisher in the past, but it was recently brought to my attention that it is now called Padlet.  I am pleased with changes; the layout and user friendly interface make it a great web tool.  You can still add files from your computer, images from your device's camera and URLs.

The creators have recently announced the launch of Streams as a layout option.  This layout gives you the option to have structure to your layouts instead of the posts being in freeform.  This layout arranges the posts one below the other in chronological order, which will allow for even more creative ways to use this tool.  Students could work on a story or other text collaboratively, you could begin a story and have your students work on it by adding their own parts during literacy stations or from home, post a discussion topic and have students add their thoughts/opinions, use it as a message board having students post questions or comments about the content...be as creative as you want.

Here are some other ideas listed on Padlet's website.  Visit the site to see examples!

I am sharing a job aide that may help new users start a Padlet.  

Maternity Leave

Please note that I have not abandoned my blog!!!  I have been on maternity leave and will be back soon.  Make sure to visit again in March.  :-)

My new bundle of joy!

PBS

As usual PBS has another great resource!  My school's librarian received it through an email from PBS.  The website is called PBS Learning Media and it is loaded with digital content to enhance your curriculum - there is resources for all grade levels and subjects and best of all...IT IS FREE!!!

Add this site to your EdTech Toolbox and click the link to start using it today!

TenMarks Math

Heard of TenMarks Math?  I had not until yesterday!  If you have I would love for you to leave some comments on how your are using it and whether you find it a useful resource for your classroom.

For those of you who have not heard of it, TenMarks Math is a web based program for teachers to differentiate and individualize their math instruction.  There is a free version, which is fantastic, and of course you can upgrade to the premium version for a fee.  You can set up your class and have all of your students using this adaptive program during interventions, small groups or independently.  I signed up, created a fictional class and assigned curriculum in no time and at all.
They do offer a webinar every Wednesday to help you get set up and provides tips on how to best utilize this program in your classroom.  The only flaw that I have found thus far is that there is no audio choice for kids to click in order to listen to the questions if they cannot read.  However, there is a video lesson for each assignment that you assign to your student and best of all you can choose the curriculum based on state standards or the common core.

To try out a grade and get a feel for the program click here.  This program is also iPad compatible; however, it seems that not all of the video lessons are up and running quite yet.

Here are a few videos that you can watch to learn more about TenMarks.

Resource Community

I came across this website that houses a ton of great resources for teachers.  You can sign up for free to search the resources (lessons, units, assessments) categorized into a variety of subject areas.  Each learning resource can be commented on and rated, some resources may be rated exemplary or basic.  Sign up and begin searching - it is worth it.
(Click on the image to visit Curriki)

http://welcome.curriki.org/

Research and Information Fluency

With the NETS for students and the Common Core Standards becoming more prevalent and the new testing (PARCC) that will be in place by 2014, students will be asked more and more to research information, analyze and evaluate the information from a variety of sources and then report their results; however, do our kids really know how to research?  With most of the research being done online these days, our youth need to start to learn efficient ways to sift through all of the information as well as use safe search engines.

A few of my colleagues began teaching research skills to their 4th graders and used, what I think, is a great resource to introduce the process.  This screenshot was taken from the Kentucky Virtual Library
and is an interactive way to show students how to research (click image to visit the site).

Once they know the process then they can be modeled how to search online for resources.

Google is a wonderful search engine, especially if you take advantage of the advanced search tools.  However, I wanted to share a few other search engines that I compiled through research (Howie DeBlasi, CEO of Digital Journey gave me great resources).

sweetsearch.com  A staff of experts have compiled a list of thousands of credible websites (PBS, Library of Congress...) for students to search to on their site.  As of now this site is ad free, which is a bonus!  I could see this site being used for 4th/5th graders and up.  You can visit this blog site to read more about SweetSearch.

Searchy Pants is a great search engine that is safe for students and families.  It is simple to use and uses School Safe Search technology to deliver safe content to kids.  This site is great for K-5 students.

Boolify is a great site to teach the boolean linking words while searching.  It is a visual search engine that connects the students keywords using colored blocks with words like and or not.  It teaches the kids to find and use keywords to narrow down their search.  This could be used for multiple grades.
Here is a third grade class using Boolify (keep in mind the platform has changed a bit following the capturing of this video)

InstaGrok is a very cool resource that creates a concept map of your search.  Remember Google's Wonder Wheel, this is Wonder Wheel intensified.  See there demo video, which can also be found on their website.

One last video that might be worth while watching and/or showing to your class is one created by a group called Common Craft.  They create short explanatory videos for teachers or trainers to use.  You can subscribe to some of their videos on YouTube or you can pay for their whole video library on their website.

This video gives a short explanation on how to search efficiently on the Web.