Today was one of those days that makes teaching great. Thankfully, technology makes those days occur more than they used to in the "early" days of my career (it's only been 11 years).
I have one student in my class, where we've struggled with engagement and work completion. I've talked about this student (student "A") a little bit before.
Over the course of the year, "A" has shown glimpses of coming out of their shell, but prefers to keep to themselves. "A" has a great sense of humour, and as "A" was allowed access to technology on a consistent basis, "A" has thrived.
"A's" stories have shown voice that others don't have yet.
"A's" stories have shown creativity that others haven't shown yet.
Other teachers who have taught "A" have been surprised when seeing this work. "We didn't see that before," they'd say.
"A" now has consistent technology.
"A" now has access to GAFE tools.
"A" has access to coding, POWTOON and other online tools.
"A" has found an outlet to explain, explore and be creative.
"A" is engaged.
"A" feels safe,
and "A" (although always a happy kid) is happier.
Technology has allowed "A" and students alike, the chance to prove themselves. Technology gives students the outlet that pencil and paper doesn't always offer. I am so thankful to be teaching in an era where changes are constant. It forces me to be on top of my "A" game (pun totally intended). It allows me to change my approach, my routine and my thinking almost daily. I love teaching, and I love it in this time and age.
And today was one of those days when I can drive away at 4pm feeling good. Happy Long Weekend Ontario!!!!
Below are a few of the slideshows created by the student:
White Paper
The Dark
How to Animate
Friday, 15 May 2015
Sunday, 3 May 2015
DRA for Assistive Tech Students...or ALL students
Last year I was lucky enough to get a half day release to create online Google versions of the response pages for DRA reading assessments.
In this year, I have already heard the feedback that online response sheets have proven to give a more accurate reflection of where the student actually lies in their reading levels. Struggling writers, who can't explain their thoughts with pencil and paper, or can't summarize/retell because they hate writing, are able to finally express their answers to the best of their ability.
A co-worker is also using voice recording apps, screen castify and other methods in order to have them record themselves read, so he can listen to it at home or on prep, and therefore not lose too much class time having to listen to 30 students read.
You could also have them answer these response questions verbally with a voice recording program as well. Just some thoughts on how we can help our students achieve their best.
Here is a link to the online assessments from grades 4 to 8. No bridge pack yet.
Also, check out this nice little DRA Tracker. Once you fill in the fields, it will tabulate their levels. I left one row in so you can see how it works. This will be a working document, and it does need to be updated a little to show Grades 6-8, but that won't take long.
In this year, I have already heard the feedback that online response sheets have proven to give a more accurate reflection of where the student actually lies in their reading levels. Struggling writers, who can't explain their thoughts with pencil and paper, or can't summarize/retell because they hate writing, are able to finally express their answers to the best of their ability.
A co-worker is also using voice recording apps, screen castify and other methods in order to have them record themselves read, so he can listen to it at home or on prep, and therefore not lose too much class time having to listen to 30 students read.
You could also have them answer these response questions verbally with a voice recording program as well. Just some thoughts on how we can help our students achieve their best.
Here is a link to the online assessments from grades 4 to 8. No bridge pack yet.
Also, check out this nice little DRA Tracker. Once you fill in the fields, it will tabulate their levels. I left one row in so you can see how it works. This will be a working document, and it does need to be updated a little to show Grades 6-8, but that won't take long.
Copying whole folder in Google Drive
Not much of a blog, but a video lesson. At first, I really thought I'd use this once in a while. Within 2 days, I used it at least 6 times. This video will show you how to copy a whole folder in Google Drive. There is no simple click and "copy" like there is a file. Sometimes we need to copy a whole folder.
Examples:
Examples:
- Sharing a file (or receiving a file) with a co-teacher, where you want to edit your copy, but don't want the co-teacher to change your files.
- Copying Modified/Accommodated work for other exceptional students
- If you have a master set of templates (grade book, etc.) and want a copy for each year
Thanks to @shakeuplearning
Thursday, 23 April 2015
Math Provocations using GAFE and other tools
Math provocations are fairly new to me. I am still getting into them, and my kids are beginning to start to ask some neat and deeper questions. I got the idea from a team of 2/3 teachers at Irma Coulson P.S. in Milton. I am lucky enough to be a co-facilitator on a board sponsored ICT project. Schools team up, co-plan and implement a lesson incorporating more tech into the classroom.
Anyway, my math provocations. The first one I did was this:
I asked the students what math questions they could come up with about this bell. I shared a spreadsheet with the whole class. This allowed me to fit a little digital citizenship lesson into the class. My main theme there was about respecting each other in a shared space (shared online space). The students were to put their name and question on the spreadsheet and problem-solve any erased names or questions.
Some examples:
We looked through the questions and discussed how they were or were not math questions. And made some estimates.
My next thought was to put the image and a request on Twitter. A few adults responded with questions about the bell. My purpose was to compare adult provocations with student provocations.
I created a quick Storify just before class to share and discuss what questions the adults asked. It was neat to see similar questions, but worded differently.
Finally I extended the idea using Google Classroom. I shared links about the bell, so students could research and maybe answer some of the questions asked. The shared spreadsheet was altered, and I put an answer tab on it. I also extended some questions, so students could see how to extend their thinking too.
Spreadsheet
Storify
This weekend for homework, I am going to challenge the students to take a picture and post it on my Padlet, with a provocation.... And extend it by asking a question about someone else's image.
Homework Padlet
Tomorrow's provocation
I love this idea. It was a mere 10 minutes in my class, maybe 15, and the thinking and discussion was great. The next time, I may use a Google Form to pose questions.
Anyway, my math provocations. The first one I did was this:
I asked the students what math questions they could come up with about this bell. I shared a spreadsheet with the whole class. This allowed me to fit a little digital citizenship lesson into the class. My main theme there was about respecting each other in a shared space (shared online space). The students were to put their name and question on the spreadsheet and problem-solve any erased names or questions.
Some examples:
- How heavy is the bell?
- How hold it the bell?
- What is the capacity of the bell?
- I wonder how long 100 bells are?
- What is the area and perimeter of the bell?
And so forth....
We looked through the questions and discussed how they were or were not math questions. And made some estimates.
My next thought was to put the image and a request on Twitter. A few adults responded with questions about the bell. My purpose was to compare adult provocations with student provocations.
I created a quick Storify just before class to share and discuss what questions the adults asked. It was neat to see similar questions, but worded differently.
Finally I extended the idea using Google Classroom. I shared links about the bell, so students could research and maybe answer some of the questions asked. The shared spreadsheet was altered, and I put an answer tab on it. I also extended some questions, so students could see how to extend their thinking too.
Spreadsheet
Storify
This weekend for homework, I am going to challenge the students to take a picture and post it on my Padlet, with a provocation.... And extend it by asking a question about someone else's image.
Homework Padlet
Tomorrow's provocation
I love this idea. It was a mere 10 minutes in my class, maybe 15, and the thinking and discussion was great. The next time, I may use a Google Form to pose questions.
Tuesday, 21 April 2015
A new perspective
I currently teach a student who is on the autism spectrum. Recently I was discussing how solid a writer he is, and how he has done some really great stuff using GAFE, Powtoon and other sources I have found online for him to write with.
A teacher overheard and asked, in a somewhat negative tone, "Oh, but is he still just writing about cats??" (His cats are his fixation, and I embrace it). So I replied, "Yes, but I am focused on the process. He is doing real well with stories, paragraphs, planning and animations. It is really remarkable how well he has done."
When I was rehashing this dialogue with my fiancee, I was discussing how it seems to be such a negative thing that he was always writing about cats, even though his stories were unique and fun. He shows voice, creativity and his conventions are great. I then said to her, "I should have asked her if all of her kids were still writing about people."
And that's when it hit me. Cats are his people. It shouldn't matter if he writes about cats, humans or aliens all of the time. Does he show growth? Does he meet the achievement chart and success criteria laid out? Does he write a variety of text types (paragraph, narratives etc).... Yes he does. Of course the goal would be to expand his repertoire, but right now, let's just focus on the process.
This week I realized that my student, who writes about cats all of the time is NO different than your student who always writes about people. Cats are his people, and let's embrace that right meow.
A teacher overheard and asked, in a somewhat negative tone, "Oh, but is he still just writing about cats??" (His cats are his fixation, and I embrace it). So I replied, "Yes, but I am focused on the process. He is doing real well with stories, paragraphs, planning and animations. It is really remarkable how well he has done."
When I was rehashing this dialogue with my fiancee, I was discussing how it seems to be such a negative thing that he was always writing about cats, even though his stories were unique and fun. He shows voice, creativity and his conventions are great. I then said to her, "I should have asked her if all of her kids were still writing about people."
And that's when it hit me. Cats are his people. It shouldn't matter if he writes about cats, humans or aliens all of the time. Does he show growth? Does he meet the achievement chart and success criteria laid out? Does he write a variety of text types (paragraph, narratives etc).... Yes he does. Of course the goal would be to expand his repertoire, but right now, let's just focus on the process.
This week I realized that my student, who writes about cats all of the time is NO different than your student who always writes about people. Cats are his people, and let's embrace that right meow.
Monday, 20 April 2015
More Math Thoughts using Google
I'll make this quick. It is my 2nd posting of the night, you can't expect too much!!!
Anyway, I was reading my Twitter feed the other day and came across a short video on digital texts. I was intrigued by a picture of the London Bridge with clear drawings of lines on it marking angles. It looked good, similar to Google Draw. Did some research, these texts online cost $55 per kid....and are not for my grade level. Pfffffttttt!!!!
Disappointed?? Not at all. I quickly created 2 examples for my "Ideas 2015-2016" file so I don't forget them for next year.
Below is a nice grade 4 idea. You can see how any image can work (as long as it is free, or your own) and how you can fit a lot of different geometry expectations in here.
Template
Below is a volume example. I put the lines in and gave them the dimensions. Again, you can modify this in a lot of ways.
Template
Anyway, I was reading my Twitter feed the other day and came across a short video on digital texts. I was intrigued by a picture of the London Bridge with clear drawings of lines on it marking angles. It looked good, similar to Google Draw. Did some research, these texts online cost $55 per kid....and are not for my grade level. Pfffffttttt!!!!
Disappointed?? Not at all. I quickly created 2 examples for my "Ideas 2015-2016" file so I don't forget them for next year.
Below is a nice grade 4 idea. You can see how any image can work (as long as it is free, or your own) and how you can fit a lot of different geometry expectations in here.
Template
Below is a volume example. I put the lines in and gave them the dimensions. Again, you can modify this in a lot of ways.
Template
Leadership, Conferencing and Tweeting
This weekend I was lucky enough to present at ETFO's ICT conference. It was my third time presenting for them this year, and 5th or 6th overall. I consider myself extremely lucky to be a part of such an organization that leads, and provides us opportunities to do the same.
My first session was on Coding. I'm not a coder, don't know much language or script when it comes to computers, but I value and embrace the power that coding has. My message is simple. We don't need to be Coders. We just need to find the tools and resources for students, and they will blow it up.
I met a few other presenters of Coding on Friday and Saturday, and feel completely overwhelmed at what they are providing on their websites and in their workshops. I do keep in mind that I teach the beginners, the primary students, so my program is going to vary from theirs. One great speaker, who has an amazing web presence is Brian Aspinall (@mraspinall). Spend some time checking his site out, and seeing the Coding gems he has to offer.
Some beginner resources are:
Code.org
Blockly
Botlogic
Scratch
ETFO offered a wonderful chance to network after the first day by hosting a great end of day event. I spent a couple of hours chatting with teachers from all across the board and picked up some great ideas. One such idea came from around student presentations and using Youtube clips in their presentation. One teacher stated that for some topics, he encourages his students to find videos that help prove their point, or provide information, and then use it for inspiration. He encourages them to make their own videos for the presentations. Brilliant and now added to my repertoire.
Saturday - Day 2. I didn't make it to the event when I wanted. My family from Windsor was in town, so an unscheduled breakfast kept me away. I missed a couple of sessions I wanted to see. None the less, I arrived in plenty of time to have a great discussion with Diana Maliszewski (@MzMollyTL ), of GamingEdus. We had a great chat about teaching, tech and of course, Minecraft in the classroom. The discussion led to my use of Minecraft (not a crafter), but we shared a video of a previous student using Minecraft partnered with Google Presentations to complete his 20% project. That led to the decision to co-write a little piece with my former student on the benefits of Minecraft in the classroom.
Finally, I got around to my 2 workshops on Weebly in the classroom. They went well, and the learning was that for a half day workshop crammed into an hour and a bit, I need to have a little takeaway for the educators attending. That's ok. It is going to be my homework this week.
I returned home amped, rejuvenated and excited about so many possibilities. I love that our union puts on these events, not only to allow us to grow as leaders, but to provide learning opportunities for those that are seeking ways to improve their classroom practice.
At the end of the day, those that win are the students. If you went into the classrooms of those attendees today, you would have sensed a level of excitement, confidence and all around positivity that can only improve student engagement. Students in Ontario are so lucky to have so many educators that care.
Special shout outs to Ruth Dawson @Ruth_Daws and her team for such an amazing event.
Oh and the Tweeting. I just wanted to quickly state that Twitter is my new PD. Well it has been for over a year now, but Sunday night I sat at home. Terrible movie on in the background and tweeted with a few teachers across the province. We discussed the pros and cons of gamification in the class, how to implement tech, and ideas on Google usage. Twitter. Get on it, follow like minded individuals and educational groups and watch your practice improve.
I met a few other presenters of Coding on Friday and Saturday, and feel completely overwhelmed at what they are providing on their websites and in their workshops. I do keep in mind that I teach the beginners, the primary students, so my program is going to vary from theirs. One great speaker, who has an amazing web presence is Brian Aspinall (@mraspinall). Spend some time checking his site out, and seeing the Coding gems he has to offer.
Some beginner resources are:
Code.org
Blockly
Botlogic
Scratch
ETFO offered a wonderful chance to network after the first day by hosting a great end of day event. I spent a couple of hours chatting with teachers from all across the board and picked up some great ideas. One such idea came from around student presentations and using Youtube clips in their presentation. One teacher stated that for some topics, he encourages his students to find videos that help prove their point, or provide information, and then use it for inspiration. He encourages them to make their own videos for the presentations. Brilliant and now added to my repertoire.
Saturday - Day 2. I didn't make it to the event when I wanted. My family from Windsor was in town, so an unscheduled breakfast kept me away. I missed a couple of sessions I wanted to see. None the less, I arrived in plenty of time to have a great discussion with Diana Maliszewski (@MzMollyTL ), of GamingEdus. We had a great chat about teaching, tech and of course, Minecraft in the classroom. The discussion led to my use of Minecraft (not a crafter), but we shared a video of a previous student using Minecraft partnered with Google Presentations to complete his 20% project. That led to the decision to co-write a little piece with my former student on the benefits of Minecraft in the classroom.
Finally, I got around to my 2 workshops on Weebly in the classroom. They went well, and the learning was that for a half day workshop crammed into an hour and a bit, I need to have a little takeaway for the educators attending. That's ok. It is going to be my homework this week.
I returned home amped, rejuvenated and excited about so many possibilities. I love that our union puts on these events, not only to allow us to grow as leaders, but to provide learning opportunities for those that are seeking ways to improve their classroom practice.
At the end of the day, those that win are the students. If you went into the classrooms of those attendees today, you would have sensed a level of excitement, confidence and all around positivity that can only improve student engagement. Students in Ontario are so lucky to have so many educators that care.
Special shout outs to Ruth Dawson @Ruth_Daws and her team for such an amazing event.
Oh and the Tweeting. I just wanted to quickly state that Twitter is my new PD. Well it has been for over a year now, but Sunday night I sat at home. Terrible movie on in the background and tweeted with a few teachers across the province. We discussed the pros and cons of gamification in the class, how to implement tech, and ideas on Google usage. Twitter. Get on it, follow like minded individuals and educational groups and watch your practice improve.
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