tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10590055034606537892024-02-19T22:12:49.965-06:00iPads at BurleyFollow along as a public elementary school in Chicago integrates the iPad into its first through fifth grade classrooms.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-52710367149791821422014-01-30T23:36:00.000-06:002014-01-31T17:13:56.622-06:00Keep It Simple: With Apps, Less is MoreOur blog has been a little quiet for a while (okay.. a LONG while..), which I attribute to an abundance of activity, not a lack thereof! A wonderful visit this year by teachers from Iowa, Wisconsin, and Champaign, Illinois reminded us of the importance of documenting and sharing our iPad journey, so the Burley team is making a resolution to post more frequently in 2014.<br />
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Now in year four of iPad implementation, our approach to apps has evolved considerably. We started where many teachers start: by combing through the app store, looking for apps for just about everything. And we still get excited when we discover a cool new app -- who doesn't? But as time has passed, we find ourselves settling in to workflows and tools that can be used again and again across the curriculum. We've realized that a powerful, effective technology program can be implemented with just a few simple, well-chosen workflows.<br />
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The other title for this post could be <b>Make Stuff, Share Stuff. </b>This is the heart of what our kids do with the iPads, and it can look quite different from teacher to teacher. In some classrooms, students and teachers are fluent creators in a wide range of multimedia apps. In others, people might be building their confidence with one or two creation apps. But the thought process is the same: <b>What can I create to show my thinking, and how can I share it with others? </b><br />
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There are innumerable answers to that question. Here's a list of just some of the possibilities.<br />
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<b>Step 1: Make stuff.</b><br />
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<ul>
<li><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Capture</span></i> a photo of any classroom experience or student work <i><span style="color: #0b5394;">using</span></i> the Camera. (This is the sneaky one - no special media skills required, but it's still powerful to digitize and share current learning!)</li>
<li><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Make</span> </i>a drawing / illustration / diagram / map <i><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">using</span></i> </i>Skitch, DrawingPad, PicCollage</li>
<li><i><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Make</span></i> </i>a comic / advertisement / review / poster <i><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">using</span></i> </i>Pages, ComicLife, Strip Designer, Phoster</li>
<li><i><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Make</span></i> </i>a narrated screencast <i><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">using</span></i> </i>ScreenChomp, Educreations, ReplayNote, ShowMe, Doceri, Explain Everything</li>
<li><i><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">Make</span></i> </i>a video / podcast / documentary / book trailer / public service announcement / newscast <i><i><span style="color: #0b5394;">using</span></i> </i>iMovie, SonicPics, Reel Director, Videolicious</li>
</ul>
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<b>Step 2: Share Stuff.</b><br />
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<ul>
<li><b><a href="http://kidblog.org/home/" target="_blank">Kidblog</a></b> - While the Kidblog app continues to be a bit clumsy, there's no denying the power of Kidblog to give students authentic audience and voice. Teachers can maintain a great deal of control over blog access at first and then <a href="http://support.kidblog.org/entries/21698138-Post-Privacy-Settings" target="_blank">gradually expand the audience</a> as students are ready. And by using <a href="http://support.kidblog.org/entries/23176777-Tags-Categories" target="_blank">Tags or Categories</a>, kids can post about a wide range of ideas and learning within one organized blog.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.edmodo.com/" target="_blank">Edmodo</a></b> - Students can post work, and the teacher can <a href="https://support.edmodo.com/home#entries/21685345-make-a-post-or-group-public-teacher" target="_blank">make selected posts public</a>.</li>
<li><b><a href="http://drive.google.com/" target="_blank">Google Drive</a></b> - Logging classroom iPads into a single shared Drive account gives you a space where you can not only collect files, but you can also make selected files and folders public and share the link with others. This can be done from <a href="https://support.google.com/drive/answer/2497973?hl=en" target="_blank">within the iOS app</a> or from a computer.</li>
<li><b><a href="https://www.dropbox.com/" target="_blank">DropBox</a></b> - Files saved in DropBox can be made public, and you can easily <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/help/167/en" target="_blank">get a link to those files</a>.</li>
</ul>
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And since sharing doesn't really count if there's no audience on the other end, let's add one more.<br />
<b>Step 3: Put it out there.</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Create <b>QR codes</b> linking to your shared work (we use <a href="http://www.qrstuff.com/" target="_blank">qrstuff.com</a>). Then, post them around your classroom, school, or community, or print them on flyers, newsletters, or student business cards (an idea from my friend <a href="https://twitter.com/kristinziemke" target="_blank">Kristin Ziemke</a>.)</li>
<li>Create a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/" target="_blank"><b>TinyURL</b></a>—an easy web address that parents can type in if you send it home on a flyer. (You can also use <a href="https://bitly.com/" target="_blank">bit.ly</a>, <a href="http://ow.ly/url/shorten-url" target="_blank">ow.ly</a>, or <a href="http://goo.gl/" target="_blank">goo.gl</a> to shorten a URL.)</li>
<li>Post a link on your classroom website.</li>
<li>Invite families to come in for a technology open house to explore and comment on student work.</li>
<li>Tweet or blog about it, and see your audience grow!</li>
</ul>
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While that may seem like a daunting list of options, you can start with one item from each category. It doesn't have to be complicated: imagine a teacher who uses just PicCollage, Kidblog, and QR codes to let kids create and share. Make a text & photo collage of top non-fiction books, post it on the blog, and give other readers access through a QR code. Make a collage about reading habits, then repeat steps 2 and 3. Make a collage showing sequential steps to a science experiment, repeat steps 2 and 3. One workflow, multiple uses. With a reliable workflow, you don't have to wonder: what can we make, and what will we do with it once it's done? Your focus can remain where it belongs: on teaching and learning, and on thinking about when to share and how to do so purposefully. You'll know when you and your students are ready to move on to a new creation app. However, you may be surprised how much mileage you can get out of one or two apps as your reasons for sharing grow deeper, and your students use the now-familiar tools to teach others.<br />
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As you explore workflows to use with your students, ask yourself these questions:<br />
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<ul>
<li>After some practice, will kids be able to do this independently?</li>
<li>Do I have a supportive classroom culture that promotes student sharing and collaboration?</li>
<li>Do I have systems in place to ensure student privacy, and to ensure compliance with any school or district policies pertaining to online publishing? (For example, we never post photos of students that are identified by their name.)</li>
</ul>
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Here's some closing advice I would share with beginning iPad teachers or with leaders at the start of an iPad rollout: It's okay to start small, but it won't help you in the long run if you start shallow. Initial iPad PD often focuses on pre-packaged publisher apps or on single-purpose skill apps to "get people started." I think this is a mistake. The opportunity to teach and learn with iPads can be a life-changing one, for you <i>and</i> your students. By empowering kids from the beginning to create meaningful work and then share it to inform, persuade, and inspire others, you help students see themselves as thinkers, authors, and creators whose ideas and knowledge have genuine purpose. And you begin a shift in your classroom that gives students ownership over their learning and authentic voice beyond the school walls. That's one of the greatest benefits of classroom technology. Head in that direction from the very beginning, and there's no limit to where you can go.<br />
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<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-64877900969013793812013-01-24T07:16:00.000-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.687-06:00This is How We TeachRegardless of the subject, good teaching is good teaching. One new piece of tech does not change all that we know about instruction. As we develop curriculum and practices in technology we use strategies and tools we know work for students. We scaffold their learning and provide support when needed. Just like we do in reading, writing, math and content we make anchor charts for technology that guide students along the way.<br />
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Here are a few anchor charts my students and I developed during technology minilessons. <br />
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This anchor chart lists resources or strategies my students use when researching.</div>
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Here, an anchor chart displays frequently used iPad commands.</div>
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Modes for taking our inquiry circles public.</div>
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An introductory anchor chart to blogging.</div>
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Guidelines for posting comments. </div>
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Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-19488124473078850312013-01-07T16:38:00.001-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.600-06:00Flipping for Nonfiction<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Flipboard has
revolutionized the way my students look at, share, and respond to
nonfiction. Flipboard is an app that takes multiple informational sites
and creates a digital magazine to flip through. It is simple and easily
accessible for adults and students alike. This doesn't sound like such a
big deal – kids can pick up a magazine and read articles any time they want to. Why do it digitally? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Timely material </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Flipboard uses the RSS
feed of any website. If a site has an RSS feed, you can add it to the shared student
Flipboard account, and every student iPad will receive updated content as it becomes available. This means that my students' digital Flipboard magazines are updated daily and include current events,
science concepts, and any other type of current content you can find online. Since the "magazine" is ever-changing, 5th graders can't wait to see what they will find next. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnjCcJ3XPLlayiR6vDbqkW7Smof3TgfRy3-TrhlsJo2cYNBFojG86gykQqhzNtfRryFUCY6ozLhGezeloW_u5qiOFvhNyAD_8f_W1ZhkjRhjBQ1RM9451XPFVVFbHb5rrHWn2J2hzBVw/s1600/photo+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSnjCcJ3XPLlayiR6vDbqkW7Smof3TgfRy3-TrhlsJo2cYNBFojG86gykQqhzNtfRryFUCY6ozLhGezeloW_u5qiOFvhNyAD_8f_W1ZhkjRhjBQ1RM9451XPFVVFbHb5rrHWn2J2hzBVw/s320/photo+2.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">This is what they saw on Monday...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLX9jpu1u995lXYZ772mSJV1YcPXHU8iOHzfqBrnfXtGWosMsnW6sA-eFZ8fDSZs_zBYhAUSBdoFQXbnqG6SLMbYvbpqdyuxDNY0xOTesGCHX-GjcpexmZjSN4n4vlUhM5cYnSzdCF3sU/s1600/photo+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLX9jpu1u995lXYZ772mSJV1YcPXHU8iOHzfqBrnfXtGWosMsnW6sA-eFZ8fDSZs_zBYhAUSBdoFQXbnqG6SLMbYvbpqdyuxDNY0xOTesGCHX-GjcpexmZjSN4n4vlUhM5cYnSzdCF3sU/s320/photo+1.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">...but on Tuesday they saw this!</span></td></tr>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>Real world
reading </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The third time we used
Flipboard, one of my students said, "It's like you are teaching us to
read like adults do everyday!" The reading that we do in school should inspire
students to create habits that can last a life time. When these young
people grow into adults, they will have an academic way to look at digital
reading. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span style="font-family: inherit;">Accessible for all</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I have loaded over 20
sites for students to follow on their iPads, which gives them a vast amount of
choices. Students make their own decisions about what they read on a
regular basis. Some sites are more challenging than others, but they all
contain a variety of pictures, tweets, and comments that make the articles
accessible, even if the student can't read the full article. Obviously, my instructional choices and conferring ensure that the students choose articles that are
appropriate for them. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b>How we got started with Flipboard</b></span><br />
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As with everything that I
do on the iPad, I started with just having the students access Flipboard. I had a few questions prior to starting. Will the students be able to navigate Flipboard? Would flipping the pages and the amount of content overwhelm them? How could we use the app for more than reading independently? What technical skills would students need to use this tool and share their reading? To answer these questions, I had to actually use it with the students and see what happened.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><b><i>Start reading</i></b></span><br />
</div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">This is an
easy place to start! I wanted to see if there was enough material to keep their
interest. I knew that, without student buy-in, nothing else I did with Flipboard would get off the ground. After two days of investigating the articles in Flipboard, I saw students whispering and sharing their screens with each other. They were energized and wanted to share what they were learning, so I knew I had to give them a platform to do so. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Promote sharing</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Edmodo was the obvious
choice for sharing. Students already had accounts, they knew how to use it, and I could
easily set up one large group or smaller groups based on student interests. Students shared links to articles they read so their classmates could read
them. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<b><i>Apply non-fiction reading strategies</i></b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">We shared links to articles for a few
weeks, but students quickly grew out of it, in true 10 year old fashion.
As students shared, they wanted to have conversations about the articles
that they read, and they began talking about these articles during reading
instruction. I asked my students to take the reading
strategies that I was teaching and apply them to their Flipboard reading. They did this by completing graphic organizers in Pages, taking a
screen shot of that Pages document, posting it as an
image in Edmodo, and including the link from their article in their post. This gave their peers access to the article, as well as to the student's notes and thinking -- and it gave me a way to assess the depth of their Flipboard reading and their use of comprehension strategies. You can see below how these posts inspired other students to reply and engage in an online discussion about the articles.</span></div>
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<!--StartFragment--><span style="font-family: inherit;">Flipboard continues to grow
like wildfire in my classroom. Students are engaging in conversations
about reading strategies in authentic ways via the digital world. They
see themselves as powerful consumers of nonfiction and don't shy away from
choosing to read in that area. I love it when an app I "play
around with" becomes a powerful educational tool in the classroom. <!--EndFragment-->
</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Times;"><br /></span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Michelle Nashhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00435238611936138196noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-72690295722036000192012-12-04T13:16:00.000-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.715-06:00Tech Tips You Can Try Tomorrow<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Curious about technology in the classroom, but don't know where to start? </span></span><br />
<br />
Here are few tech tools that are easy to use and have a high impact on student learning.<br />
<br />
<b>Wonderopolis</b><br />
Make wonder and inquiry a part of your weekly routine! Visit <a href="http://wonderopolis.org/">Wonderopolis.org</a> and follow along as they ask questions, post a blog and share photo and video resources about a variety of topics. Wonderopolis is a great site for finding short, nonfiction text for readers of all ages. Wonderopolis is also a great site to use as a mentor text for blogging. We use it before we introduce blogs to identify what a blog looks like and sounds like, as well as what comments look like and sound like. If you’re excited to teach students about the power of connection, post a comment or submit a wonder; Wonderopolis almost always responds to students and teachers. You can follow them on Twitter @Wonderopolis.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iRouBZu3r0TFDJscSO1VIe_UVcwLMdUZ7s555ld5eIdhziL5QOFXO7XB5hffaM9z5KSPgnZY7Ygm28W8k2kwmEDRTfKB3EXqBC9KUulq-1FiuIc_1eXnZqA4RxDZfTPFWDcanNuNDSRC/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.35.05+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iRouBZu3r0TFDJscSO1VIe_UVcwLMdUZ7s555ld5eIdhziL5QOFXO7XB5hffaM9z5KSPgnZY7Ygm28W8k2kwmEDRTfKB3EXqBC9KUulq-1FiuIc_1eXnZqA4RxDZfTPFWDcanNuNDSRC/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.35.05+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>TodaysMeet</b><br />
<a href="http://todaysmeet.com/">TodaysMeet.com</a> is a free, web-based tool that allows users to backchannel a discussion online. A teacher can create a chat room that is available only to users who have the link (ie, your class). Once students access the website via the link they log on with their name and engage in a collaborative discussion online. Students can view all the responses as they are posted live to the discussion site. Anyone with the link can contribute, so you can invite students to collaborate across classrooms and with others who are not present, provided they have the link. (Think—cross-school, cross-district, cross-continent collaboration!). It's great for staff meetings too!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Hyoxbll9PViEc77bpnjCsihav3EpOjBhw7BbY_z9lSPv0HhEpLBgig00nR3aAPLRIRLgcGVCoN6NcUL1kLiuBORmw5Ri_cgDK7EcmzhYn1essbfEXO94p9kjL_osUShpKDfQ9QM5IKCw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.36.01+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Hyoxbll9PViEc77bpnjCsihav3EpOjBhw7BbY_z9lSPv0HhEpLBgig00nR3aAPLRIRLgcGVCoN6NcUL1kLiuBORmw5Ri_cgDK7EcmzhYn1essbfEXO94p9kjL_osUShpKDfQ9QM5IKCw/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.36.01+PM.png" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<b>Croak.it</b><br />
<a href="http://croak.it/">Croak.it</a> is a free website that allows the user to record 30 second audio clips. The audio recording is then uploaded to a personalized website and available to anyone who has the link. The developers created the site for users to “Push. Speak. Share.” and the simplicity is amazing. Even more unbelievable, Croak.it also has a FREE app available for iPhone and Android! Use Croak.it to create student reflections, share book talks and differentiate with audio instructions. This is a versatile little tool with hundreds of uses. Croak.it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinA4JWiYthBYqyPLRqNslO8XEUOFlyDrNn7qtZeWMOBhJyyOEtW4qHvPW7zdLcGklcnAXpVblvzCpFWkgs_H_EIHKZjUCzyNplVCUTFfOsfJAqzK0f3zQsN0-ZlU4__kkmFblCqt9K2OeR/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.37.02+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="209" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinA4JWiYthBYqyPLRqNslO8XEUOFlyDrNn7qtZeWMOBhJyyOEtW4qHvPW7zdLcGklcnAXpVblvzCpFWkgs_H_EIHKZjUCzyNplVCUTFfOsfJAqzK0f3zQsN0-ZlU4__kkmFblCqt9K2OeR/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.37.02+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>QR Codes</b><br />
A QR code, or quick response code, is a matrix barcode that holds information about a tool or product. Using a QR code with a QR scan app provides students quick access to a website without having to type the URL. We use QR codes to distribute websites quickly and easily to students during lessons and create our own QR codes using the website <a href="http://qrstuff.com/">qrstuff.com</a>.<br />
At our school we use QR codes to link to audio book recommendations that we attach to the front of books. As kids “shop” for books in our library, they can scan the QR code to hear a book review created by another student. Inviting students to create book reviews by students, for students empowers them as valuable contributors to our reading community, expands their audience and builds a buzz for books they love. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNI-WkMQbU7CD3GRhnSzgk4VF8Cfm7Ym4oNWeTOXLAvTEUPPLoUOm49oMsfo-gtib5JjyZOkoyrlZfAlWNknDdfr4EgJMNBx7qbJwqje69lskwlazxKwAiV1wMtrbjCKnksLfnaT5evlzC/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.44.03+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNI-WkMQbU7CD3GRhnSzgk4VF8Cfm7Ym4oNWeTOXLAvTEUPPLoUOm49oMsfo-gtib5JjyZOkoyrlZfAlWNknDdfr4EgJMNBx7qbJwqje69lskwlazxKwAiV1wMtrbjCKnksLfnaT5evlzC/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.44.03+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>Songify</b><br />
<a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/songify/id438735719?mt=8" target="_blank">Songify</a> is a fun app that converts the words or phrases you speak into a remixed song. Songify scrubs the vocal track and adds preprogrammed beats and background music. The basic touch-to-start and touch-to-stop technology provides ease of use for all ages. This app embraces multi-modal learning and easily differentiates instruction. Students love to create songs to synthesize their learning during an inquiry circle. Oftentimes the songs created in class—including Terra Cotta Warriors and the Nile River—become classroom hits. As we know, kids remember information that is set to music so I use it to create songs for math facts, spelling patterns and comprehension strategies. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjD2idb8IvNfy20WAXGfP5-e1ts6kbkdF50zqPuexZgHIDT5U_023q0A8o5B9fbn-eOr28YYQWscIMY_kjofIMj1rFgCPC688TPMB9_FLdCnfXLKLppZRWSv0PBtuetpqaf6-5l0TzS97e/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.38.49+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjD2idb8IvNfy20WAXGfP5-e1ts6kbkdF50zqPuexZgHIDT5U_023q0A8o5B9fbn-eOr28YYQWscIMY_kjofIMj1rFgCPC688TPMB9_FLdCnfXLKLppZRWSv0PBtuetpqaf6-5l0TzS97e/s200/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.38.49+PM.png" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
<b>Google Form</b><br />
Google form is a free online tool for gathering information in a streamlined fashion. A Google form can be created easily in Google Drive and shared via a link for others to complete. Each Google form you create collects responses in a spreadsheet stored in Google Drive. The spreadsheet can be sorted and grouped in a variety of ways making the data easy to access and interpret. Google form is handy tool for creating quizzes, surveying parents or gathering feedback regarding inquiry circles and book clubs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dIseVy1PIisx2mVhiEIK2_VEGlqyfNwHfNnqRMID1kjuyWcUYoIi9rzPNe8p7LDpB2Jzd_QAG-Hu4M-Jcqro8mYLAHb-D9djHS8eEA7AHCCeGJutjSwmrub5DIiFT82YW5Ovxf346co4/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.43.07+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9dIseVy1PIisx2mVhiEIK2_VEGlqyfNwHfNnqRMID1kjuyWcUYoIi9rzPNe8p7LDpB2Jzd_QAG-Hu4M-Jcqro8mYLAHb-D9djHS8eEA7AHCCeGJutjSwmrub5DIiFT82YW5Ovxf346co4/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.43.07+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Twitter</b><br />
Create a classroom Twitter account to connect with other students and teachers. Post this tweet:<br />
<br />
“Looking for other (insert grade or subject) classrooms to connect with. Anyone tweeting with their class? #(grade/subject)chat”<br />
<br />
People will contact you and then you can follow them. Share your Twitter handle (your Twitter name) with your families and invite them to follow your class. Start by tweeting student reflections one day a week. Ask kids to share something they’ve learned or are wonder. These reflection tweets provide your families a “window” into your classroom and the curriculum. Also use Twitter as a place to crowdsource information. Post mini-inquiry questions and see who answers. Have fun and model connected learning! <a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter.com</a><br />
You can follow our class @<a href="https://twitter.com/Burley106" target="_blank">Burley106</a>. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBIV0PTSti4HEhIrt9m9yC8nmK0KDRvDoclLaMR4YHwiMNKrhX_AbrGiXURN_9VBi0fEIM_gMIAgUu2KNreDoEvaUQ-hT7rQdYTxTL4Y1OilWI0a_B7TOJ38hAmSoJkLtBwWIgsuLw4CYj/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.41.13+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBIV0PTSti4HEhIrt9m9yC8nmK0KDRvDoclLaMR4YHwiMNKrhX_AbrGiXURN_9VBi0fEIM_gMIAgUu2KNreDoEvaUQ-hT7rQdYTxTL4Y1OilWI0a_B7TOJ38hAmSoJkLtBwWIgsuLw4CYj/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-01-10+at+12.41.13+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Kidblog</b><br />
<a href="http://kidblog.org/">Kidblog.org</a> is an amazing, safe blogging site created for teachers and students. Teachers can create a class for free and develop accounts for students that are not dependent on an email address. This is specifically helpful for younger learners who don't have an email. Once a class is created, students can log on from any device that connects to the internet and post a blog. You can use your blog for a variety of purposes—writing about reading, writer’s workshop, or as a general repository for student thinking. You can view our Kidblog <a href="http://kidblog.org/Burley1061213/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<br />Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-70045035213866810532012-11-19T07:58:00.000-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.703-06:00Croak.it! So amazing I can't imagine life without it! Yay! I love you, Croak.it! You’re amazing!<br />
<br />
I heard about <a href="http://croak.it/" target="_blank" title="Croak.it">Croak.it</a>
a few months ago on #1stchat (a weekly conversation about 1st grade on
Twitter every Sunday at 7:00 CST). I believe the amazing <a href="http://learningandsharingwithmsl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="Karen Lirenman's Blog">Karen Lireman</a> tipped me off to it and since then, life hasn’t been the same.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://literacyspark.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=2145" rel="attachment wp-att-2145"><img alt="croak-it" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2145" height="300" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/croak-it.jpg?w=279&h=300" width="279" /></a></div>
<br />
<a href="https://croak.it/" target="_blank">Croak.it </a>is a free website that allows the user to record 30 second
audio clips. The audio recording is then uploaded to a personalized
website and available to anyone who has the link. The developers
created the site for users to “Push. Speak. Share.” and the simplicity
is amazing. Even more unbelievable is that Croak.it also has a <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/croak.it!/id525958948?mt=8" target="_blank">FREE app</a>
available for iPhone and Android!<br />
<br />
So what does this mean for education?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
In my class, I’ve loaded each iPad with the Croak.it app. It’s so
easy for students to capture audio recordings as they simply push the
white circle to start and stop their recording.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://literacyspark.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=2146" rel="attachment wp-att-2146"><img alt="photo 1" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2146" height="300" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/photo-1.png?w=225&h=300" width="225" /></a></div>
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Once they stop the recording they’re directed to the sharing screen…</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://literacyspark.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=2147" rel="attachment wp-att-2147"><img alt="photo 2" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2147" height="300" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/photo-2.png?w=225&h=300" width="225" /></a> </div>
<br />
…and then email the link to me or copy it to embed in another
location. As the teacher, I can share their Croak via Twitter so our
followers can get a snapshot of what we’re learning.<br />
<br />
Because each Croak.it recording has a personalized web address, it
eliminates a lot of the “middleman” work I use to have to do as the
teacher finding a home for students’ audio recordings. Previously, I
loaded audio recordings to my classroom website or a dummy audio
recording storage space for students to access via the web. Now, their
audio recordings already have a “web home” so I can quickly and directly
link to it.<br />
<br />
This has dramatically enhanced our use of QR codes in the classroom.
Before, it was cumbersome to create a site for the audio, publish it,
and then link a QR to the site. Now, I simply drop the Croak.it link
into the QR site and viola! We have a QR that links to audio.<br />
<br />
This is tremendously helpful for differentiating instruction. When I
want to provide verbal directions for students on an assessment or
increase access to an article that may be too challenging for some
students to decode, I create an audio file using Croak.it and link that
to a QR code students can scan.<br />
<br />
We’re also using them to create book talks. Students use Croak.it to
create a short audio book reviews. They email me the link to their
Croak and then I create a QR code for the link (below, an example from <a href="http://qrstuff.com/" target="_blank">qrstuff.com</a>).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://literacyspark.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=2152" rel="attachment wp-att-2152"><img alt="QR stuff.com" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2152" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/screen-shot-2013-01-02-at-5-03-37-pm.png?w=640" /></a></div>
<br />
I print out the QR code and students attach the code to the book
they’re recommending. When students shop for a book during independent
reading, they can scan the QR and hear the book recommendation their
peer created using Croak.it. Book reviews created by students, for
students are empowering for my young readers as they are excited to hear
what books their peers suggest. As early childhood educators have long
known, students are capable of comprehending and telling much more than
what they may be able to express in writing; this is evident as we
depart from the traditional book review and provide opportunities for
creating these audio book talks. These audio book reviews create energy
for reading and a book “buzz” for what’s hot right now in 1st grade.
In addition, they help readers find “just right” text and foster
independence as kids have tools and strategies for locating the perfect
read.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://literacyspark.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=2149" rel="attachment wp-att-2149"><img alt="IMG_1641" class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2149" height="224" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/img_1641.jpg?w=300&h=224" width="300" /></a> </div>
<br />
Scan the QR below to listen to a student book review:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://literacyspark.wordpress.com/?attachment_id=2150" rel="attachment wp-att-2150"><img alt="Book review Pippi Longstocking" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2150" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/screen-shot-2013-01-02-at-4-45-05-pm.png?w=640" /></a></div>
<br />
As you can tell, I’m very excited about Croak.it and suggest you
check it out! It’s versatile and can be used across the curriculum as
something students can create or as a tool teachers can use to
differentiate and support student learning. I think of new ways to use
it almost every week and am thrilled to have it as a tool in my
classroom. So go ahead, <strong>Croak.it!</strong>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-72074025379558251172012-11-03T11:34:00.001-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.708-06:00#HurricaneSandy: An Authentic Twitter AdventureLast weekend my student visited NYC and got stuck as Hurricane Sandy rolled in. Luckily, his family was
able to take shelter at a friend’s house in Brooklyn. On Monday morning, I projected our classroom
Twitter account on the Apple TV and suggested we tweet our classmate to
see if he was ok.<br />
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He responded much to the joy of my six and seven
year-olds. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkqra4K7YFTJtbreWw1hDU4CDZ2JAWV_UESg4PTdCPLxJ71oFIo-zPNAyaXIz_JNU6qalT6_RRLliOpnnrLbmm8ibFOfWaMFoMbIgCgl6JFlPzwFjv2uQxZqZgTmIesc8WEEFAL4h7xHb/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-11-01+at+6.37.11+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTkqra4K7YFTJtbreWw1hDU4CDZ2JAWV_UESg4PTdCPLxJ71oFIo-zPNAyaXIz_JNU6qalT6_RRLliOpnnrLbmm8ibFOfWaMFoMbIgCgl6JFlPzwFjv2uQxZqZgTmIesc8WEEFAL4h7xHb/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-11-01+at+6.37.11+PM.png" width="385" /></a></div>
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After connecting with he and his mom via Twitter, I asked
if they could update us throughout the day.
The family was generous with their time and tweeted frequent weather reports and
photos from the storm. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzMHVYbv56Tc36Ybcj9CO4aWlrVYZtxgjQlzQ45bj7NGVITYUwgxRloj9qU2EOcCZNo3lzVJGyJqfh8nc7hLY7q4CE-8eurB8WrvoZMRXLZgwvRxS-t4LD4rWSDwecKe5XGNEogfSZ410/s1600/Reporting+in.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="62" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCzMHVYbv56Tc36Ybcj9CO4aWlrVYZtxgjQlzQ45bj7NGVITYUwgxRloj9qU2EOcCZNo3lzVJGyJqfh8nc7hLY7q4CE-8eurB8WrvoZMRXLZgwvRxS-t4LD4rWSDwecKe5XGNEogfSZ410/s400/Reporting+in.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>As our day
continued, my class used The Weather Channel app to learn more about Hurricane
Sandy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We looked at radar maps and
talked about the timing of the storm and how it would fall on a full moon when tides are at their highest which
would cause flooding in many areas (a nice connection to our current
solar system inquiry). </div>
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After seeing photos and short video clips on The Weather
Channel, my class had lots of questions. Here are few they tweeted to their classmate:</div>
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My student in NYC took the role
of Hurricane Sandy reporter very seriously and answered all the questions his
friends posted.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In class, at least once
every hour, students asked, “Did we get any new tweets?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I sent an email to our staff and invited other
classrooms to learn along with us via Twitter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Soon, our 1<sup>st</sup> grade friend was sharing his storm experiences
with our school. </div>
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The following day our Hurricane
Sandy reporter continued to update us in the aftermath of the storm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He walked around Brooklyn and shot various
short videos that he posted to Twitter explaining some of the damage and storm
clean-up measures.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Back in class, my students
felt knowledgeable about the storm and were excited to learn more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also became an outlet for kids to connect
with their classmate, since he would miss several days of school. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyAPedcR8Y2An7IgGwrRxDVWNL4ZVW1oRcFVgkogzAkFeErHfCIRXseMV8Djjx7p4RbxYGbhblU6lLqPF0X9w' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><br />
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As the week progressed we
continued to get updates from our reporter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Checking in with Twitter became an opportunity to connect with our
friend who would end up being out of school all week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Throughout the week I watched my
students—both near and far—share their learning and use social media to connect
and collaborate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hurricane Sandy
provided us an authentic opportunity to thoughtfully use social media in the classroom. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">Here are a few take-aways:</span></div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">My students were empowered to be part of a learning network that was for students, by students. So often, young children only have access to information that is filtered through an adult channel. While oftentimes that is appropriate, kids also need the model of other children as information providers. By watching a peer research, report and field questions, student now have a "mentor" experience for what it looks like and sounds like to be an information sharer. As Peter H. Johnston shared in <i>Choice Words</i> (2004) kids need to visualize themselves as a "can do" kid. When young learners internalize the belief that "I'm the kind of kid who works as a reporter. I'm the kind of kid who asks good questions. I'm the kind of kid who ________," they experience the success, feedback and confidence that inspires them to make additional attempts in the future. Over time, this repetitive process produces kids who desire to think, learn, share and are inspired to do it again and again. My students were thrilled to see their classmate work as a reporter and now believe that any first grade student can do this important work. </span></div>
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For the first time, students saw Twitter as a place to ask questions, conduct research and gather new information. Previously we had only used it to tell others about our learning. Now, students see Twitter as a tool for learning. I spend a lot of time in first grade teaching my students where they can go to find answers to their questions; now they can add school-supervised Twitter to their list of resources. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqC2fKJyBBDxhfNVs-VfGZh7Y9XRNL_BGSHNJbQc299Onst7UViTQOlR47bxVTE0NPC-s2eMp9Oho9xH8zPmfXivFmeLU_BrQkYgNEmNq9Waqwe20DxVOE05LXBD4MB2VgMUNs0CSnUUn/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-11-03+at+10.24.54+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLqC2fKJyBBDxhfNVs-VfGZh7Y9XRNL_BGSHNJbQc299Onst7UViTQOlR47bxVTE0NPC-s2eMp9Oho9xH8zPmfXivFmeLU_BrQkYgNEmNq9Waqwe20DxVOE05LXBD4MB2VgMUNs0CSnUUn/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-11-03+at+10.24.54+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Connecting with a classmate via Twitter allowed students to emotionally process the storm. Their peer told about his safety plan and how residents were told to prepare for the storm. My students were able to see that unusual things--like superstorms--do happen, but that adults around the country prepare for these events and have a plan for when they occur. </span><span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 16px;">Watching their peer's video tweets and seeing NYC clean up and get back to normal was therapeutic for all involved.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXavb-zLADvXls7a-dTvaUOw44YQ28oMlZ0oMr-8xNYmPzXL9kbsuhOK-Q6IdcdKmh3yKH7DHQvqz01eyVe3PsiXHbBjhUYnv7Khk49edN1u-mnksmQeyETHou50s__wkRdxuUuiXlfV6/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-11-03+at+10.43.11+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXavb-zLADvXls7a-dTvaUOw44YQ28oMlZ0oMr-8xNYmPzXL9kbsuhOK-Q6IdcdKmh3yKH7DHQvqz01eyVe3PsiXHbBjhUYnv7Khk49edN1u-mnksmQeyETHou50s__wkRdxuUuiXlfV6/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-11-03+at+10.43.11+AM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">After tweeting and blogging to our reporter, my class now sees social media as an effective tool for connecting with others. In addition to our classroom tweets, each day students commented on his Kidblog. Students posted comments to see how he was doing or to ask for an update on the hurricane. As a result of this collaborative learning experience, my kids now think like connected learners. This was apparent Friday afternoon as we said goodbye to a student who was moving. As students sat on the rug and said goodbye and good luck to their friend, one girl said, "Make sure to tweet us ok? And send some of those video tweets so we can learn about your new house and your new school." Another child chimed in, "And leave lots of comments on our blog!" </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria;">YES! I cheered silently in my head as I saw my students think like connected, empowered learners. This is why we do this! I am very grateful to my student and his family for engaging in this authentic learning experience. Together, we have provided students a foundational experience for using social media in the classroom. I can't wait to see what we learn next!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2T8chgFgvSWjkTQx0wKH1IorMWaBIQ3RADh82deVcCZ-T27eUzT0ySalIlJ1bY8aqJyY7ZX7yIuamMA1iySFdwJwVft93tsB9Kljo2JDRvPyXQcl-oDiyXLLBEYU98WWHmtjvfZBY71b6/s1600/Goodbye+sandy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2T8chgFgvSWjkTQx0wKH1IorMWaBIQ3RADh82deVcCZ-T27eUzT0ySalIlJ1bY8aqJyY7ZX7yIuamMA1iySFdwJwVft93tsB9Kljo2JDRvPyXQcl-oDiyXLLBEYU98WWHmtjvfZBY71b6/s320/Goodbye+sandy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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Do you have a classroom Twitter account? We'd love to connect with you! Follow us <a href="https://twitter.com/Burley106" target="_blank">@Burley106</a><br />
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<i>Video used with permission from the family</i><br />
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-91099106634687891922012-10-26T11:31:00.000-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.750-06:00Making Book Trailers<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3M07n_jOFW6Rw2smtPLsmcXSq6bnNT1_e-IaroplXLUWCAIX4TAXCaqmjP6KcRq3tDFC4nrzFCd1ZOgaiS_QRWAWGX-pbnkPvB5qXk4cuaUI2-JYguMVLZ4ti_60G6mrLvNn4fvjzVzM/s1600/-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3M07n_jOFW6Rw2smtPLsmcXSq6bnNT1_e-IaroplXLUWCAIX4TAXCaqmjP6KcRq3tDFC4nrzFCd1ZOgaiS_QRWAWGX-pbnkPvB5qXk4cuaUI2-JYguMVLZ4ti_60G6mrLvNn4fvjzVzM/s200/-1.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image created on the iPad using Snapseed,<br />
PS Express, and Keynote.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last year I tried my hand at having my class make book trailers. They did a decent job given that I wasn't quite sure how to jump into this new medium. Well, this year we've learned from the past and I'm proud to say that the fifth graders are creating book trailers that are better than ever! <br />
<br />
One of the issues that we had last year is that we didn't have any student created examples to look at. While the professional ones are nice to get a feel for the genre it helps to have examples that are within the students' reach. This also gave us the opportunity to examine them and notice which elements we thought worked well and which elements needed improvement. Once we spent some time immersing ourselves in the genre we began planning. I ask students to consider what things they would explicitly and implicitly share with their audience, how they would build the mood and tone of the trailers, and what types of images they would use to accomplish this.<br />
<br />
We also addressed copyright issues. As fifth graders, they are ready to think about intellectual property and what that means. Students were asked to create all of their own images or they could use stock images that I found through <a href="http://photopin.com/">Photopin</a> and give credit to the artist. (I pulled appropriate images to share with them through <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/">Dropbox</a> and organized them by the search term I used so that I could locate the links to give credit later.)<br />
<br />
Before students started I did a quick tour of some of the apps they might use to create or edit images. These included Drawing Pad, Snapseed, PS Express, Scribblify, Magnetic Letters, and Keynote. We spent several days just creating images for the trailers before students even began with iMovie. Once students had several images I did a quick tour of iMovie, showing them some basics on how to get started. Over the next few days I or a student periodically introduced small things like how to lengthen or change transitions and how to add sound effects. This workshop model enabled students to experiment as they worked and internalize how to use iMovie to achieve the desired effect. I also gave students a checklist to use as they worked to help them reflect on the images, music, and overall feel of their book trailer. To see our final products please visit our <a href="https://vimeo.com/channels/302booktrailers">302 Book Trailers Vimeo Channel!</a><br />
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<img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz5E-0VgQHU5cHN30o94l9XoDPsWjtVZ03OYAXIn1LYMcCjCYIPmGQY2wq76DwiYZAbSWDZhUAmoE_3FyaBVkPowJ3I8wZbaWBaddf_jvgkpVmNBMR5ktz9vgK_8EoOhKPvI2TRW3_E6k/s400/Picture+1.png" width="400" /> </div>
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<a href="https://vimeo.com/channels/302booktrailers">https://vimeo.com/channels/302booktrailers</a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-20187330073312487292012-10-07T08:02:00.002-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.607-06:00Back to the BeginningEven though it’s October it still feels very much like the beginning
of the year. One of the first thoughts that many teachers have about
their students is “they look so little!” It’s true. Those tall
confident students that left us have gone on to be “little” to next
year’s teacher and we have our own new crop of “little” people to
educate. This becomes even more pronounced in a technology classroom.
Everything takes longer, typing, starting, opening, finding, searching.
Whatever it is they need time to figure it out. Patience is key. So
what can we do?<br />
<ul>
<li><b>Remember to go slow:</b> after all many of our students
are experiencing some of these technology tools for the first time.
Even if they have devices at home they probably don’t use them for much
more than playing games or surfing the internet.</li>
<li><b>Find your specialists:</b> there will be some students
who do know how to do things or pick them up very quickly. Start
sending kids their way to address minor issues and questions. Have them
teach a quick lesson to the class on some basics.</li>
<li><b>Create lots of visuals:</b> Anchor charts for
technology are just as important as they are in every other subject.
These visual reminders help students to know what to do and to start
developing a sense of independence.</li>
<li><b>Be realistic:</b> Things will take more time. They just will. You have to go slow to go fast later. It’s okay.</li>
<li><b>Build from the ground up:</b> When I have students
learning a new app I use it a few times in either the same subject or
across subjects within a week. Their first “project” or experience is
filled with play and experimentation. As we gather examples from the
class I start to show student work and we tease out elements or things
the class has done that we like and want to emulate.</li>
</ul>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-90928813203430964132012-09-19T10:56:00.003-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.747-06:00What does "transformative" mean?<br />
<div class="p1">
<span class="s1">You have probably heard people describe the iPad as "transformative" in the classroom. However, it's important to define what we mean by that term and to be clear about the very real benefits that mobile technology can offer. At Burley, we see the greatest transformation in key classroom relationships: the relationship of the students to their work, the relationship between students and other students, and the relationship of students to the process of assessing and reflecting upon their own work. These are three places where we see real transformation, and these are themes we are looking to expand upon as we enter year three of our iPad adventures. </span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60RpYi0PCtulbyJwOLfzzKAgKNmzzWhO_wr4kiyjDxasl6U9Fhjxclfs_8GZU8hXaEEz5r020ECGMnmuQUTMFzys_gkVGOT3iK-yRgV5JtPs2fYHhd5n05WmRLjLLECqBJjtGP5FZUZIs/s1600/1st+graders+working+together1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60RpYi0PCtulbyJwOLfzzKAgKNmzzWhO_wr4kiyjDxasl6U9Fhjxclfs_8GZU8hXaEEz5r020ECGMnmuQUTMFzys_gkVGOT3iK-yRgV5JtPs2fYHhd5n05WmRLjLLECqBJjtGP5FZUZIs/s320/1st+graders+working+together1.jpg" width="320" /></a><b><b><br /></b>
1. Student work and content creation. </b> Kids in our 1:1 classrooms are creating more types of content that can be shared more readily with more people than ever before. This fundamentally changes the nature of student work; kids see themselves as experts, teachers of others, and authors. This leads them to ask better questions, investigate original ideas, and express themselves with creativity and passion. I know this is a common argument for the use of technology, but I can't believe the difference mobility and 1:1 make in this area. Media creation and high-quality publishing are seamless parts of the student experience and environment, because the technology is right there with them at all times. The size and portability of the iPad support a collaborative, flexible, and creative learning environment. That makes a difference. Here are some questions to push ourselves in the coming year:<br />
<ul>
<li>What are the best ways to share different types of digital student work?</li>
<li>How can we access a wide, engaged audience for student work, and how do we make the greatest educational use of our access to that audience?</li>
<li>How can we ensure that student projects have real relevance and meaning beyond the classroom walls?</li>
<li>How can we use the iPad to open up more opportunities for students to advocate for issues they are passionate about?</li>
</ul>
<b><br /></b><b>2. Student communication and collaboration. </b>With ongoing access to web 2.0 tools, kids have more access to their peers' ideas, feedback, and questions than ever before. They use their PLN (peer learning network) to solve problems and explore ideas, and peer expertise is valued. This elevates the role of the student and increases active participation in learning. The PLN changes how students see themselves and one another and gives them a greater sense of agency. Web 2.0 tools also enable students to understand the role of the Internet and social media in communication and learning, and to practice safe and appropriate online interaction in a teacher-supported environment. Kidblog and Edmodo are two key tools we have used in past years, and we look to build in this area for year three. These are among the questions we will explore:<br />
<ul>
<li>How do we scaffold the experience of using online collaborative tools so that we can eventually turn over the content and management of those tools to the students?</li>
<li>What is the appropriate balance between teacher-guided blogging and open, student-directed blogging? Is there a continuum for this across grades 1-8?</li>
<li>How often do we need to provide instructional refreshers on appropriate purpose and tone for educational social media?</li>
<li>How can we continue to use social media to empower students, and to expand the authentic purpose and audience for student writing and communication?</li>
</ul>
<b><br /></b>
<b>3. Student self-assessment and reflection. </b>Using the iPad, kids can capture more of their thinking in more ways than ever. They can snap a photo of something they have created or record a quick verbal reflection or video. This opens up rich opportunities for students to self-assess and track their own learning. When kids have access to vivid records of their own thinking, they can develop habits of mind that promote ongoing reflection and personal academic growth. However, maximizing the benefits of digital reflection by making it systematic and organized will be an area of focus in the coming year, guided by questions like these:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>What are the best digital tools for documenting, archiving, and sharing student self-assessment and reflection?</li>
<li>What role can self-assessment artifacts play in teacher assessment and instructional decision-making, and what are the best systems for streamlining this process? </li>
<li>At what point are students able to take full ownership of their own reflective process?</li>
</ul>
<br />
As often as we hear the word "transformative," we invite all of our iPad colleagues to take a look at your classrooms and identify specific places where you are really seeing that fundamental change in how students learn, share, communicate, create, express themselves, and reflect -- and share what you see! While the iPad offers many valid and valuable classroom tools and resources, we are all seeking that sweet spot where the technology enables something entirely new and better for kids and for learning (think the <i>Redefinition </i>level of <a href="http://www.hippasus.com/rrpweblog/" target="_blank">Dr. Ruben Puentedura</a>'s SAMR model). In collaboration with all of you, we are looking forward to another year of teaching, learning, exploration, and transformation.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qosKTesEHwMOx1tvnIqKZYMk91mv0FEP16RmIv3WF6_AnJpBooD8zw4Mu-cfgM7_qcAKxaKih6mb0uQXGAIK6ap14HKyfhfIbfDEx_xWqXsvCtpY_L2XSyUgt3v3PGu0mRyNxUGiKfjs/s1600/5th+graders+outside+w+iPads.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="5th grade Students working outdoors with iPad devices" border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2qosKTesEHwMOx1tvnIqKZYMk91mv0FEP16RmIv3WF6_AnJpBooD8zw4Mu-cfgM7_qcAKxaKih6mb0uQXGAIK6ap14HKyfhfIbfDEx_xWqXsvCtpY_L2XSyUgt3v3PGu0mRyNxUGiKfjs/s320/5th+graders+outside+w+iPads.JPG" title="" width="320" /></a></div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-67295100674314390272012-05-21T08:12:00.002-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.693-06:00We are bloggers!Currently, each student in my class hosts a blog on <a href="http://kidblogs.org/" title="Kidblogs">Kidblogs.org</a>.
Kidblogs is a safe and easy blogging site for students. There are
various settings that allow the teacher to manage visibility and access.
Each child enters his or her blog with a password. Students can write
blogs, read the posts of their peers and respond with comments.<br />
<br />
Originally, I thought that we would use these blogs like we
traditionally used Reader’s Notebooks–as a place to discuss our reading
history, habits and strategies. As my students developed their skills
in blogging, I saw how the blogs could be a repository for all our
thinking. Now, students use their blogs to post book reviews, respond
to text, share new learning in inquiry projects and ask questions of
our blogging community.<br />
<br />
My students love to blog and truly view themselves as members of a
global blogging community. In the past few months we’ve received
comments and feedback from around the world. As I thought about all
that my students have done with blogs, I wanted to make sure they
understood the purpose of blogging. So, I asked them to reflect on <em><span style="text-decoration: underline;">why</span></em> we blog.<br />
<br />
A few responses:<br />
<br />
“When you blog, you tell about your work and what you do at school.”<br />
<br />
“The reason you blog is so you can share your learning around the Earth. It’s also very interesting!”<br />
<br />
“If you live in another country you could blog, only it would have to be in a different language.”<br />
<br />
“You blog in order to learn from other people.”<br />
<br />
“A blog is a way you tell friends where they can get info and how to share it.”<br />
<br />
“Blogging is sharing information with others!”<br />
<br />
These responses showed me that my students do indeed, understand why
we blog! They know that we blog to share information and to learn from
others. They also know that their blogs are a forum for
self-expression. Through blogging they have learned that their thinking
and learning <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em>matters</em></span>.
They recognize themselves as active agents in a digital world. I hope
that their current understanding of blogging lays a solid foundation
for future explorations in technology.<br />
<br />
It’s an exciting time to be a young learner…onward, bloggers!<br />
<a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/screen-shot-2012-05-12-at-11-15-53-am.png"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1946" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/screen-shot-2012-05-12-at-11-15-53-am.png?w=640" title="Screen Shot 2012-05-12 at 11.15.53 AM" /></a>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-7892274861754453472012-04-22T17:43:00.002-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.731-06:00Interactive Anchor Charts<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/screen-shot-2012-04-21-at-2-56-20-pm.png"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1879" height="235" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2012/04/screen-shot-2012-04-21-at-2-56-20-pm.png?w=640&h=377" title="Screen Shot 2012-04-21 at 2.56.20 PM" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
A while back I wrote a <a href="http://literacyspark.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/reinforcing-learning-with-math-videos/" title="Reinforcing Learning With Math Videos">post</a>
about two great resources for math instructional videos. I enjoy
exposing kids to these instructional videos because it gives them the
opportunity to hear other teachers and students explain things. After
much hemming and hawing I’ve found a way to easily and quickly make and
integrate my own videos into my classroom. Although I’ve recently been
using <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/explain-everything/id431493086?mt=8">Explain Everything</a> as my go to app for making teaching videos I’ve found that the <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/showme-interactive-whiteboard/id445066279?mt=8">Show Me app</a>
actually works better for my math videos. Essentially it’s the
simplest solution with the least amount of time investment on my part.<br />
<br />
After a lesson I will do a quick 2-3 minute review video on Show Me.
I then upload this video my Show Me account. It’s a very simple
interface, extremely easy to use, and all you have to do is make a free
account. Using a QR code generator I make a QR code that links directly
to the video and then tape it to the anchor chart. Bam! Automatic
interactive anchor charts. If a student is working in class and needs a quick reminder on a strategy or concept all they have to do it refer to the chart and they get a written tutorial from the lesson as well as a video tutorial from me. Here's an example of one of the videos I made.<br />
<br />
<iframe height="434" src="http://www.showme.com/sma/embed/?s=LmObbDk&w=580&h=434" width="530"></iframe>
<br />
<br />
Because I have limited space, as I take anchor charts down I take the
QR code and put it with a title on a board of topics and QR codes.
Even though the chart may be down or buried under other charts students
can still access the review learning by just scanning the code with
their iPad. The other benefit is that they can access my Show Me videos
from home so if they forget how to do something as they work on homework they can hear me
explain it again.<br />
<br />
I haven’t tried this with longer lessons but I think for a simple,
fast, and effective way to capture snapshots of our teaching to share
with students Show Me is a great solution. You can keep videos private
(only those with the link can access) or publish your work to share with
other teachers and students around the globe. There is no need to save or sync to the ipads. Plus it’s free!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-72769290097436111752012-03-19T17:58:00.003-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.718-06:00A Big Day for Big Learning! Active Agents in a Digital World<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXm2zsqlSvfTeYUZwPN95U53YiUlbryj96YmxqgZWHGFR2qSn1bu1AQJl9JL0b-4d_4EXZD-EHJV9_YZpnce-iMh3vJwEs6sFOu4n4wyUx1XxpjCBmhh-jyfZJ9uELqpso3kKI0tcwymQ/s1600/photo-17.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"></a>What a great day in first grade! We had a big day of learning and saw exactly how our thinking matters in the larger community. Way to live a curious life first graders!<div><br /></div><div>Each Wednesday we follow <a href="http://wonderopolis.org">Wonderopolis.org</a> and engage in our "Wonder Wednesday" challenge. We view recent wonders posted to the website and then create our own blog posts, either responding to Wonderopolis or sharing our own wonderings.</div><div><br /></div><div>This site has become a classroom favorite and kids now visit it throughout the week. On Friday, one student was thinking ahead to St. Patrick's Day and asked, "Are leprechauns real?" </div><div><br /></div><div>As we pondered the question, someone said, "Hey! I know! Let's send the question to Wonderopolis." So we did. I modeled how to submit a question on my iPad and projected it for the class to see. We submitted our question and then several students submitted additional wonders to the Wonderopolis website.</div><div><br /></div><div>Well on Saturday morning, you can imagine how THRILLED I was when I checked my Twitter feed and saw the Wonder of the Day.</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdXm2zsqlSvfTeYUZwPN95U53YiUlbryj96YmxqgZWHGFR2qSn1bu1AQJl9JL0b-4d_4EXZD-EHJV9_YZpnce-iMh3vJwEs6sFOu4n4wyUx1XxpjCBmhh-jyfZJ9uELqpso3kKI0tcwymQ/s320/photo-17.png" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721739818463087042" style="float: left; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; cursor: pointer; width: 214px; height: 320px; " /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span></div><div>I could hardly wait for my students to enter the building! As soon as they came in, I had them get their iPads and go straight to the website. When my class saw Wonder #531 the room erupted in squeals! Such joy! Total amazement! What a feeling of empowerment!</div><div><br /></div><div>I have been teaching my kids all year that they need to live a curious life. Ask questions. Seek answers. Look for deeper meaning. Have a set of resources that can help you find the answers to your questions. Access experts in your every day life.</div><div><br /></div><div>Today Wonderopolis gave them a foundational experience for what it feels like to be a digital citizen and member of the global learning community. My kids have now experienced curiosity and the "search curriculum." They are inspired to ask again and are moved to let the world know their thinking matters! Today they truly believe that others are interested in their ideas and the thoughts and questions they have to share. </div><div><br /></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 238); -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOHQD98k2_xAJgHPfEkAkSRNFhMgKCoSlqAIHHp3tSlt9YMTrW8exvtdhbDjJ7a_URWIMtQwI0-fInOHyPj3YUILKDZsFzK00dxspOtw4bfil3ab2xhk8OgC-up1bSj5MWHTNEmf9v5SX3/s320/photo-4.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5721742223720266738" style="float: right; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 239px; " /></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; "></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#0000EE;"><br /></span><div>After celebrating this milestone, my students got right to working letting people know that their wonder had been answered. Nearly every child posted a new blog announcing the "big news." Six students created iMovies with student interviews and screen shots from Wonderopolis. Four children created instructional eBooks on how to use Wonderopolis and another is currently working on a Keynote to share with the kindergarten class. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><i>THIS is the type of thinking and learning that matters. </i></div><div><br /></div><div>My students know how to ask, use and share information. They can name and employ tools to document their thinking and take it public to teach others. They are active agents in their own curriculum development and they confidently promote learning. </div><div><br /></div><div>What more could a teacher ask for? </div><div><br /></div><div>THANK YOU Wonderopolis for making this monumental day of learning possible! </div><div> I know that this experience has changed my students as digital citizens and will serve as a catalyst for future learning. Three cheers for Wonderopolis and the curious kids in Room 106!</div>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-21467265731125974462012-03-12T06:53:00.007-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.610-06:00Photography with 5th Grade Students<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">Last week I had a very short technology class with 5th grade students in their classroom.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">I debated how much we could accomplish with new material in a grand total of 30 minutes on a day when students spent a tremendous amount of energy on the Illinois Standards Achievement Test.</span><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"><i>Enter the iPad</i></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">In the next few weeks these 5th grade students are going to be focusing on photography to accompany their writing with both their classroom teacher as well as with me during Technology.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The remarkable thing about having only 30 minutes to introduce this very large topic with my students but doing so with iPads, is that all 29 5th graders are sitting on the rug in front of me <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">with a camera, digital darkroom, and publishing suite</b> resting on their laps!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">I did not have to do much of an introduction for the camera function on the iPad since they have used it frequently throughout the year.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">However, there are a couple of keys to crisp photographs on any point-and-shoot camera, and I’m putting the iPad in that category.</span></div><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">The first key is making sure your image is in focus.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">To assure you have the desired focus using the iPad’s built-in camera app, all you need to do is touch the area on the camera screen that you want as your focal point.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The iPad will then display a blue box around that area and attempt to focus on it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">The second key to crisp photographs is reducing camera shake.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">This is not an easy task with the iPad, which is rather large and awkward for photography when compared with a camera.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The strategy I gave to the 5th graders, was to make sure to hold the iPad with two hands in opposite corners to reduce the amount of shake.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Then make sure one hand is positioned so that your thumb can stretch over to the “take photo” button on the screen.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The last part with the thumb will be somewhat alleviated when the iPads are updated to iOS 5, in which case you can use the “volume up” button on the side to snap a photo.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">Now with the limited time we had, I gave students three minutes to move about the classroom and take at least three photographs where an inanimate object was the main focal point.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">I had them arrange their compositions so that none of their classmates appeared in the photos, as the inclusion of “each other” in the images ends up providing a large distraction when sharing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVl1ANp5vYWStQZqy73as-nJiZNPwHSyVvJCSSCrJZBrofkFn9Cqk4_9ZXkure0mIZS2keuK-L9J6nDiT8ZcYsN9RPYVvnccNufuW_jDKkOkoX5KNd-0MWR8XjJw076Z-E29x7X4f1P-v/s1600/snapseed+on+ipad.PNG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717967019651176146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrVl1ANp5vYWStQZqy73as-nJiZNPwHSyVvJCSSCrJZBrofkFn9Cqk4_9ZXkure0mIZS2keuK-L9J6nDiT8ZcYsN9RPYVvnccNufuW_jDKkOkoX5KNd-0MWR8XjJw076Z-E29x7X4f1P-v/s400/snapseed+on+ipad.PNG" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 300px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 100%;">Students completed their photo-snapping, and I then gave them an introduction to an app called <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/app/snapseed/id439438619?mt=8">Snapseed</a>.</span><span style="font-size: 100%; text-decoration: underline;"></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span> Snapseed is a very easy-to-use image manipulation app with a lot of pre-loaded effects and corrections.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">The regular cost of the app is $4.99, but if you keep an eye on it (<a href="http://appshopper.com/photography/snapseed-for-ipad">perhaps with AppShopper</a>), you can download it for free when they temporarily put it on sale as we did.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Students used Snapseed to manipulate one or two of their chosen photographs, and then saved them to their Camera Roll.</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV13dRZc2Fdc9PlQMju4khUcsYk8wrbPu-VLC1y01M15BMyEcn0jSdiHSVAOYShqRUoe23VQcHRLweHHn1F5bUtW6xKJ-Eqs459qBRfQ72I1m4-Po95f6-_E5QXuMCqf2EnPpoTnJk37BE/s1600/edmodo-on-ipad.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717989972114165330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV13dRZc2Fdc9PlQMju4khUcsYk8wrbPu-VLC1y01M15BMyEcn0jSdiHSVAOYShqRUoe23VQcHRLweHHn1F5bUtW6xKJ-Eqs459qBRfQ72I1m4-Po95f6-_E5QXuMCqf2EnPpoTnJk37BE/s400/edmodo-on-ipad.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 104px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 400px;" /></a></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;">The last step in this 30-minute activity was sharing our favorite photograph with classmates.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">This “publishing” step is made possible by a recent update to the </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/edmodo/id378352300?mt=8">Edmodo</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> app (updated February, 16th), where students can now share saved iPad photos directly from within the </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/edmodo/id378352300?mt=8">Edmodo</a></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> app.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> (To read more about using Edmodo on the iPad, <a href="http://ipadsatburley.blogspot.com/2012/01/using-edmodo-in-writers-workshop.html">see this earlier post by Katie!</a>) </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Amazingly, there were still a few minutes left of our short time for students to comment on and provide feedback to each other via Edmodo.</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Here are some sample photographs by students:</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBbvx4QzuYfhS9Rjb7em6RlByepgVB4Fkxbagun_reQJj8ip8N1duwMK1t-9vI3UT4O5CeQUJxhyphenhyphenBMVnxAO0FxNDnkdtpq53uoP_Y-XH6RLJZk8i05jhza2raXp61B4CGOjvi5WBgD5j6/s1600/photography301a.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718009151353851394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBbvx4QzuYfhS9Rjb7em6RlByepgVB4Fkxbagun_reQJj8ip8N1duwMK1t-9vI3UT4O5CeQUJxhyphenhyphenBMVnxAO0FxNDnkdtpq53uoP_Y-XH6RLJZk8i05jhza2raXp61B4CGOjvi5WBgD5j6/s320/photography301a.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv07xL4a1o49GnW6lClgZC2bQrn8Uulbqk5yo8g0ksPllS4Hn6chD4aPoE-pRzrlJTZG-ESAtBm838srgCsAZkvLUwJN3L16eoD9urrT_Bv4ztwYZF5z_FYCYkmNDB-Ns6LSVfmc2iP2D/s1600/photography301b.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718006220266183106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvv07xL4a1o49GnW6lClgZC2bQrn8Uulbqk5yo8g0ksPllS4Hn6chD4aPoE-pRzrlJTZG-ESAtBm838srgCsAZkvLUwJN3L16eoD9urrT_Bv4ztwYZF5z_FYCYkmNDB-Ns6LSVfmc2iP2D/s320/photography301b.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXkA9Fmhqw1DhQ8PYmbl1Nr8SBLH73MT14GY-mfhLdCuvkoiyqCVzLdgNZbIV-5bCeS0vKzRzVZ4epnQTHuxenxfJrqiTPQrgpqD8rArI_Rn0_YPE9hVPDpupBYS3grE_-ne0pMlUXDAC/s1600/photography301c.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5718006224207229762" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfXkA9Fmhqw1DhQ8PYmbl1Nr8SBLH73MT14GY-mfhLdCuvkoiyqCVzLdgNZbIV-5bCeS0vKzRzVZ4epnQTHuxenxfJrqiTPQrgpqD8rArI_Rn0_YPE9hVPDpupBYS3grE_-ne0pMlUXDAC/s320/photography301c.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 240px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 320px;" /></a></span></div>Todd Strotherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01086738179812609765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-45325665199946841342012-02-28T14:20:00.018-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.661-06:00Making assessment meaningful<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtlZIC4IRd_vkSD6cRwHGf3lNgi0iVuzb5PYDYn3NUqrtsvysifIk3zaBk9QW46L1fWmPgZDX9dRFmXMxj2YNiDSXt36ZpjNGDiKVLGHfO__W9LMweP4cxv8WzcV2gdd_6rf34pudB3rf/s1600/recordingreflection.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwtlZIC4IRd_vkSD6cRwHGf3lNgi0iVuzb5PYDYn3NUqrtsvysifIk3zaBk9QW46L1fWmPgZDX9dRFmXMxj2YNiDSXt36ZpjNGDiKVLGHfO__W9LMweP4cxv8WzcV2gdd_6rf34pudB3rf/s200/recordingreflection.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5717949117783282130" /></a>After spending two hours a day this week watching seventh graders fill in bubbles on our state's standardized test, I am finding myself thinking about assessment. Specifically, I am thinking about the many ways the iPad has enriched and strengthened our daily assessment practices -- and the value I see in authentic, embedded, process-rich assessment that informs and improves instruction. Technology like the iPad offers incredible ways to gather meaningful data that shows student thinking and creates a rich and detailed picture of learning. It can also make assessment more efficient, save teachers time, and open opportunities for more responsive teaching.<div><br /></div><div>The iPad makes new assessment practices possible. First, just being able to hear a student explain his or her thinking is a transformative event. For example, when a student uses one of the many draw-and-record apps (such as <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/explain-everything/id431493086?mt=8">Explain Everything</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/screenchomp/id442415881?mt=8">ScreenChomp</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/replaynote/id419786855?mt=8">ReplayNote</a>, or <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/educreations-interactive-whiteboard/id478617061?mt=8">Educreations</a>) to work through a math problem, the teacher can gather information not just from the written steps, but also from the student's verbal explanation of their process. This results in a richer picture of what the student is thinking, and it's easy for the teacher to hear any misconceptions or missteps in the problem solving process. These recordings can also be replayed to the student for reflection, and the student can hear where he or she was successful, or where improvement or rethinking is needed. Logistically, the easiest way we have found to collect and share these recordings is through e-mail or Edmodo. Edmodo allows the recordings to be shared with the whole class or with just the teacher.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dygmusovdz9ll7eP2OSFlY8b-RVZwmxpdSoeZtYRHkruaRESbXiVpIzxQdYMRIQGGUs8BoL7MnXvVPJCf7-lw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>As I explained in an <a href="http://ipadsatburley.blogspot.com/2011/10/power-of-camera.html">earlier post</a>, the camera also adds a new layer to the assessment process. Students can use photo or video to capture any classroom event or project that demonstrates learning. For example, students can capture snapshots throughout a science experiment or inquiry project, and then create a reflection video or podcast (using <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/imovie/id377298193?mt=8">iMovie</a>, <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sonicpics/id345295488?mt=8">SonicPics</a>, or a similar app) describing their thinking process. Students can take photos of the covers of books they have read as a visual record of their growth as a reader; browsing through the photo library reveals what types of books students are selecting and where they might need growth. What an incredible way to document a student's learning journey, rather than just relying on the finished product. Multimedia assessment artifacts provide a powerful window into a student's mind and enable responsive, individualized teaching.</div><div><br /></div><div>Using tools such as Google Forms allows for an additional method of embedded, just-in-time assessment. Quick quizzes, surveys, and exit tickets can be easily accessed by each student, and the results come to the teacher in a spreadsheet, one row for each student response. Using conditional formatting or sorting allows the teacher to quickly identify incorrect answers and work with small groups for additional instruction as needed. The spreadsheets also provide an easy-to-access record over time. My outstanding colleague at National Teachers Academy, Jennie Magiera, has really perfected this technique and writes about it quite a bit on <a href="http://teachinglikeits2999.blogspot.com/search/label/Forms">her blog</a>. We love Google Forms because they make it quick and easy to take the pulse of an entire class at once. Rather than shuffling through 30 individual pieces of paper, all the responses appear in one, easy to scan grid of information. When the assessment process is simple, meaningful, and closely linked to the day's instruction, it is more likely that a teacher will be able to gather frequent information about student learning -- thus enabling better teaching.</div><div><br /></div><div>Other web 2.0 tools can help teachers gather critical assessment data. We use Kidblog and Edmodo extensively for many types of communication. Students use Kidblog to write about their independent reading and share books with one another. By accessing a student's blog and also the Control Panel for comments, we can see a student's entries and comments all in one place and easily assess his or her participation and writing in our online community. Similarly, in Edmodo it is easy to view the activity of one particular student. If you have ever given a grade for participation or class discussion, there is great value in being able to see the quality and quantity of student online discussion at a glance. We explicitly teach students how to ask good questions, provide constructive commentary, and engage meaningfully in a discussion about ideas, but without a tool like Edmodo, evidence of learning in these areas can be hard to gather. While I don't advocate replacing all classroom discussion with online tools -- far from it -- adding a tool like Edmodo can provide a new avenue for students to participate, and also an effective way to document that participation. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is important to note that we are using the iPad to add to our arsenal of assessment tools, not to completely replace traditional assessments. We still need our students to write well-crafted essays -- but now, we can hear them talk about their writing process and the thinking behind the product. (Of course, the iPad has changed the finished product too! Writing can now be published beautifully and shared globally.) Getting the answer right and producing quality work still matters. But in the teacher-student relationship, being able to reveal multiple aspects of student learning -- process, product, and everything in between -- makes it more possible for a teacher to know and support 30 unique learners. There may not always be time every day to confer individually with each child about his or her thinking, but the iPad provides myriad ways to capture those thoughts and make thinking visible to the teacher. Rich, meaningful assessment is a key component of effective, responsive instruction. With the iPad, we are finding more ways than ever to make it a reality.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-11142241237441541632012-02-27T11:15:00.000-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.589-06:00Poetry Publishing on the iPads<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">We’re in the heart of our unit on poetry. My students have learned several strategies that poets use including repetition, onomatopoeia, alliteration, visual imagery and line breaks. This week a few students wanted to draft their poems on the iPad. We had not tried this before, so I decided to let my students “have a go.”</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/photo-312.png" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 102, 204); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1677" title="photo-31" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/photo-312.png?w=640" alt="" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; clear: both; display: block; max-width: 100%; width: auto; height: auto; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " /></a></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">As I watched my students carefully, I tried to think about how this experience was different than writing or publishing on paper. I noticed two big things right away.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">First, the concept of line breaks and how to use them effectively was evident when writing on the iPad. Planning line breaks and reworking them to fit in a handwritten poem is labor intensive for the average first grade student. When writing on the iPad, line breaks become easy to fix, move and manipulate. This results in line breaks that make an impact for both the reader and writer.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Second, kids were more likely to revise their drafts when working on the iPad. Similar to what I observed with line breaks, it was easy for kids to manipulate the text and change the layout without having to erase, rewrite and reorganize. Many times I saw my students write a few lines then share their work with a think partner. When the think partner would provide feedback, kids were more willing to use the feedback to enhance their poem because insertion or revision was a quick fix on the iPad. In previous writing attempts, I had not seen my students work so flexibly or be as open to feedback.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/photo-322.png" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 102, 204); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1678" title="photo-32" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/photo-322.png?w=640&h=853" alt="" width="640" height="853" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; clear: both; display: block; max-width: 100%; width: auto; height: auto; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " /></a></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">There were additional benefits to writing on the iPad including the ease of organization and diverse options for sharing. Not all students desired to draft on the iPad and that is perfectly fine by me. I want to provide my students many options for thinking, writing and sharing their work. I hope to create an environment where kids move seamlessly between tools, modalities and resources.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">It seems as though the students who drafted on the iPad were inspired by this experience–many wrote multiple poems and 4 or 5 are creating an ePub anthologies. I’ll try to provide an update next week on Poetry Friday.</p></span>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-39984119947415756432012-02-02T09:35:00.000-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.642-06:00Active Literacy With the iPad: Part 1<br />
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<b>iBooks and ePUBs<br />
</b><br />
When I’m teaching reading, I’m teaching students how to be active
readers. That means that they need to engage with what they are
reading. They need to think, talk, and write. They need to leave
tracks of their thinking. Students do this by writing post-it’s and
annotating the text they are reading. (Depending on they type of text.)<br />
<br />
When I first began exploring the iPad I was thrilled to learn that
iBooks allows students to write notes and highlight things. Now they
could have virtual post-it’s! What was even more exciting to me was
that they could e-mail me these comments to me. Here’s an example of
what one of these comment pages might look like.<br />
<a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/screen-shot-2011-09-29-at-5-08-39-pm.png"><img alt="" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1236" height="526" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/screen-shot-2011-09-29-at-5-08-39-pm.png?w=640&h=526" title="Screen shot 2011-09-29 at 5.08.39 PM" width="640" /></a>As
you can see, the comments come up but not the text that the student is
referring to. This can be fixed if the student highlights the sentence
or phrase that inspired that thought. This is what I plan on teaching
my students next. I think that it will be very powerful for them to
articulate specific words or phrases that have triggered their thinking.<br />
<br />
I find this format really revealing and easy to look at as well as
assess. I have enough rag tag stacks of paper and this document is a
quick assessment glance at the thinking my student did during the day’s
lesson. I also think that when these comments are listed out like this
it makes it easy to look for patterns in thinking.<br />
<br />
In the example above I see the student is demonstrating an emotional
connection with the text, they are questioning, and they are linking to
their background knowledge. The comment about Pandora reveals that the
student is probably connecting to their background knowledge of the
mythological person Pandora and when the article refers to Pandora as a
place he is attempting to reconcile this information. This would be my
opening point in a conference about the text.<br />
<br />
<b>So what’s the catch?</b><br />
Well, the catch is that this only works with iBooks that you purchase…which I have no money for, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EPUB">ePUBs</a>.
The good news is that there is a way to turn any internet article into
an ePUB for students to use. Thanks to Bruce “Awesomeness” Ahlborn for
this tip. dotEPUB is a site that will do this dirty work for you. All
you have to do is install their bookmarklet on your computer or iPad and
a few simple clicks will send the article to your device.<br />
<br />
Bam! Presto! Any internet article becomes a tool for practicing active literacy.<br />
<br />
<b>Management Issues</b> <br />
<br />
I would suggest that you, the teacher, use dotePUB on your computer and then drop it into ibooks to sync to the devices. You can install this on student iPads easily so that they can do it themselves. However, itunes will sync all of the student articles off the devices and back on to all the other devices. Which means that you now get every single article that each student Epubbed. (Is that a verb? If not you heard it here first!) It's not a huge issue but a minor headache that you can avoid.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-49555539772722066812012-02-01T17:03:00.000-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.667-06:00Happy Digital Learning Day! Sometimes when we integrate technology in our class we come up with unexpected results. One of the "side effect learning" phenomenon that has taken place in my class is the development of student photography skills. Being an amateur photographer and artist myself, I am happy to indulge and even instruct.<br />
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Here is our first collaborative art piece that will be put up for auction at a school fundraiser tomorrow. All of these pictures were taken in our classroom, with the exception of two. All of them were taken and edited by students with their iPads! I am very, very proud of their work. In fact I'm gong to have a hard time parting with this.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic30qxJn1XULBb5Qse6v6bNv-g7vL8UGZR6SLzuSYt_MprYjQIUUi94gdwiuRdQpQdykWAl2Qdjk0fuaQBahgP6SvpenJq7FVsS-7k2SKeJ9sYbPRjqg-IXJ64KVhyphenhyphenulf2pzM9HM-t4AY/s1600/424723_10150564359914476_818739475_8511778_1885474414_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic30qxJn1XULBb5Qse6v6bNv-g7vL8UGZR6SLzuSYt_MprYjQIUUi94gdwiuRdQpQdykWAl2Qdjk0fuaQBahgP6SvpenJq7FVsS-7k2SKeJ9sYbPRjqg-IXJ64KVhyphenhyphenulf2pzM9HM-t4AY/s400/424723_10150564359914476_818739475_8511778_1885474414_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-8920135085754430312012-02-01T08:30:00.005-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.741-06:00Happy Digital Learning Day!As we celebrate our 1st Digital Learning Day in my classroom, I take a moment to reflect on how significantly technology has changed how I teach and how my students learn. Device preference aside, I am so grateful for all that my children have access to. Never before has information and literacy been so available to the young learner. My students float through the day studying images, watching short video clips and building new knowledge for themselves and their peers. What has been most exciting is how technology has empowered my students! They are sharing their thinking daily with each other and the world. Previously, my students had a small audience and shared their ideas through writing or drawing. Now, they are blogging, making movies, working in Google Docs and podcasting! The technology we have access to personalizes learning and allows students to develop deep comprehension behaviors regardless of their ability to decode text. My six and seven year-olds have a new level of agency as they see themselves as active contributors and information providers for all.<br /><br />A snapshot into our learning…<br />Last week my class followed the Caldecott Award announcement. We were thrilled to learn that a classroom favorite, A Ball for Daisy by Chris Raschka, won! My students wanted to celebrate this accomplishment. I decided this would be a great time to introduce book trailers.<br />I shared several exemplary trailers with my students. Then my class created a chart detailing the attributes of a terrific book trailer. We connected with children’s author and illustrator, Katie Davis on Twitter and learned even more by studying her trailer, Little Chicken’s Big Day. Finally, my students used iMovie to create their first book trailer.<br /><br />When I look at the trailers my students created, I see kids who know how to discuss literature. I observe competent technology users. I see people who know that their thinking matters and they are ready to share it with the world.<br /><br />Are these first attempts at making a book trailer perfect? No, of course not. We still have lots to learn. But are their first attempts at making a book trailer powerful? Absolutely. And I’m satisfied with that for right now.<br /><br />Watch the book trailer <a href="http://bit.ly/wiBBfk">here!</a><br /><br />Happy Digital Learning Day!Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-50210957261896842902012-01-29T09:33:00.003-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.669-06:00Using Edmodo in Writer's Workshop<i><b>I suppose I should give a quick introduction since this is my first post on this blog! Hi, I'm Katie Muhtaris. I teach fifth grade and this year I have been lucky enough to have a one-to-one iPad program in my classroom. </b><b>Although this is my first official post on the iPads at Burley blog I have been blogging for several years as a way to reflect on my teaching, share resources and effective practices, and celebrate this amazing profession. </b><b>The post below is a repost from my other blog and is from the fall. </b></i><br />
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I've been experimenting with how to use the iPads in my fifth grade writer's workshop. I decided to try it out by launching a unit of study using my document camera, student iPads, and Edmodo. Usually we study a wide variety of mentor texts so that we can understand what the genre is and students can begin to notice good things that they want to include in their writing.<br />
<br />
I showed projected articles and talked through them while
students responded on Edmodo. I gave them one question and asked them
to put their thoughts in the reply section. As the students typed their
comments in I told them to post a comment and then go back and see what
their classmates had written. I also told them that they could
participate verbally at any time, so we had a bit of a mix of talking
and typing going on.<br />
<br />
Plus: Everyone was participating<br />
<br />
Minus: I wasn’t really getting the quality of responses that I was
looking for…yet. Twenty-nine kids on one discussion…too much!<br />
<br />
Here is the first part of our discussion, with student names
removed. You can see that they start picking up on some of the elements
such as title and illustrations.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eqMxz8xA3tvnufvlqmDO8SIJsUBP2em_uewW0hw8NgucpRDamVJ63XG6N7igB0s0JGTqB-dqeXgzR_QldBnWlfSz3wdZIUf-IwF7ys3AJghMCZ811I1Lm_q6W7sJheEPGI7hjtdcXn0/s1600/screen-shot-2011-10-04-at-5-22-44-am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9eqMxz8xA3tvnufvlqmDO8SIJsUBP2em_uewW0hw8NgucpRDamVJ63XG6N7igB0s0JGTqB-dqeXgzR_QldBnWlfSz3wdZIUf-IwF7ys3AJghMCZ811I1Lm_q6W7sJheEPGI7hjtdcXn0/s640/screen-shot-2011-10-04-at-5-22-44-am.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
As I monitored what comments the students were making I began to ask
questions and respond to them verbally in order to prompt them to go
deeper. Here are some other comments from that discussion.<br />
<blockquote>
<i>I notice that there is a lot of little text boxes and not one big one.</i></blockquote>
Students began to see that the article was visually and graphically
organized as well as organized in the writing. This was one of the
reasons we chose this genre, to help students learn to organize.<br />
<blockquote>
<i>For 12345 i see paw prints</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
<i>Yeah wait why is it called high five?</i></blockquote>
They began to look at the creative details such as creative title. High Five is a feature in Faces Magazine every month.<br />
<blockquote>
<i>I like the author’s use of alliterations : five fascinating facts</i></blockquote>
They weren’t noticing much of the writing style so I made the above comment to get them thinking of it.<br />
<blockquote>
<i>Started a little intro saying what your gonna learn. =]</i></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote>
<i>The writer was bringing the reader in</i></blockquote>
When the conversation got too big I started adding new questions to help them focus more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZJfBXJ0j4TMki0HBBuaXaBUkS5vTKgxFjJOsQqOiNUWlC88FXf4wIahnZsthOU5NXGdjOCu6xewrV9wqUsQYvaL2hR_MLQOi8kspRb5rdjZhYuyokJ0KaP9LsL15HkMFVJMDSe3P3vM/s1600/screen-shot-2011-10-04-at-5-35-13-am.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZJfBXJ0j4TMki0HBBuaXaBUkS5vTKgxFjJOsQqOiNUWlC88FXf4wIahnZsthOU5NXGdjOCu6xewrV9wqUsQYvaL2hR_MLQOi8kspRb5rdjZhYuyokJ0KaP9LsL15HkMFVJMDSe3P3vM/s640/screen-shot-2011-10-04-at-5-35-13-am.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
This went on for awhile, with me prompting students to compare and
contrast the articles and notice new or different characteristics as I
shared various examples. Some students got tired of trying to type so
they just jumped in and shared verbally while others seemed to prefer
the rapid fire conversation on Edmodo.<br />
<br />
<br />
What I liked about this was that it provided a way for everyone to be
engaged and participate. Although they might have been too engaged and
I’m wondering if they were really able to attend to the most important
parts of the conversation. I think a debrief where we use the work we
did to create a class chart would help summarize the most important
elements of the genre.<br />
<br />
One thing I did at the end of class was to post a question about
topics. I asked everyone to toss out some thoughts on what they might
write about because I know generating ideas is a huge struggle for many
students They put together a huge list of things and I think this
might have been the best part of the lesson because at the end of the
day it will be the most helpful. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-69341470212092666822011-11-23T18:07:00.004-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.699-06:00App Reviews: For Students By StudentsAs I look for my students to expand their horizons in technology, I always try to find opportunities for kids to create and use content. We know kids become more engaged and motivated when their audience expands. William Glasser's work taught us that we learn 50% of what we <span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">see</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">hear</span> and we can increase that learning to 95% when we actively use information and <span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">teach</span> others. <br /><br />In first grade we spend a lot of time talking about why we share our learning. I want my kids to acquire what Peter H. Johnston refers to as "agency" in his book, <span style="font-style: italic;">Choice Words.</span> I want my kids to see themselves as active players in the global community and think of themselves as, "I'm the kind of kid who can ________." I'm the kind of kid who can save Africa. I'm the kind of kid who can develop a new app. I'm the kind of kid who can teach others even though I'm only six-years-old. When kids begin to view themselves as empowered, content-creators and information-sharers they see the relevance of their work and are inspired to do more. <br /><br />With our iPad project I'm constantly asking my students why is this important and how could we share this learning with others? As a result of these types of questions, my students decided it was important that we share apps that help us learn and understand more. Using SonicPics, my students are creating video app reviews for kids in our classroom and beyond. <br /><br />When asked why is this important, here is how a few kids responded:<br />"Because what if kids in kindergarten don't know about it and it could really help them learn."<br />"Well, if your parents want to buy apps this could tell them which ones are good ones."<br />"Maybe other schools are thinking should we get iPads? Yes or no? This could make them say, oh yes we should!"<br /><br />So, check out Room 106's app reviews! We want to share our learning and hope that <span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:130%;" >you</span> learn something new from first grade!<br /><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx-skPxhliMhp-5Juea8o6vcAAXo5ZhjEDS3BWv_TetsPhSDMV_vMcLayUn66scU5vJbTDGFNLSdVghNEH1xA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-4171741865651819002011-11-18T14:01:00.000-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.654-06:00The Power of a Camera<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zQoJ2CAlREA1wPdAoc-jb7Fj5Cn8AcdQdRj6bbnyxUCyM_Vdp19Gg5MmLv1p3KTkibphFME2bZjDbYbynlC1mwjh3dJuTCbQgqA3lH2JAzGzKMmqLLTkcXmzDDyMrQ5UFL7zg7EaiiqR/s1600/ipad2camera-grade2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zQoJ2CAlREA1wPdAoc-jb7Fj5Cn8AcdQdRj6bbnyxUCyM_Vdp19Gg5MmLv1p3KTkibphFME2bZjDbYbynlC1mwjh3dJuTCbQgqA3lH2JAzGzKMmqLLTkcXmzDDyMrQ5UFL7zg7EaiiqR/s320/ipad2camera-grade2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676429075572825154" /></a><br />In 2006, our school participated in a state-wide laptop initiative. When the MacBooks with the iSight cameras arrived, at first we saw the camera as a convenience but not necessarily a transformative change. What we soon came to realize was that sometimes, increased convenience in a busy classroom of 30 children CAN be a transformative change! Having the camera always ready, always available, and seamlessly integrated with publishing and media tools makes it possible for students to document learning, create media, and capture their world at a moment's notice. Can you do this with a separate digital camera? Of course. But is it dramatically easier with a built-in camera? You bet it is. Anytime, anywhere access makes a difference with all technology, and a camera is no exception.<div><br /></div><div>The addition of a camera with the iPad 2 is an even bigger deal. To use the MacBook's camera, the photography or video subject has to be positioned in front of the computer. With the iPad dual cameras, the subject can be literally anywhere. Students can capture anything in their learning environment and then podcast, write, draw, or blog about it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The camera also makes a difference when it comes to assessment. Here's an example: first grade students in Kristin Ziemke's classroom were sorting books into fiction and non-fiction. Kristin needed to know who understood that difference. Kids snapped photos of their piles of books and e-mailed them to her. Voila -- not only does Kristin now know who accomplished this task, but she has simple, authentic data that she can keep and refer to later. In the past, she would have had to rush around to get to all of her students and assess their efforts, and the direct evidence of learning would have been lost the second the students cleaned up their tables. </div><div><br /></div><div>Think of all the other learning moments students can capture with an iPad camera. Experiments, demonstrations, math manipulative configurations, models, posters -- anything that shows learning and understanding can be documented. When photos are brought into Pages, Keynote, iMovie, or SonicPics, they can become part of a richer reflection that includes text or audio. Those reflections provide authentic information about student understanding and can be captured throughout the year to show growth. The ease and accessibility of the built-in camera makes it possible to weave multimedia assessment throughout the learning day, and it also puts some of the power of documentation and assessment in the hands of the students themselves. Did you do something today you are proud of? Did you overcome a challenge you have had in your learning? Did you finish a book that was especially challenging? Take a picture. Write about it. Talk about it. Those moments are important in the life of a learner, and with a built-in camera, those moments can be saved and shared. </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-9402873043585755392011-11-14T17:28:00.002-06:002014-01-30T23:43:55.753-06:00Using Google Forms in 1st Grade<p>We’ve got pets on the brain. For the past few weeks we have been reading about pets. We’ve written nonfiction text and poems about pets. We’ve collected data on pets, taken informal surveys of favorite pets and graphed our results. We interviewed our peers and asked students across to school to suggest the perfect pet for our classroom.</p> <p><em><strong>Now, it is time to select our classroom pet! </strong></em></p> <p>Here’s how technology guided this learning sequence over the past week.</p> <p>First, students accessed the Google form on our classroom website.</p> <p><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/photo7.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1394" title="photo(7)" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/photo7-e1321234460373.jpg?w=640&h=480" alt="" height="480" width="640" /></a><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/pet-vote-google-survey.jpg"><br /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>Students had to select which pet they would like to have in Room 106 and provide a rationale for why. Using their iPads, students made their selections and submitted their vote.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p> <p><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/photo8.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1395" title="photo(8)" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/photo8.jpg?w=640&h=853" alt="" height="853" width="640" /></a><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/pet-vote-google-survey-results.jpg"><br /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>At the end of the day we projected the results for the whole class to see and read the responses and rationales. My students were thrilled to see their submissions posted and motivated to read their peers’ posts. Many students tried to tally the votes in their head as we read the feedback, but I told them I’d compile the data and present the winning vote on Monday.</p><p><br /></p> <p>On Monday, using their iPads, my students acessed our classroom website. They navigated to the iPad page and viewed the results. To make this task accessible for all students, I paired photos, text and a pie chart to reveal the pet vote information.</p><p><br /></p> <p><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/photo11.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1396" title="photo(11)" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/photo11-e1321234584529.jpg?w=640&h=480" alt="" height="480" width="640" /></a><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/pet-data-pie-graph1.jpg"><br /></a></p><p><br /></p><p>And the winner is…<strong><em>a hermit crab!</em></strong> I wish I had videoed their excitement as the results were revealed.</p> <p>Though this experience could have been done with markers and paper, technology enhanced this experience for my students as it provided a new mode and method for collecting data. Taking a survey on the iPad signified importance for my students; therefore, they worked hard to provide a detailed rationale that accurately communicated their thinking. Students increased the audience for their work as all children had the opportunity to read the posts as they were projected. This act connected the thinking and the collaboration taking place in our classroom and engaged my students actively as members of the learning community. In addition, my students were able to view data represented in multiple modes–this provided increased access for diverse learners and will hopefully build background knowledge for the next time students view data. Finally, this sequence built technology skills for accessing a website, completing an online survey and viewing data electronically.</p> <p>How fun is that? There’s nothing better than students who are engaged, motivated and having fun learning!</p> <p>Thank goodness the rat and the snake did not get many votes! I’m not sure what data I would’ve shared if that had happened…</p>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-71890658310039995592011-10-27T18:20:00.001-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.706-06:00Extra practice with ten frames and number sentences<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><div class="entry-content" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">This week my students began using ten frames in math. Students used math counters and ten frame worksheets to add numbers 1-10. We did a few math practice pages throughout the week, but I noticed a few students still needed some additional practice opportunities.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Using the iPad and the Drawing Pad App, students created their own ten frames to demonstrate their understanding. Initially, students created their own number problems. They illustrated the ten frame and wrote a corresponding number sentence. At the end of the practice time, I asked all students to create a ten frame that represented the number “8″. Students then took a screen shot of their ten frame and sent the photo to me via email.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><a href="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/photo.png" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 102, 204); background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1245" title="Ten frame assessment sample" src="http://literacyspark.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/photo-e1317508137950.png?w=300&h=225" alt="" width="300" height="225" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: auto; margin-bottom: 12px; margin-left: auto; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; border-top-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-bottom-style: none; border-left-style: none; border-width: initial; border-color: initial; clear: both; display: block; max-width: 100%; width: auto; height: auto; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; " /></a></p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Today (from the comfort of my couch!), I was able to view their photos and use their ten frame drawings to assess who understood how to use a ten frame and write a corresponding number sentence. These photos provided a quick and authentic way for me to use student work to plan for next week’s instruction. Additionally, I now have documentation of each child’s learning that I can share easily with their families. What a treat to have opportunities for extended practice right at our fingertips! Another fun day of learning with the iPads!</p><div><br /></div><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; clear: both; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; zoom: 1; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "></div></div></span>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-52972006989916455552011-10-12T15:12:00.001-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.675-06:00iPad Organization<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bwGNyiwZegqimR2Z4OGRxhuYsxjjgI6G0KljvNPOpp7PWCVF4TzbODQW_O573plwumI1o0vt9a1J4xvXo1KbRCsezYLVX75XY97rHFuOnQh1k1eDsQeN5BvKIYoyLAskNSHCML8xyTXV/s1600/iPad+decorated+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7bwGNyiwZegqimR2Z4OGRxhuYsxjjgI6G0KljvNPOpp7PWCVF4TzbODQW_O573plwumI1o0vt9a1J4xvXo1KbRCsezYLVX75XY97rHFuOnQh1k1eDsQeN5BvKIYoyLAskNSHCML8xyTXV/s200/iPad+decorated+2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5676426590344683778" /></a><div id="post-1199" class="post-1199 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-ipad category-technology" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 48px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "><div class="entry-content" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 12px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; clear: both; "><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Today we launched the iPads in first grade. After several technical delays due to syncing issues, we launched a one-to-one, hands-on introduction this afternoon. My tech coordinator pushed-in to help with this lesson and it was wonderful to have two adults to provide support and also model appropriate iPad behaviors. My amazing tech coordinator taught students how to transport the iPad using a “table-top” carry, how to use a “butterfly touch” to interact with the screen and how to keep the device flat upon the table when working.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">For our initial launch lesson we taught students how to use Whiteboard. Prior to the lesson a photo of each child (holding their calendar number) was synced to Photos. On the rug with the whole group my tech coordinator modeled how to open Whiteboard. She then showed students how to use the “Open” feature to locate their photo in the Photos folder. Next, she modeled how to use the Whiteboard tools to decorate the photo. Students were then called to the iPad cart to pick up their device and practice carrying it to their seat using the “table-top” carry. Students then replicated the lesson they had observed on the rug and used Whiteboard to decorate their photo. After decorating their photo, one of the teachers guided each child to save the image in Photos and then taught students to use the “Start Over” feature to clear their screen and begin a new project.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Once the image was saved to Photos the tech coordinator and I saved the image as the “Lock Screen” and “Home Screen.” Now each child’s device opens with an image of the child and their syncing number.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">This initial lesson served as an introduction to Whiteboard and also provided an opportunity to personalize each device so they can be easily located, managed and synced. They lesson went very smoothly! I believe that Whiteboard is a terrific app to use for the initial lesson experience as it teaches kids how to touch and interact with the screen in a variety of ways. It is non-threatening and easy to use for all. Students can view their work immediately and gain confidence as they see themselves as competent iPad users.</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; ">Most importantly, my students were thrilled to use their iPads! They cradled their iPads like babies as they traveled to their table seats. A hush fell over the room as each child navigated their device. As I looked around, eyes were wide and mouths were open. Ahhh…they joys of engaged learning!</p><p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 24px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "> </p><div class="sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled" style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; clear: both; border-top-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-top-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-right-radius: 0px 0px !important; border-bottom-left-radius: 0px 0px !important; zoom: 1; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; "></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, 'Nimbus Sans L', sans-serif;color:#888888;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 18px;font-size:12px;"><br /></span></span><div style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; "><br /></div></div><div id="post-1187" class="post-1187 post type-post status-publish format-standard hentry category-inquiry category-ipad tag-arts-integ tag-inquiry-2 tag-mini-inquiry" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Georgia, 'Bitstream Charter', serif; line-height: 24px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; border-top-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-left-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-color: initial; margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 48px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; "></div>Ms. Ziemke http://www.blogger.com/profile/01566310312453204261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059005503460653789.post-40303435463944242352011-09-07T21:22:00.007-05:002014-01-30T23:43:55.646-06:00A look back at year 1.. and on to year 2!<div><div><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia">Well, last year ended in a flurry of activity and mayhem, so it is just now at the start of year 2 that I find myself with the time and perspective to wrap up last year's experiences. A good deal of what we learned in year 1 will shape our approach to year 2 -- a year in which our iPad adventures will expand to encompass grades 1 through 5. But more on that later.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia">Here are a few of our take-aways from last year, in no particular order:</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><b>Mobile device access transforms how young students see themselves as technology users.</b> Our pre/post survey data shows a significant increase in student confidence in a range of technology uses. About twice as many students now say they can use technology to find information and teach other people something they know. View a <a href="http://burley.cps.k12.il.us/ipad/iPadSurveyDataSummary2011-12.pdf">summary of our survey data here</a>.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><b>The iPad is a fantastic tool with which students can share their knowledge and ideas with others. </b>Whether that means creating multimedia puppet shows, animated demonstrations, podcasts, documents, diagrams, or audio recordings, the iPad dramatically increases the number of options available for young learners to share what they discover and create. The iPad 2 (which we will have for the current year) obviously expands this potential much further. Not only can kids now create new kinds of work, but the iPad is the perfect venue for sharing that work back with the class. When our students created books that appeared on every classmate's iBooks shelf, it was a powerful experience. With most worthwhile student work, the sharing is as important as the content. Having that sense of audience gives kids pride in their work, motivation to teach others, and a sense of meaning and satisfaction in their learning.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><b><br /></b></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b>It's okay -- even necessary -- for different teachers to use different approaches.</b> Tailor professional development, content, and expectations to meet individual teachers' styles and strengths -- just like we do for the students! </span></b></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><br /></span></b></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><b>Predictable scheduling of shared equipment increases usage.</b> While flexibility is a nice idea, sometimes wondering whether the iPad cart will be available can make it too difficult for teachers to plan. Last year, we had a fixed rotation in the morning but a flexible sign-out in the afternoons. Result? The iPads were mostly used in the mornings. I think the sign-out method means technology gets used for stand-alone projects, rather then integrated into students' classroom lives. This year, our shared cart will follow a fixed regular schedule, with an option for teachers to swap when needed. This way, teachers know they have the cart 3 mornings and 2 afternoons a week, for example, and can plan integration accordingly.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><b>Keep syncing simple.</b> Have a dedicated user account on your computer for syncing. Anything that gets dropped in iTunes and iPhoto automatically syncs (be sure to check the "sync everything" boxes for photos, movies, etc). Anything you're finished with (content, photos, videos) can be left in tidy folders elsewhere so it will be ready next year. Also, figure out ways to transmit content without syncing. Syncing can be a buggy process at times, and it's good to have another way for kids to grab or submit files in case a before-school sync goes awry.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" ;font-family:Georgia, serif;"></span></p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Georgia; "><b>Routines are essential for young students.</b> Okay, we already knew that, but starting with clear iPad routines and reinforcing them throughout the year is critical. Examples: </p><p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 14px/normal Georgia; "></p><ul><li>Have a clear route for students to take when they take iPads from the cart. Designate a "waiting spot" or "on deck circle" to prevent crowding and collisions in front of the cart.</li><li>Have kids push in their chairs before picking up iPads. This takes lots of practice and reinforcement, but it's the best way to keep two secure hands on those devices.</li><li>Keep a basket of microfiber cleaning cloths on each table or on top of the cart, and have students manage smudges as they go. You can also have a Clean Screen Team that cleans all the iPads as a Friday job.</li><li>Make sure there is a clear process for leaving the iPad ready for the next user. That includes exiting your own project (document, drawing, etc.) so it's not left over for the next kid, and returning the iPad to the home screen.</li></ul><p></p><p></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0px"><b><br /></b></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0px">There are so many other take-aways about the incredible engagement we saw in our students, the power of using multimedia to reach every learner, the impact of increased access to information and learning resources, and more. These are the pieces of our year one experiences we will build on for this school year. </p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0px"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 14.0px Georgia; min-height: 16.0px">Our program is changing a bit for 2011-2012. We now have one-to-one iPads in grades 1 and 5. Our shared cart has moved up to grades 2 and 3, and there will also be a shared cart for grade 4. This blog will continue to address the literacy and inquiry work we are doing with our shared devices; we will also be adding a math component with a focus on computational fluency and math facts. We are starting a second blog to share our journey in the one-to-one classrooms and will share that link as soon as it's up and running. Without question, it's going to be another exciting year.</p></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2