The title of my post pretty much encompasses what I want to say. I spent the day in a workshop with Jim Knight. He is known for his amazing work with instructional coaching, but the materials I got can be helpful to all in education.
Here is a link to my notes from the day: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s251/sh/75adcc56-74e4-465f-82c6-f25fafa52185/4723caf53b72a87797734c24263f46c6
Friday, November 30, 2012
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Some Apps I Love
I'm relieved that I do not receive a grade for the regularity of my blog posts. The fact that tomorrow begins the month of December is hard to believe.
"Blog about new apps" has been on my to-do list for some time now, so here we go...
Show Me: This probably the favorite of the apps I've tested recently. It is an interactive whiteboard, basically. The layout of it all reminds me of the Windows Paint program, but there are fewer tools. You can record short tutorials and then share the link through email or on a website. I think this would be a great tool for teachers or students to create 2-3 minute tutorials to keep on a class website for parent or student access. You can check out my very first Show Me at this link: http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=721HKAy
Skitch: Skitch is part of the Evernote "group" of apps; all of the notes you create in Skitch will show up in a folder in Evernote (If you haven't used Evernote, you should. It is awesome, and it sincs between all of your devices, including PCs. Skitch is a great way to create picture annotated notes. You can add shapes, icons, images, etc. You can even capture a web page image and then use the tools to annotate on that image. What I love most is that I can save these "Skitches" as image files to place into presentations--like on Show Me.
Toontastic: This is a free app that allows you to create your own cartoons. It has some included settings and characters, and there are others available for purchase. The cartoons are very easy to make. They are constructed through a story arc, which requires students to keep the story structure in mind when creating. The cartoons are saved in the device where they are created, or they can be published to a Toon Tube with an adult-created account. You can check out my random Toontastic Cartoon: http://toontube.launchpadtoys.com/138504
Vocabulary Spelling City: What made this app a keeper for me was the ability to create accounts and load in customized lists. There are already some pre-set lists included. This app includes several games that students can play with their selected word lists. I have not created an account yet, so I'm not sure about the difficulty of that process. However, the app seems easy to use and looks like a good option for allowing students to see some of their vocabulary words as they play games.
MeteorMath: I've actually tested several math apps that have been not-too-bad. This one was actually fun, though. It gives students the opportunity to work on number combinations in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. When doing app tests, I typically on take 5-10 minutes to play the games; I think I played this game for almost 30 minutes. Maybe it was my old love for the 80s Asteroid game. Who knows?!
Other math apps I've tested and kept: Find Sums, Braintrainer, Multiples, NumberLine, Equivalents, ClockMaster, Fractions, Zoom, Hungry Fish, Wings
"Blog about new apps" has been on my to-do list for some time now, so here we go...
Show Me: This probably the favorite of the apps I've tested recently. It is an interactive whiteboard, basically. The layout of it all reminds me of the Windows Paint program, but there are fewer tools. You can record short tutorials and then share the link through email or on a website. I think this would be a great tool for teachers or students to create 2-3 minute tutorials to keep on a class website for parent or student access. You can check out my very first Show Me at this link: http://www.showme.com/sh/?h=721HKAy
Skitch: Skitch is part of the Evernote "group" of apps; all of the notes you create in Skitch will show up in a folder in Evernote (If you haven't used Evernote, you should. It is awesome, and it sincs between all of your devices, including PCs. Skitch is a great way to create picture annotated notes. You can add shapes, icons, images, etc. You can even capture a web page image and then use the tools to annotate on that image. What I love most is that I can save these "Skitches" as image files to place into presentations--like on Show Me.
Toontastic: This is a free app that allows you to create your own cartoons. It has some included settings and characters, and there are others available for purchase. The cartoons are very easy to make. They are constructed through a story arc, which requires students to keep the story structure in mind when creating. The cartoons are saved in the device where they are created, or they can be published to a Toon Tube with an adult-created account. You can check out my random Toontastic Cartoon: http://toontube.launchpadtoys.com/138504
Vocabulary Spelling City: What made this app a keeper for me was the ability to create accounts and load in customized lists. There are already some pre-set lists included. This app includes several games that students can play with their selected word lists. I have not created an account yet, so I'm not sure about the difficulty of that process. However, the app seems easy to use and looks like a good option for allowing students to see some of their vocabulary words as they play games.
Other math apps I've tested and kept: Find Sums, Braintrainer, Multiples, NumberLine, Equivalents, ClockMaster, Fractions, Zoom, Hungry Fish, Wings
Visit soon for more!
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Third Graders and Science
Yesterday afternoon I had the pleasure of getting to teach a science lesson in Mrs. Dunavin's third grade class. The students hopefully learned some things about matter. It is hard to tell, though, who learned more, them or me.
Here is what I learned/remembered yesterday:
1. Planning is crucial, and elementary teachers have to deliberately and carefully structure their lessons. No plan = chaos.
2. Kids know A TON more than we give them credit for knowing. I did not expect to have an in depth conversation with two students about anti-matter. Wow!
3. Just because a student has his nose in a book does not mean he isn't paying attention. When I asked one student to work with his group to figure out some ideas, he showed me his own science journal. Wow! I wish I could multi-task that well. I asked him if he had anything more he thought would be helpful to some of the students still figuring it all out. He did and he was mostly happy to pause his reading and share.
4. Teachers at MWE are awesome! They enthusiastically teach their subjects and the kids are learning. There is no way that a group of third grade students could have such awesome conversations with me if they had not been encouraged by so many adults on this campus to think, learn, and be proud to do it.
Thanks Mrs. Dunavin's class for a great Tuesday afternoon!
Here is what I learned/remembered yesterday:
1. Planning is crucial, and elementary teachers have to deliberately and carefully structure their lessons. No plan = chaos.
2. Kids know A TON more than we give them credit for knowing. I did not expect to have an in depth conversation with two students about anti-matter. Wow!
3. Just because a student has his nose in a book does not mean he isn't paying attention. When I asked one student to work with his group to figure out some ideas, he showed me his own science journal. Wow! I wish I could multi-task that well. I asked him if he had anything more he thought would be helpful to some of the students still figuring it all out. He did and he was mostly happy to pause his reading and share.
4. Teachers at MWE are awesome! They enthusiastically teach their subjects and the kids are learning. There is no way that a group of third grade students could have such awesome conversations with me if they had not been encouraged by so many adults on this campus to think, learn, and be proud to do it.
Thanks Mrs. Dunavin's class for a great Tuesday afternoon!
Thursday, August 23, 2012
This Week's Resources
I'm going to try and make this a weekly deal, since I come across or think of a ton of resources each week. Happy learning!
Teaching Tolerance
This site has great classroom activities that not only link well with social studies curriculum but also work to help students learn sensitivity and tolerance for the variety of viewpoints in their schools and communities.
Let's Play Math!
This article describes several math games and activities to really get kids thinking mathematically. It is written with the home schooling audience in mind, but the activities would also work well in a regular classroom or as fun family-time games.
50 Education Technology Tools Every Teacher Should Know About
Teaching with Images
This site provides a number of links and resources from a woman I follow on Twitter named Shelly Terrell, who specializes in ESOL instruction. Teaching with images is a great strategy for all learners, but is especially ESL-friendly.
Teaching Tolerance
This site has great classroom activities that not only link well with social studies curriculum but also work to help students learn sensitivity and tolerance for the variety of viewpoints in their schools and communities.
Let's Play Math!
This article describes several math games and activities to really get kids thinking mathematically. It is written with the home schooling audience in mind, but the activities would also work well in a regular classroom or as fun family-time games.
50 Education Technology Tools Every Teacher Should Know About
Education Infographics
I wasn't really clear on what an "infographic" was until I saw this. It is basically just what it says: a graphic that provides you with information. This is a really great resource to think about when you are asking students to present information. Check out some samples on this site.
This site provides a number of links and resources from a woman I follow on Twitter named Shelly Terrell, who specializes in ESOL instruction. Teaching with images is a great strategy for all learners, but is especially ESL-friendly.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Kim Sutton's Number Line
If you don't already know, now you do. I am new to the math world of curriculum and resources. So today, some teachers were asking about the Kim Sutton number line, and I thought I would check out the resource.
Alright Google! You did not fail me. I found two great items to assist me in understanding the number line and what makes it so unique. First, I found a packet of activities and notes from one of Kim Sutton's workshops. Then, I found the handy-dandy You Tube video to help me understand it all a little more.
I really think this all goes so well with the Singapore Math (see blog post from August 10) strategies teachers are incorporating at MWE.
Alright Google! You did not fail me. I found two great items to assist me in understanding the number line and what makes it so unique. First, I found a packet of activities and notes from one of Kim Sutton's workshops. Then, I found the handy-dandy You Tube video to help me understand it all a little more.
I really think this all goes so well with the Singapore Math (see blog post from August 10) strategies teachers are incorporating at MWE.
Free Online Learning
I was browsing through some of my favorite blogs and websites when I came across the Free Online Learning site. It is great! The site has short, to-the-point videos on a variety of subjects. I think many people may find the computer tutorials really helpful.
Check it out at http://www.gcflearnfree.org/ and let me know what you think.
Happy learning!
Check it out at http://www.gcflearnfree.org/ and let me know what you think.
Happy learning!
Monday, August 13, 2012
Tool #6: Web Tools for Discussion
Online discussion is so much fun and there are so many options out there to fit a variety of formats, learning styles, and moderator preferences. Here are some of the tools I have used over the last several years:
Edmodo
Think of this as a sort-of educational Facebook. The interface is a little different, but the idea is the same. I LOVE THIS TOOL. It is a secure site, and students need a join code to participate. There is also an option to have a parent join code for parents that like to monitor their kids' online activities. I like this first because of its convenience. Students can post their questions as they have them, which keeps them from forgetting to ask in class the next day. Posts can be private to the teacher or to the entire class. Sometimes, the students even beat me to the punch and answered public questions for their classmates.
This tool also allows for assignment creations and grading. You can also use it to send out mass group messages or alerts.
Probably the best thing, though, is that this tool allows those kids that are a little quieter and a little reticent to participate in class discussion to gain some discussion confidence. Some of my shiest students were the most active in the online discussions that we had on this site.
Wallwisher
This is a great tool for gathering quick information and feedback. I used it to ask for open ideas on a certain topic from students. Students in my classes have also set up their own Wallwisher sites to get information from classmates that goes beyond basic polls. It does allow for anonymous posts, so those have to be monitored. It is probably a good idea to tell students to at least label their posts with their first names and last initials to help with the monitoring. Also, make sure to save the URL of your Wallwisher someplace convenient for easy access.
Poll Everywhere
I have used this in the classroom (with high school students) and in a professional development setting. For classroom use, I wasn't a fan. I had too many students without access to cell phones, which is one of the perks of this system. Students can cast a vote by texting their response to a designated poll number, which is generated by the site when you set up the poll.
For professional development, I really liked using Poll Everywhere. I set up some polls at the beginning of a session that helped spark some discussion. I do recall having some glitches with getting data to display both times, so this is definitely something I recommend playing with before you take it live in a classroom or professional development.
Adobe Connect
Adobe Connect allows you to set up virtual classrooms with a variety of components. You can use a webcam to add the visual component of the teacher in the classroom and use a mic to make talking to students a little easier. There are chat pods, where students can post questions and discussions. The moderator of the room can clear discussions at any point. There is also an option for private discussion between the teacher and student. There are quite a few options for additional pods, but I found myself using a share pod (place to put documents for discussion) and the video pod most often. There are also pods where you can share links to external sites and upload documents for your participants to download later.
I recommend taking some time to explore your options and pod-layouts before attempting to run a course. It is also a good idea to have someone more experienced with the program moderate with you for the first time or two as you work out the system. This also gives you the benefit of an extra person to assist with posting resources or manning the chat board.
There are a few others that I have used, but those are my favorites. I am planning to try out Open Class and Cover It Live in the future. I think Cover It Live will be a great option for covering large conventions. I'm also only using Diigo as a storage place at the moment, so I would like to make this a more group-oriented tool as well.
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