March 11, 2017

Reflection Addition:
After presenting my scenario to the class, it hit me (like a ahhhh moment).  That the family connection alone (including the meal preparation and the Padlet posts that families can see) another way that technology impacts learning and is transformative.

 

March 11, 2017

My question for EDGR 625 Course:

How can I use technology at the start of my classes to get student's re-engaged in classwork efficiently and meaningfully.

I have enjoyed have a form of technology available for students to just come into class and start using immediately to get them re-engaged in health content, skill and work.  They are now used to just coming in, looking on the projector screen to seek what their technology task is.  Ways I have used technology for this purpose so far include:

• Padlet:  Post the answer to your project question on Padlet (I e-mail them the link ahead of time).  Another day they posted a picture of the healthy meal they made to Padlet (add it to their question answer).
• Google Form Reflections:  I e-mail them a Google Form for reflection purposes on class activities, learning or content understanding, etc.
• Quote with an Image:  Put a quote and image on the board and have them pair and share with a classmate near them about it to see what they think it means an why.  Follow with a class discussion.

 Other ways I hope to do this in future classes include:

• Video Clip:  Pair and share about short video clip and then class discussion.
• Website Preview:  Look at a website we will be talking about in class. 
• Google Slide Show:  Have a slide show that guides students through the days classwork.

 

March 11, 2017

1.  How is purposeful use of technology able to transform learning?

There are so many ways that technology can transform learning.  I will discuss the ways learning was transformed in my classroom by technology.

• Researching:  I was able to put together a nutrition presentation on Google Slides that included content information and a list of other resources (with links) that students could explore on their own at their own pace during class time.  This allowed students that need more help to get help from the teacher or from students who were able to move through to content quickly.  It provided one-one instruction and support where needed.
• Padlet Post:  Students were asked to post the answer to the questions "What is a healthy meal for my family?" on Padlet.  The Padlet was shared with not only there class, but the other three classes as well.  I witnessed students outside of class talking with other kids about their Padlet posts in the hallways - that was way cool.  We held many class discussion based on the Padlet post within each classroom as well.  The fact that students could help one another because they were able to view each others work was very transforming. 
• Google Slide Meal Planning:  Students were asked to plan their healthy meal for their family using a google slide.  Each class had a google slide from one slide presentation to complete.  Students were able to look at other student's slides to help them with their meal planning when they had questions.  Student's helped other students who had questions once they completed their slides.  I was able to see if kids were on task and working from my computer and go and help those who I noticed might need help even if they were not asking. 

2.  What impact on students does such learning make?

• Most students become more engaged when they get to use technology in their learning.  I say this because I see them get lost in what they are doing and I do not have to manage behaviors or keep them on task, they naturally do it themselves.  I do have to sometimes keep them moving on their projects though and give them deadlines to keep them on pace.  
• I see students helping other students more with their learning when technology is involved.  Students move at their pace and it works, without technology it gets difficult to keep the faster paced students on task once they complete assignments where with technology, they enjoy going and helping other students.  
• Class discussions are richer with technology.  Students can see as well as hear about others work and it creates more rich discussion.  I also hear them talking in the halls more about what they are doing with the other classes, not just their own class.  I love that.  Collaboration between classes with discussions.  (I hope to step this up a notch in the future with some feedback between classes and not just peers with the use of technology).
• Students reflections are guided by the technology.  whether it is a final product, or a sharing of information on technology, I see that they can use their experience to guide their reflection.
• Students enjoy their learning more, so hopefully it will be a lasting learning experience.

March  11, 2017

Teacher Reflection (My Healthy Meal Scenario Project):

Most students reported that they had a lot of fun with this project and liked most everything about it. Planning the meal with “google slides” was a hit and making the meal at home was enjoyable for the majority of the students.  The students who did not enjoy portions of the project, are the ones who found the technology parts to be confusing and needed more assistance from the teacher or other students to get the project done.  They felt rushed and like they did not have enough time to complete assignments.  We did discover that Padlet does not work well when many people are trying to add information at the same time, it gets a little bouncy and makes it difficult to add your information so another resource for this part of the project might work better.  Only one of my classes did their reflection using Schoology, the others on paper because the students asked for paper instead; so I thought it would be good to compare both options.  The students reported no preference for which way they enjoyed reflecting more (paper or Schoology Discussion). 

March 11, 2017

Healthy Meal Presentation:
This is my first, ever, Prezi presentation.  It tells about my project.

 

March 9, 2017

Amplify! Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom:

Things I have tried from reading this book:

• Padlet (as a digital bulletin board to answer an enduring question).
• Drive Instruction with Assessment (plan the next days lesson on where students are at based on assessment at the end of class).
•  Online Learning (Youtube videos of webinars, twitter to research what I am interested in exploring in my classroom, I started reading the education journal information my Administrators keep sending me).
• Evaluating Apps or Technology Tools (ensure I am using them for the right meaning and purpose).
• Student Specialist (if a student knows it better than me, they can be a resource for other students or for me).
• Begin a unit of study with images (engage and hook students).
• Google Forms:  Online student surveys 
• Student self-assessments and reflections digitally.
• Go Public - connecting with other same grade level health classes.

Things I hope to explore from reading this book: 

• SonicPics:  Enhance images with audio and recording.
• Educreations or Linoit.com:  Draw, write, doodle and reflect.
• TodaysMeet:  Set up a "room", like  chat room for student discussions.
•  Capture students as they work:  Take pictures (I don't do this now).
• Digital Exit Tickets.
• ChatterPix App - students take a picture and record up to 30 seconds of learning and reflection.
• Go Public - how to connect with parents.
• Site The Kid Should See This (I would just like to see what these student-friendly interesting media clips are all about.

March 5, 2017

My Healthy Meal Promo Video
What a story.  I wanted to have this done to introduce the project to my class so I created what I called my Promo Video early on in the course to discover that:

• I left out some information that I wanted to include (ooooops).
• It needs to be under 90seconds and mine was not (ooooops).

So, I thought - no problem, cut some things out.  But, NO, I still could not get it under 90 seconds and still have share what I wanted to share.  So, I started from scratch and I really like this one much better than I did the first one.

I can't even count the hours I spent on it, but I learned a lot.  I learned:

• How to put pictures and videos into a WeVideo.
• How to put transitions into the video between clips.
• How to fit clips and cut them and shorten them from the start of the clip or the end of the clip.
• How to add music in more than one place at more than one volume level.
• How I need to record my voice over first and then add other audio (at least that is what I needed to do). 

Questions I still have are:

• How to add text onto a clip.  I added mine to the pictures before adding the clip to the video, can I add it after I add the clip to the video?
• Can I add more than one transition type to the video (I assume I can, but was a little to nervous to try it out for myself so stuck to one transition).

I choose WeVideo because I did my Promo Video last year using Imovie and I wanted to learn a new tool for video creation.  Also because my school has WeVideo accounts and my students have been doing a lot with WeVideo and suggested that I try it out when I told them I was going to make a video.  My students were also able to help me when I had questions - that is always a bonus.

Hope you enjoy my Promo Video.

Nancy Robinson
EDGR 625 - Self Directed Learning - Plickers
  
I teach K-6 health education classes.  I teach in two schools.  One school has limited access to technology for students (laptop and IPAD carts that you can sign out when available but are shared among staff on a first come first serve basis), and the other school has one-one access to technology (Chrome Book) for each student.  One school I travel classroom to classroom to teach and the other I have a teaching space that is shared by many other programs (ie. after school program, special education, and other teachers who need a space and do not have one).  My Action Research is going to be around how student feedback impacts student learning, so I wanted to explore technology that could be used in both these settings to help me get feedback from my students around their learning experiences within the classroom and collect some formative assessments as well to help guide my instruction.  Lisa Forbes, introduced the idea of Plickers in our class one day, and I have been thinking about the possible uses for this tool within my classrooms for this purpose.  I choose to look into Plickers for my self-directed learning.

 

I used the following steps for finding information:

• I went to their website (Plickers) and looked to see what was available on the website.
• I tried Twitter, which gave me information on how teachers were using it in their classrooms.
• I google searched "Plicker Webinars" which took me to some recorded webinars on Youtube and found one that was very helpful in taking me through the whole steps of using Plickers in the classroom.  This was the most valuable resource for me in my learning.

New Learning:

• Plickers provide real time formative assessment data with limited technology.
• All you need is one paper Plicker card for each student, a computer and the ability to project the questions for the students, and one mobile device.
• The one card allows students to answer several types of questions (poll, multiple choice, true and false, and yes and no).  They answer by holding their card so the correct answer is on top.
• Answers can be hidden, viewed only to show who has and has not answered or to show the answers students gave (you choose).
• Plickers are used at the K-college age level.
• Plickers are used for formative assessment, exit tickets, warm up, lesson refreshers.
• The App and paper cards are free.  The App is available on iOS or Android, but the phone App can be used on IPAD.
• Currently you organize your questions by class, but soon you can organize by folders.
• You manage your Plickers accounts (class lists, question banks, etc.) from the Plickers website in the "library section".
• You can set up a "task card system" in place of the questions if you like and their is training on how to do this in the webinar notes I am including a link to at the bottom of my entry.  

How I hope to use Plickers in my classroom for:

• Student self-assessments around class participation.
• Student feedback on learning activities used in the classroom.
• In direct instruction (example instead of voting with hands or thumbs up, use Plickers)
• Exit tickets.
• Trivia games.
• Small group activities - The group enters their answer after research and discussion. 
• I hope to look into creating "task cards" so that I can have grade K, 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 cards. 
  

 I look forward to using these in my class.  I think it will be especially helpful in my grade K-4 classes where access to technology is limited.  I can use technology to obtain student feedback in a way that accommodates both technology limitations and the fact that I travel from classroom to classroom and do not have one space to work in.

Plickers Learning and Resources  This has link has the webinars and some additional resources and learning information.  My next step after I use Plickers in the classroom is to Look at how to use Plickers beyond assessment - which is Plickers 102 webinar on this link.

ISTE Teacher Standards:
2.  Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments.

     Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments

      incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and 

      to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the Standard. 

          d.  Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned

               with content and technology standards, and use resulting data to inform learning and

               teaching.

 

 

 

 

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