Digital Textbooks Don't Have It All, But What They Have Is So Cool.

I have been researching and thinking about modern textbooks for a few weeks, and I have put together this little movie on Powtoons. I hope that you will be edutained.

What do I use in my classroom?

I have access to digital technologies every day at school. I have a digital version of both the kids reading and math books. The kids have access to all this too, but we don't have the devices to take advantage of what we have. So, for now, we use what we can on the Smart-board, which I am so very grateful to have. The Journeys program reading textbook's only extra feature is that it can read to you all words on the page. I do use this feature and I can see how this would be so very helpful in the younger grades to model  what it should sound like and to help with decoding words for struggling readers. I do feel, however, that it could do so much more. Just adding links to the book so that students could explore more about the topics would take it to the next level.

The math series that the district just bought, Go Math, has much, much, more. We have slowly been gaining access to the materials, so I will admit that I am not sure that I even know everything that it can do. I have been trying different features. My students favorite is a skills practice that has four parts. It teaches the skill, which is often more than what we cover in one lesson, gives practice, has work on your own and ends with a quiz. I will start out some classes with part of this skill builder. I do encourage students to use them at home, but I have had limited responses to that very fine suggestion. In class, however, they love it. In the practice section it will tell them when they are right. This is actually how they refer to the program, "Can we do 'That's Right!'  Mrs. Lopez?" It is hard to turn down kids who can't wait to figure out math quickly on their whiteboards for the chance to type in an answer up front. Nothing is better to them to hear that movie phone voice say "That's Right!" Then I go into a daydream where we all have Chromebooks and decent wireless network in the building and think about how this would be if they all had their devices to do this part instead of their low tech white boards. That would be so cool. 

My research is all linked in my personally curated newspaper. Textbooks in the Modern World

Help! I need somebody. Help! Not just anybody. Help! You know I need someone. Heeelp!

I really really wanted to do something that was cartoon poppy with hand helpers. So, for this end product I jump on the chance to play with PowToons. It is fun, but not perfect. Apparently I need to voice over the whole thing on one reel. I am using audacity, but I want to know exactly what I am saying in order before I polish up my voice over. At the same time, I want to have the pictures match the words. I have a solid start, but it isn't done.

I am looking at textbooks in this modern age.

Update: I took out the videos, I didn't approve of the way the video stopped.-----I found 2 videos to start that I want to use. unfortunately the auto-play stops after the movies and you have to double click the > in the middle to get it to keep playing. With a play button right next to that and a single click not working, I am not a fan of how that is working, but I really feel that it shows what an interactive textbook can do. So, Question 1. Are the videos as great as I think they are, or not worth the hassle of restarting?

I only have the words done for the first 5 slides. The pictures on these slide are pretty much what I want in the end. I am not thrilled with my voice performance, but I think the words are decent.At this point it is only polished through the 5th slide with the different colleges popping. Question 2, is this a strong enough start?

I am still piecing together the rest of the slides. Overall I am looking at how it benefits teachers to make their own books, what free sourcing brings to the table, who can actually use the technology, and why print book still have some advantages. The voice is done for the rest, the images are still all a work in progress for this. Question 3, is that a sufficient range of topics?

Take 3- I think that I am down to fine tuning at this point. Anything really bothersome at this point?
Now that you have been able to view it, are the cartoons and images working? Is the blend of cartoons with really images visually working for you?

Thanks for taking the time to look at my work in progress.

Here is a link to my newspaper as well. http://www.scoop.it/t/interactive-textbook?justScooped=1

Let the Games Begin!

Games! Games! Games!

Students love to play educational games, but which ones have real value that are worth the time that it takes to learn them, because there is a learning curve for all of them. I am going to highlight two and why I think they do or don’t have value.

Law Craft

Screen Shot Law Craft Game

Law Craft is one of the best educational games I have found. It is not just a fast fact check game. The depth and reality that it puts out there is fantastic. To give you an idea of the game purpose here is a snippet from the instructions. “In Law Craft, you play a member of Congress from the state of your choice. You’ll pick an issue that is important to your constituents and take it all the way through the legislative process.”

There are six values that the game highlights in set of three double sided areas: Liberty vs. Equality, Competition vs. Cooperation, and Cost Savings vs. Generosity. While I think that everyone can agree that all six of these areas are important, they are not equally represented in government on both sides of the aisle. This game shows, rather than explains, which side of these issues Republicans and Democrats have chosen. Students first need to identify what they want their member of Congress to value. Then they get to choose and issue that they feel is important by choosing a letter from a constituent. They will then craft a bill and rally a majority vote by balancing amendments. They can visually see who in each branch and value is moved to their cause. The little Congressmen literally run to the Yea or Nay side as the amendments are added and taken away. Some amendments give a positive in one area, but take away from another value, so support is list, or can never be gained.

Screen Shot Law Craft Game

After they get an overall more than 50% support, including more than 50% of their own chosen party, the bill can move on. The lessons in compromise and what the parties stand for cannot be felt in a more real way than the way it is portrayed here. I have had student find that they cannot balance a bill with their values, they then need to go back and choose another issue, or even rethink what it is that they stand for and rechoose their person. In fifth grade many of them do not have a more than a soft view of what the parties are and where they stand.

Screen Shot Law Craft Game- The people crack me up.

After the bill can go through Congress and it moves on to the President’s desk. The President will then approve the bill, or veto it. The game sets up certain amendments that guarantee a 2/3 majority. In the end the students can print out the bill with the amendments.

The game can be replayed and the student has many ways to alter the play. They can start off as someone with different values. They can choose a different problem put forth from a constituent. Student can also make similar set up choices and look to see if they could arrange the bill in a different way and still get it passed.

The game doesn't rush the student; it will patiently wait for them to figure it out. Ideal instruction would be set up around the game. The teacher would teach the concept of a three branch government and how a bill moves through the government. After this the students would play more than one game. There would then be a follow up conversation where the bills could be discussed. Are they really good ideas? Do they match what the students believe? Did they need to give up something that they believed in to make it work? What decisions were hard? How do the amendments line up with the six values? All of these are great real world questions that dig deeper into government than a flow chart of the three branches.

What exactly does this game teach or support? I went through the standards on Civics and Government for PA quickly and here are all of the standards that this game relates to.

5.1. Principles and Documents of Government

5.1.5.C. Describe the principles and ideals shaping local state, and national government.

• Liberty / Freedom

• Democracy

• Justice

• Equality

5.2. Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship

5.2.5.A Identify individual rights and needs and the rights and needs of others in the classroom, school, community, state, and nation.

5.3. How Government Works

5.3.5.A. Describe the responsibilities and powers of the three branches of government.

5.3.5.B. Describe how the elected representative bodies function in making local, state, and national laws.

5.3.5.D. Describe the primary duties of elected local, state, and national positions.

5.3.5.F. Examine different ways conflicts can be resolved.

5.3.5.G. Describe how groups try to influence others.

WHOA! That is a boatload on standards all in one game right? I will say that of these 5.3.5.B is the strongest. You can talk until you are blue in the face about how Congress needs to work together and then go to the President, but until a student tries to get an idea to work the way they want it to, it is just fluff with little meaning. The game doesn't get into the interaction with the judges, but I am OK with that. At a certain point it would get just as sloppy as our government interactions truly are.

This game is great in the computer lab in my school, but it would make a good station in a classroom with iPads or 1:1 laptops.

Now we go onto game 2.

Review Game Zone

Review Game Zone   allows for  teachers to create and search online games for their students. I wanted to look for a new game that worked on skills. I have used Super Teacher Tools before to create vocab games like speed match. 

Screen Shot Review Game

I made a decimal review  game for our upcoming test on Tuesday. Making the game wasn't that bad, but I was disappointed that the minimum number of questions had to be 10. I just wanted to make a 5 question good opener for the Test review that we have tomorrow. What I did like was that it gave me enough characters so that I could put in word problems and not just be limited to number problems. Another super plus is that for creating one set of questions, there are many different games that can be played. I started off with Alien Invasion, then played Leap Frog and followed up with Heroic Ants.

My intention is to use the review on my Smart board during class, but I will put a link up on my math website so the kids can play it again at home and it will be there for me in future years already done. Bonus to that is that I could add more questions to it, or change them as I see fit in upcoming years.

When you have an error in answering it asks you another question. From what I can tell, you can only have one correct answer per question. The games themselves are quick, but you can have as much time as you need to answer the questions themselves. The question are then randomly recycled, even if you answer it correctly. Eventually you would learn the correct answers for a little ten question quiz like the one I put in.

These games could get a little exciting. I have found games similar to these on various sites that are not teacher programmed, but work toward certain skills. There needs to be a certain expectation of noise level, but if you make the kids be silent, it kinda wrecks the fun. For this reason, they would not be good center work. 

-Update: I got to school. Went to load up the game so that we were ready to go, and it was denied. The school network filter said I couldn't use it. I put in to get it unblocked, but the moment was lost. - 

Final Thoughts:

I find that there are a number of games like the Review Game Zone out there, not all of them as programmable to meet your needs, but the click and go fun not so directly related to the learning. The games stop so that you can learn, or require you to be a quick typist to show what you know. The Law Craft game is rare, and quite a find. It teaches rather than tests. 

References:

GAMEUP | Law Craft. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2014, from https://www.brainpop.com/games/lawcraft/

Lopez, C. Edit This Game:. Retrieved November 24, 2014, from https://www.superteachertools.net/speedmatch/speedmatch.php?gamefile=1414084635#.VHJ5H4ujOM5

Review Game Zone. (n.d.). Retrieved November 24, 2014, from http://reviewgamezone.com/

Flipped Out!

I have thought about flipping. No, I don't mean flipping out on my kids. (Although, is there such a thing as Thanksgiving-itis?) I mean flipping my class. At least a little bit. Maybe just one or two Social Studies things, to get a taste.

What is a Flipped Classroom? It is when students are given expectations and often video lecture at home to prep them for what is going on in the class rather than giving homework and having students do the work part at home. Here are a few more detailed explanations.
Explained in Texas
Very detailed and education oriented vocabulary here.
Multimedia explanation.

I spent an hour following the flip chat #flipclass on Monday. There were a number of different teachers there from different backgrounds talking about what they were doing or have done in their classrooms to put some of the lecture time at home and bring the hands on work into the classroom. I was pleased with the honesty from people who are trying new things and it is messy. Everyone seemed glad that they had flipped and wouldn't want to go back to all traditional teaching. That being said they had some advice and gave some insight into their classrooms. Here are some highlights:

Andrew Thomasson  
"Played 2 versions of "All About That Bass" before doing feminist analysis + argument, speaker, genre study. #flipclass"

I am really thinking personally about rewriting this song to teach something, but I haven't figured it out yet.

Cheryl Morris @guster4lovers · Nov 17 

"A6: For my Ss, engagement is anything w/puppets, Minecraft and getting to argue about important things #flipclass"

Cheryl Morris @guster4lovers · Nov 17

"A2: Puppets=engagement. I got to explain "why puppets?" in a bunch of conferences today. The real answer: bc puppets are magic #flipclass"

So after at least 2 mentions of puppets in the classroom, I have to say that I am interested.

Morgan Goldstein ‏@m_goldstein4  Nov 17

A6: "Hands on activities that allow them to put their knowledge into context #flipclass"

Yes, this is a reason to do it. More hands on time is what I need.

Mike Clancy ‏@clancym86  Nov 12

http://Edpuzzle.com  great way to make videos interactive #flippedclass #flipclass

This looks exciting. There was a very well produced video with a bunny that had inferencing questions that was funny. I love funny.

"So why the hold up?" you might ask. I can see the positives, but the time. There is so much time to be put into at the beginning. I need to learn how to make videos, videos that I would allow to become part of the internet. I could go in tomorrow and slap a camera up and tape myself, but I would hate what it would look like. I wouldn't be able to tape myself with the students there because of their privacy, and so much of how I teach now is interacting with them. For example, I was teaching about de Soto. Here is our conversation,"De Soto was looking for gold all over what is now the South Eastern US, he didn't find it, but he is a remembered explorer. What did he do? He claimed all of that land for Spain. They wouldn't have written about him in your book if he just looked for gold and never found it. Then he would be like Bob."

"Who is Bob?" a student asks.

"Exactly!" I replied.  They die laughing, but then the next day, they bring Bob and de Soto back up  as the look for the significance in what a different explorer did. It was a small moment, but it made the impact I wanted it to in the split second that I thought of it.

How do I put that on tape? Should I put that on tape? I would have to rethink at least part of my teaching style and delivery for it to work without an audience that responds. The timing would be another issue. I don't get up an lecture non stop almost ever. Generally we are reading together, or working together and then I will stop and mini lecture a point, and then we all get back into it.
I did find suggestions to keep the videos short. 1-1.5 minutes per grade level. So any video for me should be 5-7 minutes and, according to Cheryl Morris, with puppets.  

Josh Corbat stresses that it should be about the content not your editing so a 5 minute video should take you 5 minutes to make. Sorry Josh, if what we put out on the internet lives forever and can be leaked even if we put it on a closed site, I am not tossing any old thing up there.

So this brings me back to wanting to try this on a topic to start. If it even mildly works, I could try more. I like that there are a variety of student accountability forms. That was a question that I had, how do you make sure they did it. I think what I like even better is the idea of In Flipping. In-Flipping is when the video content is shown in class. That would be like doubling me. In Flipping would work even better if we had those Chromebooks I talked about in my last post, but I could make it work with what I have. I am determined if nothing else. Ideally for me I would break the class in to stations and have technology with the video be one of them, while small group with me is another.

Original photo from Flickr by Ekonson, My images and words added. 

#Flipclass is a running stream of new links and idea, and one touched on another topic I worry about. Parents. Just today I found something that I have felt is lacking. Information for the parents. This video is just for them. Parents need to buy into what you are doing when you are sending home technology integration.

Not everyone is in love with flipping the class. This college Freshman seems to think that it is a waste of time and would like her lectures back please. What intrigues me is that the time in class is spend filled with worksheets. We aren't even doing that at the elementary level, even in classes that are not flipped. Why is a college doing it? Actually this raises red flags for me. I am teaching my students to think deeper and approach things from more than one angle, are they really in for the remainder of their education to be filling in worksheets. I truly hope not. Don't get me wrong, some skills need a worksheets to practice on, but after the practice should come some other kind of more engaging deeper application of understanding.


References:

#flipchat. (n.d.). Retrieved November 19, 2014, from https://twitter.com/search?q=#flipclass&src=typd

Brame, C. (n.d.). Center for Teaching. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/flipping-the-classroom/

Enokson. (2013, March 5). Teaching in the Library. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from https://www.flickr.com/photos/vblibrary/8465390209/in/photolist-dU4kzB-6D47K-CvR7-Ey3qG-Ey3rm-Ey3qm-Ey3cZ-5Urxsu-v7bdm-5hb9BD-Bjhid-4nWCrn-rKn1F-dU4kB4-6i7qAL-zPxog-wxJnx-7yJ3Rh-7akeTm-8U2Bki-cCJFgS-92Jgs8-dYAWU-4s2FrG-dA3x33-8U2B2v-8yksB8-8yktgg-Ey3mA-Ey3mN-Ey3pW-Ey3ai-Ey39g-Ey3aZ-Ey3pd-Ey3o1-Ey37g-Ey3bz-eRnBGy-71yi4Z-ai1ExK-5ubgh4-8PCwt2-dn7w9M-8ZGsMn-fryyBY-7C4cEZ-8ZKwVh-bzDKz9-3MnCYD

Raths, D. (2013, December 4). 9 Video Tips for a Better Flipped Classroom -- THE Journal. Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2013/11/18/9-Video-Tips-for-a-Better-Flipped-Classroom.aspx?Page=2

SPECIALSiQ: Smartparent: Flipped Learning. (2014, November 13). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://www.wqed.org/tv/watch/?id=1106&page=0

What is the Flipped Classroom? (n.d.). Retrieved November 20, 2014, from http://ctl.utexas.edu/teaching/flipping-a-class/what

Bring on the Technology

District budgets have been a large part of my district over the past few years. Three years ago my classroom was closed because there was a drop in enrollment and not the funding to keep classes at the current level. I was devastated as I waited in limbo for 2 months. Then, thankfully, I was transferred to another building and another grade. We lost some specials teachers and dropped some programs at the middle school and high school level. That next year I had 27 students in my room instead of 18. In this climate, a whole district initiative of 1 to 1 computer ratios is not likely. The district is moving toward a BYOD policy. We were just told in email that it would be two years before they got to the elementary schools. They need to settle the high schools and middle schools first. 

Things did improve and we were able to go from 2 grade level teachers to 3. This year we each have close to 20 students in our rooms. But for all 60 of the students we have 3 student computers, and they are all in my room. The computers are old, ancient in computer terms and were so slow the other teachers got frustrated with them. I was determined that I would have the ability for students to research in my room. I got the tech department to come in and upgrade the RAM, and they work.....s.l.o.w.l.y. There is a building computer lab, but with so many classes it is hard to find it open for extra time when you need or want it for a project. My truest desire would be to have class set of something for the 5th grade. That would be a vast improvement over what we currently have. 

Here is my plan for two and a half years for now. This plan would be implemented for my 5th grade team of 3 classrooms of a general population of 60 students. The school is in the suburbs of a small city with economically disadvantaged population of 25%. These students have limited experience with technology as the school only has one computer lab. They do use devices outside of school and the majority of the students do have internet access at home. Based on experiences over the past three years, this technology use leaves them in need lessons on how to use technology successfully for educational purposes. 

Step One: before anything else, we need to have a strong wireless network. Only the office and the Autistic Support rooms have wireless and it isn't strong enough for me to piggyback my teacher computer on, so it won't work for the students. According to the most recent email traffic, we should have this in two and half year provided by the district. 

Step Two: BYOD means that the students can bring in their devices. I get how this works at the high school. Virtually all the students, even in schools that have 50% free and reduced lunches, have smart phones. What about these ten and eleven year olds? I have asked for devices to be brought in before when the district first announced the BYOD plan last year. Parents are not as quick to give a $400 device to an eleven year old for school. Some of students do have ipods and iphones and are allowed to bring them in, but what about the rest of them. My three students computers don't cover it. If we had a class set of devices, we could take turns using the whole set when we need the students to all complete a certain task a certain way, and freely just use the ones we need when students are completing projects that have more freedom. So I would like to blend BYOD with technology available in school. Blending options can give students the best of different worlds. 

The Co-Op started a Race for Education 2 years ago. They are slowly putting in Smartboards in each of the classrooms. They should have that done next year. So what next? Here is where the timing will work out for my idea, they can help purchase device carts for each grade, starting with 5th and working their way down to kindergarten. Depending on the income generated by the fundraiser, it may be possible to purchase for two grades at a time. 

Step Three: Buying a class set. Chromebook seems to be the best choice for our 5th graders. The first reason, the strongest reason, is price. The highly rated Toshiba Chromebook 2.0 is retailing for 329. This is a decrease from the iPad 2 at 479 and a Thinkpad at 476. The deal that I am going to pull for is purchasing 20 Acer C720 Chromebook These 16GB machines are coming with only a $199 price tag. For only the machines, we are looking at a cost of $3,980. That is less than the cost of one Smartboard. They do not have touch screens, but they do have a lot of function. They are the tool that I am missing in my classroom.

From Flickr by Pierre Lecourt

The reviews for the Acer C720, and I have read this about other Chromebooks as well, they are ready to go out of the box. What I am proposing is just for 3 classes to have the use of this set of 20. The training to start off would be minimal. I am a hands on learner and I would offer to take the lead on implementing using these devices. Were this to be rolled out to the whole school, a more formal training would be needed. My grade level partners and I have used Google, including Google Docs in enough classes that if we had the ability to have students using them on a daily basis we would be ready to get started. 

I reached out to a department that is sharing a set of laptops. They are happy that they were able to get the set, even if they have to share it. The work that the students can do while they are supported in school is beyond what they would be able to do unsupported at home. This teacher works in a building where the economically disadvantaged population is higher, it is above 50% there. The downfall that he sees is the network. It is not up to snuff yet and it lets students sit there waiting and disappointed. 

Step Four: Training.The team would need to be trained in Google Education. There are so many things that I have used in classes and collaboration that the student could use, but I have not been able to use because they do not have email addresses. In addition to the training that we would need as teachers, there would need to be time built in to teaching the students how to use the tools, and the parents as well. perhaps a technology day toward the beginning of the year inviting the parents in would be helpful to get everyone on the same page. Google does have communities as well that can offer you support in your new trials. They also keep you updated with their updates. They are also open to improving for everyone's benefit. Google has a document to follow for roll out. (Thanks L. Coakley, I didn't find this one on my own.)

Step Five: How did we do? Success would come in various forms. We are in the middle of an RRR initiative that is increasing the Rigor, Relevance and Relationships we have with the students. Improved technology access would improve all three of these. Sharing technology that matters to students ties in with relationships. They would have increased access to relevant materials in a timely manner rather than using out of date books or waiting for an old slow computer. With access to online tools, students will be able to complete products that are more polished. A polished product may not seem like a big deal, but it changes the way a student feels about what they are doing. When students see their end result and can say WOW, it means a lot to them. Student being able to research both teacher given assignment and self chosen interest are so important. I do not know that any of this we directly result in higher test scores. That isn't my goal. My goal is to have student who are more involved in there learning. When they are more involved in their learning they do not mind that you are asking them to do more. They will not just do it willingly, they will be the ones asking you if they are allowed to do things.   

What might go wrong? Well, I have to say that I believe in Murphy's Law, If something can go wrong, it will. I don't think that I have tried a new technology endeavor that has not has a glitch. General my technology glitches involve student going home and trying to complete a project at home with different technology than what we have in school. The Chromebooks wouldn't be going home, but if we are using Google Classroom, that has the potential for hiccups. Google itself is not perfect. There are items that their current customers would like to see improved. Chromebooks also have limitations. Since I am not looking to replace my computer and I know that I would like to use primarily Web 2..0 tools anyway, the pros outweigh the cons. 

Not having wireless is the biggest concern. I am told that the wireless network, done properly is the big cost item. Not having that network access would put a big halt to all of this. The Chromebooks wouldn't work if we aren't connected to the network. 

We need to have technology access. My students are asking good questions, but they have to wait in a line to find the answer. My limited classroom library doesn't have all the answers and the 20 year old encyclopedias in the hall are equally limited. They need the tools to deepen their education. 

Who else is buying Chromebooks? Check out Bridgeport Public Schools who not only got Chromes, for everyone, but also jumped into Google for Education. This was led by David Arendrade. 

Things to get excited about. 

Make a quiz that the computer can grade.... for math. That is a little cool thing

I think that the using open source and Linux that is supported by the students is the coolest thing. That to me would be taking it to a whole other level. Student support, that is so cool.  

As I was looking for what I would propose, what would work for my situation I did come across this TED talk that gave me pause because it was so close to home. I had no idea that TED talks were going on right in my backyard. There is another one scheduled for May, but there is not a lot of information up about right now. I will continue to keep my eyes open for this one. I loved Charlie Reisinger from Penn Manor's message. We could only bring technology to the students with the help of the students. These students gained more from helping than can be measured on a SAT or PSSA test. I could write a whole post about what moved me in his message. While student supported 1:1 won't work in 5th grade, and I am not quite sure how it would work as a district initiative, I liked how it worked for Penn Manor. 

References

1:1 Laptop Program. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://www.pennmanor.net/techblog/?page_id=1561

Andrade, D. (2014, July 18). Bridgeport Public Schools chooses Google for Education to bring affordable technology to their students. Retrieved November 15, 2014.

Andrade, D. (2014, November 14). Retrieved November 15, 2014.

Edmonds, R. (2014, June 30). Los Angeles schools to offer students hybrids and laptops instead of Apple iPads. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://www.androidcentral.com/la-schools-offer-students-hybrids-laptops-instead-apple-ipads

Engard, N. (2014, November 7). Root access for students at Penn Manor | Opensource.com. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://opensource.com/education/14/11/one-Linux-laptop-per-student-Penn-Manor

GEG New Jersey - Community - Google. (n.d.). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from https://plus.google.com/communities/114835332053218435059

Google for Education: Google in your classroom. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from https://www.google.com/edu/training/get-trained/

How Much Does a SMART Board Cost? (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://www.modernchalkboard.com/article-cost.html

Levinson, M. (2013, May 30). To Get Students Invested, Involve Them in Decisions Big and Small. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2013/05/to-get-students-invested-involve-them-in-decisions-big-and-small/

McGowan, J. (2014, November 3). G(Math) for Sheets - Google Sheets add-on. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gmath-for-sheets/ghgaamjabigfohnmniiffhbfmkecanmi?hl=en-US

Nesbitt, S. (2014, September 29). Penn Manor goes 'all in' with open source | Opensource.com. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://opensource.com/education/14/9/interview-charlie-reisinger-penn-manor

Performance Profile. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from http://paschoolperformance.org/Profile/5628

Reisinger, C. (2014, May 30). Enabling students in a digital age: Charlie Reisinger at TEDxLancaster. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8Co37GO2Fc

Schinker, J. (2012, September 2). 4 Reasons Why Google is Bad for Education. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://schinker.wordpress.com/2012/09/02/4-reasons-why-google-is-bad-for-education/

What is ubermix? (2011, January 1). Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://ubermix.org/

Winkler, D. (2014, March 27). The Good, the Bad, and the Truth of Using Chromebooks in Education. Retrieved November 15, 2014, from http://blog.mimio.com/the-good-the-bad-and-the-truth-of-using-chromebooks-in-education

What Should We See?

How do computers, or their software, know what should or shouldn't be allowed through a filter? By filtering what our students see, how much are we helping them and how much are we preventing them from learning? Eli Pariser brought to my attention how different Google can be based on the person who is searching in his TED talk Beware online "filter bubbles."

I have know for a long time that Google technology scanned my emails and popped up ads that were meant just for me. My husband and I used to play games to see how quick new ads would pop up to match what we were emailing. Somehow the idea that the searches themselves would be different, outside of the ads, didn't occur to me. What does Goggle think I need to know about? Would you all get the same results that I do? Would my students all get the same results that I do when we are researching something?

I am curious. Here is what I get when I search for European explorers. I will check to see what one of my students get when they search. What is your top listing?

We were to rewrite our district's acceptable use policy in a one page simplified document. Boy was this hard. My district's policy is 13 pages long. Clearly they paid a lawyer a lot of money to write this document up and adjust it a number of times. Why is it so long? Is it only long for the district's protection, or to also protect the teachers and students? When did our lives and legal system get to the point that we need to have everything spelled out the way it is here? They cover whole areas that I would think common sense would dictate. ie: the only two times people may work under someone else's log in would be a student on an instructor's computer while presenting and a technology support staff trying to assess a problem. I have issues with that needing to be spelled out.

Here is my attempt at a very simplified version of the original. I tried to put choice in the hands of the teacher, but share the responsibility among all the staff members. The goal is to educate the students with the tools of technology.


References:

Acceptable Use of the Computers, Network, Internet, Electronic Communications, and Information Systems. (2014, February 10). Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://members.psba.org/districts_policies/c/106/POLCD815.pdf

Pariser, E. (2011, March 1). Beware online "filter bubbles" Retrieved November 6, 2014, from http://www.ted.com/talks/eli_pariser_beware_online_filter_bubbles

New Toys

Whoa, this is a lot of new toys. I am working through a number of thoughts as I try to narrow down a topic and a tool. I am not there yet on either front.

I started out with the links that were provided in the opening of this class. I followed to Scoop It and got to work. I was working under the theory that if I do not try it I have no idea how it will work. There were parts of Scoop It that were nice. It was automatically polished, where Diigo that I have used previously is just nuts and bolts to look at.

I do not think Scoop It is what I will use in the end because I can not figure out how to get it to run blogs and tweets. This is quite possibly a user failure.Scoop It also seems more restrictive in what you can do on the free version. Here is what I ended up at: http://www.scoop.it/t/interactive-textbook
**** Update, I might be having a change of heart. I have figured out how to post tweets for a hashtag. I am still learning everything that I can do!*****

Paper.li is successfully pulling blogs and tweets for me. Since our goal is to have RSS feeds, articles and #tags running on our paper, I think that it makes it the better tool. I only switched over to it last night after I became frustrated with my creation on Scoop It. Paper.li has so many fuctions that I have only scratched the surface with. What I have found is that it was easier to to get to static sites with Scoop It. I wonder if in the end I will or can use a combination of the two with the Paper.li feeding from the Scoop It?



I am looking for sources that have great technical know how. I am still on the search for users. I think that part of my struggle for users is the technical vocabulary. I am finding the words that publishers and technical bloggers use, but not what the teachers are calling it. What do teachers who are using interactive textbook and other participative technologies call it? I love both of those phrases. Interactive Textbooks seems to be too narrow a topic, so I am broadening it to including other interactive teaching methods. I do worry that then I have become to broad. I don't know that I would include educational games. I feel that educational gaming alone would be a topic. I want to look the interactive end that is not clearly a game. This is something I will work on as I continue to define exactly what I know and share. Because I started with interactive textbooks, which started with it being mentioned on the curate mind map which I will have to go back and find again to share with you here, the technical wording led me to experts and publishers. I need to hone in on the vocabulary that teachers are using. Specifically, I would love to find elementary and middle school teachers who are blogging and tweeting about these teaching technologies.

When I am looking at these sources I want to know what they offer. Do they make a technology that I am interest in? Are they using it? If they are using it, at what level. I have found some cool things in my search that I know I can't use in 5th grade. For example, I found http://www.polleverywhere.com/
app being used. This app allows students to text answers that will automatically populate in a Power Point that has been set up for it. In the high school where they would all have their phones, this would be great. I have allowed student to bring in devices, but most of their parents are unsure about it, and the majority are ipod and ipads, not phones. My 11 year old doesn't have a phone either. So, I need to dig deeper to what can be used in elementary school. That is what I want to know.

The technology that I have in my building will be part of what I am looking at in my search. We are a Microsoft based school, it would be silly of me to put too much into Apple sources that I can not use. My students do have those iPods and iPads that we can use on a rarity, but our primary use are the school computers.

I feel challenged by all of this. There is so much to learn and understand. I am interested to see what everyone else is up to.

The Start

First a bit of a personal introduction. I am a very light hearted mom of 2 boys in 4th and 6th grade. I love to make everyone laugh. It opens up relationship to a deeper level where I can encourage both my own children and my students to set their own goals higher. I am developing my own personal creativity in new ways every year. I am a photographer, I love to make crafty things and recently have started making some clothes for me in my limited down time.

I have been teaching in the same fifth grade classroom for the past three years. Every year I stay in the same place, the more new ideas I am ready to try. The first year in a classroom, I am focused on just seeing how the book has everything laid out to teach. Then after that, it is easier to jump off of those ideas onto activities and teaching methods that I think will be of a greater benefit to the kids. 

Working on my Masters through Wilkes has opened me up to a number of ideas that I would not have found without it. Here are some examples of things I have tried because of past classes.

S'more for Math: I love math songs. I originally would just Google them, search on You Tube every time I needed them, or email myself the link and pull it up before class started, but I like having them ready for the kids to look at. They can play them at home and I can mash it up with some instruction and skills based games. It is a bonus that it looks neat too.

I started using edmodo after it was introduced in a class. This has been a great tool to connect with students.

I have ventured into making movies with my classes, and some small groups have chosen that as an option for a performance. We just watched a reader's theater the kids did in class along with this PSA I made for my 510 course.

In Social Studies I have used Tic Tac Toe boards that I created in a class for Wilkes and I have been slowly improving.

My next great Social Studies idea is a video that I found that shows natives that have never met a white man before. I find it so remarkable that not only are there tribes that have no contact with the outside world, but that their first contact was recent enough to tape. I will show the beginning part of this from YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyHYbsXt05k

Some of my other idea have just come from working with my teaching team and brain storming together. Together we have created great hands on projects. We challenge each other and point out pitfalls when we see them and support each other when none of us do. It is great to work on a supportive team. I did share the Snipping Tool on the computer, I didn't know it was there until a few weeks ago, that was a great find. 

Then there are the things I have stumbled on. I have followed endless streams of random clicks that have ended on great sites like Fakebook, where I will have the students create  a journal for an explorer.   Here is my example that is not nearly as polished as what I want the students to have when they are complete.Columbus

From the same site: http://www.superteachertools.com/ I have also made games for vocabulary. I hadn't been encouraging students to use the games and a student come up and asked me to update the set for the most recent lesson. It was a great reminder that even if I am not actively telling them to use a tool, if it is good they will ask to be able to use it. 

For everything that I have found and I have learned about, I am overwhelmed by all the new things I haven't even heard of. I will miss the support of fellow grad students at Wilkes when classes are done, but I am looking forward to being able to focus on using the tools I have learned about. http://www.symbaloo.com/ seems very cool, but I haven't had the free time to dig into it the way I need to to understand it. 

The challenges of being the first one to try something in my building is the push back from students and parents. I have heard a number of "They never had to do this before." and "Why do they have to do THIS." Projects that I have given that have a technical piece to them have been a source of frustration to parents who are unfamiliar with technology. If mom and dad don't know what a URL is, it is hard for them to help a struggling child copy it into an email so that I can see a finished product. I had this issue last year with the Fakebook project. I have found a way to model what I want and how to use the site in class for 3 days before I have the students work on it at home. I am hoping it will be a smoother run. In the end the kids LOVED the project, but tears were shed before they got to that point. My fingers are crossed for a tear free run this time around. 

I have found that while my students know how to play games, they do not know how to do some basic needs from their personal technology. They do not know how to print, or where to find their pictures on their iPod once they are plugged into a computer. They do not know how to properly save a file. They do not know how to type and without that skill, there are a number of online or with computer projects that take forever for them to P...I....C.......K      O.U......T all the letters. 

Despite the pitfalls I have found or stumbled into backwards over the past few years, I love using technology to reach my students and I am excited to learn something, or an overwhelming number of somethings in the next seven weeks. I already know what my first curiosity is- interactive textbooks-WHAT! That could be what I needed next in my life. 

-Chris Lopez