Here is a unit I put together for the beginning of the school year to teach rules in the classroom. The unit focuses on being safe, responsible, and respectful at school. Click on the image below!
Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 22, 2015
Monday, July 20, 2015
Final Reflection
For my final reflection, I thought that I could create a PPT presentation to share with my colleagues this fall about how we can use our iPads in our classrooms for more than just apps and games for students to play. Check it out!
Ted Talk
As I
was reading the article assigned, I came across a link titled Hacking School: One Teenager's Path to
Happiness. The link brought me to a
Tedx Talk from the University of Nevada.
Logan LaPlante, a speaker who recently became a teenager, discusses what
he wants to be when he grows up. Unlike
what most adults would like to hear, such as astronaut or neurosurgeon,
LaPlante states that he wants to be happy.
He poses the question, “What if we base education on being happy and
healthy?”
LaPlante’s
research brought him to Dr. Roger Walsh who has suggestions as to how to be
happy and healthy. The eight Therapeutic
Lifestyle Changes (TLC) are exercise, diet/nutrition, time in nature,
contribution/service, relationships, recreation, relaxation/stress management,
and religion/spiritual. LaPlante goes on
to discuss how typically, students in traditional school systems, are not
offered these opportunities so his parents made the difficult decision to pull
him out of the traditional school.
LaPlante’s family friend opened a school in which students are learning
through hands-on experiences such as camping on a mountain and discussing
mountain safety one day and weather the next day. LaPlante refers to this type of schooling as “Hackschooling”
(2013) and equates it to freedom in education.
He calls himself a ‘hacker’ because his mindset is that his learning is
essentially a “remix or mashup” (LaPlante, 2013) of experiences to help him
learn faster and better.
During
LaPlante’s presentation, it was clear that he had the best interest of the
audience in mind. His persuasive
discussion of creativity and freedom in education was inspiring and made me
think about how I can do a better job implementing those ideas in my own
classroom. He clearly communicated with
and engaged the audience with a bit of humor and visual representations of his
main points. I found myself feeling
proud of this young man for his passion in his own learning and his profound
insight on what is truly important, health and happiness. I would recommend other teachers watch this
Tedx Talk so that we don’t forget what the big picture is really about.
Reference
LaPlante, L. (2013, February 12). Hackschooling
makes me happy. Retrieved July 10, 2015, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=282&v=h11u3vtcpaY
Simple K12 Webinar Reflection
The
webinar I attended entitled 15 Apps to
Support Struggling Readers was both informative and inspiring. As I prepare to teach this upcoming fall
utilizing iPads in my classroom, I wanted to learn more about how to engage all
of my learners but also how to help struggling readers with this new
technology. Jenna Linskens, a Senior
Educational Consultant with the International Society for Technology in
Education presented on this topic and shared apps to implement in our
classrooms relating to the five pillars of reading instruction; phonemic
awareness (PA), phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Below is a summary of the apps and where they
fit within the five pillars.
Phonemic Awareness/Phonics:
Build Vocabulary Skills:
-Allowing students to group their words together based on sound or
meaning
-Put vocabulary words in and creates a picture
-Students choose a picture, create a prompt, and record the story.
Build Fluency:
-While reading a story, students respond to story by developing pictures
and words to retell or
summarize
Build Comprehension:
-Students think about what they’re reading and blog about it
Assess Student Learning:
-Look at Space Race
-Free version you can create, but must delete the
previous book or you can export the book, and it will always be in your
iBooks
-Students can add what they learned from non-fiction books.
-Student takes what they read and create a new ending
I enjoyed the webinar
and took her suggestions but also thought of other ways I could use the apps to
work at my grade level and with the curriculum I use in my district. One of the apps she mentioned, News-O-Matic,
sounds like something to integrate into a Project-Based Learning (PBL)
problem. I can work with my students to
create newspaper articles depending on our problem. It would be a goal for me to complete a PBL
with my students at least once per semester.
Another app she
mentioned, Educreations, is one that I am relatively familiar with. I never thought of using the app by having
the students draw a picture of their vocabulary word but agree that this would
be an effective way to use technology to promote vocabulary learning in the
classroom.
While I enjoyed this
webinar, I did find it difficult to schedule a time that I would be available
to attend. Because it’s a webinar, there
was less flexibility in my learning. I wasn’t able to stop or rewind if I missed
something, however, I was provided the presenter’s notes after the webinar that
was helpful. Overall, I think
participating in webinars is one more tool in my ongoing professional
development and I would not hesitate to participate in another webinar in the
future.
Reference
Linskens, J. (2015, July
16). 15 apps to support struggling readers [Webinar]. In Simple K12. Retrieved from http://community.simplek12.com/scripts/student/webinars/
Social Bookmarking
Pinterest
Well, where do I start with this one?! Raise your hand if you LOVE Pinterest!! This tool came into my life in 2011, right about the same time that I went on maternity leave with one of my little guys. Yep, we bonded while pinning ideas of cute newborn photos, delicious home-cooked meals (‘cuz I was home and I had all the time in the world, you know), funny quotes, teacher outfits, home organization, classroom organization, garage organization, closet organization, organizational ways to organize…okay not really on the last one ….BUT seriously, I could go on. I might have been a tad addicted, please do not judge. Best of all, I was introduced to AHHHMAZING teacher blogs and free resources for my classroom. The Pinterest revolution took over my school as the hallways were filled with adorable art projects, themed classrooms, and I might even say teachers were walking with a spring in their step. Probably because they just had a delicious home-cooked meal after organizing their classroom all the while wearing the cutest pair of jeggings, boots, and sweater with matching scarf. You know what I’m talking about.
So, we know how to use Pinterest for our personal and
professional life, but how can we use this tool with our students? With my Kindergarten Kiddos, Pinterest would
be a great way to organize websites depending on what we’re learning. Each board would contain websites that would
go along with a certain concept. For
example, a board titled ‘ABC’S’ might have different websites such as ABCYa and Starfall. If my students were looking for websites for
math, they would go to the ‘MATH’ board and choose Everyday Math Online. Pinterest is free option for
teachers and students to organize their learning using on online tool.
I've also used Symbaloo in a similar manner for my classroom. I've created a 'webmix' of sites for my students. It's simple to sign up for free and start creating and searching webmixes. Below is an image of my Symbaloo board for my Kindergartners. As I come across new websites, I can easily add a tile and let the collection grow.
ISTE-T
1a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
4b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources
ISTE-S
5a. Advocate safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
6b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
ISTE standards- students. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
Pinterest
Symbaloo
Well, where do I start with this one?! Raise your hand if you LOVE Pinterest!! This tool came into my life in 2011, right about the same time that I went on maternity leave with one of my little guys. Yep, we bonded while pinning ideas of cute newborn photos, delicious home-cooked meals (‘cuz I was home and I had all the time in the world, you know), funny quotes, teacher outfits, home organization, classroom organization, garage organization, closet organization, organizational ways to organize…okay not really on the last one ….BUT seriously, I could go on. I might have been a tad addicted, please do not judge. Best of all, I was introduced to AHHHMAZING teacher blogs and free resources for my classroom. The Pinterest revolution took over my school as the hallways were filled with adorable art projects, themed classrooms, and I might even say teachers were walking with a spring in their step. Probably because they just had a delicious home-cooked meal after organizing their classroom all the while wearing the cutest pair of jeggings, boots, and sweater with matching scarf. You know what I’m talking about.
I've also used Symbaloo in a similar manner for my classroom. I've created a 'webmix' of sites for my students. It's simple to sign up for free and start creating and searching webmixes. Below is an image of my Symbaloo board for my Kindergartners. As I come across new websites, I can easily add a tile and let the collection grow.
ISTE-T
1a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
4b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources
ISTE-S
5a. Advocate safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
6b. Select and use applications effectively and productively
Sources
Symbaloo
Snapguide
At the beginning of the year, my Kindergarten 'babies' come to school with a wide range of technology experience. Well, they really have a wide range of a lot of different experiences. The beginning of the year is the time where I need to teach expectations from raising your hand to using an iPad. Enter Snapguide.
Snapguide is a great tool for creating step-by-step instructions as to how to complete a task. Reflecting on the use of Snapguide in my own classroom, I quickly realized that teaching my students how to use a CD player would be the ideal starting point. So often, during our Listen to Reading time, I have students who need help with setting up the CD player even though I've showed them before. Snapguide would alleviate this problem by allowing the students to go through the tutorial in order to complete the task independently. My Snapguide tutorial can be found here.
To create a tutorial, simply go to Snapguide and create a free profile. Then, take a peek at other Snapguides or create your own.
ISTE standards- students. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
Snapguide is a great tool for creating step-by-step instructions as to how to complete a task. Reflecting on the use of Snapguide in my own classroom, I quickly realized that teaching my students how to use a CD player would be the ideal starting point. So often, during our Listen to Reading time, I have students who need help with setting up the CD player even though I've showed them before. Snapguide would alleviate this problem by allowing the students to go through the tutorial in order to complete the task independently. My Snapguide tutorial can be found here.
To create a tutorial, simply go to Snapguide and create a free profile. Then, take a peek at other Snapguides or create your own.
Snapguide is so simple to use as you insert your pictures or text into their template.
Continue through the template and then publish!
There are a many ways teachers and students can use Snapguides in the classroom. Teachers can do similar to what I've done, create tutorials on how to use technology or how to complete a task. Students can showcase their learning by creating a tutorial on how to accomplish a task such How to Create a Stomp Rocket!!
Snap guides are a quick and easy tool for teachers and students to use, but they also serve the wonderful purpose of engaging in creative thinking and learning independence.
ISTE-T
1a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
1c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students' conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
2a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
2b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
2c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students' diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
ISTE-S
1b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
2a. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
Sources
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
Sunday, July 19, 2015
QR Codes
Today I spent some time creating QR codes for my Kindergarten students to use during our Daily Five time. If you're not familiar, Daily Five is a time where students work independently or with a buddy to practice their reading fluency and comprehension, as well as practice writing and working with words. The QR codes I created will be used in conjunction with the 'Listen to Reading' component of Daily Five as well as the 'Work on Writing' component. Below, you will see the PPT with QR codes I created shown as a movie.
To create the the QR codes, I first downloaded a QR reader app on my phone. You can find free QR readers pretty easily for iPhones and Android. After I got the reader all set up, I found a QR code generator by searching on Google. I found my generator here.
Figure out if you want to link your code to a website or text.
ISTE standards- students. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
To create the the QR codes, I first downloaded a QR reader app on my phone. You can find free QR readers pretty easily for iPhones and Android. After I got the reader all set up, I found a QR code generator by searching on Google. I found my generator here.
Figure out if you want to link your code to a website or text.
OR
Generate your code and download.
Scan the QR code with you QR reader.
Complete the task!
I'm excited to use this fun and free way to engage my learners in the components of Daily 5! There are endless ways teachers can use QR codes in the classroom. For students who are independent reader, QR codes could be a way to use questioning for comprehension after a reading lesson. Students could use QR codes to check answers for math facts. Edutopia has great ideas of how to use QR codes in the classroom. Check their ideas out here!
ISTE-T
2a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
2b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
ISTE-S
5c. Demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning
Sources
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
Edutopia- www.edutopia.org/blog/QR-codes-teaching-andrew-miller
QR Generator- www.qr-code-generator.com/
New Horizon K12 Reflection
I recently read Rise
of STEAM Learning in the Horizon Report 2015 K12 Edition. I was interested in this topic as I am
familiar with STEM but wanted to know more about integrating the arts along
with science, technology, engineering, and math. According to the report, STEAM learning is a
short-term impact trend that is driving EdTech adoption for one to two years.
The article
discusses how schools have been combining core subjects with the benefit of
deeper interdisciplinary learning, rather than isolating the subjects. To me, this is very similar, if not an
extension, of project-based learning. STEAM includes art integration making it another instructional strategy
for teachers. After reading through the
article, I was intrigued as to how I can implement STEAM into my own classroom,
so I followed one of the article’s suggested links to look into lesson plans
that suit the kindergarten classroom. I
also searched ‘STEAM in Kindergarten’ and I found an amazing website in my
search called We Are Teachers. I will be completely honest and say that I
got side-tracked with all of the wonderful resources and articles, but I was
able to read more about STEAM lessons for my grade level.
I really
appreciated reading a little about EdTech in the Horizon Report and feel
motivated to be a leader in my school regarding technology integration.
References
Johnson,
L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., and Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon Report: 2015 K-12 Edition.
Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.
WeAreTeachers Home
Page. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2015, from http://www.weareteachers.com
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Module #4 Reflection
During module 4, I learned quite a bit about the flipped classroom. According to the staff at TeachThought.com, the flipped classroom is "a classroom where students are introduced to content at home, and practice working through it at school" (2015). Through reading articles and watching videos about the flipped classroom, it is clear to me that flipping my own classroom is not something I feel would be beneficial to me or my students. There are a lot of requirements that go along with this mode of instruction such as internet access and parental support at home. I could see the benefit of flipping lessons for certain topics in secondary and college level classes where students are much more independent, however, in the primary grades, I feel that the flipped classroom is not necessary. If I were to flip my classroom, I would choose to do so in a modified way within the school building. An example would be to teach my students how to complete center activities through video instruction. This could be done during the student's snack time in order to save instructional time in the day. Using videos to explain the directions to students would allow them the opportunity to watch as many times as they needed to understand what to do. Below is an example of this 'flipped' instruction.
Along with the above video, I created three flipped lessons for my students through Edmodo. These lessons were made for the purpose of my students gaining background knowledge of certain words and ideas so we could discuss deeper meaning in the classroom during an author study.
Module 4 also included an assignment to create and print an image on a sticky note. Using tutorials, I was able to make sticky notes to go along with my reading comprehension lessons on character traits. My district suggests using sticky notes to use in big books to identify character trait examples, so this assignment was very purposeful to me.
Sources:
Edmodo.com
TeachThought
Along with the above video, I created three flipped lessons for my students through Edmodo. These lessons were made for the purpose of my students gaining background knowledge of certain words and ideas so we could discuss deeper meaning in the classroom during an author study.
Lesson on PATIENCE
Students and helpers read the note first.
Students and helper follow the directions to watch both videos.
Students and helper complete survey.
As mentioned earlier, I feel that the flipped classroom offers more benefits to students who are mature enough to be self-motivated learners and independently able to complete an assignment of this kind.
Module 4 also included an assignment to create and print an image on a sticky note. Using tutorials, I was able to make sticky notes to go along with my reading comprehension lessons on character traits. My district suggests using sticky notes to use in big books to identify character trait examples, so this assignment was very purposeful to me.
Sources:
Edmodo.com
TeachThought
Saturday, July 11, 2015
Infographics
Today I spent some time thinking about how I can instill the motivation to be a reader in my Kindergarten students. Oh wait, Kinders can't read, right?? Well that is completely untrue, even at the beginning of the year. I teach my little friends that they CAN read and they should WANT to read. And not to mention, reading is cool and you learn a lot by being a good reader.
In the upper elementary through high school classrooms, infographics would be a great way for your students to creatively share what they've learned that is visually pleasing. Using an infographic in math class after completing a survey would be a great reinforcing or culminating activity.
In the primary classroom, you can use the infographic like I did, to motivate students or help them remember information better with the use of visuals. Teachers and administrators can also utilize infographics in newsletters or handouts at conference time.
Infographics are an effective way to share information with a range of audiences.
ISTE-T
2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
3. Model digital age work and learning
b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats
ISTE-S
1. Creativity and innovation
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
2. Communication and collaboration
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
3. Research and information fluency
d. Process data and report results
Sources
Canva www.canva.com
ISTE standards- students. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
Okland, S. (2015). Infographic Unit
Instead of just telling my students these things, I chose to use an infographic to show my students and give them visual reminders of why reading is important. Creating the infographic was pretty simple because I used a template from Canva. I decided what I wanted to tell my students and tried to make it Kindergarten friendly. Many infographics you see on the internet involve graphs, charts, and numbers...
Google Image Search: infographics
You can find many different templates for your infographic, including templates with the ability to showcase data, but you can create your own as well. You do need to create an account but it is free to do so. When you are creating your project, there are tons of free images to choose from, but there are also images you can purchase. Uploading your own image is also possible. Check out these steps to creating your own infographic from Canva.
1. Go to Canva.com to create your design.
2. Find the infographic design template.
3. Choose your template.
You can change fonts and add pictures by searching their images or uploading your own.
4. Finish your infographic and share or save.
In the upper elementary through high school classrooms, infographics would be a great way for your students to creatively share what they've learned that is visually pleasing. Using an infographic in math class after completing a survey would be a great reinforcing or culminating activity.
In the primary classroom, you can use the infographic like I did, to motivate students or help them remember information better with the use of visuals. Teachers and administrators can also utilize infographics in newsletters or handouts at conference time.
Infographics are an effective way to share information with a range of audiences.
ISTE-T
2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences and assessments
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
3. Model digital age work and learning
b. Collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats
ISTE-S
1. Creativity and innovation
a. Apply existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products, or processes
b. Create original works as a means of personal or group expression
2. Communication and collaboration
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
d. Contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems
3. Research and information fluency
d. Process data and report results
Sources
Canva www.canva.com
ISTE standards- students. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
Okland, S. (2015). Infographic Unit
Google Slides
Recently, I’ve been exploring the tools that Google offers,
and I’m so happy to have found Google Slides! Google Slides is an application similar
to Microsoft’s PowerPoint and Apple’s Keynote.
The great thing about Google Slides is that it’s stored on the cloud so
you can access your presentation from anywhere.
I was also able to embed a slideshow on my blog’s sidebar under my profile. Go ahead and take a minute to check it out…
Are you all sorts of inspired?! Your slideshow could be about anything you
want. If you have a class blog, your
sidebar could have a running slideshow with announcements, reminders, or other
important information you find necessary.
Maybe quotes from your students might make for a ‘hook’ to get your
readers interested.
Here's a great tutorial on how to add Google Slides to your blog's side bar.
Creating a slide show is very simple. You do need a Google account where you can access Google Drive. Here's how to start the process.
If you want to see the slide show, look at my sidebar or go here.
I’ve also thought about ways to use Google Slides with my
Kindergartners. No matter how
independent my kiddos are, there are always questions as to what to do even
after I’ve explained the directions to an activity or assignment. Using Google Slides, I could create a slideshow of directions as to how to complete something. This could minimize the amount
of questions and foster my students’ independence when completing a task.
Or, when creating rules for the classroom, you can access your slideshow, project on your screen or ActivBoard, and create rules as a class.
Google Slides www.google.com
ISTE standards- students. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
Or, when creating rules for the classroom, you can access your slideshow, project on your screen or ActivBoard, and create rules as a class.
I really like how easy it is to share my slideshow with my colleagues. Why reinvent the wheel, right?
ISTE-T
2. Design and develop digital age learning experiences an assessments
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students' dicer learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
3. Model digital age work and learning
c. Communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital age media and formats
4. Promote and model digital citizenship and responsibility
b. Address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources
ISTE-S
2. Communication and collaboration
b. Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
6. Technology operations and concepts
a. Understand technology systems
b. Select and use application effectively and productively
Sources
FlapJack Video Tutorial retrieved from https://youtu.be/hS_7uY2leQI
Google Slides www.google.com
ISTE standards- students. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-students
ISTE standards- teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/standards/iste-standards/standards-for-teachers
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