Internet Tools for Teaching
EDIM 514
My You.com can be viewed HERE. It was pretty easy for me to decide what to include, and what not to include. I do have a personal Facebook page, but I do not use it for professional purposes, so that's not something I chose to include. I am proud of my classroom website that is updated weekly, however, after adding projects I've completed through Wilkes, I'm reminded that I really want my weekly newsletter to be more interactive and media based using Smore. One of these days I'll get around to making that change! I'm also proud of my school district for embracing social media. In the very recent past, someone at our district office decided to take over communication via social media and I think it's had a very positive impact. With many schools in my district, it's hard keeping up with what other schools are doing. This gives us a small peek into the lives of all the students in our district, and helps the community understand what happens in the classroom. I almost think it helps the community trust us more knowing that innovative lessons are incorporated and engagement is happening. The only thing I wish I could have included on my social media resume that I couldn't was my school's Pinterest page. My principal set up a secret page long ago and we pin pictures from our classrooms or other ideas to this page. Again, it's a secret/locked page, so even if I did include it, you wouldn't be able to view it. I think it helps teachers in our own building see what's happening from classroom to classroom. Sometimes we're just stuck in our own little bubbles and we don't even know what's happening across the hall!
After learning more about my digital dossier, I'm feeling leary about being a part of too many sites, but looking at the compilation of links and projects, I'm feeling more proud than anything else.
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On Saturday, October 15 at 11:00 am central time, I attended a Classroom 2.0 LIVE webinar featuring Shelly Fryer. I chose this webinar because, like me, she teaches in a classroom with 1:1 iPads and the description indicated she would be discussing ways to differentiate and fostering a culture of making and creating.
I want to start by saying what an incredible teacher Shelly Fryer is. She teaches in a school for homeless children in Oklahoma. Many of the families have parents that are incarcerated, in rehab programs for addictions, and/or separated from siblings and parents. I get the feeling being at school really is like being at home for these kids. They have full out birthday celebrations for each student, they learn about having tenacity, they set true goals and dreams for their futures, they learn life skills that help them function throughout their day, and more. What an incredible place that can lay the foundation for incredible futures for these kids. In order to attend this webinar, I had to download Blackboard Collaborate. I don't always love downloading programs like this when I don't know anything about them. I worry about taking up too much space on my already crowded computer and I worry about how to use an application I've never used before. Overall though, once downloaded and logged in, the program was easy to get to. However, at one point in the webinar, Shelly was loading a video and Blackboard Collaborate crashed on my end. I was able to get logged back in quickly, but that was a slight inconvenience. Shelly and the other moderators used Google Slides to display for participants and they were able to voice over. They also, as I mentioned, played video and showed many pictures. I did get some great ideas on apps to try and new ways to use apps I already use. She spent some time describing ways in which her students use their devices to code and create games for others. I've dabbled a little with Scratch, Jr., in the past, but she had some new apps I hadn't heard of, including CodeSpark Academy with the Foos and PBSKIDS Scratch Jr. She also did radio podcasting which is totally new to me. She uses an app called Opinion Podcasts which I will absolutely be looking into! I learned about an app called Koma Koma which, if I understand correctly, helps kids with animation which sounds super cool, too. My "to try" list definitely grew throughout this webinar, along with some general classroom management and engagement ideas. This is not the first webinar I've attended. A while back I attended a Seesaw webinar through Twitter. This was really helpful when I first started using Seesaw so that I could fully understand how to best use the program. I also attended a live webinar with the authors of Amplify: Digital Teaching and Learning in the K-6 Classroom. These authors are similar to Shelly Fryer in that they all believe it's not just about the technology, it's how the technology is used to enhance learning. I like webinars because usually the moderators are classroom teachers just like me. They have tried strategies in their classrooms and are willing to share their ideas and knowledge with others for free! I don't need to pay to attend a conference. I don't need to write sub plans and take a day off. I can lay on my couch in my PJs and get some quality professional development. I'll be returning to Classroom 2.0 LIVE for more webinars in the future. I'm not sure about having my students be live broadcasters, however, like I said before, I'm interesting in going back to Shelly's website and learning more about the radio podcasts. However, last year my class and I attended a live webinar. Author Kate DiCamillo and Mr. Schu, Ambassador of School Libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs, hosted a live webinar to talk about Kate DicCamillo's newest book Raymie Nightengale. If you haven't seen Mr. Schu speak, it's really a must. I've met him several times in person and have attended some of his webinars/podcasts. This one was really a treat because Mr. Schu and Kate DiCamillo broadcasted live from a school library. They shared stories from the book, asked and answered questions from the live and virtual audience, shared their experiences with books, etc. Though my class couldn't be there in person, it really was the next best thing to be a part of the live broadcast. As we watched Mr. Schu and Kate DiCamillo, we really just watched and listened. I'm thinking of various internet tools the students could use on their 1:1 devices to interact more with one another, such as setting up a TodaysMeet. I continue to be on the lookout for live broadcasts with authors and illustrators since my students are always motivated by these experiences! Going LIVE was definitely a first for me and completely took me out of my comfort zone. Thankfully, I have some thoughtful and creative colleagues that suggested we go live together, and safety in numbers has never been more true! One of my colleagues, Krista, suggested we use Periscope as our means to get live and out there. She had used Periscope once before (briefly) to virtually take part in an inservice. So, she got us set up with this app and connected with one another right away. Since we all share a passion for technology integration in the classroom, we decided to go that route as we took to a live audience. Leading up to our live event, we advertised on Facebook and Twitter. I can only imagine what my Facebook friends and Twitter followers were thinking when they saw these posts because it's absolutely not something I'd do on my own. To say Krista, Amy and I were nervous is an understatement! Still not exactly sure how the logistics would pan out with Periscope and an audience, we started our live event about tech tips and integration in the classroom. You can see our event HERE.
I'm usually all in when it comes to trying new things tech-related in the classroom. I'll pretty much give anything a chance at least once, but I'm not sure this is something I'm willing to take a chance with. See, as we got started, we recognized a name or two in our audience. However, a bunch of people we didn't know appeared and commented, and there was one extremely questionable audience participant with an inappropriate name. Then he kept commenting that he lives in the area, and it just sort of creeped me out. I'm sure there are privacy settings that we didn't make sure were secure, but I just wouldn't feel safe bringing my kids into that environment. Not knowing who was watching made me feel pretty vulnerable and uneasy. On the flip side, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had hyped it up to be. We assumed we'd talk for 5 minutes total and be done with it, but 20 minutes later we were still going. I do love the ability to share tips and tricks with other educators, especially for those that are looking for more support, innovation and comradery After our session was over, we talked about other programs to use to go live, including Facebook Live, but I just don't know. I feel like it's hard to control who sees you and I just don't trust the general cyberspace public. If there was a way to go live just for parents or for invited participants only, it might be something I'd be open to trying. Definitely need to do my research, though! As our first extended text of the year, our third graders read Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. The reading block throughout this time typically goes like this:
- Students read an assigned chapter. Depending on the group of kids I have, kids read the chapters in a variety of ways, including reading independently, with a small group, listening to the chapter on their iPad, or I'll read the chapter to them as they follow along in the book. - As the students read, they are to be on the lookout for evidence of character traits, questions and wonders, and signposts. These items are typically written on post-it notes. - The class will then come together to share ideas, strengthen their speaking and listening skills, and deeper their understanding. - Students end by returning to their reader's notebook or response packet and writing about something that stood out to them. The goal here is for students to show their thinking process and synthesize to develop new meaning. This process typically goes well, but as you can see, the only technology integrated is the occasional use of the iPad to listen to a chapter. After learning more about TodaysMeet, I'm thinking this would be an easy and beneficial way of incorporating technology and promote collaboration. We won't be starting Charlotte's Web for a couple weeks, but I thought I'd go ahead and set up a room. Although my students have access to KidBlog, I can see how user friendly TodaysMeet can be. I like that students need to be concise in their thinking and mimics Twitter. So, they can be on "social media" without all the worries of "real social media." Some learning goals throughout the extended text are: - RL.3.1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for answers. - RL.3.3: Describe characters in a story and explain how their actions contribute to the sequence of events. - RL.3.6: Distinguish their own point of view from that of the narrator or those of the characters. - RL.3.10: By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 2-3 text complexity band independently and proficiently. - RF.3.4: Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension. - SL.3.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 3 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. To evaluate their contributions on TodaysMeet, I think I'd have them do some self-reflections. This could be a check list with the following criteria: - Did I stay on topic? - Did I answer the question? - Did I communicate my idea clearly? - Did I provide evidence from the text to support my thinking? - Did I use accurate capitalization, punctuation and spelling? With this being the fifth year reading Charlotte's Web with my third graders, I'm excited to integrate some new ideas to keep it fresh and exciting, not just for my students, but for me as well! I have a love-hate relationship with challenges such as this one. I love them because it holds me accountable for sharing our lives with the world. I love them because it helps me to celebrate the smaller moments. I love them because it helps connect my students to other classrooms and authors around the world. I love them because they're an authentic way to practice my own writing, which in turn, benefits my classroom. I hate them because I find them difficult to keep up with, and sometimes I feel like I'm forcing a celebration.
You can follow my class on Twitter: @MrsWake3rdGrade and see our #greenteamphotochallenge from this week. In the beginning of each school year, we spend a lot of time building and learning about our reading lives. We share books, start a TBR (To Be Read) list, set reading goals, begin reading rituals, connect with authors, and more. We've even had 2 author visits and will have our first author Skype in the next week. I really did enjoy this challenge, and my students loved being a part of the journey. I'm not confident I'll be able to maintain the challenge every day, but I'm thinking of a way for my students to take more ownership over the photo challenge by having them take the pictures and writing the tweets. We'll see if it's something we can keep up with...I'm optimistic! It's so important to share your reading life with your students. It's also important to read the books your students want to read! So, what's on deck for me this weekend? Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, Inspectory Flytrap by Tom Angleberger and Cece Bell, and Maxi's Secrets by Lynn Plourde. According to Donalyn Miller, and any teacher you meet, children will read the books you bless. But I've found the opposite to be true as well. I've had several kids with their noses buried in these 3 books, and seeing their engagement and smiles as they read these books makes me want to read them, too! We share our reading lives, celebrate our accomplishments and encourage one another as reading becomes part of our identities. What are you reading these days?
#greenteamphotochallenge I consider myself to be pretty lucky to be a part of my school district's 1:1 initiative. My students have their own iPad minis which they will use throughout the school year to enhance their learning. I don't load the iPads with games, rather, I look for apps that can be used to create and innovate, that are user friendly and that have share-ability features. ChatterKid Pix is one of those apps! If you haven't played around with this app...do it! It's pretty fun. But more importantly, it promotes creativity. And best yet...its free! So, we had a little time on Thursday to experiment with this new tool. See, I don't like to tell kids how to use an app the first time through. I find they learn better when they experiment with the app themselves, and share out with their friends. Yes, they all had their own devices and they were all engaged in the app, but they were also incredibly social and collaborative! I think technology really can bring out the best in learning and leadership!
I love illustrators. They're so clever. Even though I teach third grade, I'm still IN LOVE with Mo WIllems and everything PIGEON. When his Elephant and Piggie series debuted, I was teaching second grade and though they may have been "too easy" for my kids, I've never heard more expression in my life! And, let's face it...they're hilarious. So when The Thank You Book came out, I was heartbroken that it was the last in this series of lovable characters. But don't panic, other authors are teaming up with Mo Willems as Elephant and Piggie introduce us to new characters. Here is one of my third graders reading The Cookie Fiasco by Dan Santat. This student came running up to me as excited as could be when he saw the teeniest tiniest pigeon in the world! I love that Dan Santat embraces the love for that Pigeon the same way I do, and I adore these hidden gems inside new books. Better be careful...you never know when that Pigeon is going to make and appearance!
#greenteamphotochallenge The Green Team is proudly participating in the 2016 Global Read Aloud. If you don't know about it, please do yourself a favor and embrace this experience in your classroom! It's pretty simple..."One Book to Connect the World." Students of like grade levels from all over the world read the same book and connect as they please through social media, blogs, and Skype! We are reading The BFG by Roald Dahl...an absolute classic and loved by all! This week's task was to read the first 4 chapters and connect as you can with others who are reading the same book. I'm lucky enough to have been "set up" with an amazing teacher in Massachusetts. We've had our classes connecting for over a year now and I.Love.It. More importantly, the kids love it! So, today my class was in charge of our Skype! We shared our thoughts about character traits for our poor little main character, Sophie. My students also used their iPads to create images of what the BFG might look like based on the descriptions in the text, so we shared those, too. In the last chapter we read this week, we finally got to hear the voice of the giant. The chapter ends with these last, spine-tickling words: Ha! What has us got here? My students took turns reciting this line the way they think the giant would sound. It was so fun! The students not only practiced their public speaking skills for an authentic audience, but they were The Leaders. The Experts. They were In Charge. These are skills that are difficult to teach, but when there's a purpose and a passion, the transition is easy! I grow more and more proud of these third graders every day!
#greenteamphotochallenge Hi. My name is Angie. I teach third grade, and I believe picture books are vital in the classroom. Sure, I love chapter books, too, but there's something about a picture book. They can be used for so many different purposes. Of course, they help continue to build the love of reading, they're great for reading with expression (accents are the best!), they're fabulous mentor texts during mini-lessons, they can help us solve problems, they can help us feel better, the list goes on and on. It literally tears my heart apart when I hear teachers and administrators declare that picture books have no place in an upper elementary classroom. Talk about crushing any soul who loves and appreciates the joy of reading.
Last summer, I went to Nerd Camp Michigan (if you don't know, NOW you know!) and attended a breakout session by Annemarie Johnson (@ajohnsont2t). Her session was about creating reading rituals in the classroom. You know, not attaching rewards to reading and fostering the love for getting lost in a book. She provided us with an endless amount of rituals to incorporate into our classroom. I already participate in #classroombookaday (we really do attempt to read a picture book a day. Doesn't always happen, but we try!) and Annemarie had an idea to get the kids more involved in the selection process. So easy...pick 2 books and have the kids vote on which book they'd like to read that day! To say they love it is an understatement! Today's choices were Rodeo Red by Maripat Perkins and Louise Loves Art by Kelly Light. We're investigating point of view in Reader's Workshop, and these two books were terrific mentor texts for first person point of view. So, the kids voted, and Rodeo Red it was! It secretly made me really happy because I got to use my southern accent...which was loved by all, of course! I've found that reading rituals really have changed the climate in my classroom, and I'm thrilled that picture books pay a big role in my students' lives! #greenteamphotochallenge |
Angie Wake's Wilkes University Blog by Angie Wake is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License. Based on a work at http://angelawakewilkes.weebly.com/. AuthorAngie Wake - 3rd grade teacher in northern Illinois ArchivesCategories |