Whew!!

Whew!!  That's how I felt after screen-casting my first video for my third grade students this year.  I originally thought I would begin with handwriting videos, but it seemed so easy and natural to begin with math.  That is how I began flipping in fifth.

I thought I had worked out all the bugs 3 years ago but guess what. . . I had a different document camera this year (remember I moved to a new classroom) and it hadn't occurred to me that I would need to do anything different.  That is until I got ready to record.  That's when I realized I didn't know how to make what I was doing with the document camera show up on my laptop.  I told you before I am not really a techie person; I just ask a lot of questions.

So, I posted a message on Edmodo and my Area Tech Coordinator informed me that I need to put in a request to have the software for the document camera installed on my laptop. So after a phone call, our Tech Support came out and installed the software. Yea!!  I love my Tech support people! (Big smile) So here I sit  ready to post my new video.  I just need School Tube to be a little bit faster with the video approval process.

How are my third grade students adjusting to technology, iPads, and Edmodo?  They are coming along. . . We started using Vocabulary/Spelling City Today and only 1 person asked me for their username and password.  All of their usernames and passwords are the same for each of their accounts.  That makes it a little easier.We are getting there.  If the truth be told, I think the parents are the ones that are having to adjust the most.

"Ask 3 before me" - There's an app for that!

Image from Ask3

ASK3 is NO LONGER AVAILABLE!  (INSERT SAD  FACE)


If you follow my blog, then you probably already know I got a class set of iPads this year!  And when I find something great I just can't help but share it. Well this time I have found a great FREE app that  encourages collaboration among peers.  It can be used for homework, classwork, in just about any subject area.  So what is it? Glad you asked.  It's Ask 3!   How many times have you found yourself saying "Ask 3 before me"?  Well now there's an app for that!

This app allows students (or teachers for that matter) to post questions on a class bulletin board and then other class members (or the teacher) can leave a text response, a drawing, or a video to explain the answer. It's great for a flipped classroom or any classroom where collaboration is valued.  You sign-up and are given a class code.  Students join your class using the code and the fun learning begins!  

The only concern I have is that you cannot "lock" your group once all of your students have joined.  That just means you have to make sure you don't post your group code where others can get it.   You should also probably monitor your student's submissions.  But you would do that anyway, right?

I used it in math class the other day to review test items the students had missed.  Students took pictures of a problem and posted their questions on the bulletin board.  I responded to some and other students responded as well.  It was nice to see the collaboration among students.  I am already thinking of other ways to use this in my classroom.

If you have used this before, please share how you used it in your class.  If not, what are some ideas you have for using this app?

PDF Split

Image from dreamstime.com

I was smack dab in the middle of working on my plans for the upcoming week when I had to stop and share this.  I wanted to assign a math Exemplars to my students.  I figured I would post the page on Edmodo or I could try using Evernote.  I am working out the whole process of sharing files and notebooks with my students and having them write on it using their iPads, then resubmit it to me to grade. All using the iPad.

The problem was I only needed my students to see the first page of the PDF file not the entire document.  If you know Exemplars, each problem also has possible students solutions and other teacher resources attached to the PDF.  Then I remembered reading somewhere about a PDF splitter.  So I thought I would give it a try.  I went online and searched "PDF splitter" and there it was.  It was so easy to do.  You don't have to download or join to use it.  Oh, did I mention it was FREE!

Step 1:  Save the original file to your desktop.
Step 2: Browse and locate the file (upload to site).
Step 3: Enter the page numbers you want split. (for me I entered pages 1 to 1)

Click on Split!  and you're done!  Easy Peasy!

Now I can attach just that 1 page the students need on Edmodo or Evernote.  If anyone uses Evernote to send and receive student work, please share how you are doing that.  It would make my life so much easier!

Place Value and TodaysMeet

Student Journal

Last year I made a place value chart and glued those orange wooden base 10 blocks to the chart to represent ones, tenths, and hundredths.  You know the ones I'm talking about.  If you teach primary, you probably give the tiny cube a value of "one" while in intermediate (or at least in fifth grade) that tiny cube represents "one hundredth".  That can be confusing to some kids.  That's why it is important to stress the value you assign to each block and to model what that looks like.  Anyway, back to the chart . . .

For homework the students watched a  Study Jams Place Value video and my Decimal Place Value video that I posted on Edmodo.  Then in class I had them use decimal grids to create a place value chart in their journals. By doing this the kids could really see that one tenth or .1 was completely different from 10. Next, we made a class chart and went to the thousands place.  It was easy to see that if you start at the decimal and move to the left, then “each place is 10 times bigger”.  Just like the song says.  

Once the chart was finished (it actually took two days to make) we used  TodaysMeet to discuss what we noticed about our place value chart. Using TodaysMeet really makes the students think about their thinking.  Now when we have our WSQ chats one student in the group has an iPad and they post the group's thinking during the chat.  After we finish the WSQ chats,  we meet back together as a whole group and use the transcripts from TodaysMeet to "see" what the smaller groups were thinking. I have the transcript projecting on the white board the entire time. 

Using TodaysMeet is so easy.  Simply go to the website, name your "room" and then start "talking".  You can choose how long you save your group.  I decided to save my group for a year.  Imagine, I will have a transcript of our math thinking for the entire school year!  Each time we log on, we enter the same address and we are reconnected to our ongoing chat.  It really is powerful to see their thinking and hear the conversations that result from reading the posts of others.  I guess you could say we are Rockin' the Standards!

  

 

My Top Ten Takeaways from iSummit 2013

There were so many fabulous presenters at the iSummit 2013 Conference. 
Unfortunately I could not attend every session . . .
Fortunately there is a wiki for the conference and I can check out all the wonderful resources.  You can too!!  What I can do however, is highlight what resonated with me. 

The iPad is not:

• for everything in the classroom
• the driver of instruction
• a device for practicing basic skills. . . if that's all you do with it
• a reward for completing classroom instruction

iPads are:

• tools
• used to meet goals when appropriate
• useful when you begin with the goal in mind (iPad + IPedagogy = iLearn, Julia Osteen)

  Here are my Top Ten Takeaways from the conference (in no particular order):

10. Private schools have a lot more money to spend on technology.

 9.  Are students spending time engaged in investigating "Googleable" or "Un-Googleable" questions? (Keynote Speaker, Ewan McIntosh)

 8.  The most important predictor of student success IS NOT their socioeconomic level nor their parent's education or school involvement;  It is their teacher.  (I already knew that but it was nice to hear someone else say it!) Neurons GROW as we work.  The more we work them, the stronger they get! What a student thinks their teacher thinks about them influences their performance.(Technology Meets the Brain, Connie White)

 7.  FAIL= First Attempt In Learning  (Ewan McIntosh)

 6.  Include the 3 Cs and 3 Rs (Challenge, Collaborate, Responsibility, Respect, Real things, Choice) in everything you do.  (Ewan McIntosh)

 5.  Children should compose, edit, revise, and publish using technology.  (Toss Out the Pen - Pick up the Apple, Lisa Kelly)

 4.  In writing, "don't count off for things you have not specifically taught!"  Correct them but don't count off for them. (Toss Out the Pen - Pick up the Apple, Lisa Kelly) Kind of like: "if you consequate you must educate".

 3. When using Evernote, the teacher should set up the notebooks and share with students.  That way you retain control. (Evernote in Education, Mark Labourchere)

 2. Showbie or ebackpack?? I'm still trying to decide. Click here to read my post.

 1.  "It's a behavior problem, not a technology problem!" Actually I was reflecting on this when I decided to write this post and I can't for the life of me remember who said it. (If I find it in my notes, I will post later) Basically, would you take away a child's pencil and paper or textbook if they were using it improperly?  Probably not.  So then why would you even consider taking away technology  an appropriate consequence?  *I believe this was from the Keynote speaker, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach. 

There were so many other great things I learned I couldn't possible include them all.  I will leave you with this funny.


"Real Question:  Are we willing to change - to risk change - to meet the needs of the precious folks we serve?"  (8 Steps to Do-It-Yourself PD, Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach)  
The dates for iSummit 2014 are June 10-12.

iSummit 2013: How Do You Handle Workflow?

Image from Showbie

I know I've mentioned before that I will have a class set of iPads next year!  Exciting!   I was excited about the possibilities this new technology would offer but was also a little nervous about transitioning to a class with a full set of iPads.   Would I be successful?  How would I manage this new technology? What activities will my students complete using the iPad?  Will my classroom be completely paperless?  Is that even realistic?   Probably the most pressing decision I needed to make was how would I manage the work flow in my classroom.  You know getting work to the students, turning work in, grading work that the students have turned in, and returning it to them.  All done electronically. So when my principal asked if I would like to attend iSummit, I immediately said "Yes"! What a great opportunity to learn from other professionals who were already using this technology in their classes.

I realize students need to use their iPads to learn and create meaning (I will post more about that as time goes on) but before I start passing out iPads, I needed to work out in my mind the management part. So I attended 2 sessions on managing workflow: Showbie and ebackpack.  Both allow you to assign, collect, and review student work.  Showbie is free but for an additional cost you can upgrade to the pro version which will allow you to grade and write comments on assignments.  Ebackpack is a paid service that offers the same features as Showbie; however, ebackpack  also has a parent communication component. Basically, if you want to be able to annotate student assignments you will have to pay in either case.   I am going to play around with both applications to see which one I like best.  Decisions. . .decisions! If anyone has used either (or used something completely different) please share your thoughts.  I would love to hear your comments! Once I have made up my mind I will post an update.  I think I should create a chart comparing both.  Maybe I should do that on the iPad.  Hummm....

Tune into Technology Linky: iPads

 OK . . . This is my very first time participating in a Linky Party.  I hope I do this right! So . . .here goes . . . I am linking up with Kristin at  iTeach1:1 and Learning to the Core for Tune into Technology to share how I use iPads in my classroom. I think I should tell you that I only had 1 iPad in my class last year.  My students would sign up on the board to reserve the iPad when they needed to work on something.  I also participated in BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) so a few other students had devices they could use.  Next year I will have a class set of iPads.  I am sooo excited!!

1.  Educreations -  I had a few students that needed to work on fluency.  They simply took a screen shot of a reading passage and then recorded themselves reading.  By doing this 2 or 3 times a week they could track their rate of reading and check their fluency. I also had a recording of their reading to refer to for conferences and next teaching steps. My students also used Educreations to create videos modeling how to solve math problems.

I love Educreations because it's easy to use.  These one-take videos were perfect to show their understanding of math concepts.  I posted their videos on Edmodo for other students to watch to help them review concepts.  

 2.  Pinnacle Studio - My students used this app to create a movie about our flipped classroom.  Aside from loading app, my students did everything . . . from the filming to editing and adding subtitles.    It's amazing what kids can do when you give them the tools and the freedom. 

3.  Students also used the camera to take pictures of real world examples of fractions around our school.  They used the pictures to describe the fractional pieces and create equations for addition and subtraction of fractions.

I can't wait to try many of the suggestions from other teachers in this Linky Party. Make sure you follow the Link to check out some of the other great ideas.