Last winter, on the first of a week of snow days, an email came from our district administration stating that our district had received some extra cash in the form of a PILOT from our local power company. As part of that one-time payment, the district had decided to put iPads in several classrooms as part of a local PHConnectMe! grant. I had yet to shovel the 10 inches of snow from my driveway, and since I had nothing better to do I went ahead and applied. Fortunately, I was one of the teachers who received the grant and thereby the iPads, 125 hours of professional development, and one of the greatest boosts to my career I could imagine.
What did I learn from this? It never hurts to try! The first principal I worked for had a favorite saying whenever we would ask him to take an initiative or idea to central office. He would always smile and say "It never hurts to ask! The worst they will do is say no." I am glad I went for the local grant and, thanks to the resources we were given this week in class, I will continue to try for more technology grants. I currently have a 2:1 student to iPad ratio, which is amazing. However, my goal is to eventually get my classroom to a 1:1 ratio.
A colleague of mine has successfully used http://www.donorschoose.org/, albeit for a smaller project. She has had nothing but good things to say about the project and website, and it is one resource I am considering. Another resource I have found is the Pitsco/Hearlihy/FTEE grant at http://www.iteea.org/Awards/granthearlihy.htm. It looks like I have to have a membership to the organization to apply, but it is around $65. To me, that may be well worth it to get a $2,000 grant.
I have big dreams for my kids, and I need help to reach those dreams. With persistence, I am sure I will get the assistance to fund those goals.
Friday, December 13, 2013
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Collaborative Technologies
Last night, on our way to a staff holiday party, one of my colleagues and I were discussing the problem of teaching in isolation. It is, we decided, nearly (if not completely) impossible to teach on an island. Being an educator is just one of those jobs that requires you to have friends, colleagues, and administrators who are there for you if you plan to be successful. Of course, we all know that there are schools out there, for one reason or another, where some teachers have few if any friends or supportive colleagues and administrators. How do those teachers do it?
One fix to that situation is using collaborative technology. Now, I am fortunate to be in a school with people I consider my friends, co-workers who help each other, and an administrator who is incredibly supportive. However, I still turn to technology for further help. I have become a huge fan of using Twitter to connect with other teachers. Twitter is where I find a lot of the articles and research that help me in my classroom. It's also a place to get advice from teachers, literally, all over the world. I am following and being followed by teachers in Spain and Germany - something I "nerded out" over when it happened. If you're on twitter, look me up - my handle is @bmcd25.
I also use a site called ProTeacher Community. This site is a collection of forums, lessons, and even chat rooms just for teachers. The forums are where I spend most of my time. These are split by grade and subject. This site does require a membership, but it is free to join. Members can ask for and receive lesson plans, ideas, and activities on anything. I have found so many lessons ideas on here I can't begin to describe just one. A favorite, though, has been all the task cards people make. There are forums including task cards on all most anything, and I use them all the time during center time in my classroom.
I am excited to start teaching students to use collaborative technology as well. It has made me a better teacher, and I know an understanding of this technology will help my students be better at whatever they choose to do in the future. My first attempt at this will be using Google Docs. I chose this because it is free and user-friendly. Also, I have used Google Docs extensively, so I understand it well enough to teach them how to use it.
While I have never used Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest in my classroom, I have created lessons and activities inspired by them. Last year I had students created a paper and pencil "Pinterest page" about the main idea and details of a story we read. The main idea was the board theme, and the details were the pins. We also created Facebook profiles for characters in stories.
This year, my next-door colleague and I created a Twitter-like feed between our classrooms using a bulletin board, felt, and word bubbles. We created word bubbles that were color-coded for each classroom, laminated them and put velcro on the back. We call our word bubbles "clucks" instead of tweets because our mascot is a rooster. Students "cluck" to the other classroom by writing on a word bubble with an expo marker and sticking it to the board. We even have "clucks" and markers available in the hallway for other teachers and students to use. The kids love the interaction on our "Words from the Birds" board. While these paper and pencil activities are not necessarily using collaborative technology, they still offer students engaging ways of sharing their learning.
One fix to that situation is using collaborative technology. Now, I am fortunate to be in a school with people I consider my friends, co-workers who help each other, and an administrator who is incredibly supportive. However, I still turn to technology for further help. I have become a huge fan of using Twitter to connect with other teachers. Twitter is where I find a lot of the articles and research that help me in my classroom. It's also a place to get advice from teachers, literally, all over the world. I am following and being followed by teachers in Spain and Germany - something I "nerded out" over when it happened. If you're on twitter, look me up - my handle is @bmcd25.
I also use a site called ProTeacher Community. This site is a collection of forums, lessons, and even chat rooms just for teachers. The forums are where I spend most of my time. These are split by grade and subject. This site does require a membership, but it is free to join. Members can ask for and receive lesson plans, ideas, and activities on anything. I have found so many lessons ideas on here I can't begin to describe just one. A favorite, though, has been all the task cards people make. There are forums including task cards on all most anything, and I use them all the time during center time in my classroom.
I am excited to start teaching students to use collaborative technology as well. It has made me a better teacher, and I know an understanding of this technology will help my students be better at whatever they choose to do in the future. My first attempt at this will be using Google Docs. I chose this because it is free and user-friendly. Also, I have used Google Docs extensively, so I understand it well enough to teach them how to use it.
While I have never used Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest in my classroom, I have created lessons and activities inspired by them. Last year I had students created a paper and pencil "Pinterest page" about the main idea and details of a story we read. The main idea was the board theme, and the details were the pins. We also created Facebook profiles for characters in stories.
This year, my next-door colleague and I created a Twitter-like feed between our classrooms using a bulletin board, felt, and word bubbles. We created word bubbles that were color-coded for each classroom, laminated them and put velcro on the back. We call our word bubbles "clucks" instead of tweets because our mascot is a rooster. Students "cluck" to the other classroom by writing on a word bubble with an expo marker and sticking it to the board. We even have "clucks" and markers available in the hallway for other teachers and students to use. The kids love the interaction on our "Words from the Birds" board. While these paper and pencil activities are not necessarily using collaborative technology, they still offer students engaging ways of sharing their learning.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Serious Gaming
I have heard several educators lament "kids these days" and their video games. While I understand that there are a handful of kids who stay up way too late losing precious sleep to video games, and video games keep some kids inside instead of getting them out to play and exercise; I also believe that these are the exceptions not the rules. Instead of complaining about video games, teachers need to learn to harness their power. The games are here, they aren't going away anytime soon, so why not use them to our benefit? We need to be using games that are fun but have educational value to bolster, or "punch-up" our lessons. These serious games not only teach valuable critical thinking skills and engage students at a higher level, they also can be used to reinforce concepts and standards we are already teaching.
Now, I'm certainly not advocating using only games to teach. I am also not advocating their use daily. However, when used effectively, it is my belief these games will increase student engagement and learning. What does it mean to sue them effectively? I think that question was best answered by Mary Ulicsak in her June 2010 Futurelab literature review, Games in Education: Serious Games. While discussing serious games, Ulicsak states on page 5, "the learning outcome is dependent upon an appropriate pedagogy and the underlying game mechanics and how the content is integrated into the game so the learning is intrinsic to play." In other words, the game is not effective unless it incorporates the content in a way that students must apply their learning in order to be successful at the game.
In my classroom, I have used games in a variety of ways. I have used them as a way to practice skills, especially with keyboarding and basic math. In our technology time, we use a site called Sumdog to practice math skills. Our computer lab technician has imported our students into the site, which allows her to put them in classes. The kids' favorite aspect of this site is that they can play against anyone in the world or against their classmates who are online. They can also participate in contests and play at school or log in from home and play. We spend the first quarter learning how to keyboard for half an hour per week at a site called Dancemat Typing. The students love this site, which is user-friendly and features animated songs when the students are successful.
I have also used games to bolster critical thinking and problem solving skills. My favorite site for this is Cool Math 4 Kids. This site features all sorts of games that involve higher-level thinking to win or advance to the next level. Also included on this site are several simulation games, such as Coffee Shop and Lemonade Stand. These two games allow students to participate in real world situations that involve marketing and supply and demand.
It is always exciting to students learn when they think they are really just playing a game. One of the reasons I decided to become an educator was to help students who are like I was in school. I disliked school most of the time. I thought it was boring and didn't understand why I had to go. Serious gaming is just one tool I use to make students excited about learning and show them real-world applications of their knowledge. Hopefully, this reaches one of those kids who feels the way I felt as a kid and changes their views on learning!
Now, I'm certainly not advocating using only games to teach. I am also not advocating their use daily. However, when used effectively, it is my belief these games will increase student engagement and learning. What does it mean to sue them effectively? I think that question was best answered by Mary Ulicsak in her June 2010 Futurelab literature review, Games in Education: Serious Games. While discussing serious games, Ulicsak states on page 5, "the learning outcome is dependent upon an appropriate pedagogy and the underlying game mechanics and how the content is integrated into the game so the learning is intrinsic to play." In other words, the game is not effective unless it incorporates the content in a way that students must apply their learning in order to be successful at the game.
In my classroom, I have used games in a variety of ways. I have used them as a way to practice skills, especially with keyboarding and basic math. In our technology time, we use a site called Sumdog to practice math skills. Our computer lab technician has imported our students into the site, which allows her to put them in classes. The kids' favorite aspect of this site is that they can play against anyone in the world or against their classmates who are online. They can also participate in contests and play at school or log in from home and play. We spend the first quarter learning how to keyboard for half an hour per week at a site called Dancemat Typing. The students love this site, which is user-friendly and features animated songs when the students are successful.
I have also used games to bolster critical thinking and problem solving skills. My favorite site for this is Cool Math 4 Kids. This site features all sorts of games that involve higher-level thinking to win or advance to the next level. Also included on this site are several simulation games, such as Coffee Shop and Lemonade Stand. These two games allow students to participate in real world situations that involve marketing and supply and demand.
It is always exciting to students learn when they think they are really just playing a game. One of the reasons I decided to become an educator was to help students who are like I was in school. I disliked school most of the time. I thought it was boring and didn't understand why I had to go. Serious gaming is just one tool I use to make students excited about learning and show them real-world applications of their knowledge. Hopefully, this reaches one of those kids who feels the way I felt as a kid and changes their views on learning!
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Flipped Classroom
I first saw the phrase "flipping the classroom" on Twitter a couple of years ago. In fact, for a while I felt like it was the only topic on which educators in my feed wanted to comment. The first explanation I read made no sense: "Learning happens at home, homework happens at school." While this is a somewhat accurate description, I feel that the words learning and homework were misleading. When I read that description, I first thought that I'm not sure if my students can handle learning on their own at home. I was thinking about them reading information, though. Also, for third grade, I don't really give a ton of homework, it hasn't been a successful method in the past. If I give any homework at all, it is just practice over something we have already learned. It is never an assignment for a grade.
After studying flipping the classroom, I realized that learning doesn't just happen at home. In fact, it seems to me that most of the learning still happens at school. Students get the information at home, via videos not reading textbooks, but then they learn by participating in assignments (not necessarily what I consider homework) at school. While I had researched this quite a bit already, I had not seen the infographic at http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/. The information at the bottom was the most eye-opening. Not only had the number of students struggling with concepts dropped, but the number of discipline cases dropped by almost 500 cases. The first theory I have on why those discipline problems dropped so drastically is that the flipped classroom is more engaging for students. Asking students to be responsible for taking in the instruction outside of class gives them personal responsibility, requiring them to be accountable for their own learning.
In the past two years, I have been on both ends of a flipped classroom at school. Last year my principal started sending us videos from Teaching Channel as a way of incorporating more PD. We would watch them on our own time and then either discuss during a future PD session or send her an email containing our thoughts and reflections. This has allowed me to see into other teachers' classrooms and watch how they teach different subjects. It has been an excellent tool. One video that I have viewed more than once is Reasoning about Multiplication and Division, which is about teaching the thought process behind multiplication and division - something the Common Core stresses in third grade.
I have also begun to experiment with the flipped classroom approach with my students. So far, I have used iPad apps such as Educreations (free) and Explain Everything ($2.99) to create videos that my students can watch. I enjoy making these videos and the kids seem to enjoy watching them. It should be noted that I don't exactly follow the flipped model in my 3rd grade classroom. Instead of having students watching the videos at home, I have them watch the videos on our iPads in class. I do this for two reasons. First, I have several students who don't have internet access at home. Secondly, I am not sure how many of my students in third grade are quite ready to go home and watch the videos by themselves. They still require some motivation and monitoring in class.
My experiment with flipping the classroom will continue this year.. Now that I know about Screencast-o-Matic I am excited to experiment with it and get even more videos out to my students. I also want to try to have the students who have internet access watch the videos at home and see how it goes.
After studying flipping the classroom, I realized that learning doesn't just happen at home. In fact, it seems to me that most of the learning still happens at school. Students get the information at home, via videos not reading textbooks, but then they learn by participating in assignments (not necessarily what I consider homework) at school. While I had researched this quite a bit already, I had not seen the infographic at http://www.knewton.com/flipped-classroom/. The information at the bottom was the most eye-opening. Not only had the number of students struggling with concepts dropped, but the number of discipline cases dropped by almost 500 cases. The first theory I have on why those discipline problems dropped so drastically is that the flipped classroom is more engaging for students. Asking students to be responsible for taking in the instruction outside of class gives them personal responsibility, requiring them to be accountable for their own learning.
In the past two years, I have been on both ends of a flipped classroom at school. Last year my principal started sending us videos from Teaching Channel as a way of incorporating more PD. We would watch them on our own time and then either discuss during a future PD session or send her an email containing our thoughts and reflections. This has allowed me to see into other teachers' classrooms and watch how they teach different subjects. It has been an excellent tool. One video that I have viewed more than once is Reasoning about Multiplication and Division, which is about teaching the thought process behind multiplication and division - something the Common Core stresses in third grade.
I have also begun to experiment with the flipped classroom approach with my students. So far, I have used iPad apps such as Educreations (free) and Explain Everything ($2.99) to create videos that my students can watch. I enjoy making these videos and the kids seem to enjoy watching them. It should be noted that I don't exactly follow the flipped model in my 3rd grade classroom. Instead of having students watching the videos at home, I have them watch the videos on our iPads in class. I do this for two reasons. First, I have several students who don't have internet access at home. Secondly, I am not sure how many of my students in third grade are quite ready to go home and watch the videos by themselves. They still require some motivation and monitoring in class.
My experiment with flipping the classroom will continue this year.. Now that I know about Screencast-o-Matic I am excited to experiment with it and get even more videos out to my students. I also want to try to have the students who have internet access watch the videos at home and see how it goes.
Sunday, November 10, 2013
Mobile Learning
This topic is one of my personal favorites. As has been stated by many people, most of our students already have smartphones or tablets and are using them daily - some are using them hourly or even by the minute. With that information in mind, are we doing a disservice to our students if we do not integrate some sort of mobile technology in our districts? I believe we are. We have long talked about meeting students where they are and differentiating our lessons when it comes to ability and learning styles. Today's learners have a brand new style we need to incorporate - mobile technology.
I have some experience with iPads in the classroom. I was fortunate to receive a grant from my school district that provided me with a 2:1 student to iPad ratio this year. It has been an amazing experience so far. The iPads have had a tremendous impact on how I teach. My teaching style has become way more student-directed than every before. I now design lessons with research in mind - especially in science and social studies. Currently we are researching our space unit instead of just reading from the textbook and the iPads play a huge role in that research. Having the power of search engines like Kid Rex and Google, as well as access in my district to Searchasaurus by EbscoHost, at our fingertips has transformed how we learn.
In social studies, we have done a video report on homecoming in which the students turned into investigative reporters and film makers. That project alone was one of the highlights of my career so far. Our district's high school allowed us inside the fence at the game and the kids were able to interview players, cheerleaders, and even homecoming queen candidates. Considering the technology costs around $500 per iPad (including costs of storage cart and protective case), I was pretty nervous. However, the kids did an awesome job. They were careful with the iPads and serious about their work. It was easily the most engaging assignment I have ever created.
Another technology I have used in my classroom was the SMART Response System - also known as clickers. Several years ago the technology committee at my building was able to get five sets of clickers per grade level. We had seven teachers for each grade level at the time, so some teachers had to share. Using the clickers was a great way to include formative assessment in my classroom. I could quickly see how many students understood the lesson by posing a question on the Smart Board and having the students answer. Then, I could quickly view the data and decide whether to go on or re-teach. It also allowed students to vote or take assessments in a more engaging way. The technology at the time cost roughly $1,800. Now, since I have iPads, there are free apps that do almost the exact same thing for free. My favorite of these apps is Socrative.
One technology I am interested in is the newest version of Microsoft Surface. It costs $450, which is comparable to the iPad. In our Technology for Productivity and Practice class, we were discussing taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment, which is computer-based. As I thought about this, I realized my building only has one computer lab, which could be a problem come assessment season. I began to wonder if the iPads would work for these assessments. If the assessments, which I have not seen yet, require Flash, then they definitely will not work on iPads. Microsoft Surface might be a solution to this, as it uses a Windows operating system, which should work with Flash. The Surface tablet looks to be a nice hybrid of laptop and tablet, which would make creating reports easier as well.
No matter what the technology is, it is important to incorporate mobile learning devices into our classrooms. I have seen first hand the power of these technologies. They almost immediately increase student engagement, allow students to use what they already understand to learn, and allow for more authentic hands-on learning experiences. I would encourage every teacher to learn as much as possible about mobile learning. There are many resources out there, but one of my favorite Learning in Hand by Tony Vincent, an edtech guru who came and spoke to our school and gave us a ton of inspiring ideas. I also find a lot of ideas on Twitter and would encourage any teacher to use this tool as well.
I have some experience with iPads in the classroom. I was fortunate to receive a grant from my school district that provided me with a 2:1 student to iPad ratio this year. It has been an amazing experience so far. The iPads have had a tremendous impact on how I teach. My teaching style has become way more student-directed than every before. I now design lessons with research in mind - especially in science and social studies. Currently we are researching our space unit instead of just reading from the textbook and the iPads play a huge role in that research. Having the power of search engines like Kid Rex and Google, as well as access in my district to Searchasaurus by EbscoHost, at our fingertips has transformed how we learn.
In social studies, we have done a video report on homecoming in which the students turned into investigative reporters and film makers. That project alone was one of the highlights of my career so far. Our district's high school allowed us inside the fence at the game and the kids were able to interview players, cheerleaders, and even homecoming queen candidates. Considering the technology costs around $500 per iPad (including costs of storage cart and protective case), I was pretty nervous. However, the kids did an awesome job. They were careful with the iPads and serious about their work. It was easily the most engaging assignment I have ever created.
Another technology I have used in my classroom was the SMART Response System - also known as clickers. Several years ago the technology committee at my building was able to get five sets of clickers per grade level. We had seven teachers for each grade level at the time, so some teachers had to share. Using the clickers was a great way to include formative assessment in my classroom. I could quickly see how many students understood the lesson by posing a question on the Smart Board and having the students answer. Then, I could quickly view the data and decide whether to go on or re-teach. It also allowed students to vote or take assessments in a more engaging way. The technology at the time cost roughly $1,800. Now, since I have iPads, there are free apps that do almost the exact same thing for free. My favorite of these apps is Socrative.
One technology I am interested in is the newest version of Microsoft Surface. It costs $450, which is comparable to the iPad. In our Technology for Productivity and Practice class, we were discussing taking the Smarter Balanced Assessment, which is computer-based. As I thought about this, I realized my building only has one computer lab, which could be a problem come assessment season. I began to wonder if the iPads would work for these assessments. If the assessments, which I have not seen yet, require Flash, then they definitely will not work on iPads. Microsoft Surface might be a solution to this, as it uses a Windows operating system, which should work with Flash. The Surface tablet looks to be a nice hybrid of laptop and tablet, which would make creating reports easier as well.
No matter what the technology is, it is important to incorporate mobile learning devices into our classrooms. I have seen first hand the power of these technologies. They almost immediately increase student engagement, allow students to use what they already understand to learn, and allow for more authentic hands-on learning experiences. I would encourage every teacher to learn as much as possible about mobile learning. There are many resources out there, but one of my favorite Learning in Hand by Tony Vincent, an edtech guru who came and spoke to our school and gave us a ton of inspiring ideas. I also find a lot of ideas on Twitter and would encourage any teacher to use this tool as well.
Saturday, November 2, 2013
Digital Citizenship
As I started reading the resources and research about digital citizenship, I began to feel a little overwhelmed. The topic seems to be incredibly broad as well as incredibly important. I decided to focus on two subtopics within digital citizenship that I feel are most important to my third graders: cyber-bullying and using caution when communicating on-line.
When I was a kid, all I had to worry about was the classroom bully. In fact, I can still remember his name. He would pull chairs out from under kids as they tried to sit down, make fun of how kids acted, and call others horrible names. I thought that was bad enough, but now kids have to worry about the types of bullying possible face to face as well as the whole new area of cyber-bullying. We have all seen the effects of cyber-bullying in the news and, unfortunately for some, maybe in our own personal lives. It almost seems like there is an epidemic of this online behavior occurring. As has been our calling in the past, teachers and schools must address this current issue and help students learn how to deal with it.
To me, one of the most important things students need to learn about the internet is that the things they type and post online have the same impact as the words they speak. It is easy to hide behind a screen, and the distance it creates between you and another person can make you feel like your words don't affect them. However, we know this to be false. One way I plan on covering this with my class is to compare and contrast "old-fashioned" bullying with online bullying. This will allow students to see that while one happens in person and the other seems to be impersonal, there are still many similarities. The consequences and damaged caused by cyber-bullying are just as real and painful as bullying someone in person. I found a good lesson on this at commonsensemedia.org designed for grades 3-5.
A similar issue facing students in our digital age is using caution when communicating on-line. The BrainPop video that edutopia's Digital Citizenship Week page linked to did an excellent job introducing this. Mary Beth Hertz had an excellent post about linking internet safety to stranger danger for younger students on edutopia. If you are interested, read her post here. Our students are using social media, even at young ages. They chat with people on instant messaging or within games. It is important that they are aware of the dangers of talking with people they don't know. Again, I feel like the screen creates a sense of security for them and they don't realize that speaking with strangers digitally is just as dangerous as face to face.
While reading all of these resources, I came to a somewhat startling realization. If I have felt so overwhelmed by how and when and why to teach digital citizenship to my 3rd graders, then their parents must feel the same way. In fact, I wonder how many parents realize how important it is to teach their children these things. I have decided to start sharing articles I read about safe internet practices and digital citizenship with the parents of my students. One example I found is also on edutopia by Matt Levinson, appropriately titled "Think Before You Click".
Our children (well, your children/my students) are growing up in a completely different world than did we. The threats that face them are similar to, but not completely the same as ours and it is our job as adults to help them learn how to act as a safe, responsible digital citizen.
When I was a kid, all I had to worry about was the classroom bully. In fact, I can still remember his name. He would pull chairs out from under kids as they tried to sit down, make fun of how kids acted, and call others horrible names. I thought that was bad enough, but now kids have to worry about the types of bullying possible face to face as well as the whole new area of cyber-bullying. We have all seen the effects of cyber-bullying in the news and, unfortunately for some, maybe in our own personal lives. It almost seems like there is an epidemic of this online behavior occurring. As has been our calling in the past, teachers and schools must address this current issue and help students learn how to deal with it.
To me, one of the most important things students need to learn about the internet is that the things they type and post online have the same impact as the words they speak. It is easy to hide behind a screen, and the distance it creates between you and another person can make you feel like your words don't affect them. However, we know this to be false. One way I plan on covering this with my class is to compare and contrast "old-fashioned" bullying with online bullying. This will allow students to see that while one happens in person and the other seems to be impersonal, there are still many similarities. The consequences and damaged caused by cyber-bullying are just as real and painful as bullying someone in person. I found a good lesson on this at commonsensemedia.org designed for grades 3-5.
A similar issue facing students in our digital age is using caution when communicating on-line. The BrainPop video that edutopia's Digital Citizenship Week page linked to did an excellent job introducing this. Mary Beth Hertz had an excellent post about linking internet safety to stranger danger for younger students on edutopia. If you are interested, read her post here. Our students are using social media, even at young ages. They chat with people on instant messaging or within games. It is important that they are aware of the dangers of talking with people they don't know. Again, I feel like the screen creates a sense of security for them and they don't realize that speaking with strangers digitally is just as dangerous as face to face.
While reading all of these resources, I came to a somewhat startling realization. If I have felt so overwhelmed by how and when and why to teach digital citizenship to my 3rd graders, then their parents must feel the same way. In fact, I wonder how many parents realize how important it is to teach their children these things. I have decided to start sharing articles I read about safe internet practices and digital citizenship with the parents of my students. One example I found is also on edutopia by Matt Levinson, appropriately titled "Think Before You Click".
Our children (well, your children/my students) are growing up in a completely different world than did we. The threats that face them are similar to, but not completely the same as ours and it is our job as adults to help them learn how to act as a safe, responsible digital citizen.
Saturday, October 26, 2013
Emerging Technologies for 3rd Grade
The district in which I teach has provided me with several opportunities to integrate technology in my classroom. When I look back over my first 8 years of teaching, I feel very fortunate to be in such a district. In my classroom I have used a Smartboard, document cameras, individual response systems (or clickers), and most recently iPads. Last year I received a grant from our district that gave me 15 iPads, for a 2:1 student to tablet ratio. The use of iPads in 3rd grade has opened up a whole new world of opportunities for my students. I feel like the handheld technology I use in my classroom makes any lesson more engaging and allows me to create more authentic, project-based learning opportunities for my students.
One place I want to go with technology in my classroom was mentioned in the NMC Horizons Report 2013 K-12 Edition. I am very interested in using technology to help students track their own data and use learning analytics. Last year, I focused on having students track their test scores and set goals for future assessments. This strategy proved useful in motivating students and helping them to understand what they know and what they need to learn. The websites, like Kno Me, mentioned in the Horizons report are intriguing because they can deliver personalized information to each student about their tendencies in each subject. I believe there is a great deal of power in having students analyze their learning, and technology might just make this easier and more detailed than ever before.
In addition to tracking data, there are other activities and characteristics I strive to achieve in my 21st century classroom. I believe our classrooms today must be learner-centered. It is important for students to be both teachers and learners. Technology enables students to design their own learning opportunities and even present them to others, as seen with the students creating games in the PBS video. I also believe that activities in today's classroom must be authentic. Students need more practice with the technology and types of problems that they will face in the real world. One way I have implemented this is by giving more open-ended word problems in math. Instead of giving students all the information they need to solve a problem, I simply ask a question like, "How many addition facts can you solve during math class?" Students then have to generate their own questions, collect data, analyze the problem, and apply a strategy to solve it. Another important element in a 21st century classroom is exposure to a variety of technologies and digital tools. We don't want our students to rely on just one tool, they need to be able to analyze all that is available and choose the correct digital tool for the job.
The environment I strive to create in my classroom is a community of teachers and learners. I feel it is important in this technology driven age that students still learn the importance of human interaction and interdependence. Our class has three sayings that I either re-phrased or stole from professional development sessions I attended. The first, and most important to me, is "None of us is as smart as all of us." We learn best when we work together and rely on the knowledge of the group as a whole. The second is "We are all teachers and learners." Students can use digital and traditional tools to create presentations and become the instructor. Sometimes, my third graders can explain concepts to each other better than I can because they use terms and language their peers understand. The final saying that drives our classroom environment is "Successful learners have a reason for everything they say, think, and do." In the 21st century, successful people will be those who can analyze a situation, have an opinion, and defend their opinion. I try to instill that in my 3rd graders. This saying helps in learning, but also in behavior as we must be able to have a reason for any action we make as well.
The future is ever-changing and exciting. I am looking forward to learning more technology tools to help my students prepare for it!
One place I want to go with technology in my classroom was mentioned in the NMC Horizons Report 2013 K-12 Edition. I am very interested in using technology to help students track their own data and use learning analytics. Last year, I focused on having students track their test scores and set goals for future assessments. This strategy proved useful in motivating students and helping them to understand what they know and what they need to learn. The websites, like Kno Me, mentioned in the Horizons report are intriguing because they can deliver personalized information to each student about their tendencies in each subject. I believe there is a great deal of power in having students analyze their learning, and technology might just make this easier and more detailed than ever before.
In addition to tracking data, there are other activities and characteristics I strive to achieve in my 21st century classroom. I believe our classrooms today must be learner-centered. It is important for students to be both teachers and learners. Technology enables students to design their own learning opportunities and even present them to others, as seen with the students creating games in the PBS video. I also believe that activities in today's classroom must be authentic. Students need more practice with the technology and types of problems that they will face in the real world. One way I have implemented this is by giving more open-ended word problems in math. Instead of giving students all the information they need to solve a problem, I simply ask a question like, "How many addition facts can you solve during math class?" Students then have to generate their own questions, collect data, analyze the problem, and apply a strategy to solve it. Another important element in a 21st century classroom is exposure to a variety of technologies and digital tools. We don't want our students to rely on just one tool, they need to be able to analyze all that is available and choose the correct digital tool for the job.
The environment I strive to create in my classroom is a community of teachers and learners. I feel it is important in this technology driven age that students still learn the importance of human interaction and interdependence. Our class has three sayings that I either re-phrased or stole from professional development sessions I attended. The first, and most important to me, is "None of us is as smart as all of us." We learn best when we work together and rely on the knowledge of the group as a whole. The second is "We are all teachers and learners." Students can use digital and traditional tools to create presentations and become the instructor. Sometimes, my third graders can explain concepts to each other better than I can because they use terms and language their peers understand. The final saying that drives our classroom environment is "Successful learners have a reason for everything they say, think, and do." In the 21st century, successful people will be those who can analyze a situation, have an opinion, and defend their opinion. I try to instill that in my 3rd graders. This saying helps in learning, but also in behavior as we must be able to have a reason for any action we make as well.
The future is ever-changing and exciting. I am looking forward to learning more technology tools to help my students prepare for it!
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