Classroom Visits

Today was a great day to visit in classrooms.

In the library Mrs. Richer has been teaching students how to search with Google a day.

As we move into a digital culture we learn that student know how to play with technology, but they have to be taught how to use technology, For example, there is more to search than just asking questions in Google. Learning to search is part of the Mozilla web literacy standards.

Up in 8th grade Science it is CSI week again. Totally awesome interactive presentations that include writing, audience participation, and great acting skills.

Using movies and a presentation software (usually PowerPoint or Google Slides) the students Created and solved a mystery al a the popular show CSI. Showing how Science not only teaches the basic Sciencey skills, but can also include writing and drama as well. 

Later Mr. Hepner exploded from his room and into the library. His students were so into their Veteran’s Day projects that they have continued to work on them over the last three days. This student was using a picture from the netbook as a model for her hand drawn art. The group next to her were adding music to a presentation, while still others didn't even have computers.

What I love, as a Tech Integration Specialist, is how all of these lessons included technology, but only one had one to one computers. Even then the students were often discussing what was happening on their screens with their partners. 

Using Ted-Ed in Your Classroom

At first I was just going to send out this Ted-Ed Lesson for the Science teachers in the district, but then thought better of it. (Be careful before you start watching they are very engaging shorts for each element.)

Then I realized it has been a while since I have shared the Ted-Ed resources. I love how they have created a simple resource that can so quickly and easily be used to engage students, and even make them think. like this one.

The concept is simple start with a video and then ask some questions, all in four or less steps.

1. Watch
2. Think 
3. Dig Deeper
4. Discuss

Like the Dan Meyer's three-act lessons (More from Andrew Stadel here) the technology (videos, online discussions) isn't there to teach or assess it is just there to spark curiosity. 

The best part of Ted-Ed is the ability to take any video, either a current Ted-Ed, a youtube you found, or something your created yourself, and quickly add your own questions and discussions. I've created a quick example (it took all of 15 minutes) just to show you what you could make for your classroom. So if you have a few minutes, watch my lesson and then start the discussion, here or there, it doesn't matter.

Connected Art

In case you forgot (or just didn't know) October is Connected Educator month.

At the middle school Mrs. Lauer has taken the challenge and connected to an online community of Art educators. http://theartofeducation.ning.com/

Nings were a very popular place for educators to connect and share for many years, right up until the point when they decided to start charging to host the communities. On the other hand if a ning community is still going then you can be pretty sure the people running the thing are going to make it valuable to you.

So cudos to Mrs. Lauer for joining the ranks of the connected educators. The rest of us can follow along as she goes from a new blank flickr account (Staff are encouraged to follow this professional account) to one full of students examples like this one.

https://secure.flickr.com/photos/suzanne_tiedemann/collections/72157626708058663/

Maker Party - AppMaker

Maker Party

Yesterday evening the school district again hosted a #teachtehweb Maker Party.  As they did last year Mozilla, NWP, and several other non-profits are promoting digital literacy around the world. 

We started the evening asking why apps such as Flappy Bird might ask for things like location data? It was quickly decided that while it doesn't seem harmful (if they are using the information to provide more targeted adds) it is certainly a bit uncomfortable having so much information about ourselves being passed around. We realized that free apps aren't actually free, we are paying for them by selling information about ourselves. If an app is free to you, that means you are the product being sold to someone else. 

If we want to play games on a tablet or phone it would be nice if we could create the games ourselves. How could we do that? We would look at two app building programs Mozilla Appmaker and AppInventor from MIT.

We started by creating a simple counter app. Add a button and every time you click the button it counts. Some of the participants modified the app to use pictures of cats inside the button, some added a second button to count down, and some added automatic counters. 

With our first app created I passed out some paper planning sheets.  However, most were busy creating apps already and didn't want to step back and start planning. 

Fifteen minutes before the end I stopped everyone and asked they to take a tour around the room to see what everyone else had created. 

Some had created musical instruments that would play when tapped. Others created video players that would play favorite youtube videos when a button was pressed. 

Especially, nice was the way parents worked with their children to create, but the kids did most of the heavy lifting and were the creative force behind the app being created. 

After our tour of each other's work we took a quick look at AppInventor from MIT. This is an actual programming system for Android. Appmaker from Mozilla is a bit easier and allows students to create an app quickly. AppInventor will allow the kids to create something at home and actually put it on the phone or tablets. Eventually, if they want they can also share their apps with their friends. Hopefully they won't create a messaging app that they will then use in school. 

We ended the day talking a bit about net-neutrality and the implications around the world. 

Growing a Rainforest

Biomes in Science are always a fun time. Students love to create intricate worlds to explore. It's even better when the world they create is big enough to walk through.

The Research Project on Animals.

When I was a kid, and dinosaurs roamed the earth, the project was: “500 words on your saber tooth tiger.” We had a set of encyclopedias at home; most of those reports were copied directly from there. Honestly, I always wondered why I didn't get caught for plagiarism. 

When I was teaching I discovered the hamburger writing guide and variants. My students and I learned a bit about writing together.

Today with technology the possibilities have expanded even more.

• Research done online
• Skype/Hangout with animal expert or zoo
• Create movies or animations instead of written report
• Powerpoint, Prezi, or similar presentation
• Blog posts
• Collaborative wiki projects
• Collaborative writing in Google Docs or Etherpad

All of these choices still stem from the original idea, and meet concepts, or Standards in different ways.

Today the teachers choose, what is a good first step, into easing the students into 21st century work. A nice familiar paper outline, supplemented with the option to research online.  The biggest and most exciting, difference I saw was the teachers embedding a quick lesson on digital literacy, reminding students to use quality sources during their research. “Remember, don’t just Google your animal. Start with a library Destiny search.”

Students using a variety of tools to research animals

Technology Integration in the Elementary School

I think this just about sums it up.