How to Use an iPad for Academic Use

One of my students, Matt D., created a presentation on how to use an iPad for academic use based on his experiences last year.  We are a BYOD district, but still being rooted in paper, our paperless skills are still emerging.  Part of the delay is that it takes time to figure out an effective workflow with new technology. Well, Matt has taken the guess work out of using an iPad in a BYOD classroom. As a pioneer among his classmates, Matt made it his mission to be paperless in my classroom last year, and this year, he is making sure that others can do it, too.

Take a look at Matt's presentation.  We welcome any feedback and please share how YOU and your students use a paperless workflow. Also, keep an eye out for other posts that showcase the paperless workflow for other devices.

Tell Me All About it with Tellagami

Tellagami is a mobile app that lets users create a short animated video using any mobile device. This is a cool tool for BYOD students and teachers to use for animated project videos.

In three easy steps, users create a "Gami" animated avatar by customizing their character, selecting a background image, adding dialogue, and sharing it. Once you have the app, there is no account log in information to worry about.  Students and the teacher could share devices to use Tellagami.

Sharing Created Gamis

While not having to worry about log in information is a plus and sharing is easy, there is not currently a way to see a library of the Gamis one makes when in the app. Once a Gami is created, select share via email to grab the URL hyperlink or save in the camera roll/ video/Tellagami folder of a device. Teachers could have students turn in their Gami by submitting the URL on a class Google form or turning the URL in via an assignment on Edmodo. Students could also embed the Gami in a digital portfolio such as a Google Site or a blog. While archiving created Gamis via email isn't ideal, I can't complain when considering the cost (FREE) and ease of use.

If you are having trouble locating the embed code, first send yourself the URL via sharing through email. Go to your email, then click on the URL and return to the Gami created. Click on the share icon in the upper right corner and the embed code will appear. I don't know why the embed code doesn't automatically appear in the app, but I'm hopeful that the Tellagami developers will remedy this soon.

Ideas for Use

For use in the classroom, students could take a picture of a project with their mobile device and upload the picture as their background image.  Adding dialogue students could record their voice or type in text that explains their project. The student could then share the link to the Gami via email, Twitter, Facebook, or copy/pasting the link to a learning management system such as Edmodo. An embed code is also provided for posting the Gami to a blog.

Tellagmi could be used for mini-virtual field trips. Students could search and select a background image of a location significant to the content being studied and record a message about the location.

For #flipclass teachers, Tellagami for quick delivery of content. Upload a picture of a diagram, equation, or any other pictorial information and record a Gami explaining the concept then share.

This easy to use tool has a plethora of uses for the classroom. From classroom presentations to delivery of content, Tellagami will allow students and teachers to tell viewers all about any concept.

Here are two examples I made: one has a computer generated voice with an uploaded background and the other has a Tellagmi provided background using my voice for the avatar. You can customize and select the options that fit your project.

Edmodocon 2013

I am so thrilled to share this news!

My best buddy and partner in crime, Liz Calderwood, and I are presenting at Edmodocon 2013 this summer!  We are one of 15 presenters chosen for this global, virtual and free conference.

Our session is titled Classroom Gymnastics: How to Use Edmodo for BYOD, 1:1 (When you can be), Paperless, and Flipped Learning. I hope you will join us online on August 7th, 2013 and view all the presentations.

Registration is now OPEN, so please reserve your spot! Did I mention it is FREE????

THANKS!

It is Not a Project to Get Students Talking: Two Tools

Teaching 150 high school students, there are bound to be some who get lost in the crowd, lack confidence, or distracted by personal technology usage, but with the following tools and techniques, the quiet students can have their voices heard, the text-ers can be academically occupied, and all learners can be engaged by using technology that taps into students' behavior and aligns with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Humanism, and  Social Learning Theories.

TodaysMeet.com

I really have to thank Cheryl Morris for introducing me to this simple tool last summer and providing me with ideas that I've put into action this school year.  TodaysMeet.com is a website that allows a person to create a closed chatroom that only those with the URL can join.  A la Twitter with it's 140 characters per message, the teacher creates the name of the room and provides the students with the URL address. Students type in the URL in their web browser and enter their names in to join the room. The chatroom or backchannel can be accessed on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, and puts students' texting talents to work.

Caveat: Expect some shenanigans the first time using the backchannel as students move through Maslow's Heirarchy of Needs and engage in social learning and digital citizenship. I've had students enter false names and type ridiculous messages, but once they get settled, they can move from the realm of ridiculousness, needing the attention of others, enter the sphere of learning to understand and engage with the content, and finally, make connections with other students in a self actualized and transcendent manner.

Uses:

1. For informal class discussions and viewing activities, allow students to speak aloud and/or communicate via the backchannel depending on their comfort level with speaking aloud in class. A moderator can monitor the the backchannel and interject in the verbal discussion as needed.
2. In structured Socratic Seminars, students in the outer circle communicate via TodaysMeet, while those in the inner circle speak aloud.  
3. While watching video clips in class, post questions and comments  to the backchannel instead of stopping the film every 30 seconds (like I do, or did before TodaysMeet) to point out visual nuances or comment on the action.  
4. During class presentations, students can ask questions and provide constructive criticism without interrupting the speaker or waiting until the end of the presentation.

To allow students to revisit the conversation as needed, download and save the transcript and then upload it to Edmodo or other LMS, or email a copy to all participants. Students can also save their own copy of the transcript directly from the site. Here is a transcript of a Socratic Seminar on Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men.

As seen in the transcript of December's Socratic Seminar on Steinbeck, students practiced interpersonal, listening, and critical thinking skills.  As they became vested in the activity,  the students were quick to point out those who dominated the conversation and others who provided thoughtful responses.  The entire conversation was student-centered, and all I had to do was monitor and provide guidance as needed.


During our viewing this week of the first 30 minutess of The Odyssey staring Armand Assante, I posted questions to the TodaysMeet chat room, as well as gave them a handout with the questions printed. Since this was the first time using TodaysMeet during a film, I scaffolded the process and anchored the new activity with something familiar.

During my pd 7 class, one of my "deskflowers" (like a wallflower, but sitting in a desk, of course) bloomed for all to see, providing intelligent comments and smart answers to the questions I posed and was recognized by another student for her contributions. Despite the typos, this was the first time Nikki really heard Alyssa "speak" in class and Alyssa was recognized for participation in class. Pretty darn cool, especially if you knew Alyssa's back story.

Now, as expected, they were sharing answers via the backchannel, but the recognition of Alyssa's contributions by Nikki could not have been written in any lesson plan.  By providing the students an opportunity to communicate, we are also providing them an opportunity to make interpersonal connections that otherwise would not have occurred.

Google Hangouts

One of my go-to Google guys, Troy Cockrum, told me to not be afraid to Hangout by myself, and he was right. And my ELA-flip-coach Cheryl Morris, who I have mentioned here so much that I should just rename this blog "Putting Cheryl's EduAwesome Ideas Into Practice," provided me with the opportunity to do just that.  Working with Cheryl and the other #CoLab flippers from the Flipped Learning Journal on a series of video discussions of John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, I snatched up the opportunity to record a discussion with a quiet student who wows me with her nerdfighter prowess and a video with another student who's own life connected with the characters in Green's novel.

Gabbie won't speak up in a room of her classmates, but after school on Friday, we recorded an 11 minute conversation using On Air Google Hangout where she couldn't stop talking about the author and all she knew about the story. Using the Google effects as an ice-breaker while we filmed and simultaneously projected the video on the front screen (as well as live posting to YouTube), Gabbie was able to face her fear of "public" speaking.  With more practice, hopefully Gabbie will realize just how valuable her contributions can be and that she should not hide in a crowd.

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of chatting with my former student Steven about Chapter 2 of The Fault in Our Stars and his own experience with cancer.  Again, this wasn't for a grade, but to show how fictional stories resonate in own lives and to give one student the opportunity to share his story with others.

You may have noticed that the style of the video differs despite using the same tool.  For Gabbie's video, I opened a Live, On Air Google Hangout with no other participants and flipped my web camera around to capture us sitting in the desks. We were technically hanging out by ourselves online, and Gabbie's buddy, Amber, played cameraman by changing the effects and starting/stopping the broadcast. For Steven's video, we did a regular Live, On Air Google Hangout and chatted back and forth for 15 mins, then with a little editing magic using Camtasia, Cheryl inserted titles and cut the conversation to 6 minutes for me (Thank you, again!). Google Hangout is a useful tool that I am just beginning to realize its applications in and out of the classroom, and I have just barely begun to delve into the world of video editing. Oh, what I want to learn to do!

Coincidentally, if you are interested in getting in on the discussion, The Atlantic is doing an organized Twitter chat on The Fault in Our Stars and you can view the rest of the Flipped Learning Journal's book discussion videos on YouTube.

Why do they work?

Both TodaysMeet and Google Hangout appeal to visual and kinesthetic learners and social learning proponents.   The visual learners can see the conversation in the backchannel, as well as see the movie like nature of the Google Hangout when not actively participating in the video.  Kinesthetic learners are busy exercising their fingers when using TodaysMeet, and, as an active participant in a Google Hangout, the learner is a movie star whether it be on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone. The students work collaboratively to understand the material and practice interpersonal skills.

The longevity of both of these tools in found in what they provide at no cost to users whether in the classroom or not. Both allow for synchronous communication no matter the location or context of the participants. Todaysmeet can be used during business meetings/presentations-- just imagine Mad Men (if they had computers or smartphones) backchanneling during a pitch!-- and, while I like the serendipity of Twitter and opening the chat to the world wide web,  since schools and/or businesses many need closed and secure communication, TodaysMeet is a more viable option than chatting using Twitter. With archiving using YouTube, Google Hangouts allow for a variety of connections, including hanging out with President Obama. Politics aside, if the President uses Google Hangout as a modern version of Roosevelt's Fireside Chats, then why not apply this tool in the classroom?

By using technology that appeals to student behaviors and needs, we can give all students a voice and opportunity to be in the spotlight.


References

Collaborative Digital Information Projects

My students used their phones to create voice recorded projects and I'd like to continue evolving their skills into eventually being comfortable doing collaborative digital presentations. Technology can easily be used to facilitate student presentations and overcome the fear of public speaking and provide valid opportunities for reflection and collaboration.

In this video, Kate Summers explains how her science students use collaborative tech tools for creating projects that teach concepts to other students.

In order for this project to work, students need access to tech and inter-personal skills to effectively and efficiently work with others.  With our Google integration almost ready for roll out in the coming month, I could have students engage in such activities and have them post the projects to Edmodo for sharing and review.  

In the Spring, we will be working on Homer's The Odyssey and Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, both of which are heavy with historical information. In the past, I've divided students into groups and they would research a topic and then later jig-saw to share the information. Completed using paper and having students present in class, time constraints and preparation became an issue. By digitizing the projects, students can work in or out of class and presentations can be viewed multiple times online ensuring all information is absorbed.

My EdcampNJ Highlights

On December 1st, 2012, educators from NJ and surrounding areas congregated at Linwood Middle School in North Brunswick for EdcampNJ's free day of professional development.

• For notes on all sessions from the day, take a look at the #EdcampNJ collaborative Google doc compiled by participants.
• Pictures taken by Kevin Jarrett can be found on Flickr.
• Archive & Analysis of Tweets about #EdcampNJ
• Additional Smackdowns from Jerry the Cybraryman

This is me talking about
 Infuselearning.com
during the Smackdown.
Photo Credit: Kevin Jarrett

High & Low-tech for Optimal Learning

Not only teachers able to share ways to integrate technology in the classroom, but I also learned some low-tech techniques as well. There is something for everyone at



Cellphones in the Classroom

For those of you looking for online organization of students using cellphones in class, take a look at Cel.ly. I use a mix of devices with some days in the class being BYOD and others using the school's computers and netbooks (as available). I already use Edmodo as my online hub, but Cel.ly looks worth exploring more in depth.  I also use QR Codes, Socrative and InfuseLearning for other BYOD activities, and Today's Meet for backchanneling. 

Storytelling in the Classroom

Following the rule of two feet, I only caught the last 10 minutes of this session, but I wish I had caught the whole thing. Led by Bill Krakower's mom, Elsie, this session focused on story telling techniques for encouraging student presentation skills. For high-tech story telling, Skype with other classes or have students tell and record stories using their devices.

Rubber Bands for Desktop Alignment

The desks in my classroom are the kind with the chair attached to the desktop and are arranged in a modified U-shape with desks in the center in front-facing lines. The set up works well for a mix of classroom activities from partner work to group work to direct instruction, but by the end of the day, the desks have migrated out of formation because every time a student slides into his/her seat, the desk gets slightly pushed to the right. By the end of the day, the entire room is shifted to the right wall-- as if there were a gravitational force. Using rubber bands around desk legs may keep them better in line. Keep those eyes peeled at Edcamp-- resources can be found anywhere!

Body Talk

Paul Bogush (@paulbogush) lead a session on body language in the classroom, including teacher and student postures. I caught the last 20 minutes of this and I wish I had been there for the whole session. In addition to the collaborative notes on the session, Jerry the Cybraryman, has complied a list of additional resources on his web site. As one who can usually read people, this was a fascinating session!

How To Run Your Own Edcamp

I enjoyed listening to Kevin Jarret and others discuss the structure and design of Edcamps and how to start Edcamps as PD in one's own school.  Edcamp-type sessions can start as small as having a discussion over lunch where teachers share ideas or having a once-a-month "unmeeting" where teachers show and share best practices.  Here are additional links on how to run an Edcamp.

• So You Want to Run an Edcamp by the Edcamp Foundation
• Planning an Edcamp by Mary Beth Hertz
• South Plainfield's Professional Learning Day

Idioms, Not Idiots, for Promoting Speaking Skills

Students often view presenting in front of the whole class with the same disdain as facing a firing squad or are so self-conscience that they act like idiots. Additionally, finding precious time for whole class presentations can eat into high-paced curricular calendars.  We are still trying to get back on track from Hurricane Sandy, so this project was a quick way to get students to present and share without the stress of being in front of the class or take up class time. Students need to be able to present to audiences in person, but I do not agree with a "sink or swim" approach. This is an initial project for scaffolding the teaching of presentation skills.

Using OMM & BYOD for Recording Student Voices

As an introductory activity for John Steinbeck's novella, Of Mice and Men, students worked in groups to record a quick conversation using idioms (not idiots) from the 1930's.

Open those ears and try to figure out what they are talking about in those hackney country accents (I apologize to those of you who live in the country).

Equipment Needed

• One student in the group needed a device (smartphone or ipod) with a voice recorder. I recommend encouraging students to use a free MP3 voice recorder instead of a standard voice recorder that saves files as .m4a for easier integration into Edmodo. 
• If students record in .m4a format, files can be converted using a free web program such as Fileminx (just be mindful of the pin-up ladies in the background if you direct students to the site). I did the conversions for the students.

The Process

Edmodo easily embeds MP3's- just click play
(on Edmodo, not on this picture), no downloading!

1. In groups of no more than 4, students reviewed a list of idioms used in OMM and drafted a script on paper.
2. Students used one smartphone/ipod per group to record about a 30 second conversation. In some cases, I even let a few groups use my Android phone to record.
3. The recordings were emailed me to me because they would not upload directly to Edmodo from students' phones. We tried a few different techniques (go through Google Drive and Edmodo's library), but none seemed to work. I also wanted to minimize clogging the class' main page with too many posts. 
4. I saved the files and converted as needed and then uploaded groups of them to Edmodo as a note. I didn't save the students' names to each project, just give each recording a different number.
5. Students listen to the recordings and reply with comments. No grading for this assignment because the focus is on the process, but feedback was provided about how to improve performances.

Alternatively, for sharing audio files using YouTube instead of on Edmodo, I created title slides in PowerPoint which I saved as JPEG's, and used Windows Movie Maker to combine the visual and audio elements. It only took a few minutes of trial and error to create the video above.  

I'm not keen on uploading the audio files to Youtube without some sort of proper visual, but the visual needs to not be distracting or too complex because the emphasis is on the audio for this project. I did not want to create a video, but to share the student recordings on this blog, I needed to.  I'm figuring out the BYOD as I go, so if you, dear reader, have more efficient techniques, please share! 

Projecting Future Presentations

For the first time using this process, the collaboration and anonymity of the project allowed reluctant students to get into character and enjoy the project.  Students didn't have to feel like self-conscience idiots because no one other than their other group members could recognize their voices and listeners would be too focused on figuring out the idioms.  

When students record an oral presentation again (this went so well that I guarantee we will do this again!), they will be solo and identified. The next project will eventually lead into a group video using their devices and finally an individual video or screencast.  

Quick Customizing of QR Codes

The artist in me likes to look at the world in color, and QR codes by themselves are rather bland, but do a Google search for customizing QR codes and there will be a myriad of posts--most of which use technical jargon and various programs--to insert logos and other visual elements. The inserted logo or visual element will provide a visual cue to remember the purpose of the code. QR codes are for quick acquisition of information, so why not have a quick and simple method for customizing? Using the method below, I customized the QR codes below in less than 5 minutes each.

As I've stated before, while I'm technically adept at using computer tools, I really have no formal training or understanding of how/why various computer "stuff" works. Reusing my car analogy, I am an experienced driver, but don't ask me to explain the mechanics of why/how my car moves or how to fix it when it breaks.

Baker's Basic Method:

1. Create the QR code and save it in your files. 
2. Open the saved QR codes in MS Paint and use the various tools to add color or draw images on the code. While the entire code can be colored, only draw an image on a small portion of the middle to bottom right corner of the code and try not to cover the black lines. I used FILL to color in enclosed areas and paint brushes to draw on the code. As a general rule, try to alter as little as possible.
3. Use a QR code scanner on a smartphone to test the code throughout the coloring process. If the scanner cannot read the code, then there has been too much alteration. Just undo a few steps and try again. A little trial and error never hurts!
4. Save the customized QR code in your files. I just add "color" to the end of the original QR Code's file name so that I maintain the original code in case I want a bland copy.

Like an optical illusion poster, 
what can you see in a QR code?

QR Codes for Imagery Writing

This activity will appeal to students who are kinestetic and visual learners. Using BYOD, students will bring to class their personal device and use a QR code reader to access pictures on the web. Students will then incorporate sensory details to write a short creative response based on each picture.

The Process:

1. The teacher creates QR codes of various pictures found on the web and saves the codes in his/her files. Using a QR Coder and a Google Image search, pictures can easily be found. The pictures should invoke descriptive writing. 
2. Prior to class, the teacher prints out the QR codes and places them around the classroom.
3. Students circulate around the room and use a QR code reader on their smartphone or tablet to access the pictures and either write their descriptions on paper or use the voice recorder on their device to record the student's description of the picture. Students who do not have their own device will team up with another student who has a device.
4. When all pictures have been written about, students share their responses with their neighbor and the teacher asks for volunteers to share with the whole class.
5. The teacher will then project each picture on the big screen in the front of the room and the teacher will discuss the pictures with the class. Students will then revise their responses to include details that could not been seen on the smaller device screens or those sparked by comments made by classmates. Students can share their responses with their neighbor and discuss writing options.
6. Students choose one response from the set to revise and turn in for review by the teacher.

Grading

The initial writing responses will not be graded, but instead used for formative assessment. The final revised response can be scored using a rubric, but as I've stated in previous posts, I'm reluctant to put a score on students' writing. I'd rather read the response, annotate, conference with the student and offer constructive feedback for further improvement.

Take a look...

CSI: Salinas

Teaching students to infer and formulate arguments can easily be in context of a novel.  Using Steinbeck's Of Mice & Men, students can analyze the text to create an outline for a mock trial for either George or Lennie.  The final project can be completed on paper, using word processing skills and completed using a student's BYOD device.

A student's smartphone or tablet does not have to just be used for a special occasion in the classroom. I encourage my students to use their device daily for note taking, recording ideas, reflecting, and researching. For this assignment, students will use their device throughout the process and to create the final products.

Collecting Witness Statements

This project requires students to examine the story from various viewpoints and use textual evidence to support the perspective.  Students begin by collecting witness statements from ALL characters mentioned in the story:  The Boss, the various ranch hands and even the quickly mentioned Girl in the Red Dress. On paper, students would complete the chart and cite page numbers to reference statements. Students need to consider what each character knows and how their viewpoint is different from the reader's perspective.  Not all characters know all events.  After all witness statements have been collected, students would organize the characters into lists by who likes George or Lennie.

Collecting Physical Evidence

Students also need to examine the setting in various scenes to collect physical evidence that can be manipulated to support their case. The evidence can't be disregarded or changed, but it can be used to support viewpoints. This piece of the project is very important for students to formulate their arguments because there are certain things they cannot get around.  For example, (spoiler alert!) the cause of death for Lennie can't be changed. Students can't get around the location of the bullet wound and state that George was attacked by Lennie and shot him in a different spot. The self-defense angle for George will have to account for the ballistics evidence as shown in the story. Lennie never handles the luger so his finger prints cannot suddenly appear on the gun.

Additionally, students can manipulate the crime scene. For example, Curley's Wife dies in the barn, but the defense team for Lennie could state that she fell from the hayloft and died as a result of her injuries. The prosecution could refute this claim with the physical evidence of hay, fibers, puppy fur, etc found on Lennie's and Curley's Wife's clothing. We know from Crooks' statements that Curley's Wife is always in the barn, poking around where she shouldn't be and even threatens Crooks in Chapter 4. It is conceivable for the defense team that CW was in the barn, wearing her little red mules, and met with an accidental death. Although, the prosecution for Lennie's case should bring up the evidence of CW's smeared make up being on Lennie's hand (which readers know got there when he "reprimanded" her for yelling).

Select a Case & Position

After witness testimonies and evidence have been collected, students need to decide which case and position they want to argue.  There are four possibilities:

I tell the students that truth doesn't really exist; truth is just a bunch of people agreeing to see things the same way. The point of this project is in the process and the ability to support the case. I've watched enough CSI and Law & Order to know about circumstantial evidence and proving reasonable doubt, and I've done week-long mock trials in class where students are assigned roles, but there's always those few students who don't get into character and invalidate the activity. I've changed this over the years to just a persuasive-argumentative assignment to preserve the integrity and prevent the three-ring circus. The objective is to have the students examine all of the  evidence and witness statements prior to selecting a case, so that students will realize the best argument instead of picking a side and trying to support it and then start over when they realize they don't have enough evidence to support their position. 

Prosecuting George for the death of Lennie is easy. There's enough evidence to prove that he did it between the lack of signs of a struggle, the ballistics evidence, and motive. George constantly belittles Lennie (as Candy overheard) and there's witnesses who can attest that George has been manipulating Lennie. The Boss will even state that George has been stealing Lennie's pay. Sympathetic readers will shout, "But Lennie can't take care of himself! George has to!" But all that matters is PERCEPTION: to a jury George can seem manipulative, controlling, and heck, with his new best friends, Slim & Candy, what does he need Lennie for? 

Defending George is another viable option because he can be portrayed as a hero: the Girl in the Red Dress from the town of Weed will testify that George saved her life by beating that big lug over the head with a fence picket. Even the pugnacious Curley will state that is was George who pulled his hand from the clutches of Lennie's vice grip. But, there is that ballistics evidence to overcome: shooting someone in the back of the head usually isn't done in self-defense...

Defending Lennie is difficult. One could try the insanity plea, but throughout the novel, there are examples of Lennie knowing right from wrong, and there are are the numerous times where he threatens violence. Sympathetic readers will shout, "But Lennie only gets violent when the things he loves are threatened! He doesn't mean it!" But to a jury, the PERCEPTION is that Lennie is a menace to society who kills mice, puppies, and pretty women. Ouch.

We've all read enough school uniform essays to know that the easier side to choose is in support of uniforms, and school uniforms in this day and age is a dud topic. Students like reading OMM and that connection enhances this activity. They see George and Lennie as real people instead of some nebulous persuasive essay topic, which makes this activity so valuable. 

Another valuable lesson is in organization: Once students have made a selection, they organize their information into an outline. To facilitate the process, students fill in the blanks on the provided template to create a rough draft and then use the draft to type up a final copy.  

The Final Product

Students type up an outline for their case and is an individual grade assessing ability to follow directions, craft a legitimate argument and demonstrate understanding of outline format.  Students would peer edit each other's outlines using the provided checklist.

For the BYOD component and to make up for not doing an actual mock-trial, students would work in groups comprised of people with the same court case and position. Students would create a digital portfolio of crime scene photographs, videos of witness' testimonies, and/or scenes from the mock trial.  The final group portfolio would be posted on Edmodo and as part of their online participation grade, students would comment on each of the groups' portfolios. Students would complete self evaluation forms using a checklist and OSU rubric.

I don't have student examples created just yet because we start our OMM unit next week and this project is for the end of the unit, but I am recruiting former students to create some sample witness videos  They will be posted in the next few days.

Capturing Classroom Videos

Screencasting

Using the FREE and super easy Screencast O Matic web tool and a $25 headset, I've started to create videos that will supplement my explanation of concepts studied in class. I haven't really used videos all the much for flipping my classes because of accessibility and inequity with technology in the classroom, but now that those issues are close to being resolved, I am very interested in learning how to  to add videos to my bag of tricks.

This is a 15 minute video that I created which explains elements of an adapted version of "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe. I just made this video today during the 2nd half of my prep period in one take. I had the document previously created, and I recorded myself discussing the text. Students don't have a copy of my answer sheet, but now they can use the video to make sure their pages are complete.

For one of my students on homebound instruction, I created a personalized screencast to show her how to navigate Edmodo and answer some of her questions. As I always tell my writers, showing is much more effective than telling. Now I can show them showing is more effective!

For our study of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, I opened the book using the Kindle Cloud Reader and recorded myself discussing elements of Chapter 1.  Students then completed various tasks reviewing Chapter 1 and viewed the screencasts prior to taking a quiz. Many students stated that they preferred the screencasts to a live lecture because they could control the pace. As a delivery method for information, the screencast is efficient, and using Screencast-O-Matic, I was able to create the video in under about 20 minutes taking into account the time for uploading to Youtube.

Smartphone

And while this isn't a screencast, I used my android cellphone to record a quick video of students reviewing the site No Red Ink. Students were using No Red Ink for the first time and since they were really enjoying using the site for grammar instruction, I captured their responses. Using cellphone video recorders are an easy way for students to do book reports, show group work in process, or record a group discussion.

And for something REALLY COOL, Karl Lindgren-Streicher, a 9/10 world hisotry teacher in San Mateo, CA used his iPhone and a time lapse app to create a video showing a day in his class.

Whether for information delivery or capturing the moment, video production in the classroom can be as easy as using a screencasting or smartphone app. If you have any tips, tricks or feedback for making videos and using them for supplemental purposes, please share your ideas and examples.

Week #2- Artistry & Collaboration

Week 2 Break Down:

1. Narrative Terms & Literary Devices
2. Collaborative Google Docs
3. Socrative Space Race
4. Seniors vs Freshmen

"Bouquet of Sunflowers" by Claude Monet
Oil on Canvas, 1881

"Flower"by Katherine Baker,
Microsoft Paint, 2012

With the freshmen, I start the year off working with Narrative Terms and showing how an author can add artistry to writing. This is akin to at home finger painting versus museum quality artwork: I can fingerpaint a picture of a flower,  but an artist can enhance the picture of the flower by using artistic techniques-- brushstrokes, type of paint, shading, etc. Both are artistic in their own sense, but I doubt you'll see my fingerpainting hung in the Museum of Modern Art. Likewise in writing, a person can write a simple sentence about a flower, but an author can add depth and meaning by using literary devices.

The flower bloomed in the spring. -K. Baker

Like the lily,That once was mistress of the field and flourish'd, I'll hang my head and perish. - William Shakespeare, Henry VIII (3.1.168-70)

There is the use of consonance of the "L, "S" and "D" sounds, alliteration of the "F" and "H" sounds, as well as the use of meter and simile in Shakespeare's sentence. I may be a decent English teacher, but I am certainly not published like Shakespeare! 

So this is what my freshmen students did one day this week. We read the short story, "Priscilla and the Wimps" by Richard Peck and then used a collaborative Google Doc to mark up the text as a class. After identifying the literary devices in the text, students were then directed to another Googe Doc for collaboratively answering analysis questions and writing a group paragraph response. The focus with this activity is on the PROCESS. I wanted to "formatively" assess their understanding and ability to collaborate. I was not expecting students to be able to give me a final product in one class period.

Since I am not a 1:1 district, I had to sign out the computer lab and since many students use technology for entertainment purposes, this was their first exposure to Google Docs and the collaborative process. At the conclusion of the activity, students were directed to a Google Form on which they relfected on the process.

Observations:  

1. The students enjoyed working together, but the students did not like working together on such a large scale. Too many students on the same document made it lag and some students deleted/undid other students' submissions. I figured this would happen, but I wanted them to understand the process. I wanted them to make mistakes so that when I put them in small collaborative groups, they will make fewer mistakes and I will get a final finished product from the group.
2. The students had some trouble applying their knowledge of the terms-- probably because they still needed to obtain the knowledge. They could pick out obvious narrative terms (simile, alliteration) but had trouble with irony and diction.
3. While they could "search & locate" narrative terms and input their individual responses on the group questions, students struggled with writing collaboratively. They could not create a group paragraph answer in the time given. I didn't expect them to complete the paragraph, but I wanted to give them the opportunity to exceed my expectations.

The next day in class (Friday), we reviewed the collaborative document and went over some of the errors and missed terms. We discussed how an author can build a story around an allusion, in this case the Garden of Eden, and use narrative terms to enhance the story. I saw light bulbs going off when they made the connections! We also went over how to make the collaborative process easier.

To finish off the class period, the students used their personal devices to work in groups on a 5 minute Socrative Space Race.  Despite some hiccups with connecting to the wi-fi and getting the students acclimated, the race was a success: students were animated, on task, and used teamwork to finish the race. I'm also checking out Infuse Learning and Naiku's Quick Question to add to my arsenal of clicker-type activities using personal devices.



Where do we go from here?
We will continue to work on identifying and analyzing narrative terms/literary devices throughout the year. I'll be giving them a test on narrative terms at the end of this week, as well as a quiz on "Priscilla & the Wimps" to assess their knowledge and comprehension. In addition, we'll be doing more collaborative writing using a flipped and mastery approach. I will be assigning the same group questions again, but this time the groups will be student chosen and each group will receive their own GDoc to complete the writing task. 

A Little More on Flipped & Mastery Writing
The only way for the students to become better writers is to write, but I need them to be thinking about their writing while doing it, and I can't have them waiting for me to give them back their papers covered in red ink. So, if they write with partners or groups, they should be able to edit and make choices while in the group process. This should increase the frequency of feedback from each other and me since I can "drop in" on the collaborative Gdocs or look over the shoulder when writing on paper and they can talk to each other about the choices they are making. I can increase the number of formative writing tasks (notice I did not say assignment!), and decrease the number (but increase the quality) of summative assignments. This will also take the pressure off of students and hopefully they won't procrastinate writing in general. I have been so tired of doing writing the traditional way and getting poor quality final essays. Writing is a process, so why should I only focus on the final product. It doesn't make sense!

Any additional ideas on writing?



Seniors vs. Freshmen
For the first time in my 14 year career, I'm teaching one section of senior general level English. I'm enjoying the class, but I'm concerned. While the seniors are agreeable and behaved, they have also been well-trained in the traditional mode: they love listening to me talk and tell them answers. This is great if I were a traditional type teacher-- but as you can guess from my blog, I'm not. We did a version of the collaborative Google Doc, but it was focused on finding answers to a web quest on Beowulf. It was not as involved of a lesson as the freshmen. While it is nice to not have to deal with behavior issues and the traditional model here would be soooooo easy to implement, I still want the students to think for themselves-- and frankly, I'd get bored with the traditional method. I like flipping, using cooperative learning, and meta-cognition. My initial focus this year with the seniors will be to connect the literature to the students' lives, showing them how the concepts are universal and to apply that knowledge to making decisions out in the real world. I can try to un-train them from the traditional model, but I'm concerned that there won't be much time for reprogramming. 

Any thoughts or advice on teaching seniors? 

Start the Year with Contracts, 9/11 & BWP

Breaking Down the First Week:
1. BWP
2. Class Contract for Mid-level classes
3. Class Procedures for all
4. Using Edmodo for posting activities and assignments and having online discussions
5. Using Quizlet as a study resource
6. Student reflection responses

Blank White Page Project was a big hit for starting off the year. Students were intrigued about the idea of questioning and researching for the sake of questioning and researching. I'm still in the process of categorizing my students' questions, but I'm hopeful that in October, I can get them started on the researching process. This was certainly a quick way for me to get to know my students. They revealed much about themselves in the questions they asked. I am looking forward to getting them connected to students across the country. This will be a valuable lesson in learning to be part of a greater community.


On to the Contracts: My "general" or "average" level classes are usually where I have the most behavior problems. Could it be a vicious cycle: student is placed in general/average level and will therefore act in a general/average way because he/she was not identified as advanced despite possessing unrecognized "advanced" potential? In the MS, students are labeled as advanced or general, but when they move up to 9th grade, there are 4 tracks to take: Basic, General, Advanced, Honors.   Placement is based on test scores and marking period grades, but it isn't a perfect system. I've also noticed a pattern: the students who are more well-behaved (good at playing the game of school) are placed in Advanced. There are some smart students in those General classes, but the lack of maturity in 9th grade impedes learning.  My opinion: too many tracks for 9th graders and if the student is not placed in his/her desired track, the student shuts down. To combat this vicious cycle, this year the classes and I negotiated an academic contract and am implementing a hybrid-mastery model.

In order for this to work, I and the students both need to follow through. I need to stay organized and up to date on assignments, and the students need to honor holding themselves to a higher standard. Edmodo's quiz feature will help with managing tests. I have two options to explore:

1. Create a small group with in my class for retakes, loading the retake tests to just the small group and selecting the students as needed. I'm toying with the idea of delineating each retake group: instead of one large retake group, create a group for each unit. I'm just afraid that I will have too many small groups within the main class group. And if I deselect students from the small group, I think their scores get erased as well, so I want to make sure I think this through.
2. My other option is to create an additional class for students to join to take the retakes. I would be able to set permissions to read-only if needed, but their scores would be in a separate gradebook. I want all scores in one place....maybe this won't work.

A third option is to forgo technology for the retakes and do paper-pen tests. I have a cache of them at my fingertips. I'm still in the process of moving to paperless environment, so this would alleviate the issue of having to get multiple versions on the web. Ugh, I dunno....trials and errors!

The writing revisions will be the most time consuming on my part. I need to mull this over more. I intend on doing more frequent small formative writing that is not graded, but I need to make sure the students are getting valid feedback. Peer assessment will help, but it won't be able to do all. I could do screencast videos and discuss common errors, but I don't know if students will be able to apply the general comments to their specific writing.  Must mull this....The goal is to be efficient and effective!

Speaking of small groups, the 9-11 mini-discussion in assigned Edmodo small groups went well. Students examined two infographs, read articles from a New York Times site, found something interesting and wrote a post in their small group about what they found interesting and why. Part two of the activity involved students watching an amazing video from Mrs. Syollis' class on how to write a quality comment and then applied the newly acquired knowledge to replying to other group members' posts.

Finally for week one, students reflected on this week using a google form. Many enjoyed the 9-11 activity-- weird to think that they enjoyed learning about something that was so gut-wrenching. I have to keep reminding myself that they do not have an active memory of this event. I clearly remember everything about that day, my students were too young to understand. I received positive responses on the contract process, the introduction to Edmodo and Quizlet, and overall favorable outlook for the year.

Week 1 is DONE!

The Students are Coming!

Tomorrow starts the first day with students, and as a way to ease them (all of us) back into the schedule, we have 1/2 days with 20 minute periods. The next few days will be hectic as well with class meetings and the inevitable shaking out the kinks of student schedules. Despite the distractions, I'm starting off the year with a list of things I want to do balanced with things I'm told to do.

So, to start the year off, I begin with the Blank White Page.

As a way to BUILD the classroom climate, students will be given as their syllabus/class expectations a blank white piece of paper. I have my syllabus and class expectations from previous years, and I'm sure they know what the usual things will be on the list, so I refuse to belabor it and talk to the students. Instead, I want them to have a voice and to tell ME what they expect from this class and me, the teacher. Obviously, the comments of "no homework," "Easy A" will be addressed. We are all in this together, so why not establish class expectations together? With 7 other periods reading off their class expectations and giving the usual lectures, I hope this will intrigue them and help them to be invested in the class.

The Blank White Class Expectation page will then lead into the BWP inquiry project. More on this later....

Other items on my To-Do list include (in no particular order):

1. Creating a flipped-mastery unit for the mandatory SAT vocab words the entire district is using. Don't get me started on authentic vocabulary acquisition, but I hope this Word of the Day bit will be as painless as possible. I have the list of words, but just need to create the activities & quizzes.

2. Creating a flipped-mastery unit for the mandatory grammar skills. Grammar will also be integrated into daily lessons and activities, but I'd like to make grammar as painless as possible, too. I'm waiting on the list of skills that the 9th grade is supposed to cover.

3. Adapting some of my paper permission slips (BYOD, PAWS program) to an online format using Google forms. This won't take me long to do once I get the students on Edmodo.



I'm excited for this year with really going paperless, integrating BYOD, and delving more into the flipped classroom model. On my short list of classroom tools, we'll be using Edmodo (of course!), Google docs/forms/sites, TodaysMeet.com, Quizlet, and Socrative.

More to come soon!

Working out the Worksheet

With two weeks until school is back in session and in preparing for my presentation on Edmodo for the upcoming TeachMeetNJ unconference, I've been reflecting on past practices and thinking about how I structure the educational process in my class. Prior to the digital revolution, I used worksheets as the hub for lessons and content. I can hear the gasps of horror right now, but let me explain....

When students are not allowed to write in school issued books, having a place to write information and react to the text is vital, and being able to keep the number of worksheets to a minimum helps students as well. The worksheet was a way to organize the lesson structure and give students a location to put information. When teaching 9th graders, there is often an issue with organization. The worksheets provided guidance and structure for the content. Over the 14 years I have taught, I designed worksheets using Word and was diligent in use of space and the layout efficiently using 1 piece of paper 2-sided. Take a peek at what I created for our study of Romeo & Juliet and a group work review for Cask of Amontillado. Some of the Word formatting unfortunately does not translate well into Gdocs, but the gist of the layout and content is there.

One criticism of worksheets is that they are used for busy work.  While my students are busy working, the worksheet is not mindless and time wasting. My students are busy working, not doing busywork. There is a difference. Another criticism or misconception is that the worksheet promotes students sitting at their desks, heads bent, pencils scribbling... no interaction with others. The worksheets I have designed over the years have portability in mind: rather than lug textbooks and overflowing binders around the class, students carried one piece of paper to various locations for group work and stations.

Now that the digital revolution is in full swing, I am trying to devise means for moving to a paperless and digital classroom while facing the following challenges:

1. Availability of technology: there is a reason why I'm focused on BYOD with this blog; I do not teach in a 1:1 district. While the tech department is wonderful, I can't always get into the computer lab or sign out the laptop cart.  Practical & free BYOD resources are a must.
2. Changing technology: Web 2.0 tools are constantly changing; new technology is always popping up and disappearing. I love new tools, but the technology needs to be organized and centralized: students can't have 20 log-ins. And how many of these tools can be used with BYOD? Having students' resources scattered all over the web is akin to the exploding  3-ring binder loaded with all materials from multiple classes: it doesn't work. 
3. Turning in through technology:  Being at home or in the lab, turning in assignments is easy when the technology is at one's fingertips. Students turn in assignments via Edmodo at home or in the lab, but in the classroom, I need a BYOD method that allows students to access, create, answer, and turn in to the teacher. Socrative is excellent for multple choice and short answer, but for other types of assessments and activities, the technology is still evolving. Any ideas? Delivery is easy, but assessment via BYOD is more problematic.
4. Avoid reinventing the wheel and having a seamless transition: I have a massive library of resources that I've created that need to evolve for use in the digital cloud.  As evident in the Word docs above that were transferred to Google, the formatting isn't exact. How can resources be adapted to BYOD?

So here is my game plan for this year: generally, avoid paper and turn the students' devices into digital notebooks.

1. Worksheets are uploaded to Edmodo for students to access, complete, and turn in. I won't have to worry about file types and formatting with Edmodo. This will be fine for in class use when we can get in the lab or use the cart, but for BYOD, I'll need a different strategy. I'm still working on that...
2. Adapt previously created resources/worksheets for use in mobile apps such as Socrative, Evernote, Springpad, and GDocs, GForms, etc. I anticipate lots of copy/pasting. 
3. Students take quizzes/tests on Edmodo and Socrative. Again, more copy/pasting from paper-based tests to the quiz generators.
4. For BYOD word processing, students should be able to use the Google Docs/ Drive app on their devices. The files can then be accessed later on computers and with the integration with Edmodo, students can turn in the files on Edmodo. For BYOD in the classroom, the focus will be on smaller and more frequent writing assignments (paragraphs, journals, etc) that can later be collated and revised into larger documents on the computers.
5. For active reading, I can deliver poetry and short stories via Google docs and have students use tools to mark up the text. We could have a class copy of annotated text that all students collaborated on. 
6. Using Edshelf and scouring twitter posts, find more apps to use in class. Additionally, students will be assigned to find an app that can be used in school and write a review. By putting students to work, I should be able to find even more resources than the ones listed here.

• Google Drive
• Edmodo
• Youtube
• Skype
• Kindle reader
• Quizlet
• Socrative
• Evernote or Sprinpad
• Document camera/scanner 
• Skitch or other photo editor

While I'll be using Edmodo as my hub for digital learning, I still need to "grease the wheels" for BYOD.

This is all a work in progress, and as always, I welcome any ideas, thoughts, comments on how to make the BYOD integration work.