Chromebooks

...wish we had a full set!

Last year Amanda and I applied for a grant to get a COMPLETE class set of chromebooks.  What we received was basically a 1/2 set...or 20.  Although 20 are useful, a full class set of 35 is what is needed.  I've used them to have my students do research for projects in small groups or partners which works great.  But when it comes to doing independent research or work...it's a challenge and often not worth the hassle or time.  To truly benefit from the technology, it would be great to increase the grant from 20 to 30-35 computers.

Google Define

This function and use is difficult to explain; I will attempt in this post. As language arts teachers it our responsibility (among many others) to help build students vocabulary, the more words you know, the better your reading and writing...duh.

One of the ways I do this is to use the Google search page to define words while projecting it on the Activ-board so the students can see. 

If you look at the image I have inserted above you will see an example of how to do this. When our class comes to a challenging word, or I want the students to think about the origins of the word,  or I want to identify the prefix or suffix of I word I use this function on Google. 

It gives you the phonetic spelling, the audio of the pronunciation, the part of speech, definition, synonyms, antonyms, and (my favorite) the a graph to show the words use over time.

I have noticed my students using this function on their; it is an excellent tool for students and teachers.

iTunes Personal Movie Library and the iCloud

This may seem like common sense in the information age, however, I have been utilizing the movie aspect of iTunes to supplement material covered in my social studies and language arts classes. Over the years I have purchased movies such as: The Story of the Buddha, The Truman Show, and Nosferatu. All movies I show throughout the school year. It is nice to have all of the films in one place, if I am at a new computer, the only thing I have to do is log into iCloud, and download the film onto the machine I am using. As a humanities teacher, film has always been an excellent supplement. Now with technology, the access to this tool is at your finger tips. 

I have also found that the iTunes store is filled with many great educational titles. I recommend the next time you plan to show a film in your class, that you purchase it on iTunes. This way you have it forever, and can easily access it later.

Google Drive/Docs

I will admit that I do not quite understand Google Drive and Docs.  Mostly due to the fact that I have not used it enough.   I did try to have kids turn things in through Google Docs.  I don't like it. It could be that I am doing something wrong or making it harder on myself.  I guess I am still very old school. I like handling paper.  I have not learned how to correct papers on Google Docs.  There has to be a way.  I also want to be able to quickly write something on the paper but can't in Google Docs.  Maybe I will take another class on it this summer before school to see if this old dog can learn a new trick  I like the idea but.....

Today's Meet

Trying to keep students focused during Documentaries is tough.  Getting them to engage with what is going on is even tougher.  I have used a website  www.todaysmeet.com for a couple of years and I love the results.   You need to get the COWS or IPADS.  First I log on and create a meeting window at TodaysMeet.  I make a new one for each class. i.e. Burford P3 etc.... It works best if each student has their own laptop but have partnered up before.   They follow directions and log on.   I also have logged in with each class.   The rules are quite simple.  For the rest of the period they are not to speak another word.  They are to watch the DVD and make comments, ask or answer other people's questions but typing in the blog.  This is how they communicate.  They are to be on task (you are monitoring on your own computer and helping when they get stuck with clarifications and such)  Once you put a lid on the silliness of getting started it really works pretty well.  They try to answer other people's questions.  It is amazing how smart some of these kids are.  What I require is every student must have 5-10 posts minimum.  What I have found is that this is a non-threatening way for kids to interact.  What they would not do in open class they will do when hiding behind the presumed safety of the internet.  Some of my normally least engaged students have really gone to town with this format.  The total understanding of the DVD has gone up since I began dong this.  You can also print out the entire typed transcript of each period.  This can come in handy when you need to bust someone for inappropriate comments on the blog.

Burf

Edmodo

While I am not using anything new to most people, it is new to me.  I have started using Edmodo in conjunction with my SchoolWires site.  When listening to an "educational expert" during the summer workshops talk about how Edmodo is a more secure site for passing information to only my students I thought I should try.   I started out by requiring all students to log into an Edmodo page I created for each class.  The first grade of the year was a check in Edmodo for everyone to have logged into Edmodo. Once everyone has signed up for Edmodo I can now post assignments their.  I especially like posting actual worksheets, packets, even PowerPoints for the students to access from home.  They are also able to leave messages not just to me but to anyone in the class.  Most time I do not have to answer a question as someone else has helped that person solve the problem.  I even started an Edmodo page titled Burfy's Law.  It basically has the  same info but I can also use it to get a message out to all classes at once.  I would like to learn how to better utilize Edmodo as I know I am just scratching the surface

TCI Textbook - Online

One thing I would like to be able to incorporate in my class is an online textbook.  The TCI program we use has available an online textbook.  I've asked about getting a class/district subscription to the site but I haven't heard anything about it.  With students finishing work at different paces and our classes only getting bigger, I think it would help us maintain an appropriate pace in the class and keep students accountable.  In the last couple of years, I've had more and more parents inquire about an online copy of the book.  I point them towards the TCI site...but tell them we don't have a subscription.
What are your thoughts about pushing for an online option of our textbook for students?

Ancient Egyptian Press

One project, incorporating technology, which students thoroughly enjoy in social studies, is “The Ancient Egyptian Press”. Students research different aspects of ancient Egyptian culture, and create a newspaper from a template in Microsoft Publisher (see link to assignment, located on my homepage - http://www.svsd410.org/Domain/872 ).

This is a fun and exciting way to end the unit on Egypt. Students get the opportunity to manipulate the template by inserting their own individual news stories and pictures from the web. This assignment is a great way of culminating the knowledge learned about this ancient society in the preceding weeks. Furthermore, it allows students the freedom to get creative. As they present factual evidence about Egypt, they can also incorporate some fictitious elements. 

                                                         Student Example - Cover Only

Google Drive

Google Drive is a remarkable platform for teachers and students to share work. Since acquiring Chromebooks in the classroom, it is easy for students to complete assignments that can be monitored, edited, and corrected online.

This technology has been especially helpful in the expanse of writing. Students are able to peer edit simply by sharing their work with one another. They can comment, make corrections, and communicate anywhere there is access to the internet. In the same fashion, as an educator, I am able to view student progress and correct completed work with ease. Another positive aspect of using this tool is that it is paperless. Google Drive eliminates the need to have a stack of essays to grade and tote around. Also, it is obviously better for the environment and helps cut paper costs for schools and districts. It has proved to be a marvelous application for steering the classroom in a technological direction.

Chromebooks

Last year, I applied for a technology grant via SVSD. It was a delight to receive this endowment and have 17 Chromebooks bestowed upon room 902. Later in the year, three more mysteriously showed up to make a set of 20. Though it would be exponentially more beneficial to operate with an entire class set, these devices have transformed the way that I can teach and opens up another world for students.

Primarily, Chromebooks are the gateway to Google Drive, which unlocks a myriad of avenues in the realm of editing, sharing, and grading work (more about this in my next entry). This has been very useful in teaching the structured writing that has been adopted by the district. They also serve as an excellent tool for research projects. Throughout the year, students have used them to further explore several ancient civilizations beyond their textbooks. Lastly, Chromebooks are a wonderful stratagem for student engagement. Students get excited for the opportunity to complete work on the computers. As individuals that have grown up with these technologies surrounding them, they are capable, comfortable, and enthusiastic about having access to them in the classroom.

Grammar Practice Tests

One of the things that I found very helpful this year when covering grammar was having students use their computers at home to help them study.  As I taught each unit on grammar, Nouns, Pronouns, Adjectives, etc., I would look online for resources where students could take practice tests on each part of speech as we completed it.  As the grammar units progressed, many students excelled because of their efforts outside of class.  I would provide a few websites up on the board for them to copy down and use at home.  If any student found another one while searching at home and brought it in to share, I would offer up a couple of Hawk Bucks.  It was a great way for the kids to use the resources at home to help them study for the assessments. I could tell who studied as well.  Many of the assessments online were similar to my assessments and kids did well.
Well worth the effort to find a few and let the kids do the rest.


For example...see the following.
http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/grammar/noun/quiz295.html


Tony

I have used Hapara quite a bit this year. It is a great way to go paperless. At first, I found it odd not to have the physical paper to correct, or write on, however overtime I have come to appreciate how much my school bag has lightened without 75 papers or essays in it. It works in correlation with Google Drive.

Another great aspect of the dashboard is that you can access all of your students documents in one place. With a couple of clicks you can check several documents.

Management- When I am in the computer lab using Hapara while my students are supposed to be working on their essays, I have the ability to check their document live, to see what they are doing from my computer. I use the chat box to joke around with them, and build rapport while they are working. 

Finally, while they are working, I can edit their document live, which means they see the changes I am making while they are at their computer. I usually highlight the changes or suggestions I made, and write my initials at next to it.

Give it a try!

ActivInspire

Perhaps the most useful piece of technology for my day-to-day operations is usage of the ActivInspire slides.  I use them daily as a way for the class to see what is going to be covered that day and to introduce the learning target.  Using these has also been a way to keep students on track.  If it's off when they walk in I notice a little bit of confusion.  When I turn it on, I notice that they are quick to address whatever is asked of them on the slide for the agenda. 
It's a great tool...easy to use and keep for following years with slight modifications.


Tony

Test Entry!

Ready to discuss tech.