Monday, November 5, 2012

How do you know it's a mammal?

The 3rd Graders did a GREAT job investigating mammals!  Listen to all they have learned!!


Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Response systems

Socrative - Free - can use online, iPad/pod and android.

eClicker - only on iPads ($9.99 for teacher, students are free)

Nearpod - free - create content and then students can watch videos and then interact and practice things...


Wednesday, July 25, 2012

DEN Connects




This program will launch in August.
BETA site - http://www.denconnects.com/
Goals - 
  • Get students on DE (Discovery Education)
  • Model for teachers that we have more than just video
  • Great instructional strategies 


First part of the projects is a scavenger hunt for kids.  Goes along with the calendar.
Citizenship is the "theme."


Second, the mini lessons.
There is one resource they highlight and then you get a lesson to do with your kids.



Third, Web 2.0 collaboration tools. (September is Voicethread)

Lastly, DEN chatter (connecting with another class)



It's structured and linear and easy to use.




Rock our World


Hoping that we have at least one teacher that wants to apply for this...



http://www.rockourworld.org/
It is K- college.

You apply.
It is about an hour a week. There is a theme. (Peace was a theme last year.)
The first week, you create a track in Garageband and then send it on to a share file. (You will need a mac for this.  If you really want this, don't let that stand in the way.  We'll figure it out.)
The next week, you get someone else's track and you add to it.  Each week is a different theme.  So, one week you may be assigned drums, one week you may get "sounds of your school," strings, voice, and so on for 6 weeks.

They do this in the fall and then again in the spring.

It's a great way to make connections around the world and collaborate with other classes.  You have a team that you create a music track with, but you also have access to skyping and connecting with all the other groups too!
Once you connect, you will be able to work on other projects together too!

Don't worry if you don't know how to use Garageband, Skype or upload a file. 
If you have an open mind, are willing to try a new adventure, and want to expose your students to other classrooms around the world, this is for you!
It's what you make of it!

Things to share:
A day in the life of an Oregon student
All about our state
curricular topics
funny jokes
songs
Q and A sessions

The benefit of an authentic audience...  Can you think of any Common Core standards that could be satisfied by a great collaboration like this?


Un-conference? HUH?

Ok - I have never participated in an un-conference before...  Here I am, let's do it!
What is it?
Last night, people posted on a bulletin board sessions they'd like to have.  They are NOT the leader, they are just starting the conversation.  You go, collaborate, and learn.
I am SOOO excited to try this today!
I will be blogging as I go through it.

I really think this would be an AWESOME way to do a Prof. Dev. day in Oregon.
We have some of the BEST teachers that have SO much they could share in this informal way!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Making Mobile Meaningful

Hall Davidson
http://linky.com/MDLA
http://linkyy.com/HallDavidsonHandouts

Use old phones that still charge and have an sim card to take pictures and record audio and listen to stories/songs.
YouTube - students can sent to your youtube account via a cell phone...  In your account settings you will find your email address.


Flickr will do the same thing.  flickr.com/mobile - you can shoot pics to an account.

Chrome app - when using YouTube, lights off will just show the video. Something to show on the chrome books?

iseismometer = free app

word lens = app

glue grommet over camera hole - grommet holds a 45 power microscope (amazon 43)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sAqN8ihAFv8

leafsnap = identifies leaves

shazam

(Would be great for ELL)


Other sessions - 





http://findicons.com/



Geocaching Connections

I just geocached for the first time last night...
Looking forward to getting some classroom ideas I can share.

Conni Mulligan
http://goo.gl/noFSC
http://conni-workshops.wikispaces.com/

Global Positioning System (videos on her slideshare)

  • Aircraft
  • Auto
  • Marine
  • Handheld
Have a 10 minute activity to do once you get outside because the device doesn't always pick up the satellites asap!

Hide things in easter eggs/film canisters, etc...

Careful not to get muggled!

She used Geocaching to teacher the staff about Big6.  They have a little booklet, stickers are in the cache for them to put in their booklet.

PE teacher - got Dr. Seuss books and all the caches had to do with books and there was a physical activity to go with it.

History Mysteries  - What do all the Caches you found have in common?

Don't need the internet for :
QR voice as a cache
Text QR code

Geocaching University -http://geocacher-u.com/





Teachers, Technology, and the Common Core Transition

Jannita Demian
@jdemian

Who are you?
Motionless Monkey?
Leaping Lizard?
Cranky Komodo?
Petrified Praying Mantis?
Fatigued Frog?

What is common core?
-Same thing across the board
-Turns students from consumers to creators
-Critical Thinking
-Can you justify your answer whether it's right or wrong...

  • state let initiative
  • defines knowledge and skills students should have to be college/career ready
  • built on current state standards
  • internationally benchmarked
 CC is trying to condense what we are already teaching because it has exploded into "too much."

We are getting the paintbrush back to start being creative again...

We created a paper slideshow about the 6 shifts in LA.
Keys to success -
divide and conquer
assign roles
embrace imperfection

Roles - 
Time Keeper
Designer
Narrator
Director


No writing during short videos.
Long videos, take pauses so students can write and answer questions.
LOVE -She had us clap every time we heard the video say a "sequencing" word. (Then, Next, Second, etc...)
DON'T just show a video.  Pause it, ask questions, collaborate as a group to summarize sections...


Everyone gets an Exit Ticket

Before you give the students a reading passage, wordle it and discuss the vocabulary!


Idaho CC standards
http://tinurl.com/IDcommoncore
http://tinyurl.com/ELAccHUNT
http://tinyurl.com/MATHccHUNT

corestandards.org
engageNY


Other various resources in other sessions at this time via Twitter feed...
Free DEN resources - Spelunking
QR codes

DEN STARS - You get the tech book!

Apple TV audio support
Saving YOUTUBE vids to the iPad directly
Find Quotes about anything!
Apps to share photos
Tech Integration in Education
iFontmaker app
Roadshow app - download DE vids to iPad



Your classroom is a game! Paul Anderson

Teacher of the year in Montana and a finalist for National Teacher of the year.

Positive and Negative Feedback Loops is one of his vodcasts on youtube.

TEDx Talk - Classroom Game Design

AP Biology - He has a moodle class with an avatar to connect with students.  He has been brought back in time to find the best biologists to help solve problems.
Made 55 video podcasts last summer to add as content to his class.

Components of each lesson -
Reading
Video
Challenge
Mastery Quiz

Google Thoughts -
The graph is at the front of the room and the kids fill in a google form as they did the experiment.  They watch the graph grow...  REAL TIME FEEDBACK

The Marshmallow Experiment video - delayed gratification (1/2 ate it and 1/2 didn't)
Kids that learned to cope with delayed gratification does "better."

We need to jump tracks, learn from failures, and stop doing all the work.  Students need to have questions to answer and tasks to accomplish in order for them to engage in learning!





Monday, July 23, 2012

Round em' Up!


Nancy Sharoff



Some that stood out to me - 

Eye-Fi Camera Card - don't need a cord to download pics from camera to computer/facebook
There is an app for it!

iRig Mic

PDANet - android (free) app that creates a wi-fi connection so you can use your iPad in an environment that doesn't have wi-fi.

Snapguide - Easy way to make how to videos!  image and text (no vid)

Go to bu.mp on your mac laptop and then use bump on your device to "bump" the spacebar.  The photos/info will transfer to your laptop.




Creating InfoGraphics with Kathy Schrock


Info graphics as a creative assessment!
They are NOT posters!

LATCH Model of organizing information -
Location
Alphabet
Time
Category
Hierarchy

"data visualization"

USA today snapshots (book on info graphics)
Flowtown
Scrollyfox in firefox is an add on that lets you scroll down when presenting or viewing.
Theydrawandcook  Theydrawandtravel - sites that use inforgraphics
snagajob.com
pictochart
easl.ly
inforgr.am
visualize ipad app

chart chooser - program online
many eyes - site by IBM - upload in cvs format and they will create info graphic

Process:
  1. develop a good question
  2. research process
  3. hand drawing rough draft to be approved
  4. start computer/ipad work for info graphic
Perfect time to teach kids about Creative Commons!!! (or advanced google search or advanced search in Flickr!)  YAY - We are already doing this!!


Diigo list from Nancy Sharoff


Flipped Classroom

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media




Other workshops happening at this time...
The Dynamic Davidson

Getting your students started with DE - Admin


Whitney Mihoulides



There is a Student Advisory Board for DE.

Students have access to a calendar view for their work and then they can track their progress.
They can choose the theme on their log in interface.


We can take away their searching rights if we wanted to.
TO DO - We can take away grade bands/subjects...etc... so that Elem. doesn't see the 9-12 content when they log in.

Students can't change their passwords.

Interface is changing and it looks better!
ALL DEN STARS WILL have year long access to the Science Tech Book next year...shh...not officially announced yet...

I picked up a few little things here, but it was good to hear that I am uploading student accounts correctly!

Some random links from other sessions at this time...

BrainBreaks
Paper Slide Videos

Brain Research Sites -


Monday - David Warlick kick off!

David Warlick started us off.  http://idave.us
He talked about asking questions!  Don't be afraid to ask questions and don't be afraid to say "I don't know, but I will find out!"  (How many teachers have heard this from me? LOL)

Some of the sites he has shared -
Knitterchat - link together through chat, like Twitter, but you don't need an account, just a name.
Personalize Media - the count of social media currently passing through the web.  CRAZY!

Minecraft!  LOL - Griffyn just called me yesterday to ask if he could use the Paypal account to download this.  Basically, David discussed the fact that there is no manual.  Kids just have to figure it out using the tools they are given - prior knowledge, their social networking connections, instinct.

Don't give all the information, leave something out.
Let kids question and try to investigate on their own.
Provoking..."what do you think?"

Does grammar still matter in all this hyper connectedness? YES! "Grammar is a tool that adds value to your ideas!"

How can I guide the students in their learning to :
exchange knowledge
make mistakes
design value into the learning experience

Use blogger as a place for students to post their notes to help each other study for upcoming assessments.

Lulu - place to publish and sell information.
Doodlebuzz - Fun drawing and searching for information.

It is not a race to the top, but a joyful, exploring, discovering of the future!
Surprise me!

Some Videos he shared -
Can someone get me a napkin?
The Wizard of Apps



Never stop chasing...

Saturday night when I arrived in Bozeman, we checked in, had a bbq and then got to listen to Reed from Stormchasers.  He was SO passionate and excited about his job.  It was inspiring to watch.  The live stream of a possible tornado chase.   You can watch live at
http://live.tvnweather.com
Tornadohunters. Ta



Reed was supposed to join us again on Sunday when we visited Yellowstone, but he was pulled off on a chase!  Hope he caught some great storms!



Monday, July 16, 2012

Follow DEN SI 2012 Live

I will be attending DEN SI July 21-26, and you can join too!
You can follow some of the sessions at http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/live/

I am so excited to learn all kinds of new things to bring back to Oregon!
I will be posting my learning on this blog, so if you miss some sessions, hopefully, my blog can fill you in!
:)

Did you know? - BUMP

If you visit Bump and download the app to your device, you can bump photos from your phone or iPad right to your computer.  All you do is open Bump on your device, choose the photos you want on your computer, tap the space bar with your device and BOOM!  AMAZING!!

Thursday, June 21, 2012

2012 Summer Technology Institute

We are having the most FABULOUS week at our 2012 Institute!  We are at the middle school learning all about iPads, blogs, wikis, Discovery Education, Google Apps for Education, Google Chromebooks, MovieMaker, iMovie, Green Screening, Flipping the classroom, and MUCH more!
These teachers are doing a SPECTACULAR job this week!  I am almost out of Discovery Education prizes!  LOL  Did someone say Discovery Education?


Their outstanding work can be found here...

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

My DEN Summer Institute Application


I made it!  I am pumped and can't wait to meet new friends and learn lots of new ideas to bring back to Oregon!!!

Thursday, March 1, 2012

Scribble Press

If you aren't using this app yet, I would get it downloaded pronto!
Great app for book creation. You can add drawings, pictures, text, etc...
It creates an epub file that you can read online or download on the iPad. Once it's downloaded in iBooks, you can tap on the words and have it "speak" to you.
NICE!

Here is the book I created about my dad!

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Flying by the seat of your pants...

Jon shared an article with us today and this statement really stood out to me:

"It requires a totally different skill set on the teacher's part," Stutzman says. "We have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, because we don't know the exact direction that a class will go when we walk in. Depending on student questions, reflections, or activities, our plans could quickly morph into something we never dreamed would happen at the outset."


 I think this is a part of the change we face as educators.  Teachers 
guide students on their "chosen route" to their individual learning.  The students become more involved in their own learning process, therefore making it more meaningful to them and keeping them engaged in learning.  

I am excited for this venture.  I really look forward to seeing what the students come up with.  They have some great ideas.  We all learn from each other!

Transformation

In the past 9 months, my school has been fortunate enough to gain access to many different tools and opportunities including  Sphero balls, ...