Techie Tuesday - Version 2.7 - Reviewing for Finals with Technology

Good day to you all!

It is almost the end of April which means that final exams will be here before you know it.  I believe that our kids learn so much, but then forget it if they do not use it for months at a time.  (Makes sense right?)  Last year I took the time and started reviewing for finals after each chapter test and during the month of May.  This greatly helped my students score much higher on the semester exams.  Which directly affected my SLO score.  (Woohoo!)  So I thought I would give you 3 fun technology tools that you can also use to get your students prepared for their final exams.

1.  ExitTicket
This is my FAVORITE tool I like to use in my classroom.  Aside from the pretty colors, it gives the teacher, and the students, tremendous and immediate feedback!  There is a student app for ExitTicket, but there is not a teacher app.  There are 2 different modes--Presentation mode and Teacher mode.  I leave the "Presentation Mode" on the front board as no student names are shown.  Students can then see how the class is doing as a whole.  I pull up "Teacher Mode" on Google Chrome on my iPad as I walk around the room.  This allows me to see a heat map of how well the students are doing during the assessment.  It allows me to step in and help a student if they are having difficulty as well.  

Like I said before the best part of ExitTicket is the data that you get back.  Below is an image of the class data and question data that is returned to you and the students as they work through the questions.

As evidenced by the data, I need to review questions 3-5, but I do not need to spend as much time on questions 1 and 2.  This helps me plan my review.  The class average gives the teacher a quick glance at how the students are doing on the review as well.  The average is not too bad, but I should be worried about how many "mastered" the content.


2.  Socrative - Online Quizzes, Exit Tickets, & Space Race

Socrative is a wonderful online quiz platform that teachers use across the world.  It is both an app AND a website.  There is a Teacher App for you, and a Student App for the students to use.  You may choose to have the students attempt your questions via the phone app or by using their laptop.  If they use their laptop, then they need to go to the web address:  www.socrative.com  Here they will use the Room Number that you provide to the class.  Then you can choose to have the students participate in the quiz as a Teacher Run activity, or Student Run Activity.

As the teacher, you can create multiple choice, true/false, and short answer questions.  They have also added the function of being able to include an image with your question.  Once the activity is complete, the teacher can download a report via email or through Excel.  Teachers can use Socrative as an Entrance Ticket to check student prior knowledge, or they can use it as an Exit Ticket to see what the students learned during the day.  My favorite feature is the Space Race.  It really gets the competitive juices flowing for the students!  

3.  Kahoot is a FREE blended learning and online gaming platform that is available for all.  If you have ever been to BW3s, you will find that Kahoot is similar to the NTN Buzztime game that they offer. Teachers can create their own multiple-choice questions that students must answer either by using their smartphones or their laptops.  

Students will need to go to the web address:  kahoot.it  This will get them to the game lobby where they will input the game pin provided by the teacher.

They will then be prompted to insert a "nickname". Once all the students have given a nickname, the teacher may start the game.  THIS is where the fun begins!  Once the teacher starts the game, the students get to see the question for about 3 seconds, then the multiple-choice options will appear. Students will be rewarded points for each correct answer, PLUS how fast they answer the question. After all students have answered the question, then the top 5 scores will be displayed for all to see. Students really enjoy being able compete for the top 5 spots!  

I wish you and your students the best of luck with the upcoming final exams!

Techie Tuesday - Version 2.6 - Engaging Students with Alternative Technologies

Hello, all.  It has been a little while since I last posted.  I have had plenty of "fun" activities that have taken up some time in my life lately that I'd like to share.  Now I can't share all of it because I am sworn to secrecy, as is Marcus P., but I can tell you, it's been pretty awesome!!

For the past 4+ months Marcus and I have had the kind of professional development experience that most educators dream about.  We have met some of the most inspirational educators and advocates for all ages of students.  We have met with representatives from the Indiana Department of Education.  We have planned lessons with some of the hardest working individuals that Indiana has to offer.  We have traveled to Indianapolis multiple times.  We have even made a trip out to California to fly drones on a beach and make a video with a GoPro in one of the tallest buildings in Los Angeles.  We have worked countless hours, on top of our normal teaching job, to create something that is original and powerful for teachers and students alike.  In due time, you will get to see some of the work that our group has created.  But for the present time, I will let you in on one little secret...each lesson plan hinges on one major hook--technology!

Technology is all around us.  It is embedded in our every day lives.  I bet as you are reading this, it is probably on your desktop...or your iPad...or your phone.  Heck, it may even be from a link shared on Twitter.  Regardless of how you read this post, it is online and it is accessible everywhere.  This is how students live their lives.  They have profiles on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and SnapChat just to name a few.  Some may even have Google+ profiles.  And so do you!  You also have a Google Drive.  You have your own YouTube channel.  And you also have your own Gmail account.  Did you know that?!?!

So how can we leverage these technologies to better engage our students?  It takes time.  It takes time to be able to think "outside the box".  It takes working with one another to look at a lesson plan and discuss "How can this be better?"  "How can I get my students engaged more in class?"  You must use technology for more than how it has been used in the past.  I will let you know, it is not by just having a student word process a paper.  That is not the best use of technology in your classroom.  How many years have we been doing that?  I know I was doing it in high school 20 years ago.  (Oh man, I just dated myself.)  Instead, have them start their own blog for your class.  Have them write for a worldwide audience!  Everyone reads the school newspaper.  But does everyone read a student narrative on Julius Caesar?  How can this lesson be better with technology?  Marcus did a wonderful job incorporating Sphero balls and mazes in a lesson from the book, Flowers with Algernon.  He made the comment that his students have never been so engaged.  (If you want the whole scoop then you need to speak with him on the lesson.)

So this brings me back to the point, "How can we get our students more engaged?"  The ultimate solution for this teacher is technology.  This is the world we live in now, folks.  It is the world our students need to be prepared for.  And it is the world in which we should be preparing them to be successful.

Techie Tuesday - Version 2.5 - Are You Using Technology Effectively in Class?Here's What Kids Think.

As I was going through my Twitter feed this past weekend I found a pretty interesting tweet that involved how teachers view they use technology in the classroom versus how the students view technology should be used in the classroom.  

This girl is a junior in high school and actually keynoted a teacher conference this past Saturday!  Here's what she posted on Instagram:  http://instagram.com/p/pm2nG9lMZI/.

I want to show you my sophomore year in a nutshell. This isn't even including things I have turned in, thrown away, etc. I want to show you all the amount of paper. I want to explain I, went to Santana. I was in classrooms that had chrome books, tablets, and every class had access to one of the many nice computer labs at Santana. Almost every student had access to technology at home, in their pockets or at least in the library if needed. I want to point out all my teachers had said to me at least once throughout my long year, we are going to use technology. This is not using technology. Google docs, I used that program so many times this year I cant count, but to do things I eventually printed. To do things I could've done on multiple cool websites/programs. These teachers need to understand, we are in the 21st century. I want them to understand "using technology" is not typing up essays. I do not want to sit while you explain how to type. I know how to type. I guarentee you I know most things you do not. These teachers are scared of technology. Having a website, using google docs, or even recording a really crappy music video on Windows movie maker is barely reaching the low bar on "using technology." Maybe I'm a total technology snob, but I'm sick of paper. I'm sick of the way teachers teach when you expect better- especially from those who have 24/7 access to technology. Just felt like ranting, but it's important and I really want to write every one of my teachers since I won't be returning to Santana, but that is a whole other problem. #technology #paper #teachers #snob #rant #helpthem #twentyfirst #century #21century #santana #highschool

I feel this post is very important because of all of our eLearning days so far.  Are we just having the kids do worksheets or are we having them create something worth saving?  Are we just giving kids assessments because that is "how it's always been done"?  News flash!  That saying is just an excuse for us.  We need to do more to get our kids 21st Century ready.

Now I know some of you may be saying, "Well yeah, that's easy to say.  But how do I do it?"  Or some of you might also be saying, "Oh isn't he just so wonderful." in a sarcastic voice.  Ha!  Obviously, I am not the poster boy for this as I too continually fall short of assessing students with more than paper-and-pencil on most days.  But every once in a while I find a spark and it translates into some magical!  Most of this magic comes from taking the time out of my busy life to check my PLN (Professional Learning Network) on Twitter.  I know I have mentioned Twitter before on multiple occassions, and I still cannot stop singing it's praises, but it is my "GO TO" for finding new activities.  It is much better than just "Googling" something.  So what if you do not have Twitter, you can Google some blogs to follow and sign up for those posts to be delivered to your email inbox.  These are some ways we can learn new methods that will help us educate our 21st Century Learners.

So...what can you add to this conversation?  PLEASE share with the rest of us how you assess our 21st Century Learners.  This is the best way we can learn...from one another.

Techie Tuesday - Version 2.4 - "Flipped Learning Day"

For the past two years I have "flipped" my PreCalculus classes.  If you do not know what a flipped class is, then you may have been under a rock for the past few years.  The flipped classroom originated by a couple of chemistry teachers from Colorado, Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann.  They really started this revolution on taking the teacher from being a lecturer in front of the class to being a facilitator of learning activities during class time instead.  This method really resonated with me because I was tired of seeing this in my classroom looking like this...

Little did I know there were going to be so many more positives (and a few negatives) with implementing this methodology into my classroom!

So I decided to jump in feet first.  Creating the videos is the most time consuming part of the entire process.  However, once they are created, you will feel a sense of accomplishment (or disgust when you listen to your own voice).  I recommend creating your own YouTube profile and uploading your videos to your channel. I have had one for the past couple of years and it is wonderful having your content out where students can access it from their laptops or other devices.  Once you have your videos uploaded you can share them via Twitter or embed them onto Canvas (TL Campus).  It is also fun to add other videos you may create to your channel.  Below is how visitors are greeted to my YouTube page.

So, with all this being said, I would like to give you a little challenge.  Thursday, October 1st is "National Flipped Day" hosted by the Flipped Learning Network.  I am challenging you to flip your lesson for next Thursday.  (I will be flipping mine because I will be at an in-service the whole day.)  Your lesson does not have to entail the students watching videos all hour, but it can include a video reviewing a previously learned topic, or a video giving them directions.  However you want to do it.  A good place to start creating your videos could be by using Camtasia on your desktop, or by using your iPad with the Educreations or Explain Everything app.  After you create your videos, curate your videos to share with others.  One great recommendation could be reading about Nikie Jenkinson and how she uses Lesson Paths for her students when she is gone.  (The previous week's post.)  So......

I CHALLENGE YOU!

If you have any questions about where to start and how to share your videos with your students, feel free to contact me.  I'll be here all week!

Techie Tuesday - Version 2.3 - I'm absent today! Now what will my kids do?!

School's back in session!

But now you're sick after inhaling all the germs that the students brought into your classroom.  What do you do?  Do you just make it a study hall (not recommended, by the way)?  Do you have the kids just work in groups to learn new material?  Or do you give a review assignment, even though it is going to set you back a day off of your schedule?  

With the invention of technology, you do not have to choose any of those options.  Instead you can create some visually stimulating lesson plans for your students.  Ever wonder what that large paper weight some of us like to call an iPad is for?  You can use it, with a multitude of apps, to create your lesson plan for students to view.  Last year I shared Mr. Painter's great use of the app Educreations and how he used it to share his lesson plan with his students.  (Excellent work, Marcus!)  

Educreations, ShowMe, or Explain Everything are all great apps for writing and/or inserting images on your iPad.  However, what if you want to make your video interactive.  "There's an app for that."  I call it TouchCast.  Touchcast is an amazing (FREE) app that lets you create videos with interactive elements in the actual video.  Here is a TouchCast video I shared with my students last year when I was going to miss a day during 2nd semester.

I LOVE this because all of my links (called vAPPS) are interactive and the students can just click, or touch, them to go to that website, vote on a poll, or send me a message on Twitter!  Do you think this could be useful in your classroom?

Featured Techie Of The Week - Nikie Jenkinson

Lesson Paths gives teachers the option to offer a fully-integrated digital lesson that is located online for all platforms. Teacher-generated components are not excluded, as the tool allows document uploads and comprehension quizzes as formative assessments throughout. The best part of Lesson Paths is the clear linear organization of each unit. Students may easily access each step of the lesson, called a "playlist," by hovering over the menu pop-up on the left of the screen and scrolling down to the correct step. However, students are encouraged to work through the lesson one step at a time with a large, clear "next" button on the top of the screen. A title bar on the top left indicates the lesson title and page heading while a horizontal bar on the top right shows students' progress through the lesson. To draw student interest, each link is fully clickable within the tool's window, so the student may access other dynamic content within the specific lesson. However, when a student is ready, the linear organization of the lesson allows him or her to easily jump right back in at the last step visited. I appreciate the opportunity to encourage student engagement with content while sharing educational and informative digital materials.

Thanks, Nikie!  If you would like to see an example of how Nikie used Lesson Paths in her classroom, just click HERE.  As always, feel free to contact the Featured Techie of the Week if you have any questions.

Techie Tuesday - Version 2.2 - Notability and Techie of the Week!

As the school year starts, so do meetings and conferences.  If you are like me, I usually find myself at multiple meetings a week and usually a conference every other month.  Well, how do you keep all of your notes organized?  I used to file them in a folder with the intention that I would look at them at a later date.  Uhhhhh...yeah.  Rarely happens.  So I did a search at the App Store and found my golden nugget--Notability!

NOTABILITY 

Well let's get the bad news out of the way first off.  The app is $2.99.  But it is possible that its the best $2.99 that I've ever spent.  Notability downloads on your iPad and starts you off with a beautiful interface and an easy to read User Guide.  (See image to the left.)  This is the first thing you should read.  Aside from being able to hand-write or type your notes, you can also insert images, sticky notes, and web addresses.

The main features that I really love are the abilities to upload PDF files and the use of the palm guard while writing my notes!  For each of our school meetings, I use Notability to upload the meeting agenda from our principal, and then I can write all over it.  I also like the PDF uploader for uploading all of my answer keys for assignments, quizzes, and tests.  This is a major paper saver that I am sure Carl would really appreciate!  (GO GREEN!)  The palm guard is very useful so you can rest your hand on the screen without making marks from your palm rubbing as your write.

All-in-all, I would highly recommend purchasing this app.  The $2.99 is well worth it and you will not be disappointed.

Featured Techie Of The Week:  Chip Dale

I am using TL Campus mainly as additional reference material for all my classes. I currently am using 2 portions of the program: the calendar and the modules section. I am planning on adding a third remedial quiz section for students who do not score an 80% or higher on a unit test, but that is still in the works.

Daily Objectives and Homework (takes about 1 minute total out of my day for all my classes)

In the calendar I use my iPad to take a picture of my objective and homework off of my whiteboard, and tag each individual day the kids were in class. This has served a few purposes: kids who forget to write down their homework in their agenda, absent work, and also give parents a place where they can see what their kid is doing/has done each day.

To upload images to the calendar for each class:

1)  Open Safari on your iPad

2)  Log into tlcampus.com

3)  Click the Calendar tab at the top

4)  Click the day you want to upload a memo

5)  When the dialog box opens for an assignment, click the drop down box and select the class you are tagging

6)  Click more options to open the editable text options window

7)  Type in any information in the title and body

8)  Click the image tab on the right hand side

9)  Click upload new image and choose "Take a Photo"

10)  Take the picture

11)  If you have folders to store information choose the folder you want it to store in, or just click upload in the image menu

12)  Click update event on the text editor

Daily Resource Section (takes about 5 minutes per class)
 In the Modules section each day I post a pdf copy of the daily notes for my class, as well as I try to link to at least 2 additional internet based resources for each lesson. The PDF is created in a free version of the iPad app PowerPDF, and stored in my DropBox account which makes it easy to upload on my computer. The free version can make the images look a little fuzzy but it works good enough to get the notes out to the masses. 
                                 

With the additional resources I try to post at least one video resource (YouTube/Khan Academy/etc.) and one interactive learning activity (online game/Khan Academy/etc.) that ties into the concepts. This takes a little longer than the calendar because each page and PDF needs to be created, and then I need to go out and find some good resources to match up with the daily lesson.
      

                        

This has served some great purposes as well: students who need extra help but aren't willing to ask now have additional resources at the ready, absent students now have access to their missing notes for the day, and students who might have forgotten the lesson when they go to do their homework now can get a reminder of what happened that day. If anyone is interested I'm more than willing to show them how I do it. It is definitely as easy as the calendar to do, but I have found its quickest if I use both my iPad and computer so the steps are a little longer and would be confusing if I tried to just write them out. The jest of it is I use PowerPDF to create the notes; store them in my DropBox account which is linked to my computer; and then use my computer to create the modules page, upload the pdf, and post resources to the page.

Thanks, Chip!  If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact Chip and he will get you straightened out.

Techie Tuesday - Version 2.1 - What Do YOU Want From Professional Development!

For many years, schools and teachers in Indiana had professional development days built into their school schedule.  Unfortunately, a few years ago these days (PD days) were taken away and teachers had to find new ways to keep up-to-date with changes in standards and technologies.  For a lot of us it is difficult to stay after school for an extra hour and devote time to learn for ourselves.  Personally, I usually need to leave school no later than 4 PM in order to pick up a couple of my kids that happen to be in two different locations. But whether it is grading, family obligations, coaching, or a 2nd job, our time is valuable after 3:30.  That brings me to my question for you.

What do YOU want from professional development?  

I spent a lot of time this summer attending and presenting at conferences this past summer.  (If you did not have a chance to attend any of the Summer of eLearning conferences hosted by the Indiana DOE, I would highly recommend you look into attending a local one next summer.  Hopefully here at Twin Lakes!)  It was great to hear the keynote speakers and listen to their ideas for technology integration into the classroom.  There were multiple classroom teachers that hosted hour-long breakout sessions on specific topics.  Their passion for their profession was very evident in their presentations.  Most of them even had sensible ideas that would work well in our own classrooms.  :)

After sitting through multiple sessions I was able to come to one major realization for each session I
attended--always leave the audience with something they can use TODAY!  Throughout this year, the technology department is planning on hosting multiple professional development opportunities this year.  We have some great ideas planned for you that will cover Canvas, online assessments, video/photo editing, etc.  However, we are always open to ideas of items you would like to learn about.

So this brings me back to my original question--what do YOU want from professional development?  Let members of the tech committee know what would make your life easier and we will work to find a possible solution for you.  If you would like some help during your prep period, or before or after school, do not hesitate to contact us.  If you cannot make an afternoon session, let us know and we will make contact with you the next day.  Maybe you would like a video of the session to watch at a later time, we will work on making that happen as well.  We are all in this together, so let's learn together and make our school year, plus our students, a memorable and technological one!