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 2.2 - 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 1.8 - 1815 Technologies vs. 2014 Technologies

In 1815 there was a concern for Principals regarding technology in the classroom.  It was paper.

It is kind of funny how things have changed from possibly running out of paper to nowadays running out of bandwidth.  Not too long ago I can easily remember learning how to use a technology phenomenon known as the graphing calculator.  Now...it's learning multiple technologies for the classroom!

Whether you want to believe it or not, we have a duty as teachers to give our students multiple chances of using technology to help them in their academic endeavors.  Check out this video of a 7th grader!

Can you say WHOA!?!?  It is understood that this student had to learn the use of these technologies from somewhere.  I can't imagine it was from her friends.  Can you imagine how resourceful this young girl will be when she goes to interview for a job in the future?  Now, is it expected that you know ALL of these technologies and share them with your students...NO.  But you can start some place, right?  Where is that "some place" then?  I know it will be different for each of us.  But the real question is, if you don't know where to start, will you even start at all???

FEATURE TECHIE OF THE WEEK:  Mr. Michael Tetrault

"I particularly love using technology in class because it brings French to life for students.  A common complaint I hear is that "you just can't use French in Indiana/White County/Monticello/etc."  But with social media, Skype, YouTube, extensive online dictionaries, and language forums, students very easily connect with authentic French speakers and create links with people around the globe.  

I have a French friend who teaches English in southern France, and we have had several Skype sessions between our classes.  The TL students speak face-to-face, in real time, with the students in France.  Both sides speak both languages as needed to help each other understand, and students can get answers to their cultural questions if they want to hear straight from another teenager.

We also have a cart loaded with some iPods, and there is an app we use to create video slideshows with accompanying audio.  Students record their voices while they arrange pictures from their summers, and they tell the story of how they spent their summer break.

Recently I created a Twitter account (@TLHSTetrault) to post interesting videos or news from the French-speaking world in order to reach students who use Twitter extensively.  I have also created a Facebook page for use with my travel groups.  The bottom line is that students are using French and being exposed to the language outside of the 88-minute window every other weekday.

For several years, I have also had students complete a recipe project, where they make a food, create a recipe in French, then bring in the food and present their recipes.  I started to get bored of seeing the parade of poster boards, so I encouraged students to think outside the box.  The results were a lot of fun; for example, students created videos on their phones and added music and text overlays to add a lot of interest to the project.

I have students in 3rd year search the internet for French news articles on a regular basis, and it is a ton of fun for me because A) they're exploring at their own pace as they find what interests them, B) when they present their findings, we get to have in-depth conversation about topics and cultural perspectives that our textbook would never discuss, and C) students take ownership of the things they find, and they enjoy presenting their materials and leading the conversation.

Of course, YouTube is a great resource as well, because I can show all kinds of videos that pique students' interest: French commercials, news reports, comedians, French pranksters doing funny things (speaking French the whole time, and kids still want to see it!), and music videos.

Frankly, I am jealous of students today that can use technology and the internet to see and learn anything they wish.  Even though Google existed when I was in high school, my learning was mostly confined to whatever was found within the binding of my textbook.  Now that the social aspect of the internet is much more vast, students can take their learning as far as their imagination reaches."

WOW!  Thanks for sharing, Michael.  Exciting things happening in French!