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 2.4 - "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 2.1 - 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!

Techie Tuesday Version 1.11 - Using Twitter to Connect with Today's Learners

As most teachers do, I like to reflect upon my days as a high school student.  I look back upon what my interests, passions, and future plans were when I was a teen.  Oh how things have changed!  Often times I think of how bored I became in classes in which I was not engaged.  Have you ever wondered what you would be like in today's education setting?  Have you ever wondered how engaged today's teen is when they come to your class?  Maybe you can take a couple of tips from this video.  Take a look at this and see if anything pops out at you.

To me, that is pretty useful information for any teacher to know!  For the past couple of years I have been using Twitter to communicate with my students OUTSIDE of class.  This is the easiest and most productive way to communicate with our 21st Century Learners.  Believe it or not, there are more students that have Twitter over email.  Below are the best methods I use when implementing Twitter for my classroom.

#1 Golden Rule for Twitter-
I ALWAYS tell my students that they can follow me, but I WILL NOT follow them back.  Aside from the legal liabilities we would have as teachers, I do not need to know all the high school gossip.  I think this also gives the kids some faith in me that if they post something (even if they shouldn't have) that their teachers will not know about it.  Believe it or not, most students actually care what we think!

Reminders-
Frequently I will remind students to check class websites (i.e. - TL Campus or WebAssign) for homework or helpful videos.  As teachers, we need to guide our students to resources that help them understand new material they learned in classes.  I have sent some individual students specific websites that they can use to help them with a new topic.  I will also tweet out helpful websites or other "interesting" tidbits about math that they may find interesting.

Answering Student Questions-
The use of a smartphone with a camera is one of the most useful tools a student can use to ask teachers questions when they have them.  Students have really taken to the ability of asking me questions they may have while working on their homework.  I have had great success with students sending me pictures of their work where I can see what they have done.  This is the best way for me to review their work and help them with whatever mistake they may have.

Videos-
For my upper level classes I will tweet out videos of example problems I have done from their notes.  I find that if I send a tweet of the video, as well as post it on my website, students are more apt to use it as a "reminder"/study aid for helping them with their homework.  If a student asks me a specific question, then I can solve it on my iPad and give them instructions as I solve the problem.  I can them tweet it back to that student.  I also like to tweet out some funny videos that I find or that I have created in the past.  This just keeps the students engaged and keeps them watching my feed.

Use Hashtags-
I use 4 main hashtags for my math classes--#tlmath  #tlprecalc  #tlalg2  #tlalg1  These hashtags allow students to search for any tweets that relate just to their class.  Hashtags are also useful for students to share any questions they have for other Twitter users to help them solve their problem.

Student Accomplishments-
Need I say more?!?!  What a way to get student engagement outside of class.  Who doesn't like having their accomplishments broadcast to the world?

Finally, here is a little video that may make you laugh, cry, or just run away from Twitter.  Ha!  With that being said, if you have any questions, please feel free to connect with me (@MrKline_TL) or email me.  I'll be looking for you on Twitter soon!

Techie Tuesday - Version 1.9 - Kahoot and Techie of the Week!

In celebration of the IHSAA boys' basketball sectional starting this week, I figure everyone might be in the mood for some gaming in their classroom.  This week I was able to play a short review game with a couple of my classes.  Nothing gets students more excited for class than a good old fashioned review game. Thanks to Desiree Swaim and her brother, Chris Young, my class enjoyed a competitive game of Kahoot.  BUT I MUST WARN YOU...if you read on, you must be prepared for your students to really be engaged in your class!

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!  

Can you think of a review day activity that you think needs a little "spicing up"?  If so, then Kahoot is for you!

FEATURE TECHIE OF THE WEEK:  Mrs. Lisa Wheeler

I have been using multiple sources of technology with my students throughout the school year.  Much of the time I use the ELMO projector to present information and go through daily warm-ups with my students.  The ELMO has given me an easy way to integrate technology with my current lessons, and it is virtuously painless!  In addition, my students use laptops to complete most written assignments and projects, and they electronically submit work via email and TL Campus.

Recently, I had my students split into groups and research different topics regarding William Shakespeare and The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. As the groups researched their given topics, group members initiated roles of organizing and compiling information into a PowerPoint presentation that they then presented to the class.  Students needed little assistance from me during the research process, aside from determining website validity and properly citing sources. 

The groups submitted their Power Point presentations to TL Campus.  I made a folder on my computer for each of my classes, gathered the TL Campus submissions, and sorted them into their designated folders.  From there, all I had to do was open the presentations.  Finally, the students presented their information on the big screen to their classmates, using my iPad.  How?  DOCERI!  The Doceri program was already setup on my iPad and computer, so I just had to turn on Doceri on both devices.  Students were then able navigate through their presentations from the iPad without having to turn away from the rest of the class.  It was fun for them, and it enhanced the quality of their overall presentations.  I’m excited to try more technology in the future!

Thanks, Lisa!  If you have any questions on how to implement some more technology into your classes, feel free to speak with Lisa about a demonstration on how she uses Doceri in her classroom.

Techie Tuesday - Version 1.3 - A Couple Apps and Digital Learning Day

Hello, all!  With all the time off lately I have had time to review some blogs and other websites I've been putting on the back burner.  I found some neat information that I thought might be of some interest to you.  In case you were wondering, yes, I am a nerd, and I learn a lot from reading blog posts and other teacher's ideas I get from Twitter.  BUT, what better way to learn about new technologies and ways to teach a 21st Century student than from other teachers.

This brings me to my first tidbit I would like to share with you.  It is called, "Digital Learning Day". Digital Learning Day is on February 5th of this year.  Multiple schools and school corporations are making lesson plans that include implementing digital technology for their students.  If you go to the website, http://digitallearningday.org/, you can search for lesson plans and toolkits in your subject area. I'm planning on providing my own lesson plans to the website, as soon as I get a good one.  :)

Are you up to the challenge?  Even if you think your lesson plan is not as great as it could be, share it anyway!  Maybe someone can give you a suggestion where you can make it even better.

Secondly, here are a couple apps that you may be able to use for yourself in your classroom:

1.  Remind101 - This is a FREE (aside from normal texting rates) online text messaging service.  Have you ever forgotten to tell your class something important, only to remember it after school hours or over the weekend?  I know I have. Wouldn't it be nice to contact your students to give them this information?  Remind101 does just that!  Your students can sign up very easily, similar to what is on the right.  The VERY BEST thing...you do not use your own phone number AND the students cannot respond to you.  Remind the students of what pages to read for their English novel.  Be sure the students stop by in the morning for a worksheet they forgot.  Let them know of an engaging video they can watch to prepare for the next class.  (This would be extremely beneficial over the past couple of weeks.)  You can also send messages from your computer.  So if you do not have a smart phone, do not fret.  It can be done at school, home, or from any web-enabled device.  (There is an iPad app as well.)

2.  Bitly (FREE) - This is a weblink shortener.  If you have a weblink that you need to share with your students, yet it is super loooooooooong, just insert your link next to the blowfish, and Bitly will give you a shortened link to share with others.  The other thing I really like is that you can see how many people have clicked on the link.  If you have 42 students in your class, but only 25 clicks on a link, then you can easily see how many students have done the necessary work.

Techie Tuesday - Version 1.2 - How Do You Want to Use Your iPad?

The first day of iPad training is now behind us.  We had a total of 16 teachers attend the session, which is astounding considering the short notice.  (Once again, I am sorry.)  It was refreshing and exciting to see teachers of all abilities learn something new on their iPad.  Even though the day was an "Introduction to the iPad", I feel that everyone benefitted and learned something regardless of their comfortability with the iPad.

I am planning on hosting another session very soon, possibly next week.  This session will focus more on specific apps and their capabilities in the classroom.  There are literally thousands of apps available in the App Store for you to look at.  Here is Richard Byrne's (an education technology expert) thoughts on the "10 Good Apps for a Teachers New iPad".  There may be some on here that do not interest you, but there may be some that you may want to check out.  Remember, you can always delete the app if you do not like it by holding down the app until it jiggles and then clicking on the "x".

Here are a couple apps you will want to try at your leisure:

1.  Flipboard (FREE) - Flipboard is an app that allows you to read magazines and articles all in one handy place.  Once you open Flipboard, you can choose topics that interest you.  It will suggest multiple options for you to read.  You will be surprised how many FREE magazines are available through FlipBoard!  There are popular magazines as well as other magazines that have been created by other people.  It is pretty neat to see what other people around the globe can curate and create.  You can also set up your social media (Twitter, Facebook, etc.) and view it through Flipboard as well.  I really enjoy this app for personal use.

2.  Edmodo (FREE) - If you have been using Edmodo in your classroom and want to be able to use it on your iPad, then download this nice little app.  It is fully functional, even though it may look a little different from how you view it from a web browser.  (If it is blocked on your iPad at school, then the filter is blocking it, even though it is on your iPad.)  You can view each of your classes, create notes, attach files from your Backpack, and answer questions that some students may ask you through their own app on their phone or tablet.



Before you start downloading too many apps, you may want to ponder the question, "How do I want to use my iPad in the classroom?"  Fine question.  Do you want to be able to use it to take attendance?  Do you want to be able to pull up the internet while walking around the room?  Do you want to have students solve a problem and then present their solutions to the class?  Do you want to use it as a means of creating videos, whether for flipping your classroom or making fun videos to engage the students?  These are all viable questions and they are a good place to start for you.  So, after you get done "playing" with your iPad for a while, really ask yourself, "How do I want to use this expensive paperweight?"  If you need suggestions, all you need to do is search on Google or even Flipboard.  If you have any ideas, please do not hesitate to share with your colleagues.  You never know, they may have a way to help you out.

Techie Tuesday - Version 1.1 - Sharing Educreations and iPad Covers

Hello, all!  I imagine with the couple extra days of break you are thinking to yourself, "Self, I sure wish I could do something exciting with this iPad of mine."  Well, you are in luck!  You can!  Here is 1 option:   http://telly.com/1GXZ57L  Okay, so maybe that wasn't what you were thinking.  But that was done using an iPad and easily sharing the video via Facebook, Twitter, and through iMessage.

Have you ever thought how nice it would be to create a quick video of instructions or directions and to share it with your students?  This is one of the GREATEST capabilities of using an iPad.  Before we left school I showed you the Educreations App and how nice and easy it is to create a video.  So how about sharing that video to your students?  Here is a quick video of how to share your video through the app and through the website.

 So here is my first challenge to you!
1.  Think about an activity you do in class that you usually have to repeat instructions 2-5 times each year, or semester.  (This always drives me nuts as well.)
2.  Create a video of you explaining the directions to your students using the Educreations app.
3.  Share the video with a couple of your colleagues via Twitter, Facebook, or a link so others may critique your work.  Can your peers follow your instructions?  Are the directions clear?  What could make your instructions clearer?

Below is my instructional video.  (I did import a picture using the "picture" feature at the top.  If you want to know how to take a screenshot of something on your iPad, push these 2 buttons at the same time.)  Feel free to give me comments back.

COVERS AND KEYBOARDS

Since you have been given a nice shiny $500 "toy", you want to protect it from anything happening to it.  There is a plethora of choices for you to look at.  It all depends on how much you think you will use your iPad and for what uses.  I picked up a cheaper version of a cover at WalMart and it worked just fine for recreational use.  This last time I invested a little more money and picked up the Zagg Portfolio
with a Bluetooth keyboard.  I already know I won't use the keyboard for writing long assignments on Word or Google Docs, but it is really nice to use with email, Twitter, or other short items I need to type.  So here are some options you may look at along with some prices.

Happy shopping!  Let me know if you have any questions.