Technology & Learning Cohort

2012-03-01T15:47:00.000-05:00

Happy snow day, everyone!

OK, so it’s my turn to add to the blog post - yikes! I am not a Blogger or a Tweeter or a Facebook member, so I have no experience putting my thoughts out there into cyberworld. Here goes!

What a great experience it has been being part of the TLC group this year and having the opportunity to explore the use of iPads in the classroom. In 2-3, we feel fortunate to have six iPads for our program in addition to each teacher iPad. Having iPads easily accessible in our space certainly facilitates our explorations. We have all found that Futaba, Pyramid 13, Pop Math and Telling Time are useful tools for practicing Spanish and math skills. Some of us have used PuppetPals and Toontastic to enhance story writing. I have used Phonics to customize decoding practice for a couple of students who benefitted from the extra reinforcement that the App provides. I have also used VoiceThread with some students.

Just having an iPad nearby enables us to do a quick search for information to add to something we are reading about or studying. Yesterday, while working with a small group of students on telling time, I was able to provide each student with an iPad to look up Leap Day and explore the reason why we need to have an extra day added to our calendar every four years. With each child able to have their own iPad, we could access the information in a more interactive way than just having me project the site on the SMART Board. We all went to the same site; each child could view the information and graphics on the site as we read the information together. The kids were fascinated with the math involved and with a graphic that showed the elliptical rotation of the Earth around the sun that creates the need for the extra day. The information sparked some calculations and discussion of how our Gregorian calendar was devised and what Leap Year is all about.

I played around a bit last weekend with the Explain Everything app after reading the “iPad Screencasting” article on Diigo. I thought Explain Everything sounded familiar and discovered that I already had it on my iPad. I must have installed it when it was mentioned by someone, but never took the time to try it out. So I made a little presentation about my trip to Tucson with Cindy and Michaela over vacation to visit Shyla. I included maps, photos, text and voice. It was not too tedious a process to put it all together. Now I just need to show it to the kids to test it out. I would like to further explore other uses of this presentation app in 2-3, keeping in mind, of course, that a premade presentation is no substitute for teacher-student connections/interactions, as mentioned in the “ ATech-Happy Professor…” article. Thank you to everyone who has sent along articles for us to read.

2012-02-24T11:46:00.001-05:00

I think back to the bio/physics/chem classes when I was in high school and recall how frustrating it was to try to understand the content using static diagrams and color coded images. As technology advances and we consider all the possibilities for its application towards learning great things happen. For instance, a new generation of text books. The news of a new way to publish on-line books was very exciting and the ball has started to roll! I think I would have done so much better back in high school if I had these types of texts. Maybe I would have just been able to keep better track of my notes?
http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/books_continue_to_evolve_e_o_wilson.php

I wonder how these developments will change the culture of learning in our schools? The content and learning outcomes will be similar but the way in which we acquire and handle information will be vastly different. Will a change in learning require a change in physical space? A change in the time frame of the learning day?

The i-book development along with the fact that iPads/tablets create a more cooperative and collaborative atmosphere will change the way school happens.

2012-02-15T09:21:00.001-05:00

I started thinking about how the iPads can help to create a learning community. In EC, with five pads being shared by many children, this seems to be happening. Children have started to use each others characters and backgrounds to create their own stories in Puppet Pals. Because they also view each others products I see topics also being shared. Right now we're having a rush of stories involving ducks and volcanos. Last week we had several different movies made about camels in the desert using photos of toy camels and photos of the sandbox. The pads make it much easier for children to access each others work because the products remain on the pads. They also help one another with the process. Daily I see one child helping another with the technical aspects of their work. I'm interested to see how all of this plays out over time.

Taking Inventory

2012-02-13T19:40:00.000-05:00

Maybe its the long (although admittedly not very tough) winter. Maybe its senioritis running wild and finding its way into every corner of the Upper School. Maybe its the news from Syria, or Greece. Maybe its just the need for February break! Whatever "it" is, it has me feeling like I am spinning the wheels a bit lately with technology. It seems like I haven't had any "AH HA" or "HEY THAT'S COOL - I WANT TO DO THAT" moments lately with regard to iPads or other technology. But maybe I am being too hard on myself. So, I think I should do a quick, informal inventory of what I've learned over the past several months.

1) I've found a solid comfort level with the iPad at least for my own use.
2) I've used the iPad in class several times and I would say that 50% of the experiences were positive and added value to the class.
3) I've learned about blogging, and how to set up blogs for the students.
4) I've created a website and I post all of my assignments there now and other materials.
5) I've played lots of Angry Birds.
6) My advisees sign in on the iPad every morning and they think its just the coolest thing.
7) I went from being skeptical that the iPad could enhance education to being 100% sure it can.
8) I transitioned part of the Stock Market Game project from a binder to a website.
9) I've taken a photo and emailed it somebody on the spot to give them a nearly "live update".
10) I've graded papers using the stylus and the iPad and emailed the graded paper back to the student.
11) I've done Poll Everywhere exercises in the classroom.

Ok, I guess I've learned a ton. It just seems that I am in a rut right now. The workload is such that I can't seem to find the time to do the necessary preparation to try new projects/ideas with the iPad, etc.

Other thoughts:
~I want to pass on what I have learned to others and I would like to do that in a formal way next year if/when the TLC continues.

~I'm eager to try some ideas that I have with Educreations.
~I want to record something on Garage Band.
~I am looking forward to EdCamp Maine.

And, I can't wait for February Break!

"To err is human, but to really foul things up you need a computer."
-Paul Ehrlich

A Convening

2012-02-09T21:14:00.000-05:00

On Saturday I will be participating in the first of four Saturday sessions focused on Digital Literacy. I am excited for the opportunity to continue connecting with other educators as we untangle this wonderful web of technology. In preparation for our session on Saturday the Digital Literacy group has been reading National Writing Project's Because Digital Writing Matters. The collaboration with TLC, the SMWP's Digital Literacy Group that will meet on Saturday, and the book are all shedding light on the points at which meaningful learning and technology intersect. However, in our haste to integrate the newest/coolest/most essential digital tools in our classrooms it becomes easy to lose sight of the end goal. What helps facilitate students’ growth as writers, thinkers, inquirers, and problem solvers? I came across an interesting quote from Because Digital Writing Matters that frames this years' work with TLC very nicely:

"When we think back on the experiences that really led to powerful learning for us, they have the same characteristics we advocate for students, including an emphasis on real engagement. But sometimes we takes such a serious and instrumental approach to professional development that we forget, or even suppress, the need we all have to play and experiment as we're learning something new. It seems counterintuitive, sometimes, for busy people like teachers to slow down, play, and experiment, but the insights we learn when we do are what help us teach for depth understanding" Elyse Eidman-Aadahl convening Digital Is.

Following Twitter

2012-02-07T10:04:00.000-05:00

You know I am a big fan of Twitter. I think I have learned more from my twitter feed than I learned during my two-year pursuit of my Masters and it is how I keep on learning everyday. I like looking through my twitter feed at night - I often find interesting articles and conversations about learning. I also enjoy having my twitter feed open during events like a political debate or the Super Bowl - the commentary is priceless.

Twitter can be a valuable tool to a teacher. It can provide the teacher with a connection to other teachers around the world, a place where they can collaborate and share. It can serve as on-going professional development. It can also serve as a place where students can connect to their teachers.

I recently discovered the Twitter feed of NCTM - the National Council of the Teachers of Mathematics. They put out a math "problem of the day" - every day. These problems are great - they would be perfect problems to start off a class:

If you haven't already, give Twitter a try. I guarantee you will find something valuable there.

What are we setting our kids up for?

2012-02-06T19:35:00.001-05:00

Check this article out in the NYT. Food for thought.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/05/opinion/sunday/facebook-is-using-you.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

Scribe Blog

2012-02-02T15:29:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone. Tom and I are doing the scribe blog with our juniors. I am curious what others think. 1. How can I get my students to drive the train more with this. I do a lot of work on this so I don't really see this working with three classes at one time. 2. I would love your feedback from what the student have so far.

All in all it has been loads of fun and I am really pleased with the outcome.

check it out: precalculusdouglas.posterous.com TC - will you send along your link too?

2012-01-26T13:46:00.001-05:00

I now have one three year old student who is able to make a movie independently. He toggles between Hello Crayons and Puppet Pals easily. If they knew how to read and write I'd be completely obsolete!

2012-01-23T14:44:00.003-05:00

Here's a fun app! I use it to make personal videos, but I also used it to make this short video about Spain for my Lorca elecvtive (the photos are all mine). Oh...and there's a free App, too!

2012-01-20T20:27:00.002-05:00

Fellow TLCers-

Tonight I have finally had time to complete my homework assignment for the online class I am taking about mobile devices. It is thought provoking to read the articles, to share ideas and to collaborate about best practices, our fears and our failures in learning to navigate and implement mobile devices in the classroom. It is most certainly paralleling the conversation we have all been having together this year. I would like to share my initial comments (that I shared with them) and get your feedback about two compelling articles I read.

First, my post:

As a World Language Teacher, I have embraced the use of technology as a tool for practice and review since the late 80's . I have been most interested in learning about tools I can use to enhance students' oral and aural skills. Computers and laptop carts allow students to explore beyond the confines of the classroom and to hear authentic voices in the target language (not to mention the visual aids). What is fascinating about mobile devices like the iPad and iPhone is the portability and possibility of increased collaboration. This year, I have just 6 iPads in my classroom, but they are being used daily to access some of our most popular and beloved FL sites like, Quizlet.com, Voicethread, and our class Wikis and Google Sites. We have also used them for photography and video recording of student dramatizations. They are light and can be passed and shared more easily than the laptops. At this writing, I am skeptical about the composition capabilities, although I have recently discovered Cloudon and I am going to give it a try (I like the added bonus of it's link to Dropbox).

I have been careful to try and use only applications, websites and other realia that will fully engage students and enhance the learning environment. I have also found that using technology has enabled me to address different learning styles, but I have also learned that some students learn best with "older" tools like notecards. I have tried hard to add slowly, but I, too, sometimes feel like there is so much to learn and so little time. I suppose that like many others, I believe that pen, paper, book and conversation slow down the rapid pace and allow us to stop and think. I would like to take advantage of this course to learn more about mobile devices and how they might improve or even just enhance learning.

The reading, Four R's in Mobile Learning, was compelling. Just as we would with pen and paper, students act as recorders (getting all the info down) , reinterpreters (enhance and review), recallers (remember and review) and relaters (sharing), however, quite amazingly, it all happens on one device! Wow! But what about the student who can't find anything in their binder? Will they find it on their device? Will they know how to access all the places they need to on the device? Will they do it? I have been asking my students to "blog" on our class wiki and to use it to view videos, upload work for sharing and collaboration. they do it (most of the time), but I still think the face-to-face interactive conversation we have is the most valuable. What about our brains? Can we handle all this multitasking or the "deluge of data?"

Being the organizer that I am, I am hopeful that my mobile devices will someday simplify instead of complicate my lessons and life. I also hope that I will be able to use them simply as tools and not lose my connection (or valuable time) with human beings and nature!

And now the article (the other is a link above from the NYT): The Four Rs of Mobile Learning

2012-01-20T12:34:00.001-05:00

I now have two five year old students who can be independent in making PP movies. The only hang up is their illiteracy. When they work alone their stories do suffer as they have to organize it all in their heads Nd then hold that information, doling it out scene by scene as they record the movie. It must be good brain exercise though. It's very exciting to me and to them that they can be in charge of the entire process themselves. The loss of story content is a concern though, as I see this as a tool to encourage story writing. Ah well, they'll be writing soon...

2012-01-14T19:22:00.000-05:00

Slowly but surely iPads are beginning to make more of an appearance in our 4th and 5th grade classrooms. I am finding the device useful in two ways. The first is how handy it is when facilitating conversations, and the second is how it enhances collaboration among students.

We recently began our study of Morocco. I have been using my iPad, connected to the Smart Board, to maneuver between Google Earth, YouTube, and an app called Elementals. We have been discussing the chemistry of food through Moroccan cooking starting with an exploration of the Moroccan tea ritual. I asked my students to consider whether the creation of the tea was a physical or chemical change. We watched a number of videos on YouTube, found the locations of where the video was recorded on Google Earth, and explored some of the elements that create the ingredients on Elementals. We have also baked a number of goodies to explore chemical change. Alton Brown's Good Eats continues to be a wonderful resource. Moving between each of these applications is much easier on the iPad than on the laptop, and have let us focus on conversations that come from having seamless access to these online apps.

In math class we continue to use Math Drills and Puzzled Lite. We are using Google searches to start researching the authors of our Literature books. We have also continued to use Voice Thread but have added PuppetPals to the toolbox so student may share the books they are reading. Some have even attempted to use 123D Sculpt to create the main characters of their books but have found the app challenging. I have noticed that the energy our students bring to these tasks is much more potent than when they used blank sheets, photocopied papers, or laptops. I have also observed that students are more willing to extend their thinking and to welcome new ideas. I feel the dynamic nature of the iPad, moving from app to app, mimics the flexibility we want our young thinkers to possess.

Check out this article, iPads Changing The Game For Learning At Longfield

: http://www.agent4change.net/bett-week/news/1364-ipads-changing-the-game-for-learning-at-longfield.html

It focuses on a school that has provided an iPad for each student! They received overwhelming support from the local community, and explain how the devices empower all students to learn regardless of socioeconomic status, age, etc. The educators also note that the iPads allow the natural tendency of sharing to take place.

After we re-vision how students share and gather information we can remodel the space this important work takes place in. Let me know what do you think of this radical idea: http://www.architizer.com/en_us/blog/dyn/37250/vittra/

2012-01-13T13:16:00.001-05:00

This morning one of my five year old students made a PP movie INDEPENDENTLY. She navigated between two different apps, did all the saving, recording and saving HERSELF and came to show me the finished movie. Wow.

Sifting

2012-01-08T16:45:00.000-05:00

With a new year comes new perspectives and new goals. It is a time to review, reflect, and totoss out if necessary. We weedthrough closets, basements, and trunks making a new start for 2012. Things pile up and once out of sightthey are out of mind. The same istrue with my iPad. With months ofsearching for apps that could benefit the classroom and my life I have gatheredquite a collection. Now it is timeto sift through what I found and make some choices.

My Teacher Hat

The apps that, if my iPad were on fire, I would run in andrescue:

Evernote Puppet Pals

The old stand by – there when you need them:

Google Earth Puzzled History USA Lite Super 7 HD

Math Drills Fotopedia Heritage

The apps that I have high hopes for but have yet to findpurpose:

123D Sculpt Join Me

Qwiki Comic Book

LeafsnapHD

The need to test drive apps:

Toontastic Living Earth

Mini Monsters Solar Walk

Star Walk 3D CellStain

Coloruncovered Educreations

Voice Thread

My “Other Life” Hat (isthere such a thing?)

The apps that, if my iPad were on fire, I would run in andrescue:

Zite Epicurious

The old stand by - there when you need them:

NPR Stitcher

TED PBS Kids

The apps that I have high hopes for but have yet to findpurpose:

Cool Hunting Total Recall

What would you put in each category?

For more apps discovered by TLC visit the spreadsheet - https://sites.google.com/a/waynflete.org/tlc/ipads/apps

Advanced animation app?

2012-01-06T13:09:00.001-05:00

So after a few months of experimenting with my EC students using Puppet Pals, I have a five year old student who needs a better animation program. She navigates between Hello Crayons and Puppet Pals more quickly and easily than I do and is requesting more advanced features than are available on PP. She would like to make individual limbs move on characters etc. If anyone finds a more advanced animation app let me know!

My first blog post

2012-01-06T08:21:00.001-05:00

Ah ha! I finally have the ability to post on this blog! Just think, now I can inflict the minutia of my Puppet Pal experiments on a broad audience! Stay tuned...

Putting My Feet in the Water

2011-12-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I broke out the iPads with my 6th grade. After 5 minutes I felt like I was a first year teacher on my first day of class in a room full of students who just came back from recess and were ready for lunch. Yes, it was crazy! By the time I said "navigate to my website and wait there" they were already elbow deep into Angry Birds or some other game or taking funhouse crazy mirror style photos of me without me knowing it.

Catch my breath. Wow, that was wild.

Eventually, we got to the task at hand (course evaluations) and they were impressed that I had imbedded it in my website (thanks Cathy and Lisa for showing me the way).

Later we moved onto Math Bingo and that was a big success. I saw kids who normally struggle with computation absolutely nail it while playing the game. Mostly I saw how even the kids with no iPad experience were within minutes flying around with it better than I could after months. That type of technology really is their native place.

After just one class I think the iPad can be used effectively for math. It was fun, it was a break from the norm, but it also gave the chance to practice some important skills in a fun way and allow kids with different learning styles and skills to emerge from the crowd.

And...I learned a lot about using the iPad. I learned that if you swipe with four fingers across the screen you can move between apps. Didn't know that before yesterday. Thanks, kids!

I look forward to designing some lessons which incorporate the iPad. I can also see great applications for challenging students who might finish an assignment or a test early or for a student who might need to use their hands in order to better understand a concept.

It was just one day and it was a little crazy, but in the end it was worth it!

M.I.T.x

2011-12-20T14:54:00.000-05:00

The other day, Steve and I had a brief conversation about the "higher ed bubble" that is getting closer and closer to bursting. How it is possible to save for college these days, not only for the cost but also because we don't really know what "college" will look like in 10-15 years.

Enter MIT. For many years, they, along we many other universities, have been putting some of their courses online (OpenCourseware) for people to access. Now they are adding another layer to this - M.I.T.x. M.I.T.x will be a more interactive platform where students can ask questions and respond to other students while taking the course. In addition, a student can earn a M.I.T. certificate when they show some level of mastery of the content.

Read more about M.I.T.x here - http://edudemic.com/2011/12/mitx-courses/

Preparing our kids for college and the future becomes more of a moving target....

TLC TGIF

2011-12-16T22:12:00.004-05:00

Wow what a day we had! Five members of the TLC took off and spent the day holed up in a conference room at SMCC laughing, discussing, "crying", and working through some of the ideas that we have been in the back of our minds all fall. We talked extensively about scribe blogging for our classes and we all are going to try it come January. We explored the idea of a flip classroom and even discovered a new app that we are all nervously excited about called educreations. Check it out at educreations.com. We finally had the opportunity to sink our teeth into some of the stuff that we have been talking about for weeks. At the end of the day we started to tap into new apps and just play. Our courageous leader supplied the iTunes cards to help us feel free to try new apps and we only broke to grab a yummy bite to eat from 158 - a local spot across the street! Thanks to everyone involved but to the greater TLC gang and to Page!!!

Food For Thought

2011-12-16T20:56:00.001-05:00

If the image above is not loading follow the link below and it will hopefully lead to a great info-graphic depicting how pervasive the internet has become in higher education. This is not news but the graphic is cool.

http://www.seo.com/blog/internet-changed-education-infographic/

It is an indication of an ongoing cultural shift in how students access information and how educators utilize the internet. Of course, many of us already know this.

Technology Literacy will need to be a key component to early elementary curriculum in order for learners to manage the vastness of the internet and their own learning. What would that look like? What level should this begin?

Pros and Cons

2011-12-13T13:08:00.002-05:00

I appreciate the following article for the simplicity in which it highlights the positives and negatives of having technology readily available in the classroom.

http://www.nais.org/publications/itmagazinearticle.cfm?ItemNumber=155295

For me the most poignant idea is how our students interact with text. Their visual field has become so accustomed to a web-like format that many have difficulty comprehending text that stands alone on a page.

EdCampME!

2011-11-10T13:20:00.000-05:00

It's official - there will be an EdCampME (Maine) this March and Waynflete will be hosting! Our TLC (Technology & Learning Cohort) came up with the idea after a bunch of us attended EdCampKeene in August. We all enjoyed the "camp" and came back thinking that it would be a great thing to put on at Waynflete. That enthusiasm did not die so we began laying some groundwork to bring EdCampME to Waynflete.

I had several initial conversations with the Head of School and Director of Finance and Operations and they both gave me the go ahead to find a date. Finding an open date was a little tricky as our facilities are used a lot on the weekends for Admission events, athletics, and arts. I found a few options in March which is a good month overall because it is between sport seasons, it is just before the "end of the year" craziness begins, and stress levels seem to be in check.

After a few more conversations, I found a date that would work and got full approval for a weekend in March and reserved the space. Before I left for the weekend, I decided to post the date on the main EdCamp website and reserve a website wiki - EdCampME.wikispaces.com. (Seem to make it even more official). On Saturday morning I woke up and checked my twitter feed and found that the "edcamp guy" (@dancallahan) had tweeted that he was looking forward to EdCampME in March (yay - instant press). Then he followed up that tweet a little later telling me to check in with @jaimesteward who (along with @alicebarr) was also planning an EdCampME. I checked the edcamp site and sure enough, she had put an entry in for EdCamp Maine for March 17th. What are the chances?

So I tweeted @jaimesteward and @alicebarr to see what they had planned and asked if they wanted to team up. They said they were working on reserving a space. We all thought it would be silly to have two edcamps so we teamed up. Not only that, but in the course of the twitter conversation we had about 3 or 4 other Maine educators volunteer to help us - yay Maine. Here's the shortened twitter conversation:

Now we have 10 teachers from Waynflete plus an additional 5 or 6 educators from the whole state working together to plan this EdCamp for March 31st. Now the fun begins. To get things started I created a Google Doc to share with everyone to begin brainstorming some ideas for the day. Once we get the big picture down, we can begin to assign jobs.

We don't have the details worked out yet but stay tuned to twitter (#edcampme) and to our website (http://edcampme.wikispaces.com) for more information on:

EdCampME

Saturday, March 31

Waynflete School, Portland ME

We hope you can join us!

From Kindergarten to College: Technology and Education in ME

2011-09-14T19:10:00.005-04:00

After reading an address by Barry Mills, president of Bowdoin College, and listening to a MPBN segment on iPad use in kindergarten classrooms in the Auburn school district, I find myself pondering the role of technology in the classroom across the ages. The technology revolution is upon us; how do we implement technology in ways that make sense for students from age 5 to 18 (and beyond)?

In his annual Opening of the College address...President Barry Mills addresses the role of technology in the transformation of education:

http://www.bowdoindailysun.com/2011/09/barry-mills-on-educations-technology-transformation/

Nine years ago Maine became the first state to equip middle school students across the state with laptop computers...Now, in a program which is gaining international attention, one school district has launched a new learning initiative to supply all kindergarteners with iPads:

http://www.mpbn.net/News/MaineNewsArchive/tabid/181/ctl/ViewItem/mid/3475/ItemId/18027/Default.aspx

CNN and iPads in ME

2011-09-12T14:45:00.002-04:00

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2011/09/12/cohen-kindergarten-ipad.cnn

Above is the link to the CNN article regarding the use of iPads in Maine.

I used Poll Everywhere for the 4-5 Opening Reception. Parents and kids were thrilled with it and the results will fuel a few of our early math classes. As an FYI, the "as many times as you like" option for voting really means only 40 times.

Good morning!

2011-08-26T10:20:00.004-04:00

Hi everyone,

Great to connect with you all this week to talk about experimenting with new technologies to help us meet our curricular goals! I am excited to spend the year collaborating and learning with you all. This morning I came across another great TED TALK and an excellent document on my netvibes RSS feeder: check them out:

and

Dr. Mark Wagner. Blogs, Wikis, or Docs: Which is right for your lesson?

Off to try and do some advising planning for LEAP Week and buy some water (just in case!)

Memory Research

2011-08-26T09:03:00.003-04:00

I found this article a few days ago and found it very interesting in light of our TLC work and some of our school-wide summer reading.

It is a summary of some research regarding the influence of current technology on memory.

Enjoy.

TLC is underway

2011-08-25T11:29:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the TLC blog. This will be a place that the members of TLC will be able to post reflections, interesting web sites, new app discoveries, and thoughts about their teaching. This is a place for us to share knowledge, collaborate, and meet when we cannot meet face-to-face (when the pace of school picks up). I hope this blog will help us bridge those weeks in between our meetings allowing us to keep the connections that we made during our 3 days together. Please visit often, post often, and read often!