Whether you have a class set of iPads, clickers, laptops, or even students with their own personal devices; the most important thing a teacher must consider and make a plan for is how to manage students and those items.
Organization
As hard as it is to be organized...trust me, I know!...maintaining organization with devices that are worth hundreds of dollars should be a priority in any classroom. The students in my class have a number (which I'm sure many teachers already do). Having the students numbered is a convenient way to class-manage. I have an iPad cart in my classroom so everyone's iPad is located under their number.
This also lends itself for you to easily assign a "Tech" job for a student. (ummm hello? Distinguished for VSET!) I trained a student to receive the iPads from students and to check to see if they need charging and to plug them in.
I also organize my Clickers by student numbers; so each child is responsible for that clicker. Also, I have baskets valcroed to their desks and they are to keep their clickers in the baskets when they are not in use.
This is useful for when I need to move on to another activity, the clickers are in a safe place and out of their hands.
Behavior Management with Technology
As much as I like to think that my students won't do anything inappropriate on their iPads, it happens. So what are my options for consequences to a technology infraction. Well, to begin with I have a place on their weekly report under behavior where I can check off if there was a technology infraction and write in what occurred. My immediate response though, is to take the iPad away. Now, what if there isn't an alternative to this assignment. Then I have my desktops and 2 lap tops that I can have that student work on. This way, they are still able to complete the practice or assignment, but now I am able to see what is on their screen at all times.
Classroom management takes time and trail and error. What works for some teachers may not work for others. But I believe with planning and strict consequences, any teacher can be successful.
Check out my example of Digital Storytelling using the Storykit App.
I teach 4th grade (FCAT Writing!) and this is a story that we use at the beginning of the year to help teach student how to form and write to a narrative prompt. I used Storykit app because I have a class set of iPads. When I shared the story I created I was hoping to have the link show the story in the Storykit app instead of a website. I tried to use the link on an iPad, but it brought me to a website.
My one concern was copyright. I wanted my students to either draw the pictures or use pictures on the internet. I was contemplating how to approach this dilemma with 4th graders. Thank you for the feedback.
"Technologies are adopted more readily when cast in the context of existing teaching and learning activities."
Implementing technology in an existing lesson will prove to be more effective than creating a lesson built around certain technologies. After all, we have standards to teach and a lesson in mind, we have technology to enhance those lessons.
An easy way to look at implementing technology in your lessons is to think of a lesson in its more basic form: what the teacher's role is and what the learner's role is. For example, if the teacher's role is to communicate then the learner's role is to read/listen. So in a lesson where the teacher needs to communicate information on a new topic or standard the technology that could be utilized could be Podcasts. The teacher could record the lesson and then post the podcast to the class LMS and the students could listen.
However, I am an elementary teacher and all of my teaching is primarily done in the classroom. I could create the podcast in class by recording the lesson as it happens. That way, the students could listen to the podcast at home when they are attempting homework and need that reminder about what they learned that day.
In my Fundamentals of Technology for Educators class, this week we were asked to draw upon the ideas of curriculum integration and digital storytelling to implement in my classroom. The first curriculum integration that came to mind for me was writing (as I'm sure every 4th grade teacher would). I would like to use digital storytelling as a means to plan, organize, and write to a prompt.
Teaching 4th grade writing is 99% about ensuring success on FCAT Writes. At this point of the year we have planned and brought writing to completion together quite a few times. The problems I am facing the most are: motivating the students to write and organization. If I am able to provide students with technology for their writing from beginning to end, motivation may improve. Also, the students who are having a hard time organizing their writing may need a different visual/media as technology. Some apps that I have previewed for their use include: StoryKit, Idea Sketch, Evernote (all free).
My next step is to decide on which app will be the best to create a digital story. I will prefer to use an imaginative narrative prompt; I believe that the digital stories will be more creative and high interest. I would like to hear suggestions on how to use iPads for Digital Storytelling....this is definitely a learning process!
created/retrieved on October 26, from www.wordle.net
The need for project-based learning is growing as fast as the need to prepare our students for 21st Century skills. As a matter of fact, I believe that they coincide. Project-based learning, by definition, is when students explore real-world problems, simultaneously developing cross-curriculum skills while working in small collaborative groups. (Do I sense common core as well?!) This is the formula for preparing students with career-ready skills.
6 Reasons why you should use project-based learning
Deeper Knowledge of Subjects - Research indicates that students are more likely to retain the knowledge gained through this approach far more readily than through traditional textbook-centered learning.
Develop Confidence and Self-Direction - Students move through projects with both team-based and independent work.
Develop Better Communication - Students will hone their organizational and research skills and develop better communication with their peers and adults.
Meaningful Assessment - The students can easily see how academic work can connect to real-life issues and they are evaluated on the basis of their project rather than on the comparatively narrow rubrics defined by exams, essays, and written reports.
Integration of Technology - Project-based learning easily lends itself to the integration of technology. The internet can be a resource that students may use when conducting their research.
Spark Students' Desire to Explore, Investigate, and Understand their World - 'nuff said!
-Information organized/retrieved on October 26, from www.edutopia.org/project-learning-introduction
Robotics is a club that I co-coach after school. Robotics embodies project-based learning. The best way to summarize First Lego League is to say that it is a robotics program for 9 to 16 year olds. It is designed to get children excited about science and technology - and teach them valuable employment and life skills. In FLL, the children do the work! The work being; programming an autonomous robot to score points on a thematic playing surface, creating an innovative solution to a problem as part of their project, all while being guided by the FLL Core Values. Our team attends two competitions in a year. This year the challenge is called Senior Solutions. The students must research and design a solution to a problem that senior citizens face. It truly is inspiring to see students collaborate together to solve a real-world problem. One of the Core Values is gracious professionalism. This core value, for me, is the most rewarding attribute to Robotics. It isn't about winning or solving a problem and keeping it from everyone. Teams, especially at competitions, help each other when a problem arises with their robot and assist each other when they can.
Project-based learning IS authentic learning. What better way to prepare our students for careers after graduating.
What constitutes the best combination of online and face-to-face learning experiences?
Truth is, you can't. Just like in an exclusive face-to-face classroom, there is no one best combination of traditional practices much less for the newer world of blended learning. I think we can all agree that elementary is "a horse of a different color"...in many ways, but I will keep it related to blended learning in this post. :-)
Elementary teachers establishing a blended learning environment is more about gradual implementation. First, the teacher must be comfortable and knowledgable with the online component that is being used. I will use Edmodo for example since this is a website I am comfortable with and could constitute as a type of learning management system at a lower level.
When I first start the school year with Edmodo I gradually introduce to the students how to use Edmodo, usually with a question or poll that they can respond to. As the year progresses, I have the students take more control of their Edmodo profile. At this point in the year I have literature circles exclusively online through Edmodo. I am able to create small groups and each student in the group has an assigned literature role that rotates every time we read a new chapter. (I use the literature roles from Super Teacher Worksheets website - which charges a yearly membership fee, but is completely worth it) I read aloud a chapter book during class and they are responsible for preparing their literature role post on paper first. The students will then have time to post to their group on Edmodo during class time or even at home. The idea is to create discussion completely on Edmodo; learning how to respond to questions, form opinions, all while maintaining Netiquette. The main idea being that learning doesn't just end at 2:05, the discussion continues at home.
The best combination of online and face-to-face learning experiences really depends on the teacher and students. What the teacher is comfortable with and gradually including more through the year. Also, we must consider what the students are ready for. A lot of time, preparation, and training goes into elementary students using online components - not just using, but using successfully.
How can you avoid creating a "high stakes" environment that may inadvertently set students up for failure/cheating?
When facilitating a blended learning environment, we must review and consider what types of assessments we will deliver online. As an elementary teacher I cannot assume that all of my students have access to a computer and/or the internet at home. So I can implement assessments online, provided I allow completion during class.
The state of Florida already has a "high stakes" assessment that is delivered online, called FAIR (Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading). The assessment administers a broad screening task which includes an adaptive reading comprehension measure. This reading comprehension screen predicts student success on the FCAT. It provides teachers with instant feedback on each student. This assessment is administered three times a year. At my school, each class has a scheduled time for their class to use the computer lab to take this assessment.
So how can I create an assessment for the students to take online, in my classroom, and without creating an environment for cheating?
There is an option on the iPad called Guided Access. This feature allows you, as a teacher, to create an assessment environment where students won't have access to cheating or being off task. First you must make sure that Guided Access is on. Under General, then accessibility, towards the bottom under "Learning" make sure Guided Access is enabled. Once it is, then you can bring up the task (assignment, quiz, or test) that you want the student to complete. Once it is up on the screen, triple click the home button and you will activate Guided Access.
Once you are here, you can circle with your finger what you want blocked for student use.
You'll notice the iPad will recognize what you outlined.
You can then press start at the top right and it will prompt you to set a passcode. Make sure you remember what it is! :-)
The screen will then revert to the student's assigned activity. The picture below might be difficult to see, but the tabs, URL, and google search bar is blocked - notice the gray box over it. If the student clicks the home button it will notify them that "Guided Access is enabled. Triple-Click the home button to exit." If the student does triple click the home button, it will prompt them for the passcode that you set.
Enter the passcode to exit Guided Access.
Now that I have learned of this wonderful secret, students will not attempt to cheat using other features of the iPad and they will not browse other apps that they shouldn't be on during an assignment.
I hope this information is useful to you as a teacher teaching with an iPad.
While perusing the podcasts at TeacherCast Podcast Network, I came across an episode that spotlighted Sam Chaudhary, the co-founder of the web-site Class Dojo. Class Dojo is a classroom tool that helps teachers, parents, administrators, and students manage and improve classroom behaviors. Class Dojo helps to build positive behaviors that are beneficial to learning. The website, which is very user-friendly, runs on the projector during class and it can interface with the work being done on the projector. Teachers can sign up (for free!) and are able to customize behaviors that they want to build in the classroom. Each student is assigned an avatar - my class thought this was fantastic.
When the teacher observes this behavior occurring, he/she can simply click and award a plus 1 to that student. If the student makes a bad choice, you can select the poor choice he or she made and take away a point. It keeps an ongoing record of where they are at in points. The points aren't collected to trade in for something, it is used as real-time feedback and runs on complete intrinsic motivation.
When the point is awarded, there is a visual and audio alert, all the data is stored, and reports can be shared with parents, students, and administrators.
I have used Class Dojo twice now and independent work time has been pleasant. The students were excited at first and talked about the avatars that they have. I allowed them to do this so that it could get out of their system haha. The second day I used it, the students were whispering, "Class Dojo!" to other students so that they knew to stay on task so they could be awarded a plus 1. The students occasionally look up at the screen, but for the most part were working to prove to me they deserved a point! It was pretty exciting.
One student was off task and I took away a point from him and he made a comment, "that sucks." I took away another point for being disrespectful. A few minutes later I observed this student helping a student sitting next to him with his work. So he had the opportunity to redeem himself a plus 1 by "Helping Others".
I highly recommend trying this app. It's free and positive! What can you lose?
How will students express themselves in an elementary blended course?
During the course design process, your task is to identify the best method for students to achieve the learning objectives. Expressing themselves will play an important role throughout your class. Whether they are expressing themselves to the teacher, their peers, or even the public. Since elementary students begin as a face-to-face course, it will be convienient and clear when you establish expectations for how you want students to express themselves. Reflections Reflection activities are a vital component of service-learning when constructed effectively. Reflections can ask students to describe why they did something a certain way, or they can ask for opinions about a topic. Recommended technology for reflections include: ePortfolio, a blog, or a podcast. Implementing reflections in the elementary setting could be reflecting on a science experiment and why you chose to make certain decisions, take a side in a social studies topic, or a reading discussion question that requires an opinion. Whatever the subject or assignment the student reflects on, there are a number of ways that you can help students before, during, and after the assignment: 1. Write clear instructions, including information about your policies on academic integrity and plagiarism. 2. Provide examples of prior students' work or go through the assignment yourself to create a model of what you consider to be good work. 3. Acknowledge the students' points of view and provide feedback. 4. Let the students know that you are aware of their work and that you value their opinions. Meeting face-to-face so frequently in elementary can be an advantage to a reflection assignment. You are able to foster best practices with the first reflection assignment and taper off instruction in the classroom and create the entire assignment online.
"Blended courses (also known as hybrid or mixed-mode courses) are classes where a portion of the traditional face-to-face instruction is replaced by web-based online learning." (BlendKit Reader pg. 6) I first encountered Blended Learning at UCF as an undergraduate. A class would meet face-to-face once a week and half of the class would be completed online. There are numerous advantages to blended learning. One being the freedom to complete assigned tasks at your own discretion. This is probably why I favor blended learning over traditional face-to-face. In addition to completing assignments when you desire, you have all materials available to you 24/7. I prefer blended learning for my own personal learning because of these advantages. So now I consider how I could implement blended learning into the elementary classroom.
What is my Blend?
When creating a blended learning course, one consideration to make is how many online components to face-to-face components you will have. I am limited in this decision as an elementary teacher; so my decision lies solely in how many online components I will have. I use Edmodo (an educational social network) as my learning platform. I compile websites, spelling words, and homework in a folder so that my students have access to these resources at all times. I usually use KidBlog for the students to publish their writing. My hope this year is to have the complete writing process on KidBlog. The students will post their planning then their rough draft. Their classmates will have the opportunity to peer edit through KidBlog and the students can edit their writing based on the suggestions and corrections their peers and I make. The one problem I face wanting to use blended learning as an elementary teacher is that I must allow students time in class to complete assignments online. When I plan my lessons, I try to keep an eye open for opportunities to make learning interactive and dynamic as opposed to using technology just to show off technology. (BlendKit Reader pg. 17) I would love to hear more ideas about how to blend technology into an elementary classroom (or any classroom for that matter) Leave a comment :-)
When a teacher sets out to implement technology in the classroom, he or she must consider and prepare for security and ethical challenges. Infusing technology into your curriculum has become more common, yet there is a ton of controversy surrounding it. Many schools and/or districts have gone as far as banning cell phones. Upon writing this blog, I did some research on the internet for statistics of kids/teens who are currently online.
61% of 13-17 yr olds have a personal profile on social networking sites
I would like to clarify that when you sign up for Facebook, you agree that you are 13 years of age or older. So this got me thinking...how many children under the age of 13 are on Facebook or any other social network?
81% of parents of online youth say that kids aren't careful enough when giving out information about themselves online
How are we solving this issue? By not allowing students online? By banning devices or restricting all social networking sites? How will they ever learn?
76% of parents don't have rules about what their kids can do on the computer
In some cases, we are the only source of Digital Citizenship Models for our students. When there isn't a proper example of how to appropriately and safely use the internet, how will kids know how to respond to inappropriate activity?
20% of children ages 10-17 have been solicited sexually online; that's 1 out of every 5 kids
This is both shocking and off-putting, yet is is happening. Are we going to ignore it and hope to never allow a child on a computer until they reach a certain age? Or are we going to have a proactive approach and instill in our children how to safely navigate and utilize the internet at a young age.
Using the brainstorming mind map website, Bubbl.us, I have created what I like to think of as a Digital Citizenship Brace Map for elementary age students. I considered the major components of a "digital citizen" and created an easy to read/use resource for elementary teachers.
Security is an issue that even adults deal with. "Approximately 15 million United States residents have their identities used fraudulently each year with financial losses totalling upwards of $50 billion" (Identity Theft Info). The first component of Digital Citizenship is Be Safe. Keeping your username and password a secret as well as any private information. Discuss, as a class, about appropriate images to use as a profile picture and the kinds of information that you should never give out (address, last name, alpha code, etc.).
Bullying as become more prevalent with the use of the internet. "The psychological and emotional outcomes of cyber bullying are similar to real-life bullying outcomes, except for the reality that with cyber bullying there is often no escape. School ends at 3 p.m., while the Internet is available all the time" (11 Facts About Cyber Bullying). This leads me to my second component; Be Nice. I like to use the saying, "treat people the way you want to be treated" for the internet. Kids may not be aware that posting something on the internet will be there forever, even if you delete it. Use sentence starters to get your class practicing with compliments and the different ones they may use.
As adults we are taught the Dos and Don'ts when typing and sending an email. For example: using a specific subject line, being clear and concise about what you want to say - you lack the personal experience of a face to face conversation, so you might come off in a negative way over the internet or email. We must teach our students the third and last component: Be Clear. I always teach this in writing when we peer edit. They must make a compliment, suggestion, and correction. I tell them to think about how specific they would want their comments to be when they receive their papers back.
Cyber Safety Statistics. Retrieved September 21, 2012 from NetLingo Web Site: http://www.netlingo.com/tips/cyber-safety-statistics.php
Identity Theft Statistics. Retrieved September 21, 2012 from IdentityTheft.Info Web Site: http://www.identitytheft.info/victims.aspx
11 Facts About Cyber Bullying. Retrieved September 21, 2012 from DoSomething.org Web Site: http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-cyber-bullying
Last night I led, with the help of some amazing teachers, our school's Technology Parent Night. This is the second year that my school has included BYOT classrooms and we are growing! There are a few classes with iPad carts, which means every student has an iPad (cool huh?). Then there are other classes that have some iPads, Laptops, and Desktops. The beauty of BYOT and why we are able to expand is that it doesn't require us to purchase any devices. The students are encouraged to bring in their own devices that they are comfortable using every day and they will use them with a specially designed lesson.
Something I reviewed for the parents at Tech Night was that we were teaching their children Netiquette. Of course I got a "chuckle", and I think it's because they thought I made it up! I bet the students knew what it meant! I loved the reference to Netiquette in the textbook (Figure 2-34). At the elementary level we really try to instill in them that:
1. What you write on the internet is there forever
2. Don't use text talk, type in complete sentences
3. Treat others how you want to be treated
4. Keep safe by not giving out any personal information
Being a connected learner is right at our fingertips now-a-days. I used KidBlog last year as a tool for publishing writing for my fourth graders. We would practice writing through each step and when we reached publishing, they were able to post their final piece to KidBlog. Now the students were writing to an audience! The students were required to comment on their classmates blogs. I noticed overall that students were very vague in their comments; for example, "cool", or "I loved your writing". This year I want to start the kids off with "comment starters" so that they can pinpoint to the writer what it is about their writing that they enjoyed or admired.
Another key to connecting learners with KidBlog is that this website can be viewed by anyone on the web!
I found out about ePALS Classroom Exchange in Module 2 and it is something I would like to implement in my classroom this year. I was hoping to use ePals to create meaningful project-based learning. I haven't decided on exactly how I would use this tool or which subject I would integrate it to. Your thoughts? :-)
Dr. McLeod asks: "Are we doing what is best for our students, or are we doing what is most convenient for us?"
Teachers are experts at adaptation; we roll with the punches and go with the flow. We acknowledge that every child is different and learns differently. We understand that every child doesn't read on the same level and we differentiate our instruction to respond to individual needs. But when it comes to preparing students for the future and for life after education, are we providing them a disservice by hanging back in our comfort zone and sticking with the "old style" of teaching?
Everyone looks engaged and there is obviously order and respect in this classroom. The teacher is most likely using the textbook provided, following the rigid outline of lower order questioning, and selecting a percentage of students for answers. I've been there before; afraid to deviate from the plan and focusing mostly on classroom management. I used to have a perception of what a "good classroom" and a "good teacher" looked like: all the students are listening to the teacher, it's quiet, and the teacher selects only the students who politely and bravely raise their hands. Are we teaching this way because it's convenient and comfortable? When these children go out into the real world 10 years from now, will they use the skills being shown in the above picture?
Most job interviews and applications today ask, if not require, that you have computer/technology skills and experience with specific programs. Imagine what 10 years from now holds! We are no longer only responsible for teaching academics and social skills, we need to teach our 21st Century students how to collaborate online and successfully utilize devices for learning.
This is my class last year! ::beaming with pride:: :-)
Was it convenient for me to plan and teach with technology? At first it wasn't. There are quite a few procedures to go over with your students before I would suggest allowing them to even hold the iPads. But by the end of the year planning took almost no time. I mainly focused on my students using Edmodo and KidBlog. There is a plethora of resources that teachers can use; I wanted my students to become masters at these two tools. The part that wasn't convenient was setting up the class on these websites and then showing them the procedures on how to use them. But don't we always teach our students procedures with everything? This was just one more thing. (I know, I know...I can't believe I said it's only one more thing... on top of 100 other things we have to do) But I can tell you it was worth it. The students are motivated immediately if you even say the word 'iPad'. Almost all of the students in my class already knew how to use one (and I'm at a Title I school). These aren't the same kids we were teaching 10 years ago. These are digital natives! 21st Century Kids!
I believe I had my students in mind and I did what was best for them. Yes, I still made them complete the writing process with...::gasp:: paper and pencil! I do teach 4th grade ya know... But instead of "writing" a final draft, they were able to publish their writing on KidBlog. So they were practicing their typing skills, as well as editing a final time. When you publish your writing on KidBlog, all the students in the class are able to read it and reply to it! Instead of me, the teacher, being the only one to see their writing and give them feedback, their peers were giving feedback! And I assure you, when they know the entire class is going to read what they publish, they are careful to check, double check, and triple check. (just like I will before I publish this blog!) I really enjoyed sitting at home on my iPad and bringing up all my student's writing and commenting on what they published. I felt like this was a time and space saver!
I also had my students in mind when I created Edmodo. If you haven't heard of Edmodo before, I would describe it as a secure "Facebook". It resembles Facebook in ways, but the students can only post to our class page or any group they have been invited to by a teacher. When students get home and, oops!, forgot what homework was or forgot their spelling words at school, they are able to post a question on Edmodo for another classmate or teacher to answer.
Teachers are working hard, planning at night and on the weekends. (did I mention we don't get paid overtime?) I'm not sure anything is convenient about our job. A good teacher always thinks about what is best for a child, but we may not always think about what's to come in the future. Especially since once we feel like we know all the new technology and we buy the newest iPhone or iPad it could be out-dated and "old news" by midnight that night. So I'd like to revisit the expression: "go with the flow"; we are made for training our kids about anything new that comes our way. We adapt and we adapt with our student's best interest in mind.
This is useful for when I need to move on to another activity, the clickers are in a safe place and out of their hands.
