A fellow TRT in my district shared with me an email that she sent to her whole staff about blogging during the summer months as a way to try blogging. What a great idea! Here are the resources from her email:
Traveling anywhere this summer and want to keep a personal record of your experiences? Try Travellerspoint, a personal travel diary that you can share with whomever you want!
If you're not sure about a travel diary, per se, you could also try the Travel Blog system, which allows you to keep updated by email or mobile phone.
Sounds like a great way to get into blogging, if you've never done it before! If you try it this summer, please come back and let us know!!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Engaging Students with Interactive Whiteboard Technology
Here are notes from another SMART webinar I attended on Engaging Students with Special Needs:
The biggest strategy mentioned in engaging students, especially through the use of SMART Boards, are using images and visual representations. One of the teachers featured (I didn't get names on this one) talked about how she uses movies, flip cameras, text with key words written in a different color to add visual engagement to any writing activity she is doing. She will also use pictures and words in collaboration with each other as much as possible. For students who need more help with writing activities she also will use audio by recording her voice and using different voice tones. She then uses buttons from the gallery and links it to another page with the correct tone used and the students push a button to identify the tone.
Another teacher uses the board as a way to help with organization and responsibility. She creates a chart with assignments on it that she leaves up and when students have completed an assignment they check it off.
When she begins teaching new vocabulary, she uses the word, then shows a picture, and then the students have to guess the definition of the word. To make it more engaging, she layers the picture on top of the definition of the word and then uses animation to make the picture disappear revealing the correct definition. In math class, she uses the random number generator tool from the gallery to randomly create numbers. Underneath the tool are numbers and the students have to write out in word form the number that was generated. Something like this:
To do this, create the words and then right click and select "infinite cloner". You can use the same words over and over again.
Her favorite tools to use with special needs students are the spotlight (to help focus student's attention) and screen shade tools. One thing I learned was that you can use the screen shade in any program, I previously thought you could only use this in the notebook software! She also suggested using Vizzle, a web based visual learning website that has curriculum driven interactive lessons just for special education students.
The last thing talked about were working on student's social skills. I think this is a great idea! I worked with our social worker last year to create stories with students using PhotoStory. You could really see the improvement later in the year! This teacher uses www.do2learn.com/games to help with social skills. She also takes pictures (from magazines, internet, or of themselves) and attaches word bubbles to the picture. The students then have to write in the facial expressions they see. This helps students talk about how they feel or how other students may feel.
One of the most important things they mentioned in the webinar was actually for teachers. They said don't be afraid to try new things in front of the students; show the students how valuable problem solving skills are, even when things don't work out right! Show them the strategies we teacher them to solve a problem or ask students, they often know quick ways to fix it too!
The biggest strategy mentioned in engaging students, especially through the use of SMART Boards, are using images and visual representations. One of the teachers featured (I didn't get names on this one) talked about how she uses movies, flip cameras, text with key words written in a different color to add visual engagement to any writing activity she is doing. She will also use pictures and words in collaboration with each other as much as possible. For students who need more help with writing activities she also will use audio by recording her voice and using different voice tones. She then uses buttons from the gallery and links it to another page with the correct tone used and the students push a button to identify the tone.
Another teacher uses the board as a way to help with organization and responsibility. She creates a chart with assignments on it that she leaves up and when students have completed an assignment they check it off.
When she begins teaching new vocabulary, she uses the word, then shows a picture, and then the students have to guess the definition of the word. To make it more engaging, she layers the picture on top of the definition of the word and then uses animation to make the picture disappear revealing the correct definition. In math class, she uses the random number generator tool from the gallery to randomly create numbers. Underneath the tool are numbers and the students have to write out in word form the number that was generated. Something like this:
To do this, create the words and then right click and select "infinite cloner". You can use the same words over and over again.
Her favorite tools to use with special needs students are the spotlight (to help focus student's attention) and screen shade tools. One thing I learned was that you can use the screen shade in any program, I previously thought you could only use this in the notebook software! She also suggested using Vizzle, a web based visual learning website that has curriculum driven interactive lessons just for special education students.
The last thing talked about were working on student's social skills. I think this is a great idea! I worked with our social worker last year to create stories with students using PhotoStory. You could really see the improvement later in the year! This teacher uses www.do2learn.com/games to help with social skills. She also takes pictures (from magazines, internet, or of themselves) and attaches word bubbles to the picture. The students then have to write in the facial expressions they see. This helps students talk about how they feel or how other students may feel.
One of the most important things they mentioned in the webinar was actually for teachers. They said don't be afraid to try new things in front of the students; show the students how valuable problem solving skills are, even when things don't work out right! Show them the strategies we teacher them to solve a problem or ask students, they often know quick ways to fix it too!
Get in Touch, Find Inspiration, Multiply Student Engagement, Part 3
The last teacher featured in this webinar is Tom Reardon, a high school math teacher in Ohio. Tom likes to use the SMART Board and it's various features to help the students see the problem in front of them. He does this by using color. Here are some examples he showed us in the webinar:
I really like the various colors and pens used, it helps me see the breakdown of the problem better. Again, not being a math person, I think this would be a great idea to use with order of operations. Take each part and break it down into different colors helping the student to see each part.
He saves all of his class notes from SMART Notebook and exports them to .pdf's, which saves the different colors his uses in the problems and posts it to his website for students who may need to go back and look at the information.
Tom also likes to use the recorder tool. He uses it to pre-record lessons and if he can't be there, the students feel as if he there's with them. The great thing about the SMART Notebook is that it uses more than just voice, it also records anything you do in SMART Notebook, such as breaking down a complex problem. Again, this can also be used for the student that needs to go back and see the explanation one more time. He also uses the recorder as a way to buy class time. At first this concept confused me, but as Tom explained it's a great way for students to solve their own problems. Tom teaches AP Calculus and around Spring Break he gives his students a packet to work on and a CD. The students work on the packet and if they get stuck on a question (or when they finish and need the answers), they go to the CD and see Tom solving the problem in notebook. He solves every problem in the packet and records himself solving the problem and giving explanations along the way, then saves the files as .wmv's. I thought this could be something we could do with released SOL's questions.
The last thing Tom talked about what integrating the graphing calculators with the notebook software. I didn't realize that notebook can instantly perform screen captures of what is on the calculator. Plus, students get to keep up with him and look at their calculators while he teaches the concept.
You can learn more about what Tom does and see sample lessons and videos at www.TomReardon.com.
He saves all of his class notes from SMART Notebook and exports them to .pdf's, which saves the different colors his uses in the problems and posts it to his website for students who may need to go back and look at the information.
Tom also likes to use the recorder tool. He uses it to pre-record lessons and if he can't be there, the students feel as if he there's with them. The great thing about the SMART Notebook is that it uses more than just voice, it also records anything you do in SMART Notebook, such as breaking down a complex problem. Again, this can also be used for the student that needs to go back and see the explanation one more time. He also uses the recorder as a way to buy class time. At first this concept confused me, but as Tom explained it's a great way for students to solve their own problems. Tom teaches AP Calculus and around Spring Break he gives his students a packet to work on and a CD. The students work on the packet and if they get stuck on a question (or when they finish and need the answers), they go to the CD and see Tom solving the problem in notebook. He solves every problem in the packet and records himself solving the problem and giving explanations along the way, then saves the files as .wmv's. I thought this could be something we could do with released SOL's questions.
The last thing Tom talked about what integrating the graphing calculators with the notebook software. I didn't realize that notebook can instantly perform screen captures of what is on the calculator. Plus, students get to keep up with him and look at their calculators while he teaches the concept.
You can learn more about what Tom does and see sample lessons and videos at www.TomReardon.com.
Monday, June 7, 2010
Get in Touch, Find Inspiration, Multiply Student Engagement, Part 2
The next teacher featured in this webinar was Barbara Mutch, a high school math teacher in Canada. Barbara first talked about how teachers at her school bundle activities within the SMART notebook software. All the math teachers in her building do this, so when students move grade levels or have to transfer classes they are receiving the same style of instruction. I believe she also mentioned that each grade level math teacher uses the same bundle activities so they all plan together too.
These bundles include lessons with assignments, worksheets, solutions, links, videos, and images, and more so students see the entire concept or lesson they are working on. Teachers use these bundles with they have substitutes or for students who miss class. Everything they need is included right in the bundle. Each day's lessons are also included on their school website. She uses the website as a way to encourage engagement at home, by posting her daily notes, which parents and students love having accessibility to.
Barbara has also begun working with other teachers in her building on using this format and one teacher commented that they liked the ability to incorporate all technologies used into one file format through the use of SMART Notebook.
She also talked about using SMART Response remotes. Everyday, students use these and they are sitting on each desk when they walk in. Students sign in at the beginning of class and usually she uses their real names to also look at data from that day's activities, but sometimes she uses the anonymous mode or the celebrity mode, where students receive names of celebrities and that way students are less embarrassed because they're real name is not showing, but they teacher knows who it really is.
These bundles include lessons with assignments, worksheets, solutions, links, videos, and images, and more so students see the entire concept or lesson they are working on. Teachers use these bundles with they have substitutes or for students who miss class. Everything they need is included right in the bundle. Each day's lessons are also included on their school website. She uses the website as a way to encourage engagement at home, by posting her daily notes, which parents and students love having accessibility to.
Barbara has also begun working with other teachers in her building on using this format and one teacher commented that they liked the ability to incorporate all technologies used into one file format through the use of SMART Notebook.
She also talked about using SMART Response remotes. Everyday, students use these and they are sitting on each desk when they walk in. Students sign in at the beginning of class and usually she uses their real names to also look at data from that day's activities, but sometimes she uses the anonymous mode or the celebrity mode, where students receive names of celebrities and that way students are less embarrassed because they're real name is not showing, but they teacher knows who it really is.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Get in Touch, Find Inspiration, Multiply Student Engagement
This is part 1 of 3 posts.
Yesterday, I attended a SMART webinar on "Get in Touch, Find Inspiration, Multiply Student Engagement: Create Technology-Enabled Learning Environments that Get Results" with Giancarlo Brutto.
I took about a page and a half of notes from this webinar that featured three different teachers and how they are using their SMART boards in their math classrooms. SMART board usage is going to be one of our primary goals next year in my building and I got some helpful ideas. The first teacher who showed classroom examples was Michelle Meehan, a 7th grade math teacher at a middle school a couple of counties away from us. Her school is a SMART exemplary school and I'm thinking I would like to contact her and maybe arrange a little teacher field trip next year!
Michelle uses lots of visuals and auditory cues to help her special education students. She'll display problem on the board and then uses pictures and animations to help make better connections for her students and by creating interactive lessons she sees the students make the leap from concepts being abstract to more concrete. She also very much likes using her airliner (the SMART slate) to walk around the room and make sure that everyone can hear when she's explaining problems and concepts.
Michelle is also starting to use the new additional math tools, (I'm not a math person, so this may be a very simple way of explaining this). She explained when she teaches area of a parallelogram she uses a tool that is able to cut off parts of the parallelogram and students see it becomes a rectangle and by using the formula for finding the area of a rectangle, they can then transfer that to finding the area of the parallelogram. For a non-math person, I thought this was really cool! She also uses a tool (the shape division tool?) that allows you to break up a shape into different parts to help explain fractions. You can then move around the broken shapes and show how they make up certain fractions.
The last thing Michelle explained was how she uses SMART Response remotes. She likes them because she can get instant feedback from the students and how they are understanding the concept or problem being explained. For example, she has students work on one-step equations and during the instruction can have students give feedback about their understanding and when everyone is comfortable move onto two-step equations without having to stop instruction.
Yesterday, I attended a SMART webinar on "Get in Touch, Find Inspiration, Multiply Student Engagement: Create Technology-Enabled Learning Environments that Get Results" with Giancarlo Brutto.
I took about a page and a half of notes from this webinar that featured three different teachers and how they are using their SMART boards in their math classrooms. SMART board usage is going to be one of our primary goals next year in my building and I got some helpful ideas. The first teacher who showed classroom examples was Michelle Meehan, a 7th grade math teacher at a middle school a couple of counties away from us. Her school is a SMART exemplary school and I'm thinking I would like to contact her and maybe arrange a little teacher field trip next year!
Michelle uses lots of visuals and auditory cues to help her special education students. She'll display problem on the board and then uses pictures and animations to help make better connections for her students and by creating interactive lessons she sees the students make the leap from concepts being abstract to more concrete. She also very much likes using her airliner (the SMART slate) to walk around the room and make sure that everyone can hear when she's explaining problems and concepts.
Michelle is also starting to use the new additional math tools, (I'm not a math person, so this may be a very simple way of explaining this). She explained when she teaches area of a parallelogram she uses a tool that is able to cut off parts of the parallelogram and students see it becomes a rectangle and by using the formula for finding the area of a rectangle, they can then transfer that to finding the area of the parallelogram. For a non-math person, I thought this was really cool! She also uses a tool (the shape division tool?) that allows you to break up a shape into different parts to help explain fractions. You can then move around the broken shapes and show how they make up certain fractions.
The last thing Michelle explained was how she uses SMART Response remotes. She likes them because she can get instant feedback from the students and how they are understanding the concept or problem being explained. For example, she has students work on one-step equations and during the instruction can have students give feedback about their understanding and when everyone is comfortable move onto two-step equations without having to stop instruction.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
It Brings Gifts or Stabs You in the Back
"Technology... is a queer thing. It brings you great gifts with one hand, and it stabs you in the back with the other."
~C.P. Snow, New York Times, 15 March 1971
It seems that technology has been getting a bad rap these days. Now, I'm all for technology, but I know it is not the be all, end all. We have created some great projects at my school using technology this year, such as Digital Scrapbooks of the 1920's, podcasts describing what life was like in the Victorian Era of Charles Dickens' England, movies as a persuasion to better our world, just to name a few.
But there are those days when technology can get the better of us. I couldn't get online last week at home for a mere 24 hours and just about went crazy. To my credit, I did have two papers to write and needed to get on blackboard to verify my assignments and needed to grade work for one of my online students. I did NEED the internet at this time. I WANTED to get online and post some blog posts too, but I decided I could wait on that, I DIDN'T NEED it that badly.
I'm hearing more and more thought, that there are those out there that say technology is meddling with our children's minds and making them less sociable beings. I turned on the t.v. last week to an episode of Oprah in which the entire family wasn't communicating. They needed Oprah's help in getting their lives back on track. They weren't eating dinner together, they spent more time on cell phones, housework wasn't getting done, etc. However, for the few minutes I watched, I felt that technology was getting the blame for all of their problems. The specialist on the episode said, they have to drop the technology and get to know one other on a personal level and to an extent I agree.
Like I said, technology is not everything and like the quote says above, there's good and bad to technology. Spending time with my loved ones would be my preferable way to spend my time. However, my family is spread out between Ohio, Virginia, and Florida. While growing up, my closest family members were 8 hours away! I really didn't feel as if I knew most of them. Not well, anyways. Most of my family members are not on facebook, but for those that have recently signed up, I've learned more about them in the last few months, than I've learned in my entire lifetime. The good stuff, people! Not the so and so is doing this with their boyfriend stuff...I'm talking about things like favorite colors, favorite foods, the kinds of things that make them tick! I see family connections and similarities I didn't see before.
At some point though, I think each person has to take responsibility for what they do with technology and how much they use it. Should students be allowed to use technology 24/7? No, they need fresh air, time to communicate through something other than facebook and a cell phone, and time to rest those eyes from a computer screen. Everyone could exercise some self-control when it comes to technology and unplug from it every day.
I set times up for myself each night when I get home and if I'm doing classwork, I work until I get to my stopping point on the assignment. If I don't have classwork, I'll check my email, look at facebook real quick, and other sites I want to check up on and I turn off my computer for the night, it's a hour max. Weekends, I barely look at my email unless I know I have something planned and need to communicate with others. Sundays I work on blog posts and that's it.
Student do need to be taught that time away from technology won't hurt them, but I think it's unfair to take it away entirely. Students can communicate and collaborate with students their age in foreign countries, create videos that make us adults stand up and pay attention. They CAN learn from one another using technology.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Welcome!
Welcome to my newest home on the web! I hope you are joining me from my previous home for My Technication or maybe you are reading my blog for the first time. In either case, I'm glad you made it! The blog should look pretty much the same (for now) so you should be able to still look at older posts. I will be deleting the old address in a couple of weeks.
Thanks for stopping by!
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