Chop, Chop, Snap, Snap - Tech that increases productivity at work

How often do you lie in bed at night and mentally make a list of the tasks ahead of you the following morning? Have you ever woken in the middle of the night concerned that you may have forgotten to send that email or make those important copies? We are all quite busy, and often feel pulled in different directions, but we always manage to get our tasks completed, and even do it with a smile and confidence.

I have found over the years that the only way that I can be as productive and successful I to create lists, lists and more lists. Before I had the ability to make lists on my phone, I would send myself emails, make paper lists. Those paper lists were only helpful if I had them in my possession when I needed to access them.

It was for the above reasons that I find technology especially helpful for being organized, productive and completing the tasks I must every day at work, and in my personal life, as well. I could not imagine going back to doing everything on paper and recalling where that paper was, and toting the different papers with me in my quest for staying organized and being productive. I use a few different apps/websites regularly to increase my productivity.

Twitter: I find so many great new ideas on Twitter from colleagues and others in the field of Education. As a science teacher, I follow NASA and I have new information at my fingertips everyday on discoveries and new information that NASA shares – it is fabulous!

Google: This may seem very obvious, but I have to say that I use Google every single, solitary day! I use it when my students have questions in class, if I am not sure of the answer. I use it to find other ways to be more productive (finding new apps to help me do my best at my job), to search for information on new labs, etc., etc. I could go on and on, but you get the point. Chances are that if you reading this, you are very aware of google!

Google Calendar: This is an integral part of my day. I look at my calendar every morning and see what I am to accomplish, with regard to meetings, other tasks, etc. What I especially like about Google Calendar is that others who have my email address are able to send me reminders of upcoming events. My hairdresser actually enters my appointments into my calendar for me – that is a wonderful additional service! My family and I also use our Google calendars to stay synchronized with family gatherings, etc.  One of the things I really appreciate about Google calendar is that it sends me customized reminders of upcoming events right to my cell phone.

Google Docs and Drive: These invaluable tools are ones that I have been using for a short time, and ones that I use often now. I am able to store information from others with a click or two into my drive, where it is easily accessible. I can save documents very quickly to my drive, and they are quickly and easily accessible. Google docs are a great way to share other docs with colleagues, family and friends. Instead of creating several emails to different people, one can simply share a doc with those you wish, and all then have access. This is so easy!!

Dropbox: I find that Dropbox is a great way to share information, photos, etc. with others very easily. I have recently made a few different folders of photos of my children and have been able to share those with others, by giving them access to certain folders. This is a very easy way to share information quickly, without any headaches. Dropbox is in the cloud, so it is accessible from any device.

Edmodo: This may a bit cliché, but I rely heavily on Edmodo in my classroom to keep my students connected to assignments and content we are studying. I upload assignments and include a description of the work we are doing on a daily basis. I especially appreciate the fact that there is a library, so that my worksheets are there and students are able to explore the library and find what they might be missing (in terms of an assignment).

ZipGrade: I recently started using ZipGrade, and I am hooked!! My PLC and I created a quiz over a recent unit of study. I suggested we try this app to grade our quizzes. It does cost $6.99/year, but I feel that it is well worth the price! So how does this work? You create an account online. Then, you choose how many questions you wish to make your quiz or test (you can choose 20, 50, 75, and 100). Next, you create your key by simply clicking on a letter from A to E, which corresponds to the correct answer, whether it be matching or multiple choice. I created the key using my cell phone – yes, it’s that easy. After this, I simply logged onto my computer and printed a student answer sheet, made enough copies for my students and administered the quiz. When students are done with the quiz, you scan each quiz with your device and the results are immediate (you are given the score and which questions students missed, if any). In addition, this app creates item analysis so you can see which questions students missed most often. I was done giving, grading and entering grades for my quizzes in ONE day!!! I would not use this for every exam, but it works great for short quizzes, in my opinion.

I know there are other tech resources that I use to increase my productivity, but the ones listed above are some that I find to be most useful. It will be interesting to see how I add to this list by the end of this school year. As I strive to become more tech savvy and knowledgeable, I am confident that I will come across many more tools that will help me to be at my most productive at work, and even at home.

Blended learning-it's all about the mix!

The latest blog post my class and I have been assigned by our Guru of Technology Instructor is new trends in Digital Learning. I have chosen to write about Blended Learning. Blended learning is a hybrid of traditional classroom learning and online learning. Each student is given instruction in class and then students take it upon themselves to enhance that lesson on their own.

 Immediately, flipped classrooms come to mind when I think of blended learning. This is where an educator provides a lesson for students to watch at home or at their convenience (within a given amount of time) and with which students need to become familiar.  An extension of this lesson will be presented at the next class. There are so many advantages to blended learning, in my opinion. This gives students a way to be more in control of their own learning. It also allows for students to watch the online portion as many times as necessary. In this regard, flipped learning is really very adaptive to students, as they are able to learn the online portion at their own pace. I would also like to add that I ask my students to bring their phones (or whatever tech they own and are comfortable bringing to

Another way that blended learning is used in classrooms is research for a topic in any class. Teachers can assign a project or topic for an assignment and students are able to research online.  I have found that when I assign online research for projects in my classes, students embrace the opportunity. Because the technology is literally at their fingertips, students are able to fully comprehend their assignment, and then begin their research. As questions arise, students are able to search for the answers and continue to form understanding of their task.

Another way that blended learning is very apparent in today’s classrooms are online textbooks. I have a class set of science books and a code for each of my students to access the online textbook. This is a great option for students, as they don’t have to carry a heavy textbook back and forth to and from school daily. There is a drawback to the online textbook option for those, however, who do not have access to technology or internet at their homes. This is where teachers need to provide students an opportunity to have access to the textbook. In a perfect world, all students would have a device and internet access at all times. We are moving to 1 to 1 technology here in Edmond, but at this time, we still have students who have no access to tech at home. One way that I have tried to solve this issue is to allow students to visit the media center for computer access during lunch or after school. This takes away from their social time with friends, but does allow them a chance to read the online textbook. This is not the best option, but it can be an option, when necessary.

I use blended learning often in my classroom and I believe that most teachers do this, as well. We have figured out that there are so many benefits to allowing students to use technology in education. I personally believe that allowing my students to be in charge of their own learning (and bringing their own devices to class daily) has truly enhanced their understanding of the curriculum. If they don’t understand something, they can stop and google it and then go on. I love this idea for my kiddos! I encourage my students to ask questions and to have understanding of what they are learning.

I strongly believe that blended learning is the tip of the iceberg when it comes to digital trends. I am so glad that my students have the opportunity to participate in this type of learning, as I truly feel that it puts in charge of their own learning, helps them learn skills that are going to be necessary in the “real world”, and helps them to become more independent learners and citizens. I am grateful that I work in a district that embraces technology and encourages educators to find ways to implement Ed Tech at every level. This has given me the drive to try new technology with my students. Here’s to blended learning-it’s all about the mix! 

ISTE bitsy blogger

This week’s blog assignment is to compare the EdTech to which our colleagues have introduced to our cohort class, the technology each of us uses in our own classes, and if all of the above are in compliance with ISTE (international Society for Technology in Education, http://www.iste.org/) . I have spent some time this week reading about ISTE standards and trying to familiarize myself with the standards for both students and teachers. I have mainly focused on the student standards, as that was the intent of this blog.

There are 6 standards for students, with regard to ISTE, and they are listed below:

1.     Creativity and Innovation

2.     Communication and collaboration

3.     Research and Information Fluency

4.     Critical thinking, problem solving and decision making

5.     Digital Citizenship

6.     Technology operations and concepts

I happen to believe that the Education Technology that our colleagues/classmates have introduced are in alignment with student standards. There may have been some presentations that were focused on one or a few of the standards rather than all of the six, but they all comply with at least one standard, in my opinion. I think that some of the EdTech presentations were very innovative and interesting, while others provided a way to enhance learning using digital technology (instead of old school paper and pencil). I saw presentations from writing papers and the cool add-ons that one can use to enhance their final product to flipping one’s classroom. I think that there are so many options for teachers, in terms of EdTech, and that we are in a digital boom, so to speak. I am committed to using much of what I’ve learned and to expand on that knowledge. Another thing that has been very apparent is the plethora of EdTech that is out there!! I am simply amazed at all that is available. I need to start with what I feel will truly benefit my students, and move on from there, so that I’m not overwhelmed. I do believe that we have provided our classmates with a good foundation of information from which to begin. 

In regard to my own classroom, I feel that I access digital technology more than I thought I did. I have reflected and realize that I do use a fair amount of tech in my classroom with my students. I tell them to ALWAYS bring their phones to my classroom, because we may access information this way. I also encourage my students to be active participants on my (and their other teachers’) Edmodo accounts and to sign up for my Remind, so they are able to access lessons on the website, should they be absent. I allow students to access Google for questions it they may have, after brainstorming first. I also show TeacherTube, appropriate YouTube and DiscoveryEd video clips when I feel that will provide a better delivery of information than simply reading about it or discussing it. I often use my SMART Board for putting up a notebook for taking notes, students are able to write answers on SMART Board, for my Bell Ringer daily, PowerPoint presentations, and other bits of information I want to share with my students. I have also been known to access Jeopardy games for test review using technology. I am trying to learn more and more and to use more technology in my classroom. One thing I am working on now is creating an answer sheet that can be graded using ZipGrade for an upcoming quiz. My PLC is on board with this, and will all try it on the same day. We will be able to quickly compare our data, record it and then see what misconceptions our students have, and where we need to reteach.

I will be asking students to use their own technology (or check out our set of iPads or Chromebook) to create projects as a group of two. I think that this would provide collaboration and innovation, as they are in charge of their own digital projects and must work together. I would LOVE to have my own set of iPads or Chromebook that stayed in my classroom, so my students could have access daily to this type of technology. Not all of my students have access to internet or to a device, so I have several that are left out when I speak of flipping my classroom (that will occur in a future unit of Genetics). Of course, these students are able to access computers in media center or I can see about checking out a laptop for my classroom, but it’s not the same as having access at home. However, we will do what we need so that ALL students have access.

I have learned so much in the five weeks we have been in our technology class! I believe that I am using a fair amount of technology in my class, and am only yearning to use more all of the time! One thing I really want is to have an Apple TV and a document camera in my classroom! I am planning on writing a grant for the document camera (for all 7^th grade science teachers), as I believe that this will positively impact the learning of all 7^th grade students. I was not as aware of this technology before, but have become very interested and feel that this is absolutely going to help all of my students. I feel the same about the Apple TV.

On a final note, I found something very helpful on ISTE. This site is called 21things3teachers (21t4t). There are literally 21 different aspects of EdTech. I suggest educators check out this website (along with ISTE) to have an understanding of what is expected of teachers and students in our digital age. These websites give you practical and helpful information about the digital age of teaching. The link for 21 things for teachers is: http://www.21things4students.net/

Have a great week and here’s to Fall Break!

Apps, Apps Everywhere Week 2

We saw more presentations in our EPS Cohort class last week on current Educational Technology. I am so amazed at the great technology that is available to teachers. My classmates/colleagues are doing a phenomenal job on sharing this incredible information with us all. I feel that I could absolutely use all of it, if only there was time! I fully plan on using much of the apps/websites in my classroom, as I believe they are a tool to enhance student learning. In fact, one app presentation prompted me to inquire about acquiring an Apple TV in my classroom. I am still waiting to hear the verdict on this, and am confident that it will be a possibility for me in the near future.  I decided to focus on the top 5 apps/websites that I felt I could use in my classroom, but all of the presentations were fabulous!

Google Docs Add-Ons: I had no idea that Google had so many ways to make writing that much simpler! Google Docs are already a great way to write and share papers/documents of all sorts with others.  One can now very easily create a bibliography (the program actually puts it into the correct formatting for you) with EasyBib. Highlighting is another very simple and helpful option. You can also insert charts into your docs using the Charts add on. Doctopus allows teachers to make a project for students, and also to track their progress. There are so many helpful add ons that could be incredibly useful for students.

Elements 4D and Anatomy 4D by DAQRI: I had mentioned about that I was very interested in getting an Apple TV, due to high interest in an app that was presented. Well, this was it! I love this stuff!! Elements 4D is a website and an app that you can get by printing out cubes from the website. You have to cut them out, tape them together and then you simply hold your smart phone over the cubes and instead of seeing the paper with the elements names, you actually see what the elements would look like. It is the coolest thing I have seen in a long time! The Anatomy 4D is the same idea, but with the human body. These are both great ideas to use in science classes. One has to be careful when doing the human body app, though. You might have students who get queasy at the thought or sight of blood, nerves, tissue, etc. I am definitely planning on using the Elements 4D this year, and throughout my Matter unit next year!

Press 4 Kids:  This is a website that provides daily news to students of all ages and interests at their own level of reading. One student can be reading at a higher level, while another needs to read at level a few levels lower, and both still get the same information. This is a great way to bring the joy of reading and learning to all students in a classroom. Students could research different topics on current events and then report to the class on what they learned. I think this is also a great way to get students to read newspapers (even it if is digital and not the original type of newspaper). This would be a great tool for all subjects and for all interactive way to get kids to love to read and learn about the world around them!

Q?rius by Smithsonian: This is a website where students can learn all about science from real scientists. Teachers can create activities for students to do, students can read current events science stories, watch webcasts with real scientists and watch videos made by scientists. Teachers can also create online field books. Students could do the same and each could add to their field books as they learned more about science related information. In a nutshell, Q?rius is great way for students to have access to real science unfolding in the world and to real scientists. This is a site that I will definitely be using in my classroom.

Reddit: We all know of the Reddit that is a type of social media that we would not use in the classroom…but wait. There is access to all things Teacher on Reddit which has information for teachers of all subjects and levels. Teachers share lesson plans, ideas that worked or didn’t work, how they made a lesson better, and pretty much all things teachers could use, and it’s all appropriate. There is a plethora of information here for educators, and maybe a way to think “outside the box”. I plan on checking out the Teacher sections of Reddit to see how I can find some interesting ideas for my lessons.

We have one more week of presentations, and I am looking forward to the other great ideas and information my fellow colleagues will be presenting. Stay tuned for our next round of Education Technology!

App, Apps Everywhere!

Last week, several of my colleagues in my Technology for Administrators Class shared their presentations on Educational Technology. I found some of these apps and websites very helpful, and ones in which I was very interested in using in my classroom. We saw presentations about websites/apps which could be used in many disciplines and grade levels by educators. We watched several presentations, and they were all very well done. I have chosen to write about my top 5, and ones that I believe I would be most likely to use.

Emaze is a very interactive and well organized website which provides some spectacular templates for presentations. You can turn your boring PowerPoint into an incredible presentation! Yes, be amazed by Emaze! I know I will be using this great website to create PowerPoints that will “WOW” my kids!

Nearpod is a very creative tool that teachers can use to engage students in real time lessons. Teachers control the speed of transition, based on student learning and understanding. I would definitely use this website and am planning on creating some presentations and quizzes on Nearpod over Fall Break to prepare for our Genetics unit. It could be used for any grade level from 2^nd through 12^th grade. I am very interested in this one!

Apple TV is a tool that can be used by teachers with any IOS device and the interactive Apple product. I can definitely see myself using my IPad in my classroom with Apple TV. I believe that each site in Edmond has at least 2 Apple TV devices, of which teachers need to share. I can imagine how I would use the Apple TV in my room to enhance the learning of my students. I would like to have a week with the device to extend my lesson with my lessons. I can only imagine how Apple TV would be a great tool for enhancement of lessons.

Klikaklu is a free app that allows one to take photos and create scavenger hunts for students. I can also see how this could be used for projects. Students would be moving around the room in an effort to complete a task. I think this could be very useful when creating a project in many different subjects/grade levels. I would use this for my Weather and Space units. I think this would be a really fun way to get students engaged in learning about new concepts.

Swivl is a device that hold a phone or tablet while a teacher is lecturing or being mobile in the classroom. It virtually “follows’ the teacher around the classroom, so that the teacher is free to move around and help students, without always having to be sure the device is tracking them. Swivl does the work of watching the teacher, so the teacher can teach the lesson. This is a great tool for flipping the classroom, and one in which would be very beneficial to teachers who often upload videos for student learning.

I am looking forward to the next two weeks of presentations. I am amazed at how much technology is available to educators at this time. It is even more incredible to realize that more and more technology is being created all the time for teachers and students to use! 

Falling for Flipping

Have you ever watched a movie the first time, only to ask when it is over, “What just happened?” Well, two movies that come to mind where I asked that question are “Inception” (Leo DiCaprio) and “The Sixth Sense” (Bruce Willis and Haley Joel Osment). Yes, I admit to having watched both of these movies on several occasions, because I found them very interesting, and because I absolutely had to understand them. After seeing them both multiple times, I made connections that explained the parts I had missed during previous viewings. In a similar way, this is what the flipped classroom is for many students – a chance to learn, and an opportunity to see it again and again until the connections are made.

Last week, my colleagues and I (Masters of Educational Leadership Cohort –EPS/UCO) were fortunate enough to hear from Mr. Scott Haselwood, M.Ed, who has taught his high school calculus students at Edmond Memorial High School via the flipped classroom. Currently, Mr. Haselwood is working on his PhD at OSU in Educational Technology full-time. I am very interested in what Mr. Haselwood will share with the education world next! While I have heard of the flipped classroom concept before, it was something that I had actually not attempted to do with my own students. Mr. Haselwood talked to us all about the benefits of flipping one’s classroom, the misconceptions that come along with this (by parents, other educators, etc.) and how each educator can make this his or her very own platform for teaching and learning.

The idea of teaching a lesson in its entirety by simply videotaping myself, then uploading the lesson for students to access when they arrive at home, is one that is still a bit foreign.  However, I am very interested in attempting this for the many benefits to my students. Mr. Haselwood spoke to us about the different platforms that are available for different products (Apple vs. Microsoft). Some of the flipped classroom technology that Scott shared with us are: Techsmith.com, Snagit, Camtasia, Tackk, Knowmia, Wonderbox and Puppetpals. These are all good resources to check out if you are interested in flipping your classroom. Some are apps and some are actual platforms. There are so many options to which teachers have access when flipping the classroom. I believe that when I do my first flipped lesson it will be posted on my Edmodo account, as that is how my students access all work and communication regarding my classroom (especially if they are absent) when not at school.

At first when I was listening to Mr. Haselwood speak about flipping his classroom, I thought this sounded like a very daunting task. After about 15 minutes into his discussion, however, I questioned why I have not yet done a flipped lesson. So, I decided that it was time I become a part of this movement. I considered the units that I teach in my science classes that pose the most confusion and misconceptions. I decided that the Genetics Unit is definitely at the top of the list. It is for this reason that I am currently working on a flipped lesson for teaching Punnett Squares, probability, genotype and phenotype. I can absolutely see the benefit of applying the flipped classroom model to this lesson. Students will be able to watch the lesson at their own pace. If they need to hear or see something again, they simply rewind to where they stopped understanding, and view it until connections form.

So how does a flipped classroom look? Well, here is the way Haselwood set up his classroom. He and his teaching partner would film a video then upload it (usually with a green screen and fun graphics occurring behind them) several times a week. Students would go home and view the video, do the assigned homework after watching the video. Students then returned to school the next day and grouped up with other students to share their thoughts, learn cooperatively, clear up misconceptions and easily explain what they learned with one another. If a student was having a difficult time, the group was usually able to help explain in a way that made clear sense to the other student(s). Then, Mr. Haselwood would go over the lesson with the students, and if everyone was ready to proceed forward, another video would be created. Not only do I really like the concept of the students having the ability to watch the video repeatedly until they know the concept, I also like that students explain to one another. In my classroom, I talk about “kid words” and “50 cent words”. I find that when my students are having a tough time with a concept, it is usually because I am using “50 cent words”. Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with increasing one’s vocabulary, but when a new concept is being taught, it is often best to stick to words that students already know. New vocabulary can be added on after concepts are comprehended, in my opinion. I like to think of this as building blocks…one at at time.

I asked Mr. Haselwood how the flipped classroom worked for learners at different levels (whether that be reading comprehension, auditory processing, ELL, etc). He said that he believed that it actually enhanced learning for all students, because they did have the ability to see the lesson over and over until it made sense to each individual student. I completely bought in at this point! The idea that I can teach a lesson to students, and they can go back and watch it over and over until they have complete comprehension is phenomenal to me! Haselwood said, “You can meet every single student where every single student is.”

Another suggestion Haselwood has is for teachers  to work together when teaching a flipped lesson. This way, there are several teachers facilitating the lesson and they can take turns explaining the concepts. I have already reached out to my counterparts in the same grade level and have asked if they would like to join me in my first flipped lesson on genetics. They both said they are interested, and I am feeling very optimistic about this new endeavor! I imagine how all 7^th grade students at my school will have a new way to learn all about genetics, learn to correctly make Punnett squares, learn the vocabulary, and how all of these parts work together. Another point Scott made was that it is very important to speak to one’s administration when deciding to do a flipped classroom, as this is not the typical teaching style. I feel that I would have complete support, and will happily share this information with my administration before publishing the video. I believe that as long as teachers are doing what is best for students, administration will fully support a teacher’s endeavors.

Something else that Scott spoke about was about the importance for teachers to emphasize that students move onto next lesson only after they have proven mastery of the previous lesson. I am very much looking forward to trying out this new idea in my classroom, and will probably blog a little about it after it occurs later this fall. And I might even watch The Sixth Sense and Inception for a refresher on those two great movies!

 For more great information and resources from Mr. Scott Haselwood:

Twitter: @TeachFromHere

YouTube: The Drive (podcasts)

Terrific Technology!

 Part 1: 

Technology is a very large part of my life, on any given day, at any given time. Technology is actually what wakes me up and starts my day. At approximately 5 a.m. on weekdays, I wake to my android phone blaring an alarm, reminding me that my glorious slumber has come to an abrupt end. This is the first of many interactions with technology before I even leave my home for the day. After my shower, I saunter to my kitchen where I find my good friend, Mr. Coffee, has prepared an aromatic, hot carafe of my favorite morning beverage – coffee! Then, after having my coffee and a cup of yogurt, I head to my bathroom to do my morning ritual of getting ready for work, by using my technological grooming tools - hair dryer, curling iron and straightener. I complete my morning routine and then head out the garage door to find my car awaiting my arrival. Technology is accessed for my convenience to enter my car, by simply pressing a button on my key fob, which unlocks the doors to my automobile.

Part 2:

I don’t often think of my car as technology, but is surely just that, equipped with Bluetooth functions to stream music, satellite radio and all digital instruments. My vehicle is the next piece of technology that is quite important and allows me to get to and from one place to another. When I arrive at school, I enter the building and then make my way to my room. I start to use the next technology components that are very important to my work at school at this point. My computer is a very important tool at school, as is as my SMART Board. I use my computer for email, google searches for lesson plans, questions students have, to take attendance, generate reports, update Edmodo and Remind on a daily basis and create documents. I use the SMART Board, as previously mentioned in my last blog for daily lessons. I also use my printer at least once a day, if not more. Occasionally, the temperature will be too cold or too warm, and I am able to adjust the digital thermostat in my room for comfort of students and myself. Another set of tools I use while at school are the copiers and scanner in the teacher work room. A phone that is connected to my computer is also helpful when I need to call another teacher or when students need to call home, for whatever reason.

Part 3:

After work, I head home and that is where my use of leisure (and school work) technology occurs. When I get home and after I sit down and find some time to wind down after a long day, I often check my phone for text messages, missed calls and new posts on Facebook and Instagram. I stay connected with my grown children, my husband, parents, friends and other family with my cell phone through text messaging. I am so grateful for this technology, as I am able to communicate often with my dear family and friends. Texting is another way to communicate with my colleagues for our Master's classes - this is very important! I also check Twitter, as I have become a fan of Twitter over the summer and I attempt to join different chats at least once a week. Then, I often get onto my laptop and see what occurred in the world that day. I also use my laptop for research, learning new technology to become more technological savvy, writing my blog and creating documents. Occasionally, I will watch television – especially the nightly news. When it’s time for dinner, I use my stove, refrigerator and other appliances in my kitchen that aid in the production of creating a meal. After I start dinner, I often throw some laundry into the washer and later place the clothing into the dryer. I very much enjoy reading, and my Kindle and IPad come in handy for this. I do like to read tangible books, but I also enjoy the e-reader, as I can have many books accessible at any time.  After cleaning up from dinner, I go through my evening ritual of getting ready for bed and then plug in my cell phone, in preparation for being awoken again at 5 a.m. to start the process all over within several hours.

Part 4:

I tried to outline the ways in which I use technology in my personal and professional life on a daily basis. There is so much technology that I use all day long, that I truly could not imagine what I would do if my devices and other types of technology were unavailable. This assignment has given me an appreciation for the important role that technology plays in my everyday life. And, on that note, it is time for me to charge my phone overnight, as 5 a.m. comes very soon!