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!