Monday, February 19, 2018

WHERE DO I GO FROM HERE?


                Do you ever take a minute to just sit back and reflect on all the transformations that are taking place in your classroom?  Do you ever feel unsure of which direction to go next?  Well…I know I did and still do today!  I began my journey with technology using it as a tool to substitute the way I previously completed a task.  For example, I used the iPads to have my students read selections from Reading A-Z.  This did save a lot of trees, because I was now able to have my students read a digital copy of the book in color instead of printing and folding books on a daily basis.  I used the iPads as basically a really expensive digital worksheet or copy of a book.  I received my 1:1 iPad cart in January that year, so by the time the year was over I really wanted to find ways to use these devices to really transform my students’ learning.  That next year I heard about Plickers, Kahoot, and some great math apps, such as Number Frames, Number Pieces, Xtra Math, Sushi Monster, and Front Row.  Front Row became such a wonderful way to personalize learning and created a classroom of students who reached out for help from one another.  If a student struggled with a specific task, they would be given a video and some additional practice.  However, if the student continued to struggle, it would list a set of classmates’ names that had passed the content and suggest them to reach out to one of those students for assistance.  This program really created an environment where students supported each other’s learning.  If you have never used Front Row before, check out this short video for a preview of this surprisingly FREE app.

What is Front Row? 


 

“Where do I go from here?”  Well…funny you should ask?  

My school was finding resources and fundraising to allow both second and third grade classrooms to be at a 1:1 with iPads.  Technology became a topic of high interest and a technology committee was developed at my school.  The goal of this committee was to raise teacher capacity with technology and become knowledgeable on new innovative ideas.  We had many faculty meetings that allowed teachers to attend technology sessions of their choosing conducted by the teachers in the committee that were willing to share.  My principal ended up arranging for a small group of us to attend the iNACOL Technology Conference in Orlando, Florida.  This was such an amazing experience and I had the chance to hear a lot of great speakers discuss personalized and blended learning ideas.  We had the opportunity to check out some vendors and look into some new programs.  That’s when we stumbled upon Apollo and Homeroom (LMS system).  We were fascinated with the capabilities of these programs and were excited to bring it back to our school and give it a try.  For those of you who have never heard of these before…Homeroom is a lot like Schoology.  Apollo however, has brought instant feedback and data collection to drive instruction to a whole new level.  I have found this application to have changed the way I provide instruction.  It has been going on three and a half years now, and I continue to find new ways to use this application.

Check out these teachers using Apollo! 




The Good Old SAMR Model

The following year we had a representative from Apple come to our school and this is when the SAMR Model began to become a little bit clearer.  I listened to their presentation and had the opportunity to check out some of the applications they discussed in their presentation.  Although, I was still quite unsure what the SAMR Model really entailed.  My curiosity about this continued to grow and I decided, since I had to get my master’s degree by my tenth year of teaching in my district, I was going to look into a major that had something to do with technology.  That is how I am currently where I am today…completing a blog…well this blog…for my WUEDT6020 class.  Throughout this degree, I have stumbled upon the SAMR Model several times.  Although, today I watched the following video created by students that really explained this model to me in a clear way and I feel I might have a better understanding of it than I had in the past.  Check out this video if you would like some clarification, as well!    

Check out this video of the SAMR Model explained by students. 


 

What it looks like in an elementary classroom!

 

 

Continuing to Learn and Grow

Over the years, I exposed my students to a wide range of presentation apps such as Keynote, iMovie, and Prezi.  I had my students create writing journals using Google Drive applications and comment to peers on their writing.  I was introduced to Seesaw by a coworker and have used this application in so many amazing ways.  This application has really allowed my students to showcase their skills.  Check out some of their awesome creations!  Many of these creations also incorporate a recording of the students explaining their work.

Students uploading a photo to Seesaw of Oreos with labels representing the phases of the moon.

Solving and representing Math word problems and using Seesaw to explain their thinking.



Using the Geoboard tool to create a 2-D shape with labels. Then taking a screenshot and uploading their photo to Seesaw.
Student used Spiderscribe.net to create the life cycle of a butterfly and uploaded the screenshot to Seesaw and recorded an explanation of the life cycle.


Despite my years of hesitation in trying out Twitter, I found it to be a wonderful tool to learn and grow from other professionals.  Accessing Twitter through my EDT6020 class has encouraged me to seek out and follow other professionals.  This has provided me with some unique ideas to expose my students to.  I have learned so much through discussions on Twitter and following application companies.  I have also exposed my students to technologies I have been exposed to through my technology classes.  For example, I have introduced my students to Spiderscribe.net and to Educreations, but I am interested in trying out some type of blog and ePals to allow my students global experiences.  I will continue to expose my students to technologies that will help prepare them for their futures.  This journey is an ever-changing experience and I look forward to learning and growing from everyone along the way!  Please share any suggestions you may have to allow me to reach those upper levels of the SAMR Model with my first grade students!



References:

Apollo in the Classroom - James Locke. (2015, September 27). Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZzmw_Ha6gM.

Apollo in the Classroom - Maggie Mabery. (2015, September 27). Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-I-EKn7dxzQ.

R. (2014, June 20). The SAMR Model Explained By Students. Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBce25r8vto.

SAMR and Bloom's Taxonomy: Assembling the Puzzle. (2017, July 19). Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/samr-and-blooms-taxonomy-assembling-the-puzzle.

S. (2014, December 10). SAMR Elementary Examples. Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZVUd7jZaS0.

What is Front Row? (2014, May 19). Retrieved February 19, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUxgODODjW0


 


Thursday, February 8, 2018

On the Road to Technology Integration...

Do you sometimes feel that it seems impossible to keep up with the latest trends in education?  Do you feel like you finally get something down and then it seems so outdated?  Well this realization happened four years ago when my classroom had the fortunate experience to take part in a pilot program to see the impact technology had on education.  This meant that my students would be at a 1:1 with iPads in my classroom.  Having a one-to-one device in the fingertips of my students became a luxury and a learning experience for us all.  It is wonderful how technology changes the way we teach, how our students learn, and the way we can communicate with one another.  I have learned that today’s students gravitate towards technology and are much more engaged when they are participating in activities utilizing technology.  I have seen first-hand the amazing impact it has had on my students and how it has helped me grow professionally.  I am so lucky to be in a school that values technology and have seen how it has really become part of the norm.  I’m a beginner on this road to technology integration, but I thought I’d share some things I have found quite useful along the way.

Click the link below to check out 50+ FREE amazing tech tools that will engage your students.  These are some highly recommended 21st century applications!

50 Free Tech Tools For Your Classroom
 

Learn and Grow Together

Integrating technology effectively can seem overwhelming and time consuming, but learning and growing together will help relieve some of the anxiety you may be feeling.  I have heard the comments being made, “Not one more thing” or “It’s just too much.”  However, we live in a digital age and our job as educators is to prepare our students to be college and career ready.  This means our students will be using technology that hasn’t even been invented yet.  “With the accelerating pace of social and technological change, the World Economic Forum estimates that 65 percent of children today will end up in careers that don't even exist yet” (Kielburger, 2017).  You might be wondering…How am I going to prepare a student to do a job that doesn’t even exist yet?  Well the answer is exploration, creating, problem solving, collaboration and communication!  Not having all the answers is okay.  Taking risks and trying new things allows our students to develop these problem solving skills when they are learning alongside their teacher.  It’s okay to take risks and try something out!  If it fails, make adjustments next time and learn and grow from this experience together.  We often learn more from failure.  Failure leads to success and allows us to make more connections and problem solve.  We can learn so much from our students by giving them the opportunity to have ownership of their learning.

This video gives some great advice on how we can prepare our kids for the future.  

Releasing the Power

In a world where we have access to information in the palm of our hand, I decided to have one of my guided reading groups go around the world with an iPad using the Reading A-Z app.  My students read various books about places around the world such as Alaska, Egypt, China, Japan, The Amazon, Australia, and the Galapagos Islands.  While reading these books my students participated in a multitude of research skills that included note taking from text, watching video clips, using a safe search engine, KidRex, to find more information about these places, and creating presentations.  I was impressed with their hunger for knowledge and learning more about the world around them.  Navigating non-fiction selections was a skill that was taught from the beginning.  My educational assistant and I showed them how to read utilizing text features to make the rigorous reading selections easier to understand.  They were advanced readers, but needed enriching projects to demonstrate the importance of reading to learn.  Technology became the essential tool that allowed me to differentiate instruction and begin to personalize learning for my students.  It was difficult at first to release the power and hand so much responsibility to these students, but technology provided them with a way to seek out the world around them and learn about a place they could one day visit.  I love showing students that it is a big world out there and that there is so much to do and see.  I feel that technology is a way that everyone can have the opportunity to see and learn about the amazing places in our world.  As an educator, I enjoy utilizing technology to allow diverse learners the opportunity to achieve their highest potential.  Virtual Reality has become a new trend that has fascinated me and allowed me to see that learners can be transported to a reality you never thought possible.  If you can get your hands on these devices, you can transport your learners to places you never thought possible.
Click the link below to check out my infographic to see how this trend can transform education.

https://create.piktochart.com/output/27451184-jamie-tellish-edt6020


Connect Kids Globally

“Technology is the language today’s students speak” (Delzer, 2015).  Students need a digital foot print that will prepare them for their future.  Communication and collaboration are skills students will need to be successful in their future occupations.  Start now!  Connect globally and allow students to have experiences outside the classroom walls.  Allow them to see that social media can be used to make connections and learn from experts around the world.  Let them see that working together and developing problem solving skills will help them interact with the world around them.  It might seem scary, but remember doing what’s best for kids is what we strive to do.  Providing students with these opportunities will help prepare them for their futures.
·         Create a class Twitter account
·         Join ePals
·         Skype a class or expert in a field
The possibilities are endless and will continue to change rapidly.  New trends roll in and another trend will shortly take its place.  The road to technology integration is ever-changing and staying on top of these trends can be very time-consuming.  Reach out to other professionals, follow educators on Twitter, and check out blogs that interest you!  But keep in mind…it doesn’t happen overnight!  It’s a learning experience that becomes an adventure you and your students will share throughout the year.  Remember…relax and have fun.

Click the link below for some interesting information to reflect upon.  This will illustrate the significance of preparing our children for the future.

Did You Know



References

A. (2016, September 03). Did You Know (Officially updated for 2018). Retrieved February 08, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u06BXgWbGvA

Kellogg, K. (2016, June 10). 50 Free Tech Tools For Your Classroom. Retrieved February 08, 2018, from https://www.simplek12.com/ipads-mobile-learning/50-free-tech-tools-for-your-classroom/
Kielburger, C. A. (2017, May 19). How Can We Prepare Kids For Jobs That Don't Exist Yet? Retrieved February 07, 2018, from http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/craig-and-marc-kielburger/future-job-market_b_16687862.html
T. (2015, October 13). Reimagining Classrooms: Teachers as Learners and Students as Leaders | Kayla Delzer | TEDxFargo. Retrieved February 07, 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6vVXmwYvgs