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