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.
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| Students uploading a photo to Seesaw of Oreos with labels representing the phases of the moon. |
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| Solving and representing Math word problems and using Seesaw to explain their thinking. |
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| Using the Geoboard tool to create a 2-D shape with labels. Then taking a screenshot and uploading their photo to Seesaw. |
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| 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
