Sample Letter to Parents and Students

September 2014

Dear Parents/Guardians and Student,

This year in Room 10 we will be integrating eVideo learning into the Grade 5 program.  This means that the student will be asked to visit various web links in order to view information that will then be discussed and built upon during classroom time.  In order to complete these tasks students will need access to the internet for short periods of time.  If no access is available at home, students are encouraged to visit the nearby branch of the Kitchener Public Library located on Heritage Drive.  Use of the computers and internet access is available at this branch and indeed all public library locations in the city. Once connected, the student will be asked to logon to one of the following eVideo sites.  We will be using these sites during school hours as well so students will be familiar with the processes needed to begin.

For easy access to these sites, use the Library Learning Commons website located at http://library.wrdsb.ca and follow the steps provided. It is a fabulous resource, be sure to look around at your leisure.    

This month we will be accessing Learn360 on a regular basis. Students log in using the passwords which will be distributed in class. (Please do not share this password with others as it is intended for use with WRDSB students only.) I will be assigning specific videos to be viewed within certain timelines.  

The first task is to logon to Learn360 and watch the video titled “Famous Inventions and Inventors”.  This video is approximately 28 minutes in length, headphones are recommended but not necessary.  After viewing, students are asked to select one of the inventors featured and create a set of jot notes either on paper or in their Google Apps for Education account.  The notes should focus on a few brief facts about the inventor, their invention and one comment on how this invention has impacted society today. Due Date: September 22nd. This inventor will also be the focus of a more in depth biography search as well as a compare and contrast activity which will be completed at school.

As always if you have any questions or concerns I can be reached through a note in your child’s planner or,

patricia_morgan@wrdsb.on.ca

or Franklin Public School 519-893-1334.

Sincerely Ms. T. Morgan

A Picture is Worth.....

Art is Life, Life is Art. Possibly my favourite idea to share with a class. When the world went digital, Life got bigger. And the potential to live out this statement grew immensely.  For years I have been using Sumo Paint with my students.  We dug out cables, hooked up cameras and loaded in photos. The lessons practically wrote themselves.  Now we walk around with mobile devices, wirelessly upload through Google Drive and sit down to endless creativity. The two images below could easily be part of an art lesson on warm colours and balance, or a geometry lesson on 2-D shapes and symmetry. The revisions and critical analysis made by students are genuine and emotional. The room often erupts in giggles and ahhhhs as they try out new effects.  They share ideas, critique each others work, and immerse themselves with little or no prompting from me. While I am partial to the photo editing tool, it has powerful paint and draw options as well. Projects can be completed in minutes or revisited endlessly.

A sunset photo I took with my phone from my mother’s balcony overlooking Waterloo Park.

Teachers that I share this tool with love that they don't have to install anything. It's an extremely versatile online image editor and painting application. You can open and save images from the hard drive or save to the cloud. I have used a few other editors but this one remains my favourite for its ease of use and maybe because it holds some great teaching moments for me.

A few ideas: Create online advertisements in Media Literacy, redo book covers in Language Arts, modify maps in Social Studies, highlight shapes in nature. And most importantly, let the students come up with ideas!

Pump Up the Audio!!!

                                                                  http://bit.ly/1FMSUFm

Sometimes I talk too much. Standing there, front or centre of the class, so much to share, so little time? Going on and on, hoping I catch myself before they all drift off. Many times another voice would be better. How about their voice? Sounds good doesn't it? 

Luckily, there are some great audio helps out there and like so much technology they have the potential to wake up learning and meet individual student needs.
How about trying a screen casting app on the iPad such as Explain Everything or Educreations?
During the last Science Unit we were conducting some experiments that tested properties of liquids (Grade 5).  Unfortunately 3 students were absent and timetabling and supplies would not allow me to repeat the lesson.  So we chose a few students to do 'play by play' and take photos.  Each group was given an iPad and they took turns recording themselves.  There was an added bonus of the students putting extra effort into making sure they didn't miss any steps and followed the scientific method correctly.  As well, the absent students were a great audience for the results and asked great questions based on the recordings. 

Here's another.... A colleague of mine has told me about using the Garageband app to create the morning announcements in their JK - 6 school.
 Students in a grade 4/5 class take turns preparing the announcements.  With peer tutors in grade 6 to assist them, the students use all the features of the app including sound effects and background music. They share the podcast to each teacher who then can choose when to listen to them before first break.  It has worked out very nicely for classrooms where there is a rotary teacher in there during 1st period.  

In my own room we've been making marionettes and writing short skits. Because working a marionette takes a lot of focus we decided to record the play on a device, phones, iPads, tablets, ahead of time (including sound effects). They used Garageband, their cameras and any audio apps they had.  It has made the project more complex and time consuming but they are very invested. As much as I think they like to hear my voice, they love to hear their own!

As long as I'm mentioning mobile devices, I have to recommend apps such as AudioNote for teachers.
 You can walk around with your device and make observations of students as they are working. On another occasion I was teaching Grade 3 after a long absence from the primary world, and I had to relearn how to do running record assessments.  After struggling through a few of them, I turned to the camera on the iPad and asked my students if I could tape them.  It saved me.  The pressure was off and I did a much better job of listening. I had the added benefit of being able to tape them again later in the year and make invaluable comparisons.  Assessment has changed, finally in a good way!

Before the iPad came along I was fully immersed in Web 2.0 tools and sites.

Storynory is a new one for me, it seemed to show up just when I needed it.
 It's free, downloadable, recorded stories that can be listened to one chapter at a time. I'll only use it once this year, but that's ok.  Then my students will create their own. I'll have them choose a fable to narrate and decide on end of chapter questions for us to consider.

Another new site and idea is the 60-Second Science site.
 Great for junior to intermediate grades.  Sift through to find one for your class and have it ready for when they first arrive or right after a break.  It's a great discussion starter and complements many topics.  

And finally my students and I are looking forward to a neighbourhood science walk as part of our unit on structures.  We will be taking our various personal devices and narrating along the way.  I've shared this idea with several teachers and they are excited to do the same thing.  We will be brainstorming and sharing follow-up ideas for our recordings.  I may visit a few podcast idea sites such as this one,  Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears, to keep the recording fun going this year. 

Looking forward to hearing the best voices in my room....you know who they are!!

A Google Biased Look at Microsoft Office 365

Launched in June 2011, Office 365 provides online storage space on Microsoft’s cloud service called OneDrive.  There are many ‘plans’ available, the majority aimed at businesses.  For this comparison with Google Docs/Apps, the Online Tools version was used.

Online Tools is a collaborative product can be accessed using browsers such as; Internet Explorer 9 or later, Firefox and Google Chrome, as well as Safari for OS X 10.6 or later.

It is home to a suite of tools such as; Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote. There is also the email service called Outlook.com, a contacts list in People, Calendar and the home base called OneDrive.

Overall, it has been Microsoft’s ongoing answer/response to Google Docs and the ensuing suite of apps they also developed. Both are free, have student/education options and are collaborative.

Having very little experience with Microsoft products I signed up and created a few documents.  (I still have yet to share a document because they want a phone number!) Having some pretty good instincts, I managed to navigate its OneDrive formally known as SkyDrive (by the way, why couldn’t they come up with a name at least a little less like Google’s Drive?). (Who was first?)

I also decided to consult someone with a little more experience than myself, my son.  He is a first year science major at UW and a product of the WRDSB.  So he’s had to use both.  While he found Google much easier for its email system (gmail) and any essay writing, he was not impressed with Numbers or any Mac version of spreadsheets and graphing apps.  There are many science functions that can’t be done except in a Microsoft application. He uses Excel and it is on the computers at school.  He wished he had it at high school.

In 2009, I was at an ECOO conference and went to one of my first presentations of Google Docs.  It was pretty cool then and still is.  I’ve been hooked and comfortable with Google Applications ever since.  I even completed a Google Apps online certificate course a few years ago.  It’s amazing how much they grow each year.  I suppose Microsoft is also, but working in a Google Environment I am not aware of their progress. Having taught students how to use GAFE, I realize how easy to use it is.  I love that each app has basic commonalities such as naming, sharing, and filing.  During my first few days with Microsoft online tools I found it a little frustrating.  There is no ‘help’ option so I had to ‘google’ answers, just a little bit ironic!

I am glad to have had the opportunity and the motivation to try out the Microsoft product though.  I will certainly keep my eye on it and maybe someday even give them my phone number.  

Until then, Long Live Google Apps!!!

If I haven't used these 3 then something's wrong!

So, barring a Zombie Apocolypse, or gigantic electromagnetic pulse, or a part of an imagined universe freezing over, I can say I will use the following 3 tools in my classroom this year and next, which is a long time in the world of technology!

An iPad!!!  So much potential.  Where to start?  I'll choose one of my favourite starter apps. This one is great for both teachers and students new to an iPad.

Pic Collage:
This is an iPad app that uses photos, video, stickers, frames, and text to create collages. It has been around a few years now and has gone through some positive growth spurts.  It is free, but offers some options for extensions.  I've seen this app used from JK to Grade 12 in all kinds of subject areas and languages.

Students enjoy using this app.  It is easy to learn, has lots of templates, makes their projects look professional, and work is saved either to the photo library where it can be uploaded anywhere or through any of its quick links. (skitch, twitter, drive, etc.) Impact on students - always positive.  Allows for creativity, modification of tasks, paper saver, and great for student self-esteem.

As long as I am a Grade 3 or higher teacher another of my 'must do's' in the year is to introduce students to a website creator.

Website Creators: 
Having spent a majority of the past 5 years teaching Grade 4 and 5, I had no reservations in showing students how to make their own websites. First I used Google Sites.  Created a couple of class gmails and signed them up through those.  Sent letters of explanation and permission home and off we went.  Next came Weebly.com, which had an Educators option!  Perfect, but it has a yearly cost.  Luckily, my administrator was all for it.  This has been a great site as it is so easy to use.  This year, we made the switch to Google Apps for Education and so back to Google Sites.  This time tho' students have their own accounts and we are 'protected' from outside searches. It has been my leap into ePortfolio's for students.  We use the iPad in class to take photos of our work that is not created on a desktop and upload the images to Drive.  Parents really like to see their child's work and the students love to show them how they make it.

And now a Web 2.0 site.  There are so many.  I'm always surprised to find that not many teachers know about this one.

Voki:
Here's some fun.  Check out this link! (be sure to click the play button)  Students and teachers can easily create speaking avatars.  It is free to do, but there are many upgrade options.  We use the typing tool to create the speech.  It is always a great lesson in phonetics! There are so many ways to integrate Voki.  This is why I never get tired of it.  Students always surprise me with their ideas. I've seen them on websites, as links in slideshows, as introductions to projects, as seasonal greetings, as book reviewers, as political campaign ads, as weather forecasters, Hallowe'en characters and so on.  Another positive, rewarding learning experience for students where they put in a sincere effort. What more could I ask for?
I can't believe it's February and I haven't demoed it yet!  Hey, I've got my mini-lesson for tomorrow now!!!




Here

Did You Know....?

......I work in a terrific Province and I have a fabulous School Board. I am so fortunate to have so many resources literally at my fingertips and both Ontario and the Waterloo Region are responsible for that ease of access.  As I went through this list I realized I just don't use them enough. They would all be worth the time, I really shouldn't let that be an excuse and if it's not too late for a 2015 resolution, I'm making a pledge to myself to get surfing and bookmarking more! Sounds Delicious to me!!!

First up,

OSAPAC

The Ontario Software Acquisition Advisory Committee website is accessible by all Ontario teachers and used by Ontario Boards. When software is licensed by this group you know they have done vetting, testing, and consulting with the Ministry, to check that it aligns with curriculum objectives for learning. It's the ultimate stamp of approval.

Next,

OERB - Ontario Education Resource Bank - This site is for teachers, students, and parents of students.  Each board issues a password and user id. As it's name suggests, it has a wealth of ideas.  Over 31,000 digital resources from K-12.

Accessing the OERB also gives links to Learn360 and EduGAINS.
Learn 360 requires a password, usually provided by your school board. From there you will have access to advanced search options for even more eVideos and various mainstream videos such as Bill Nye, Reading Rainbow or feature movies. This site is accessible to both teacher and student.
EduGAINS has Ministry developed resources for K - 12. These resources were created for use by classroom educators, school leaders, and system leaders. Lots of 'how to' ideas here.
Another great resource for Ontario teachers is the National Film Board.  Once you set up an account you select your school board to access the NFB collection of streamed videos.

Within my board, the WRDSB, deploying mobile devices over the past few years has been a major project.  Every school at the JK-8 level has at least 40 iPads. These devices are managed centrally through a system known as configurator. As part of this endeavour, an image was developed for each iPad.  Apps are chosen through a software approval process.  Anyone can suggest app ideas and then several groups such as, the IT dept., the learning services group, and the Spec. Ed. dept. make final decisions.  To assist with the difficult task of choosing apps, an evaluation document was developed. Many schools have purchased iPads with their own funds and can download any apps they wish through a school itunes account. As well, we also have an app description doc and a support website to enhance use of these devices. The same type of process has been in place for our desktop computers.  A software image, used on all board computers,  was developed many years ago and is updated regularly.  Specialized software such as Kurzweil can be added by request.

Off to start fulfilling my new resolution....Ontario Resources here I come!

Blogs I Will Haunt....

Here are 3 blogs that I would highly recommend!

First up......the Chief Information Officer at the Waterloo Region District School Board, my IT leader, Mark Carbone! His blog, Mark's Musings, is extremely professional and informative. He has a rare perspective that he willingly shares in a succinct and reflective manner.

http://blog.markwcarbone.ca/   @markcarbone

Next up, the brilliant and reliable Kathy Schrock. I have used her resources for years and years!!! How does she do it? Her logo "Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything" is bang on. I've shared her name with many people. She never misses the latest innovations.

http://blog.kathyschrock.net @kathyschrock

And finally, Will Richardson, educator, speaker and author.  I heard him a few years ago at the then named ECOO 2011 conference in Toronto and was hooked.  A blogger for 12 years, (wow), and a wealth of knowledge. If plagiarism was legal, he's my guy!

http://willrichardson.com  @willrich45

Blend that Learning!

During a recent Snow Day (Yippee!), I watched a Weather Network segment on the different types of snow and their names.  Those images and words came to mind as I started thinking about Blended Learning.  Soon I had more and more ways to name it too. Each a little different but the same as the other.

 Blended Learning, Flipped Classroom, Virtual Education, Elearning, Webinars, On-Line Learning, Hybrid, Mixed Mode, etc.

Sticking with the first, Blended Learning, another list appears....these being the delivery models.

Face-to-face, rotation, flex, labs, self-blend, online driver

Do I use blended learning?
Using the above lists, I'll say a tentative yes.

Some examples:

Primary and Junior Division

Dreambox Math  (License Required)
Two years ago my school was 'chosen' to pilot Dreambox Math.  Every student was given an account.  Several teachers decided to receive training and then were asked to share their learning with other teachers.  Basically, teachers choose a level for their students to begin at and give them a password.  They then work through strands at their own pace. Dreambox is supposed to intuitively recognize when a student needs review and scaffolds them through the stages.  There are lots of incentive rewards and narration.  Students log on anytime, anywhere. Teachers can track student progress and then plan in class time to support a student's needs.  This past year, only the Grade 2's were chosen to have Licenses, along with a designated number of Special Education students from any grade.  Its graphics, 'game-like' environment, and sound make it user-friendly for ELL students and students with Learning Disabilities.
My tentative yes?  Because I knew it was too expensive to keep for all students, so I didn't latch on to this one. Interesting option for some students.  Three of my current students have licenses and are tracked by our Special Education Teacher.

Junior/Intermediate Division

Desire to Learn  a.k.a. D2L, associated with Brightspace. This learning space environment has its headquarters in my hometown of Kitchener.  Teachers in our board sign up for training and enrollment in this Learning Management system.  Students will have access to a variety of activities in multiple subject areas.  Teachers can upload content as well.

Edmodo 
Using Edmodo, teachers invite students into private groups that can be used for online classroom discussions, but in a format that keeps the teacher firmly in control. Teachers give students a class signup code, which can be deactivated once all students have signed up, and students in turn are encouraged to share the code with their parents, allowing them to monitor their own child's activity. As an invitation-only social network, Edmodo is meant to mirror a secure offline classroom that intruders cannot access, with rules of decorum enforced by software. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmodo)
It's a platform that allows students and teachers to connect.  It has been marketed as the 'Facebook' for schools.  Lots of possibilities in this one.  It really filled a need before Google Apps for Education came along!

There, 3 more types of 'snow'.  Time to go play in it!

21st Century Tools - Gotta have 'em! Now what should I do with them?

As my circle of learning continues, (see previous post), I have spent some time thinking about SAMR.

 "The Substitution Augmentation Modification Redefinition Model" offers a method of seeing how computer technology might impact teaching and learning." 

This quote comes from a  Google Site that thoroughly explains the model.
The image below, right from the creator's, (Ruben R. Puentedura, Ph.D.) blog, comes with an example using Google Earth.

I love it.  It makes me ask myself the right questions each time I think about a new unit, a new tool, or a student's needs. I think my role as a teacher is to make sure I move myself and my students in and around this model. It provides me with next steps, it's adaptable to student needs and abilities, and applies to all technology.  Last spring, I was asked to consider this SAMR model and apply it to the wonderful tool known as 'Bitstrips'.  I created a document and it was recently posted on an OSAPAC site.  Scroll down and you will find some great sample lessons and videos pertaining to several Ministry Licensed Software resources.  Ideas, suggestions, examples are out there.  It is our responsibility to get informed and find what works for us.

Teaching - What Guides You?

As I drive to work each day I know as soon as I get in the car what the regulations, rules and etiquette of driving are. I don’t read them over or recite them to anyone.  I just drive. When I walk through the school doors, I have another set of parameters that I live within. They are the Ethical Standards and Standards of Practice.  But I don’t really talk about them, as with the car, I just live them. Upon analysis of how I’ve done this I’d say the Ethical Standards seem to boil down to ‘be nice’.

Nice = Caring

Nice = Trusting

Nice = Respecting

Nice = Integrity

As students are subjected to character development assemblies, 8 keys of whatever, and living in a village,  doesn’t it always just boil down to ‘Are you a nice person?’ Every year on the first day of school, I ask my students to ‘be nice’ and we’ll all have a great year.  We all agree, and go from there.  I have shown them this definition, often right after the winter holiday break, as a reminder to our commitment. Not much different from OCT standards I notice.

According to Merriam-Webster….Related to NICE

Synonyms

befitting, correct, decent, decorous, de rigueur, genteel, proper, polite, respectable, seemly

And for teachers, shouldn’t we be nice too?  At all times, no matter how trying a situation can be?  No matter how biased or prejudiced we could be?  No matter how stubborn or set in our ways?  Ethical Standards….how do I relate these to my beliefs? Easiest question yet….follow them in and out of the school setting, pre and post teaching.  Easy to do?  Of course not, this is one for the ‘if it was easy, it wouldn’t be important’ lists.  In my opinion, it should go without saying that we follow ethical standards, but of course it has to be written down somewhere and the OCT did a good job of that.

Next, Standards of Practice.  These are the ones that make us exhausted!  Don’t you just want to do them all the time?  Be totally committed to your students! Have the best current professional knowledge!  Be a leader in everything!  Always refining what we do!  And of course, committed, ongoing, professional learning.  A tired teacher is a good teacher!?!  Sounds like a ‘circle of life’ for teachers.  If you sincerely join in anywhere in these standards, you almost have to do the rest. 

And it goes on your whole career.  But didn’t we know this coming into the profession?  There’s big opportunity for fulfillment here.  Not every ‘job’ offers that.  And isn’t it just Education Act 264.1 (a-d)?  So it’s everywhere, and has been for a long time, does that mean its relevant?  And how does the rapid development of technology fit into this circle?  

I think it’s just sprinkled over top. There are interwoven math layers and reading layers and art layers and so on. Technology just settles onto all of them and covers the whole circle. It’s here, ready or not.  And I’m glad, I like sprinkles on my ice-cream.