Get Students Talking With Digital Tools - Looking At The Tools

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to conduct a webinar with Simple K12. The topic was on I have discussed before, students talking with digital tools.

Students have A LOT to say.. just ask any K-12 teacher.  However, with some guidance and the right tools, students can share their thoughts, knowledge, and passions to a global audience.

When you think of students talking, you immediately go to the Speaking and Listening standards under ELA. The idea of using your voice doesn't have to stay in the ELA classroom though. Students can flex their voice in math, science, and social studies too.

Let's look at three tools students can start using today.

The first is Vocaroo.  I have shared about Vocaroo for several years. (previous post on Vocaroo) Vocaroo is a simply, web based program that allows students to record and share their recording.  Students in K-12 can use this tool!  The sharing options are great .. link, MP3, WAV, and even a QR Code. Side note, the recordings do not last forever, so if it is something you want to keep for years, download and save it.

             

Voice Memos is one that most of us have at our fingertips, but don't realize it.  Voice Memos is an iPhone / iPad app that appears simple but is pretty powerful. Like Vocaroo, just about anyone can use Voice Memos to create a recording. Once recorded, you can edit the recording and simply save and share. Depending on what accounts you have connected to your iPhone / iPad, you could share via Google Drive or iCloud.

    

The third tool is a Chrome extension, Screencastify. This extension allows you to not only record your voice, but your screen and webcam as well.  There is a free and paid version.  The free version provides 50 videos per month and a limit of 10 minutes per video. You can share the videos to your Google Drive with the free version, which is a great plus!

       

As always, if you teach students 13 years old and under, have a conversation with your technology department prior to using any tool with your students. You want to make sure the tools you select have been vetted by the department and are appropriate for use.

Some other tools worth mentioning include Audacity, Explain Everything, and Twisted Wave.

In the next post, we will talk about different activities students and teachers can use in the area of speaking and listen in all subject areas.

Do you have a tool you love using? Share that with us!

Bringing AR and VR into the Classroom; Part 2

In Part 1, we looked at why virtual reality is a good fit in today's classroom. We also talked about different types of VR set ups you could check out.  In this post, we are going to look at all the resources!  I am all about free and secure, so unless stated, these are free resources you can use in the classroom.

The first resource I want to talk about is the one most popular in my district - Google Expeditions.



Google Expeditions allows the students to explore a huge variety of VR locations all while the teacher is guiding them.  For this resource, the teacher will need a device along with the students.  The teacher selects the expedition or field trip, the students join, and then the learning and exploring begins. I have seen students from elementary to high school using Google Expeditions.  The best part is watching a student or class explore for the first time!

New expeditions are added regularly!  Teachers have also created lessons to go allow with several expeditions.  You can see the full list here. You can also learn more about Google Expeditions here.

While we are talking Google, we need to also mention Tour Creator. This allows you to create your own virtual tours using Google Maps.  I mean, how awesome is that!!

For example, after reading Patricia Polacco's book John Philip Duck, the students can explore the Peabody Hotel and other sites around Memphis using the Tour Creator that you created. You could also create a tour of your state capital, your hometown, the US capital, and so many other places!



Discovery VR brings their shows to "life" through VR.  Users can explore Shark Week, Deadliest Catch, and so much more.  This is not teacher guided, so you will want to explore before hand and have clear directions and/or expectations for students.

Discovery VR can be used on a variety of VR devices. They also add content regularly.






Do you use Nearpod in the classroom?  If so, have you checked out Nearpod's VR lessons? What is great about Nearpod VR is you don't need a headset to experience them. There are 36 free VR lessons available you can check out if you don't have a paid subscription with Nearpod.






Two other notable VR resources are NYT VR, New York Times VR and 360cities.  NYT VR would be a good resources for secondary schools.  This app brings the New York Times headlines to life. This is one where the teacher will want to explore first and select the best resource to meet the lesson or discussion in the classroom.

360cities is not an app at all, it is a website. You can explore Mars, New Years celebrations around the world, and so much more!  This is not a resource you want students to explore, but rather for you the teacher to use to enhance a lesson.

These are just a view VR resources you can use in the classroom.  If you are looking for more, these are few places to check out:

Richard Bryne's Free Tech for Teachers website

Cybrary Man's Educational Websites - Virtual Reality

Do you have a favorite VR resource? Share with us!

In the next post, we will explore AR (augmented reality).

Digital Citizenship Week and Cyber Security Awareness Month

October is National Cyber Security Awareness Month. Digital Citizenship Week is also in October, October 15-19.

These are some resources that can be used by students, employees, and parents to help promote and gain a better understanding of cyber security and digital citizenship.

Digital Citizenship Week - October 15-19
The first place to start for digital citizenship is Common Sense Media. CSM provides a free K-12 digital citizenship curriculum that can be integrated in the classroom or computer lab.

Check out the "4 Ways to Get Started Teaching Digital Citizenship" resource. You will need to create a CSM account in order to access the suggested resources.

You can encourage parents to take part in Digital Citizenship Week by taking the #DeviceFreeDinner challenge and/or sharing family engagement resources from Common Sense Media.

For elementary students, include one of these books during read aloud time to help discuss digital citizenship.

For secondary students, you can discuss ways to check facts online. Use this article from ISTE to help you get started.

For teachers on Twitter, search for #DigCit and connect with other educators discussing digital citizenship.


Cyber Security Awareness Month

2018 is the 15th year for Cyber Security Awareness Month. This month's overarching theme is "Cybersecurity is our shared responsibility and we all must work together to improve our Nation’s cybersecurity.".

Department of Homeland Security provides Cyber Security resources for K-12 classrooms. Check out Be Cyber Smart.

For parents and employees, check out the good online safety habits from STOP, THINK, CONNECT. These habits include:

- keep a clean machine
- protect your personal information
- connect with care
- be web wise
- be a good online citizen
- own your online presence


How are you promoting and/or teaching about cyber security and digital citizenship this month? Share your ideas with us!

Making a necessary evil fun and engaging!

Student assessment. It happens in schools all around the US .. all the time! Student assessment can make your extremely nervous. It can also make you wish the class period would never end.

I had the chance to share some online assessment resources with a group of teachers in February. They could name all of the icons below... except one!

They couldn't figure out the top, left icon. That is the icon for The Answer Pad.

The Answer Pad, like the other programs, allows your to assess students in an interactive format.

One thing I like about The Answer Pad is the fact you don't have to have a certain device. You can access it from the website, iOS app, or Android app. This means BYOD classes can use The Answer Pad as well as a one-to-one environment.

Once you create your account, you can start using The Answer Pad without having to enter the first student or question. This is a plus for me!  This means one less login/password for students (and me) to remember. I can also ask questions on the fly, which means I am prepared for those teachable moments.

When you select the Quick Connect feature, students enter the session with a Connect Code.  Once they are in the session, you can ask a variety of questions. I personally love the drawing question. This may be a little difficult with a mouse, but it forces the students do to more than mark a letter.

The Likert Scale question is also a good question for self assessment.  Ask the students who well they feel they understand the material.

You will see the student answers on your screen, which allows you to quickly check who does and does not understand the concept being assessed.

This is an example of a student, Eva, selecting thumbs up for the Up/Down question.

The Answer Pad also allows you to create student accounts and make assessments ahead of time.  You can also pay a yearly fee for more features. 

For me, however, I like the options available to me in Quick Connect. I can assess my students on the fly using multiple question formats. It doesn't matter the device type and I can see the student responses immediately and adjust the lesson accordingly.

Have you ever tried The Answer Pad?  If so, tell us about your experience!

The Math Learning Center - An Interactive Resource for the Classroom

I saw a tweet a few days ago on Twitter I should have taken a screenshot of! The tweet talked about how worksheets should be used as a form of punishment.  I love that!

The tweet reminded me of a math resource I have shared with teachers in the past - The Math Learning Center.

The Math Learning Center has 10 interactive math apps students can explore on the computer or iPad. The interactive math apps include:
- Fractions
- Geoboard
- Math Vocabulary
- Money Pieces
- Number Frames
- Number Line
- Number Pieces
- Number Pieces Basic
- Number Rack
- Pattern Shapes

The Geoboard app is always a favorite of mine!  As a 2nd grade teacher, rubber bands would end up in the air or broken when we used the geoboards to explore geometry. With the Geoboard app, you don't have to worry about rubber bands.

The Number Pieces app provides the students with a board to construct, deconstruct, and compare numbers.

These are just two of the 10 apps available.

Have you used The Math Learning Center in your classroom? Which app do your students enjoy? How have you used them in the classroom?

Share your ideas with us!

Digital Citizenship 101

Are you part of the 46% of smartphone owners who can't live without their device?
Do you spend the majority of your day in front of a screen?
Are you one of the 17.6 million US residents that experienced identity theft in 2014?

Without digital citizenship as a part of K-12 education and beyond, the answers to the above questions will become more and more alarming!

There was several resources out there to help educators with discussing the multiple areas of digital citizenship with students of all ages.

Common Sense Media
This is probably my most favorite digital citizenship resource for K-12 educators.  CSM provides a free K-12 curriculum for educators. The lessons are divided into grade levels and units. Each lesson is approximately 45 minutes, but can be divided into small chucks with ease.  I love how everything is right there for you. You don't have to feel nervous about discussing the topics, because of how CSM has it laid out for you.  There are also several digital resources available as well as student and parent resources in multiple languages.

InCtrl
These lessons are geared toward 4th - 8th grade.  There are lesson plans and video resources available for teachers and students.

ConnectSafely
This is a great resource for parents and teachers.  This site has great resources, blog posts, and suggestions on all things digital.  I had the chance to hear Kerry Gallagher at FETC, which drew me to this resource.

Classroom Read Alouds
I came across this blog post that talked about digital citizenship read alouds.  Ten minutes later I found several other books you can use to discuss various digital citizenship topics with students in both lower and upper elementary.

Some of the books include:
Goodnight iPad, by Ann Droyd
If You Give a Mouse an iPhone, by Ann Droyd
Webster's Email, by Hannah Whaley
Webster's Friend, by Hannah Whaley
The Pirates of Plagiarism, by Lisa Downey
Bully, by Patricia Polacco

There are also resources out there for you, the educator!  If you have on Twitter, do a search for #digcit. This is a a great hashtag related to all this digital citizenship.  You also want to check out Susan Bearden's book, Digital Citizenship. These two resources are a great start to learning more and becoming more familiar with digital citizenship.

Do you have a great resource, share with us here!

Digital Citizenship Week

Next week is Digital Citizenship Week.  Although this topic should be taught 24/7, we can use next week to stress the importance to education stakeholders like parents and community members. 

If you do a Google search for digital citizenship resources, you will come up with some great resources! Below are some I have shared with fellow educators.

The number 1 resource is Common Sense Media! If you have never explored the Common Sense Media website, stop right now and check them out! CSM offers a free, K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum. The lessons are 45 minutes each and provide teachers with a guide for how to discuss the topics in the classroom. The curriculum is constantly evolving to include resources in multiple languages and meet the various standards. The lessons focus on 8 topics:

~ Internet Safety
~ Privacy & Security
~ Relationships & Communication
~ Cyberbullying & Digital Drama
~ Digital Footprint & Reputation
~ Self-Image & Identity
~ Information Literacy
~ Creative Credit & Copyright

Another resource I came across this week is iKEEPSAFE. This is a resource I will explore more for sure! Click on the "educators" section to find PD and curriculum resources for K-12.

Teaching Digital Citizenship is another resource I have found that provides lessons for grades 4-8 on the following topics:
~ Communication & Collaboration
~ Digital Citizenship
~ Privacy
~ Media Literacy
~ Cyberbullying
~Ethics/Copyright
~ Information Literacy

If you are in search of a game, check out Webonauts Internet Academy from PBS. Common Sense Media also have some great online learning resources for students in grades 3 and above.

Edutopia and  Edudemic also provide a list of resources K-12 teachers can use to discuss digital citizenship in the classroom next week!

Do you have any digital citizenship resources you plan to use next week? Share them with us!

Swimming in a Sea of Blog Posts

There are so many great edtech blogs and bloggers, that you can quickly feel overwhelmed.  You could bookmark every blog, but what fun is that? 

I was a Google Reader user, but alas Google discontinued the service and I had to find another way to organize and curate all of the blogs and bloggers I follow.  That is where Feedly came in!

Feedly allows you to organize all of your blogs into one location. You can group blogs into collections.  For example, I currently have two collections - admin blogs and education resources.

You can change how the blogs appear on the screen. I like having them in chronological order.  You can also click on a specific blog and view a list of those blog posts.

To add a blog, you simply click on the "Add Content" button and type in the blog URL.  From there, you can select which collection or group you want this blog to be apart of.

Blog posts can also be shared out via Twitter and Facebook (just two examples) within Feedly. I frequent the share to Twitter so I can share what I'm reading with the PLN.

This is just scratching the surface of Feedly!  This is a great resource curate and share out blog posts. Check it out!

professional learning is everywhere - just have to know where to look

I continually go back to Brad Currie's blog post, 100 Minutes a Week. The post talks about how you can spend just 20 minutes a day on professional learning.  Take a moment and read the post! I frequently have to remind myself it just takes 20 minutes.

Read a book, follow a hashtag, watch a webinar, read a blog post, and listen to a podcast.  Five simply ways you can gain personalized professional learning!

Lets look at each one and some go-to resources for each.  Of course, take some time and read (or reread Brad Currie's blog post above).

(1) Read a Book
New books are published everyday and just like textbooks, some are outdated the moment it hits the shelves.  I have come across a great series of books published by Corwin Press.  These are the Connected Educator series.  The books are quick reads, but full of useful information. I started with The Relevant Educator and find myself going back to it often as a reference.  Check out the Connected Educator's Series by Corwin Press.

(2) Follow a Hashtag
I have been on Twitter since 2009 and I haven't looked back!  I am able to connect with edtech gurus 24/7 and gain endless amounts of personalized learning.  A hashtag on Twitter is like a divider in a notebook.  Everything related to science goes behind the science divider in my notebook.  Think of hashtags like dividers.  There are hashtags for EVERYTHING and there are new ones created everyday.  One great place to check out is hashtag list on Cybrary Man's website. Don't let the list scare you, find your interest and go from there!

(3) Watch a Webinar
Webinars are great. I can watch from anywhere and if it is pre-recorded, I can pause and rewind. You can find webinars on sites like SimpleK12 and edWeb. Educational companies will also host webinars related to the product. These are helpful if you are thinking of making a purchase.

(4) Read a Blog Post
Blogs are great. Blogs are a way educators can share their failures, successes, and "verbalize" ideas. You can find classroom arrangement ideas, themed units, and thought provoking topics on blogs.  Some blogs, like Fifth in the Middle, provides lists of blogs by state.  You can also find some great blog suggestions here. (shameless plug for my Pinterest board) If you find yourself starting to follow a variety of blogs, take a look at Feedly. Feedly puts all of your followed blog posts in one location.

(5) Listen to a Podcast
Podcasts are my go-to resource when I have to drive alone. It is a great way to learn new ideas and forget about the fact you are driving somewhere for three hours!  Now, don't forget that you ARE DRIVING and if you need to write something down, pull over! I have the Podcast app on my phone and I am currently listening to Edchat Podcast, Edtechchat Podcast, Satchat Podcast, and Every Classroom Matters. A great list of Podcasts can be found on the BamRadioNetwork website.

That is a lot to digest!  I had a participant ask me during this year's MECA (MS Educational Computing Association) Conference how do you not feel overwhelmed.  If you go 100% on each suggestion, you will start to feel overwhelmed and want to through your hands up.  Find one or two that really click for you.  This is what is so great about personalized learning.  You pick the learning avenue!  If Twitter is your thing, then drive into Twitter.  If you are a visual learner, podcasts might not be for you.  You get to decide!

Did I miss a great resource?  Please share!

eva

Chrome Extensions for Teachers and Students

 I have several Chrome Extensions that I have downloaded and use, but these are three of my favorite Chrome Extensions!  Do you have a favorite?  Share them with us!

SnagIt

I am a big fan of SnagIt. You can clip images and take videos from within your browser.  Everything you do saves automatically to Google Drive.  Want more information on SnagIt, check out the resources below.

~ SnagIt for Chrome

~ screencasting with SnagIt

MoveIt

MoveIt is a great resource for teachers to get kids up and moving!  MoveIt provides quick movement breaks on the intervals you select. The movements include pushups, arm rotations, and wall sits.

 

Clearly

Clearly is part of EverNote.  Clearly allows the user to remove the "extra stuff" on a website for an easier read. You can also print out the easier read. This is a great resource for teachers who want to use current web articles, but want the students to focus on the article and not the side ads.

What is your favorite Chrome Extension?

 

Android Resources for PreK-Kindergarten Classrooms

Recently, my district added Nexus Tablets into the Pre-Kindergarten and Kindergarten classrooms. Below are a few Android apps that would fit nicely in a Pre-K/K classroom. Added bonus, these apps are available on iPad too!

  
Alphabet Organizer by the International Reading Association is a free app for Android (and iPad). This app allows for multiple users, so students can save their work and not worry about the work disappearing.  Students can create two projects: words only or one word & picture per letter. The projects allow the students to create electronic word walls.

Breathe, Think, Do with Sesame by the Sesame Workshop is a free app for Android (and iPad). This app provides activities for the students to interact with while learning how to calmly problem solve. This is a good resource for teachers to suggest for parent to download and use at home. Teachers could also use this app to help students understand how to calm down and solve day to day problems.

   

  
Scratch, Jr is a great, free app for students to get engage with coding.  Scratch Jr is available for Android (and iPad).  You can also access Scratch on the web.  Scratch is for students 8 and up while Scratch Jr is for younger students.

 

  
Peppa's Paintbox by Entertainment One. This is a free app for Android and iPad. This is a nice app to let your students' artist side out. Students can paint with a variety of colors, add stickers, and effects to their art work.

There are several apps out there made by Eggroll Games. Those are available for Android and iPad.  They do have free and paid versions, but are worth the download. 

Do you have any great Android apps you use in the classroom? Share them with us!

Formative Assessment Resources - Socrative and Plickers

Teachers use formative assessment strategies through out the day to assess his/her class's understanding of the concept being discussed. You can find multiple articles, websites, presentations, etc on different formative assessment resources and strategies.

There are online tools out there for teachers to use, including KaHoot, NearPod, Socrative, The Answer Pad, and Plickers.  Even though each one can be used to assess students throughout a lesson, they each have a uniqueness about them.

Last week, we explored KaHoot and NearPod. You can find that post here. This week, we are going to dive into Socrative and Plickers.

www.plickers.com

Plickers is unlike the other formative assessments tools, because the students do not need a piece of technology to participate. They only need a piece of paper!

To start off, teachers go to the Plickers website, create a free account, and create classes. You only need the student's first and last name to create the student accounts. Once the classes are made, you can print off the cards. These are how the students will answer the multiple choice or true/false questions you ask through out the lesson.

The cards look like QR codes (but they aren't) with a number on each corner. This number matches each student in the class you set up. There is also an A, B, C, D on each side.  When a student wants to select an answer, they hold the card with the answer pointing upward. The teacher uses the app to capture the cards.  As you scan each card, you can see if the students answered correctly or not.  You can scan multiple cards at one time, so it is not as time consuming as it might sound. The Plickers app is an iPhone app, but you can download it onto your iPad too.

Plickers does have support materials available for teachers here. You can access my Plickers Quick Guide here.

www.socrative.com

Socrative is a formative assessment resource that could also be used for summative and even diagnostic. Teachers can create a free account on Socrative and start using the resource within minutes!

When the teacher account is created, you are assigned a "room number". This is the number the students will use to join the quizzes and activities you create. The students can join using any device with Internet access on the website or using the downloadable student app.  Teachers can create "on-the-fly" questions or prepare a quiz for future use.  The created quizzes can be teacher-led or student-led. This is where the summative and diagnostic connections come in.  Student-led quizzes allow the students to work at their own pace. Questions can be in various formats, including multiple choice, true/false, and short answer.  Reports can be accessed in multiple formats as well.

Socrative does have support materials available for teachers here. You can access my Socrative Quick Guide here.  

Do you use either one of these resources in your classroom? Share your thoughts with us!

Formative Assessment Resources - KaHoot and NearPod

Teachers use formative assessment strategies through out the day to assess his/her class's understanding of the concept being discussed. You can find multiple articles, websites, presentations, etc on different formative assessment resources and strategies.

There are online tools out there for teachers to use, including KaHoot, NearPod, Socrative, The Answer Pad, and Plickers.  Even though each one can be used to assess students throughout a lesson, they each have a uniqueness about them.

Today, I'm going to talk about two of those resources - KaHoot and NearPod.

www.getkahoot.com

KaHoot has taken the edtech world by storm!  Were you one of the participants in largest KaHoot game at FETC 2015?

KaHoot is one of those resources that pull you in from the get-go and I think it has something to do with the competitive nature in all of us.

KaHoot is a free resource that students can participate with on any web accessible device. Teachers can create multiple choice quizzes, two answer discussions, and two answer surveys.  The quizzes are most popular with students. Students earn points for answering correctly and the quickest.  After each question, the top 5 point earners is displayed along with a graph of how many people answered A, B, C, or D. The students love the points, but the teachers love the graph. You can see immediately if the class understands the question being asked or not.

After each KaHoot game, teachers can dive deeper into the reports, looking at how each student did on each question.  The reports can be downloaded or saved to your Google Drive account.

KaHoot does have support materials available for teachers here. You can also check out my blog post about KaHoot here. You can access my KaHoot Quick Guide here.

www.nearpod.com

NearPod is a resource I first saw in action a few years ago in a gifted classroom.  The teacher was reviewing information about their theme and wanted to make sure the students understood before they started their projects.  NearPod was the perfect resource!

NearPod is available for free and subscription.  NearPod is web-based, but you can also download their app on an iOS device and through Google Play.

Teachers created a lesson on NearPod using either content screens or activity screens.  On the free account, the content screens include a single slide, a video, or a slide show and the activity screens include open response, poll, quiz, or draw it.

To start the lesson, the students use the session code provided by the teacher.  Once in the session, the teacher can control which screen the students see.  When an activity screen appears, the teacher can see how each student responds. This information lets the teacher know if she/he can move forward or needs to reteach. After the session ends, the teacher can review the data further within the reports area of NearPod.

NearPod does have support materials available for teachers here. You can access my NearPod Quick Guide here.

What are your thoughts on Kahoot and NearPod? Do you use them in the classroom?  Tell us about your experience!

Lets Make a Movie.... With Our Interactive Board?!

iMovie
Educreations
Explain Everything
Swivl
cell phone

These are just a few of the resources you can use to create an instructional video for your classroom.  There is one resource you probably have hanging in your classroom right now that you won't add to your list - the interactive board.

Promethean's ActivInspire and Mimio's Mimio Studio software have a recorder located in the tools/application feature.

This simple to use feature allows you to record your voice and what you are doing on the board and/or computer screen.  In fact, the videos in the "How-To Videos" section where made with Promethean's recorder and a Mac.  Which reminds me.. I need to make a few more of these!

So, when will the recorder feature come in handy?

- make an instructional video on a new topic for students and parents
- make a quick homework help video and post to your website/blog/social media
- make a step-by-step video for student/parent reference
- make a "here are the instructions..." video for students
- let students make a video to how mastery of a topic

You can find four different hand-outs here on how to create a video with either ActivInspire or Mimio Studio.

Eva

Informational Text Resources on the Web

In the Common Core State Standards, you see a discussion about introducing more informational text to students.  In the 4th grade, for example, you should see 50% literacy and 50% information.  The percentage of information increases in the higher grade levels.  Informational text can include science and social studies textbooks, but there is so much more out there teachers can use in the classroom.

These are just a few of the resources out there teachers of all grade levels (and subject areas) can use to increase the informational text in the classroom.

Read Works - www.readworks.org

Read Works is a free resource (account required) that provides teachers with a variety of reading passages. You can search the passages according to grade, lexile level, and skill. (Just to name a few.) The passages contain comprehension questions in multiple choice and open response format.

 

If you want more than a passage, you can explore Read Works' growing list of skill units and novel studies. The novel studies are paired with other text for integration of non-fiction and fiction.


NEWS ELA - www.newsela.com

NEWSELA allows teachers to discuss current events with their class and yet staying within the Lexile level range of the students.  For example, the article about Baghdad's music and ballet school can be printed in 650L, 900L, 1010L, 1040L, and max.  This allows the various reading levels to experience the information without feeling frustrated.

                                  

Like Read Works, NEWS ELA does require an account and the material is correlated to the CCSS.

News-O-Matic - press4kids.com

News-O-Matic is a daily newsletter you can have sent to your inbox. Each newsletter contains short, current events articles.  Each article comes with four comprehension questions and is correlated to one CCSS. You can also download News-O-Matic onto your iOS and Android device, but there is a fee.  The daily email digest is free.

TweenTribune - www.tweentribune.com

The Tween Tribune is part of the Smithsonian, and like NEWS ELA is a collect of current events articles students can read on or near their reading level. Tween Tribune is for grades 5-8.  Grades K-4 can access TT Junior and grades 9-12 can access Teen Tribune. Students can log into their respective site (after a teacher account is created and parent permission is given) to access assigned articles, make comments, and complete quizzes.

These are just a few of the resources out there for teachers who are in search of informational text.  What site is your go-to resource?  Share your favorites here!

safely showing YouTube videos in class

YouTube offers a wide variety of educational videos that can enhance a lesson or activity.  Unfortunately, you can also have non-educational ads and/or videos that may pop-up.  There are resources out there that will allow you to show educational videos and remove the unwanted, non-educational stuff.  One of those resources is safeshare.tv

Safeshare.tv is simple to use and should be a must resource for teachers that incorporate YouTube in their classroom!

Click here to see a quick video on how safeshare.tv works.

a partner for digital writing - Popplet

Common Core State Standards ~ Writing Standard #6

~ Kindergarten-2nd Grade - With guidance and support from adults, explore a variety of digital tools to produce and publish writing, including in collaboration with peers.

~ 3rd Grade - With guidance and support from adults, use technology to produce and publish writing (using keyboarding skills) as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

~ 4th Grade - ....demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting.

When you read this standard, there are a few words that stand out most teachers are not 100% comfortable with - digital tools, technology, collaboration/collaborate, keyboarding. Popplet is one of many web resources teachers can use to help address those uncomfortable, techie words!


Popplet is a web resource that allows the user to create a graphic organizer/thinking map/bubble map. Popplet has a free and paid edition.  I currently use the free edition, and love the potential!

First things first, you need to create an account.  Once the account is created, you can start make your first Popplet. When you make a new Popplet, you will need to provide a title and select its background color.

       

You will start off with a blank screen, which is great because you have a blank canvas to work with! The bubble within Popplet are called Popples. These can be made by either double clicking on the screen or selecting "new popple" found under the tools icon.

Each popple can be moved by simply clicking and dragging. You can also increase and decrease the size of the popple.

A popple can include typed text, an image/video from either the web or your computer, or a drawing. You can also change the color of the popple. These four options are located on the bottom. The upper right corner provides a place for comments related to the popplet and the four gray circles will create and connect a new popplet.

Do you notice my name in the upper left corner? This is because I made the popple using my account.  You can invite other users to join this Popplet. This will allow for collaboration among multiple users on one "document".

    

I have just touched the surface of what Popplet can do!  Below are the other options until the tools icon.  Popplets can be printed, exported, viewed full screen, etc!

Do you already use Popplet?  Share your thoughts and ideas!

mobile learning on mobile devices - Infuse Learning

So far I have talked about two mobile learning resources, Kahoot and Socrative. The third resource I have recently learned about is Infuse Learning.

I first heard about Infuse Learning at ISTE 2013 and then again at FETC 2014.  I figured it was time for me to check it out!

Infuse Learning is a cross platform assessment platform for teachers and students. To start, teachers create a free account at www.infuselearning.com. Once the account is created, teachers could start with on the fly questions or dive in a little more with creating assessments and classes.

Lets go back to the account creation. Once created, you will see this screen...

The enrollment type for my session is open. In order for students to join, they go to student.infuselearning.com on any device that has Internet access. The screen will prompt the student to enter the Room ID (located on the upper left corner) and their name.

The Quick Assessment question types are what I call "on the fly" questions. You can ask these at any point during a lesson or activity. These do not require any prep before hand, hence the name.

For example, if you were to ask a multiple choice question, the students would see this on their device's screen.

 Notice, there are no answers next to the multiple choice options. The students either have something in front of them or something was asked verbally.

The other Quick Assessments include:
- Draw Response - The students can draw their answer and submit it.
- True/False - The students can select true, false, or don't know.
- Multiple Choice - The students can select from a section, depending on how the teacher creates it.
- Sort in Order - The students can place multiple items in order, depending on how the teacher creates it.
- Open Ended Text Answer - The students type in their answer.
- Numeric - The students type in a number answer.
- Likert Scale - The students select depending on how the teacher creates it.

If you want a more formal assessment, you can create a quiz within quiz management.

There is more to Infuse Learning than I have talked about, so if these features excite you then I encourage you to check it out!

mobile learning on mobile devices - Socrative

My district, like may others around the US are looking at becoming a BYOD/BYOT district. With the introduction of various devices, the need for cross platform resources is a must!  In my first post on this topic, I talked about KaHoot! Today's resource is a rather popular mobile learning resource - Socrative.

I first learned about Socrative last year from my PLN and again from a teacher in one of our elementary schools. She was using Socrative with the laptop cart from the library. This year, I have seen students using Socrative with iPods/iPads as well. That is what is so great about Socrative, it is not device or platform specific.

   

First, teachers need to create an account at the Socrative website. Students do not need an account, but we will explain why in a moment. Teachers can access Socrative by going to t.socrative.com or using the app available on iOS, Windows, and Android devices.

Once the account is created, students can access Socrative by going to m.socrative.com and using the app available on iOS, Windows, and Android devices. Students will need one thing to "log in" and that is the room number assigned to the teacher by Socrative.

Teachers can create formal quizzes or do what I like to call "on the fly" assessing.  "On the fly" assessing allows teachers to stop and do an understanding check during a lesson. Formal quizzes can be multiple choice, true/false, or short answer.

Socrative also allows you the create exit tickets and a game called Space Race. Of course, data on how the students performed is always available through the reports.  You can also see "live data" as the students answer teacher paced questions, like "on the fly".

An example of  an "on the fly" question for students.

This is what the teacher sees as the students respond.

Socrative does offer user guides and helpful resources in the Socrative Garden. There is a Socrative 2.0 that I am excited to learn more about, so be sure to check that out!

Do you use Socrative?  What are your thoughts? Share your ideas!