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Customize ClassDojo for your world 🌎

Personalize your feedback by adjusting student skills Watch video

Release their inner monster Watch video

School-specific feedback points help nurture a close-knit culture

Use ClassDojo alongside Google Classroom to communicate with families and engage students

Visit the ClassDojo Helpdesk for FAQs & additional support

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Decorate your classroom and more with these helpful ClassDojo resources

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https://www.plickers.com/

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https://todaysmeet.com/

Enhance classrooms. Enable discussions. Empower students. TodaysMeet gives everyone a voice

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Writing and grammar curriculum designed for today's classrooms

NoRedInk simplifies the process of building strong writers and critical thinkers in Grades 3-12. Our writing platform facilitates effective instruction by helping teachers engage students through modeling, scaffolding, practice, and feedback.

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View Jo Rohde's testimonial View Kecia Waddell's testimonial View Travis Willard's testimonial View Keri Bell's testimonial

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Flexible professional development and seamless integrations with tools like Canvas, Clever, and Schoology.

NoRedInk in the news

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Copyright 2023 © NoRedInk Corp.

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Unlock Every Writer's Potential | NoRedInk

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NoRedInk offers authentic assessments, adaptive practice, personalized content, and actionable data to improve your students' writing and grammar skills!

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How To Change The World (a work in progress) | Kid President

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Be ready with the skills to lead your students in Project Based Learning.

PBLWorks offers a variety of online PBL workshops, courses and services for educators - whether you're just getting started or advancing your practice, in the classroom or teaching remotely. Pick your pathway to get started...

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Be ready with the skills to lead your students in Project Based Learning. PBLWorks offers a variety of online PBL workshops, courses and services for educators - whether you're just getting started or advancing your practice, in the classroom or teaching remotely. Pick your pathway to get started...

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What is Genius Hour? - Introduction to Genius Hour in the Classroom

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Here, you will find tons of resources that you can use in your classroom! A lot of the ideas are borrowed from other educators, and I claim nothing as my own.

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TONS of Video Explanations of Google Docs, Sheets, Add-ons, and Extentions. 

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TONS of Video Explanations of Google Docs, Sheets, Add-ons, and Extentions. 

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Following our acquisition by Google, we're excited to share that Synergyse Training now has a new name -- G Suite Training -- as well as a brand new logo.

As to what's next, we look forward to providing you with the Synergyse functionality natively in G Suite (formerly Google Apps) in the near future.

In the meantime, please rest assured that you can continue to find, install and use our Chrome extension via the Chrome Web Store listing below. For more details, please consult the links below.

Useful links

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Following our acquisition by Google, we're excited to share that Synergyse Training now has a new name -- G Suite Training -- as well as a brand new logo. As to what's next, we look forward to providing you with the Synergyse functionality natively in G Suite (formerly Google Apps) in the near future.

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Keeping your students engaged is hard. PowToon generates excitement and motivation in any classroom - no matter the age of the student.

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Powtoon | Create Awesome Videos Yourself

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Powtoon gives you everything you need to easily make professional videos and presentations that your clients, colleagues, and friends will love! No design or tech skills are necessary - it's free, easy, and awesome!

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In the classroom and at home, students use Popplet for learning. Used as a mind-map, Popplet helps students think and learn visually. Students can capture facts, thoughts, and images and learn to create relationships between them.

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Make great videos, easily.

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Create videos that engage and impress. Animoto's drag-and-drop editing tools and visual effects make it easy. No training or experience necessary.

Create and share videos for free. Upgrade anytime for more customization.

As you get started making videos, we're here to help along the way! Join other businesses just like yours in the Animoto Social Video Marketing Community on Facebook. Our team of video experts is ready to help you grow with tips, ideas, inspiration, and feedback on your videos. You can also reach our dedicated Customer team directly at help@animoto.com .

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Free Video Maker | Create & Edit Your Videos Easily

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Create, edit, and share videos with our free video maker. Combine your photos, video clips, and music to make quality videos in minutes. Get started free!

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Wondershare offers Video Software, PDF Tools, PC Utilities for Mac and Win users to convert & edit videos, photos or PDF files, make photo slideshow etc.

Website:

www.wondershare.com

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Wondershare invites existing and new users to join in the transformation from Wondershare Video Editor to Filmora. Check this video for some of Filmora's handcrafted filters, overlays and motion graphics that help transform your moments into a breathtaking story!

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Tellagami is a mobile app that lets you create and share a quick animated Gami video.

https://tellagami.com/

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LiveBinders is your 3-ring binder for the web, create an online binder for content curation.

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Organize and share education, small business and non-profit resources into virtual binders. Use LiveBinders for hassle-free access from anywhere.

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Example of an E-Portfolio Task Sheet for Students

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Example of an E-Portfolio Task Sheet for Students

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(Modify as needed)

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Short Video and Blendspace Lesson

http://edbean.com/flipped-drama-classroom/

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The Case for Debate: Technology and TED are Helping to Reinvigorate Speech in School

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The Case for Debate: Technology and TED are Helping to Reinvigorate Speech in School

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In the movie Clueless, Alicia Silverstone's shallow, shopaholic character Cher is assigned to debate a classmate on the merits of allowing Haitian refugees into the U.S. Though her arguments in favor of immigration are unorthodox (she likens allowing refugees into the country to allowing guests to crash a party), Cher's passion inspires her previously disinterested high school classmates to rally around her cause. Her opponent is too overwhelmed to offer a rebuttal.

That's the power of healthy debate -the ability to make people care.

Debate team 2.0

Thanks in part to technology, the high school debate experience has come a long way from stiff, awkward exchanges behind podiums, with hand trucks full of supporting documents. Today's debate teams carry their evidence on laptops, use Smartphone apps to select topics and time their competitions and Skype to interact.

Joel Underwood is the speech and debate coach at Seattle Academy, an independent school in Seattle serving students in grades 6-12. He's also chair of the school's Department of Rhetoric, which includes other activities that have speaking and presentation components, such as Model United Nations and the mock trial program.

Of these expository activities, Underwood says speech and debate is the most nationally and internationally pervasive, with a strong infrastructure and a rich history, dating back to the post-World War II era.

But, says Underwood, while debate teams of yore had to carry piles of paper evidence with them to competitions, for today's team, the evidence they need is just a keystroke away, stored on their laptops. Unlike a basketball team, which needs a gym to compete, the debate team is mobile, says Underwood, able to compete anywhere.

SAAS's speech and debate team, which last year comprised 60 members, has won nine state debate titles since 2000 (including seven consecutive awards), along with 22 individual event state titles and a national expository championship in 2011. Underwood credits his program's success to a combination of talented kids and a supportive school administration.

SAAS students can take debate as a class for credit or as an extracurricular activity. Both options enable students to participate in competitions around the U.S.

Underwood also teaches speech to 7th and 8th-graders. Though there are middle school debate competitions, he feels strongly that middle school is a time to build a foundation in debate, focusing on skill development rather than competition.

It's a small word, after all

Some organizations are fostering and facilitating debate activities around the globe. The International Debate Education Association (IDEA) is a global network that provides resources, training and events for educators and students and partners with foundations, non-governmental organizations, businesses and governments.

In early 2014, TED-Ed, the education arm of the popular idea-sharing global platform, launched TED-Ed clubs, a classroom-based initiative to teach students presentation skills. This free program was piloted in over 100 schools worldwide in 2013 and received 1,000 club applications when the program officially launched last January.

TED-Ed club participants learn to present their ideas to their peers around the world in TED-style talks. Teachers can nominate student presentations to be featured at a TED event. Participants say one of the biggest benefits of the program is that students learn to overcome stage fright.

Scarier than death

In a 2011 Gallup poll about fear, Underwood says public speaking ranked higher than death.

The future will always belong to people who can get up in front of folks and present their ideas.

"There is a significant chunk of people walking the planet who would rather die than speak publicly," he jokes. But Underwood sees the need for effective communication as no laughing matter.

Underwood recommends that parents understand that every kid is on a different journey when it comes to public speaking. He advises parents to be comfortable with their children's starting level and also comfortable with where they end up.

If your child is anxious about public speaking, let him or her lead the process and resist the urge to help. For example, if your child has to do an oral presentation for school, you can offer to help and offer to serve as an audience. But if the child balks, respect that decision, remembering that it can be far more intimidating to speak in front of family than in front of classmates or strangers.

Most important - don't let your child's protests prevent him or her from gaining public speaking experience.

"In some way, every student should participate in some form of public speaking before they graduate from high school - a youth legislative program, Model United Nations, or something," recommends Underwood. "Everybody should have to do some facet of public presentation. It will make all the difference for success."

Similarly, don't assume that because your child interests and strengths are more solitary, introspective or technical, public speaking is not a priority.

"You can code your butt off," says Underwood, "but the people who run the show are those who can express themselves."

Bridging the gap

"Debate and forensic speaking translate to any career anyone would ever choose," says John Julian, a systems engineer who has coached debate teams for the past 25 years. "There is not a single job that doesn't require you to speak and interact with people."

In addition to presentation skills, speech and debate clubs teach students active listening skills and how to analyze what others are saying. They also teach students how to speak extemporaneously, a useful skill if, for example, you are called in to meet with the CEO to justify project funding.

Underwood imagines a roomful of scientists seeking research funding to beat cancer or the Ebola virus, having to make their case before a group of venture capitalists. Lives will depend on their ability to effectively make their case.

"You can be smartest guy in the room, but if you can't communicate and get people excited, you will fail to persuade them," he cautions.

Because he views bridging the knowledge/communications gap as the next frontier, Underwood is developing a scientific communication class, to eventually be offered to SAAS seniors. They will be expected to develop a science project and then pitch it to potential donors. Key skills he hopes to impart are learning to shorten presentations and effectively use metaphors.

"Speech and communication are a means to an end," he says.

"Being able to think quickly, organize your thoughts and impress the heck out of everyone are great tools to have in your bag," Julian adds.

Debate resources
International Debate Education Association (IDEA) TED-Ed clubs National Speech and Debate Association
What the future holds

There is no single activity better for your child's continuing education than speech and debate, Underwood says. It teaches organization, structure, research and confidence.

It also contributes to civic health.

"When we involve students in debating issues that really matter to them and they see the power of their voices and ideas, we not only facilitate their development of critical academic and life skills, we boost their efficacy and our community civic health," says Diane Douglas, executive director of Seattle City Club, an organization that encourages exploration of diverse perspectives on issues vital to our region.

Where can you find the leaders of tomorrow? In How To Find The Millennials Who Will Lead Your Company, a March 2014 feature in Forbes, the answer is clear: at speech and debate competitions.

Underwood cites a Princeton Review survey of extracurricular activities and how they correlate to college admission and success.

Speech and debate ranked no. 1.

Yet Underwood is concerned that speech and debate often get short shrift, as schools set their budget priorities.

Like any competitive activity that requires transportation, debate can be expensive, he admits, but Skype can be an asset.

In the growing movement to link educational outcomes to a direct tie-in with jobs, especially in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields, Underwood worries that schools will see speech and debate as luxuries, instead of essential tools for success in any career.

"I don't want this to become a matter of privilege, in which only wealthy schools and independent schools can provide communications opportunities for their students," he says.

Julian thinks one solution is the localization of speech and debate events and growth of regional speech and debate communities. On the Eastside, teams have grown and are spreading from Bellevue to Redmond to Woodinville and beyond.

He's been working with the National Speech and Debate Association on creative ways that established debate clubs could mentor fledging organizations. The more teams in one region, the more possibilities for local competitions, which can cut down on expensive travel.

The association offers online debate camps - a cost-effective way for students, especially those in rural areas, to receive coaching.

The more opportunities to expand the reach of forensic speaking, the better, say these experts.

"So many careers rely on communications skills," Underwood says. "The future will always belong to people who can get up in front of folks and present their ideas."

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how to find millenials who will lead your company

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saas speech and debate team debate competitions

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The Case for Debate: Technology and TED are Helping to Reinvigorate Speech in School

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Thanks in part to technology, the high school debate experience has come a long way from stiff, awkward exchanges behind podium. We take a look at why joining the debate team could be the best thing your teen does for college and career success and how technology and TED are reinvigorating debate in schools.

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12 Historical Speeches Nobody Ever Heard
What if the Apollo 11 astronauts had been stranded in space? What if the invasion at Normandy during WWII had failed? Texts of speeches that were never delivered. These would make a good pre-writing activity to accompany reading: what might Juliet Capulet have said had she awakened 5 minutes sooner? What might Jim have said to Huck had they found Cairo as they had planned?

Actions Speak Louder Than Words
No matter how good a written speech is, the delivery is what the audience remembers. Learning about and practicing volume, stress, pacing, and pronunciation helps students to deliver an oral presentation effectively.

Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address
Text of the speech in both web and MS Word formats.

American Rhetoric
This extensive resource includes an online speech bank, a "Top 100 Speeches" list, a database of figures of speech, and more. Many of these resources are available as audio files.

Battling for Liberty: Tecumseh's and Patrick Henry's Language of Resistance
Students compare and contrast Patrick Henry's famous speech with two by Chief Tecumseh of the Shawnee to develop an appreciation of powerful language.

"Blood, Toil, Tears, and Sweat"
Complete text of Churchill's speech to the House of Commons in May 1940.

Circle of Stories
Documentary film, photography, artwork and music exploring Native American storytelling. Lessons available at the site are designed for grades 6-12.

Debate
Links for using debate in the classroom and for the national high school debate topic.

Demonstration Speech
An annotated outline for a model demonstration speech.

Dr. King's Dream
Part of this lesson focuses on Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech. It is designed for grades K-2.

Effective Speech Writing
Suggestions for working with a theme, including examples from other speeches.

Express Yourself: Crafting Social Location Maps and Identity Monologues
Students map their social locations (definition and model included), reflect on their identity and the dramatic purpose of monologue, and craft speeches that explore defining aspects of their lives.

"Four Freedoms"
Audio file and text of Franklin Delano Roosevelt's State of the Union address in 1941. Also available in PDF and Flash versions.

Free Speech: Reading Closely by Preparing a Hypertext Version of a Political Speech
Students share opinions and feedback about the speech on race delivered by Barack Obama on March 18, 2008. They then create a hypertext-annotated version of the speech that explains its historical and contemporary references and offers personal commentary. This lesson includes a copy of the speech; other speeches would also work with this strategy.

Gifts of Speech: Women's Speeches from Around the World
Searchable and browsable, this site includes speeches from Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Sojourner Truth, Emma Goldman, Margaret Chase Smith, and others.

Has the Cat Got Your Tongue?
Students work to improve their enunciation skills by taking part in a tongue-twister speaking competition and writing tongue twisters of their own! This lesson is designed for grades 3-5.

Hello, America! Radio Broadcasting in the Years before Television
Students write and create radio programs. A 10-age handout includes background information and teaching suggestions. Adobe Reader or compatible application required for access.

How to Speak to that People Want to Listen
In this TED talk (9:58), Julian Treasure demonstrates the how-to's of powerful speaking — from some handy vocal exercises to tips on how to speak with empathy.

I Have a Metaphor
A lesson in identifying the literary devices used in Dr. King's "I Have A Dream" Speech: analogy, symbolism, use of chronology, personification, metaphor, figurative language and the effective use of repetition.

Impromptu Public Speaking Topics
This page has a list of 50 topics.

It's All About Me
Designed for third grade, this thorough unit plan includes 11 lessons and a culminating activity. Students explore biography and autobiography, review parts of speech, conduct interviews, and give a speech. This 37-page document includes lesson plans and handouts. It requires Adobe Reader or compatible application for access. Consider downloading the file and printing only those pages you need.

Monologue Archive
Comic, dramatic, and classical monologues for men, women, children, and seniors. It is also possible to browse for monologues by playwright.

Narrative Speech
Students give a narrative speech using visual aids. The student must bring in three things that represent them in some way and explain why these things are significant. The 2-4 minute speech will be given with no notes. Adobe Reader required for access.

Narrative Speech Assignment
This assignment includes suggestions for organization and evaluation.

National Speech and Debate Association/National Forensic League
Links to debate topic, Stennis Student Congress resolution, National Junior Forensic League, and NFL services including Rostrum magazine.

Out Loud
Students assess the experience of reading and being read to aloud, both in person and on audio, and then practice and perform their own oral readings.

Persuasive Speech
Everything you need to prepare a persuasive speech: an outline, step-by-step analysis, and examples.

The Power of Speech
Students explore equal rights issues as they practice the skills necessary for public speaking.

Preparing Students to Present
This infographic lists 27 ways to help prepare students for successful presentations.

Robert's Rules of Order
The official web site, with Frequently Asked Questions and other resources.

Say It Plain: A Century of Great African American Speeches
Reading comprehension, listening comprehension, and critical thinking activities using audio clips and transcripts of moving and powerful speeches.

Speaking Up: Overcoming Fear of Public Speaking
One part infographic, one part tips for speakers, this page analyzes our common fears and suggests ways to overcome fear of speaking in public.

State of the Union Creative Assignment
Introduction and 5 activities supporting study of the State of the Union Address: edit the speech, support or defend one statement from the speech, evaluate the topics chosen, write a critical response, write a catch phrase.

Storytelling Activities & Lesson Ideas
A wide variety of activities for all grade levels.

Ten Simple Rules for Making Good Oral Presentations
From "Talk to the Audience" to "Provide Appropriate Acknowledgments," good advice for speakers of all ages.

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Speech - Debate, Presentations - Lesson Plans And Activities

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12 Historical Speeches Nobody Ever Heard What if the Apollo 11 astronauts had been stranded in space? What if the invasion at Normandy during WWII had failed? Texts of speeches that were never delivered. These would make a good pre-writing activity to accompany reading: what might Juliet Capulet have said had she awakened 5 minutes sooner?

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Classroom-Tested Tech Tools Used to Boost Literacy

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Classroom-Tested Tech Tools Used to Boost Literacy

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Features

To improve reading skills, many teachers are harnessing the technology they already have

Instead of investing in prepackaged software programs, many teachers are harnessing the technology they already have-such as webcams, audio recorders, blogs, and other Web 2.0 tools-to boost literacy in students.

"With schools being so cash-strapped, we can't go around and buy a new program all the time," says Adina Sullivan, a 4th grade teacher at the 720-student San Marcos Elementary School in California. "You can go with something that you can find a lot easier at no cost and make it work for what you need, rather than [using pre-packaged software.]"

Sullivan, who is a lead technology teacher at her school, works with English-language learners to help build vocabulary and fluency.

"When you start with the learning standard and match the tool to the learning standard and then to the student's level, it's easier if [teachers] have more flexibility. Sometimes prepackaged materials can be a little limiting," she says.

For instance, in her classroom, Sullivan uses photos licensed under creative commons, an alternative to copyright that allows varying degrees of sharing, as a jumping-off point to start a conversation with her students.

"It gives them a mental image to connect to," she says, "a familiar, relatable scene so we can discuss what we see in the photo as a class and build the vocabulary."

Then the students can transition into a writing exercise, says Sullivan.

Sullivan also uses audio recorders to have student-teachers read sets of vocabulary words, then she creates matching PowerPoint presentations with the words and burns them onto DVDs for the students to take home and listen to.

Most students in her classroom do not have computers at home, but they do have DVD players, says Sullivan. And having a variety of student-teachers record the words makes students more adept at recognizing what they are.

Sullivan also uses audiobooks in her classroom.

"Hearing a model reader helps with the fluency and the comprehension," she says.

Recently, her class listened to the audiobook of James and the Giant Peach, and at the end of the unit, only two students did not pass the test-a vast improvement. When Sullivan gave her students a choice of reading their next book out loud or listening to the audiobook, they chose audio.

Webcams and Podcasts

Timothy Frey, an assistant professor of special education, counseling, and student affairs at Kansas State University, has been researching how to use webcams to improve reading fluency and comprehension in elementary school students.

Working with two elementary schools in Kansas, Frey observed 27 2nd through 4th graders over 16 weeks as they used webcams to see themselves reading and then he identified their mistakes.

Within the first five weeks of the experiment, all of the grade levels made at least two fewer mistakes per minute.

"New technologies are making amazing inroads into helping students overcome some of the challenges that have prevented people from keeping up with reading," says Frey. "The technology is just a tool that is engaging and allows [students] to do the instant playback."

Lisa Parisi, a 5th grade teacher in New York's 4,000-student Herricks Union Free School District, on Long Island, and co-author of the forthcoming book Blogging in the Middle Years, places a major focus on her students' reading skills.

"The last two years I really looked at the data to see how the kids were doing using all of this technology, and in both the past two years, I ended the year with no children below grade level in reading," she says. "I do think that technology has a very large part in that."

Parisi uses podcasting to help her students practice fluency.

"One of the really neat things to do is have the kids edit their own podcasts," she says. Then they can literally see the pauses or mistakes they made in the editing program and correct them.

Parisi also uses blogs to engage her students in reading and writing.

"They have contests to see who can get the most comments," she says. And what most students have figured out is that the better their writing is, the more visitors and comments they receive.

Authentic Audience

Hooking her class up with students from other parts of the world also motivates her students to focus on their grammar and pronunciation, says Parisi, especially if the students they are working with are not native English-speakers.

"It just makes them work harder," she says. The Internet allows her students to engage with an authentic audience, says Parisi, which motivates them to record podcasts or write blogs that are more polished than what they might create for just the teacher.

Teaching students to read in an authentic context is a key part of being literate, says Jeffrey Wilhelm, a former middle and high school teacher who is now at Boise State University, where he does research on struggling readers.

"Being literate has always meant the capacity to use a culture's most powerful tools to create and communicate meanings," he says. "If you're not teaching with [technology], you're not only not preparing the kids for the future, you're not preparing them for the present moment."

Technology, such as the Internet and Web 2.0 tools, makes it easier for teachers to tap into students' interests and personalize what they are reading, he says.

For instance, during a unit about satire, Wilhelm had his students post jokes to a wiki. Afterward, the class read through the jokes and identified what made each one funny.

"We were defining satire, pastiche, misdirection," he says, and because it was in the context of funny jokes, the students were engaged.

"Most of the technological [interventions] that I see are decontextualized," he says, "but it's only going to help [the student] comprehend better if [he or she] is inquiring about something [he or she] cares about."

Katie Van Sluys, a member of the Urbana, Ill.-based National Council of Teachers of English and an associate professor of literacy at DePaul University in Chicago, also believes that using technology to connect students with meaningful audiences and resources can promote important literacy skills.

Using the Internet to go over the daily weather report with kindergartners, for example, or reading through current events with middle school students can engage children with authentic, personalized information, she says.

And using technology also provides an opportunity to teach other kinds of literacies, such as digital and media literacy, says Van Sluys.

"You have to be a savvy reader and consumer-perhaps even more so because of the types of information and the amount of information you can access," she says. "You need to be able to say, 'What does this mean for me? What does this mean for the world?' That's part of the reading curriculum."

'Thoughtful' and 'Intentional'

Internet resources can also help teachers in other content areas incorporate literacy lessons into their classrooms.

For instance, Teachers' Domain, an online repository of free media resources for teachers run by the Boston-based WGBH Educational Foundation, provides multimedia-rich science and social studies curricula infused with literacy lessons.

"It's really designed to give content teachers who do not necessarily know literacy strategies ... some simple guidelines on comprehension skills and building vocabulary," says Carolyn Jacobs, the national accounts manager for Teachers' Domain.

The lessons include a glossary of terms, videos, interactive Flash activities, and text boxes for students to submit answers in.

So far, there are about 15 lessons, with plans to create 25 more in 2011, says Jacobs.

Technology can help "extend a teacher's reach" says Gail Lovely, a former K-8 teacher who started her own company, Lovely and Associates, to help teachers integrate technology into curriculum. However, teachers need to be careful to integrate it thoughtfully and intentionally, she says.

"My bias is that a caring adult will always read a book aloud better than a computer can," she says. "We have to be thoughtful about where the technologies fit best."

Using VoiceThread, for instance-which allows users to create collaborative, multimedia slide shows with images, documents, and videos-is an innovative Web resource that can be used in a thoughtful way, says Lovely. And another Web resource, Storybird, allows students to tap into a library of illustrations to create digital books, says Lovely.

"One of the cautions is that it's not about doing the same thing with new tools. It's about doing new things or difficult old things with tools that make it easier," she says. "We want to use these tools in intentional ways to make a difference."

Published in Print: February 9, 2011, as Boosting Literacy

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Classroom-Tested Tech Tools Used to Boost Literacy

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Features Instead of investing in prepackaged software programs, many teachers are harnessing the technology they already have-such as webcams, audio recorders, blogs, and other Web 2.0 tools-to boost literacy in students. "With schools being so cash-strapped, we can't go around and buy a new program all the time," says Adina Sullivan, a 4th grade teacher at the 720-student San Marcos Elementary School in California.

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5-minute video

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Use Simulations In A Science Class - Integrating Technology In The Classroom

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Use Simulations In A Science Class - Integrating Technology In The Classroom

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ITC - Use Simulations In A Science Class - Integrating Technology In The Classroom

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Where to go for free online teacher professional development: http://www.simplek12.com/upcoming-free-webinars/ Explores various types of science simulations. Examines how simulations can be used in all types of science classes. Looks at how simulaltions such as virtual dissection and virtual labs can benefit teachers and students.

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Life in a Inquiry Driven, Technology-Embedded, Connected Classroom: Science

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Life in a Inquiry Driven, Technology-Embedded, Connected Classroom: Science

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Borrowed from Shelley Wright

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I teach in an inquiry, project-based, technology embedded classroom. A mouthful, I know. So what does that mean? It means I lecture less, and my students explore more. It means that I create a classroom where students encounter concepts, via labs and other methods, before they necessarily understand all the specifics of what is happening.

It's a place where my students spend time piecing together what they have learned, critically evaluating its larger purpose, and reflecting on their own learning.

It also means my students don't acquire knowledge just for the sake of acquiring it. They need to do something with it - that's where "project-based" comes into play. Finally, technology is embedded into the structure of all we do. It's part of how we research, how we capture information, and how we display our learning. It's never an accessory tacked on at the end.

So what does this look like?

On lab days, one of the first things my students do is take out their phones. Our school has a cell phone policy that normally bans these devices during class time; however, we have permission to use them in learning situations. I even lend my phone to groups who may not have one.

I used to have students sketch pictures of lab slides. The truth is most of them didn't look anything like what was on the slide. I doubt our students have spent much time sketching throughout their schooling career. If they have, they're not very good at it! In the end, they mostly look like a mass of circles.

Last year, instead of sketching, my students began taking pictures with their phones of what was on the slide. These are then uploaded to our wiki and become part of our digital textbook. The beauty of this is that students who have missed the lab can refer to them. We also do this for dissections. Within minutes, they've often uploaded these pictures to Facebook.

Do my students use their phones during this time for non-educational tasks? Probably. But until I see they're not focused on their work, I'm not prepared to be the texting police. Instead, my students know they are trusted and they need to act accordingly.

The nuts & bolts of embedded technology

My students have multiple options as to the final format of their lab submission. Some students choose to hand in paper labs, but a number have started creating v-labs. These are labs in the form of Voicethreads or videos. Sometimes their paper labs simply include the pictures. I also receive labs that are created in Google Docs.

At strategic points, our classroom is flipped. Meaning: A chunk of content is learned outside of the classroom, and during class time, we use the learned information in labs or projects. Depending on the type of information needed, we use Khan Academy videos, TED talks, and other informational videos. This year, I've added something new - Livescribe pencasts. These are pencasts created by myself that address the content my students are learning. Sometimes it will be about formulas that we've learned in class, such as balancing equations. I find creating a pencast allows my students to revisit what we've learned in class at home. The pencast is interactive, so my students can click on the parts they don't understand and have that part replay again. And there's something significant about your own teacher reviewing what you learned, anytime, anywhere.

Other times we'll learn content in the classroom, but we do it interactively. How? We Google Jockey. The first time I told my students we were going to Google Jockey, they didn't believe it was an actual term. I told them to Google it. It is.

I facilitate the discussion by asking questions, while my students Google, looking for the information we need. As they come across links and videos that explain what we're learning about, my students send me links that I add to our wiki. This process allows us to talk about the information, including how to research & find reputable information.

If I had a set of laptops or iPads on which my students could reliably create a Google Doc of our notes as I speak or they Google jockey, I would do it that way instead. There's something engaging about creating a real-time set of class notes. Unfortunately, the technology available at my school doesn't allow for it. Our Mac lab is incredibly unreliable, only letting a few students into a Google doc at a time.

This past week in Chemistry, my students have been learning how to name chemical compounds, a process that is laden with rules and often difficult to learn. Yet knowing the process is essential for correct chemical nomenclature. I've created a livescribe of the process my students need to use. We've also discussed it in class. For three days, my students have been trying to engrave this process into their synapses, through repeated practice. There are a number of activities on our wiki that my students can engage in during class. The can learn polyatomic ions, how to transfer formulas to names, or names to formulas, and they can practice naming acids - to name a few. This format allows students to choose what they work on. And it allows me to talk to every student, every day.

Formative assessments to guide learning

Usually, my motto is Einstein's - "Never memorize anything you can look up." However, chemists have a particular language. You need to understand it, including the vocabulary, before you can do something with it. Almost every morning, before we start, my students have a small quiz, a formative assessment. It doesn't count for marks, instead the assessment is used by my students. Rather than penalizing them for what they haven't mastered yet, it shows them, and me, what we need to work on. As they become more proficient, they become more confident about their abilities.

Next week, in Biology, my students are learning about DNA. To begin, they will perform a lab where they extract and spool DNA from a cow liver. While they'll be able to see it, they really have no idea of its structure or composition. For the next few days, my students will research the basics of DNA, and, in pairs, create Glogsters.

I love using a format like this because it easily differentiates instruction for a classroom that is full of different abilities and learning styles. Students can create a Glogster that best suits their learning needs. Additionally, I have students who might read at a grade 3 or 4 level. These students refer to digital resources that I have hand-picked and linked to on our wiki. With help, they are able to create their own Glogsters that are perfect for their learning and reading level. Technology allows students to adapt instruction in way that was never possible with print materials.

Once my students have gleaned the basics, we'll create models of DNA and engage in a number labs that show my students how DNA is used in crime scene analysis.

My students are also working on an independent genetics project. They can research anything in the realm of genetics that deeply interests them: cloning, crime scene analysis, genetic research, stem cell research, the list goes on. In order to check that their project is not too large, my students have one week to submit their project proposal, which outlines their topic, how they will research their project, and what format the product will look like. They can build a model, create an interactive presentation that includes a lab, or create a digital product using a tool such as Prezi, Flip Snack, Empressr, Wix, My Brain Shark, or create a screencast, to name a few. The only stipulation is that they cannot hand in a research report or a powerpoint. Their digital products will then be published on our wiki.

The powerpoint rule is flexible. This morning one of my students said to me: "I'm going to do my project on Dr. Burznski and his work with anti-neoplastons and their anti-cancer effects. My product will be a PowerPoint presentation, which I will then upload into 'myBrainShark' and create a voiceover." I stood stunned for a moment. Did all of those words really come out of the mouth of a grade 11 student?

Finally, to keep track of housekeeping items, and remind students of upcoming due dates, my favourite tool is Remind 101. And my students love it! Essentially, I set up the class, my students send a text or email to the class site, and every time I enter a message, it is sent to them via text or email. I can even set up reminders in advance.

Teaching then and now

Before the technology/constructivist shift in my classsroom, I would have taught all of this quite traditionally. We'd learn formulas through worksheets. I'd lecture a lot, with supplemental textbook readings here and there. The whole design would have been extremely teacher centered. And at the end of it all, I'd hope they learned something about Chemistry & Biology.

Instead, inquiry and technology are a natural part of our science classes. It's what my students have come to expect. Instead, of saying, "hand in your assignments," I say, "publish your assignments and send me the link." That's the 21st century difference.
Images: Shelley Wright
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Life in a Inquiry Driven, Technology-Embedded, Connected Classroom: Science

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I teach in an inquiry, project-based, technology embedded classroom. What does that mean? I lecture less, and my students explore more. I create a classroom where students encounter concepts, via labs and other methods, before they necessarily understand all the specifics of what is happening.

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Enhancing physical education with technology

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Enhancing physical education with technology

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What's in your #PhysEd bag?

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Features tuning/Metronome apps as well as skill improvement apps.

https://sites.google.com/site/cobborchestra/technology

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20 Ways I Really Use My iPhone to Teach Band Class

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20 Ways I Really Use My iPhone to Teach Band Class

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On the day that the iPhone 3G was released, I rushed out to the local AT&T Store to pick up my very own. I was excited, so I rushed home and wrote 10 Awesome iPhone Apps (Band Director Style) and listed all of the cool things that I was going to download and use in class. Well, a year has passed and things have changed somewhat. So I thought I'd go back and look at the list. I was somewhat surprised to see how it has changed and how some of those apps never panned out to be what I thought they would be.

Even so, I am thrilled at the purchase of my iPhone and continue to find it extremely useful in my classroom; but in some unexpected ways. Some of the built in functions are amazing. Some of the free apps are great. I'm going to do a quick walkthrough of 20 of the most interesting things that I have found that I actually do throughout the work day with my iPhone.

1. AccuWeather has both a standard app (free) as well as a AccuWeather (Free) - Great for planning marching rehearsals and parades
Web app. I like the Web app because it runs in Safari and so it doesn't take any extra memory to run. I have tried the Weather.com app (free), but find that, while the weather map is nicer looking than the Web app, it crashes sometimes. That's kind of a bummer. I also like the moving Radar.

2. Calendar (Standard) - Scheduling
The Calendar syncs with my Google Calendar. I run my personal calendar, the high school, and the two middle school band calendars through Google. It's great for integrating into the websites for each school, and I can share the information with other band directors so they can make changes as well. I like to be able to have that information available when I'm planning things, so having them on my iPhone is great! I personally have the syncing set up through NuevaSync because it allows me to sync up to 11 calendars for free and it works flawlessly. I set it up this way before Google Calendar syncing was standard on the iPhone and haven't found a need to change settings.

3. Camera (Standard) - Memories
While the iPhone 3G's camera is not the best around, it is functional. It's handy to have a camera with me wherever I go just in case. I definitely find myself using it far more than I thought I would before I got my iPhone.

4. Clock (Standard) - Alarms
Our bell schedule is pretty odd. We have 50 minute classes and most of the passing periods are 4 minutes long. Some are 3, others are 5. We make it a point to not have a clock in the band hall, because we've found that students get distracted looking at the clock throughout rehearsal. I set an alarm on my iPhone that actually sounds about a minute and a half before the bell to dismiss class. I've created some cool mariachi and drumcorps ringtones (I made a Hannah Montana one last year for my woodwind class) so each class sort of gets to choose which one they like.In keeping with my classroom management style, when the alarm goes off, it is a signal for me that I should let them go. It is not a signal for them to get up and put their instruments away. I retain control. <grin>

5. Guitar Toolkit ($9.99) - Metronome Tap Function
While the Guitar Toolkit has a handful of functions, I really don't find them all that necessary most of the time. I do use the chord chart some when a guitar player asks me how to play a chord, but since I don't teach the mariachi class, it's not a real common use during class. I have found myself using the tap function on the metronome quite a bit. It's great for determining what tempo the band is really playing. As far as using the metronome regularly, I've found that it is far from accurate and consistent. As a result, I don't use it for regular use as a metronome. There is also a Lite Version, which appears to do the same things without the tuner (which I don't use) for $5.99.

6. Instruments (Free) - Fingering Charts
I am a horn player by training. I have played trumpet now almost as much as horn. I took a semester of clarinet lessons in college, and played in a band one semester. Beyond that, my woodwind training is minimal. As a result, I don't know some of the extended fingerings for woodwind instruments. The Instruments app allows me to find a fingering for a note and show my section. Granted, I could use one of numerous fingering charts available, but it's more difficult to show the students, and I find that they really do like the way these fingering charts look. Plus they like that I'm using technology. Sometimes I'll have a flute player come ask me a fingering just to see the fingering chart!

7. iPod (Standard) - MP3 Player
I love the ability to play music for my students. Since I got the other director I work with to go out and buy an iPhone, we are seriously looking at getting a Bose SoundDock II ($299.95) to use in class. We had an inservice in August where the presenter had a Bose SoundDock Portable ($399.95) and we were impressed by both the clarity of sound as well as the simplicity of use he had with it.

8. iStroboSoft ($9.99) - Outstanding Tuner
I have tried a few different tuners, and this is by far the best. Petersen has been making tuners for decades and is very good at it. One of the highlights of this one from a teaching perspective is the Noise Filter. I used it over the summer before mariachi gigs. Violins and armonia were playing and tuning, crowds were talking, other trumpet players were warming up. It was hard to tune with a normal tuner. I launched this app, turned on the Noise Filter, and it picked up my tuning like nothing. I tuned our entire section this way. It works in the middle of marching rehearsals and band class.The students like the big display and can read it even from the back of the room. I guess they don't have astygmatism like me. Lucky children!

9. iTalk Recorder (Free) - Recording
While the iPhone OS 3.0 added a Voice Recorder, it isn't the greatest. I've had some incredible success with iTalk Lite as far as recording mariachi gigs, band performances, entire rehearsals. Last spring, I recorded a two-hour clinic with no difficulties. If you have WiFi available, you can download a free program to transfer the recordings to your computer as AIFF files and then either convert them MP3 or import them directly into iTunes.

10. Maps (Standard) - Trips
It's nice to have GPS functionality with you when you go on a trip. If for some reason the bus driver misses a turn (No! That never happens!) in a strange city, it's great to be able to get them back on track. I used this en route to a mariachi competition in Laredo last spring. Laredo is not somewhere you want to make a wrong turn!

11. Visual Metronome ($1.99) - Metronome
Simple, clear display, and as accurate as I've found on the iPhone. It provides a number of subdivisions of the beat as well as the ability to save numerous tempo/time signature/subdivision programs.

12. MiniPiano (Free) - Playing
Just in case you find yourself working with students and need to demonstrate the music without making them listen to you sing! Again, they like the technology and I like the portability.

13. Notes (Standard) - Lesson Plans/Taking Notes
There are times when absolute brilliance strikes me. I'm sure it happens to us all. I like to write down those amazing ideas that I have, and carrying a notepad around with me can be cumbersome and bulky. Small notepads tend to not work as well for me as I have difficulty writing on the small surface. My iPhone's Notes feature is really useful in these settings.

14. SYWTT (Free) - Shameless Plug
Have you checked out the cool layout I have for this website? Go to the So You Want To Teach? home page and add it to your home screen. Complete with sweet icon!

15. Mobile Translator ($0.99) - Translation
I live 3 miles from Mexico. A number of parents don't speak English. Sometimes I'll hear a word and want to know what it means. Prior to seeking out someone who knows or trying to write the word down and remember to look it up later, I like having TransMate on my iPhone so I can quickly type it in. I also have enabled the Spanish keyboard, so it can autocorrect by adding accents where necessary.

16. YouTube (Standard) - Demonstration
Understandably, my school district blocks YouTube from the network. While I don't want to sit and watch the latest viral video sensation during my conference period, I do like being able to show my percussionists some great drumming techniues or letting my brass players listen to the Blue Devils warming up. Having YouTube on my iPhone is a great solution.

17. Phone (Standard) - Google Voice Integration
I recently got a Google Voice invitation and set it up. I tried using it to add SYWTT Voicemail for this blog, but that hasn't really gone over so well. Maybe that idea is ahead of its time still. What I have found it useful for is getting a local number that rings both my office phone and my cell phone. Parents (or students) can call (or text) the number and if I'm available, they get me. Otherwise the call goes to voicemail. I often turn my phone to Airplane Mode so that I don't get calls during rehearsals. In those cases, it rings my office phone.

18. Mail (Standard) - Lesson Plans
Since I've been running a lot of the marching rehearsals, I have made it a weekly habit to email my rehearsal plans to my boss each week so he can let me know any suggestions he might have. These emails are copied to my Gmail account and available on my phone. This saves paper and allows me to have everything at my fingertips during rehearsals. I also will begin soon emailing lesson plans to myself for my middle school band classes each week/day. Agian, saving paper.

19. Twitteriffic (Free) - Twitter
Okay, not the most class-specific thing, but I do check Twitter and Facebook some during my conference period.

20. Messages (Standard) - Text Messages
Again, this isn't really teaching-related, but I have gotten and sent texts related to classes during the school day. If we had a solid private lesson program established in my district, I would definitely communicate with the teachers via text.

Do you own an iPhone? What apps do you find most useful in whatever classes you teach?

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20 Ways I Really Use My iPhone To Teach Band Class

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On the day that the iPhone 3G was released, I rushed out to the local AT&T Store to pick up my very own. I was excited, so I rushed home and wrote 10 Awesome iPhone Apps (Band Director Style) and listed all of the cool things that I was going to download and use in class.

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By Eliahu Sussman

As technology increasingly seeps into every nook and cranny of our daily life, some may think of the choral room as a Luddite's sanctuary - after all, besides a piano and some voices, why on earth would any other tools be required to facilitate vocal music education? However, there are a plethora of tech resources and devices that can enhance and transform choral instruction in some remarkable ways.

There are also potential dangers that come with using technology in education, particularly if you do so purely for the sake of, well, just using technology. "That's not something you ever want to do," says Dr. Chris Russell, author of the book iPads in Music Education and the blog, Technology in Music Education. Russell is also the choral director at St. Paul Park, Minnesota's Oltman Middle School, which converted into a one-to-one iPad school in 2013 - meaning that each of the school's 790 students now has a personal iPad for school use.

Rather than simply employing the latest gadgets in the name of innovation, Russell notes that the same traditional concepts, skills, and activities that have always been a staple of the choir room should continue to flourish, and the latest technology can simply help that process. In short, whether we're talking about iPads, laptops, smartphones, projectors, SMART boards, software, cloud utilities, or any other newfangled innovations, there are ways in which these tools can be utilized in beneficial ways, whether that means automating busy work, simplifying complex tasks, or creating new learning opportunities for students.

In this interview with Choral Director, Dr. Russell discusses some of the specific ways in which technology can be an asset in the choral room, several models for its successful integration, as well as some pointers for keeping the role that technology plays in perspective.
Choral Director: What was the genesis of your interest in utilizing technology in instruction?
Chris Russell: I am a trained tuba player and a singer, but I am not the world's greatest piano player. While I can play piano passably for rehearsals, the first area where I began using technology with my classes was with Finale to create accompaniments. At the time, in the mid-to-late '90s, the sounds in Finale weren't that great, but you do what you have to. At the school I was working in at that point, we hired an accompanist for performances, but the money wasn't there to have that person in class all the time.

From there, I realized that those accompaniments could turn into rehearsal tracks, and those rehearsal tracks could be used on various devices. And one thing led to another, until technology has become a large part of what I do today.
CD: Which areas of music instruction do you find benefit most from the 21st-century tools?
CR: First of all, you don't necessarily need technology to be a good teacher. However, the world is changing around us. In fact, other fields are using technology to attract students. One of the very first things you have to realize is that the rest of the world is offering an enticing future, and it's dangerous to be the one spot where technology isn't used.

But in terms of overall instruction, I strongly believe in using projected materials in class, particularly for sight-reading and warm-ups. I like using SmartMusic, not only for projecting sight-reading exercises on the screen and running through them that way, but also for assessment of sight-reading skills. That's a big area where a lot of educators struggle: they teach sight-reading, but they don't know how to assess it.

Assessment technique is rooted in having each child go into a practice room and record him or herself on a tape recorder, and then the teacher goes in the back and listens to each student's recording. The technology that exists today can make that process so much easier - it's just overwhelming. So for me, in my instruction, from the second that the kid walks into the room - this is at the middle school level, mind you, and we are a one-to-one iPad school - technology is used pretty much every moment of the day.
CD: What does a typical rehearsal look like? Can you walk me through it?
CR: The first thing I use is an app for iOS called Attendance2. Every kid is given a QR code, and when they walk into the room they scan in. That makes life unbelievably easier for me in terms of attendance management.

I also use Attendance2 on tours. It works brilliantly on the road, because as the kids walk on or off the bus, you can use your phone and scan the QR code that they've been given or that they have on their phone as they walk past you. Once they scan in, you are never wondering who is not there, as every kid is accounted for. It's just brilliant.

After attendance, the next thing that the students work on is a literacy project. Our district has a focus on literacy, so in our middle schools, we ask kids to answer a journal question every day. They actually do that on Google Forms, which is another great tool. They walk in, pull out their iPads, and start typing a response to the daily question while I'm taking care of the housekeeping things I have to do at the beginning of the hour.

Then we start with warm-ups, which are projected onto a screen. And then we move from warm-ups to sight-reading, which is also done on the projector - we use SmartMusic for that.

Then from there, we typically go into a short teaching deal. At this level, it could be teaching a musical concept, or it might be about music notation, or maybe a dictation exercise. There are different apps that I use depending on what we are doing. And from there, we go into rehearsal.

My rehearsal accompanist actually ends up being my iPad, believe it or not, with an app called Notion - which is unbelievable. And then the kids and I are using iPads for sheet music, which is just wonderful compared to dealing with lost papers, lost folders, forgotten folders, folders still in the rack, and so on - they all have everything right on their iPads. And from there, we just work through the rest of the rehearsal.

And then at the end of the class, I often show a short video as a sort of reward. Sometimes the videos are music-related and sometimes they're just a short, funny clip that's either cool or popular on YouTube. There was a wonderful video from a couple of years ago of a soprano at the Met singing "The Doll" aria, for example. Or for something fun, we might show one of those silly skits where kids create a dialogue and adults act it out.

Anyway, as you see, technology is threaded seamlessly throughout the class. It's not, "Hey, we are going to do technology time now"; it's part of what we do every day.
CD: Right. Let's talk about the one-to-one iPad aspect. When did the school decide to get iPads for all the students?
CR: It's a special initiative in our district called the T3 (Transforming Thinking through Technology). We are in a pretty large district - the sixth largest in Minnesota - and the five lowest-performing schools in the district were targeted with the hope that one-to-one iPads would improve those schools. Included are one high school, one middle school - our middle school - and then three elementary schools. It started in the fall of 2013, and that's one of the reasons why I came to the school last year, in fact - because of my experience and interest in using iPads in education.
CD: Has your instruction been dramatically different in a classroom where the students all have iPads versus in a classroom where they didn't?
CR: Basically, it changes some things you can do. For example, if we are doing a composition exercise, it's a little tricky to do when kids may not have a piano at home - they may not be able to hear what they are doing, they may not have a piano app on their phone, or they may not even know how to play piano. But there's a free app out there called Notate Me Now, that you use to write music notation out by hand, it converts it into digital music, and then you can play it back. So it turns it from analog handwriting into digital music notation, and then you can actually play it. That changes how you can do that activity. And it changes how the students can write, because they can hear the music and they can see the notation. And it doesn't necessarily require the knowledge of how to use a keyboard. So that's just one example of things they can do now that we couldn't if they didn't have iPads.
CD: I imagine that many educators reading this story or even seeing the headline, "Using iPads in the Choir Room" are going to say to themselves, "Well isn't that nice for those folks? There is no way our students can afford iPads." How would you recommend that educators approach integrating some of this technology or using some of these tools in those settings, which might be more typical?
CR: It's really hard when you don't have a common platform, or if you have a platform that isn't as accessible to music. For example, some schools are going with Chromebooks right now. But the issue with Chromebook is that most of our music classrooms don't have desks, and those devices are meant to be sitting on a desk - there is a keyboard attached to a screen. There is only so much you can do with that in a choral setting.

As for technology integration, there is a model for that called "SAMR" which was created by a guy named Ruben Puentedura. SAMR stands for "Substitution," "Augmentation," "Modification," and finally "Redefinition."

In general, when you integrate technology you are trying to move into transformation, where you transform what you are doing to things you could never do before. The first entry level is substitution, where you are just substituting technology for something else. Then you augment your activities and improve on what you are doing. For example, substitution might just be having your sheet music as digital music. Augmentation would then be highlighting, coloring, and marking the music without damaging it.

Then you get to the next phase, modification: that's the whole new level of application where you can do something you never could do before. So modification is a situation like with sheet music, where you can attach an audio file - a practice file - right into that digital music sheet reader. Now you can not only see your music and mark your music, but you can actually rehearse with accompaniment on your sheet music, too.

And then the final step is when you have gone through those other levels and you are completely transformed with redefining: you are doing something you could have never possibly thought of before. And when it comes to sheet music, maybe that's when you have a sheet music reader that also has a recorder function, so that after you have seen the music, written on the music, and heard the music, now you can record yourself performing the music and submit it as an assessment to your teacher. This is something that you couldn't have ever possibly done with paper music. And that's just an example of that process.

The catch is that a lot of technology plans - whether it's laptops like Chromebooks, or a bringing your own device (BYOD) scenario - don't have a level playing field when it comes to music and in the way that we can integrate music.
CD: What do you mean they don't have a level playing field?
CR: They are just not created equal. For example, Android is a wonderful operating system, but the music apps just don't exist for those devices. Part of that is because of the hardware. There is a latency issue with the Android devices that doesn't exist with iPads. From the beginning, the iPad was built with Core MIDI, and that is huge. From day one with the first iPad, it has always had an eye towards music. The iPad has its limitations, too, but when it comes to music, man, you've got this real special thing.

So some schools will say, "Go Chromebook," but the teacher can't substitute that for sheet music, because you are not going to hold a laptop in your hands while you are singing in choir. Augmentation? You can't write on the screen, so you can't be annotating your music. You have to jump into the levels of transformation right off the bat. And the catch is you are supposed to be going gradually from substitution to redefinition; you are not supposed to try to redefine from the very first moment. So the choice of device can really impact you. And in order to use some of those devices, you almost have to say, "Okay, stop rehearsing; it's now technology time." And that's the kiss of death when it comes to technology. You don't ever want that.

That's when you, the music teacher, can try to explain - especially using that SAMR model - about how hard it can be to integrate some of these tools. And the keyword here is "integrate," because, again, you want it flowing seamlessly as part of what you do. The technology integration is supposed to be invisible.

There are a lot of other situations where teachers - and this was me for years - have their own technology that they use with the class and that they use themselves, but their students don't have it. However, that tends to also be the technology they've bought themselves - and there is nothing wrong with that.

CD: Regarding students bringing in their own technology, certainly you want to avoid any sort of scenarios where there is not an even playing field amongst the group, right?

CR: You know, there is a big trend right now of bring your own device (BYOD). That's a really popular model because it eliminates the cost of technology to the district. And, basically, it gives every kid the Internet in his or her pocket. But the catch is that just being able to Google something isn't the definition of technology integration, either.
CD: Sure, especially in a particular setting like a music class.
CR: If it's a BYOD situation, unfortunately, the district has already made the choice that it's not going to be a level playing field, so then you have to try to find the best solution for what the kids do have. So, for example, if a student has an Android tablet, there are only a few good music readers on Android, where there are 20 or 30 on iOS. You look at the kids and say, "If you want to use digital sheet music, you are going to have to download this app," like, say, Orpheus Music Player, Mobile Sheets, or Easy PDF Reader, which all work with music. None of them hold a candle to, for example, forScore on the iPad. But for that kid, maybe it works.

CD: What areas would you suggest that people not try to utilize technology for, as far as your instruction goes - keeping in mind that the goal here is really teaching the love of music, along with some knowledge of how it works and how to make it happen?

CR: Well, you can teach choir without technology and, in fact, that is very common. The most sophisticated technology in some people's room is a CD player.

Ultimately, technology can infuse every part of the curriculum, but it will never make up for solid instruction. You still need to be able to teach the foundations. You still need to have the ability to teach, even though you can use resources for musical terms and how to read notes. You still need to have pedagogy.

There is another approach called the TPACK model, which basically says that good teaching with technology requires the use of three elements: technology, good pedagogy, and content knowledge. Ultimately, the ability to still teach and the importance of knowing the voice, choral music, and repertoire - those don't go away. What does happen is the infusion of technology can make those things easier, in time.

People need to start where they are comfortable. That might mean they show their warm-ups on the screen. A lot of choir directors don't visually show their warm-ups, they just lead kids through them. There's a strong connection in terms of music literacy for kids to be able to see what they're singing and follow along. Instead of just writing your warm-up order on the board, you project the actual printed music on a screen. Even if you aren't making a big deal about it, for the kids to see it and follow along will improve their musical literacy.

CD: Do your students bring their iPads on stage during performances?

CR: No. By maybe two weeks before a concert, when we are seriously rehearsing the music, the iPads are out of their hands. But up to that point, that's what we are doing.

This year, one of my goals will be writing and learning everything through Solfege. The students are still going to be using tools on their iPads for that. We'll be learning the songs in Solfege before we kick in the language. Once we switch to the language, we'll eventually be off of the iPads and then into concert mode. Doing it through Solfege can be slow and painful, but it's unbelievable how strong the students are when they are done with that process.

CR: This technology thing isn't for everybody. What I always tell people is number one, grab onto one thing that you are going to do and just learn it and use it. And then just stick with it. And number two, expect things to go wrong. It's Murphy's Law, but it's true. Something is going to go wrong. If, say, you planned your lesson on the SMART Board or the projector screen and the bulb goes out, it's like the entire world just collapses. So always have to have a backup in the event that the technology doesn't work. You just have to take a deep breath and then figure out what are you going to do. It's okay for things not to work. It's okay to make mistakes, and there's a danger that sometimes we expect that not to happen.

CD: That goes back to not relying on the technology instead of solid pedagogy?

CR: Right, that has to be at the core: the content knowledge is huge, and then the pedagogy is huge, too. The truth is, again, with choir, you can teach without these tech devices and resources; but there are wonderful tools that exist if you have the opportunity to start using them.

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Chris Russell: Inside a High Tech Choir Room

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By Eliahu Sussman As technology increasingly seeps into every nook and cranny of our daily life, some may think of the choral room as a Luddite's sanctuary - after all, besides a piano and some voices, why on earth would any other tools be required to facilitate vocal music education?

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"Creative APP-titude - iPad Activities for the Art Classroom"

MAEA Summer Professional Institute, August 7, 2014

There are many amazing apps for drawing on the iPad, but that is only the start of the creative ways that the iPad can be used in the art classroom. Discover apps that allow you to simulate 3D projects and replicate artistic styles. Learn about apps that can be used for creating artist statements or producing QR codes to make an artwork listening gallery. Find out how you and your students can use the camera tools to document the artistic process. Finally, see amazing digital storytelling apps that can be used to create talking artwork, puppet stories with art work backgrounds, and art story ebooks. Whether you have one iPad or a full classroom set, you will find innovative and practical ideas for using iPads in your class.

Please download these apps in advance:

APPS and Projects: See the categories listed in the column on the left for links to the iPad apps and projects mentioned in the session, as well as many other great creative apps!

Stylus:

IPEVO Wishpool - every month a new piece of equipment gifted to educators!

Stand to use iPad as a Document Camera: Justand

Stage app - use with iPad in stand, can annotate on the iPad

Visual Notetaking using the Flipink app

Link to my sketchnotes on Flickr

Museum Collections for free download/usage

Outstanding iPad/Art Educators:

Tricia Fuglestad
Cathy Hunt/iPad Art Room blog - be sure to download her 2 free books on iPad art from the iBookstore!

Michigan Art Education Association Conference, October 25 and 26, 2013.

"Technology Tools, Tips, and Tricks for the Art Classroom"

What happens when the technology teacher unexpectedly takes on the job of part time elementary art teacher? Karen Bosch will share her wonderful two year adventure in the art classroom. Learn about how she creatively incorporated all kinds of technology tools into art instruction. She'll share technology tips for organizing and presenting lessons, managing the classroom, publishing student artwork, and using interactive online links.

Friday, October 25 - 3:00 - 3:50

Saturday, October 26 - 2:00 - 2:50

Gerald R Ford Conference Room

Collecting and Organizing Art Lesson Ideas:

Feedly - free online website and app to follow blogs

Tech Equipment in the Art Classroom:

BoardCam and Stage apps - use with iPad in stand, can annotate on the iPad

Computers in the Art Classroom:

Publishing in the Art Classroom:

Fotobabble - free website and app, great for artist statements

Audioboo - free website and app (use iPhone version, not iPad) for artist statements or storytelling about artwork

Artsonia - create classroom art galleries

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Technology in the Art Classroom - iPad Multimedia Tools

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"Creative APP-titude - iPad Activities for the Art Classroom" MAEA Summer Professional Institute, August 7, 2014 There are many amazing apps for drawing on the iPad, but that is only the start of the creative ways that the iPad can be used in the art classroom.

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Slideshare with lots of ideas for tech integration in the classroom

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Slideshare with lots of ideas for tech integration in the classroom

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How to teach with technology

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3 minute video

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Borrowed from EdTechTeacher.org

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Science Resources and Technology Tools for Teachers

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Find the best science resources and technology tools for teachers. All classroom science resources are reviewed and selected by teachers, for teachers.

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Borrowed from Eric Langhorst

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Published on

This presentation was first given at the 2010 MCSS Conference in St. Louis - February 19, 2010 by Eric Langhorst.

www.speakingofhistory.com/historytech

1. 2. Teach 8 th grade American History at South Valley Jr. High in Liberty, Missouri

2. 3. Adjunct faculty at Park University teaching graduate course "Technology for the Classroom"

3. 4. Currently working on my doctorate at Walden University in Teacher Leadership

4. 5. www.speakingofhistory.com/ historytech Please share with others All notes and links from this presentation can be found online at:

5. 6. You select which tools work best for you to do your job

6. 7. Microblogging at 140 characters or less at a time

7. 8. Build a network of peers Share resources and ideas Ask questions and answer questions

8. 9. Add more features by using a third party application like TweetDeck

9. 11. Finding teachers to follow is part luck and searching Once you find a respected teacher check and see who they follow

10. 12. Missouri Teachers on Twitter

11. 13. Video and audio chat

12. 14. Skype allows you to create a two way video chat with another person via the Internet

13. 15. Computer Internet Webcam Application

14. 16. Take a virtual field trip

15. 19. Interview an author

16. 20. Collaborate with a peer

17. 21. Select a webcam for both lens and microphone quality Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000

18. 22. Make a picture from text

19. 23. Create a visual of a speech Quickly identify themes and topics Great way to start examining a primary document

20. 26. John Lennon - Lyrics to Imagine

21. 27. President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address

22. 28. Star-Spangled Banner - All Four Verses

23. 29. Creating a cool video, quickly

24. 30. Add still pictures or video to create a "music video" type finished project Can add text and select from their music Educator account is free

25. 34. Create an ad for President Lincoln in 1860 election Students can describe a concept or opinion Slideshow from pictures on field trip or project

26. 35. Online picture sharing tool

27. 36. Post your pictures online Can create sets, add descriptions, add notes, post them in blogs Can also search for pictures from others

28. 39. Post images you take of historical places Find images others have posted of historical topics Add notes to the pictures you post

29. 47. Screen capture video tool

30. 48. Makes a video of everything you see on your screen Add a microphone and it captures sound as well Records at different levels of quality

31. 49. Tutorials for tasks done repeatedly Create lessons for days when you are not in the classroom - or your students are not in the classroom

32. 50. Access amazing content from experts and universities

33. 51. Lectures from historians on variety of topics

34. 54. Edit audio, any format, easy

35. 56. Create a "StudyCast" to help students prepare for tests Projects and interviews - History Day for example Edit musical clips for a history class

36. 57. View the world in a historical and statistical way like never before

37. 59. Students can use the historical layer to see modern locations with historical lens Students can take historical tours already created by other teachers and classes

38. 60. World War II Aerial Maps Showing Impact of Bombing

39. 64. Street level view of the world

40. 65. Take your classes to historical locations

41. 69. Presentations from very smart people - less than 20 minutes

42. 70. Introduce a topic for discussion Some great presentations on the impact of school lunch

43. 72. Post your presentations online

44. 73. Share notes with your students who are gone Students can share their presentations online Have a spare copy of your presentations as a backup

45. 74. You select which tools work best for you to do your job

46. 75. www.speakingofhistory.com/novel Please share with others All notes and links from this presentation can be found online at:

47. 76. Eric Langhorst 8 th Grade American History South Valley Jr. High School Liberty, Missouri [email_address] www.speakingofhistory.com Twitter : elanghorst Skype : elanghorst

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A Dozen Ways to Incorporate Technology in the History Classroom

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Published on This presentation was first given at the 2010 MCSS Conference in St. Louis - February 19, 2010 by Eric Langhorst. www.speakingofhistory.com/historytech 2. Teach 8 th grade American History at South Valley Jr. High in Liberty, Missouri 3. Adjunct faculty at Park University teaching graduate course "Technology for the Classroom" 4.

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Using Technology in the History Classroom for Project-Based Learning

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Using Technology in the History Classroom for Project-Based Learning

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Borrowed from:

www.AvatarGeneration.com

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Learning about leaders of old, dramatic events and the origins of modern day politics has made history classes a favorite for many students. Project-based learning in the history classroom has been a common pedagogical technique used by many teachers.

This self-directed approach, framed by educators, can help students learn by inquiry and doing rather than by just reading books and memorizing essays. Not only does project based learning in the history classroom help students understand a different time and place, but it also gives them experience of how historians, archivists and researchers work.

By incorporating technology into history project-based learning, teachers can move beyond the textbook and give students a chance to learn about history on their own terms. Since many resources are not physically available to students, bringing technology into the classroom can help them access many of the resources they need. They can put themselves in someone else's shoes while reading primary source documents, interact with history through museum exhibits, and access music, news articles and other historical resources through apps, online documents and immersive 3D experiences.

Tour Historic Locations Online

One of the best ways to engage in project-based learning is by having students actually tour historic locations and pretend what life would be like if they were actually living there. Numerous apps give students the opportunity to visit important places from history. Pyramids 3D lets students tour an Ancient Egyptian pyramid and then design a pyramid of their own based on what they have seen. The app allows students to tap areas on tomb walls to see hi-res images of real spaces, and explore a catalogue of fully rotatable 3D objects including Tutankhamun's famous golden mask. Similarly, with Virtual History ROMA, students can take a tour of Ancient Rome, and then write a story about a day in the life of an Ancient Roman including many of the places from the app.

Connecting to real life affairs

Part of learning about history involves connecting it to present-day life. Students can use apps such as MyCongress to track what is currently going on in Congress and compare that news to past events in history. The Fluent News Reader, News360 and Pulse apps can help students stay up-to-date on the latest news and quickly locate relevant news stories from multiple sources. If they need help finding historical events to research, app such as World Book - This Day in History and History Today can give students ideas based on what happened on a particular day in history a few years, a few decades or even a few centuries ago.

Organizing History Projects

Instead of getting information for a project from an app, students can also use an app to organize and present their learning. With apps such as Timeline 3D and Timeline Builder, students can create timelines to represent different periods in history. These timelines are more than simple boxes with dates and descriptions; students can also incorporate images, videos, links to articles and other digital resources related to the time period, making them a historical experience.

Creating Their Own History

With some apps, students can also use what they have learned about history to create their own worlds. My Country HD has students create a country with a starting capital of $65,000 and they can use lessons they have learned or examples of particular countries to help make or avoid decisions as they run their virtual country. Of course, there are also popular world-building apps such as Minecraft, Exploration and Blockworld that students can use to recreate periods in history and interact with one another to help learn concepts of citizenship and government. Students can then present their worlds to the class through a short presentation or paper, explaining why certain choices were made and comparing their worlds to what they have learned about history.

Resources for History Project-Based Learning

David Moursund's book, Project Based Learning: Using Information Technology is a must for any teacher looking to expand their knowledge of IT resources for project based learning. In particular, it has a section on lesson plans for history teachers (Pg 27) that has some useful tips.

Learn NC has a massive repository of project based learning lesson plans, with over 200 history specific items. Turning the Century, a lesson plan created by Lisa Stamey, combines traditional project making tools such as paper and pencils, with technology facilitated investigation to create a museum displaying 19th and 20th century daily life.

High Tech High is another excellent go-to resource site for searchable history projects. The Civil Rights Museum lesson plan, created by Mellissa Vincent, has students research a Civil Rights topic and present an interactive museum exhibit.

Buck Institute for Education is one of the most popular project based learning resources on the web and for good reason. The projects are very detailed and have excellent lesson plans associated with them.

Intel have project examples related to History teaching sorted by grade and age that can be helpful to get some ideas for technology-related history projects. 21st Century Schools have some innovative History projects geared towards US classes such as the Johnny Appleseed curriculum.

History does not have to be limited to the facts in the textbook. Through project-based learning students can truly learn about history by applying it in ways that can trigger creativity, critical thinking and collaboration. They will discover that many stories have multiple sides and that not all events happened the way they think they did. Students will also learn how to make connections between history and their daily lives, perhaps applying what they have learned to create worlds of their own or just keeping the information in the back of their heads as they read the latest news from around the world.

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Using Technology in the History Classroom for Project-Based Learning

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Learning about leaders of old, dramatic events and the origins of modern day politics has made history classes a favorite for many students. Project-based learning in the history classroom has been a common pedagogical technique used by many teachers.

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Borrowed from The National History Education Clearninghouse

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Browse Tech for Teachers | Teachinghistory.org

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The content of this website does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Education nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

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10 Things to start with in Google Classroom

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10 Things to start with in Google Classroom

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Borrowed from Alice Keeler

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NOTE: This blog post has been updated. CLICK HERE to link to the updated information.

In a nutshell, Google Classroom is Google Drive Management. It allows you to assign assignments and collect work from students. If you are just starting off with Google Classroom here are some things you will want to try first:

When you first log in you will be asked if you are a student or a teacher. It is very important that you indicate that you are a teacher. If you make a mistake, you will need to contact your Google Apps administrator at your site to reset your status.

For your first announcement why not invite your students to say hello. Students can comment, from the stream, to any announcement or assignment unless you turn off that capability. Google Classroom is new to the students also, expect that they will be trying out the system along with you. Let them get their silliness out by posting "hi!!!!!!!!!!!!."

Your next announcement can be a friendly reminder of what types of comments are helpful to everyone in the class and when comments should be made or not made.

On the left-hand side of your Google Classroom class is a code to allow students to join the class. I recommend projecting your Google Classroom page and zooming in on the code. (Control Plus zooms in). Ask students to go to http://classroom.google.com and click the plus icon at the top right to enter the class code.

I highly recommend you number all of your Google Classroom assignments. Start EACH assignment with a number such as #001, #002, etc... This makes is really easy to refer students to the correct spot in Google Classroom. This is also helpful since you are unable to reorder assignments and announcements in the stream.

Assignments, unlike announcements, have a header. Consider carefully how you title the assignment. Google Classroom creates a folder in Google Drive for each assignment. The folder title matches the assignment header.

Start with the assignment number and the assignment title. In the description provide directions for how to complete the assignment. Student view looks different than teacher view. The student view of the assignment has an "OPEN" button that allows them to turn in the assignment. You will want to include in the directions that students will need to click on "OPEN" and choose either "Mark as Done" or "Turn In" depending on if they are turning anything in or not.

Automatically a folder is created in Google Drive when you set up Google Classroom. The folder is titled "Classroom." You can find this folder by going to http://drive.google.com. Each time you create a class within Google Classroom a subfolder is created within the Classroom folder. You can easily access this folder from the class tiles on the home page. On each tile, in the bottom right-hand corner, is a folder icon. Click on this icon to link to the class folder in Google Drive.

My workflow in Google Classroom is to click on the work students submitted. If it is a Google Doc to use Control Alt M to insert comments. I use Control Enter to close the comment. I then use Control W to close the document. This allows me to give fast feedback right in the document.

If you would like to see all of the students work in one place, click on the "Folder" button at the top of the assignment administration page. This opens the folder in Google Drive. All student work is together in the one folder.

All Things Start in Google Classroom

Do not use Google Classroom sometimes, use it for EVERYTHING. Getting students into the habit that they go to Google Classroom first for everything creates a very smooth workflow with your students. This will particularly pay off when you have a substitute. Directions are posted in Google Classroom, the students will know exactly what to do.

Want to know more about Google Classroom? Check out the book " 50 Things You Can Do With Google Classroom" by myself and Libbi Miller. The book is available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon. Bulk discounts are available by emailing shelley@daveburgessconsulting.com

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015

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10 Things to Start with in Google Classroom - Teacher Tech

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In a nutshell, Google Classroom is Google Drive Management. It allows you to assign assignments and collect work from students. If you are just starting off with Google Classroom here are some things you will want to try first: When you first log in you will be asked if you are a student or a teacher.

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Created by Christie Shokler

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As a Teacher, you're already busy enough. So when it comes to completing your professional development requirements, it's often extremely difficult to get the time to make it happen. Not to mention, that when you do, you're usually required to...

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Dynamic Discussions Support Speaking, Listening, and Critical Thinking Skills

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Search Results for Common Sense Education

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Use filters and keywords to refine you search results for lessons, digital citizenship resources, videos, edtech reviews, and advice for teaching with technology.

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Collaborate and Communicate in the Math Classroom

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Collaborate and Communicate in the Math Classroom

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Search Results for Common Sense Education

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Use filters and keywords to refine you search results for lessons, digital citizenship resources, videos, edtech reviews, and advice for teaching with technology.

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Video

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Twitter tutorial for beginners - esp Teachers

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Check it out!

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Filled with visual writing Ideas to elicit student interest and spark creativity, students can connect with their class, publish directly to an audience and discover writing topics based on their interests.

http://www.writeabout.com/

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8 minute video

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Quick and easy instructions for using Canva in the classroom

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Borrowed from EdTechTeam

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Borrowed from Tricia Ebarvia

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* This is Part 3 in a series on how to use the signposts from Kylene Beers and Robert Probst's Notice and Note to inspire student writing. Here are parts 1 and 2.

In Notice and Note, Beers and Probst make this important observation:

As you think about each of these signposts, you'll see that they appear not only in texts but also in our lives. When your significant other mentions again and again that the garbage needs to go out, there's a subtext to that message-and it has to do with rising anger! When the friend who always checks on you suddenly begins to ignore you, then the contrast with what expect, the contradiction of an established pattern, makes you wonder what is wrong. If you're now a parent, you can look back on those long talks with your own parents not as "another boring lecture" but as your parent's attempt to spare you some pain, to impart words of someone wiser. When a friend asks you what your teen thought of the party that weekend, you suddenly realize- aha -that your teen's sad face over the weekend tells you she hadn't been invited. (74)

As Beers and Probst point out, the reason that the signposts are so ubiquitous in the texts we read is because they are ubiquitous in our lives. After all, art imitates life.

So how do we get students to see this?

As I started thinking about a model for how to use the signposts as invitations for writing, I went back to what I know is an essential element in the workshop model-quickwrites. Regular, preferably daily, opportunities to explore ideas in their writer's notebooks, quickwrites build fluency and confidence. These "writing territories," as Nancie Atwell calls them, also serve as an important resource for students, as they later draw upon these initial notes and wondering to write longer pieces.So if I want my students to write personal pieces of writing that explore how the signposts apply to their own lives, I need to get students thinking and writing about those personal connections in their notebooks. Below are a few of the quickwrite prompts I've come up with for each signpost, any of which could be broken down and expanded upon into multiple quickwrites.

SIGNPOST

QUICKWRITE PROMPT

Words of the Wiser

Make a list of all the people in your life you consider wise or knowledgeable. Then choose one and explain how this person is wise.

Give students a list of "wise words" from literature or other sources (i.e. proverbs) - choose one and reflect on the extent to which it is true.

What "saying" or piece of advice do you most often get from your parents? Another family member?

When I need advice about ______, I turn to ______, because ______.

Have students read these "10 Comforting Words from Dumbledore," choose one or more to write about.

Memory Moment

What was your favorite memory from this past summer? From two summers ago? Four summers? Etc.

List the most important people in your life. Next to each person, write down a specific moment you shared together.

When I was ______, I remember feeling / thinking / seeing ______. (Repeat)

Read the picture book Roxaboxen by Alice McLerran, then ask students to reflect on what moments in their own childhood it makes them think about. Another great read loud is the picture book The Relatives Came by Cynthia Rylant to get students thinking about family memories.

Aha Moment

Make a list of something you learned when you were ______ years old. Repeat for other ages.

Draw a large lightbulb in your notebook. Fill it with important things you've learned in your life so far.

I used to think _____, but now I realize ______. What helped me realize this was ______.

Read students

Contrast & Contradiction

Think of a time you were watching a movie or television, or reading a book, and describe a moment you were shocked by some twist in the plot or decision by a character. What was so surprising?

Same as above, but instead, think of a time when a friend or family member surprised you by their actions.

Draw a full-body self-portrait. Draw a line down the middle. Consider how someone or some group views you versus how you view yourself. On one side, list words that you think others would use to describe you. On the other side, list words you would use to describe yourself.

Tough Question

Brainstorm a list of "big questions" about life. For example, how do we deal with grief? How do we know when we fall in love? Etc.

Describe a time when you wondered about one of these "big questions."

Make a list of difficult decisions you've had to make in your life.

Again and Again

List some of the activities you've done since you were a child (i.e. sports, clubs, music, reading).

Choose an activity in your life and describe why it's important to you / why you've stuck with it (repeat).

List some traditions you have with family or friends. Describe why a particular tradition is so important to you / worth keeping (repeat).

It's easy to see how any one of these quickwrite prompts could be serve as the subject for a writing piece. On the other hand, each of these prompts can also serve simply as a beginning, an entryway, into some larger or more complex idea. At this point, I think I would like to leave the actual focus of the longer piece of writing up to each student. It will all depend, on some degree, on what they are able to unearth in the prewriting they do in their notebooks, and hopefully, these quickwrite prompts will serve as an important part of that process.

I typically start each class period either with a quickwrite or a booktalk (in a 43-minute period, it's tough to find time to do both each day, though sometimes I am ambitious 🙂 ). My thinking is that I will rotate through the quickwrites for each signpost so that students have "something down" in their notebooks for each. Then, when we begin our writing workshop session, they will have some notes on each of the signposts and can choose from a wider terrain of ideas.

Of course, once students have an idea of what they want to write, they'll need some additional mentor texts to study. That's where I'll head in my next post... until then, let me know if you have any ideas in the comments below.

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Notice & Note, then Write: Quickwrites

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This is Part 3 in a series on how to use the signposts from Kylene Beers and Robert Probst's Notice and Note to inspire student writing. Here are parts 1 and 2. In Notice and Note, Beers and Probst make this important observation: As you think about each of these signposts, you'll see that they...

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Turing in Group Work via Google Classroom

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Turing in Group Work via Google Classroom

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Borrowed from Alice Keeler

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Currently Google Classroom does not have a feature for group work. Here is my work around.

I use Google Sheets to have students indicate who is in their group. Alternatively, when I assign students to groups, I will list out their names on a Google spreadsheet also.

Google Classroom makes it easy to share the spreadsheet. Attach a Google Sheets file from Google Drive and set it as "Students can edit file" if they choose their own groups or "Students can view file" if you have assigned the groups.

Suggestion to have the first column say "Group Leader" to indicate which student is going to take responsibility for the group work documents.

Tip from Alice

I number all of my assignments to make it easy to keep track of them in the gradebook. This also creates a nice file structure in the Google Classroom folder in my Google Drive. Click Here for my blog post on this.

In addition to numbering the assignments, I also start any documents students will be using in connection with this assignment with the same assignment number. This makes it clear for the teacher and the students which documents go with with assignment. This is particularly helpful when an assignment has multiple documents.

Attach the template or graphic organizer with a status of "Make a copy for each student." This ensures that the students work is shared with the teacher and is in the assignment folder in Google Drive.

This creates a copy for each student, not for each group.

Group Leader

The group leader will need to open the group work document and click on the blue share button. The group leader will add the group members to the document to allow them to edit.

The group leader will also need to modify the document title to add the names of the group members to the end of the document title.

Group Members

In Google Classroom the other group members will need to click on "OPEN" and click on the X on the right hand side of the attached documents.

Once the group work is completed, the group leader will "TURN IN" the document to Google Classroom.

The other group members will go into Google Classroom and click on "MARK AS DONE."

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Google Classroom: Turning in Group Work - Teacher Tech

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Currently Google Classroom does not have a feature for group work. Here is my work around. Create a Spreadsheet I use Google Sheets to have students indicate who is in their group. Alternatively, when I assign students to groups, I will list out their names on a Google spreadsheet also.

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Borrowed from Alice Keeler

http://www.alicekeeler.com/teachertech/

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I have been asked by math teachers how they can use Google Classroom. Google Classroom is great for any subject area, especially math! Earlier I had posted on 5 ways Students Can Use Google Docs in Math. This builds on those ideas with a list of 60 ways Google Classroom can be used by Math teachers. Check out my book " Teaching Math with Google Apps" for more ideas and specific examples.

1. Create a blended classroom: Google Classroom is the perfect tool to transform a traditional class into a blended model.

2. Go paperless: There are many ways that Google Classroom can support a paperless classroom. Stop standing at the copy machine and use Google Classroom instead.

3. Distribute handouts: It is easy to attach files that are either in Google Drive or on the computer. Attach handouts to an announcement or assignment to allow students to easily access.

4. Collect homework: The homework collection process can take many instructional minutes. Eliminate this by having students submit their work in Google Classroom.

5. Return work: Passing student work back in Google Classroom is as simple as checking

6. Use equation editor: Attach Google text documents to assignments. Google Docs has an equation editor built in. Directions and questions can include equations made with the equation editor. Students can respond using the equation editor.

7. Digitally collect student work: If student complete their work on paper they can use the Google Classroom app to take a picture of the work and submit. Students can insert a snapshot of their paper work via the webcam into a Google Doc to submit to Google Classroom.

8. Post solutions: Students can check their work by locating solutions attached to the assignment in Google Classroom. Editing the assignment after it is due, documents can be attached to the assignment that allow students to view the solutions.

9. Post problem of the week: Google Classroom makes it easy for student to locate the problem of the week (POW). Attach to an optional assignment. Participating students can submit their work straight to Google Classroom.

10. Link to interactive simulations: Several websites have interactive math simulations that can help students have a better understanding of math concepts. Google Classroom gives the ability to link to websites as part of lesson sets. Rather than relying on students typing in the correct URL into their browser students can simply click on the link in Google Classroom.

11. Post corrections: After reviewing student work and noting common misconceptions an announcement can be posted to Google Classroom to make clarifications for students.

12. Highlight student exemplars: Work submitted to Google Classroom is saved to a folder in Google Drive. An announcement in Google Classroom can attach student exemplars from the assignment folder in Google Drive.

13. Distribute assignments: Rather than writing assignments on the board students can have access to the assignments 24/7 in Google Classroom.

14. Provide support materials: Sometimes students need a refresher on pre requisite skills such as how to find the common denominator. As part of the lesson set in Google Classroom provide links to videos, links to websites or attach documents on pre requisite skills.

15. Provide differentiation: Math students have different ability levels and interests. Use Google Classroom to provide different types of resources for student needs.

16. Stop lecturing: Google Classroom allows the teacher to post videos, documentation or links to instructional websites. Google Classroom supports a flipped teaching model. A lecture is ephemeral, resources in Google Classroom allow students access to instructional resources anytime

17. Stop repeating yourself: Clearly posting announcements or important information to Google Classroom allows the teacher to not have to repeat themselves. Students can find the information easily by accessing the Google Classroom stream.

18. Provide directions: Verbal directions or directions written on the board can be missed by students who are absent or engaged in another task. Providing directions in Google Classroom ensures that students know what they are suppose to be doing.

19. Offer choices: Students have different interests. Offering assignment choices in Google Classroom gives students a feeling of locus of control and greater buy in.

20. Link to playsheets: Playsheets are digital worksheets with game elements. Playsheets provide students with immediate feedback which provides motivation for students and helps them to know they are on the right track. Rote math practice is best done with a playsheet.

21. Model mathematics with Google Draw: Create virtual manipulatives, such as Algebra Tiles, in a Google Drawing. Distributing the drawing as each student receives a copy allows students to model their mathematics.

22. Provide hyperdocs: Hyperdocs are a Google Document that structures student exploration and learning of a topic. Thank you to Lisa Highfill for her work with Hyperdocs.

23. Give quiet students a voice: Students may feel shy about raising their hand in class. Using the comment features in Google Classroom students can post their question to the class stream.

24. Provide faster feedback: Using Google Classroom to collect work gives the teacher quicker access to student work. Feedback can be provided while students are working on their assignment or immediately after submitting. Students receive feedback via email as soon as feedback is provided.

25. Target struggling students: Google Classroom counts how many students have submitted an assignment. Clicking on the number of students who have not submitted provides the teacher with a list of students who may need additional help.

26. Post videos: Videos that introduce concepts, hook students into the lesson or provide support resources can be added to lesson sets to help students better understand concepts.

27. Have student critique the reasoning of others: Common Core standards call for students to critique the reasoning of others. Using the commenting features in Google Documents students can critique the reasoning of peer explanations of math concepts. Share the documents in the Google Classroom folder with classmates to allow for commenting or create a collaborative document in Google Classroom for students to reason mathematical and respond to the reasoning of others.

28. Use spreadsheets: Spreadsheets are a necessary life skill. Almost every manager uses spreadsheets to organize information. Household budgets can be created and tracked through spreadsheets. Google Classroom allows teachers to assign Google Sheets spreadsheet activities that help students strengthen their spreadsheet skills and to apply their algebraic reasoning through formulas.

29. Provide class feedback: After reviewing student work different themes or issues may become evident. Returning work to students allows the teacher to provide a global feedback comment that can help clarify common misconceptions.

30. Provide meaningful feedback: Inserting comments into a students Google Doc can allow the teacher to give very specific feedback in response to student work.

31. Collect videos: Students can create videos through a screencast, using a mobile device or other video creation methods. Having students create videos can allow them to be more creative and demonstrate their understanding of concepts. Students are able to link to YouTube videos they created or attach video files in Google Classroom.

32. Use Google Slides for real world applications: Students can create and attach a presentation in Google Classroom. The presentation can include images, videos and explanations of how a math concept is modeled in the real world.

33. Have students conduct research: Mathematics is in almost everything. Having students research topics and explain the math involved with an issue is a great activity for students. Google Classroom allows students to turn in multiple documents to the same assignment. Students can collect and organize their research in a Google spreadsheet or document. They can calculate mathematically in a spreadsheet and display charts and graphs. They can explain and present their findings in a Google document or presentation. Additionally they can attach a document of their bibliography.

34. Allow students to ask questions: Rather than waiting for class to ask questions students can post their questions while they are working on their homework. Other students can respond providing the potential for students to receive a quick answer.

35. Collect data: Google Forms and Google Sheets allow for data collection. Students can conduct or answer surveys and use the information to make mathematical calculations. A collaborative spreadsheet allows students to insert their data.

36. Play games: Games are motivating and fun. Playing math games allows students to practice while having fun. Game based learning experiences can also be created within Google Classroom. Provide the rules and ongoing game elements through announcements in the stream.

37. Have students explain their thought process: There are many websites and apps that will show students step by step how to complete a math problem. Asking students to show their work is no longer sufficient. Having students use a Google document to explain their thought process helps to see that students truly understand the concepts rather than simply memorizing an algorithm.

38. Collaborative reasoning: Prior to providing students the algorithm for solving a problem, students can use a collaborative Google Document or Slides presentation to reason out possible solutions to a problem. Attach a document in Google Classroom as "Students can edit file."

39. Persevere in problem solving: Google Classroom allows for ongoing interaction with a student on a problem. Start students with a problem in a Google Document and have them submit the first part. The teacher can return the document to the students through Google Classroom. After receiving feedback students can build on their previous answer and resubmit. This process can be repeated to allow students to work on multi-step problems.

40. Annotate images: Using Google Draw or Google Slides students can identify math within an image. Using the drawing tools students can label and create shapes over an image. Drawings and Slides with an image can be attached to an assignment in Google Classroom as "Make a copy for each student."

41. Reason abstractly: Students can use a Google Document and equation editor to express an idea abstractly as well as to explain how they derived the equation.

42. Use appropriate tools strategically: When providing students a math question they can determine which tools they need to use to approach and solve the problem. Students can "Create" a Google spreadsheet or other Google Document straight from Google Classroom. Students can use tools such as Desmos, Geogebra, Daum Equation Editor from Google Drive and integrate into their Google documents they submit to Google Classroom. Templates of rulers and other mathematical tools can be created in Google Slides or Drawings to help students use virtual tools.

43. Look for patterns or structures: Teachers can attach documents in Google Classroom that contain a pattern for students to identify and explain. Students can share documents with each other to collaborate on identifying the patterns and structures. Teachers have access to the documents through Google Classroom as the students work on them. Teachers can guide students in their reasoning.

44. Have students model geometric concepts: Using Google Drawings, Google Slides or inserting a drawing into a Google Document allows students to draw geometric figures. Locating an image to represent the geometric figures, students can draw the shape on top of the image.

45. Connect with experts: Using Google Hangout a class can ask questions of an expert in the field. Providing the link to the hangout in Google Classroom gives students access to participate in the questioning, watch the interview, and to access the archive of the interview later.

46. Collaborate with other teachers: Google Classroom classes are not restricted to a teachers roster. Students can participate in activities that other teachers in the department are doing. Different teachers can provide different resources and activities to divide up the teaching load.

47. Response to intervention: Different Google Classrooms can be created for students to join based on student needs. Students needing additional support or students needing additional challenges can join a Google Classroom class around intervention of a particular topic. Teachers in the math department can work together to support one of the intervention classrooms.

48. Provide peer tutoring: Students in upper grades can tutor and support students in lower grades through the creation of a Google Classroom class for this purpose.

49. Remind students: Posting announcements in Google Classroom can remind students of upcoming tests or project due dates.

50. Celebrate success: Success builds success. Google Classroom allows the teacher to encourage students through comments in the assignment feedback or publicly in the stream.

51. Collect evidence: Students working on digital resources outside of Google documents can take screenshots to document evidence of their participation. Google Classroom allows students to attach the screenshots to an assignment.

52. Create projects: Google Classroom allows the teacher to build a lesson set with multiple elements. Posting project directions and resources to Google Classroom clearly communicates the project to the students, allows them to easily access resources, and provides students with a digital easy to submit the project.

53. Crowdsource information: Create a collaborative Google spreadsheet in Google Classroom that allows students to find and contribute information around a topic. Students can use the crowdsourced information for their assignment or project.

54. Have students find examples in real life: The Google Classroom app allows students to submit a picture they take on their mobile device. Students can find examples in their everyday life of mathematical application. Students can identify these applications and take a picture to submit to Google Classroom.

55. Give digital quizzes: Google Classroom makes it easy to link to digital quizzes.

56. Share presentations: Teachers can attach their Google Slides presentations or PowerPoint presentations to the stream. Students can follow along or access the slides later.

57. Provide templates: Create spreadsheet templates or other Google documents to get students started on an activity. Use Google Classroom to provide the template as "Make a copy for each student."

58. View work in a folder: Grading is easier when student work for an assignment is contained in a single folder in Google Drive. Use the preview function to view each student assignment in the Google Classroom folder.

59. Use spreadsheets for inquiry: Google Sheets can be structured to guide students through mathematical concepts.

60. Teach programming: Using programs such as Scratch or Google Apps Script can allow students to demonstrate their understanding of mathematical concepts. Google Classroom makes it easy to post tutorials and directions for using Scratch or other programming tools as well as a venue to submit programming projects.

See all my Google Classroom posts at alicekeeler.com/google-classroom

Teaching Math with Google Apps
Teaching Math with Google Apps is available on Amazon.

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60 Ways Math Teachers Can Use Google Classroom - Teacher Tech

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
I have been asked by math teachers how they can use Google Classroom. Google Classroom is great for any subject area, especially math! Earlier I had posted on 5 ways Students Can Use Google Docs in Math. This builds on those ideas with a list of 60 ways Google Classroom can be used by Math teachers.

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Google certified teacher, Alice Keeler, blogs about Collaboration, Customization, Brainstorming, Personalization, Gamification, Data, and more!
http://www.alicekeeler.com/teachertech/

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Borrowed from EdTechTeam and Holly Clark

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Borrowed from website: www.ShakeUpLearning.com

Created by: Kasey Bell

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Borrowed from website: www.ShakeUpLearning.com

Created by: Kasey Bell

# data[].attributes.body
Borrowed from website: www.ShakeUpLearning.com

Created by: Kasey Bell

# data[].attributes.body
Borrowed from website: www.ShakeUpLearning.com

Created by: Kasey Bell

# data[].attributes.body
Borrowed from website: www.ShakeUpLearning.com

Created by: Kasey Bell

# data[].attributes.body
Borrowed from website: www.ShakeUpLearning.com

Created by: Kasey Bell

# data[].attributes.body
Borrowed from website: www.ShakeUpLearning.com

Created by: Kasey Bell