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Module 4 - Apps for personalised learning and flipping the classroom

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Module 4 - Apps for personalised learning and flipping the classroom

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Showbie was mentioned by some course participants and from their experience  is a nice tool to share resources with students so that they can access them in their own time and in preparation for the lessons.

I have never tried this tool but I think this app is for IPad only. It seems great to give assignments, instructions and resources for the students. Then students submit their work and the teacher gives feedback, by adding annotations, voice notes and text notes directly on the students' work.

The Khan Academy -  it is an excellent resource to find educational videos that you can use with your students. This safes you from preparing new content yourself. While most videos are still in English there is an increasing amount of content available in other languages, too.  They also provide a lot of supporting materials for teachers to use Khan Academy in the classroom.

Socrative is a great tool to personalise the learning for your students by gaining valuable information about the understanding of each of your students.

And finally, Aurasma was mentioned as a tool to use for augmented reality instructional videos to personalise the learning.

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Module 4 - Personalied learning and flipping a classroom

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Module 4 - Personalied learning and flipping a classroom

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I haven't used tablets in my classroom yet but it seems from my colleagues' expriences in this course that tablets can be used in the classroom to personalise students' learning styles.It gives them the opportunity to work at their own rythm and gain confidence. They can revise the lessons at home and their parents can get involved as well.
Planning activities in a virtual environment, for example, using Edmodo as well as other apps can meet the students' abilities, interests, strengths and weaknesses.

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School to School Collaboration - past and future

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School to School Collaboration - past and future

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For the past ten years I haven't participated in any international project project as I was teaching Portuguese. At that time I already knew e-twinning and had an invitation from Hungary from a colleague teacher of English that a gave to another school.

From my past experience as a teacher of English in a Vocation School in Porto with the Lingua, Socrates and Comenius projects that involved exchange study visits and being a host/guest family, with no ICT or Apps at the time, the enrichment and collaboration waas high-profitable both for students and schools/teachers.

I hope in the future I will work with e-twinning and other classes via skype on a project. I hope my school next year will allow that with resources and interest in technologies.

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The idea is simple. Students watch short instructional vídeos at home for homework. In the classroom thy can practise and apply the skills. Assessment can happen at school or at home.

There is research to support this new educational trend. http://www.techsmith.com/flipped-classroom.html Check out this site:http://www.fi.ncsu.edu/project/fizz/pd/lecture

The greatest benefit of flipping the classroom is not the vídeo but the in-class time that every teacher must evaluate and redesign. Because our direct instruction was moved outside of the classroom, our students were able to conduct higher-quality and more engaging activities.

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Popular Education Tech Tools - Free Technology for Teachers

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Popular Education Tech Tools - Free Technology for Teachers

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In this Google Drive folder you will find ten charts comparing popular ed tech tools

The charts in the folder cover the following categories of
tools:

Alternatives to Google Image Search

Backchannel and informal assessment tools

Building classroom websites

Building classroom blogs

Creating multimedia textbooks

Creating multimedia quizzes

Audio editing tools

Multimedia timeline tools

Mind-mapping tools

Mobile video creation apps

source http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2015/01/10-charts-comparing-popular-ed-tech.html#.VReiSRikqK0

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A flipped class is one that inverts the typical cycle of content acquisition and application so that

students gain necessary knowledge before class, and

teachers guide students to actively and interactively clarify and apply that knowledge during class.

This approach supports iteachers playing the role of guiding their students to deeper thinking and higher levels of application. A flipped class keeps student learning at the center of teaching.

Interaction increases and students learn from one another.

Students work together applying course concepts with guidance from the teacher. This increased interaction helps to create a learning community that encourages them to build knowledge together inside and outside the classroom.

Teachers and students get more feedback.

With more opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and therefore demonstrate their ability to use it, gaps in their understanding become visible to both themselves and the teacher.

Some disadvanteges

In my country, Portugal, school finishes at 6.30 pm and students complain that they don't have enough time to do their homework. But with some reasonable work/time this can not be a problem.

Teacher needs planning to  prepare and identify the content students should engage and prepare at home.

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Facebook vs. Edmodo
Most commonly, Edmodo is described as a social network similar to Facebook. This is because it works in a very similar fashion. However, the main difference between Edmodo and Facebook is that Edmodo is a secure, closed network. On the other hand, Facebook is a public network. While it is true that Facebook users can control to some extent who can see their "profile", it is still a public network. Also, Edmodo does not contain any advertisements. Edmodo gives both teacher ans parents peace of mind because they know that students are not at risk of being contacted by a stranger.

Twitter vs. Edmodo
Just like Twitter, Edmodo has the ability to allow students to participate in online discussions through the message board. However, it has many more features than simply communicating. For example, on Edmodo teachers can upload notes and assign homework. Also, unlike Twitter, Edmodo is a private network. Another similarity between Twitter and Edmodo is that both of these Web 2.0 Tools are a great way for teachers to expand their PLN or Personal Learning Network.

Blogger vs. Edmodo
Many teachers choose to have students publish their writing through blogs to give them a bigger audience. Also, by publishing work online, students have the opportunity to receive feedback from their peers, and other people around the world. Unfortunately, this can lead to unwanted comments and contact with strangers. On Edmodo, students can publish their work within a secure network. However, it is important to note that Edmodo is a microblogging medium which is different from the traditional blog because the content is usually much smaller in size. And just like Twitter, Edmodo has many more features than simply posting work online. Students can also participate in online discussions, view their grades, and communicate with their teacher.

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Module 3 -Apps for collaborative learning

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Module 3 -Apps for collaborative learning

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Edmodo and its benefits

Safe, closed network: students don't have to include personal information in profile

It's free!

Sharing digital media such as blogs, links, videos, documents, notes, presentations etc..

Students can participate in online discussions

Friendly to the environment..saves paper!

Students have a real audience for their work

The calendar keeps all homework organized for teachers and students

Can create connections with other students from different schools, countries, or cultures

Teachers can differentiate instruction by creating subgroups of students

After posting their work, students can receive feedback and suggestions

There are text alerts to remind students of big assignments

Teachers can give students positive reinforcement privately

Parents can stay connected by viewing their child's work and grades

Parents and teachers can message one another

Can conduct online polls

Students can upload homework assignments

Teachers can give feedback and post grades

Limitations of Edmodo

Not all students have access to computers and internet at home. While there are certainly ways to provide students with time online such as before or after school, this still presents a serious limitation.

Ideally, Edmodo allows students to engage in additional learning opportunities outside of the classroom by allowing students to connect with one another online. However, if students lack a computer or internet, this may not be possible.

Also, if students are working on a collaborative project, they are unable to message one another through Edmodo.

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1. Depending on the type of work/project I form groups of students because I believe they should learn how to listen to each others' opinions and solve problems together. The tasks should be divided and the work should be done by every member of the group. I have seen many groups depending on one element only and the final work wasn't according to the early planned.

2.  To form groups I try always to put together strong students in English  with the ones who are not so good so that they can learn together.

3.  Keeping my students focused and on track during collaborative projects is part of the teacher's job. Permanent feedback is needed and the definition of the tasks to all students is very importante since the beginning.

4.  To assess group work I use grids from school or previously discussed itens that I include for evaluation with the students. It is very important that they know the criteria from the beginning and assess each other's work in the group and at the end, the other groups as well.

5. What are the main challenges for you when it comes to assessing group work?The teacher's job is to give permanent feedback and observe, taking notes every time the group works to gather as much information as possible.

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Module 3 - Using tablets for collaborative learning

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Module 3 - Using tablets for collaborative learning

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Collaborative learning -joint intellectual efforts by students and teachers. Students work in groups of two or more, but it isn't simply group work. Students interact by sharing ideas, resources, knowledge. They gain experience with problema solving, self-criticism, self-reflection and self-evaluation. Negotiating, feddback and arrive at a concensus are very importante phases.

Collaborative learning requires planning and guidance by the teacher. T

Roles of students and teacher

Role of tablets

Organising the process

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Module 2 - Content creation - an example

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Module 2 - Content creation - an example

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This a book trailor: After reading a book students can work together choosing images, recording their voices, selecting songs and writing. I used Movie Maker.

Sorry, it is in Portuguese.

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O Assassino Inglês, de Daniel Silva, a book trailer

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Module 2 -A process of developing innovative "learning scenarios"

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Module 2 -A process of developing innovative "learning scenarios"

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Two years ago the web site I created as a support for my lessons:

https://sites.google.com/site/praticaoportugues/

This first experience was very useful as my students could work together and visualise their work. They weren't allowed to use smart phones or tablets at school which was a rule at school. This was an extra tool after classes.

Last year the blog for a Reading purpose:

http://conquistaaspalavras.blogspot.pt/

They are in Portuguese as at that time I was teaching Portuguese in Switzerland. Sorry!

Two apps : little birdtales for story telling for children and movie maker to a book trailor

Last school year I had a group of 2nd/3rd grade learning Portuguese in Switzerland and after reading a tale they did this project work: drawing, writing sentences and recording their voices. It was a great experience and they were really engaged.

http://littlebirdtales.com/tales/view/story_id/42258

Also with movie maker it is possible to work on a book trailer. It is very easy to work with. Students can work in groups to choose images, the sound, to record voices and write sentences summarizing a chapter/book.

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Module 2 - Using Edmodo- an App for teaching and other resources

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Module 2 - Using Edmodo- an App for teaching and other resources

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Edmodo is very useful to communicate with students and parents. Although I have never tried this tool.

It is possible to create groups, assign homework, give feedback, assess, do classroom polls and quizzes, collaborate with other teachers, it is free and available to smart phones as well.

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Module 1 - Tablets in schools-what I need to know

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Module 1 - Tablets in schools-what I need to know

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According to the experience of CCL project, by Diana Bannister

Whole Schools Issues

1. Challenges for lots of schools are time and money : curriculum, examinations, other activities, school holidays

Need of planning implementation: objectives, activities, access and evaluate

- a team work, involve my colleagues, and not na individual work

- a strategy and a shared plan

- implemente a pilot programme with some teachers and students

2. In the beginning I should  document my evidence and process:

- New ways of teaching & learning

- Student outputs

-Teacher feedback

- Assessment

3.  - 24/7 teacher access

- teacher collaboration with tablets

- defined list of apps ( a step-by-step process)

- sharing best-practice

- School to school collaboration

The greatest challenge for me when using tablets in school is to change the learning environment (flipped learning), to tackle with issues like the virtual communication, eSafety, technical support and to convence Directors, colleagues and parents.

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Module 1 - Activity 1 - Why I want to use tablets in my teaching?

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Module 1 - Activity 1 - Why I want to use tablets in my teaching?

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After watching the videos my task was to think about my own situation and how I would explain to a parent or school leader why I  want to use tablets in my classroom.

After  reflecting  about this what I would like  to achieve with the tablets taking into account the local situation at my school and in my country, the main reasons are:

- improve motivation to learn

- improve students' communicative skills in English as a foreign language

- get students involved and more engaged in their learning process

- bring technologies to classroom as their mobile devices make part of their everyday lives

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Module 1 - Getting started with tablets at school

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Module 1 - Getting started with tablets at school

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2. Why use tablets? The teacher and student perspective

Teachers  of the Creative Classroom Lab project say that

- personalised learning

- apps for content creation and visualisation: the vídeo and photo cameras can be used

- flexible teaching

- more collaboration

- students get feedback

Students of the Creative Classroom Lab project

Why are tablets a good learning resource?

- they are fun

- allow to work ans save things

- develop different skills: strenghten competence in the mother tongue,

visualise foreign sites making reading more enjoyable and learn a foreign language, work in various group projects.

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Module 1 - Getting started with tablets at school

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Module 1 - Getting started with tablets at school

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1. Why use tablets? The research perspective

Reflection about my own reasons why I want to use tablets in my teaching and learning

- learning is more interesting and creative;

-more communication, learners become more independent and can do more creative work in the English lessons;

- we are preparing our students for tomorrow and technologies will be very important in whatever they will do;

- students learn on how to reflect on what they produce because they are more engaged: critical thinking and peer reflecting learning will be useful for lifelong learning as well;

-technology must be simple and reliable and provide access to learning;

-tecnology must be not only a tool for the consumption of information but also a

tool for the creation of learning and information as well.

As a teacher I should think about my own context of the pedagogical use of tablets as a tool .

Also according to researchers there is also evidence that there is a social gap between social strata, between families of diferente economic levels and between individuals of different levels of digital literacy or its absence. These factors lead to extreme opinions regarding the use and potential of technologies.

Digital divide

1:1 means 1 tablet per 1 student

BYOD - bring your own device

Main issues

Access to technologies and content

to use technologies safely and with a purpose and ability to support

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This is in the park

in the centre of the city. It represents a rural worker from the past.

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The school where I am teaching this school year

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The school where I am teaching this school year

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Overcrowded, an old building repairing needed, old furniture, very cold in winter and very hot in summer

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Overcrowded, an old building repairing needed, old furniture, very cold in winter and very hot in summer

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In these conditions teachers try to do their best but urgent investment in school facilities is required.

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This year I have 5th and 7th grade.

At school we have a projector, a computer on the  teacher`s desk and

a wi fi connection.

Students are not  allowed to use mobile devices but they wanted to. We have

neither computers  nor tablets for at least half of the class.

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Tecnologies are part of our life.

Why are school and teachers so reluctant to

integrate them in the learning process?

I think all can profit with the advantages

they can bring, motivation and collaboration, for example.

It is a challenge for me to change my teaching practice.

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I have been teaching in this school from September till the end of the school term.

This course can give the opportunity to start a new project next year depending on the type of school/classes I will have. It can be a one-month project or a longer one.

At this school the majority of the teachers are traditional. The biggest problema here is social and students don't bring rules from home and don't respect the basic rules. They have problems in accepting each other's opinions. Most of my teaching is effectively "training" them.

With technologies their motivation will increase and this could be a good start for them to learn of how to collaborate.

But do all teachers work as a team and collaborate? Sadly sometimes they are not open to new ideas and prefer the Comfort of the tradition.

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I am Rita Seabra from Portugal and I teach English. I have been

teaching for mores than 20 years. This year I am teaching in

the center of Portugal, in Loures, Lisbon.

I am interested in learning how to integrate new tecnologies in

my English classroom.

Date of birth: 15.12.1964

Hobbies: Reading and music.