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After some technical difficulties  last night, I have rewritten my lesson plan which today was saved and shared without any problems . . .  Yeh!!  [But I have to confess, this time I used a PC and not an iPad :( ]

My lesson is for a class of 11-12 year olds who are learning French. They are asked to make an iMovie of their town in French for their pen-pals. If any of you teach foreign languages, please have a look and let me know what you think.  THANK YOU!

http://v.gd/y6LMGu

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Module 4.5  Flipping the Classroom with Tablets - the challenges involved

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Module 4.5  Flipping the Classroom with Tablets - the challenges involved

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I would never consider making a video of myself explaining a task or concept to pupils, but Monica's fantastic video somehow makes it all seem less scary and more manageable.

But before I embark on any experimentation with flipping the classroom, however small, I need to select a way of sharing my resources. Do I try Edmodo? Or perhaps Showbie?

I need to read more about other teachers' experiences and learn from them. Realistically, I need a simple platform which can be accessed from computers, smartphones and tablets, and which will allow me to post work and the pupils to submit it. Ideally, this platform should be secure and free!

I also need to experiment with different tasks and with different pupils. It won't suit everyone all the time, but it seems well worth a go, and adds yet another dimension to the possible benefits of integrating tablets into the classroom.

On a personal level, when I started this MOOC, I was not at all used to watching online video clips, yet I now take them for granted. I had never heard of Padlet, but already I find it pretty straightforward to use. Perhaps it will not be as hard to change my pupils' expectations and behaviour as I first thought . . .

Thanks to TIm Boileau for sharing the following useful lists of Apps for flipping your classroom:

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Top 20 ipad apps to flip your classroom in #tabletscourse | Listly List | aect

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My Learning Diary is made with my favorite #flipclass tool GlogsterEDU http://dumacornellucian.edu.glogster.com/duma-cornel-lucian-creative-use-of-tablets-mooc-by-eun/ | GoClass for iPad, Educreations Interactive Whiteboard for iPad, Aurasma for iPad, Showbie - Paperless Classroom, and Knowmia Teach for iPad | aect

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I was aware of this concept already but have never met a teacher who has tried it seriously, so it is fascinating to read of the experiences of other MOOC participants.

I would be keen to try flipping my classroom with my groups, but perhaps initially just for one lesson per group to see how they respond and and allow me to gauge the benefits in lessons. As a languages teacher, it would be very useful for pupils to watch videos or read texts prior to lessons, to allow better use of the time available to exploit the resources fully and support those who struggle with the foreign language.

However, the amount of preparation required is intimidating and as many other teachers have pointed out, my pupils lead busy lives, so I could not expect them to spend any more time on homework than is spent already. Instead, it would be a case of adapting what they are expected to do at home, providing input rather than awaiting output.

The video from ctl.utexas.edu below sums up the flipped classroom clearly.

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

For more information see: facultyinnovate.utexas.edu/instructional-strategies/flipped-classroom

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Module 4.2  Tablets and Personalising Learning

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Module 4.2  Tablets and Personalising Learning

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I am just beginning to use tablets with my pupils, but am already seeing the positive impact of their use in the classroom.

Last week pupils were asked to work in groups of 3 or 4 to produce an iMovie trailer. I wanted to see how well they could collaborate and to assess their skill level prior to asking them to produce an iMovie in French for their pen-pals.

Within under 20 minutes, the groups were presenting very different movie trailers to the rest of the class. They loved the independence the task gave them, the element of choice, the possibility of selecting their own theme, taking photos and video clips and generally being far more creative in a far shorter time than I would ever have thought possible.

So one App can allow learners to personalise their learning experience, and share their output with their peers, who were keen to give positive feedback, boosting the confidence of usually less engaged pupils.

As a variation on this theme, when I complete the next topic, I intend to give pupils a choice of output to demonstrate their knowledge, adding a degree of personalisation to the activity. It will be up to them to create a book, avatar or movie - I am convinced that 11 year olds are way ahead of me in their ability to use iPads, and I am sure that they are ready and willing to explore the options available and teach me how to provide them with the learning experiences that they need to make good progress in the way that suits them best as individual learners.

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Module 4.1  My students' learning styles

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Module 4.1  My students' learning styles

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I think that personalised learning is an ideal to aspire to, but hard to achieve in the classroom. I hope that iPads will in future allow me to cater better for the individual needs of my pupils, but in the meantime I try to ensure that all my lessons have elements which cater to the needs of visual, auditory and kinaesthetic leathers.

As a language teacher, I explicitly discuss learning styles with my pupils at the start of the school year, with particular reference to vocabulary learning. Pupils record lists, make quizlets, sing songs, make mind maps, teach each other, revise with Kahoot, play pictionary with mini whiteboards, some listen to music when revising, one works best when standing at his desk . . .

I hope that by offering a range of teaching techniques in my lessons, I will be able to meet at least in part the individual needs of my pupils.

The next step is truly personalised learning, and that seems a quite a challenge with groups of over 20 pupils, but I guess it could be created gradually as Katya suggested, with a focus on giving pupils a choice of output creation which allows for a degree of personalisation, for example.

I liked the image below from OnlineCollege.org and it might help pupils identify their own preferred learning style.

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Module 3.5  Apps for Collaborative Learning

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Module 3.5  Apps for Collaborative Learning

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Wow, I've just been looking through everyone's suggestions on Twitter and wish I had enough time to explore them all!

I've used Google Drive, Pinterest, Scoop it!, Padlet, Thinglink, Tellagami, Voki, Wikispaces, Dropbox, iMovie, kahoot, I-Nigma, Todays Meet, Quizlet, Sock Puppets, Strip Design, Puppet Edu, PicCollage, Animoto and Plickers.

I would like to explore Edmodo, Teamup, Popplet, Socrative, Prezi, Book Creator and Glogster for starters . . .

My pupils finished their first iMovie trailers today.  They were far more creative than I expected - would you have thought of presenting your town in the format of a horror film?!  Have a look . . . if you dare!

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I have never formally assessed group work and the concept is totally new to me. When groups of pupils prepare an oral presentation with a PowerPoint, for example, I expect all to present a part of their work so that I can grade it and their peers can assess and give feedback on their performance.

I will give verbal praise or suggestions to a group regarding how well they have worked together, but I am not sure that I am ready to formalise this in my teaching.

However, I would like to adopt the suggestion from Heini P, Finland to encourage pupil self-reflection, through the use of the following question:

How willing do you think the other members of your team would be to work with you again and why?

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Module 3.3  Success factors for School to School Collaboration

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Module 3.3  Success factors for School to School Collaboration

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I have never been involved in eTwining, although it does sound really worthwhile, but as a Modern Languages teacher, I have been involved in many links with schools abroad. I have run a trip to Normandy in France for 14 years and I feel its huge success is down to the close links we have built up with a French teacher in the town. If the teachers are passionate about a project, they will overcome any challenges and ensure its success.

On our recent Erasmus + project, the teachers worked late each night to plan and create fun activities and learning opportunities for our pupils, and we learned from each other and overcame technical problems sharing ideas and experiences.

Enthusiasm and a willingness to learn are critical when trying to introduce iPads in the classroom, but the rewards are immense, and the possibilities endless.

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Module 3.2 Challenges of Collaborative Work

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Module 3.2 Challenges of Collaborative Work

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I was recently involved in an Erasmus + project! and we spent a fantastic week at the Erasmus Gymnasium in Amberg, Bavaria, with pupils and teachers from Italy, Belgium, Finland, Germany and Scotland. The pupils involved were keen to explore the use of iPads, and this allowed us to witness some very successful collaboration, both between pupils and staff.

Highlights included a European themed Kahoot quiz made from questions from pupils from each country, and a QR code treasure hunt around Amberg, where teams of mixed nationalities raced round the town to find the answers to clues and solve the anagram. The first team to finish won a prize.

Pupils were motivated by the use of the iPads, by the competitive nature of the quiz and the treasure hunt, by the fact it was a race, and by the promise of edible prizes. By the end of both activities, the pupils were firm friends and there were tears when we returned to Scotland after our week's stay.

And the challenge? To acquire more tablets . . . To get wifi throughout the school . . . To further develop and formalise our tablet trial . . . To establish a school wide tablet strategy . . . To get school management, staff and parents on board . . . To develop a user agreement in conjunction with pupils . . . To sustain the amazing enthusiasm generated in Amberg in the classroom!!

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Module 3.1  Forming Groups for Group Work

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Module 3.1  Forming Groups for Group Work

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My pupils often work in pairs or small groups to complete a task together, but they do not regularly work collaboratively in the full sense of the word. I tend to allow them to select their group members, as I feel they interact better when they feel comfortable within their group. However, I also recognise that they would benefit from being challenged to work with others.

I regularly change the layout of my classroom, as I feel pupils behave differently when desks are in pairs, groups, lines, a horseshoe etc. Boys and girls tend to choose to work in single sex groups but all the research points to the advantages of working in mixed groups to harness the strengths of each sex. If I create mixed groups, they tend to work well, but I feel that groups larger than four are hard to manage and lead to some pupils doing all the work while others take it easy.

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One of my favourite Apps is Tellagami. A Gami is an avatar which you can create, place in front of a background of your choice and either record or write text to be spoken. I find it useful as a way of giving instructions to the class, or a way for pupils to present work orally. The Gami gives them a character to hide behind, and because the pupils are not seen, the content can be posted online.

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The possibilities offered by tablets for content creation are the reason that I signed up for this MOOC.

I am keen to develop pupils' and my own creativity and am inspired by the good practice shared by so many participants on this course.

For example, my pupils have pen-pals in France.  Instead of our traditional posted letters, they are in the middle of producing an iMovie about our town to share with the French pupils.  They have taken photos and short videos of themselves, explaining in French what there is in their town.

Although I set up the project, the pupils are now in charge and created funny scenes about 'le fromage' in the supermarket.

The next stage is to create the iMovie - I'm going to step back, let them work in groups and see what they produce!

Below, you can see my pupils making their iMovies in the town of Dollar in Scotland.

Perhaps someone can suggest an easy way I can share their movies with our partner school?

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I have not heard of this concept before but I can see it provides a useful structure to guide teachers.

It seems to formalise the rather instinctive way I teach, but the overall structure flows naturally, and I would be happy to follow these guidelines, even if I would regularly omit some of the stages in a lesson.

Helen Cronin from Ireland gave an example of how she could use the seven stages, which I found clear and practical:

1. Dream: brainstorming and sharing ideas ;

2. Explore: collecting useful information;

3. Map: structuring ideas;

4. Make: creating product;

5. Ask: re-viewing what we have created;

6. Re-make: correcting mistakes;

7 Show: publishing.

Thanks Helen!

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Sock Puppets

Kahoot

Animoto

iMovie

iNigma QR code reader

QR Treasure Hunt Generator

Tellagami

Voki

Padlet

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Some interesting research papers, with mixed findings regarding the impact of tablets in the classroom.

There has not been enough time to assess their long term impact, and I feel that technology is changing so quickly that it will be difficult to measure any positive or negative consequences of tablet use.

However, I feel tablets should be used as another resource or tool which can be used alongside PCs and interactive whiteboards, and add a more creative dimension to pupils' learning.

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I have colleagues who use it, and my own kids use it in some of their subjects, but this is the first time that I have been shown what can be done with it. I love the idea of being able to post materials for pupils who miss a lesson and have assignments online so no one can claim to have forgotten or lost the homework instructions! I also like the fact that there is a time limit for assignments - maybe pupils will actually all get their work submitted on time?!  I think I would definitely use this with my classes, but it would be a great way for staff within a department to collaborate and share resources as well.

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Using edmodo in the classroom isn't rocket science.

Edmodo is essentially an education-focused social media platform. This makes it much less of a headache to use in schools compared to twitter, Google+, or other more popular sites that bring with them various real-world hangnails. You share messages, post documents, and form groups to collaborate.

The presentation below from seyfert6 offers 20 specific ways to get your classroom started, from allowing planning committees to meet digitally, to gathering project-based learning materials or sub plans. If this is not blocked in your district, you may find it useful.
20 Ways To Use Edmodo In The Classroom
1. Student writing projects

2. Role-playing and reenactment

3. Backchannel discussions

4. Language practice

5. Grammar and punctuation

6. Communicate with parents

7. Books clubs

8. Mobile learning

9. Sick days & extended leave

10. Teacher collaboration

11. Planning committees

12. Tutoring and tutor communication

13. Project-based learning

14. Reading critique

15. Co-teaching

16. Substitute teaching hub

17. Science probes

18. RSS feeds

19. School clubs

20. Alumni groups

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Using edmodo in the classroom isn't rocket science. Edmodo is essentially an education-focused social media platform. This makes it much less of a headache to use in schools compared to twitter, Google+, or other more popular sites that bring with them various real-world hangnails. You share messages, post documents, and form groups to collaborate.

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The more I read, the more I would like pupils to have their own personal device, rather than an iPad used by lots of other pupils in the school.

If they have ownership of the device, the freedom to use it when and wherever they like, and the ability to store and go back to their work, it will give them far more freedom to be creative.

A t present, I am limited by the fact that I can book 12 iPads for a class for just one hour.  This allows me to try out useful Apps, but limits my  creative use of tablets.  So much more could be done!

As we are only starting to use iPads, pupils are very excited and I have not seen any who were not on task.  They were warned before each lesson that if they did not engage in the task set, they would have to forfeit the right to use tablets.

But I will try to develop a more formal set of guidelines for tablet use with the pupils' input - a very simple but key suggestion from Diana!  Thank you for your very timely tips!

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Diana's videos made me think more deeply about the many challenges ahead if my school adopts the use of iPads more widely.

*We only have wifi in some areas of the school at present.

*We only have a class set of iPads.

*We have not yet made any decisions about a tablet strategy for the school.

:) But we do have some keen teaching staff who are trialling their use, and pupils who have already used iPads both in school and in our local community as part of an Erasmus + programme.

;)If we take on board Diana's advice and learn from the experiences of other schools, I hope that our journey forward will be successful.

I have already experimented by using an iPad to create a blog for the school website about a trip this Easter with 30 pupils for a homestay to Normandy.  Parents loved seeing pictures and reading about their children while they were away and were reassured by the daily update.  School management also liked it - nice to get a gold star for using iPads!!

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Pupils in Junior 2, Form I and Form II have the opportunity for visit Cleres with the Modern Language Department.

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Module 1.2  Why use tablets? Teachers and Learners

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Module 1.2  Why use tablets? Teachers and Learners

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Although I have used tablets with my pupils only a few times, I have seen how motivating they are in lessons. I want engaged pupils, and tablets enhance my teaching and the pupils' learning. I feel that young people today accept technology as part of their daily lives, and if I don't keep up with them, my teaching will seem increasingly removed from their everyday reality.

As a languages teacher, tablets allow me to take my pupils to a foreign country without leaving the classroom. I would love to develop my pupils' pen-pal contacts and use Skype or Facetime for future communication. Having a camera, video and recording facilities on one portable device opens up so many possibilities for language learning . . . I can't wait to get started!

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It is very useful and informative to have research findings distilled in such an accessible form. This will be useful evidence to present to school management or unconvinced parents.

I was delighted to see evidence that the use of tablets in the classroom encourages creativity, engagement, personalisation and collaboration - exactly those elements which we want to develop in our teaching.

The notion of the Flipped Classroom is intriguing and one which I would like to explore further. I had not thought previously about the potential for using tablets in this way.

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I teach French and Spanish in an independent school in Central Scotland. Our pupils start to learn a foreign language at 9 years of age and most continue until the age of 16. Some may choose to learn a second foreign language and continue their studies in both until they leave school at 17or 18. We teach French, German, Spanish, Mandarin and Italian.

I am fortunate to have 8PCs in my classroom but next year will be working in a new building with wifi where I hope to explore the use of iPads to supplement the PCs. The school has a set of 12 iPads funded through Erasmus which teachers can book to use with their classes. The school management is investigating the possibility of introducing the use of tablets more widely in future.

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I started exploring the use of tablets in the classroom last year, when a course introduced me to some useful Apps for language teaching.

I loved the creative possibilities they offered and this led me to use iPads as part of an Education Scotland moderation project.  Joe Dale inspired me when I attended his Appsmashing course at the Goethe Institut in Glasgow.

This year I am involved in an Erasmus+ project on the use of iPads in the classroom and a colleague from Italy suggested I join this EUN course.

I am excited by the opportunities for international collaboration and hope my pupils will be able to further their own language learning through the use of iPads in my classroom in the future.