You Don't Have to Be an Expert, But Know Where to Look - iPad Apps to Help (Part 2)

In this series, I would like to continue sharing some more simple ideas to bring experts into your room without much time or effort.

Skype OR FaceTime 

Engaging our students differently requires looking at different pathways to gauge their interests. For example, you could read about a particular topic or you could find someone to serve as a guest teacher through Skype. Which method will engage the most students?

My students and I are discussing the importance of how entrepreneurs capitalize on simple ideas. Instead of reading about it, I chose to take a different approach. I reached out to 1800 GOT JUNK CEO Brian Scudamore and asked for his help. I wanted him to share his story of how he started all three of his companies. Not only did he tell his story, but he also took Q & A from my kids.

It is amazing how using Skype or FaceTime is much more appealing to experts in the field. It is easier for them to take 30 minutes out of their schedule to talk versus three hours to travel, go through school security, talk, and then travel home.

Conclusion:

I applaud Brian for his willingness to share his experiences from Vancouver, Canada; however, you have experts in your own community who are more than willing to share their experienceq with you. If you are talking about Chinese culture, why not ask the parent who is traveling to China?  If you are discussing English literature, why not ask the college professor down the road? Technology has made it much more effective and efficient to share through media like Skype or FaceTime.

NOVEMBER IS CLICK FOR A CAUSE MONTH!

Join me for Click for a Cause. The nephew of one of my students was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and is at Hershey Medical Center receiving treatment. I was so touched by his story that I wanted to do something. 

For every time someone visits my blog during the month of November, I am going to donate a penny to his medical fund. 

READ MORE ABOUT CLICKS FOR A CAUSE

You Don't Have to Be an Expert, But Know Where to Look - iPad Apps to Help (Part 1)

In the 21st century, it is difficult to be an absolute expert on every single topic in your curriculum. Especially with all of the information that is available at our fingertips. If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that we may not be an expert of everything. Instead we may be the "jack of all trades, but master of none." There is nothing wrong with this.

As we grow in our teaching career, we start to get more comfortable with our curriculum, but as we know in education, what we teach and how we do it often changes.  In this series, I would like to share some simple ideas to bring experts into your room without much time or effort.

iTunes U App

Several months ago, I was teaching a rather difficult unit to my Honors Business Management students. Since I am not a CEO of a Fortune 500 Company or a management guru, I decided to turn my attention to iTunes U. If you are not familiar with this section of iTunes, it is an unbelievable resource of lectures and materials from colleges and universities around the globe. I found a lecture by a college professor from Arizona State University, who taught an unbelievable lesson.

I used this as a teaching resource to help students learn a particular topic. It wasn't a substitute for my instruction, but it was a great way to enhance the topic, where I was weak.

Khan Academy App

Around the same time that I discovered a use for iTunes U, I was getting ready to take my GRE test (again!). It had been almost ten years since I originally took the test and I needed a refresher on basic algebra, geometry, and trigonometry. I turned to the ever-famous Khan Academy and was blown away by the number of free videos available on various Math, Science, and even Personal Finance topics!

This is a great supplemental resource that you could use for your students. Many of our students could benefit from hearing a topic discussed in another way. It could also help students need help on their homework, but don't have anyone able to help them. This is a great resource that many schools are already using! Some teachers are requiring their students to download the App onto their Smart Device. I love it!

Conclusion: 

In the 21st century, you don't have to be an expert. Instead, you just need to know where to look. What other video resources do you use? I would love to hear about them! Send me an email telling me about some of you favorites! Join me next time for another addition to the series "You Don't Have to Be an Expert, But Know Where to Look."

NOVEMBER IS CLICK FOR A CAUSE MONTH!

Join me for Click for a Cause. The nephew of one of my students was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and is at Hershey Medical Center receiving treatment. I was so touched by his story that I wanted to do something. 

For every time someone visits my blog during the month of November, I am going to donate a penny to his medical fund. Although it is not much, several other people have agreed to match this amount. Please help by just visiting my blog or learning more about how you can help. Although it is a little, every click means a lot. 

READ MORE ABOUT CLICKS FOR A CAUSE

Don't Be a One and Done: Reading Books + AudioBoo + QR Code Reader = Motivated Students (Part 3)

As we continue our series on "Don't Be a One and Done," I wanted to share with you a creative idea I learned about several months ago. It takes a different angle to iPad use and involves Books, AudioBoo, and QR Codes.

Getting kids to read is a difficult task in its own sense; however, a librarian wanted to motivate her students to read in an engaging and high-tech way. When students read a book, they were given the chance to create a book review using AudioBoo and QR Codes. 

Step 1: Create Your Review Using AudioBoo

After students were finished reading their book, they were asked to create a script for a book review. When they were finished with the script, they were asked to read the script and record it using the free AudioBoo App. Not familiar with this App? It is a free podcasting application available on the iTunes store. Record your own audio or listen to thousands of recordings from users worldwide! Students generated 3 minute trailers, summarizing the book and providing a brief review of their opinions.

Step 2: Generate a QR Code 

After students were finished with their recording, they took the URL to the recording and generated a QR code. This QR Code was printed out and placed on a poster in the library. Some were placed on the actual book itself. It was a great way of advertising and promoting reading throughout the library and school.

Step 3: Use QR Reader to Hear Reviews

As students looked for new books to read, they would use a QR Reader to listen to the book reviews recorded by their classmates. This quick and high-tech way of combining audio and QR codes was a simple way of motivating students. It changed the culture of the school and created a new excitement towards reading. How would you use QR Codes and AudioBoo?

NOVEMBER IS CLICK FOR A CAUSE MONTH!

Join me for Click for a Cause. The nephew of one of my students was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and is at Hershey Medical Center receiving treatment. I was so touched by his story that I wanted to do something. 

For every time someone visits my blog during the month of November, I am going to donate a penny to his medical fund. Although it is not much, several other people have agreed to match this amount. Please help by just visiting my blog or learning more about how you can help. Although it is a little, every click means a lot. 

READ MORE ABOUT CLICKS FOR A CAUSE

Don't Be a One and Done: Socrative + Edmodo = Dynamic Conversation (Part 2)

NOVEMBER IS CLICK FOR A CAUSE MONTH!

Join me for Click for a Cause. The nephew of one of my students was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and is at Hershey Medical Center receiving treatment. I was so touched by his story that I wanted to do something. 

For every time someone visits my blog during the month of November, I am going to donate a penny to his medical fund. Although it is not much, several other people have agreed to match this amount. Please help by just visiting my blog or learning more about how you can help. Although it is a little, every click means a lot. 

READ MORE ABOUT CLICKS FOR A CAUSE

As part of my Don't Be a One and Done series, I want to republish a post that I made last year! Here it is:

A few weeks ago, I had talked with @linlin8  (who by the way is an amazing teacher and blogger!) on Twitter. She gave me the idea of using an App called Socrative for my classes. It gives teachers the opportunity to poll and quiz students in real time, simply by having them use a computer, iPad, or mobile device. Teachers set up a unique classroom, where they can get a variety of responses from students. I like the fact that you can either prepare questions in advance or use it on the fly. The best part is that you can have the program send feedback, responses, etc. to your inbox! I finally got to use it today and I used the short answer feature, which I will explain below; however, you can use the multiple choice, true / false, and even design quizzes.

My students just finished a reading assignment from yesterday, where they completed a graphic organizer to keep track of significant sentences and phrases from the text. As students came into my classroom today, I had them bring their graphic organizers and divide into discussion groups. Each discussion group was assigned an iPad, where they documented their conversations and favorite quotes on the Edmodo App.

As groups finished writing their responses on Edmodo, I had each group read the recorded responses of other groups. As students were finishing, I had them use the Socrative App to "vote" for the best quote and provide a reason why, which they recorded as a short answer question in the App. This provided a way of stimulating conversation among the class and enhancing learning!

We did this for several rounds and had each person take turns using the iPads (since we only have 10 in my room). It was a unique way of not being a "one and done" aka only using 1 app and then let the iPads gather dust.

Don't Be a One and Done: iBrainstorm + Edmodo = Meaningful Action and Expression (Part 1)

Are you a “One and Done” type of teacher? Do you find yourself using one App per lesson, when your students are thirsting for more! Many of us implement iPads this way; however there are creatively simple ways to use multiple apps in a lesson. What if we were to create opportunities for students to analyze, understand, apply, evaluate, collaborate, and create meaningful learning experiences in one class period? Over the next few posts, I would like to share with you some iPad recipes to reach all students. 

Beginning of Class

As my students came into class the other day, I had them grab an iPad and a partner. I posted a question to the class and had students use iBrainstorm, a free brainstorming app, to brainstorm a list of 2 - 3 they knew about a particular topic. Students used iBrainstorm to create a board filled with electronic post-it notes.

Mill and Fill

As students finished the assignment, I had them "mill" around the room and find other groups who had different answers. Their job was to "fill" their board with 8 total answers from different groups in the room. When students were finished, they returned to their seats and we discussed their answers.

Edmodo to the Rescue! 

After we had finished our discussion, I shared an article / slideshow with students in my class. Each student was to research a particular section of the article and report their findings on the Edmodo App on their iPad. Students created a "Cliffnotes" summary of their section (in about 2 - 3 sentences). As students finished, we discussed their answers as a class. 

The Perfect Ending

When students were finished, they used iBrainstorm to compile a list of information to answer the essential question of the day. Many shared what they had learned from their classmates. Others shared what they had learned from their research. Others shared what they learned from the classroom discussion. 

They took a picture on their iPad and posted it to Edmodo for their entire class to see! How long and what did this lesson take?  40 minutes, 2 free apps, and a fun discussion! 

NOVEMBER IS CLICK FOR A CAUSE MONTH!

3 year-old Ayden is your typical energetic little boy, who loves Spiderman, Power Rangers, and trains. He was recently diagnosed with Neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer that commonly forms in infants and young children. 

Each time that you visit my blog during the month of November, I will make a donation to Prayers for Ayden of one cent per click. 

READ MORE ABOUT CLICKS FOR A CAUSE

Web Tools to Help You Manage Your Classroom: #Edmodo is More Than a Social Tool (Part 2)

Many of us are using Edmodo to make a social learning environment, a paperless classroom, or a creative way to assess students. Did you know that Edmodo is more than a social tool? It can help our students stay organized in a variety of ways. Here are a few tools to help your students: 

Planner Tool:

We may require our students to write down assignments in an agenda book, but it often gets misplaced, left in a locker, or is left blank. How can we hold our students accountable for assignments without pulling our hair out? 

Students can use the Edmodo Planner to access a weekly or monthly calendar of assignments that are due. Students can check out all of their classes at once or use a filter to focus on a specific class. This is very helpful for your forgetful students because it can help them stay organized, access class materials, and parents can access this calendar with a parent login. 

Alert Features: 

Every student in your classroom has a computer in their pocket, why not have them use it? Students can use the Alert Features to receive emails or text message updates when assignments are posted and due. 

Some of most unmotivated students are motivated by this simple feature. They think it is pretty cool and this makes it a great tool to use! 

Notes Feature: 

I use the Notes feature in Edmodo as an alternative to a chalkboard when I communicate class instructions, the essential question for the day, or just want to share resources. I do this because students may not be in class that day or they may have forgotten to copy the information down. 

Plus it is easy to do and keeps me organized! I simply put the information on Edmodo and turn on my projector. The best part is that students can access the information from their laptop or mobile device outside of class.

My students often reply to the instructions with questions, which can be answered by myself or another member of a class. This has really cut down on the repeating that I have had to do in class! In a way, it has become a simple way to answer FAQ's. 

Web Tools to Help You Manage Your Classroom: Google Forms and Performance Reviews? (Part 1)

I cannot believe that is is almost the end of October already. Many of us have already gathered our bearings and have set ourselves up in a routine. We are starting to see that the "honeymoon" period is over and now our kids are really starting to show their real personalities. How can we use technology to keep ourselves and our students on track? Over the next few posts, I would like to explore a few web tools to help you out. 

Google Forms = Performance Reviews

Having students think about their performance is key to improving their behavior. At my school, we not only issue a quarterly grade, but a quarterly effort and conduct grade. It's a great idea, but I noticed that it wasn't helping the students in my classroom increase their performance. 

The major problem was me!  In the past, my students have received a grade on their report card, but we haven't had much of a discussion about why they received the grade. To counter this, I created a rubric. It was effective, but I found that it really didn't do much to change student behavior.

I decided to take this idea a step further by creating a "performance review" in a Google Form. With the emphasis that the Common Core places on preparing students for careers, I have decided that I need to do the same. I decided to change the way that I give "effort and conduct" grades and have performance reviews with my students each quarter. Why? I want to help my students grow academically and professionally. With quarter one down, here is what I have done:

1. Create a Google Form

I created a Google Form with three basic questions for students to answer:

• What have I done well this quarter? 
• What have I NOT done well this quarter? 
• How will I improve? 

You could very easily have students fill this out at the beginning of class, for homework, or on their mobile device. I usually have students take the survey 2 weeks before the end of the quarter, so that I have enough time to meet with a few students a day. 

2. Compile the Data

I love how Google automatically provides a time stamped spreadsheet of answers. You can very easily filter out information by grade, by name, etc. It makes it much easier to filter through! 

3. The Meeting

I meet with my students for 1 - 2 minutes and discuss the information that they provided on the form. I allow them to justify what they did well, didn't do well, and what they need to improve. It has been very interesting to see their thought process and honesty. I give them my feedback and suggestions on how to improve. 

You may be asking, how do I do this? I meet with a few students a day, while they are completing assignments or in between classes. It is well worth the investment. 

Are you interested in learning more? 

I will be giving a SimpleK12 Webinar titled "Manage Your Classroom and Your Students with 21st Century Web Tools" on Thursday, October 24, 2013 at 4 pm EST! Check out SimpleK12 for more information!