EDIM 515: BYOD Portfolio

[melissahallman]

Mobile Device Videos

·Video 1: iBooksamr for the SAMR SLAMR

·Video 2: A snapshot of learning innovation

·Video 3: Bring your own device in Charles County Public Schools

Students will retain more information when they take ownership of their own learning. Mobile devices and the use of technology in the classroom can help students reach a high level of achievement. The SAMR model is a way to evaluate the use of technology in lessons.  The four levels are (s)ubstitution, (a)ugmentation, (m)odification, and (r )edefinition.   All of the videos I chose focus on the highest level of the SAMR model.  At the redefinition level, students synthesize content and create a product that could not be done without the use of technology.

The first video shows how a teacher uses iBooks in his classroom.  He creates his own books for the students to view on their iPads.  With iBooks, students can highlight text, add comments/notes, interact, view embedded videos, and take quizzes.  Additionally, students can create their own iBooks to demonstrate their knowledge of a topic. These books could be shared with not only their peers, but posted on the web for a broader audience (like their parents and other teachers!)

The second video displays different age level students using tablets to create, blog, build, and communicate.  While watching, notice the students illustrating the use of all 21st century skills. I acquired some great ideas of how use mobile devices in my classroom; for example using Minecraft to build a museum, blogging with other cultures, using QR codes to link to videos, augmented reality, and so many more! This video does go quick so I found myself watching it a few times to capture all of the ideas presented in the video.

Finally, the third video is example of policies and how Charles County Public schools implement BYOD into their school district.  Students and teachers are interviewed about the engagement of technology and how the different devices are used in school.  In addition, this video recites why it is important for students to use devices to be college and career ready.

All three of these videos exhibit high levels of technology integration to engage students and prepare them for the future.

[melissahallman]

Special Education App/Tool

Technology can assist students with disabilities to achieve success in school.  There are many apps and web tools that students can install on their tablets, laptops, computers, and mobile devices to help them accomplish academic tasks.  For example, a student who struggle with literacy development can use a program that will read content to them.  “Researchers have found that struggling adolescent readers tend to be easily frustrated by reading assignments and extremely disengaged from their schoolwork,” notes Rafeal Heller.  Lower level readers are likely to have trouble with one or more elements of literacy, which include phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.

Last year, one of my students used the Chrome extension called Speakit.  This app installs right into the Chrome browser and when text is highlighted, it will read the selected text.  A student can even change the settings to read in 12 different languages!  Students can improve their literacy development by listening to text being read to them.  With this app, they can now recognize words that they may not have known, comprehend the reading better, and help with fluency.  Also, if a student is using headphones to listen to what they are reading, this too could minimize distractions and motivate them to concentrate on their assignments.  Click here for the Chrome extension.

In my opinion, Speakit made it much easier for a struggling reader to be able to get a lot out of what they were reading.  Difficulty with reading can contribute to academic failure so teachers need to give resources to their students to be successful. “Educators are using computers as tools […] to provide environments that accommodate learning, and to ensure enhanced and equitable learning environments to all students” (Behrmann, 1998). Assisted technology can help students will disabilities achieve their goals.

Sources:

Behrmann, Michael. (May 1, 2998). Assistive Technology for Young Children in Special Education: It Makes a Difference. Edutopia. Accessed on October 16, 2016 from http://www.edutopia.org/assistive-technology-young-children-special-education 

 Heller, Rafael Ph.D. (n.d). Give Struggling Readers the Specific Kinds of Support They Need. All About Adolescent Literacy. Accessed on 10/14/16 from http://www.adlit.org/adlit_101/improving_literacy_instruction_in_your_school/give_struggling_readers_specific_support/

[melissahallman]

Evaluation Guide

Before a teacher actually uses an app or a web tool, they must first evaluate how it can be used in the classroom.  Teachers can use rubrics or checklists to review the app based on certain criteria.  I’ve analyzed many apps and web tools to use in my classroom and some of the aspects I found to be important are cost, ease of use, lack of ads (or at least ones that are acceptable), how content can be exported from the app or saved via the cloud, and promotes higher order thinking and creativity.  I found that a checklist was more applicable for evaluating the apps.

I really liked the evaluation guide by Kathy Schrock for creation apps.  The guide is in a checklist form, which was much easier to use than a rubric.  The app is analyzed quickly on whether it has the criteria or doesn’t.  The critical evaluation guide assesses the tool on varies uses including screencasting, importing and exporting, recording audio and video, collaboration, and ease of use.  Many items on the list are the items I look for when investigating an app or web tool. I also like that the guide has the Bloom’s Taxonomy and SAMR models for you to check off.  When reviewing my evaluations, I can easily see which apps or web tools allow for higher order thinking skills as well as the appropriate level of technology integration. Click here for the guide I used.

[melissahallman]

App/Tool Evaluation

Click the link here to read my evaluation on PhotoGrid. 

Download the app here: (iTunes / Android)

[melissahallman]

Bloom’s Idea

Teachers use Bloom’s Taxonomy to evaluate students’ level of comprehension based on a measurable outcome. The original Taxonomy included 6 levels of expertise ranging from lower order thinking skills to higher order thinking skills.  In 2007, Anderson revised these 6 steps and Andrew Churches took the revised 6 steps of Bloom’s and added technologies to evaluate learning when he created Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy.

One of the levels that Churches developed was “Creating.”  This is the highest level of comprehension that a student can be assessed on.  One of my favorite lessons required students to create a newscast of a historical event.   We used iMovie, but there are many apps that can record and edit videos.  The students needed to research an event and write a script. The script was written as if the event was breaking news.  The newscasters had to report their understanding of the event including where it took place, who was involved, what occurred, and how it affected the people around them.  When I graded the assignments, I also looked at the production of the video. The students had to combine all of these essentials together to create a comprehensive and creative production. My students enjoyed picking their event, choosing their role (newscaster/director/video recorder), and performing their duties to create a quality newscast.  After reflecting on the lesson and reviewing the newscasts, I could tell that my students used higher order thinking skills to demonstrate their knowledge.

Source: Bloom’s Digital Taxonomy

[melissahallman]

Ideas for the use of VR in the Classroom

How awesome is virtual reality?  Students can view places, monuments, natural wonders, etc. in 3D and obtain a hands-on experience of the world while still in a classroom.  

I’ve used virtual field trips in my classroom.  When working with our 6th grade social studies teacher, I found a great website for students to view caves from over 350,000 years ago. The students can see a 3D view of the cave drawings from ancient times.  This was an excellent way for students to witness cave art first-hand.  It is one thing to read about the communication through drawings or to view pictures of the stories, but it’s another to experience it with a virtual field trip.  Here’s the website I used: http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/?lng=en#/en/00.xml.  (You may have to translate it to English).  

I really enjoyed using the Google Street View app on my phone to take spherical pictures of my surroundings.  I took a spherical picture of the park where we walk our dog and also used it to take a 360 degree view of the pumpkin patch we visited!  Students could use the Google Street View app to capture spherical pictures of places they visit and create a digital story of their adventures. Our world language students have a chance to visit Spain, Costa Rica, Germany, and China. How awesome would it be to ‘experience’ a 360 degree view of their journeys through other countries?  The students would also have 3D memories to share and keep.

Virtual reality in the classroom gives students experiences they might not receive in real life.  The use of this technology can make learning more exciting. Furthermore, students retain more information when they are excited about a topic and experience it first-hand. I’m eager to hear how other teachers are using virtual reality to take learning to the next step.

Check out my spherical picture here:  Round.me  &  Flickr

[melissahallman]

This I Believe: Texting

https://spark.adobe.com/video/0YJslEwQqpmPE

[melissahallman]

Creation Reflection

To create my “ideas for mobile devices in the classroom” video, I first started with the app Canva to create my slides.  Then I uploaded my images into Dropbox to transfer them to my computer.  Lastly, I uploaded the images onto the Sharalike website to create my video.

Canva is a creation app that allows you to add images, text, and backgrounds to create a presentation, poster/flyer, facebook/twitter post, infographic, or photo collage.  I used this app on my iPad. Canva has many backgrounds and text layouts for you to choose from to insert into your creation. On the iPad, it was easy to import my pictures, backgrounds and texts to make my slides come alive!  My students would really enjoy using Canva in the classroom to make their projects look more professional and bright.  After finishing with my Canva creation, I downloaded the images right into Dropbox.

I was happy to see that Dropbox was an option to export the images into from Canva.  Since I have Dropbox installed on my computer, it smoothly transferred the images from Canva to my computer.  Dropbox is an excellent cloud-based program that allows you to save and edit files in real time and easily transfer the files to and from all kinds of devices.

After the image files were on my computer, I created an account with Sharalike.com. Sharalike makes it easy to upload images and create a slideshow.  I could edit the transitions of my slides and the music. It is a simple website that didn’t take any time to create a nice slideshow.  If someone is looking for more options (like timing or recording), Sharalike wouldn’t be as beneficial.  However, students could use this website as a picture portfolio that wouldn’t take a lot of time to make.  Sometimes simple is better, especially with elementary students.

[melissahallman]

Ideas I have for the use of mobile devices in my classroom

Check out my video of ideas here: https://sharalike.com/s/pD5H

[melissahallman]

Process Video

Watch how to make a Pancake!

https://api.movenote.com/v/FLXn92gy-9x

[melissahallman]

Assessment Reflection

Teachers can increase participation and obtain feedback from every student by using polling tools in the classroom.  Polls can be used in a number of different ways to achieve this goal.  Some I’ve used for immediate feedback – like Poll Everywhere or Survey Monkey, some I’ve used for review games – like Kahoot or Nearpod, and some I’ve used for feedback or quizzes – like Google Forms, Socrative, or Poll Daddy.   Several polling websites and apps ask for a login (or at least can be set to require a login), so the teacher can see the individual feedback from students, while others are just a quick poll without a required account. Both of these have their benefits.  

Survey Monkey was pretty easy to set up.  When I set up my photo journal poll, I made a multiple choice question, a multiple answer question, and a text entry.  I uploaded images and added links with ease.  However, I was looking for Survey Monkey to “grade” the answers.  There are other polling options that will score the results (for example, Socrative).  Survey Monkey simply organized the responses for me.  When analyzing results of a poll, a user can view the individual questions or the entire survey results easily.  Also, most polling tools allow the user to view each respondent’s answers to each question.  

Students’ participation increases because everyone responds.  If a teacher would ask each student individually about a topic, it may be time consuming. With polls, a teacher can quickly ask a question and get immediate feedback from all of the students.  Additionally, by using a polling tool, students will be able to voice their opinion without peer pressure or being persuaded by peers since no one sees the individual results except for the teacher. If the goal of the teacher is to engage students and encourage participation, he/she may want to try using a polling tool.  

[melissahallman]

Embedding Multimedia

“Learning is messy.” I heard this quite a few times while integrating technology and multimedia into my classroom. Why is it messy? Students get to explore, create, and publish their works using a variety of different apps, devices, and websites. I guess it can get “messy” when everyone is doing something different. But that’s okay!

The use of technology and multimedia to demonstrate what the student has learned is a great way to assess higher order thinking and engage students. For example, students can film a movie using for their phones, iPad or video camera showing their understanding of a topic. A movie involves tons of planning like writing a script, researching the topic, using props, practicing lines, and sharing with classmates or publishing online.  Any opportunity for students to use multimedia to collaborate, communicate, and create should be encouraged in the classroom. 

Some examples that I have used in my classroom are: Using Google Forms to create a survey and analyzing results by creating a Infographic using Piktochart; Researching a famous explorer and creating an iMovie about his life at seas and what he discovered; Constructing a temple for a Greek god or goddess using a Mindcraft app; Interacting with a virtual presentation of a favorite book using Aurasma. 

There are so many ways for teachers to make “learning messy” by integrating multimedia into the lessons.  If students are engaged in the lesson and what they are creating, they take control of their own learning.

[melissahallman]

Pictures on the Fly Survey

After viewing my previous post of my nature photos, please take my survey! :)

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/63PY68Y

[melissahallman]

Pictures on the Fly!

Check out my photos on Flickr.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wilkesclasses/29548393960/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wilkesclasses/29805584096/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/wilkesclasses/29805557036/

[melissahallman]

Mobile Links via Twitter

https://twitter.com/HallmanQCSD/status/777324581640175616

https://twitter.com/HallmanQCSD/status/777328049545220096

https://twitter.com/HallmanQCSD/status/777332842447704064

https://twitter.com/HallmanQCSD/status/777334338350379010

https://twitter.com/HallmanQCSD/status/777342732998209536

[melissahallman]

This I Believe: Classroom Practices

[melissahallman]

Successful Practices for Mobile Learning Reflection

              After reading through some of the tips and best practices for mobile implementations, I found myself agreeing with a lot of them or thinking that I remember teaching these best practices to both the teachers and the students. Some of the important concepts of a mobile device initiative are student engagement, digital literacy, and development of 21st century skills. The West Hardford Public Schools website has a great “digital social contract” for students to follow, as well as a great acronym to show “PRIDE” when working with the devices.  

               I was lucky enough to help start the 1:1 iPad initiative at St. Thomas More school a few years ago.  As an iPad committee, we did a ton of research on best practices to roll out devices to teachers and students and implement them into the classroom.  As a faculty, we found a vision: To use iPads as a catalyst to transform the teaching and learning environment.  The instructional coaches (including myself) started out with professional development for the teachers on basics of the iPads and apps provided.  We also gave trainings on how to engage students, encourage critical thinking, ways to communicate, and how to manage the new learning environment. One of the many tips we emphasized to the teachers was to create a list of acceptable behaviors for the students to follow when using the iPads in the classroom (Tucker, 2015). Then we taught lessons to the students on the best ways to handle the devices and digital literacy.  For example, asking the students to “flip their screens” or “screens down” was a cue for the students to focus on the teacher and that iPads were not to be used at that time.  Additionally, every student was expected to sign an acceptable use policy.  We started with a cart based updating system and quickly switched to a remote system over WiFi when adding apps or updating to the newest iOS.

               Another great practice is choosing a school wide or district wide Learning Management system.  At St. Thomas we implemented Schoology for grades 4-8 and at Quakertown (where I’m at now), the whole district connects via Canvas.  A LMS allows users to collaborate, assess, discuss, share, and plan.  It’s important to choose a LMS that is dynamic enough to work on all of the devices students are using (cell phones, iPads, laptops, tablets, etc).  Mobile Learning gives “students a better opportunity to share, connect, and seek out information” (Marcinek, 2015).   Since many assignments, projects, and tests can be submitted via a Learning Management system, students automatically have a digital portfolio for them to keep.

               This class has introduced me to Feedly, although I’ve used other RSS feeds before, I was unfamiliar with this website.  I found it to be so easy to add the tumblr pages of my classmates to aggregate to one RSS feed.  I created a “collection” of EDIM 515 classmates to view everyone’s course portfolios.  I enjoy reading posts and watching the videos of my classmates to further my education and understanding of the subjects we are learning in the class.  Using an RSS feed to view digital portfolios is genius! A teacher can grab all the URL’s from his/her students and follow along with their posts throughout the year. These posts could be on tumblr, twitter, instagram, etc.  Creating a digital portfolio allows the students to pick what assignments they are proud of and want to share.

Sources:

Marcinek, A. (October 21, 2015). 5 Steps for Emplementing a Successful 1:1 Environment. Edutopia. Web. Retrieved September 13, 2016 from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/one-to-one-environment-andrew-marcinek

Tucker, C. (May 2015). Five Tips for Managing Mobile Devices. Educational Leadership. Web. Retrieved September 14, 2016 from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/may15/vol72/num08/Five-Tips-for-Managing-Mobile-Devices.aspx

West Hardford Public Schools. (n.d.). BYOD: Classroom Management. Web. Retrieved 9/13/2016 from https://sites.google.com/a/whps.org/byod/ideas-for-the-classroom