My review of research had me looking up ways to use more apps to help personalize students education plans. There are several sites that even divide apps by grade level such as http://the-tutor-house.com/2014/06/free-math-apps-by-grade-level/
I also did some research and practice implementation with QR codes. We implemented this on the overnight field trip we took to DC and saw a high level of engagement. I then took a digital course on using QR codes through a SMART Technology website (smart board based). I have decided that at first it might be easier to modify some scavenger hunts that are already made vs. creating them on my own. This website is an example of a math one. http://www.classtools.net/QR/qr_generator.php?fold=47&fname=ShgPe&diff=0
Friday, August 14, 2015
Ideas for logistics/implementing BL
I have many hazy ideas for my blended learning classroom and
feel eager to start and try some of the ideas out. In the beginning of the
school year (in little bit more than a week, ah!) I plan to start out using
stations from day one. Since I feel most comfortable starting out with a rotation
model of blended learning, I want students to know what is expected of them
when switching stations as well as how they should be working during station
time. I want to collaborate as a class to decide what these norms should be to
have a productive classroom.
Ideally, I wanted to implement three stations to truly have
small group instruction. In the beginning of the year, most classes are at or
exceeding 28 students. With this in mind, starting out using stations, I think
it will be more manageable to have two stations. For setting up my room, I am
thinking of ways to have four distinct table groups (I have lab desks in my
classroom) that way the collaborating groups are still smaller, but there are
only two stations to instruct and have students engaged in and not lost in the
shuffle.
Once we get our computer access, my major “hub” will be
edmodo where students will find their assignments, but then definitely branch
off into drive and potentially Gooru (still researching/trialing out classes
with this software). I am also looking forward into implementing project-based
learning into my classroom and in the future would like that to be a regular
station maybe a week into a new topic.
I am looking forward for students being able to take more
control over their learning but also combat some of our truancy failing
students. If they are out of school but can access Wi-Fi, students will be in
the know of what is going on in class (at least the online portion) and will be
able to email me other information they need because ideally they will be very
comfortable using gmail (hopefully if they are not truant from day one) and
will be able to stay up to date and not overwhelmed when they come back.
Seeing Lauren’s reflection and speaking to Paul, I am very
open to taping or recording student’s discussions. A stations focus (I am
hoping/thinking) will be verbally discussing the content and working on
communication, but I know that students comfort levels and confidence will take
time to develop to have open group dialogue. It is super important for ELL
students to discuss and use the units vocabulary to better understand the term
and to feel comfortable with the content. I am looking forward to learning how
to better implement this idea but I think students will really be able to grow
from hearing their own ideas as well as being aware of how they sound and what
they can do to improve their content knowledge and fluency in English.
Thoughts on Blended Learning
Throughout this Blended Learning adoption process, I have been struggled with several questions: what do I need to do in class to make sure that the students are learning all of the material that I have to teach them in the most interesting and interactive way? How do I ensure that the students are fully utilizing all of the tools that I have provided for them? And finally, how do I go about finding and integrating these new tools into my classroom.
The implementing tools question has been answered through my implementation meeting with Paul (thank god), and I have decided that I will be featuring a flipped classroom model with elements of station rotation. I plan on setting up novel captains for each work studied outside of class in my AP Literature course. This will necessitate students leading discussions, and responding to each other's blog posts.
The question of ensuring the students utilization of these tools remains. I will have to maintain close watch over their blogs and responses on Blogger or Edmodo (whichever I believe to be easier). A concern I also have is whether or not they will be appropriate with their responses. My hope is that they will be able to assist each other in the understanding of difficult material even outside of the class. Because of the structure of the course, we will not discuss the text in depth until after the reading assessment, so unless they are completely off track with their blog posts, I will leave them to discuss it amongst themselves.
As for the tools used within class, I have found websites ( http://artgallery.yale.edu/ https://thewadsworth.org/ http://www.moma.org/ ) that highlight the art available even in places far away, so that students can interpret it alongside works. For example, Edwin Austin Abbey's "Hamlet" (http://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/62090) can be studied before the trap scene in the play for deeper understanding of the text.
So far, I have only found a few pieces that I am confident in including, but I also know that this is the tip of the iceberg, and that as time goes on, I will have more confidence and will learn more about the tools available online.
The implementing tools question has been answered through my implementation meeting with Paul (thank god), and I have decided that I will be featuring a flipped classroom model with elements of station rotation. I plan on setting up novel captains for each work studied outside of class in my AP Literature course. This will necessitate students leading discussions, and responding to each other's blog posts.
The question of ensuring the students utilization of these tools remains. I will have to maintain close watch over their blogs and responses on Blogger or Edmodo (whichever I believe to be easier). A concern I also have is whether or not they will be appropriate with their responses. My hope is that they will be able to assist each other in the understanding of difficult material even outside of the class. Because of the structure of the course, we will not discuss the text in depth until after the reading assessment, so unless they are completely off track with their blog posts, I will leave them to discuss it amongst themselves.
As for the tools used within class, I have found websites ( http://artgallery.yale.edu/ https://thewadsworth.org/ http://www.moma.org/ ) that highlight the art available even in places far away, so that students can interpret it alongside works. For example, Edwin Austin Abbey's "Hamlet" (http://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/62090) can be studied before the trap scene in the play for deeper understanding of the text.
So far, I have only found a few pieces that I am confident in including, but I also know that this is the tip of the iceberg, and that as time goes on, I will have more confidence and will learn more about the tools available online.
Useful Links for ELA
Below are three links that I found helpful in determining how to structure my blended learning environment for ELA.
The first is Blended Learning in English Language Teaching: Course Design and Implementation Edited by Brian Tomlinson and Claire Whittaker. This document looks at blended learning in the ELA environment and provides guidance for course setup, teacher development, and pedagogical implementation. Although much of the research listed is from 2007 and before, many of the recommended practices seem relevant to today's needs.
https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/sites/teacheng/files/D057_Blended%20learning_FINAL_WEB%20ONLY_v2.pdf
The second link is for Moodle, which appears to function similarly to Edmodo. I'm still playing around with this one, but it looks promising. I especially like that it has a built in translator, which may work well for our ELL population. It also appears to have more extensive data analysis tools than some of the other learning management platforms I've looked at.
https://moodle.org/
The third link is for Slideshare, which appears to offer the benefits of a facilitated network by providing access to a library of lessons and materials across content areas. I was able to find slideshows that addressed literacy skills by content area, which may be useful resources for teachers to "pull" into their classrooms or a place for students to go to access information on certain topics.
http://www.slideshare.net/
Thursday, August 13, 2015
"Once more unto the breach dear friends . . ."
My initial plans for my Blended Learning classroom this year mostly involve the Rotation model whereby I plan to combine Station Rotation and Individual Rotation. The station rotation will mainly consist of four stations: small group, online learning, group projects, and structured support. The Small Group station will consist of teacher-led instruction and/or socratic seminar ( ≈ 10:1) that focuses on a variety of skills needed to enhance the student's understanding of rhetorical analysis. The Online Learning station will supplement and/or enrich the student's understanding of the rhetorical process by providing each student with individualized learning goals that target each student's areas of need. The Group Projects station will feature activities that encourage collaboration between students while reinforcing standards based skills. Finally, the Structured Support station ( ≈ 5:1) will provide appropriate interventions for struggling students, thus affording them with the support needed to reach their individualized learning goals.
The Online-content strategy I plan to use stems from the modular end of the spectrum and will combine the services of multiple providers (APEX and PLATO) with the use of facilitated networks such as KHAN Academy, READ 180, and Study Island. My reason for selecting this strategy is that it allows for hyper-customization of courses aimed at meeting the needs of individual learners.
My online tool box will consist mainly of, but not limited to, the following platforms (please note these are ranked in no particular order):
The Online-content strategy I plan to use stems from the modular end of the spectrum and will combine the services of multiple providers (APEX and PLATO) with the use of facilitated networks such as KHAN Academy, READ 180, and Study Island. My reason for selecting this strategy is that it allows for hyper-customization of courses aimed at meeting the needs of individual learners.
My online tool box will consist mainly of, but not limited to, the following platforms (please note these are ranked in no particular order):
- Edmodo.com
- Haikudeck.com
- Kahoot.it
- Google Suite (docs, drive, forms, sites, etc)
- PowToon.com
- Newsela
- Evernote
- Weebly
- APEX
- PLATO
- Study Island
So that's my snap shot for right now. And of course all of this is subject to change at a moment's notice, but there it is. Enjoy :-)
Blending with Stanford Ideas
This has been the summer of PD. After attending the ISTE conference in Philadelphia at the end of June, I was fortunate enough to become a Stanford Hollyhock Fellow (along with Justin and Paul from BHS) and receive two weeks of instruction on both content and leading for equity. At first, I was nervous that all this new information was going to send my instruction in different directions, but going blended has proved a fantastic landing point for many of the new ideas sparked at Stanford.
One new idea that I would like to try is the use of recording discussions in order to promote reflection and extension. The act of reviewing discussion videos was a practice at Stanford, and I was able to reflect on my facilitation as well as the educators in my content cluster. I learned so much by watching just ten minutes of video, and if I was able to reflect on my facilitation, why can't my students reflect on their participation?
My plan of action is to have a station rotation with two stations for the beginning of the year. While one group of students is working individually on chromebooks/an independent task, a small group will work with me either on a modified lesson or in order to hold a discussion. I am going to record (at least a few) discussions, and students will be responsible for watching this video the next class and completing a reflection tool.
I have not created this tool as of now, but I envision it to have three categories: 1. Your participation during the discussion; 2. Additions to any of the content discussed (agree, disagree, evidence, etc); and 3. Evaluation of discussion norms (which will be created at the beginning of the year and house things such as "Step Up/Step Back"). I will collect these reflection tools, and the third class will consist of an overall review of the discussion.
Please comment if you can think of anything else to add to my reflection tool or any other ideas you might have about using video to improve metacognitive skills in the classroom! I will edit this post and attach the tool once it is finalized.
One new idea that I would like to try is the use of recording discussions in order to promote reflection and extension. The act of reviewing discussion videos was a practice at Stanford, and I was able to reflect on my facilitation as well as the educators in my content cluster. I learned so much by watching just ten minutes of video, and if I was able to reflect on my facilitation, why can't my students reflect on their participation?
My plan of action is to have a station rotation with two stations for the beginning of the year. While one group of students is working individually on chromebooks/an independent task, a small group will work with me either on a modified lesson or in order to hold a discussion. I am going to record (at least a few) discussions, and students will be responsible for watching this video the next class and completing a reflection tool.
I have not created this tool as of now, but I envision it to have three categories: 1. Your participation during the discussion; 2. Additions to any of the content discussed (agree, disagree, evidence, etc); and 3. Evaluation of discussion norms (which will be created at the beginning of the year and house things such as "Step Up/Step Back"). I will collect these reflection tools, and the third class will consist of an overall review of the discussion.
Please comment if you can think of anything else to add to my reflection tool or any other ideas you might have about using video to improve metacognitive skills in the classroom! I will edit this post and attach the tool once it is finalized.
Getting the Ball Rolling...
I love technology. I love gadgets. I secretly (now not so secretly) want the new Apple watch so that I can be alerted in four different places that I have a text message and know my heart rate. I love that I can FaceTime my sister in California and talk to my nephew who can now say my name! Technology is rad.
That being said, technology isn't always as easy.
So I am nervous.
Very nervous.
Imagine: you have created the perfect lesson plan. You have various methods of reaching ALL your students. Your lesson is aligned to the Common Core. You even have checked the amount of headphones you have.
But then three students forget their passwords. One student hasn't even signed up for the websites/system yet. And then the Internet is moving at a glacial pace.
Okay, so that's the worse case scenario. Well, maybe not the worst. But it is devastating when you have the PERFECT lesson planned.
So here are the things I am worried about.... and my plan of attack.
1. Emails: Each student needs a Gmail. Now remembering the long ons for each of my lovely 140 s student is difficult so I was thinking of creating an online document with their usernames and passwords that I can share with other teachers on the team. And then having something like this (see below) for each class.
That being said, technology isn't always as easy.
So I am nervous.
Very nervous.
Imagine: you have created the perfect lesson plan. You have various methods of reaching ALL your students. Your lesson is aligned to the Common Core. You even have checked the amount of headphones you have.
But then three students forget their passwords. One student hasn't even signed up for the websites/system yet. And then the Internet is moving at a glacial pace.
Okay, so that's the worse case scenario. Well, maybe not the worst. But it is devastating when you have the PERFECT lesson planned.
So here are the things I am worried about.... and my plan of attack.
1. Emails: Each student needs a Gmail. Now remembering the long ons for each of my lovely 140 s student is difficult so I was thinking of creating an online document with their usernames and passwords that I can share with other teachers on the team. And then having something like this (see below) for each class.
2. Edmodo: After/with emails I have decided to attack Edmodo. I choose this interface since it is the most like Facebook and what students seem to be able to understand the best. Plus, they don't NEED emails to create an account originally and they can connect their Google Drive later! Also, Edmodo allows assignments, videos, links to be posted so that students can access materials whenever and wherever they need them! (Plus, I've used it before! So I am more comfortable with using it again this year!)
3. Drive: With emails and Edmodo, I want to utilize Drive. A goal for students is to have them create publishable work and also to create portfolios. And a goal as a teacher is to have various ways to give feedback. Drive will be useful to achieving all these goals!
For each of these tools, I am anticipating having to teach how to sign up, professional emails, how to attach files, how to email, how to...
But already I am thinking of solutions:
- creating videos as well as visuals for the classroom of how to's
- having master students in each class who can help peers
- slowly rolling out each new technology and modeling it first
- utilizing the library to teach the students a new skill all at once
- creating a team of teachers/support staff who are all using the same technology and require the same competencies of the students
- using Drive to share passwords with other staff on the team
- being after school to help students individually
- utilizing the wonderful, knowledgeable peer support I have through the blended learning cohort!
Overall, I think this will be difficult. But what isn't? And after dipping my toes into the pool with all these awesome resources the past three years, I am ready to jump in. I am positive that with a little a patience the rocky first month will transform into students being able to take control of their own learning.
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