We're going to be getting a laptop program next year (yay!) in Grade 7 and 8, and as the technology coordinator part of my role will be to ensure that the laptops are used effectively in the classroom.
I've been doing a bunch of work on looking at the various learning management tools, and I've settled on Edmodo. Some reasons:
A number of the tools are either extremely complex, or emphasize a number of things that we don't need. For example, we don't need the ability to create and grade quizzes on my tool, first because I'm not confident that the results will be reasonable, but secondly because I and my colleagues utilize Socrative on a regular basis.
In addition, the courses don't have to be planned in the same level of detail that some of the more advanced (Blackboard, Moodle) systems allow. We utilize Google Docs to share files and much prefer that interface. The calendaring system on Edmodo is just fine for our students to use and allows for easily sharing information between the various subject teachers.
Thirdly, while the level of integration may work for some, we've developed a number of very nice tools that we use for various projects. Google Docs accomplishes much of the writing and analysis, Socrative allows for student response, YouTube channels for sharing videos, etc. All this is distributed by links which can be easily sent out over Edmodo.
Finally, free is nice - at a small school with a limited budget, the advantages of a free system that doesn't require server support is huge.
The other systems have their uses, but for us, now, it's just going to be nice to be able to track assignments and have a centralized gradebook and discussion forum.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Class Parties
Class parties are important - even in an incredibly fast paced Calculus 12 class :)
My lovely Grade 12's have convinced me that rather than continue the absolutely riveting discussion on implicit differentiation we started, for our last class before Christmas we're going to play Sporcle, and I promised to make muffins.
My creations...
Thus, it should be an entertaining time before the holidays.
On a more serious note, I do think that there needs to be mental health breaks once in a while - I can do exactly 3 report cards before my head explodes and I need to spend some time distracting myself! I tend to let students take some breaks in class as well, assuming they've been giving the work an honest effort.
The nice thing about Sporcle is that it tends to require at least a little bit of mental capacity or recall ability, if only for inane trivia or Disney characters.
Happy Holidays!
My lovely Grade 12's have convinced me that rather than continue the absolutely riveting discussion on implicit differentiation we started, for our last class before Christmas we're going to play Sporcle, and I promised to make muffins.
My creations...
Thus, it should be an entertaining time before the holidays.
On a more serious note, I do think that there needs to be mental health breaks once in a while - I can do exactly 3 report cards before my head explodes and I need to spend some time distracting myself! I tend to let students take some breaks in class as well, assuming they've been giving the work an honest effort.
The nice thing about Sporcle is that it tends to require at least a little bit of mental capacity or recall ability, if only for inane trivia or Disney characters.
Happy Holidays!
Friday, November 2, 2012
1:1 Physics - Computers and Labs
I love having access to these iMacs for labs - it makes entering and maintaing data across a class very, very easy.
In a recent lab we looked at the basics of gravity, frequency and period by swinging a pendulum. Students created their pendulum apparatus and then entered their data into a Google spreadsheet I had created. I love the effect - there were 6 groups simultaneously entering data into the spreadsheet which quickly populated a graph I had created. It didn't take them long to see the major physical concepts that the lab was looking for simply because the data was so quickly generated.
To have 6 groups do 3 tests each, every student got 18 data points in the it takes them to do 3. Thus, through the simple act of having the ability to enter the data in real time, students were making connections (and changes) to their pendulums based on the data.
Then it got even better because they were able to pick a new variable and construct the graph THEMSELVES which was immediately available to everyone. More testing later and within a lab they had created and tested a second hypothesis all because they could see the data trend.
Is this possible without the computers? Of course - every group could record the data and later enter it, but I don't believe that would have the same effect as seeing the data being created while they work.
I'd love to try something like this on a much larger scale - a Tweet out, for example, to enter some basic data into a spreadsheet and watch as the data just pours into the models students had already created. Something to think about...
In a recent lab we looked at the basics of gravity, frequency and period by swinging a pendulum. Students created their pendulum apparatus and then entered their data into a Google spreadsheet I had created. I love the effect - there were 6 groups simultaneously entering data into the spreadsheet which quickly populated a graph I had created. It didn't take them long to see the major physical concepts that the lab was looking for simply because the data was so quickly generated.
To have 6 groups do 3 tests each, every student got 18 data points in the it takes them to do 3. Thus, through the simple act of having the ability to enter the data in real time, students were making connections (and changes) to their pendulums based on the data.
Then it got even better because they were able to pick a new variable and construct the graph THEMSELVES which was immediately available to everyone. More testing later and within a lab they had created and tested a second hypothesis all because they could see the data trend.
Is this possible without the computers? Of course - every group could record the data and later enter it, but I don't believe that would have the same effect as seeing the data being created while they work.
I'd love to try something like this on a much larger scale - a Tweet out, for example, to enter some basic data into a spreadsheet and watch as the data just pours into the models students had already created. Something to think about...
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Managing Devices
I'm using a lot of devices in the classroom and I've developed a few tips and tricks for managing them. Probably the biggest thing that I've discovered is that students really do want to be able to use these devices for learning. They're genuinely interested in showing you, the teacher, that they can indeed be "trusted" with this device.
It certainly makes it easier, but there are still some management (or, more aptly, digital citizenship) techniques I employ.
To begin, we talk about appropriate use - what does it mean to use this device appropriately? I point out that appropriate use depends on the situation; using a phone with friends is more appropriate than using it when a teacher or fellow student is talking.
We also discuss why they might use it - I think we give students too much credit for knowing how to integrate these into the classroom.
It's usually a good conversation that takes about 20 minutes.
After that, I try and build in places for students to use devices - I'll say "take a picture of 2 right angled triangles" or "record a video of the lab". This models some good use of the devices. Throughout I ensure that the students are indeed using them for the correct task.
Inevitably, someone doesn't use it appropriately. If it's a first or second time, we'll have a chat - what they were doing, when they should have been doing that, etc. Nothing is set in stone - yes, you can text your mother if it's really important - I use my phone in staff meetings to send important messages as well. No, you can't play dots in class instead of working, you don't get that privilege yet.
After a couple warnings, they'll lose the device for the day - this is simply because I'm pretty confident they wont NEED these devices later. When everyone else is using them as well, I'll have to figure something else out!
In terms of laptops, my general rule of thumb is that if more than one student is interested in a screen, I should probably pop over and see what's up. It's general, and stereotypical, but 9 times out of 10 I have to redirect something.
Another good tip is to remember what they're supposed to be doing with a device. If everyone is supposed to be writing a paragraph to respond to a science journal prompt, the use of a mouse should be few and far between - anything more than a few clicks and we may have an issue.
Finally, we all need a mental health break. Depending on the student, I'll give them 5 minutes of Facebook time, or Dots, or whatever - I myself lose my head after about 3 report cards and need to take a brain break!
I'm pleased with the results - students are learning how to use the devices appropriately, which should hopefully carry over into other classrooms and their everyday lives.
It certainly makes it easier, but there are still some management (or, more aptly, digital citizenship) techniques I employ.
To begin, we talk about appropriate use - what does it mean to use this device appropriately? I point out that appropriate use depends on the situation; using a phone with friends is more appropriate than using it when a teacher or fellow student is talking.We also discuss why they might use it - I think we give students too much credit for knowing how to integrate these into the classroom.
It's usually a good conversation that takes about 20 minutes.
After that, I try and build in places for students to use devices - I'll say "take a picture of 2 right angled triangles" or "record a video of the lab". This models some good use of the devices. Throughout I ensure that the students are indeed using them for the correct task.
Inevitably, someone doesn't use it appropriately. If it's a first or second time, we'll have a chat - what they were doing, when they should have been doing that, etc. Nothing is set in stone - yes, you can text your mother if it's really important - I use my phone in staff meetings to send important messages as well. No, you can't play dots in class instead of working, you don't get that privilege yet.
After a couple warnings, they'll lose the device for the day - this is simply because I'm pretty confident they wont NEED these devices later. When everyone else is using them as well, I'll have to figure something else out!
In terms of laptops, my general rule of thumb is that if more than one student is interested in a screen, I should probably pop over and see what's up. It's general, and stereotypical, but 9 times out of 10 I have to redirect something.
Another good tip is to remember what they're supposed to be doing with a device. If everyone is supposed to be writing a paragraph to respond to a science journal prompt, the use of a mouse should be few and far between - anything more than a few clicks and we may have an issue.
Finally, we all need a mental health break. Depending on the student, I'll give them 5 minutes of Facebook time, or Dots, or whatever - I myself lose my head after about 3 report cards and need to take a brain break!
I'm pleased with the results - students are learning how to use the devices appropriately, which should hopefully carry over into other classrooms and their everyday lives.
Photo Credit: DanielZanetti (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC-BY-SA-3.0-2.5-2.0-1.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The Challenge With Group Work
Ahhh group work - the bane of my existence, yet I can't seem to stop using it.I see the advantages of group work as follows:
1. Tasks can be larger. Students are able to be given something that would be challenging for them to complete on their own but very possible with help.
2. Tasks can be more complex. Students are able to collaborate and share ideas, thus allowing a stronger student to "carry" a weaker one (more on that in a sec...)
3. It models what we all do. It's rare that I work on a project on my own anymore. I think it's rare that anyone really works on a project on their own - the world is too complex to have to focus entirely on your own work.
The issue arises in that all students are expected to demonstrate everything, which in a science class, means they have only a short period of time on a specific topic. I only spend so long the human body and I need to ensure that everyone has a deep understanding of all the various pieces.
Thus, group work becomes challenging because attempting to structure it so that everyone understands everything is completely contrary to why we get into a group in the first place!
As an engineer, I know the value of group work. What schools don't consider, however, is that that in the "real world" (used loosely) groups are formed of DIFFERENT types of people who bring DIFFERENT skills to the table. So, while I may be the computer and technology expert, I have no earthly idea how to make the final product look decent in a display, hence my excellent artistic colleague.
Furthermore, it's expected that some people will do more than others in their assigned area, or even in general. There is always a point person and they will very much be doing more than the others in terms of actual work or organization. In a classroom setting, that causes....problems. Students expect that every group member will contribute the same amount, and furthermore, that they can completely abdicate responsibility for their group members work.
It therefore makes it not only challenging to complete group work, but to assess it. How do I honestly say that one person understood less simply because their group member didn't complete the work to a high standard? But if that's the case, I didn't make an authentic group project!
While I use group work because I think it's important that students work together to solve a problem, I still question how to make it "fair" for all (or teach them what fair really means), assess the various learning outcomes, and keep everyone sane!
Photo Credit to Budzlife - http://www.flickr.com/photos/budslife/1771179517/lightbox/
Thursday, October 4, 2012
1:1 Physics - The Power of Google
The 1:1 experiment is testing my abilities to come up with good, useful questions. It's also allowing me to make some fantastic connections to everything...
The students have gotten into the habit of using the computers to answer the "quick" questions I'd usually throw out - "Who can remember the acceleration due to gravity" or "Do the conversion between kilometers and decameters". The danger of course is that these are things they will have to know on a test, so while the computers have certainly made the class go faster, I have warned them about the possibilities of them not actually learning this material.
The larger picture, as I keep coming back to, is - do I care that they "learn" the conversion? Yes, if you read back in posts, I really do care - I think that knowledge is important and memorizing, working with and regurgitating information has it's place in education. Thus, while the computers have helped, we'll see what ends up happening.
On another Google note - I'm loving the ability to have them turn in their assignments without email. Having it just appear in my Google Drive is excellent and really saves me having to wade through masses of email.
The students have gotten into the habit of using the computers to answer the "quick" questions I'd usually throw out - "Who can remember the acceleration due to gravity" or "Do the conversion between kilometers and decameters". The danger of course is that these are things they will have to know on a test, so while the computers have certainly made the class go faster, I have warned them about the possibilities of them not actually learning this material.
The larger picture, as I keep coming back to, is - do I care that they "learn" the conversion? Yes, if you read back in posts, I really do care - I think that knowledge is important and memorizing, working with and regurgitating information has it's place in education. Thus, while the computers have helped, we'll see what ends up happening.
On another Google note - I'm loving the ability to have them turn in their assignments without email. Having it just appear in my Google Drive is excellent and really saves me having to wade through masses of email.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Socrative
I've fallen in love with Socrative. It's a great tool, especially in a 1:1 environment. Essentially, it replaces the clickers that schools used to (still?) spend a ton of money on.
I create my class - and I can name my room anything I like (go to Profile->Change Room Number and you can type words too). It's great, my students know how to find me, and no login is required.
Students log into my room and I can fire questions anytime I like - I tend to make them up as I go, or I build them into my slides. It's very quick - press a button, they get a multiple choice or true/false prompt, and off we go.
It's not supposed to be for summative assessment - I can make strong arguments against multiple choice (or tests in general) as an assessment tool. What it is excellent for is the ability to quickly assess where my learners are - "did they get it?".
"The crest of the wave is a), b), c), d)". Bam - 20 seconds and I know if they understood the diagram I just put up :)
The challenge comes in deciding what number is okay to move on - in my class of 11 Physics students, for example, anything less than 9 right and I'll go back. But what about those two who didn't get it, and I moved on? I struggle with how to best support them - I try and go back after the lecture portion, during an activity or homework time, but don't always remember the exact issues they had.
Thus, while I love the tool, I'm going to have to figure out how to not leave anyone behind.
I create my class - and I can name my room anything I like (go to Profile->Change Room Number and you can type words too). It's great, my students know how to find me, and no login is required.
Students log into my room and I can fire questions anytime I like - I tend to make them up as I go, or I build them into my slides. It's very quick - press a button, they get a multiple choice or true/false prompt, and off we go.
It's not supposed to be for summative assessment - I can make strong arguments against multiple choice (or tests in general) as an assessment tool. What it is excellent for is the ability to quickly assess where my learners are - "did they get it?".
"The crest of the wave is a), b), c), d)". Bam - 20 seconds and I know if they understood the diagram I just put up :)
The challenge comes in deciding what number is okay to move on - in my class of 11 Physics students, for example, anything less than 9 right and I'll go back. But what about those two who didn't get it, and I moved on? I struggle with how to best support them - I try and go back after the lecture portion, during an activity or homework time, but don't always remember the exact issues they had.
Thus, while I love the tool, I'm going to have to figure out how to not leave anyone behind.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
1:1 Physics - Note Taking with Google Docs
It's been a week and I'm pretty happy thus far with the 1:1 iMacs in class. If I had to guess, I would suggest they get used 35-45% of a class, which I'm okay with.
The first use for these machines over the week, and in the future, has been taking notes using Google Docs. I like that I can create a "fill in the blanks" style spreadsheet and have the students create their own copy to add to.
Now, before everyone on the internet tells me that this isn't the way to teach and I'm not using technology effectively - I agree. I agree, I'd like to do this all very differently, however, because of my location and the external factors I mentioned, that's not going to be possible this year. Therefore, I'll be using the machines to the best of my ability within the confines of my requirements.
A couple of students have discovered that after the "formal" notes, when we're working on problems or having a more free-wheeling discussion, they can continue to use Google Docs to share their thoughts with each other. It's working pretty well - they're strong students, which means they can both contribute to the problem, so I'm fine with it at this point.
Overall - a week in, I'm happy with the uses. I'll post in a bit about some of the other things we've been doing.
The first use for these machines over the week, and in the future, has been taking notes using Google Docs. I like that I can create a "fill in the blanks" style spreadsheet and have the students create their own copy to add to.
Now, before everyone on the internet tells me that this isn't the way to teach and I'm not using technology effectively - I agree. I agree, I'd like to do this all very differently, however, because of my location and the external factors I mentioned, that's not going to be possible this year. Therefore, I'll be using the machines to the best of my ability within the confines of my requirements.
A couple of students have discovered that after the "formal" notes, when we're working on problems or having a more free-wheeling discussion, they can continue to use Google Docs to share their thoughts with each other. It's working pretty well - they're strong students, which means they can both contribute to the problem, so I'm fine with it at this point.
Overall - a week in, I'm happy with the uses. I'll post in a bit about some of the other things we've been doing.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
1:1 Physics - An Adventure
I was able to get complete access to my Maclab for my physics 11 class this year. This is going to be a bit of an adventure in figuring out if a) desktops are going to work like laptops, b) laptops are going to be helpful at all, and c) if I wish I had something else instead!
All the reading I've done says that these computers should be helpful in class. I promote them to my colleagues in my position as academic tech coordinator, so it's about time to walk-the-walk.
A bit of an overview, and then in subsequent posts I'll talk about some of the specific uses.
We're going to be using Google Apps for Education to share documents and collaborate amongst ourselves. I anticipate, in addition to using Google Apps on a regular basis, to be using some various web resources with these computers.
My concern, and we'll see if this manifests, is that because of external requirements such as curriculum, "preparing them for the future", and overal "academic rigor", I wont be able to focus as much as I'd like on these machines. We'll see!
All the reading I've done says that these computers should be helpful in class. I promote them to my colleagues in my position as academic tech coordinator, so it's about time to walk-the-walk.
A bit of an overview, and then in subsequent posts I'll talk about some of the specific uses.
We're going to be using Google Apps for Education to share documents and collaborate amongst ourselves. I anticipate, in addition to using Google Apps on a regular basis, to be using some various web resources with these computers.
My concern, and we'll see if this manifests, is that because of external requirements such as curriculum, "preparing them for the future", and overal "academic rigor", I wont be able to focus as much as I'd like on these machines. We'll see!
Thursday, September 6, 2012
1:1 Science 8
I'll be using a PC lab as a home base to teach Science 8 this year. It should be an interesting experience - essentially it will be as if students have laptops, save for the added mobility of an actual laptop. I'm looking forward to having the ability for students to quickly find information, as well as some transitions between digital and non-digital activities.
A few possible concerns:
1. How much time will it take to "get started"? I'll be using a few tools (Google Docs being my home base) and it will be interesting to see if these "digital natives" are able to pick up on the various tools.
2. How am I going to structure my class to ensure that more than just "fun" happens. My biggest concern with this whole experiment (and Physics 11, which I'll touch on in another post) is the challenge of providing academic struggle for my students. It's all well and good that they look at some videos and make some colourful Prezi's or Glogs or whatnot. It's harder to ensure that there is a level of academic challenge for them.
3. How badly am I going to kill our network :) 20 students on some of the various websites will be an interesting challenge for our wired network. It's amazing how much bandwidth these sites will take if you let them - and we don't really have a choice but to let them. Sadly, unlike some of the better coded pages (YouTube, for example), Glogster, Animoto, etc will all steal as much bandwidth as you have. I credit this to be because the developers believe they are targeting an audience made up of home users with a single connection, and one or two computers.
Thus, we'll see how it all goes - I'll keep you posted!
A few possible concerns:
1. How much time will it take to "get started"? I'll be using a few tools (Google Docs being my home base) and it will be interesting to see if these "digital natives" are able to pick up on the various tools.
2. How am I going to structure my class to ensure that more than just "fun" happens. My biggest concern with this whole experiment (and Physics 11, which I'll touch on in another post) is the challenge of providing academic struggle for my students. It's all well and good that they look at some videos and make some colourful Prezi's or Glogs or whatnot. It's harder to ensure that there is a level of academic challenge for them.
3. How badly am I going to kill our network :) 20 students on some of the various websites will be an interesting challenge for our wired network. It's amazing how much bandwidth these sites will take if you let them - and we don't really have a choice but to let them. Sadly, unlike some of the better coded pages (YouTube, for example), Glogster, Animoto, etc will all steal as much bandwidth as you have. I credit this to be because the developers believe they are targeting an audience made up of home users with a single connection, and one or two computers.
Thus, we'll see how it all goes - I'll keep you posted!
Saturday, September 1, 2012
A Post a Week
I've been pretty bad at this "blogging" thing. Part of that is because of the environment I work in - I'm concerned about speaking ill of students, learning, workplace, etc. It's a different world in a private school and I'm very aware of how my words can be viewed.
Another part is the feeling like I'm repeating myself - I'm on Twitter a lot and because I see so much, and read so much, I make the (false) assumption that everyone already knows what I'm talking about - indeed, someone has probably already made a post on the exact topic I'll be writing about.
What I have to remember, however, is that you stumbled on MY blog, and thus, are interested in both my ideas, and perspective. If you want another idea, or a similar idea in a different blog, off you go!
Thus, I'm going to try and do a post a week. Perhaps...
We'll see!
Another part is the feeling like I'm repeating myself - I'm on Twitter a lot and because I see so much, and read so much, I make the (false) assumption that everyone already knows what I'm talking about - indeed, someone has probably already made a post on the exact topic I'll be writing about.
What I have to remember, however, is that you stumbled on MY blog, and thus, are interested in both my ideas, and perspective. If you want another idea, or a similar idea in a different blog, off you go!
Thus, I'm going to try and do a post a week. Perhaps...
We'll see!
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Grade 8 Perfect Learning Spaces
We have just finished one of our three "project weeks" here at QMS. These are weeks where regular classes are suspended and the students participate in a week long discovery project.
This week the students were designing and building their "perfect learning environment".
A bit of background:
A few months ago we asked everyone in the middle school (Grades 6-9) to draw their perfect learning environment. There was little direction provided, intentionally - we were interested in seeing what everyone came up with.
The grade 9 students then took these drawings and, for a math class on graphing and statistics, analyzed and graphed the data. They took various structures (water, trees, natural light got put into a nature category, couches and beanbag chairs for comfortable seating) and put them into categories which were then graphed by a different group.
This data was presented, and passed on to, our Grade 8 students. Their task was to take everything and, using the data, create a scale drawing and a model of their (or the middle school's) ideal learning environment.
They then had the opportunity to present their work to the board of directors building committee who are looking into our new middle years building - a fantastic, realistic learning opportunity.
Below are their creations!
A front view of an indoor/outdoor space. The area in the middle is glassed in and, if there was a roof, would be open to the elements. Also note the group tables and very comfortable seating - couches, covered benches, etc. Finally, there is a fish tank in the corner.
Top view of the above.
Scale drawing of the above. 1 square equals half a meter.
A "semi traditional" classroom with iPads on every desk and a classed in "fish floor" down the middle. Beanbag chairs and a carpet provide a relaxing area for students to collaborate.
A learning commons with an indoor/outdoor area and lots of comfortable seating. Tables and chairs are spread out around the room to allow for flexible groups with lots of storage space along the sides.
Scale drawing of the above.
A "semi traditional" classroom with beanbag chairs instead of the hard plastic ones an lots of nature - a fish tank in one corner and a pond in the other. Comfortable seating can be seen as a theme across most of these creations!
A music and theater room. The scale is quite small, but the room is designed to accommodate a full chamber orchestra. Sound proof practice rooms are on one end with storage and a teacher area on the other. The large central area has seating for the band or risers for the choir.
Overall, a very, very successful project - the students engaged with the mathematics and language requirements of presenting their information. The fine arts teacher was thrilled with their sense of engagement in the building process.
I intend to do this again, with a few modifications, but am very pleased with the results!
This week the students were designing and building their "perfect learning environment".
A bit of background:
A few months ago we asked everyone in the middle school (Grades 6-9) to draw their perfect learning environment. There was little direction provided, intentionally - we were interested in seeing what everyone came up with.
The grade 9 students then took these drawings and, for a math class on graphing and statistics, analyzed and graphed the data. They took various structures (water, trees, natural light got put into a nature category, couches and beanbag chairs for comfortable seating) and put them into categories which were then graphed by a different group.
This data was presented, and passed on to, our Grade 8 students. Their task was to take everything and, using the data, create a scale drawing and a model of their (or the middle school's) ideal learning environment.
They then had the opportunity to present their work to the board of directors building committee who are looking into our new middle years building - a fantastic, realistic learning opportunity.
Below are their creations!
A front view of an indoor/outdoor space. The area in the middle is glassed in and, if there was a roof, would be open to the elements. Also note the group tables and very comfortable seating - couches, covered benches, etc. Finally, there is a fish tank in the corner.
Scale drawing of the above. 1 square equals half a meter.
A "semi traditional" classroom with iPads on every desk and a classed in "fish floor" down the middle. Beanbag chairs and a carpet provide a relaxing area for students to collaborate.
Scale drawing of the above.
Overall, a very, very successful project - the students engaged with the mathematics and language requirements of presenting their information. The fine arts teacher was thrilled with their sense of engagement in the building process.
I intend to do this again, with a few modifications, but am very pleased with the results!
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Project Based Learning - Learning For All :)
It's been an adventure in my Math and Science 8 classrooms. PBL is in full swing, and I'm learning just as much as the kids in terms of what needs to be done.
The first - my gosh is submission management important. While I have great rubrics that allow me to assess pretty much any type of submission, because there are so many different types, I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to keep them all.
Videos are too big to email, written things have to get integrated with computer generated things, pictures have to be sent and then stored somewhere (or printed?), etc. You get the idea - I'm longing for the ability to post things to an online repository, and as a school we're moving towards that....
I also have to make sure that everyone is able to demonstrate their knowledge in the group - it's been eye opening to ask a student a fact that their group has put down and see them draw a complete blank. Even students who make amazing things (cell cake? Awesome labs?) still have difficulty fully explaining the concept they just showed me.
Perhaps there is something to the "lecture for a bit", or perhaps I'm just too hyper vigilant about the curriculum.
Overall, I've been getting fantastic feedback from all stakeholders in the projects, and it's coming along nicely.
Science 8 is going to start putting together Chapter 1, so hopefully I'll have something more concrete to share later.
The first - my gosh is submission management important. While I have great rubrics that allow me to assess pretty much any type of submission, because there are so many different types, I'm having trouble figuring out the best way to keep them all.
Videos are too big to email, written things have to get integrated with computer generated things, pictures have to be sent and then stored somewhere (or printed?), etc. You get the idea - I'm longing for the ability to post things to an online repository, and as a school we're moving towards that....
I also have to make sure that everyone is able to demonstrate their knowledge in the group - it's been eye opening to ask a student a fact that their group has put down and see them draw a complete blank. Even students who make amazing things (cell cake? Awesome labs?) still have difficulty fully explaining the concept they just showed me.
Perhaps there is something to the "lecture for a bit", or perhaps I'm just too hyper vigilant about the curriculum.
Overall, I've been getting fantastic feedback from all stakeholders in the projects, and it's coming along nicely.
Science 8 is going to start putting together Chapter 1, so hopefully I'll have something more concrete to share later.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
PBL - 2 Weeks In
Wow - what a fantastic two weeks of school it's been. I started with my year long PBL projects from day 1.
My Math 8's are completing a "Mathematics in Life" project where they have been given a persona (accountant, making 45k, married) and are now making important life decisions.
Our first assignment was a blast - they got to write the biographies for their "characters". They had a blast coming up with what they did as children, where they met their husband, their parents, etc. Some very creative juices are flowing!
The next thing we focused on was the preparation for creating a monthly budget. First, they had to figure out what their income is - we talked about RRSP's, government tax, etc. They had quite a bit of fun working out just how much to save in order to NOT give it to the government!
In science we started creating our digital textbooks. The first topic - characteristics of living things! Most students chose to "start off easy" and create a nice table with some pictures, examples and descriptions of the characteristics, but I did have one adventurous group - movie making!
After gathering costumes, the "news report about a lion and a unicorn" went into full swing explaining just how that lion and unicorn interact to both be living things - and it's hilarious seeing Grade 8 students wandering around in a unicorn costume, especially in a uniformed school!
The second textbook topic jumped into cells. More students got creative with their "explanations" - I have two labs being created, and a cell made out of cake being constructed at the back of the room. It's debatable which has more icing - the students, or the cake - but we're all having a blast and learning a ton.
I'll be compiling the various creations (pictures, videos, written submissions, etc) into an ePub or PDF format (depending on how serious the formatting gets) and providing it to the students to use on their e-readers.
Overall, I'm thrilled - the only minor hiccup was an initial reaction of "but we really like it when teachers stand and give us the notes" - but after some initial one-on-one work with a brief "lecture", those complains quickly subsided.
On to week 3 - budgetting and more work with cells!
My Math 8's are completing a "Mathematics in Life" project where they have been given a persona (accountant, making 45k, married) and are now making important life decisions.
Our first assignment was a blast - they got to write the biographies for their "characters". They had a blast coming up with what they did as children, where they met their husband, their parents, etc. Some very creative juices are flowing!
The next thing we focused on was the preparation for creating a monthly budget. First, they had to figure out what their income is - we talked about RRSP's, government tax, etc. They had quite a bit of fun working out just how much to save in order to NOT give it to the government!
In science we started creating our digital textbooks. The first topic - characteristics of living things! Most students chose to "start off easy" and create a nice table with some pictures, examples and descriptions of the characteristics, but I did have one adventurous group - movie making!
After gathering costumes, the "news report about a lion and a unicorn" went into full swing explaining just how that lion and unicorn interact to both be living things - and it's hilarious seeing Grade 8 students wandering around in a unicorn costume, especially in a uniformed school!
The second textbook topic jumped into cells. More students got creative with their "explanations" - I have two labs being created, and a cell made out of cake being constructed at the back of the room. It's debatable which has more icing - the students, or the cake - but we're all having a blast and learning a ton.
I'll be compiling the various creations (pictures, videos, written submissions, etc) into an ePub or PDF format (depending on how serious the formatting gets) and providing it to the students to use on their e-readers.
Overall, I'm thrilled - the only minor hiccup was an initial reaction of "but we really like it when teachers stand and give us the notes" - but after some initial one-on-one work with a brief "lecture", those complains quickly subsided.
On to week 3 - budgetting and more work with cells!
Friday, August 26, 2011
Probes, Pads and Pods
Doesn't that sound like the beginning of a bad B-Movie involving an alien abduction? :)
I've been facilitating and helping out at Touch'N'Go this week and it's been fantastic. I got to meet lots of great people, and really worked closely with some fantastic educators.
The two workshops I actually facilitated were using iPads and iPods in a UDL environment and using Vernier Probes, iPads and iPods in a science classroom.
A brief summary of both:
We split the UDL session into three sections - Writing, Photography/Video and Sound. Major apps were:
Writing:
Pages - $10
-nearly full featured word processor. It has some limitations, but in a school environment, it's pretty good for producing nice looking work.
Keynote - $10
-Nearly full featured presentation creator which is really easy for students to use to create quick presentations of learning.
Bamboo Paper - Free
-Great, simple "use your finger as a pen" tool. It's a blank piece of paper. The possibilities are nearly endless :)
Idea Sketch - Free
-Mind mapping
Photography/Video
Collabracam - $6
-VERY cool multi-camera editor. It takes the feeds of up to four iPod or iPhone cameras and allows a single director to manage recording from devices, send messages to users, etc.
iMovie - $5
-A limited, but still viable, movie creation app. Limited in that the editing is a bit of a pain on an iPod but still doable. It's great for quick hits of "what did I just do" or summarizing learning.
PS Express - Free
-Photoshop lite (more like Piknik) with some basic editing and neat filters.
Sound
Quick Voice - Free
-Easy voice recording for the iPad. Used to record in the field, or use for descriptions of events to replay later. Other possibilities are huge
Dragon Dictate - Free
-Decent text-to-speech app for quick annotations and some special ed use.
I accept that there are TONS more apps, and many that I use often, but we only had a limited time, so those are what we focused on :)
My vernier presentation was a blast - teachers performed two labs - a friction lab by dragging objects and a heart rate lab - and then contributed their data to a collaborative spreadsheet on Google Docs. It worked really well - everyone got to play with the probes and see the graphs being created.
Many of the above apps were touched on with specific science uses, and we added LabTimer (16 simultaneous timers) and Numbers (nearly fully featured spreadsheet program).
Overall - a fantastic week with lots of learning!
I've been facilitating and helping out at Touch'N'Go this week and it's been fantastic. I got to meet lots of great people, and really worked closely with some fantastic educators.
The two workshops I actually facilitated were using iPads and iPods in a UDL environment and using Vernier Probes, iPads and iPods in a science classroom.
A brief summary of both:
We split the UDL session into three sections - Writing, Photography/Video and Sound. Major apps were:
Writing:
Pages - $10
-nearly full featured word processor. It has some limitations, but in a school environment, it's pretty good for producing nice looking work.
Keynote - $10
-Nearly full featured presentation creator which is really easy for students to use to create quick presentations of learning.
Bamboo Paper - Free
-Great, simple "use your finger as a pen" tool. It's a blank piece of paper. The possibilities are nearly endless :)
Idea Sketch - Free
-Mind mapping
Photography/Video
Collabracam - $6
-VERY cool multi-camera editor. It takes the feeds of up to four iPod or iPhone cameras and allows a single director to manage recording from devices, send messages to users, etc.
iMovie - $5
-A limited, but still viable, movie creation app. Limited in that the editing is a bit of a pain on an iPod but still doable. It's great for quick hits of "what did I just do" or summarizing learning.
PS Express - Free
-Photoshop lite (more like Piknik) with some basic editing and neat filters.
Sound
Quick Voice - Free
-Easy voice recording for the iPad. Used to record in the field, or use for descriptions of events to replay later. Other possibilities are huge
Dragon Dictate - Free
-Decent text-to-speech app for quick annotations and some special ed use.
I accept that there are TONS more apps, and many that I use often, but we only had a limited time, so those are what we focused on :)
My vernier presentation was a blast - teachers performed two labs - a friction lab by dragging objects and a heart rate lab - and then contributed their data to a collaborative spreadsheet on Google Docs. It worked really well - everyone got to play with the probes and see the graphs being created.
Many of the above apps were touched on with specific science uses, and we added LabTimer (16 simultaneous timers) and Numbers (nearly fully featured spreadsheet program).
Overall - a fantastic week with lots of learning!
Saturday, August 20, 2011
My Ambitious PBL Plans
So I'm going to try and go full PBL this year in most of my classes. I've dabbled with it before, and it's worked, but only as a "this is a one unit PBL" or even worse, a single project based on learning (which isn't PBL, but it's closer than not).
Math 8:
Students will be going through "lives" as adults with a specific income, job, spouse, family situation, etc. They will be making various life choices all including math - choosing the best buys at a store, picking a cell phone plan, planning a party, designing a garden. I've managed to put them entire BC curriculum into various projects.
Science 8:
Students will be creating a digital textbook of all the required learning outcomes this year. They'll get given an outcome at the beginning of the week, and within (I think) about two weeks need to have a summary, definitions, a lab, some problems, diagrams, etc. All the things that would go into a textbook section on that outcome. I'll then have them create an ePub version with all their content (including video!) to show parents on iPad's and eReaders.
My biggest concern about both of these will be the "this is what is happening all year" type of approach - I'm not sure how students will respond to both having one "project" for the year, and having the freedom to work on their own or with groups, at their own pace (within reason) and without the daily grind of lecture->homework->submit->test. Essentially, it will be new for everyone!
If anyone has done anything similar, I'd love to get in touch!
Math 8:
Students will be going through "lives" as adults with a specific income, job, spouse, family situation, etc. They will be making various life choices all including math - choosing the best buys at a store, picking a cell phone plan, planning a party, designing a garden. I've managed to put them entire BC curriculum into various projects.
Science 8:
Students will be creating a digital textbook of all the required learning outcomes this year. They'll get given an outcome at the beginning of the week, and within (I think) about two weeks need to have a summary, definitions, a lab, some problems, diagrams, etc. All the things that would go into a textbook section on that outcome. I'll then have them create an ePub version with all their content (including video!) to show parents on iPad's and eReaders.
My biggest concern about both of these will be the "this is what is happening all year" type of approach - I'm not sure how students will respond to both having one "project" for the year, and having the freedom to work on their own or with groups, at their own pace (within reason) and without the daily grind of lecture->homework->submit->test. Essentially, it will be new for everyone!
If anyone has done anything similar, I'd love to get in touch!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
The Many Uses of Angry Birds
Angry Birds has been making the rounds as a fantastic physics app, and I completely agree. I've come up with a few more uses in math for different age levels that I wanted to share.
Classroom practice/study time: I recently had a group of ESL students come over who were practicing English - specifically, a few sentences they were going to deliver for a powerpoint presentation. I pulled up Angry Birds and each student said their sentences and then got to fire one bird - as a class we worked through about 4 levels, everyone having a blast. This can work with any "step" type problem - someone comes up to put the next step on the board, recites a fact they learned, something from a book, etc.
Estimating: At all levels estimation is important, but specifically at the younger ones where it is taught. How long will the bird fly if it's this angle? How far? How high? Where will it land? Justification is great for these as well - "Why do you think that"?
Measurement: Projecting onto a whiteboard means you can measure off specific distances, and measurement is really at all levels.
Volume/Surface Area: Determining the volume or surface area of the blocks broken is great for the middle school age groups. Competitions between groups could include who can break the most surface area, volume, both, etc.
Just a few quick ones - any more? Please share!
Classroom practice/study time: I recently had a group of ESL students come over who were practicing English - specifically, a few sentences they were going to deliver for a powerpoint presentation. I pulled up Angry Birds and each student said their sentences and then got to fire one bird - as a class we worked through about 4 levels, everyone having a blast. This can work with any "step" type problem - someone comes up to put the next step on the board, recites a fact they learned, something from a book, etc.
Estimating: At all levels estimation is important, but specifically at the younger ones where it is taught. How long will the bird fly if it's this angle? How far? How high? Where will it land? Justification is great for these as well - "Why do you think that"?
Measurement: Projecting onto a whiteboard means you can measure off specific distances, and measurement is really at all levels.
Volume/Surface Area: Determining the volume or surface area of the blocks broken is great for the middle school age groups. Competitions between groups could include who can break the most surface area, volume, both, etc.
Just a few quick ones - any more? Please share!
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Student Owned Devices
Student owned devices, and their use in the classroom, are becoming a hot topic on Twitter and in education circles that I'm part of. Generally speaking, the people I talk to tend to be in favour of them. That being said, however, thats possibly because the people I'm talking with tend to be of a similar mind to me :)
There have been some reasonable arguments against allowing students to bring in devices into the classroom which I would like to explore.
First, my position: I firmly believe that, issues aside, allowing student devices to be used in the classroom will better promote a technological literacy in students, as well as better engage them in their own learning.
Now, the issues "we" have to work out as a school and education community:
1. It's too hard to manage. This issue has popped up the most of any and I can totally see the perspective of the people commenting on it. It's usually network administrators or IT support people who say this and they absolutely have a point. Having managed two school networks before I can understand the difficulty of having to deal with different configurations, abilities, settings and systems all the while keeping everything working.
Possible solution: Set a standard for your school - we will support XYZ for this task, and XYZ for that one. Then, when teachers want to use another device, have them implement and support it themselves. Of course, offer support when it's convenient and continue working towards improving the "standard", but for heavens sake don't tell everyone "You can't use this because we can't support it".
2. Not everyone has a device. This gets sticky because it can show obvious levels of wealth and split students into categories. It also causes students to go home and say "Mr. Campbell says we HAVE to have a cell phone in class" when that's certainly NOT what I said.
Solution: Other than the obvious piece that everyone already KNOWS the have's and have not's in the classroom because students share and use cell phones constantly outside of the classroom, I have found that when devices are used grouping students tends to work best. I will say "Okay, I need 5 phones, who will volunteer to use their phone to be part of a group". This allows students to hide behind "I don't want to use my phone" rather than "I'm the only one in my group that doesn't have one."
3. PD issues. This goes along with "we can't support it" in that teachers can begin to expect that they HAVE to use these devices without any training, and then get upset because they aren't used effectively. A very valid concern and one that needs to be addressed quickly after initiating a student owned device program.
Solution: Provide very simple activities for the less "techy" amongst the teachers that doesn't require any serious support. Also make it clear that this is not an expectation (yet?) in the school and therefore, to try what they want or ignore it completely.
Hopefully we can work past these (and other) complaints so as to utilize the tools that most of our students already have...
There have been some reasonable arguments against allowing students to bring in devices into the classroom which I would like to explore.
First, my position: I firmly believe that, issues aside, allowing student devices to be used in the classroom will better promote a technological literacy in students, as well as better engage them in their own learning.
Now, the issues "we" have to work out as a school and education community:
1. It's too hard to manage. This issue has popped up the most of any and I can totally see the perspective of the people commenting on it. It's usually network administrators or IT support people who say this and they absolutely have a point. Having managed two school networks before I can understand the difficulty of having to deal with different configurations, abilities, settings and systems all the while keeping everything working.
Possible solution: Set a standard for your school - we will support XYZ for this task, and XYZ for that one. Then, when teachers want to use another device, have them implement and support it themselves. Of course, offer support when it's convenient and continue working towards improving the "standard", but for heavens sake don't tell everyone "You can't use this because we can't support it".
2. Not everyone has a device. This gets sticky because it can show obvious levels of wealth and split students into categories. It also causes students to go home and say "Mr. Campbell says we HAVE to have a cell phone in class" when that's certainly NOT what I said.
Solution: Other than the obvious piece that everyone already KNOWS the have's and have not's in the classroom because students share and use cell phones constantly outside of the classroom, I have found that when devices are used grouping students tends to work best. I will say "Okay, I need 5 phones, who will volunteer to use their phone to be part of a group". This allows students to hide behind "I don't want to use my phone" rather than "I'm the only one in my group that doesn't have one."
3. PD issues. This goes along with "we can't support it" in that teachers can begin to expect that they HAVE to use these devices without any training, and then get upset because they aren't used effectively. A very valid concern and one that needs to be addressed quickly after initiating a student owned device program.
Solution: Provide very simple activities for the less "techy" amongst the teachers that doesn't require any serious support. Also make it clear that this is not an expectation (yet?) in the school and therefore, to try what they want or ignore it completely.
Hopefully we can work past these (and other) complaints so as to utilize the tools that most of our students already have...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
So How Important is Math?
I can't believe I'm writing this :)
Other than my still held belief (here) that learning for the sake of learning is important, I've began wondering just how useful the high school math we teach is.
I have been working on a whole-year PBL approach to my Grade 8 math class. The basic premise is that students are given a scenario (you're an accountant, you make 60k, you're married) and then asked to perform a bunch of "everyday" tasks. Things like doing their taxes, making a budget, getting a mortgage, choosing the best items to buy at the grocery store, etc.
All of these tasks involve math, and all are what I would call "legitimate" tasks in that people actually DO have to make these decisions (no trains leaving stations, for example).
What I encountered, however, is how much our society has gotten AWAY from the math of these basic things.
When I started to have students work out how much tax they would be paying, it dawned on me that I never had to do those calculations because QuickTax did it for me, and better than I ever could.
When I set up the assignment to chose the best items at the grocery store, I remembered that all the work is already done because the store puts unit prices on everything already.
You get the idea.
So while I've created, in my opinion, an interesting program for the year and I think the students will enjoy it, I really haven't opened anyones eyes to the uses of math.
I enjoy math a lot, and I'm struggling to think about where I've used it. Granted, I've had to do rate and distance calculations on trips, or calculate basic equations when planning events, but that's all pretty straightforward. Perhaps it's because I KNOW how to do this stuff, but I struggle to think of daily math use.
So, other than knowing for the sake of knowing....how much math do we really use?
Other than my still held belief (here) that learning for the sake of learning is important, I've began wondering just how useful the high school math we teach is.
I have been working on a whole-year PBL approach to my Grade 8 math class. The basic premise is that students are given a scenario (you're an accountant, you make 60k, you're married) and then asked to perform a bunch of "everyday" tasks. Things like doing their taxes, making a budget, getting a mortgage, choosing the best items to buy at the grocery store, etc.
All of these tasks involve math, and all are what I would call "legitimate" tasks in that people actually DO have to make these decisions (no trains leaving stations, for example).
What I encountered, however, is how much our society has gotten AWAY from the math of these basic things.
When I started to have students work out how much tax they would be paying, it dawned on me that I never had to do those calculations because QuickTax did it for me, and better than I ever could.
When I set up the assignment to chose the best items at the grocery store, I remembered that all the work is already done because the store puts unit prices on everything already.
You get the idea.
So while I've created, in my opinion, an interesting program for the year and I think the students will enjoy it, I really haven't opened anyones eyes to the uses of math.
I enjoy math a lot, and I'm struggling to think about where I've used it. Granted, I've had to do rate and distance calculations on trips, or calculate basic equations when planning events, but that's all pretty straightforward. Perhaps it's because I KNOW how to do this stuff, but I struggle to think of daily math use.
So, other than knowing for the sake of knowing....how much math do we really use?
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Dressing for the part
An interesting conversation on Twitter arose about professional dress.
The conversation went on about how some teachers feel that dressing more relaxed allows them to connect with students, while others suggested that we need to dress as professionals.
Personally, I think it's all about dressing professionally for both students and teachers.
I've worked at two uniform schools and one non-uniform school, and while every school is different, there is a distinct and noticeable difference in the uniform schools. I firmly believe that dressing for what you intend to be doing subconsciously changes your behaviour. This is very evident on "non uniform" days, and even students will notice this.
Just as you wouldn't wear gym clothes to a fancy party, there should be an expectation that students and teachers dress appropriately.
Does this mean uniforms? Personally I think it does - it means that everyone is dressed appropriately, and furthermore, it removes the issues with clothing being a differentiator. Uniforms don't have to be super formal, however, to work - a nice golf shirt and business-casual pants are all that is required for students to "act the part" and dress for a purpose.
Some teachers suggest that dressing for the part doesn't change how professional they act. While in the larger picture I would agree - clothes don't make the man (or woman), but I firmly believe that dress affects how we behave, subtly.
Another very large issue is how we are perceived - far too often the public has a negative view of teachers, and I think that if we want to start being treated more as professionals, we need to start dressing and acting that way.
Every job has a dress code, why shouldn't school?
The conversation went on about how some teachers feel that dressing more relaxed allows them to connect with students, while others suggested that we need to dress as professionals.
Personally, I think it's all about dressing professionally for both students and teachers.
I've worked at two uniform schools and one non-uniform school, and while every school is different, there is a distinct and noticeable difference in the uniform schools. I firmly believe that dressing for what you intend to be doing subconsciously changes your behaviour. This is very evident on "non uniform" days, and even students will notice this.
Just as you wouldn't wear gym clothes to a fancy party, there should be an expectation that students and teachers dress appropriately.
Does this mean uniforms? Personally I think it does - it means that everyone is dressed appropriately, and furthermore, it removes the issues with clothing being a differentiator. Uniforms don't have to be super formal, however, to work - a nice golf shirt and business-casual pants are all that is required for students to "act the part" and dress for a purpose.
Some teachers suggest that dressing for the part doesn't change how professional they act. While in the larger picture I would agree - clothes don't make the man (or woman), but I firmly believe that dress affects how we behave, subtly.
Another very large issue is how we are perceived - far too often the public has a negative view of teachers, and I think that if we want to start being treated more as professionals, we need to start dressing and acting that way.
Every job has a dress code, why shouldn't school?
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