Class Dojo

Today a colleague and I were trying to set up a behavior system for a newly formed program for students with behavior issues.  The students will be self contained till the end of the year in the hopes that we can use data to make appropriate placement for the fall.  After much discussion, I suggested we try Class Dojo to set up the behavior expectations.  After about a 1/2 hour, we had the expectations listed and the point system all set up.  It was so easy and the parents were really glad that the daily report can be emailed directly to them at the end of the day.  Class Dojo will be a great way to start the year in the fall.  Check it out!
NETS-T 1,2

50 Crucial Rules – Social Media Etiquette for Students

Social media etiquette needs to be taught to those of all ages.  Initially, I was hoping these 50 rules would be for young students but this article is for those young adults just out of college or even those of us that are still learning about social media in general.  Good suggestions for all of us to consider.  Let me know what you think about some of these ideas.  Do you think they are to vague? Too strict?

http://www.sociableblog.com/2010/04/01/50-crucial-rules-social-media-etiquette-for-students/

The Importance of Teaching Digital Citizenship

The effects of the cyberbulling run deep - embarrassing , intimidating and harassing.  However, the problem is not only an online issue.  It happens in the classroom, playground and neighborhoods.Teaching digital citizenship has been added to the ever growing list of issues teachers have to address in the classroom.  The lessons that need to be taught focus on being a good member of society both online and in person.  The overall civic lesson that students need to learn is that they are part of the community and their actions and decisions need to reflect respect for each other and the community.  I am in agreement that citizenship skills need to be taught.  My concern is where are we going to fit it into our day?  Is a district curriculum needed?  Even still.... teaching children to be good citizens is a must.


http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/the_importance_of_teaching_digital_citizenship.php

Survey: Educators lack training to teach online safety - USATODAY.com

Survey: Educators lack training to teach online safety - USATODAY.com


After reading this article while researching digital citizenship, I thought I would share the link.  At the beginning of this course I truly felt like one of the teachers in statement below.
"36% of teachers said they received zero hours of training by their school districts in the last year; 40% received one to three hours of training."  However, over the last weeks, I am so amazed at the amount of growth that I have experienced.  With that in mind, I believe we need to share our knowledge with our peers.   We can start out small and teach a few peers at a time. Tracy mentioned during the Skype on Wednesday, she is the only one in her building using technology. Teachers need to teach teachers.  If the districts are not going to provide proper training through district professional development, we will need to teach each other if we are going to hope to keep students informed and safe online. 

ClassDojo

We have been able to share so many valuable resources during this class and each of us has been able to take /use what will work with our students.  That said, to me it doesn't matter what we are teaching if the management in our classroom is not in order. If classroom rules/expectations are  clear and followed, the learning environment is so much more successful.  Class Dojo focuses on behavior management  and brings positive reinforcement to the digital age. 

"ClassDojo is an award-winning behavior management tool that helps teachers improve student behavior in class, using realtime feedback. ClassDojo makes it easy to build positive learning habits and behaviors, and then easily engage students and parents to improve behavior in class and at home. It takes less than 2 minutes to get going - check it out now!

Winner of NBC’s Innovation in Education Award 2011. Used and loved by millions of teachers and students around the world".

We will be starting PBIS in the fall in my school, but will it be the saving grace and restore order to the building as they claim.  Is ClassDojo an option for your students? Check it out and let me know what you think.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b5uihmPlbvA&feature=related

Planned Digital Story Telling Project

 What are your plans for this project?

My plans for the Digital Storytelling Project are to provide background information in story format as a segue into "The Diary of Anne Frank."  Both of the 8th grade teams I work with are going to be starting on this diary shortly so I will be using the project with students as soon as it is completed.  My thought is that by using this type of media, the students will be able to understand how and why it was so important for families like the Frank's to hide out during WWII. Since this is such a serious subject, I have been tentative about my choice but think it would be helpful.  What do you ladies' think?  I am interested in your thoughts and have struggling with narrowing my choices. 

Early Childhood Websites

Wikijunior is an  resource to use for finding nonfiction books/information for students from birth to 12.  The site is well organized and child friendly so that students can pick their titles easily.  Although some teachers steer away from sites that can be edited by students, Wikijunior would be a great place for students to get exposure to wikis in general. It could be used for teaching about website credibility and internet sources. I might also use this site for students who are not able to read through the extensive text of other websites but need to research / explore a topic.

NETS-S 1,2,3,4

The name "Hubbard's Cupboard" really caught my eye!  As I explored further, I was impressed with the idea of the literacy kits mentioned in the "Family Involvement" section. What a great way to guide parents in the direction their children need to go! Next year, I may put some kits together for my low level readers who would be really like to practice at home.

Next, I checked out the Social Studies section and explored the "Maps, Mail and Where I Live" unit.  Even though my students are older, they would still like some of the activities in the unit as well as reading children's books.  Topics covered in this unit are also covered in Gr. 7 Social Studies so I would be able to use Map, Mail and Where I Live as a modified unit for some of my special ed students. This was a great find for me. Thanks!

NETS-S 1,2,4, 5

NETS-T 1,2,3,4

Read, Write, Think has been a resource that I have used for some time.  I not only get great ideas for lessons but have used the printables and other resources to make modifications to gen ed lessons. Another plus for this website is that it clearly lists student objectives. This added bonus is utilized when I need to write custom goals and objectives for students.  Since I am called upon to modify often I have used this site as a guide for others so that they can learn to make the necessary changes for students on their own.  Teaching teachers this skill has been easier when I can use this site as a resource.

NETS-T 1,2,3,4,5

NETS-S 1,2,3,4

Here's a website I found that is chock full of so many opportunities for learning.

http://www.uptoten.com/  UpToTen has thousands of educational games and activities for children. Some of the actiivites are centered on computer navigational skills.  The site has 3 levels of participation - one of which is Free! 

NETS-S 1,2,3,4

Babes in Computer Land

1) At what age can online/digital literacy activities be integrated into the classroom? Provide supporting details in your response. 


Online/digital literacy activities can be integrated into the classroom for 2-3 year old children.  There are numerous websites like Starfall and Nick Jr that teach literacy skills for very young children. Touch pads, iPods  and other tools are accessible to so many very young children.  Parents use the tools to teach as well as keep children busy in the car, during appointments and in restaurants. Even so, the children are learning literacy skills and manipulating computers at a much younger age than in the past.The following link will bring you to the article "Young Children and the Technology Trend: Toddlers and Tablets Unite". It is worth checking it out in my opinion. 
http://protectme.webroot.com/featured/young-children-and-the-technology-trend-toddlers-and-tablets-unite.html

Another site I found helpful is listed below. Although I do not teach children this young, I will have special education students in the near future that may need these types of educational activities.

Lunch Box is easy to navigate and has a section so you can filter the many choices you may want to focus on when choosing an app for a student or very young child. With sites like this available, parents and teachers can make safe decisions about apps and educational games. 

With all this said, Digital technology can be integrated into classrooms with very young children. The skills that they will acquire far outweighs any cons that some believe is pushing our youngsters too early.

Check Your Work...

How many times have we asked students to check their work?  Repeatedly, constantly?  Well, now it's my turn to check my work.  The title of my blog has a misspelling!   Last time I checked a bog was in Cape Cod with cranberries growing in it.  LOL!  I have looked that page over and over but never noticed it until tonight. Has it been like this the whole time???  I was switching designs today and maybe I did it then but.......  ??  It's always good to have these sort of things happen to me so that I never forget how my students feel when they make a mistake or have a misspelling.

NOW!!! How do I fix it??


Food for Thought

"I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence, I can reach for; perfection is God's business."  Michael J. Fox, quoted by Lorne A. Adrain in 'The Most Important Thing I Know'

Web Page Attempt

I have attempted to put a web page together and I definitely think it needs some pizzazz. I tried to pick one that was free and workable so my choices might have been limited. Improvement is a definite need. Ideas? Thoughts? Start over with another web tool? Looking for some input.
http://teachers.net/cgi-bin/sampler.cgi
NETS: 1,2,3

That Quiz

WOW ! Set up the Test. Students take it on line. It's graded immediately. Subjects include math, vocabulary, geography, science. Every little bit helps when we're trying to save time. Hope you find something useful. http://www.thatquiz.org/

Using Ipad in Reading

LOVE THIS!!! What a perfect example to show how technology can enhance learning! This video shows a system called the 3 R's- reread, record and reflect to improve fluency. The students are also given an assessment tool to judge how they have read. Programs like Read Naturally have a similar process but I really liked that students could pick any book in their skill level while practicing fluency. By reading books of their choice, they may have more of a commitment to the process. The students in this video are tech savvy enough to be independent. How do others feel about this type of fluency practice? I can see older students completing the "3 R's" especially if they had earphones to listen to their own voice/recording.

Five-Year-Olds Pilot Their Own Project-Based Learning | Edutopia

Five-Year-Olds Pilot Their Own Project-Based Learning | Edutopia
The integration of technology and content area instruction is shown in this video where teachers have planned  craft project based learning experiences for their students.  When I first started watching the video, I was surprised with the level of rigor for such young students but as the video continue I was more and more impressed with the use of authentic purposes for learning. My opportunities for this type of learning is not as frequent as I would like but this video shows how teachers can integrate all subjects while planning lessons.

NASA: The Water Cycle from Explainia.com

The video below comes from a site Explainia.com that gives animated explanations for various subjects.  There are different versions of the water cycle information as well as other topics.I found it interesting that by using a video such as this we can give students another option for learning, reviewing and reinforcing information.  These types of videos would be excellent for those students who need differentiation. I could see this video being used as an assessment with a student explaining the water cycle to the teacher instead of taking a standard test. Does anyone know how to set up a "library" by subject area or is Diigo my best bet?

Using the Arts to Promote Critical Thinking

Although none of us are art teachers, I found this video that seemed to take Art Class to a new level. The instructor's expectations mixed with critical thinking skills were much higher than I expected for this grade. As I watched I got the feeling that the students were really becoming "artists " not just students in a unified art class.  The vocabulary used was impressive and the carry over of critical thinking skills in Art class gave students an opportunity to express themselves in another format.


https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/using-the-arts-to-promote-critical-thinking

The website has many videos that can be used by teachers to improve their teaching sills.

Tagxedo Fun and Useful

Using Tagxedo was as easy as Meghan mentioned. Thanks for the good find! I just added the url from my blog and then picked some of the options available. Notice how the top two apples have the same information but the words pop depending on the choices you make. I would like to use this for the vocabulary from The Diary of Anne Frank and it will also be great for my struggling students who are studying the countries in Africa. Perhaps we will try to add the information from each country and use the shape of the country as the theme. The motivation level will increase for those who have a difficult time with learning so many facts.  Another idea might be to have the students list their personal interests, qualities and family names. It may be a nice "gift" for themselves or even something for Mother's or Father's Day.   Does anyone else have any other ideas?

Comparing Reading Onscreen and in Hard Copy

"Comparing Reading Onscreen and in Hard Copy" by Abbey Becker gave me some hope that books will not be totally extinct as the age of technology continues to grow.  Her findings that students may prefer the hard copy to online reading really hit home with me.  My daughter's syllabus listed Pride and Predjudice as one of the novels she needed to read this year.  She decided to add it (for Free) to her Kindle Library.  Love it when she saves me money!  Anyway, as the class begins to work on assignments and dissect the novel, she requested the hard copy version because "she was wasting time trying to align the pages of the Kindle with the points that were being made in class and found it difficult to find, hightlight and note the points quickly enough." We ended up buying the hard copy version so she could move more quickly and make notes on the pages.

The distraction issue was not an problem for her but it was for me. I added Alan November's book for class to the Kindle.  As long as I had the Kindle I was fine but reading on the PC ended up being more difficult than I expected since I felt the need to multitask as Becker mentioned.

What are your personal preferences? As technology grows will we fine tune our skills of reading onscreen?

Sight Words-Fun and Games!

It's hard for some to believe that I am still teaching sight words to students in middle school.  What I find amazing is they have not given up! It's games and fun activities like these that keep struggling students motivated to keep on trying to improve their reading skills. Let me know how this type of site would work for your younger students.  I am always looking for ideas and this is a site that I had not seen till now.  Got to love the price too---FREE.

http://www.quiz-tree.com/Sight-Words_main.html

Primary Source Criteria

I came across a blog post "Teaching with the Library of Congress" that discusses using primary sources with your students. Some of Alan November's thoughts were reiterated but also I found list of criteria that should be used when picking a source to be very helpful.This is an excerpt from the blog:

• "Content: Will your students want to look closely, ask questions, and learn more about this particular primary source?
• Age-appropriateness: Is the content suitable for your students? Is it too complex?
• Length: Will the length of the letter, diary entry, or newspaper article affect student comprehension? Is an excerpt more appropriate?
• Readability of text or handwriting: Is text clearly printed and legible? Will cursive handwriting impact your students’ understanding?
• Reading level of students: Will your students be able to decode the text of the primary source?
• Prior knowledge needed (historical; vocabulary): Do outdated terms need to be defined? Will your students understand the content of the primary source?"

For more information and to read the rest of the series see below.

http://blogs.loc.gov/teachers/2011/07/selecting-primary-sources-part-i-knowing-your-students/

Diigo

http://www.diigo.com/user/meczapor

Here's the link to my Diigo account.  I have been adding some new sites so check back. Using Diigo has been so helpful to me as I was not very organized with the sites I used prior to this class.  It has saved me time and most importantly aggravation.  Kudos Judy!!

Confessions of a Planet

The Flocabulary site that was mentioned in an earlier blog has a rap called Confessions of a Planet. What a hoot! Can't wait to try it out next week when we're back at school. The information is more involved than my Animoto but the interest level will be the same for all. The student's background knowledge will be important for full understanding but I believe that students at my school will enjoy watching this video/rap. What are your thoughts on the appropriateness for younger students? I was thinking grade 3-4 and up. Thoughts? http://flocabulary.com/solar-system/

Planet Animoto

The purpose of my Animoto is to reinforce information about the planets that students will be learning in their Science class. Although it will be shared with all students, I created it with my special education students in mind. They will be responsible for knowing the names of planets, their order and at least one fact for each by the end of the chapter. For that reason I kept the information brief and reading minimal. The facts listed on the Animoto are options for students to remember. Depending on their skill level, the students will be guided to pick a fact that is in alignment with their reading level and/or ability. The follow up activity will be to list each planet on an index card with the fact and order number on the back. Each student will play the "card game" with their own deck to study for the upcoming assessment. NETS-T 1,2,3

November Ch 4 and 5

When I taught high school and a student was given a primary source to read, I was usually discouraged since the student could not decode the words, let alone understand the message, or perspcetive that the author was portraying.  This led me to read to the student and paraphrase as I read.  Not exactly what a primary source should be.  Now that there are more options to find primary sources and now that I am able to use video, photographs, sound clips and other media to access the same information. I think primary sources have the ability to strike interest and help the student to be more in control of his or her learning. These are a couple of websites that may be helpful for younger students.

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/
http://chnm.gmu.edu/cyh/primary-sources

Once in control of their own learning, a student may decide to search for online courses to develop an interest that the school cannot afford to add to the course selection. Online courses take motivation, disipline and parental support according to Alan November. But the potential learning opportunities are many and it seems to be a ever growing alternative to the traditional classroom setting.  When searching the pros and cons of online learning, I noticed the lengthy list of commercial sites that were focusing on their own benefit.  How will these online courses be evaluated in comparison to each other?  Time will tell ??

Empowering Students with Technology

As I read through the first three chapters of Empowering Students with Technology, I was struck by this idea of Alan November's ,"In this stage of the transition from the isolated to the connected classroom, we need leaders who can help their colleagues understand how to move to a team based environment. " This part of Chapter 1 continues to discusss the difference between automating and informating w hich I had not thought about until this reading.  The thought that we, in this class, have the opportunity to be the leaders helping our fellow teachers connect to each other around the world through technololgy is a powerful responsibility. Are we ready for such a challenge?  Is it possible that we are ahead of the curve in our schools and we willneed to be the next professional development presenters? Thoughts?

As I reflect on the text, my idea of information literacy is having the ability to determine the validity of the information or content found in websites on the internet.  In order to be Internet “literate”, a user must first understand how to access the information and then how to determine if the source of the information is reputable.  According to Alan November, this also implies understanding the nuts and bolts of all the symbols used in website names and how to successfully navigate to a website or its links.   Students or users of any age must be taught strategies for using the internet.  M.A.P.ping the Internet in my mind basically means dissecting a website address into what Alan November identifies as the three major parts of a website address:  The Meta-web Information, the Author, and the Purpose of the website.  My comfort level to “navigate” to and from websites, I now realize I am certainly not “Internet literate”!  My understanding of November’s M.A.P.ping is as follows:

                The Meta-web information relates to the actual web page address, the links or sites to which the web page is connected and the search engine or research tool used to look for the information you request.

The Author is the person who designed, wrote, and posted the website to the Internet.

The Purpose refers to the reason the author put the website on the internet. 

 Alan November’s information that I found very significant was the differences between the .coms, .edus and the tilde.  This information will assist me in teaching students how to navigate and use information with reliability. Knowing that “.com” relates to commercial sites, .edu refers to educational institution and the tilde meant a personal rather than a professional position on a topic is essential for guiding students on their quest for Internet information. The meaning of each part of a web address is essential for the user’s success in locating valid or current information on the subject being researched.

              Relationships require communication between two or more objects and being connected in some way.  Technology requires communication.  In order to use communications tools such as a telephone, cell phone, fax or computer systems, services are required and relationships much be developed to get started. 

                Ideas discussed in this chapter are about relationships.  I have used many of these techniques, including teamwork, learning with a purpose, family involvement.  In this chapter, Alan November refers to the importance of critical thinking skills for all participants.  Critical thinking skills are developed and improved through communication, creations and analysis of our work.  The Internet can assist with this learning and link communication and relationships. Through the effective use of technology, better relationships can be developed between the school and the families it serves.  There would be improved communication about the expectations for the student and the ongoing progress shared with the parents.  It improves the ability for teachers to communicate with each other about challenges, successes.  The opportunity for students to develop cultural sensitivity and awareness can significantly improve the ability of students to become more diverse in understanding people with beliefs that are different than their own.

          November reminds us that we are learners for life as well as teachers when it to Internet use is evident.  The control that teachers have over their class is hard to let go of and that is especially true as we try to teach and learn at the same time.  It is difficult to have enough self confidence to give our students their freedom so they can have some control in their learning. “Asking students for help will be a skill that some teachers will have to polish or learn from scratch” was a good thought for reverse mentoring.  Self confidence or not many teachers will find it uncomfortable to “giving up control of the traditional teaching/learning dynamic.”  Change is always tricky but the educational system has been heading for a collaborative plan. Data teams, co teaching and the many programs that are available on the Web for students as well as teachers encourage interactions  with their peers around the globe so that the roles may shift somewhat but we all will be learning  from each other.

So now my questions are many.  How do teachers get all of this moving in the postive direction? What needs to be top priority in our districts so teachers and students can integrate classroom learning and technology?  Where are the resources going to come from so that all students will have access to technology so they can be competitive in the future?

Empowering Students with Technology

Alan November's book "Empowering Students with Technology" should be a must read for all teachers who plan on keeping up with the world of instant information. Which to me means all teachers!  In the first chapter, November enlightens the reader so that everyone will understand how to access the information and know how to determine if the source of the information is reputable. Clearly explained is the MAPping design which dissects the web address so that the user can fully understand where the information he or she is using is coming from.  This was a real eyeopener for me since I had never had all of this information explained to me in such a way that made sense. To me we should be teaching students these ideas in elementary  school so that they are ready to tckle the internet from the beginning of their research use.
 Chapter 2 of November's book gave more insight about the use of technology but from the communications and relationships perspective.  I was particularly interested in the use of technology to improve relationships between the family and the school.  I find it more productive to send an email to a parent about homework or a project but I have colleagues who will not communicate with parents through email due to the fear of being misinterpreted or misread.  In addition, November's link between the relationships and communication affirms that we are in need of more resources and the ability to share with each other ie lesson, projects, professional development is an opportunity we should not miss. Lastly Chapter 3,reminds us that we are life long learners. I am the perfect example. Five years ago, I would never have thought that I would be pursuing another degree.  However, it is the change that can bring a person to anew heights and if it requires us to think a little differently and give students some control over their own learning then we owe it to them to give it a try.

Wordle

Wordle has been around for a while but my interest was sparked after watching this video because it gives other purposes besides vocabulary use.  This video gives some suggestions on how to use Wordle with a book or story if you want to focus on theme, main characters, etc.I liked this idea because I thought it would be a good way to for students to focus on text. Another idea that did not occur to me until seeing this video was using Wordle as a behavior tool. When setting up class rules in the beginning of the school year, each student can express the rule or rules he or she may think are the most important.  Once the ideas are added to Wordle, those suggested most often will be appear more prominent.  I thought this was a good way to get a barometer on the class as a whole and give the teacher some insight into the directions he/she needs to go as far as overall classroom management is concerned.  A teacher in a new school or position may not know the students in the class but the students know each other and I think using Wordle would be an interesting way to see what students value as you are setting the climate of the classroom. Making a big Wordle poster would make students feel involved in the decisions of their class and look more creative than the standard classroom list of rules.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZCJIkqmK4q8?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

!!! Having trouble with embedding video. I am doing something incorrectly.  Thoughts, Suggestions, Please

Rap for Content Areas

As we all know vocabulary is difficult for many of our students.  Anyway we can get them to be exposed to vocabulary is a plus for all.  The link below will lead you to a rap about Life on the Farm.  I thought the second graders in the city would be interested and connect with the rap but others will like it also.  After you check it out, let me know what you think.

http://flocabulary.com/3-every-day-is-hard-on-the-farm/

Explore Resources on Digital Storytelling

Exploring the resources of digital storytelling has been a an exciting adventure, an intimidating  feat and an overall challenge that is both overwelming and energizing.  The possibilities are endless and I think this is one of the reasons that I have the intimidating feeling that there is too much for me to process at once. Since the options are so vast, I will consider digital storytelling as an adventure.  One area that puzzled me was how to get the voice into the story.  I worried that that would be an issue for me but Larry Ferrazzo's Blog http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2009/04/15/the-best-digital-storytelling-resources/ lead me to information on Voice Thread that was very clear-cut on what you need to do to add voice. The part of LangwichesBlog that I found so helpful is http://langwitches.org/blog/2008/06/19/digital-storytelling-part-vi-voicethread/. The directions on how to use voice thread are clear and the visual directions were perfect for me as a visual learner.  Has anyone tried to use Voice Thread yet?  I may be jumping ahead but since this area seemed totally out of my realm, I needed to explore what it is so that I can process the way it is used.
I am eager to have my students work with me using voice thread but wonder about their fluency and how it will affect the quality of the digital story. Does that make a difference?  Check out the info above and let me know what you think. Was it helpful enough? Do you think my students with fluency issues will be anxious or excited about this opportunity?

Make Beliefs Comix Test

Thanks to Judy's suggestion I gave the comic strip development a whirl. As it turns out, William Zimmerman the creator of the site http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/ came up with the idea as a way to encourage an improvement in student literacy.http://www.iste-community.org/profiles/blogs/using-comic-strips-to  will bring you to his blog which will explain his purpose as well as explain how to use the site. After reding through Zimmereman's information, I could not help myself so here's the test run of my very first comic strip.  It's corny but I had fun trying to figure out how to work it and think students will too.
http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/Comix/?comix_id=20028397C685528

Does anyone use comic strips in the classroom.? I have not so far but think that comic strips can be a way for us to teach differently. The purpose is to motivate young readers, to enable them to expand their vocabulary, spark their imaginations and develop a love of reading so that hopefully they will become recreational readers.  While they are doing ALL of these things we want them to do... they are having fun.