Online tools for the Turned Off Reader

The following list offers a quick list of resources that teachers and students can use:

o   Resources – 60 second recap for middle years – high school novels, SparkNotes - an online version of the old Coles notes. Online is free, downloads have a fee.

o   Interactive journals – uPad lite app, Book Creator app

o   Music – Grooveshark online and an app – free streaming music, can sign up to create playlists, have students pick out songs (watch out for explicit language)

o   Background film – LearnAlberta’s Online Reference Centre is filled with many ebooks, audiobooks and CBC archive videos (must be an Albertan teachers/student to use this password protected site).

o   Comic books – ComicBook app, Comic Strip app

For further resources and tools, please see http://psdreaders.wikispaces.com/Turned-off.

 

Online tools for the Word Caller

Below are three modes of engaging those Word Caller readers:

o   Visualize – brainstorming with a Smartboard, Bubbl.us or Popplet app

o   Model – AnimotoEdu online or app, ShowMe app, Educreations app

o   List and Share – Google doc, TitanPad, TodaysMeet

To check out more resources and tools, see http://psdreaders.wikispaces.com/Word+Caller.

 

Intentional Leader: The Fruit of Focus

Monthly Theme: Focus

Week 4

Trusting in our abilities to meet the challenges placed before us can be difficult without focus, determination and a great support system. In this week’s Intentional Leader on page 63, the introductory story shares how American Olympian Jesse Owens focused on his Olympic events instead of the controversial Aryan supremacy indoctrination that was occurring in Europe in 1936.

Although my challenges may not be so politically fused or so open to a global audience, it’s very important for me to use the tools and resources before me to stay organized, planned and in contact with colleagues.

Some of my FOCUS tools:

• Online calendar – accessible by any device (computer to smartphone)
• Email(s) – viewing emails from all accounts through one access point allows me to scan, share, respond quickly. I like to view them early in the morning and then as needed throughout the day.
• Task manager – there are times when I use this but I think I should try to use it more often instead of writing on a sticky note.
• Evernote – love this online and App! I continue to find uses for gathering data in many forms (audio, text, photo).
• Twitter – my PLN (professional learning network) never fails me when I ask a question, share a thought or learning something new.
• SETT and Levels of Support – talking about students, their environment, tasks in learning and finally the tools and levels of support they need to be successful. This tool helps me focus our discussions and our response for resources.

What are your FOCUS tools and/or resources? Have they changed over the last number of years?

 

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Got Tech, Will Travel!

Today I was able to spend a well planned day of learning, networking and connecting with the staff at Monsignor Fee Otterson in the southwest of Edmonton. This new school prides itself on its use of technology within the learning environment, but I must say, my visual and emotional sensibilities were heightened everywhere I turned. The hallways and classrooms showed off the amazing student artwork, great books being read, student reflections, and collaborative learning areas.

 

The infamous M & M admin team and 100 Voices teachers and hosts, Danielle and Jennifer, took good care of us in this well-planned day. We had time observing students in classrooms, speaking with teachers, having an IT/ET overview of ipad setup and accessories, and playing with new-found apps.

 

At Otterson, all teachers have an ipad of their own to use as they please. As well there is a cart of ipads and a set of 10. The young staff are ambitious and discerning as to how they see the ipads infiltrating the classroom environment. In one Kindergarten classroom, there were three ipads, each with different sets of apps and only about 8-10 apps in total. In another grade one classroom, a literacy station had an ipad where students were scanning a QR code from a page in a binder which took them to a leveled reading book from Scholastic.com. In another, students had created artwork and then had their explanation of their work tied to a QR code.

 

Teachers here like having a Master iPad in which they can choose a few apps relating to curricular content that can easily be uploaded to their classroom iPads. Most of them noted that they changed their iPad apps on a monthly basis. As well, they looked for apps that can be used ‘on the fly’ to collect evidence of learning easily. Such apps shared in this category were:

-       Videolicious – combine some images and a basic video clip to make a simple and quick movie.

-       QR codes – readers like BeeTagg or Bakodo and QR code makers from Kaywa and Linkstore. These are all quick and easy to use and make. Putting QR codes on student artwork or in a binder is simple. For further uses of QR codes in the classroom, I refer to the crowd-sources document started by Tom Barrett as Interesting Ways to Use QR Codes in the Classroom.

-       Pictello – create talking books and talking photo albums or even a digital portfolio. I like its ease of use but it does cost $18.99 so that may deter some people.

-       Book Creator – costs only $4.99. Create books, add photos, import speech and music, send books to email, Dropbox, etc. Good getting started tutorial included.

-       Camera/Video – these original apps on the iPad 2, really are important in gathering evidence of learning throughout the school day. Teachers here noted that they are getting better at taking pictures with the iPad or with a digital camera and then using a Camera Connection kit. They also are using the pictures with apps to have students’ reflections captured via audio or text. This is key, to be able to capture learning while learning is occurring, not after all the students have left the building.

 

What I really like about this colorful, family-like and inviting environment is that each of the teachers were very open to sharing what works and what hasn’t worked in utilizing ipads in their classrooms. They really know their students and place high, yet attainable expectations on them.

 

I leave with many ideas to share with the teachers and Learning Services team members that I work with in PSD. I hope to have an opportunity in a year to come back for a visit to see where the staff takes these digital learning experiences. Thanks to ERLC and Monsignor Fee Otterson for a memorable day of learning!

 

Make Time for Learning

photo © 2010 Robbert van der Steeg | more info (via: Wylio)
Time. It’s a precious thing and when it comes to the school day, it’s always in question. In my years as an Assistant Principal, I would hear “there’s not enough time to cover the curriculum” or “transition times are eating up my core classtime”. For all of us in education, getting back face to face time is important. This morning, I had the opportunity to listen and participate in a webinar (the first of four) regarding “Making Every Minute Count”. This webinar is hosted by Schools Moving Up – an organization that I have spoken about before. Not only does SMU have this topic, but there are many archived and future webinars and resources available. You just need to register to benefit in the amazing quality of resources that they put out.

Summary of Making Every Minute Count

With the question of “Are you considering expanding learning time at your district or school site, or are you wondering about how to effectively use additional learning time?” on our minds, Ben Lummis and Sarah Gallagher from the National Centre on Time and Learning gave us a great deal of research, case studies, audit and observation tools.

During this time of year, school staff is reviewing timetables, looking at staffing, checking the upcoming year’s budget, etc. And whether they are interested in finding additional learning time or considering expanding it, the important feature is making sure that every minute of the school day is used to maximize learning, capitalize on critical challenges, develop solid relationships and lead learning within authentic experiences.
This webinar addressed:

• assessing the  use of time
• recapturing lost time
• making classroom learning time more effective

Some school examples were shared – check out the short or long powerpoint version. As well, on the SMU website there are two other case studies.

What did I like?

I came away with some research, case studies and tools that I can share with colleagues. The guiding framework for how to effectively expand learning time is quite simple and seems it will give schools that use it, a direct way to assess their current use of time in their schools.

For those students who fit a 92% attendance category, it was interesting to hear that in some of the case studies an “attendance coach” strategy was used. This coach could be a staff member, a retired teacher, and even a local community member. Another shared attendance strategy was using auto-texting – great way to use the technology that students/parents are already carrying with them. And finally, one school gave out alarm clocks that seemed to do the trick.

The checklist and discussion surrounding similar school-wide strategies peaked my interest. It was shared that students have smoother starts to their learning in class if each of the teachers that student sees in a day starts his/her class in a similar fashion. A suggestion was to have staff set up 2-3 “Do Nows” strategies for either start up, transition or end of class activities. As well, to see these strategies in action, teachers could observe each other through mini-coverage opportunities set up by an administrative team or colleague group.

The Quality Time Analysis Tool is an 8×14 sheet that works through academic support time, non-core time, and lunch, transition, homework, and homeroom times. Allocated and no purposed time is reviewed and if the staff see there is more “waste” than they would like from their initial analysis, then they can discuss how use their instructional time more effectively. Well set up and very easy to use.

Classroom Time Use Tool is a more in-depth one classroom resource that directly targets time on transitions, teacher-led learning, student work time and assessment. The example shared shows a two hour stretch of time – so it does/may be time consuming on the part of whomever is observing to use this, but it does/can give a good allocation output of how instructional time is being utilized.

If TIME is something you want to gain or assess, the above tools, especially the Quality Time Analysis Tool and the similar school-wide strategies would be great places to start the discussion.

 

An EYE for Design: How Schools Challenge Students

I recently read an article in the Fast Company March 2011 issue. A Teen Eye for Design accounts how teachers, students, post-secondary design schools and design firms can connect together to provide an authentic learning and creative experience for students.

There are a number of similar projects such as:

• Rediscovering Creativity by Building It where Nueva School students collaborate with designers and educators at Stanford’s Hasso Plattner Institute of Design.
• Project Interaction is a 10 week after school program for high school students that guides students in changing their communities through design. A brief intro video is found on their fundraising site.
• Sweat Equity Enterprises (SEE) takes place in a real professional environment where teenagers participate year-round for all four years of high school in the US. As SEE expands nationwide this year, it plans to reach thousands of youth, teachers, and professionals. Check out the intro video of SEE with founder Marc Ecko.

• Tools for Schools is fully integrated into the School at Columbia’s yearlong curriculum.

So really, what’s so important about having design enter into middle years and high school classrooms?

Whatever way teachers and students have the opportunity to be creative, to engage in authentic learning experiences, collaborate with each other and the community and build relationships in the process is a GREAT thing! In a province that continues to ‘shout out’ that we have an exceptional educational system, we really should look at bolstering up these opportunities as recorded above so that our students can regain their creative nature and our teachers can guide them through critical challenges (not filling in scantron sheets). I wonder how many middle years schools and high schools are able to connect this work and fold it into all aspects of the curriculum? This reminds me of the work that Chris Lehmann’s Science Leadership Academy and San Diego’s High Tech High groups are doing.

Anyone interested in sharing their experiences and/or ideas?

NOTE: The Fast Company magazine is filled with various articles relating to technology, design, ethonomics and leadership. (Ethonomics or ethical economics refers to businesses that are good for the world as well as the bottom line. They are practicing social change through urban revitalization, sustainable agriculture, green IT, alternative energy and online community-powered investing.) It may be one magazine that you’ll want to add to your RSS feed aggregator page!

photo © 2005 Cyprien Lomas | more info (via: Wylio)

 

Using Technology to Support Diverse Learners

photo © 2005 Curtis Palmer | more info (via: Wylio)

For this EPSB workshop that I was able to partake in (I’m from a school division on the outskirts of this larger one) listening to the sage advice from Dave Edyburn who gave us four items to think about:

1) How the use of technology can enhance learning, teaching and performance.

2) How UDL and DI can support teachers in meeting the needs of diverse learners.

3) How ATL can be part of the RTI process.

4) Connecting Setting the Direction to all of the above.

Last week, participants were sent two short articles to read in preparation of this PD session. I must admit that I had not heard of Dave Edyburn before this time, yet his work is so important to where Alberta is working towards that I relished in this opportunity to soak in everything he was to say and has said.

The first article was from JSET 2009 Volume 24, Number 1 entitled Hindsight, Understanding What We Got Wrong, and Changing Directions. It’s a brief article outlining 10 assistive technology thoughts that Dave revisits and recritiques. Overall I enjoyed this read since I am able to gauge Dave’s process of redefining his work with Assistive Technologies in the education world.

The second article is from Learning & Leading with Technology, September 2006, provactively titled ‘Failure is not an Option’. Once again, Dave speaks to the inadequate use of technology tools and cognitive supports for students in schools. The profession as a whole, Dave says, must design authentic learning activities (and in our school division’s AISI case – critical thinking activities) to ensure successful and deeper learning.

Dave’s a jovial guy and presented us with a variety of information, graphs, and topics. You can check out my full set of notes HERE if you wish to read further! A question he posed on the onset of his talk was that “if we are aware of learner differences, what will it take to ensure that diverse learners have the supports they need to be successful?” (Actually this sounds like a great #edchat conversation! And I focused my thoughts during this day on this overarching question.)
- Our students are all at different levels of reading abilities, handwriting legibility (keyboarding skills), attention spans, persistence, numeracy skills.
- One-size-fits-all teacher lesson plan books do not thoughtfully and deliberately respond to the needs of diverse learners.
- Looking at the performance level of a student (graph was shown), how much failure data do we need before he/she knows they cannot do it and when should a teacher intervene. (Discussion ensued and research abounds that there should be no more than 3 days of ‘failure’ for an intervention to take place or a re-direction in learning to occur. (Refer to Failure is not an Option article mentioned above.)
- In order to achieve high academic outcomes for ALL, we must understand AND RESPOND to the needs of EACH.

Several theories provide inspiration and insight on design tactics that provide access, choice, challenge, and engagement for diverse learners.

- Some initiatives explained were: RTI, AT, IT, UDL.
- Pedagogical intervations were: Goldilocks/Sone of Proximal Development, Tiered Instruction and Assessment, DI, Tomlinson’s Sliders.
- Instructional Design – some good practices for teachers looking to plan for diversity:
o TIC TAC TOE – populate the grid with products that you will accept to demonstrate the learning outcome. Assists teachers in thinking as an “instructional designer” rather than a lecturer or sage on the stage – good examples for various subject areas.
o 42 Explore – accessibility for all levels on various topics
o UDL Toolkit – an online resource for teachers interested in e-tools and online resources that can give flexibility and accessibility for all learners.
o Internet4Classrooms – has an updated website filled with subject area weblinks.
o KidsClick is a web search site vetted by librarians. Very neat.
o Wikipedia – did you know that on the left sidebar you can select SIMPLE English to make Wikipedia a little easier to read for struggling readers? Cool! As well, students themselves can populate the Simple English pages. Why not have them look up a topic on Wikipedia and see if there is a Simple English category already written up for it. If there isn’t, why couldn’t this be a written assignment for them? Talk about authentic learning!!
o Readibility is a great toolbar bookmarklet that allows students to customize their web reading experience. I wrote about this on our SLItech blog earlier last year so it’s nice to see that Dave and others like this too!
o TextCompactor is a cool instantaneous summarization tool that I definitely will recommend to teachers. It allows students to paste text into a box and the students slide between 0% – 100% as to the amount of text they want to read.
o VozMe was shown as a Text to Speech tool but I wasn’t impressed with its limited functionality and ‘ugly’ voice overs. We use Read and Write Gold as well as Natural Reader which sound more human-like.
o Google has a number of options like Google Docs for collaborating with others, Google Scribe which a very interesting tool that offers suggestions as you type (and you can use it as a bookmarklet to use anywhere there are text boxes.
o Hot Paper Topics was of interest to me where students (and teachers) can look at targeting their position or persuasive essays and research reports. Well worth the look!
o The Assignment Calculator is a really neat tool to keep you organized. Everything is laid in step by step fashion. Try it out!

A commitment to diverse learners results in the provision of tools that scaffold and support academic performance of diverse learners.

Fairness means that each student receives the supports they need to be successful.

How will you evaluate and report on the impact of new instructional design interventions?

I also appreciated the after lunch panel with school admin, teachers and students sharing their stories of learning with technology and customized instructional strategies.

As well, once I have a moment I also plan on viewing Dave’s recent webinar on UDL.

Overall, this PD day gave some good food for thought, some more reflection on how my school division can further intervene and invest a strategic effort into creating a learning environment conducive to all learners. More to come!

 

How Should Critical Thinking Be Integrated with Technology?

This question was the topic of discussion on yesterday’s first #edchat discussion on Twitter. (Or follow through the Educator’s PLN Ning.) Although I was quite engaged in other matters, I was able to peruse the discussions archived on the wiki which was helpful. It provided an opportunity to see the variety of ways we THINK about critical thinking.  I agree with @cybraryman1’s comment that “good teaching requires an understanding of how technology relates to the pedagogy and content (see my #5.) As well, @Parentella makes the statement that “it requires critical thinking skills and problem solving to be able to function in the world we live in” whereby I give out a rebel yell ‘ YES!!’ and come down to reality. The way schools are structured in learning silos must be disintegrated. Reform is not the way, a learning revolution MUST take place in order for a majority of our schools to change the way they are educating students. (Check out my blog on The 21^st Century Learning Environment and even Sir Ken Robinson’s Bring on the Learning Revolution TED talk.)

Here’s my own path towards critical thinking:

1)      I have had various teachers and mentors who have facilitated my own immersion into critical thinking.

2)      The  definition of critical thinking from Dictionary.com’s 21st Century Lexicon cites that it is the mental process of actively and skillfully conceptualizing, applying, analyzing, synthesizing and evaluating information to reach an answer or conclusion.

3)      With the above definition in mind, I have even had an opportunity to work on the newer Bloom’s Taxonomy by giving it a digital addendum. (See my SLItech blog.)

4)      I recently have been exposed to TC² which is part of our AISI (Alberta Initiative for School Improvement) three year project. Critical thinking, according to TC², is concerned with developing sound judgment. Teachers need to guide students to think critically through various forms of learning. Developing criteria to judge a particular project, instructing strategies to organize thinking and acquiring a vocabulary about thinking are some of the necessary activities to build critical knowledge and skills.

5)      Finally, let’s talk tech. Being a BIG supporter of the TPACK model, I believe that critically thinking will involve some form of technology. If this isn’t clear, check out Judi Harris’ wiki with learning activity types which offers a way for teachers to deliberately plan their lessons with technology if they so wish. Now, add some critical challenges, investigation of images, ask some powerful questions and you have started on your way! (Sounds easy, but take little steps like concentrating on one form of critical thinking first) As well, our own K-12 Alberta Social Studiescurriculum  is smattered with critical thinking possibilities to assist teachers.

Critical thinking is a lifelong learning process and I am certainly glad to be part of the experiences in our school division. I can thank Leah, Diane (our curriculum facilitators) and Wally (TC²) for that!

Image http://darcott.com/blog/img/Diana_06-04-12_AHrHT3.jpg

 

Effective Teaching Practice?

I have been a Teacher List http://www.theteacherlist.ca/ member for at least ten years. Pete is a local teacher and married to a retired teacher-friend of mine. For the most part, I appreciate his thoughts and TeacherList member recommendations. Passing on websites and interesting links to other teachers has been a delight. Yet, there are times where some of the material presented has struck a chord or a reflective ponder:

“does this resource truly fit the vision,

needs and wants of our school/division initiatives?”.

There have been many a discussion of certain articles, blogs, software, etcetera. I believe, as an educator, we should critically question what we are reading. Look for resources that fit our needs, however we should also be aware of those resources that DO NOT fit our needs.

What am I really talking about? What is the ranting? This week, TheTeacherList promoted Doug Lemov’s book, Teach Like a Champion. I thought to myself – “catchy title” and decided it was worth a look. The URL:  http://www.uncommonschools.org/usi/aboutUs/taxonomy.php provided some basic information, but the nine page NY Times article gave me some really interesting points of thought. Ultimately, my stomach was in a knot about sharing this, yet I thought I would get some good comments from my Learning Services colleagues. I sent the TeacherList write up with these comments (I tried to stay neutral in my thoughts):

***Click on the URL and go to the NY Times article. Although it is 9 pages long, it is well worth the read!! I would welcome your thoughts on this. Should/Could this be a good resource that we share with teachers and admin?***

Diane was first with her comments -

My interpretation of the article and other thoughts:

What I have gleaned from this article is that the taxonomy offers ideas for improving “stand and deliver” techniques. Many of the suggestions offered in the taxonomy are strategies for improving classroom management (how to make the students listen better to the teacher, behave better, follow directions, look at the board…) as well as emphasis on the teacher as the content expert.

While the suggestions are definitely great strategies for a teacher centered approach, I wouldn’t recommend sharing this article with PSD staff. We want to endorse the shift to a more child centred approach, where the classroom is a community of learners, students understand the learning targets, and are engaged as a result of their ownership of the learning. There’s no question that classroom management is a huge component in a child centered approach. However, different techniques are required than those offered in this article.

…And here’s my soapbox (or more eloquently known as my “talking points”)…

The critical thinking approach we are working with is one approach that puts learning into the students’ hands. The teacher’s very important role is to pose the kinds of questions or problems that give students a purpose for learning the content, leading to deeper thinking about the big ideas by having students use predetermined criteria to support the judgements they make. Teachers scaffold the learning by offering them thinking strategies and differentiating instruction along the way. Students uncover the knowledge and understanding outcomes by being engaged in tasks that have them learn and practice the skills outcomes identified in the program of studies.

I added my thoughts and returned the discussion back to the group

First of all, I agree with Diane’s interpretation, thoughts and talking points. I was taken aback from the comments made in the NY Times article that this “taxonomy”/book is targeted to new teachers……they are a group which are more than willing to try anything to be effective and successful teachers; well, ALL teachers want to be effective and successful. My point is that, such as Diane has iterated, this book IS a teacher-centered resource n(according to the article). There is no thought to 21^st century skills which are student-centered in nature. Do I want to pick up this book to read? Not really, since there are so many better books out there. Yet, I believe it is important for us to be aware of other ideas/information targeting “effective teaching practices”.

Now, I believe it is time to let others have their chance to discuss…..and add my comments to Pete’s comment area. After all, he should know that he has spurred on some great discussion.

Image – https://icat.okcareertech.org/v3/files/lguilfoyle/m/bgArS1P5fI.jpg

 

R U a DSL (Digital as a Second Language) Learner?

Today I had a moment to peruse Ian Jukes new book Understanding the Digital Generation. It put into perspective my own thoughts about where I am, as an educator and technology enthusiast. Although I have always been fascinated with what technology can accomplish for me in my daily tasks, learning and teaching….I really did not associate myself with being a DSL Learner. Certainly, being that I am an ESL learner (French and German are my first two native languages. I learned English in school; at home the other two languages dominated my communicative life.) I always thought of myself, and still do, as an early adopter of technology. That title – Digital as a Second Language – really struck me as significant. I recognize that other DSL learners have caught on as quickly as I have while others struggle. As an educator with students who are digital natives, I must recognize their new skills and be in sync with how different their brains process information. Experimentation, collaboration and appreciation are all components of these students’ learning experiences outside the school, on a MUCH larger platform. In order to connect with these digital natives, we need to learn how to facilitate this growth differently.

What could we be doing in education to assist educators and administrators to change/reform and begin to understand how teaching and learning really needs to evolve to incorporate many voices in the learning process? Is Setting the Direction in Alberta part of the answer? How about listening to the students themselves? Some great work from Project Tomorrow and the Horizon Report shed light on what students think about their learning and how they daily use technology. Take time to ask them; their answers may certainly surprise you and open up a brand new world of teaching and learning!!

What are you doing to grow and strengthen your DSL ?

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