Vimeo is a great tool that allows you to share your students work with parents and family by publishing password protected videos. I was able to get permission to share this video publicly.
iPads break down the 4 walls and let students show their learning in ways that works best for them. Students are not only able to communicate their knowledge to the inbox of the teachers desk, but now to the world. Technology is not killing student writing, it's redefining it.
Digital Portfolios can be carried from grade k-5 and up. Students can create a blog that all of their work goes to (writing, videos, pictures). Teachers can view student blogs to see what they have accomplished. Students can keep track of their work and celebrate their accomplishments.
Digital Citizenship
Click here to see how the Lester B. Pearson school board rolled out iPads in their district.
Click here for how they mapped out curriculum in the fields of communication, awareness, information literacy, and safety.
K Cycle 1 - Kindergarten
Cycle 2 - 1st & 2nd grade
Cycle 3 - 3-5th grade
Secondary Cycle 1 - Jr. High
Secondary Cycle 2 - High school
Lesson Plan to introduce digital citizenship in your classroom
So, why is this important?
The world we know made of post offices and phone calls are long gone. Face-time, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are the new norms of communication. We need to teach students to be safe online and protect their digital identity.
What must teachers cover?
False perception of privacy - just because privacy settings are on, doesn't mean they are private. Anyone can screen shot and reuse.
Before posting anything just ask yourself:
Would your mother approve?
Would it embarrass your grandma?
Could it hurt you from getting a job?
Their Google name from now on will be their future resume.
We need to create a culture of kindness online.
Outreach to parents is important to teach about their child's digital footprints.
No sharing passwords or any personal information (full name, phone number, address etc.)
Creating Independent Learners
Teachers will be replaced by robots if all they do is teach content. Any iPad or iPhone can do that. We need to teach students to build relationships and engage in meaningful ways with the world.
Digital Haversack - have a class site (google sites) that does everything from giving students directions, syllabi, list of resources, announcements, how-to videos, and wish lists for parents.
Easy to access. Have the website bookmarked on the iPad with expectations students go straight to it from class and get started. Keep all the links for their searches here so they do not have to google.
Calendars lets students and parents have access to important dates as long as save the dates to their devices.
If students are absent they may see what was done yesterday and the day before. Even do it from home!
An agenda may look something similar to:
1. Welcome - important info and sign in at google form
2. Independent activity - come in and get to work, no down time.
3. Research activity - we can't always be the sole provider, we need to teach them to look up what they are curious about. Google is the new literacy. Share daily tips on digital citizenship.
4. Collaborative activity - what do you want them to do and how do we want them to interact?
5. Discussions - students can do this if no one is ready to collaborate.
Lastly, take pictures of students success and celebrate them on your website!
Inquiry and iPads
30-45 minutes a day:
1. have students ask questions about a new topic or theme. Hint: They will not be able to ask good questions without knowledge.
2. Read a story / teach a lesson and ask students to take notes, along with and questions or thoughts gained.
3. With their knew knowledge, have students deepen their questions. Group students based on similar inquiries (3-4) and have each group become experts in their area of study. Groups can research then share information found on a blog to compare notes.
4. Demonstrate understanding. Students will take their discoveries and create a media project to present to the class.
5. Go public! share learning with families, friends, and other students interested in the topic.
Find more information on running your inquiry class on Mrs. Wideen's Blog
Lesson plans of primary grades animal inquiry project on the iPad
Story Telling
This is the modern expression of the ancient art of storytelling that weaves images, music, and voices together to give a deep dimension to characters, situations, and experiences.
Framework- Collect, relate, create, donate
Students have different set of standards when they know their work will go out past the teacher. Active learning environments are not a carrot and stick method. A cognitive activity may end up something like this:
Story telling begins with a script, its personal, uses readily available material, includes universal story elements, and is published to the world.
CCSS: Construct a story, sequence and summarize, edit and proofread, use descriptive words, use words to create imagery, understand copyright.
App Smash
Defenition: using multiple apps to create a multimedia project.
Why? To ont limait students curiosity to one medium. Take fractional thinking and create coherent shareable stories. Don't let their ideas die out on paper or in the app. Send them off to the world.
Start to create something
Export to camera roll
Push it into another app
Export to a camera roll
push the project into another app.
Final destination - online!
Explain Everything makes Visuals
iMovie adds music and voice
Helpful Apps
Chirp - Sends out a quick message or URL to all iPads in the class ("5 minutes left")
Easybloggerjr - takes projects and converts them to your blog
Evernote
Wordpress
Bookcreator- great way to make and publish ibooks
Paper53 - turns anyone into an artist (great for making books and backgrounds)
Telegami - makes a mini avatar that talks
Vimeo - a user protected Youtube
Garageband - customize music
Issuu
Green Screen
PuppetPals 2 HD - create a puppet show to tell a story. Can use students as puppets.
News-o-matic
Pocket zoo
Brainpop
Animal Planet
InstaGrok Wonderopolis
Skype - Especially if you are away for the day to communicate with your class!
All of this could not have been discovered without the help of Alice Keeler, Kristen Wideen, Samantha Mora, Greg Kulowiec, and many others at the EdTechTeacher iPad San Diego Summit 2014.
After spending 2 days listening to wonderful presentations by keynote speakers has really helped me redefine my vision of the future of education. Like many teachers, I want to bring technology into the classroom but not sure how to integrate it in a successful manner with minimum support.
Breaking down the fear that teachers and parents have may be the first step. Teachers need to understand that technology is not destroying writing (i.e. cursive) its giving them a more accessible way to communicate their voice. The iPad itself gives students a chance to voice their opinion in a ways they never could before. Instead of 3 students raising their hand, 30 students can publish their identity anyway they want and teach the entire world. Students will hold themselves to high standards when they know their work is going past the teachers desk. The same media becomes transformative to them. "Technology isn't killing their ability to write, it's defining it!"
Next, to calm the fears, students need to be taught digital citizenship. From making school rules, to understanding their identity online. The new résumé in this world is a google search. Having no identity online is just as bad as having a bad identity. Students need to discuss safety and the importance of their digital portfolio. Practicing taking pictures of students, asking the student if its okay to keep or delete, will help students know what is safe to display and what is not.
Moving forward, the school needs to communicate their plan and the importance of the digital world with parents. Technology nights with open forums to help parents connect with The digital classroom. Being able to view their children's success online would make any parent proud.
Teachers are relationship builders. Students know they can get their information from a google search. Teachers will become absolute if we continue to do the same thing machines can do. Teachers need to become facilitators land teach kids how to access and use the digital world correctly.
There is so much positive attributes in teaching students to conduct a positive digital role in this world and create media instead of consume it.
I would love to discuss ideas and ways to transform your school. Lets collaborate!