Changes to WeVideo

Those of you that have been using WeVideo may notice a new look when you log in. WeVideo has made some changes to the dashboard section. Watch the video below, made by MMU's technology integration specialist, Eric Hall, to see how to maneuver around the new dashboard.

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BRMS Kicks Off Hour of Code Week

In the first and second math classes of the day in Noel Bumpas' class, 7th grade students were pleasantly surprised to learn that they would have the opportunity do some coding. Using the code.org/learn site, as well as codeacademy.com for the more advanced coders, students were quickly engaged in coding activities with themes like Minecraft, Star Wars, and Flappy Bird.

After the hour, Mr. Bumpas asked the students to reflect on whether or not this felt like a worthwhile activity, and what they learned from doing it. Some of the answers were as follows:

"I learned that you can really alter a game in many ways."

"I learned that it takes a lot of work to create a game."

"I really enjoyed this activity."

"It was fun."

"I learned how to make a character make different noises and move in different ways."

And the very honest assessment from one student...

"I learned that I won’t be a computer programmer!"

Hour of Code officially happens this week, but you can get your hour in at any time. Go to code.org/learn to get started!

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Coding in the Common Core

Check out this article from Edutopia about Coding in the Common Core. Food for thought.

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Hour of Code 2015 is coming!

Next week, millions of students across the globe will be participating in Code.org's Hour of Code. This year, Code.org has added new, high-interest coding activities, including Minecraft and Star Wars. Will your class participate? Contact Shaun or Renee, or click HERE to explore on your own!

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Teachers Using Technology: Spotlight #4 - Tech and Writing

Teachers at UCS used the November late start professional development time to learn about ways to integrate technology during writing instruction.

Heather Ferreira used an iPad to take a photo of student writing and stream it to the projector, reinforcing concepts from her minilesson. Using technology like this, teachers can actually create and harness the power of teachable moments.

After her lesson, Mrs. Ferreira reflected on the experience, saying "I feel like it added a new dimension to my teaching. The students were excited and invested, and so was I."

"I feel like it added a new dimension to my teaching." - Heather Ferreira

Later, Mrs. Ferreira played a short recording of a student reading for her students to analyze. Again, this was streaming from her iPad.  When the video was finished, students made positive statements, noting good pacing.

Students Analyze a Fluent Reader

Down the hall, Debbie Mayer was showing her students how to use Read and Write for Google to access digital text that might be above reading level, but not above comprehension. Mrs. Mayer was using the feature where the user highlights text on a web page and the computer reads it aloud (text-to-speech). She told her students "this is perfect to help us when we are researching for our informational writing."

Debbie Mayer Increasing Students' Access to Digital Text

Although this blog post highlights two teachers, other teachers at UCS are also using the same technology integration techniques. Some are also experimenting with using Evernote for organizing notes and student artifacts for from writing conferences. Way to go UCS teachers!

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Word Clouds on a Chromebook

Tagul word cloud created by Renee Barrett with the poem "A Good Poem" by Tom Zart

Chromebooks are proving to be excellent technology tools for our students.  However, they do have their drawbacks. The word cloud tools Wordle and Tagxedo will not work on a Chromebook. Never fear word cloud enthusiasts; Tagul works on a Chromebook! (Thanks to Eric Hall at MMU for this tip!)

You and your students can easily sign up for free on Tagul with your school email account. For instructions on how to create a word cloud in Tagul, click here.

Let us know if you use this tool with your class, or if you would like some ideas on how to use word clouds in the classroom. Maybe you'll be one of our future "Spotlight" subjects!

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A New Way to Use VoiceThread (Free Webinar)

From the team at Voicethread:

"Are you interested in game-based learning? Then come play games with us during our November workshop! Whether you teach graduate students or kindergarteners, you will learn some fundamentals of educational game design that will improve engagement and retention with your students.

This workshop is facilitated by instructional designer George Haines and features guest presenter Dr. Tamara Powell from Kennesaw State University.

Wednesday, November 18th at 7:00pm ET

In this workshop, we will:

• Showcase a variety of games you can create with VoiceThread
• Learn the fundamentals of educational game design
• Brainstorm other ways to begin game-based learning
• Learn about “Correct or Scooped”, a VoiceThread game created by guest presenter Tamara Powell
• Play games

Participants will also have pre-workshop access to an exclusive VoiceThread interview with Greg Toppo, the author of The Game Believes in You.

We hope you can join us!"

Click here to register.

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Teachers Using Technology: Spotlight # 3

Over at Richmond Elementary School, Darcie Rankin does an activity that helps students prepare for blogging.

Students create "paper blogs," which consist of the same components that make up a digital blog, but of course, are simply on paper. Blog topics can be about anything, and in this case the activity remained high interest by allowing the students to create a "post" where they write about their own interests. Read more about paper blogging on the RES Enrichment blog.

In the next part of the sequence, Mrs. Rankin has the students prepare to comment using post it notes. She begins with a mini lesson on what good blog comments are like.

Options for the "type" of comment students can leave

Next, students get sticky notes and are sent around the room to comment on classmates' blogs.

Lots of movement and lots of writing!

After each blog has a good number of comments, students receive a different color sticky to respond to comments.

Structuring the activity this way gives students a great way to practice responding to the writing of others, a cornerstone of digital citizenship. Likewise, it helps young students understand conceptually what is happening when they are publishing on the internet and leaving/receiving/responding to feedback.

Here is the video from Mrs. Yollis's class in California, which originally inspired Mrs. Rankin.

Over the next few months, Mrs. Rankin's students will be blogging. They would love it if you could periodically check in and make a comment yourself! Check it out here.

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Teachers Using Technology: Spotlight # 2

Jennee Stewart's 5th graders at BRMS have been immersed in a geography unit recently, and have each been studying different landforms. Jennee wanted a way to create a shared "book" that students could use to learn about all the landforms collectively. Instead of a book, her students created a Quizlet, where they could each add a definition and picture of their landform. Once the information is entered in a set, students can then access it through Quizlet's study tools, such as flash cards (see an example below), tests with different question types, and even games. It's very easy to use, and best of all, it's free! Of course there is also a paid teacher version with more premium features on sale right now for $19.99/year.

You can check out Ms. Stewart's 5th graders study set by clicking HERE.

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Teachers Using Technology: Spotlight # 1

One of the things we love to see is a technology-embedded lesson or unit coming to fruition with an amazing product that is meaningful and engaging to students. In our blog, we'd like to highlight those teachers, students and products we see that really show the essence of technology integration. Feel free to borrow these ideas!

The first spotlight post goes to Lisa Windhausen and Jeff Warren, two eighth grade Science teachers from Brown's River Middle School (and of course, their eighth grade students!). Lisa and Jeff recently taught a unit on Matter to their students, and then provided the technology integration piece in a culminating project. Students were asked to film a short video on the topic of heating and cooling gas to show what they had learned. The eighth graders then used WeVideo, a new tool for many of them, to edit their videos and to add narration. Finally, the videos were uploaded to a class Google Site, which was shared with 5th and 7th grade Science classes in the building. Those classes then watched the student videos in small groups, and gave their feedback on a Google Form.

Would you like to see the final product? Check out the following links to each class Google Site:
Ms. Windhausen - Class 1
Ms. Windhausen - Class 2
Mr. Warren - Class 1
Mr. Warren - Class 2
Mr. Warren - Class 3

If you have any suggestions for us on who we should highlight next, please let us know!

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Read and Write for Google - Tip 3: Supporting Students with the Picture Dictionary

One way that Read and Write for Google helps us support students is with the Picture Dictionary. As one might expect, the Picture Dictionary provides students with a visual definition for many common words.

Suppose your student was reading a web page or a Google Doc and came across a word they didn't know. They can easily check to see if a picture definition is available by doing the following:

1) Highlight the word. Quick tip: double clicking a word will highlight it.

2) Click on the purple rw puzzle piece to access the Read and Write for Google toolbar.

3) Click the Picture Dictionary icon.

4) If available, the picture definition will appear in small window on top of what you viewing.

Other sample picture definitions:

                                                                    

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Read and Write for Google - Tip 2: Use Voice Comments in Google Docs

Voice Notes

If there is one thing we all like to do, it's record our own voices. If there are two things we like to do, it's listening to the recording being played back. If you're a student, you REALLY like doing those things.

But if you're a teacher, I have a reason for you to record yourself for your students. And it's a good a reason, believe you me.

As part of our Read and Write for Google tools, we have access to voice notes (which are the same as voice comments). It works the same way as leaving a written comment in a document, but instead of text, you'll see a little play button. 

One cool way to use it: Students appreciate a voice a comment from their teacher. It adds a more human connection, and for some students, audio comments are more accessible and can be listened to as many times as needed.

Another really powerful possibility: Also consider the possibility of students leaving comments on each other's' writing - asking questions and telling about what strategies they are noticing. Of course, students could also comment on their own writing to give some insight into their personal writing process.

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Read and Write for Google - Tip 1: Text to Speech

All teachers and students in our district have access to the full Read and Write for Google Extension. This tech integration blog will make a series of posts giving tips on how to access features that can benefit all students.

First, have you ever wanted students to access a web page with good information but was beyond their reading level? Read and Write for Google can help!

I'm on an Ankylosaurus page that I need the student to read and find physical features that help it survive. This page has perfect information, but many students can't fully access the text due to difficulty.

So, when this happens, instruct students to click the "rw" puzzle piece. These tools will pop up:

For now, we will focus on these: 

       

The speech balloon with a cursor over it activates text-to-speech whenever the student hovers over text with their cursor. This is useful in some cases, but it can also be annoying when a student moves the mouse away from the text he or she wants to read.

It is easier to highlight the text you wish to have read:

Then hit play: 

Read and Write highlights part of the sentence that it is reading in yellow, and the word it is currently reading in blue.

At any time, the student can hit pause  or stop . Switching tabs will automatically pause.

Many students find that they need the text to be read a little slower. To find the right speed for your student, click on the settings gear: . This Pops up:

The default is medium. Many students prefer slow.

Let us know if you would like us to meet with you and/or your class to show how to use this tool.

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