Great sites to help you as an instructional coach
To Infinity and Beyond: Student Centered Projects
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
2 comments
I am very excited to be attending and presenting at ISTE 2013 in San Antonio, Texas. I am learning lots of wonderful things and filling my toolbox with ideas.
I am presenting a session called To Infinity and Beyond: Student Centered Projects. I will be showcasing two apps called Tiny Tap and John Atkinson Photo Card. Both allow students to be creative and have fun while learning.
Check out my past blog on Photo Card: http://www.teacherplayground.com/2013/04/free-creative-writing-appyour-students.html
I am presenting a session called To Infinity and Beyond: Student Centered Projects. I will be showcasing two apps called Tiny Tap and John Atkinson Photo Card. Both allow students to be creative and have fun while learning.
Check out my past blog on Photo Card: http://www.teacherplayground.com/2013/04/free-creative-writing-appyour-students.html
Photocard an app that allows students to be creative and descriptive when writing. Students create an interactive postcard in which they get to add their own pictures and stamps.
This app would be great to use for any subject and grade level, but here are a few ideas I have that will get you started:
- Students take a picture of something in nature and they are to write as though they are that picture.
- Students take pictures while on a field trip, use the app to tell others about their favorite part of the field trip.
- Students choose an image within the app and are challenged to be as descriptive as they can about the image. Let them know that when you read their postcard you want to feel as though you are that image.
- Students take pictures and write about famous people, states, countries, ancient times, key vocabulary, authors, composers, etc..
- Students create a postcard based on Science safety rules and write about the proper ways to act in a lab setting.
- Students use this app to help them better understand difficult vocabulary words and math problems. They take a picture of the word, what it is or looks like, and then they write about it as if they were teaching someone else.
Tiny Tap is an app that students can use to become creators. They can add their own photos or pictures, then record their own voice over the photo. Once they add sound, they become designers. To designate the correct answer, students trace that part of the picture.
- In the Language Arts class students can add a picture of vocabulary words. They add questions about those pictures. They can use this to test their own knowledge or the knowledge of their friends. This would be great support for ELL students as well.
- In the Math class students can begin with the first step in a math problem. In multiple choice format, students can choose the next step in the problem. They can reach the solution of a problem in the form of a series of pictures much like a flow map. The student who creates the exercise shows their knowledge of correct procedure and the students who solve it get a review of the previously learned skill. For younger students, you can add pictures of shapes in multiple choice format and have students choose a shape that you ask them about.
- In the Science class students can add their own pictures of s sedimentary rock and ask questions specifying if the picture is sedimentary, igneous, or metamorphic. This would work for the parts of the life cyle or the weather cycle.
- In the Social Studies class you can put in a picture of a map and have students choose a state. Better yet, have students create the questions and test one another.
- Information courtesy of: http://www.appsinclass.com/tinytap.html
I hope you enjoy these wonderful apps as I have!!
Check out my handout--->To Infinity and Beyond: Student Centered Projects
Collaboration..A Web 2.0 Solution
Monday, June 17, 2013
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Hi there everyone! Today I wanted to talk about "Wallwisher/Padlet". I have used this for awhile, but it came to light recently in a collaboration meeting. I was working with some Elementary and Secondary specialists and they were talking about how they did not have time to follow up with teachers after professional development trainings and build the connection amongst their campuses. The light bulb went off and I mentioned Wallwisher/Padlet. Imagine being able to input feedback on Wall Wisher and have teachers contribute their ideas and suggestions. You can multiple users on a time.
Here is a little information about Wall Wisher:
Wallwisher/Padlet, allows you to create a “wall” where you can place virtual sticky-notes. You can allow others to also place notes on the board, or keep it so that only you can do so (which is what I would recommend for students). The sticky-notes can include images you grab off the web, videos, or websites, and you can add text to them (you can also just include text without adding anything else). Each sticky has a 160 character limit for text.
Examples:
Here is a little information about Wall Wisher:
Wallwisher/Padlet, allows you to create a “wall” where you can place virtual sticky-notes. You can allow others to also place notes on the board, or keep it so that only you can do so (which is what I would recommend for students). The sticky-notes can include images you grab off the web, videos, or websites, and you can add text to them (you can also just include text without adding anything else). Each sticky has a 160 character limit for text.
Examples:
- Collaboration amongst campuses (share ideas, what works/what doesn't..no need to reinvent the wheel)
- Collaboration after a training (share thoughts, feelings, how did the implementation go)
Once teachers feel comfortable using Wallwisher/Padlet, they can then use it with their students. Have you ever taught a Math topic and then had a student say that they have another way of doing it. This is a great way for students to share their ideas and feel vested in the learning process.
A great feature I really like about Wallwisher/Padlet is that you can export the board to Excel or as a PDF.
Below are a few other sites that are similar to Wallwisher/Padlet. I like to give you options!
Online Course/Professional Development Design
Tuesday, May 7, 2013
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One of my past times I guess you could say since I began my career in Education was designing and participating in online courses/professional development. In college I took a few classes and I really enjoyed them, but it wasn't until I was working on my Master's degree did I find the true appreciation for them and those who create them. Designing an online course/professional development takes a lot of work if you want to do it the right way. My philosophy is, "If you don't have time to do it right, then why do it at all." You want to take the time to do it right the first time and give it 100 percent.
When building an online course or professional development you need to plan with the end in mind. Having a brainstorming session is key and make sure to write write write. It is important when designing a course/pd that you have active, observable and measurable outcomes. The last thing someone wants to do is to take an online course or professional development where the tasks lack creativity and they just become busy work with no real role for the person taking the course/pd.
You also want to make use of the tools available to you. Just inputting links and typing words is not going to get someone excited about taking the course/pd. It is important to use a variety of presenting avenues. That is why Web 2.0 should be your best friend!! So many of the different Web 2.0 tools can be embedded into Moodle and Blackboard for a fun and enlightening experience. Alongside your Web 2.0 tools make sure to have pictures, graphs, videos, color, and FUN!
Do not get lengthy on your information in which it leaves the reader wondering what they even read in the first place. I don't know about you, but I have taken some online courses/pd that were very boring in which all I did was read and type. There was no higher level thinking there. Make it fun and to the point!
Now fun is my middle name so as an online course/pd creator/instructor you have to make your personality come out in what you create. An online environment is mostly asynchronous with some opportunity for synchronous instruction. Again it is all in the way you create the course/pd. Make sure you clarify your expectations and what it means to be an active participant. In a not harsh way you need to let the participants know that you expect:
....just to name a few. The point is that your participants need to know that it will be work, but what is discussed and created will benefit them in their every day life and job.
You also want to make sure that in every course you create that Digital Citizenship is covered including Copyright Laws. Copyright is very important as many people do not know what it all entails. Each day I learn something new!!
The resources you provide need to be easily available to your participants. If possible try to stay away from paid resources because we all don't have the money to purchase a piece of software or a membership to a site. I know sometimes you have to, but I try to avoid that. With Google Documents...those who do not have the Microsoft products can still actively participate. Adobe PDF Reader is free...so that is a must to use.
REMINDER:
As an online creator/instructor you do not have that face to face time as you would in a classroom. It is important that you are available to your participants when they have questions or need suggestions. Join in the conversations..they will see that you care. You do not want your participants to feel isolated or disconnected from the group. If you see someone who is slacking, find out why and how you can help them make the experience GREAT for them. That is why collaboration and communication are key to a successful online course/pd.
I hope you enjoyed my blog post on Online Course/PD design. I love it and I hope you do to! Make sure to thank a teacher!!
Make it meaningful, fun, and relevant!!
When building an online course or professional development you need to plan with the end in mind. Having a brainstorming session is key and make sure to write write write. It is important when designing a course/pd that you have active, observable and measurable outcomes. The last thing someone wants to do is to take an online course or professional development where the tasks lack creativity and they just become busy work with no real role for the person taking the course/pd.
You also want to make use of the tools available to you. Just inputting links and typing words is not going to get someone excited about taking the course/pd. It is important to use a variety of presenting avenues. That is why Web 2.0 should be your best friend!! So many of the different Web 2.0 tools can be embedded into Moodle and Blackboard for a fun and enlightening experience. Alongside your Web 2.0 tools make sure to have pictures, graphs, videos, color, and FUN!
Do not get lengthy on your information in which it leaves the reader wondering what they even read in the first place. I don't know about you, but I have taken some online courses/pd that were very boring in which all I did was read and type. There was no higher level thinking there. Make it fun and to the point!
Go Blooms or go home!!
Now fun is my middle name so as an online course/pd creator/instructor you have to make your personality come out in what you create. An online environment is mostly asynchronous with some opportunity for synchronous instruction. Again it is all in the way you create the course/pd. Make sure you clarify your expectations and what it means to be an active participant. In a not harsh way you need to let the participants know that you expect:
- Communication
- Collaboration
- Creativity
- Innovation
- Critical Thinking
- Problem Solving
....just to name a few. The point is that your participants need to know that it will be work, but what is discussed and created will benefit them in their every day life and job.
If you build it (RIGHT) they will come!
You also want to make sure that in every course you create that Digital Citizenship is covered including Copyright Laws. Copyright is very important as many people do not know what it all entails. Each day I learn something new!!
The resources you provide need to be easily available to your participants. If possible try to stay away from paid resources because we all don't have the money to purchase a piece of software or a membership to a site. I know sometimes you have to, but I try to avoid that. With Google Documents...those who do not have the Microsoft products can still actively participate. Adobe PDF Reader is free...so that is a must to use.
REMINDER:
As an online creator/instructor you do not have that face to face time as you would in a classroom. It is important that you are available to your participants when they have questions or need suggestions. Join in the conversations..they will see that you care. You do not want your participants to feel isolated or disconnected from the group. If you see someone who is slacking, find out why and how you can help them make the experience GREAT for them. That is why collaboration and communication are key to a successful online course/pd.
I hope you enjoyed my blog post on Online Course/PD design. I love it and I hope you do to! Make sure to thank a teacher!!
May Giveaways
Monday, May 6, 2013
2 comments
Do you want to win an iTunes gift card? I will be giving away 2 $10 iTunes gift cards this week. To enter you must be a Facebook follower and you will get TWO EXTRA ENTRIES if you are also a follower of www.teacherplayground.com. Want another entry to win...Share this post on Facebook or Twitter!
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