Me Online: My Digital Identity

In each of the 4 courses I have taken as part of the Discovery Edge Program, I have been required to keep some kind on online presence. Some required a blog, others an Adobe Spark Page. In the last class I took, I was required to start a formal blog. I continued that blog in this class. It was hard deciding on a focus as there are so many blogs out there. How would my voice be different? Does it matter if it is different than what it out there? Who is my audience?

In the last class, I decided my focus would be on the modern library. I am not quite a librarian and not quite a technology teacher. My role is somewhere in between. I am lucky in that I have the freedom to be able to create engaging lessons that exist in the middle of that odd space. I decided that the focus of my online identity and blog would be to highlight things I have tried. What worked and what didn’t. As I was gathering all of my assignments and tasks from my courses, there were two main categories that emerged. I titled them Tech Examples in Use and Do You? Tech Examples in Use is a category of web tools and apps that I have tried as part of a grad class or in my classroom. Do You? is a category that discusses certain topics like assessment, digital citizenship, etc. It allows the reader to reflect on if and how they use that topic in their current role.

I then added some other sections that I will be beneficial to be going forward. I am part of my District’s STEM team. We are investigating and planning how to integrate STEM into our curriculum. As this is an ongoing focus for many schools, this section will be a place to house resources and reflections on that topic. Another section is dedicated to coding. I focus a lot on that in my day to day, so I wanted a place to showcase the projects my students are creating and provide inspiration for others who may be doing the same. The last section is lesson plans. When it comes to lesson plans, all teachers need them and most despise creating them. I am a firm believer in not trying to recreate the wheel. So, this section will be one in which I share lessons and encourage others to do the same in the comments. Lastly, I included an about me Page where others can connect with me on the few social media sites that I participate in. I have also included links to the blogs that I derive inspiration from.

I never really thought of myself as a blogger, but I like having a place online where I can keep a digital log of what happens in my library and school. My blog will be more of a digital portfolio for me and I will update when I feel I have something to share.

Tech Examples In Use: Zoom

The idea of webcasts was not new to me. I had worked in business prior to becoming teacher and used video conference calling frequently. Recently, I have seen small business owners (Lula Roe, Paparazzi Jewelry) do Facebook live shows to showcase their product and drive sales. When this assignment popped up, I immediately thought of using this technology during a snow day or for homework help. The idea for my webcast is simple. I wanted to pretend that it was a snow day and I was connecting with my students to review a math concept. I began my webcasting journey by trying YouTube live. I was able to create a webcast, but unfortunately the students were unable to join the class…it was restricted. I assumed it had something to do with our education Google accounts. So, I thought I would sign in on YouTube live with my personal email and I created a dummy email for a student. Unfortunately, that didn’t work either. Back to the drawing board I went. In the meantime, I had participated in webinar on tech tools. Teachers First is an amazing resource for web 2.0 tools. It was on their website that I discovered Zoom. It is a free webinar service. It does not require an email for participants to log in (bonus in a school). The only catch with this one, was that students needed the Zoom app. Luckily, I had three personal iPads, in which I was able to download the app for my students to use. It was time to go live. I borrowed three students from a third grade teacher. Set them in different areas of the library with headphone, an iPad and the Zoom app. We pretended it was a snow day. Reviewed multiplication via a slide show I was able to share. On my screen, I saw a chat feature, but the students did not see it on their iPad version. So, we relied on voice responses to the questions. We successfully held our mock snow day webinar. The excitement on the kids’ eyes when we were done was priceless. They had so much fun participating in this new technology experience. We share our recording with their teacher. She is pregnant and will be on maternity leave next year. We discussed using this as an option for her to check in on her students while on leave. We also thought it would be a good option for a teacher absence. The teacher could still relay the expectations for the day and make sure the kids were ready for their day. I had thought of its usefulness for weather related cancellations or as a homework help option. Additionally, it would be fun to use it to connect with other classrooms for a pen pal or with industry experts. I recall hearing that as part of our new science program, students will have the opportunity to use a webinar format to chat with a scientist. I truly believe the possibilities are endless and only limited by ones imagination.

Live Webinar

The webinar I attended was presented by OK2Ask through Teacher’s First and was titled Resource Roundup: FREE Tools from the Edge. How I did not know about this resource, I will never know. It is a must have resource for all things web 2.0. Earlier in the semester we talked about review criteria for web tools. They have taken the guess work out of it with their own ratings. You must hop on over and check out this amazing resource.
Now, as for the webinar. It was one of the best professional development opportunities I have had either in person or online. The webinar was an hour and a half and covered 6 web 2.0 tools that could be used in the classroom. I had heard of some of them, but not all.
It was well organized and the presenters were knowledgeable about the tools they shared. Additionally, more web 2.0 tools were used to check comprehension. We had to do a Flipgrid response for one task, a Padlet response for another, and google form for the last one. They presented it in an “I do” then “You do” format. They showed us a tool and then allowed us to play with it prior to our response.
I would definitely participate in more webinars by OK2Ask. Not only are they well produced, but they are free and come with a certificate of completion. The only part of the webinar experience that I don’t like is the chat feature. While I understand it is needed for questioning, it is distracting to try and follow conversations and pay attention to the presentation.
The software used by OK2Ask was Adobe Connect. I can see using a webinar format as a teacger at the elementary level to have extended hours for study help. Or to use in the event school needs to be cancelled (think snow days). I can also see students using it for morning announcements or as pen pals with another school (collaborating on a project).
Overall, after teaching all day, I was dreading spending an hour and a half of my time on a webinar, but am so glad I did. I can not recommend Teachers First enough….you must take an OK2Ask webinar yourself and learn some amazing new tools.

Tech Examples In Use: Prezi

An oldie, but goodie when it comes to dynamic presentations. Easy enough for students of all ages to use. Adobe Spark: Here is an example of a Prezi I created on Ancient Egypt:

Tech Examples In Use: Adobe Spark Video

Here are some examples of quick videos I created using Adobe Spark Video.

Tech Examples In Use: Canva

Canva is another quick and easy to use tool to create posters. Students can easily use this online tool to show what they know.

NOTABLE WOMEN AND WOMEN'S RIGHTS: 1960'S by fifiandmimi

Maker Movement by fifiandmimi

Tech Examples In Use: Padlet

Padlet has a variety of uses. It makes a great presentation tool when you want to show connections between topics.

Tech Examples In Use: iPadio

Want a quick and easy way to broadcast your message? Using only your phone, you can do just that with iPadio.

Do You Use (or Teach) Critical Evaluation?

Critical evaluation is an important skill for today’s students. At the elementary level, this can be a bit tricky as the students are still learning how to read. But, this is an activity we can do as a class so that they begin to form the foundation skills for researching in middle and high school. It is for that reason that I chose to keep my presentation to four key components for evaluation: Who, Why, When, and Where. I did not want to overwhelm them with too much information, but just enough for them to grasp the concept and be able to apply it. Our students tend to think that if it is on the internet, whether it be music, movies, content, etc. then it is fair use. It can be tricky enough to teach them not to plagiarize words. So, navigating the complicated creative commons licensing is even trickier. In the past I have tried to point my first through fourth grade students to sites that allow free use of images. Unfortunately, the students got discouraged because they couldn’t find what they want quickly. So, for time sake, I decided to start making folders of appropriate images for them to use. Since I only have them 40 minutes a week, this has been a time saver for all of us. Plus, the students are less overwhelmed with the smaller selection of images.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Ns8__YWVIfavD_zYueu6_3mzZKZOc7u-JOy-7OUD_x8/edit?usp=sharing

Do You Use Twitter for Assessments?

Did you know that you can make polls in Twitter?

@jenmckinnon_

https://twitter.com/jenmckinnon_/status/972877483690340353

I have to admit, I am not a frequent Twitter user. While I have set up a Twitter as part of another class, I followed people of interest as part of my PLN. I find Twitter overwhelming. Every once and a while I will pop over for some ideas, but as a whole, I find Twitter overwhelming.  

This week I decided to explore the poll feature in Twitter. While a tweet is for all to see, I tagged the people in the class who had provided a twitter handle prior to my tweet.

I liked how easy it was to create a poll, but I don’t like that I can’t see who voted. It is completely anonymous and anyone can (or not) vote. In this case, because I tagged certain people, I assume, they are the ones that responded.  I also liked how you can set a time limit for the poll. As a specials teacher, if I wanted to get a feel for what a whole grade was thinking, this poll would allow them all to take the same poll throughout the week.

So, as a teaching tool, I can use this to see if my overall message was received, but I can’t get information on which individual students need help. Therefore, it would make a fun exit ticket; however, students would need a twitter account. At the elementary level, I am not comfortable with having this as a requirement. I can see how this would be an engaging tool for the upper grades.

https://twitter.com/jenmckinnon_/status/973019033116270592

 

I decided to create a second tweet for all of my followers to see who would answer. I figured if I am using it as a PLN tool, then I would like to see how many of my network friends would respond. Interestingly, the only people who responded were classmates.

On the flip side, as the one to reply to the tweets of my classmates, I realized the importance of the hashtag. It really helps to narrow down what you see. One of my challenges with Twitter is that I find it overwhelming. Using a hashtag to narrow down what I see makes it more manageable.

Do You Evaluate Your Apps?

App Evaluation Tool:

I decided to use the evaluation tool specifically for iPad/iPod use. I selected the Kathy Schrock's Critical Evaluation of a creation iPad/iPod App. I selected this form for many reasons. First and foremost was the iPad focus. Second was that it focused on the creation aspect.  Most of the projects I have my students’ complete serve as a culminating activity and are based on "creating" content.

As I reviewed the criteria, I realized that it ticked all the boxes for items that I had looked for informally. One of the most important is the ability to use the app on the web as well as iPad. This allows students to work on their projects at home, if they wish, no matter the type of device they are working on. Another feature that is a must have is the ability to insert different types of media.

Overall, this form is a succinct tool that allows one to quickly and thoughtfully evaluate the efficiency of an app.

http://www.ipads4teaching.net/uploads/3/9/2/2/392267/evalipad_creation.pdf

App Tool Evaluation:

There is an app that seems to come close to what I envision...it is the Notes app for IOS devices. It has always allowed for checklists. One can also add videos or photos which would be great for tasks that have steps that need to be followed. One new feature also allows for students to markup a PDF document. Another new feature is the ability for several people to be working in one Note at the same time.
 

• Type, dictate, or draw Note. You can even use the Apple pencil to draw in Notes. The ability to use these different forms to create a note makes this an ideal app for everyone. The ability to dictate can be an added feature for ESL students or those who are below grade level in reading and writing to either practice English or to obtain help with spelling words phonetically. 
• Create a checklist - This feature is helpful on many levels. Especially for tasks that require many steps. It can also be used by students to keep track of homework assignments and teacher directions. It can be beneficial for the student who struggles with transitions. By checking off a completed period, they can prepare for the transition to the next period. 
• Create Content with drawings, photos, or videos. This allows for students to pull together a variety of resources that can aid in their understanding of a topic. 
• Scan documents with can then be annotated with the other tools. The teacher can scan a document and send it to the students via classroom. Then, they can use their drawing tools to annotate or highlight the passage. 

Overall, with the recent updates, this appears to be a multi-functional app that can be used for a variety of classroom applications. I have a feeling this is going to be my go to app for most tasks.