Tell Me a Story!

I read a story, then I retell it. That's what kindergarteners in Mrs. Keffales's Next Gen classroom did this morning. Using the ChatterPix Kids app, students photographed the book they read, then retold the story in their own words.

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Next Gen Digital Classroom - Phase 2

Welcome to Mrs. Keffales's kindergarten class, the 2015-16 Next Gen Digital Classroom (NGDC) added to the Robertson campus. This class joins Mrs. Rundquist's 2nd grade class in having a cart of iPads to integrate into the curriculum. Already these kindergarteners are using their iPads to learn in a way that they never could before! We look forward to following their progress throughout the year.
 

A Twist on Cinderella

It's Cinderella--with a twist! After reading the story Cinderella to her students, Mrs. Rundquist asked her students to rewrite the story their own way. You may want to read Dogerella or Crockerella--so many creative stories based on the one fairy tale. Using the My Story app on their iPads. They were able to make real online books with covers, pages with colored drawings and clip art or photos, text and voice overs. The results were amazing! Watch this space as we share some of their creations soon.

My Story Tutorial

Sharing Our Expertise

2nd graders in the NextGen classroom shared their iPad expertise with friends in kindergarten. They used the ChatterPix app to create book covers that actually "talk". Book voices were actual student recordings of summaries.

Keynote Speakers

We wish you could have been there to watch these 2nd graders research and create presentations about penguins all on their iPads. Research and note taking was easy with the iPad as a one-stop-shop where they were able to seek answers, find illustrations, and transfer their knowledge to a new-to-them presentation app, Keynote. Take a look at these proud presenters!

Hour of Code

Using the Kodable app for iPad, students in our NextGen classroom used some computer coding skills to observe this week's Hour of Code. Hour of Code is an outgrowth of Computer Science Education Week intended to encourage students at all levels across the country to become engaged in coding. Learn more at Hour of Code.

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How to Take a Screen Shot on an iPad

Second graders in Mrs. Rundquist's class use their iPads daily as they are seamlessly integrated into class lessons. In this video, Noah explains how he practices his spelling words in a virtual whiteboard app, Screenchomp, and then takes a screen shot of the words so that he can save them or send them to his teacher.

ChatterPix App

The Chatterpix Kids app for iPad can make anything talk.  Students in our NGDC class took photos of objects around the room, drew a line to make a mouth, and recorded their voices. The app allows students to share their videos with classmates, their teacher, and parents--another exciting way to publish their research!

Meet our NGDC Class

"Through the Next Generation Digital Classroom (NGDC) strategic design and implementation, Round Rock ISD intends to create “incubator classrooms” at each school designed to foster the integration of new teaching and learning with the help of mobile/tablet technology. Currently, this means one classroom at all 51 campuses will be a designated Next Generation Classroom . . . The next generation classroom will set standards for what the digital classroom can look like in the future and will redefine the way teaching and learning take place." http://ngdcrrisd.blogspot.com/

Meet Robertson Elementary's Next Gen Classroom--Mrs. Marnie Rundquist's 2nd grade class. Throughout the year, we will highlight activities, lessons, projects and thoughts of Mrs. Rundquest and her pioneering 2nd graders.

"This is super-exciting," said one second grader about their experience with the SockPuppet app on their iPads. Here, students planned and wrote an expository piece--a script for their sock puppets. The iPad app recorded the student's voice reading the script, giving it a sock puppet sound, and played it back in a video that students could share with each other and with their teacher. What an exciting way to make writing come alive in the classroom!

Pledge to Begin Better Next Year

Now is the time! Take the pledge to do what you can to make next school year have the best start. Here's what you can do now to help you make that awkward transition from summer to a new academic year.

• Register for professional development that will fill your bag of tricks. Give some time during the
  
  summer to make your life easier later.
• Do you need time to work on your website or blog?
• Learn how to add a Google Calendar that will keep students/parents up-to-date.
• Learn how to upload newsletters to a shared folder on Google Drive--easy and efficient.
• Customize the look. Make it personal and interesting to increase traffic to your site.
• Add a Symbaloo to your site with links to some favorite websites.
• Do you need to learn how to use your interactive whiteboard as more than a projection screen and dry erase type board?
• Learn how to use the Promethean or Smart software.
• Take time to create flipcharts or notebooks that you can use at the beginning of the year (open house, first days, etc.)
• Collaborate with your team to create interactive lessons that have students on their feet and engaged in their learning.
• Do you want to become more efficient?
• Try organizing documents in Google Drive.
• Learn to keep your email inbox tidy and easy to navigate.
• Go deeper into Google Docs so that you can create, share, and teach your students how to use them as well.
• Go through your network files now and delete the things you'll never use again.  Do you really need all 100 photos of your students from 3 years ago?
• Work on your Personal Learning Network (PLN) so that you have ideas at your fingertips throughout the year from respected sources. Click the link to go to Kathy Schrock's guide and learn how to create your own PLN. Learn how to use Google+ to your advantage.
• Plan ways to flip your classroom--yes, even in the lower grades. There are some great ways to have a modified flip for students who do not have access to technology at home. If nothing else, investigate and find out what all the talk is about!

Please add your comments and ideas for using time now to create a better start for next year.  

SXSWedu 2014

The opportunity normally presents itself once per year to attend a professional conference, and most years my colleagues and I have all attended TCEA (Texas Computer Educators Association) at the Austin Convention Center. This year, however, about half of us decided to try something new and see what South by Southwest Edu had to offer.

Here are my observations, comparisons, and conclusions from the experience:

• If you're looking for skill-enhancing sessions, definitely attend TCEA.
• If you go to SX and want to learn tech skills, go to the Google Lounge.
• If you want to consider the state of education and where it may turn, attend SXSWedu.
• At SXSWedu be careful when attending panel discussions. Many of them are sponsored and tend to lean heavily in the direction of the sponsor's product.
• While SX had some new tech product demonstrations, TCEA is the place to see what's coming out and what's going away.
• At both conferences the keynote speakers are a tossup. Some years they are informative and inspirational while some years they are only mildly entertaining.
• I appreciated being able to hear Wendy Davis, candidate for governor of Texas lay out her platform on education in a relatively intimate setting. It's important to understand what the candidates have to say when it comes to the things we care about.
• Personally, the SXSWedu film festival was by far the most enjoyable part of the experience. Each of the three films I saw was inspiring in one way or another.

So in nutshell, the two conferences serve their own purposes. The audiences have an overlap, and most educators can benefit from both. I believe that I will continue to attend both but on alternating years.

Doodles Anyone?

Are you one of those people who has to doodle to listen well? You're in good company! According to a study by psychologist Jackie Andrade from the University of Plymouth in southern England, doodlers remember more than non-doodlers when presented with tedious information. One reason Andrade offers for this increase in memory is that doodling doesn't allow daydreaming which, in turn, keeps a person from attending to what is going on. Doodling requires less brain function than daydreaming but uses enough energy to keep the brain from making a jump beyond the here and now.

Would you like to put your students' doodling to the test? It's time for Doodle 4 Google.  Here is a place where young artists have an opportunity to have their doodles published.  The theme this year is "If I could invent one thing to make the world a better place . . ." Submissions are due by March 20th, and the winner receives a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 Google for Education technology grant for his/her school.

Find out more about Doodle 4 Google here.

Cloud, John. "Study: Doodling Helps You Pay Attention." Time. CNN, 26 Feb. 2009. Web. 4 Feb. 2014. <http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1882127,00.html>. 

Mind for a Change

My resolution this year isn't to lose 20 pounds (though it probably should be), and it isn't to stop making frivolous purchases (though it definitely $hould be), and I won't plan to speak a new language fluently by next year (which would be nice).  Instead I resolve to open my mind to change.

Change is difficult to initiate and even more difficult to maintain.  Just ask someone who has lost and then regained weight. Healthy weight loss involves a lifestyle change rather than a temporary diet. To find success we need to negotiate with ourselves to map our lifestyle change along with a plan to reward ourselves when we do make that change a part of our being.

Not all change is good, and I'm not planning to become a pushover who accepts every change that comes across the path. Instead, I will consider changes openly weighing the benefits against the risks. I'll remind myself that there's always time for worthwhile pursuits.

Today I'm encouraging each of you to join me out on that flexible limb. When change and opportunities come your way this year, plan to be a person who meets changes with the words, "Why not?" instead of "Why?"

Your attention, please!

Unless you love wasting your time, don't spend another minute working on your classroom blog or website without reading these tips to get your audience reading and coming back!  Who wants to spend time getting information online only to have it passed over?  There are ways to get your audience to notice your online presence.

1. Determine your audience.  Is it students, parents, educators, or people interested in a particular topic?
2. Learn what gets their attention.
• Students might look for bonus information/questions.
• Students like lists of links that are helpful and fun.
• Students, depending on the age may be attracted to widgets--little gimmicks that move and appeal to their desire to interact. Want to get a widget?  Here's a good place to start:  http://www.widgetbox.com/widgets/  Code for these widgets goes in the HTML section of your website or blog. (See 8 ball widget below.)
• Parents want new information--updates about your classroom that they won't find elsewhere.
• Parents are drawn to pictures of students, videos or pictures of students in action (with permission, of course).
• Topics of interest should be fresh, not a repetition of what they've already seen on the web, but a new take on what's important or trending.
3. Write like a pro.
• Use the appropriate language for your audience.  Write conversationally, but with correct grammar and spelling.  Do not use texting codes or educational jargon even if it's very tempting to LOL about the STAAR.
• Titles should be catchy--draw the reader into your classroom or topic.
• Invite comments from your audience if possible, and respond to them.
• Consider inviting guests to write or make a video for you whether it's a student, a parent, an administrator, or an interesting community member.
• Post a survey that gives your audience the feeling that you care what they think.
• Check and double-check your facts before publishing.
4. Get your site out to the public.
• Link your web/blog in your email signature.
• Post a link to it in your social media online profiles where appropriate.
• Look at other classroom websites and blogs.  Comment on them and include a link to yours in the comment.

Waste your time?  Never!  Create an online presence that is fresh, helpful, and a resource to be appreciated.

Google Communities Help You Grow

It's time . . . do it now!  Click You+ at the top of your Gmail screen to join the increasing number of educators growing and learning in Google Communities.

By completing your profile in Google+, you become eligible to participate in Google Communities. What is a community?  A Google Community is a virtual gathering of individuals who build relationships around a niche or a topic of interest.

After completing the Google+ profile, look for the house icon at the left side of the screen labeled "Home" and click.  Drop down to the green Communities icon and click.  on this screen, you can begin to search for specific communities in the search field or browse the many communities listed.

Reasons why teachers should participate in Google Communities:

1. Make new connections. Communities you meet and learn from others with similar interests whom you might have never met before or who may have never noticed you otherwise.  Be noticed!
2. Integrates with Google tools such as Drive, Docs, YouTube, Google Earth, etc.
3. Allows you to share content including photos, documents, videos, links and more.
4. Have live Hangouts to discuss and meet live with others in your community.
5. You can edit your posts at any time.
6. Only community members can comment on posts. With the mention of a member's Google Plus name in the post, that person will be notified of the comment (+John Doe).
7. Categories allow you to post to particular topics.
8. Create "events" within the community and invite other members--know who will and won't attend.
9. Users with inappropriate intentions can be removed by a moderator.

The best community members share relevant content that initiates discussion, and participate in conversations by offering comments and 1+s on posts.

Keyboarding and Mousing Practice for Everyone!

Better Lesson

No matter how long we've been teaching, we can all use an infusion of ideas, ingenuity, and inspiration when it comes to lesson plans.  I've been a part of this school district's Just In Time sessions, and it seems to me that what teachers request most from these sessions is more lesson plan ideas.  With this in mind, I came across a mention in the May 2013 Phi Delta Kappan for Better Lesson.  Better Lesson is "focused on aggregating and scaling the most innovative content and practices from high-performing teachers across the country."

This is a website where exemplary teachers create aligned courses, units, and lessons.  Choose by grade level, by subject, and topic within the subject, and be assured that all follow Common-Core standards.  This is also a place where teachers can find resources, but also share, plan, and have the opportunity to ask questions and receive feedback.

Choose by subject or by grade level.

The best part?  It's free.

"Highlighted and Underlined." Phi Delta Kappan May 2013: 6-7. Print.

Chrome Extensions for Teachers V.1

I'm always about the quickest way to do anything if the results are still good. Mind you, I don't like doing a bad job of anything, but when there's a tool out there that makes the work easier and faster, I'm all for it! Here are a few Chrome extensions that you might want to try to make your life in front of a computer screen just a little bit easier.

1. Select and Speak--reads a web page aloud (available free in the Chrome Web store)

2. Speech Recognizer--works as a dictation tool (awesome fun! microphone needed)

3. PrintWhatYouLike--allows you to print only the portion of information you want (skip ads and anything else you don't want)

4. Loupe--creates a collage from your photos

5. FreeCorder--records streaming content audio and video live (this one is a download not from the Chrome store, but I've found it very useful)

Try these.  Let me know what you think, and I'll be back with more!

Google Tools for You and Your Classroom v.1

It's always amazing just how many tools are available from Google.  Sometimes I look at one and think, "Where was this when I was in the classroom?"  At other times, however, I look at one and think, "How is this helpful, or I can do this much more easily using another format." 

Take a look at the tools I showed staff yesterday in our afternoon meeting.  Try them out, take 'em for a spin around the block and see what you think!

1.  Computational Thinking Tools - This is probably not what you think.  What you should think is "looking for patterns."  Lessons and examples provide ideas for the classroom.
2. Custom Search - Students get the look and feel of a real Google search but only with links that you provide.  Learn how with this YouTube video.
3. Google Chart Editor - Create and share charts and graphs.  Chosse a type of chart, then plug in your information.
4. Google Correlate - This is an ineresting place to find search patterns that follow trends.  It's fun, but how to apply in the classroom . . .
5. Google Earth Engine - So much data brought together in one place to help us visiualize changes and trends with the Earth!
6. Google Logo Maker - This is your vanity license plate for a search engine. 
7. Google Sky - Look at the galaxies, at the Moon, and at Mars.  There are so many different ways you could bring this interactive into lessons.
8. Teach Parents Technology - Someone at home always asking you how to do something on the computer? Here's you answer that provides "a tech support care package".  If you're the one needing assistance, you can watch the videos from the folks at Google, too.
9. What Do You Love - Here's a place to bring all of the information together on a topic of your interest:  videos, discussion groups, books about, blogs, pictures, and the list goes on.
10. Zygote Body - Not exactly a Google tool any more, but started by Google, this is a place to learn more about the human anatomy.

Have you ever used any of these tools personally or in your classroom?  Let me know in the comments section below.

Story Starters

Sometimes beginning is the hardest part of storytelling, and unlike Snoopy the ideas don't always flow for our students. 

Here's a website with a fun, interactive story starter to give students fresh writing ideas.  Users can choose from adventure, fantasy, sci-fi, or take a risk with the scrambler.  Buttons or a lever will spin wheels, giving quick ideas for a purpose, character and action at appropriate grade level difficulty.  Don't like what came up?  Try again.  Teachers can use Scholastic Story Starters with the class to create a group story, demonstrating writing skills as well as program logistics.  It's easy enough that most students who can read the suggestions the spinners offer can write and illustrate a story at the computer station, at the interactive whiteboard, or with individual laptops. What a fun way to practice writing at home too! 

In the revised Bloom's Taxonomy of computer skills, experiences that students can have with Scholastic Story Starters fall into the Analyzing where students will be comparing, organizing, deconstructing, attributing, outlining, finding, structuring, and integrating.

Give it a go, and see what your students can write using this engaging website!

http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/story-starters/