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Swivl

This is a topic I'm not super informed on but heard about through my admins former experience. Swivl is a device that allows for easier recording abilities in the classroom. I think it is typically used for teachers but can be helpful in building a library of exemplar lessons within your building. This means teachers can watch other teachers teach without having to leave their own classroom, find coverage, and interrupt their day. The swivl device allows for hands free recording. Some suggested uses are: Live Student Observations Secondary markers record audio of the students AND live stream to the teacher for real-time adjustments in the classroom. Self Reflection Teachers record video to review and reflect on their own.  Informal Observations Teacher driven video observations shared with peers for collective feedback. Remote Observations Remote coaches provide in-ear feedback while watching video of the teacher. Use your favorite video stream...
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Blog Following - Daily Technology Warmups

This week on Erin's blog we are looking at a simple way to incorporate tech into your classroom every day. If you are using technology regularly in the classroom or are a technology teacher with a cart or a lab, doing a daily warm up can build classroom community, enhance your digital citizenship discussions, and help students practice coding, design thinking, get energized, and more! If you are a classroom teacher integrating technology the biggest obstacle you face is finding TIME. We often want our students to utilize technology but don't have the time to teach the technology itself. Erin  developed a set of   180 EDITABLE Technology Daily Warm Ups  that can meet the needs of both classroom teachers and technology teachers. What Are Technology Daily Warm Ups? A technology warm up is a short, typically 5-minute activity that can be completed during morning or afternoon meetings, bell ringers, transitions, etc. Questions and activities are technology focused bu...
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Blog Following - Turning a Technology Glitch into a Teachable Moment

This week on Erin's blog we are looking at how to use those teachable moments with technology in the classroom.  One of the roadblocks that many teachers feel limits their integration of technology is the dreaded technology glitch. This might cause unexpected downtime or waiting around for the glitch to be fixed.  No teacher likes downtime because that can mean losing your student engagement and the possibility for behavior issues.  What is a technology glitch? A glitch can be something like a slow load time, a missing link, or an update that changes how a site or app is laid out.  Or maybe a student goes up to the Smartboard and the pen is not working (This happens ALL THE TIME in my classroom!). A glitch is something fixable but may require some unexpected troubleshooting. Whereas some technology problems may require you to jump to plan B or access your backup plan, a glitch just requires some time.  Time that can feel wasted if you have your stude...
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Plickers

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This week I am talking about a tool I have used in the past called Plickers. This tool is a simple, low cost app that can be used at any grade level K-12. This app is especially great for those classrooms that only have a few devices. Only one device is needed!   Plickers  is an assessment tool made by a teacher who was looking for a quick and simple way to check student understanding. This assessment tool allows teachers to collect on-the-spot formative assessment data without the need to have students use devices or paper and pencil. Here's how it works... 1. Simply start by creating a free account on plickers.com .  2. Create a class roster and it will assign each student a unique plicker card.  3. Print out each student's plicker card. You probably want to do this on cardstock. You can laminate the cards but sometimes the shine makes it hard for the app to read. For elementary students, add their name and the letter options on the back of the...
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Blog Following - Teaching Reading Strategies with Popplet

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This week on Erin's blog  she talks about using Popplet in the classroom. Popplet is a simple graphic organizer app that students can use. Popplet allows students to make boxes, called "popples" on a blank canvas. They can move popples around or connect them together to make chains and webs. Students can type, draw, or add images from the camera roll to their popples. The app is open-ended so that mutliple reading strategies can be addressed.  Using Popplet to Practice Reading Strategies 1.   Use Popplet to create character trait webs. When creating character trait maps, each popple connected to the character popple should include either picture or text evidence of the character exhibiting that trait. This can be differentiated easily enough to suit your students’ needs by adjusting the amount of traits needed or the type of evidence. 2. Use Popplet to practice cause and effect. Students write the Effect in one popple then connect additional Cause popp...
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iMovie

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One app my kids absolutely love every year is iMovie. It's free. It's user friendly. It promotes creativity and thinking "outside the box". What I love most about iMovie is that it has pre-created templates for trailers or a blank slate for movie creation.  Typically I take a "run with it" approach to iMovie at the beginning of the year. I create my own "All About Me" movie to share with the kids. I let the kiddos play around with the formats during free time and allow them to collaborate with one another to figure out the features.  After a few weeks of free play and exploration, we start with little lessons on how we can use iMovie intentionally to show our learning. Some ways my own students have used iMovie over the years are: All About Me  Informational video about a topic State Projects Creating commercials for their favorite book Commercials for a product they've created School newscast Writing a narrated boo...
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Blog Following - Holding Students Accountable When Using Technology

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This week on Erin's blog, we are looking at accountability in the tech savvy classroom. This is often an issue brought up when talking about utilizing technology in the classroom, especially when students are 1:1 and have a little more freedom in their choices.  While there are some sites and apps that do allow teachers to monitor students’ choices, levels, and progress, most cost money.  Erin has a few ways to hold students accountable when using technology in the classroom. Why should we hold students accountable for technology time? Keeping students accountable when playing a learning game on the iPad, PC, laptop, or Chromebook does not have to be hard.  Students should be able to stay engaged and on task even when the teacher is not directly monitoring their usage. You can also check out  Erin's plan for managing with behavior issues . There is an element of trust involved in allowing your students to work independently. However, in order to set t...
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