SESSION 5 Jing
SESSION 4 Brain Conference Lectures
WeVideo link https://www.wevideo.com/hub?newUser=true#view/518672498
SESSION 3
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/brain-break-classroom-transition-nea#
When I am contemplating using technology I am always asking myself am I just using this (app, tablet, chromebook, program) because it exists or is it an even trade for something that I already do. Not that everything I do with tech has to be an even trade but I don't want to use tech " just because". This instructor has her students taking a "brain break". She has orchestrated movements that they all know. Why is this innovative, maybe because a lot of teachers don't do anything active with their students. It is just a few minutes for students to move around and then refocus. Just one of the ways I take "brain breaks" with my students is with GoNoodle https://www.gonoodle.com/. It is fun, silly, and short but it really gets them moving. Now we can get back to work. 4/5
http://www.teachertube.com/video/fractions-2nd-grade-217945
Claymation video made by a 2nd grade classroom. Students are demonstrating fractions. This is what makes learning fun and when approached correctly cements basic fractions in a child's brain. It includes the 4 Cs. It is creative, collaborative, there is critical thinking going on, and it is communicative in that they are communicating their ideas through clay and a video. I would definitely duplicate this with my students. 5/5
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/brain-break-classroom-transition-nea#
When I am contemplating using technology I am always asking myself am I just using this (app, tablet, chromebook, program) because it exists or is it an even trade for something that I already do. Not that everything I do with tech has to be an even trade but I don't want to use tech " just because". This instructor has her students taking a "brain break". She has orchestrated movements that they all know. Why is this innovative, maybe because a lot of teachers don't do anything active with their students. It is just a few minutes for students to move around and then refocus. Just one of the ways I take "brain breaks" with my students is with GoNoodle https://www.gonoodle.com/. It is fun, silly, and short but it really gets them moving. Now we can get back to work. 4/5
http://www.teachertube.com/video/fractions-2nd-grade-217945
Claymation video made by a 2nd grade classroom. Students are demonstrating fractions. This is what makes learning fun and when approached correctly cements basic fractions in a child's brain. It includes the 4 Cs. It is creative, collaborative, there is critical thinking going on, and it is communicative in that they are communicating their ideas through clay and a video. I would definitely duplicate this with my students. 5/5
SESSION 2 Case Study Analysis
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/flexible-classrooms-providing-learning-environment-kids-need
Classroom environment is a passion of mine. I encourage students to work anywhere they like. They can stand, sit on the floor, sit under tables, or relax on pillows. We of course have parameters and we have practiced procedures for moving away from desks and tables. Among the many things I teach to my second graders the most important is how to be an independent worker. There are times in the day when students must work on their own, stay on a task, complete the task. When I tell my students they may complete this work anywhere they want I watch 20 youngsters brighten because they are allowed to be in charge of themselves. Not everyone is ready for this independence but they build "stamina" with daily practice. I am a devotee of The Daily 5 by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. This amazing book outlines their philosophy and their practices which help a teacher structure language arts time so that reading to self, reading to someone, writing, word work, reading comprehension and small group instruction can ALL happen on a daily basis. I don't recall if Boushey and Moser call their classrooms flexible but I have found that using the Daily 5 and with the large amount of science experiments and projects we do that the classroom has to be flexible. There are but a few desks in my classroom, tables abound, and there is plenty of open floor space to spread out on. My flexible classroom is a nice place to come each day. I feel it and kids mention it. And because I am passionate about the environment in the classroom seating, tables, and open spaces change from time to time. When I first began teaching I embraced desks in rows. It was what I knew from my school days. I didn't even imagine it could be another way. Now my classroom environment is a work in progress and I believe student work improves with the flexibility of the space which allows alone time and collaboration in a space that makes students feel in charge. Rating 5/5
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/instructional-coaching-seeding-district-wide-innovation
I work in a small (two schools) though well-funded school district. This is what I envision for my district - instructional coaching in technology. So much technology gets dumped on teachers in my district (a blessing and a curse) and we are left more than a little dazed. As with any staff there are various levels of comfort and expertise with computer technology. A coach could assist teachers with planning and give demonstration lessons to fill this what-the-heck-do-we-do-now gap. After completing this master's program I wonder if I could fill that gap for my K-3 team. Training and coaching needs to be on-going and consistent with trusted, engaging coaches. Before a district throws technology at a staff they should step back and first get the coaching and tech support in place and then slowly infuse all the various computer platforms. Rating 4/5
http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-differentiated-instruction-interactive-games-video
In this Edutopia video what I noticed right away was not anything “technological” it was the white board desks and the teacher’s white board table. What awesome tools. Imagine being able to write on your desk and it is okay! And environmental in terms of scratch paper not being used and thrown away/recycled.
What's more effective than a full day of professional development? Visiting another teacher’s classroom. This does not happen often in my own school and visiting another school - not at all. So www.edutopia.org, www.schooltube.com, www.teachertube.com and similar sites fill this void. In the above linked video, Mr. Pronovost is a second grade teacher, as am I, and watching him introduce and teach the very subjects that I am covering makes this relevant to my world. So…the technology bit. This class has Dreambox which my students use also. They appear to have a precursor program called Turtle Island which we do not have and I’m wondering if this is an important companion piece. I, again, admire the white boards as students work out math problems from the computer program on their desks. We know that students learn in various ways and a laptop or ipad are not a magic bullet. But, to have the white boards as a companion piece allows this practice to be audible, visual, and tactile.
In accompanying information about this video it states that Mr. Pronovost uses many free apps. My personal experience is that free apps are filled with advertisements, often inappropriate ads. In my three years of employing ipads in my classroom and vetting numerous applications I steer clear of free apps being deployed on classroom ipads. If an app does prove it’s worth then I’ll put in a request for purchase and hope it is granted. Purchased apps are ad free. Otherwise these apps, in my opinion, are often advertising vehicles and not worth my time or a vulnerable student’s time. Rating 4/5
Classroom environment is a passion of mine. I encourage students to work anywhere they like. They can stand, sit on the floor, sit under tables, or relax on pillows. We of course have parameters and we have practiced procedures for moving away from desks and tables. Among the many things I teach to my second graders the most important is how to be an independent worker. There are times in the day when students must work on their own, stay on a task, complete the task. When I tell my students they may complete this work anywhere they want I watch 20 youngsters brighten because they are allowed to be in charge of themselves. Not everyone is ready for this independence but they build "stamina" with daily practice. I am a devotee of The Daily 5 by Gail Boushey and Joan Moser. This amazing book outlines their philosophy and their practices which help a teacher structure language arts time so that reading to self, reading to someone, writing, word work, reading comprehension and small group instruction can ALL happen on a daily basis. I don't recall if Boushey and Moser call their classrooms flexible but I have found that using the Daily 5 and with the large amount of science experiments and projects we do that the classroom has to be flexible. There are but a few desks in my classroom, tables abound, and there is plenty of open floor space to spread out on. My flexible classroom is a nice place to come each day. I feel it and kids mention it. And because I am passionate about the environment in the classroom seating, tables, and open spaces change from time to time. When I first began teaching I embraced desks in rows. It was what I knew from my school days. I didn't even imagine it could be another way. Now my classroom environment is a work in progress and I believe student work improves with the flexibility of the space which allows alone time and collaboration in a space that makes students feel in charge. Rating 5/5
http://www.edutopia.org/practice/instructional-coaching-seeding-district-wide-innovation
I work in a small (two schools) though well-funded school district. This is what I envision for my district - instructional coaching in technology. So much technology gets dumped on teachers in my district (a blessing and a curse) and we are left more than a little dazed. As with any staff there are various levels of comfort and expertise with computer technology. A coach could assist teachers with planning and give demonstration lessons to fill this what-the-heck-do-we-do-now gap. After completing this master's program I wonder if I could fill that gap for my K-3 team. Training and coaching needs to be on-going and consistent with trusted, engaging coaches. Before a district throws technology at a staff they should step back and first get the coaching and tech support in place and then slowly infuse all the various computer platforms. Rating 4/5
http://www.edutopia.org/tech-to-learn-differentiated-instruction-interactive-games-video
In this Edutopia video what I noticed right away was not anything “technological” it was the white board desks and the teacher’s white board table. What awesome tools. Imagine being able to write on your desk and it is okay! And environmental in terms of scratch paper not being used and thrown away/recycled.
What's more effective than a full day of professional development? Visiting another teacher’s classroom. This does not happen often in my own school and visiting another school - not at all. So www.edutopia.org, www.schooltube.com, www.teachertube.com and similar sites fill this void. In the above linked video, Mr. Pronovost is a second grade teacher, as am I, and watching him introduce and teach the very subjects that I am covering makes this relevant to my world. So…the technology bit. This class has Dreambox which my students use also. They appear to have a precursor program called Turtle Island which we do not have and I’m wondering if this is an important companion piece. I, again, admire the white boards as students work out math problems from the computer program on their desks. We know that students learn in various ways and a laptop or ipad are not a magic bullet. But, to have the white boards as a companion piece allows this practice to be audible, visual, and tactile.
In accompanying information about this video it states that Mr. Pronovost uses many free apps. My personal experience is that free apps are filled with advertisements, often inappropriate ads. In my three years of employing ipads in my classroom and vetting numerous applications I steer clear of free apps being deployed on classroom ipads. If an app does prove it’s worth then I’ll put in a request for purchase and hope it is granted. Purchased apps are ad free. Otherwise these apps, in my opinion, are often advertising vehicles and not worth my time or a vulnerable student’s time. Rating 4/5