Cheers,
Lesley
As some of us at CAT prepare for a PD session on the flipped classroom, I'm reminded of the many things we already know how to do. Whether you use Moodle or another virtual classroom, those LMS's (Learning Management Systems) often contain the most powerful pieces for learning--discussion forms, quizzes where students can receive immediate feedback, and the ability to add links to videos (either made by you or by others) or other resources to enrich the class. A flipped classroom may sound daunting, but I bet you are already using some of the necessary elements, so the hope is that the jump to flipping won't be so scary. Plus, if you have participated in a MOOC or another distance learning course, you have experienced the flipped classroom. Anant Agarwal, the CEO of EdX, explained the basics of a MOOC in his TED talk from June of 2013, and his ideas are still very relevant, especially when we consider what changes we have made to today's classroom (i.e., not much). I hope this talk has inspired you and prepared you to think about ways you could flip your classroom. To be frank, I haven't flipped my classroom, but I have flipped parts. For example, most quizzes and tests for my class are done on Moodle so that my students receive immediate feedback. I also have instructional videos for various subjects (i.e., explaining how to create a Weebly blog and using the library's resources) and I have given students links to audiobooks of assigned reading, but that is basically the extent of the flipped part of my classroom. I have found discussion forums to work occasionally, but my students tire of them if I use them too often, so in-class discussions still reign. So you could say I'm not 100% of the way to a flipped class, but I'm far from 0% and that is an accomplishment. Each year I create new resources that give students the opportunity to review what we did in class and learn the material at their own pace and I think that is the crux of the flipped classroom. Perhaps if you take a "baby steps" approach like me, you will get farther in the flipped process than you had ever imagined you would.
Cheers, Lesley
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It’s that time of year again… I’ve assigned the semester project to my 9th graders (they’ve actually been working on it for a few weeks now). I’m using the same semester project I did last year, hoping it work better than last year. If you’re unfamiliar with my semester project, I asked my students to choose a book (a book that I have deemed appropriate for their ability level) and they are blogging about what they have read. Last year I made my students make a Weebly website but this year I let them choose. Most did choose Weebly, though, so we’re getting a good feel for the latest version of the Weebly app. As I’m sure you know, I’m a big fan of Weebly—it’s the site I use to maintain this website. I had tried to use the app in the past, but it wasn’t the most user-friendly so I stuck with the computer version. However, Weebly has made some drastic changes to their app and now I’ve been using it with my students on a weekly basis. The app makes editing one’s Weebly site significantly easier than editing via the website on an iPad, so if your only device is an iPad, you NEED the Weebly app. I, however, have had a different issue since I started all of my Weebly websites with the computer version. Since I did that, I am unable to edit all parts of those websites through the app. I’m not sure what the issue is, but I’ve had to stick with the computer version for the Weebly sites I have had for years now; therefore, I haven’t really been able to assess the efficacy of the app except through working with my students. So what is the final verdict? Well, the Weebly app is great if that is where you started your website. For those of us who have used the computer version for many years, well, we’ll have to wait until a few more bugs are fixed and stick with the computer version for now. Either way, Weebly is a wonderful resource for any classroom and my students have enjoyed creating something that the wider world can see and use. Cheers, Lesley Last week I had my students begin their semester project blogs. (I'm working on refining the same project I did last year with reading a book of their choice and blogging about it as they read.) I'm encouraging them to use Weebly since they will be using Weebly for their math class. Although I love Weebly and I think it's easy to use, last year was so hectic when students were creating their Weebly sites and their blog pages! I swear it was one of the longest teaching days of my life... I repeated myself over and over and kept having to go back to show students what they had to do. After such a terrible class, I ended up making a video over the weekend for students to use in their homes. That meant that this year instead of repeating myself and getting as exhausted as last year, this time I showed my students where the video was (I put the link on Moodle so it was very easy to find) and I asked them to watch it and follow along, pausing as they needed to.
To be frank, not everyone was a fan. I, however, found it much easier to walk around, monitor student progress, and assist as needed. It was such a pleasant class for me! I felt like I was able to meet with each student and truly gauge their comfort level with Weebly. Plus I enjoyed the fact that students who missed class had the opportunity to watch and video and feel like they hadn't missed a beat. I don't think I will be using YouTube every day or even every week, but there are times when it is helpful. Therefore, I will leave you with my anecdote and this infographic from e-Learning Industry. Maybe there's a place for YouTube in your classroom, too. Cheers, Lesley iOS 8 came out last week with a few nice changes (including the fact that it actually downloads an app with tips about the system onto your device). Here's a quick little video that will help you see what you can do with iOS 8 on your device: If you'd like to learn more, install the update and check out the tips or see these articles for more tips and help:
With these resources, I'm sure you'll adjust to iOS 8 in no time. Cheers, Lesley Every English teacher should have SwipeSpeare, especially if you teach Shakespeare. And it's even better than before! Here's the basic premise: Here are the features everyone should know about: 1) This is a tool you can use on your iPad, an android device, or on a computer (though it appears that on a computer, the plays are rarely free). 2) Not all plays are free. (But "The Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet" is! Let's hear it for the 9th grade ELA curriculum!) Be sure to check before you use this app in class. 3) You can choose the original text or a modernized (or translated, as my students like to say) version. I like to ask students to use the original text because all one has to do to get to the modernized version is swipe one's finger across the screen. But the best part? Now you can do it line by line! When I used this app last year, the whole scene would change. I really enjoy the ease of moving back and forth from the original text and the modern version, and my students appreciate this tool as well, especially as they adjust to Early Modern English. As you can see, I really like this app. I think it's a smart way to help students learn to appreciate Shakespeare. Yet even if you aren't an English teacher, you can enjoy this app. Perhaps you are a parent and you'd like to help your teen-aged child who is struggling through Shakespeare or perhaps you'd like to brush up on a play before seeing it live. Whatever the reason, if Shakespeare's works will be in your life, so should SwipeSpeare. You won't be sorry. Cheers, Lesley I don't know about you all, but lately the internet at school hasn't been my friend. Students taking quizzes via our Moodle have had to step outside or at least get closer to the door to get a good signal. I'm sure we've all managed to find ways to survive with our lackluster internet service, but I would like to share one solution I have found, especially when you want to share a video from YouTube. Play Tube is a free app that let's you download YouTube videos so you can play them later, even if you aren't connected to the internet. I've used it a couple times and it hasn't failed me yet. I even have a few workout videos downloaded so I can sweat it out no matter where I am. However, the downside of this app is that the videos do take up your gigabytes so you'll have to be careful with the number of videos you choose to download and perhaps even delete them when you are finished using them. That part might get a bit tedious, but it's better than planning to use a YouTube video to introduce or explain a complex topic and then realizing that the school's internet is down. Now if the power goes out, you are on your own! (Or you can have your 20-some students huddle around the iPad to watch.) Either way, I hope you find Play Tube to be a useful app. Cheers, Lesley As the school year begins, I would like to remind you all about guided access. It’s a great tool when you are sharing your iPad with others. As you know, I use Teacher Kit and instead of having me enter all of my students’ email addresses and their parents’ information, I have them do it for me. All I have to do is set the guided access feature on my iPad and I know my students won’t be able to spy on me or do anything inappropriate/unexpected with my iPad. I did have one student change his name to Ninja something, but that was easy enough to fix. Using guided access is much better than having someone open my Facebook or Twitter account and post on my behalf. Now I know we learned about guided access a couple of years ago, but let me refresh your memory. Follow these steps to set up your guided access: Step 1: Open “Settings.” Step 2: Select “General.” Step 3: Select “Accessibility.” Step 4: Now scroll down until you see the heading “Learning” and “Guided Access” should be there. Step 5: Touch the button to turn guided access on. Step 6: Set a passcode. Step 7: Be sure to turn on the “Accessibility Shortcut,” a handy feature that lets you turn it on and off as needed. (This is especially nice when you lend your device to a student on short notice. Then it’s just three clicks of the home button and guided access is set. Easy!) That’s it! You can share you iPad with students, your children, nieces and nephews, etc., and know they won’t get into something you don’t want them to. I hope this review is helpful for you, especially as we collaborate with others. Cheers, Lesley As we prepare for our morning meeting, I'm sure some of you are concerned about having too much time or not enough time to cover everything. While I can't help you with the latter, I do have an app for the former: Ask Me Anything for teens (AMAFTFREE). This is a very simple app with a simple idea: you tap the screen and you are given a question to discuss. For example...
All you have to do is tap the screen and a new question will appear. It's very easy to use and I haven't seen any repeat questions... yet. :-) I like this app because I think it will help us learn more about our students and our morning meeting groups. Plus, it's an easy time filler, right? You can even project the question on the board with the Apple TV so that our ELL students can work on their reading skills. Basically, it's a win-win with this free app. Get it today and try it out for tomorrow's meeting.
Cheers, Lesley It is the best day, people! Literably is now an APP for the iPad!!! Remember when I wrote about Literably before? It's a site that allows you to assign your students reading passages for their lexile level. Then the students read the passage aloud and the computer will grade their reading and show you, the teacher, where they made mistakes and if they self-corrected. This is something the students can also see and something you can show to parents. It is cool stuff. However, before one would have needed a microphone attached to the computer. Now with the app, it will be much easier for us to do this at school, assuming each student will be able to find a quite place. :-)
Literably has also made some improvements--there are now pictures that go with the story and comprehension questions that follow. Yet to see the results, the teacher will have to use the original website. The app is for students and the website is for the teacher because that is where you can see the student's reading accuracy and speed and the reading comprehension question scores. That is the part that has not changed. If you haven't used Literably before, now is the time to try it. I encourage all elementary and middle school teachers to try it. Our students are spectacular readers, so this would be one way for them to see their improvement and share that with parents. Check it out for yourself! Cheers, Lesley Hello, everyone! I hope you've had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. Yet as the new school year is knocking on our door, I thought I would reflect upon some of my favorite tools from the past school year. Feel free to share your own as well, so we can try it out and see if we like it, too. :-)
1) TeacherKit: I really like this app because it allowed me to keep my own notes about students. I wish I would have specified attendance (i.e., excused vs. unexcused absences) since Edline won't show us that, but what I used it for most was student notes. I know exactly how many tardies each student has and I kept important notes about behavior (as in, if someone was using their cell phone or other device inappropriately) and attitude. I feel like it really helped me keep track of the important stuff and notice student issues before they became problems. These notes also came in handy during parent meetings, so if you haven't tried TeacherKit, this should be the year to do so. 2) Evernote: I'm sure many of you already use this, but I love Evernote! I kept all of my notes from department meetings, staff meetings, and any kind of professional development we had along with other personal notes. I love the fact that you can have different notebooks, you can add tags, and it's very easy to use. Plus it can be used on a computer, too, so your notes are accessible whenever you need them. If you're not already using Evernote, this is the year to do it and encourage your students to as well. 3) Swipespeare: Now this is perhaps more English specific, but I have to share it. Swipespeare is great because if you're studying Shakespeare, students can get overwhelmed. Enter Swipespeare, the app that lets you move from Shakespeare's original words to modern language with the swipe of a finger. Not all plays are available for free, but it would be worth the investment. Many students thought Swipespeare was a lifesaver as they adjusted to Shakespeare's Early Modern English. 4) Literably: This is the website I mentioned before, but I am happy to report that their app is in beta testing! Once it's available for the iPad, I will be sure to ask Technology to download the app on the school's iPads. Meanwhile, you can still use the website to help you see how your students read orally. It will automatically grade them and it will be a file you can use to share with students and parents alike. It's meant for younger students, but I think it's still an acceptable exercise for middle schoolers, especially since our students are ELL. If you'd like to read more about Literably or see a tutorial, visit my previous blog about it: http://ipads4cat.weebly.com/lesleys-blog/literably Well, that's all I have to share for now. What worked for you last year? What apps or websites should all teachers be trying out this year? Leave a comment and let us know. Cheers, Lesley |
About the AuthorLesley is an English teacher who is passionate about using connectivism in the classroom and preparing students and teachers for using the tools that are available to them on a regular basis. This blog will focus on iPad apps and Web 2.0 tools that can enhance and diversify learning. Leave a comment and let me know what you think or what you'd like to learn about! Archives
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