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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We're all trying to help our students expand their vocabularies, right? I've done the bookmarks, word walls, flashcards, quizzes, and blah, blah, blah. Some methods work better with some students than others, but I think I have found a tool that will work even better because it can be directly related to the SAT (something my students will take in the future and something the high achievers are already thinking about). ProfessorWord is a website that allows you to install the program on your toolbar (mind you, you will need to ensure your toolbar is visible) and it will highlight words that are used on the SAT and ACT exams. It will also allow you to highlight unfamiliar words and it will define them right there for you, so there's no need to open another app or tab to search for a dictionary. I've only begun using ProfessorWord, but I'm sold! I've begun encouraging my students to use it and I am looking forward to ProfessorWord's future plans to include personal vocabulary lists (which won't be as easy to lose as those bookmarks I've been assigning). Below is their YouTube video that will explain just how easy it is to use. If you teach high schoolers, this is something you and your should start using today. Cheers, Lesley American association of School Librarians' (AASL) List of Best Apps for Teaching & Learning8/6/2013
Click on the image to go to the link.
As the school year is about to start, it's no surprise Mr. Makhlouf sent me this link to the AASL's Best Apps for Teaching and Learning. A few of them are already highlighted in this website, but many are new, so please do check it out. There are book apps (and I'm guessing they would be the complete books, too, because none of them are free. Prices range from $2.99 to $14.99.); Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) apps (and most are free except Operation Math is $2.99 and Simple Physics is $1.99); organization and management apps (all are free and most should be familiar); social sciences apps (all are $4.99 except News-O-Matic and MyCongress which are FREE!); and content creation apps (and all are FREE except GarageBand which is $4.99). So before you head off for the first day of school, take a look and see if you get any more ideas for this 2013-14 school year. With two iPad carts and many teachers who have their own iPads, I believe there are many possibilities to enhance what we're already doing well. Imagine the possibilities and keep checking back here. ;-) Cheers, Lesley Congratulations!!! I hear the iPads are out and I've seen some pictures and what not on Facebook. How fun! So now I'm hoping we will make this site AMAZING! As you find cool apps, please let me know and I will post them here so that we can use our new technology in the best way. Yesterday, Edutopia posted this picture: Those are words to remember.... In fact, here is an article that talks about putting iPad on a "pedestal"--something we definitely don't want to do! If you are interested, here's the link: http://www.edudemic.com/2013/05/ipads-in-the-classroom-the-right-questions-you-should-ask/
Those are some questions we should all be asking as we work together to use iPads in an educationally sound manner and not as a means of entertainment. Cheers, Lesley “Because there was no training on the apps, I had to fend for myself and was confused much of the time. The professor was unable to help as they were just as confused. The iPad was ineffective because no one knew how to use the apps.” ‐iPad class student I don't know about you, but the above quote is something I've thought a lot about and a fear I have for the coming year. To help us all prepare, I made a new page called "Ideas for iPads in the Classroom." There are some repeat resources from the "Tech Resources" page, but on the "Ideas for iPads in the Classroom" page I have added a discussion forum so that we can all share our ideas with one another. Now I must admit that I've never used a forum in Weebly before, so I hope it works as slick as it's supposed to! Please check it out and add what's worked for you or ideas that you've read about using iPads in the classroom. That is the page that I hope you will all find to be the most useful. But as always, let me know if you have other ideas or if I should change something. This is a website for YOU so I want it to be as user-friendly as possible. Cheers, Lesley "Technology has to adapt to humans, rather than have humans adapt to technology." ~Dr. Richard Mayer Some people believe that technology will do all of the work for them. I want you all to know that is false. Dr. Richard Mayer, a Psychology professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), pointed out how in the 1930's people thought radio was going to change education. In the 1950's, they thought television would change education and then in the 60's and 70's, people thought programmed instruction via computers could take the place of teachers. As I'm sure you've figured out, none of those changes stuck. Technology should not drive instructional decisions and new technologies do not change the way people learn. As Dr. Mayer said, "What makes a computer or a book effective is the instructional method being used." Knowing that means our question becomes: How can we use the technologies available to us to enhance learning? Now I must admit that I may not have the answer for you, but one newer learning theory may help: connectivism. If you've never heard of it, here's a great video that demonstrates how connectivism can be used in the classroom: Personally, I've been trying to add elements of connectivism into my classroom by teaching students about social bookmarking (I usually promote Diigo, but Evernote is another popular option), Google Scholar, EBSCO (with Andrea's help, of course!), and we've been doing some blogging as well. I definitely don't have it down to a science (but does anybody ever really reach that kind of perfection when your students change from year to year?), but I'm excited about making some changes next year that I believe will help my students be successful in the future. But more on that later. :-) For now, just think about how connectivism could work in your classroom and with the tools you already have available to you.
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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