Technology Boot Camp

The Oconomowoc Area School District Technology Boot Camp begins tomorrow and I am spending my evening reviewing notes for the workshops that I am facilitating. The camp runs for three days, and participants are required to attend the first day; days two and three are optional and dependent on individual interest in workshops.  Mike O'Connor will provide an orientation Monday morning, and then staff will attend workshops of their choice.  Workshops include: mobiles in the classroom, advanced Google Apps, social bookmarks, iTouch to support literacy, and using Blogger with 9-12 students. Staff will also have afternoons to work on projects related to technology with the support of coaches. 

Student Blogs

The final project for students in the eighth grade "Techno Savvy" class is to create a personal blog on a topic of their choice.  I encourage students to select a topic that they would likely continue to blog about.  Here are a few of the blogs they created:

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:  http://8-8-5apictureworthathousandwordsoasd.blogspot.com/

Trevor's Tech Tips:  http://8-8-5trevorstechtipsoasd.blogspot.com/?zx=c136fbfba1b87bb5

Unicycle Stuff:  http://8-3-3unicyclestuffoasd.blogspot.com/?zx=90d097b0af8658d3

Sweet Paradise:  http://8-8-5sweetparadise-oasd.blogspot.com/

Digital Storytelling using Mobiles

A social studies teacher was inspired by Tony Vincent's blog on project based learning and encouraged her students to show their learning on the Executive Branch using personal mobiles if they had access to them. I put together a few examples to share with the students.  Here is a quick recap of my experience working with three digital storytelling applications.

Storyrobe:  
Things I liked:

• easy to use
• can include photos and voice recordings
• recordings can extend over multiple images by pausing/moving to next image
• reasonably priced at 99 cents
• can be shared with others via e-mail or YouTube (click to view the example I shared with students.)

Things I did not like:

• images need to be rotated landscape
• recordings are limited to three minutes

StoryKit:
Positives:

• easy to use
• can include photos, text, simplistic drawings and recordings
• free
• can be shared with others via StoryKit server

Negatives:

• recordings are on each individual page 

SonicPics:
Good:

• fairly easy to use
• can include photos and recording can extend over multiple images by pausing/moving to next image

Needs Work:

• cost is high at $2.99

Student Blogs

Students in the eighth grade Techno Savvy classes created blogs that address global issues.  Students worked hard on their projects and are excited to share their learning.

What can you do?

1. Visit a few of the blogs:

http://arecellphonestocoolforschooloasd.blogspot.com/

http://anewwayofschooloasd.blogspot.com/

http://cloninganothereweoasd.blogspot.com/

http://deathorriseofthedeathpenaltyoasd.blogspot.com/

http://anewlearningstyleoasd.blogspot.com/

http://animalsliveordieoasd.blogspot.com/

2. Respond to the poll.

3. If you have a Gmail account you can add a comment. If you choose to leave a comment, please (a) read the information, (b) use the links to learn more about the topic, (c) look for the critical question, and (d) post your comment to the critical question. Please be sure to comment on the blog content, not the blog itself.

Thank you for supporting the work of these students.

Flip It! To Show Learning

Students can show their learning using Flip It! by Fat Fish Apps Inc.  The application is easy to use, even for students at the primary level.

Our second graders created individual books to show the life cycle of a plant.  Their first page was the ground; they copied the page and added a seed, the next page the roots, and continued to add elements to pages to show the entire plant cycle from seed to reseeding.  The application can be used to show sequential or cyclical processes or just for creativity.

You can create five books with Flip It! Lite.  The full version is $1.99.

Videos for Learning

This week fourth grade students used the iTouches to view videos on immigration to America.  The students are learning about immigration and creating podcasts that present the experience from an immigrant’s point of view.  As I read through drafts of scripts it became apparent that in general students did not understand the everyday life of immigrants once they arrived in the United States.  

Knowing that many students are visual learners, I went searching for videos to help them grasp a deeper understanding of what life was like for an immigrant to America.  I found short, one to three minute, documentaries on YouTube on Irish, Italian, German, and Polish immigrants.  Most of the documentaries were done by WGTEPreviews and included images with first-hand accounts of immigrants sharing their experience.  The iTouches helped me individualize instruction and make effective use of class time since students only watched the videos for the country they were studying.

 

Students quickly grasped a deeper understanding of communities, clothing, homes, businesses, and personal relationships.  I knew the videos were effective when one student said, “Oh, now I get it!,” and immediately started added details to their script.

No Perfect App For Learning Multiplication Facts

I am still looking for the perfect app for students to learn multiplication facts. The app should:

1. require the user to enter the product (rather than multiple choice)
2. allow the user to set the tables he/she is working on
3. provide feedback and require the user the enter the correct product before going to the next problem
4. track correct and incorrect responses
5. visually show the facts he/she needs to work on.

Yesterday I tried ArithmeTick by Pomegranate Software.  The app allows students to practice their facts before beginning a timed game and users can set the difficulty level from easy to einstein.  It does not allow users to enter a maximum number as a factor.  Third grade students quickly became frustrated with ArithmeTick when they were presented with double-digit problems and were expected to solve them in their heads.  Unfortunately the app does not have settings for specific facts or maximum numbers.

Brain Thaw by Groovy Squared LLC looks like a very good application for students to work on multiples which would transfer to learning their multiplication facts.  However, I found that after I complete the first level the numbers are blurry and cannot be read clearly enough to complete the next level.  I have contacted Groovy Squared to see if this is a problem with 4G iTouches and have not yet had a response.

After weeding through apps, I downloaded Flashcards To Go:  Multiplication by To Go Box Mobile Apps.  Users can set the maximum factors, it requires users to enter the product, and does not allow a user to progress until they have entered the correct answer.  The downside of the app is that it does not show progress and correct and incorrect responses.  Personally I was a bit bored with the app after just a few minutes of use.  I am presenting it to students today and am hoping they feel challenged.

Math Drills Lite App

Today I introduced "Math Drills Lite," a free app by Instant Interactive, to students in the iTouch study.  Students changed the settings to tables of three through nine and reviews assistants to two second animation interval.  All other settings remained at their default. 

Review shows an animated number line that students can use to count, it also displays hints.  Students spent time working on the review and those that felt confident moved to practice which does not include any visual clues.

This app is one of the best that I have found for learning math facts.  It is easy to read and requires students to input the product, therefore eliminating "guessing" that is prevalent in many other math apps.

The assistants can be changed to blocks, facts, and hints.  It also shows a strategy using fingers when working on tables of nine.

The only negative that I can see with Math Drills is that there is not a very good visual and/or audio prompt when a product is entered incorrectly.  Students see a red bar appear by the X at the top, but the app does not require the correct product to be entered and just continues to the next problem.

Study Group Using iPod Touches

The iPod Touch study is moving forward.  Students completed online surveys about their personal use of technology and a timed pretest to determine their current knowledge of multiplication facts.

For the study students will be introduced to five apps that focus on multiplication facts. After all five have been introduced, students will be allowed to choose the app they want to use during class. Students will use an app for ten minutes, which is the same length of time students who are not using the iTouches work on their multiplication facts in class.

The two classes that are using the iPod Touches in our study were introduced to the Touches today.  I reviewed "responsible use" of the Touches and then showed students the Pop Math app.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, it is important to emphasize the goal of the app and the goal in Pop Math is to earn points by popping the factors and correct product; not just moving to the next level since that can be done by just guessing.  Students spent ten minutes using the app and there was no question about student engagement.  I also noticed that students self-selected "tables" of numbers that they did not know well.

Finally . . . Cases for the iTouches


 The cases we purchased at the beginning of the year did not fit the 4th generation iPod Touches; they were loose and did not have an opening for the camera.

Cases from HandHeldItems

So, we shopped at http://www.handhelditems.com/ where they offer a wide range of cases for mobile devices.  We purchased five different colors with prices ranging from $3.99 to $6.99 http://www.handhelditems.com/ipod-touch-case-with-inner-circle-design-clear-purple-circle-p-148672.html.  The cases fit snug and appear to be durable.  With the exception of the solid black, the cases are transparent so that the labels with the ipod number and name can be read through the case.



Tackle Boxes Used to Organize Earbuds







To contend with the tangle of earbuds and earbuds with microphones I purchased a few tackle boxes for about $4 a piece.







iPad for Speech and Language

This week we received an iPad to be used by the three Speech and Language teachers in my school.  Our goal is to see if it actually impacts student learning.

One of the S/L teachers and I met to discuss applications.  Our starting point was a list of applications that she has compiled from her reading.  We downloaded the free and relatively inexpensive applications to start.  The applications and the iPad screens are organized as follows:

Communication:

• Tap to Talk (free)
• Locabulary Lite (free)

Reinforcement:

• Cookie Doodle
• 123 Sticker HD

Articulation:

• Metronome 
• Talking Tom Cat

Language:

• iTouch iLearn Words for Preschool
• Grammar Fun (free)
• ABA Language Cards
• ipractice verbs
• Question Builder
• I Hear Ewe (free)
• Story Cubes
• Cupcakes XL 
• iTalk (free)

Pragmatics

• Model Me Going Places (free)
• Story Kit (free)

Interactive Books/Songs

• Toy Story Read Along (free)
• The Cat in the Hat
• Monkey Business
• Itsy Bitsy Spider
• Old McDonald
• Wheels on the Bus
• 5 Little Monkeys
• Clicky Sticky

The Speech and Language teachers' excitement is contagious.  You can read more about their experience on the "Speechless" blog listed under "Blogs to Read."

Tip:  Since my MacBook is used for the iTouches, I simply created a different user login for the iPad to keep iTunes applications separate.  To create a new user on the Mac, login to an account that has administrator rights, click the Apple icon on the top menu bar, select System Preferences, accounts, click the lock to make changes, + for new account.  Works slick.

iTouch Research

Do mobile devices really impact student learning? This year our school will be exploring the answer to this question through a research project that looks at the impact iTouch technology has on student math performance; specifically learning multiplication facts. The study will take place during third quarter with two classes using the iTouches and two other classes using traditional methods for learning facts. Students will be using six iTouch applications that include Math Magic, Multiplication Genius, Flash to Pass Free, Pop Math, and Mad Math. I am still looking for the sixth application, possible one that focuses on estimation or multiplying money. Dr. Derick Kiger and Dr. Dani Herro will be overseeing the research.

Today Dr. Herro met with the third grade staff to acquire background information for the study. I continue to be impressed by her ability to extract and clearly summarize math instruction practices from four different teachers and feel privileged to be involved in this study.

Storytelling


Last week a fourth grade teacher approached me about the museum her class is creating on the Native Americans in Wisconsin.  Students researched and wrote stories about different tribes, but she did not know the best way for students to share the information with visitors to the museum.  I suggested that they try "Storyrobe," a free digital storytelling application.

Since neither the classroom teacher or I had ever used the application with a class, we started with two students.  Using the itouch camera, students took pictures that went with their stories.  We learned that it was easiest to take photos using the camera, and then add them to Storyrobe as the story is created.  Students placed dots in their script to mark the location where the image should change.  The "author" recorded the story as another student selected the next image.  All students in this class of 22 successfully created their "Storyrobe" stories in just a few days.

Once the stories were done we uploaded them to a private youtube account for the tour of their museum.

Detailed information about digital storytelling using Storyrobe can be found on the Storyrobe web site.

I'm at Level 81! (iTouch implementation)

Students need to understand the goal of an application.  I learned this quickly with second grade students.  They wanted to get to the "next level," on several applications, but in many cases got there by guessing.  This is probably "video game mentality" where that is the aim.  After the classroom teacher and I explained the true objective and showed the students how they could see the number of responses that were correct or incorrect, the focus was much more intentional on using the applications to learn and reinforce skills and knowledge.

It is important for teachers to be familiar with the applications and to clearly explain the objectives to the students.  It is also important for teachers to continually monitor student progress, helping them make adjustments to settings to meet individual learning needs.

First Use in Classrooms (iTouch implementation)

The first time students in second and fourth grade used the iTouches, they started with math applications.  Second grade students used Pop Math to work on addition facts.  Fourth grade students are learning decimals and used the Freddy Fraction application.  Students quickly grasped the handling and use of the iTouches.

My role as a teacher was to act as a guide, helping students change settings so the application was at the right level of difficulty. Math was a great way to begin since most of the applications are intuitive and can be adjusted to the student's skill level.

Almost Synched (iTouch implementation)

Apps:
I spent the past several days selecting and downloading apps for our 20 iTouches.  Only three  left to sync.  Apps include a combination of paid and free.  The Volume Voucher Program requires you to enter a code into iTunes for every copy of an app you purchase.  Even though I used "copy and paste," it was a time-consuming, tedious task.  In general the iTouch screens are organized  as follows:

Home Page:

• default apps

Kindergarten/1st Grade:

• ABC phonics
• Drawing Den
• My First Words
• 1 Fish 2 Fish (paid)
• Clifford Be Big with Words (paid)
• Teach Me Kindergarten
• Shape Lite
• Learn Sight Words (paid)
• Word Magic (paid)

Math:

• Flash Cards
• Flow Math (paid)
• Multi Genius Lite
• Nine Gaps (paid)
• Number Line
• Pizza Math
• Pop Math (paid)
• Telling Time (paid)
• Flash to Pass Free
• Braineous (paid)
• Coin Math (paid)
• Long Division
• Mad Math Lite
• Equation Creator
• eye Math Subtraction
• Freddy Fraction

Language Arts:

• Dragon Dictation
• i Sentence Builder (paid)
• Dictionary
• Free Grammar
• Tree Hut
• Mad Libs
• Primary Grammar Jammer
• SpellStacker
• Storyrobe
• Chicktionary Lite

Social Studies / Science:

• Dinosaurs
• Weather Eye
• NASA
• Travel Wisconsin
• Stack the States Lite

Other:

• Flower Garden
• BrainPop Video of the Day
• Drawing Den
• MyPaintFree

Naming the iTouches:
Each iTouch has been assigned a name and number which is engraved on the iTouch and shown on a label on the iTouch case.  There are ten male names and ten females; Laverne, Percy, Henry and Romona are a few of my favorite names.  There is also a label next to each slot in the cart for easy identification of placement of iTouches when returned.  To personalize the iTouches, I found clipart to go with each name, edited the clipart to add the name and number, and then set the picture as the lock screen on each iTouch.

iPod Touch

This year I will be piloting the effectiveness of iPod touches at the elementary level and will share the implementation through this blog.  Today I unwrapped 20 iPod touches and put them in the Bredford cart for charging.  One of our amazing technicians set up an Airliner for wireless access.  I'm ready to download apps and get going.

Creative Podcasting

One of the assignments for students in my 8th grade "Techno Savvy" class is to create a podcast.  Earlier in the course these students researched a controversial topic and worked in groups to create a blog.  Topics included cloning, the death penalty, cell phone use in schools, and world hunger. 

I encouraged students to take a unique approach to the format of the podcast.  The results were impressive.  Formats included game shows, talk shows, and shopping network programs.  Two of the podcasts really  surprised me.  One group wrote and sang an emotional song about world hunger titled "Just Imagine."  Another group wrote and performed a rap on the death penalty.  The lyrics came from the perspective of the accused and a police officer who rapped, "Listen hear I’m one of our cities cops. Most people we arrest aren’t at our social ladders top. I Like the death penalty it’s the best way for those monstas to go, I wonder what they think about when there on death row . . ."

Podcasting truly is a means for students to creatively communicate their learning.

Googling Bing

When asked to use the Internet to research a topic most students at the middle school level automatically go to Google. To help them understand that there are other search engines I challenged them to try Bing for a research project we started today.

So, what did they do? They used Google to search for Bing:-) It was a funny moment.

Podcast Resources for Teachers

I just finished a twelve hour "podcasting" staff development class for teachers. We spent the first few hours of class reviewing research on Podcasting and discussing the educational value, emphasizing the importance of a podcast being "content-driven." One of the papers we looked at was written by Henry Jenkins
http://digitallearning.macfound.org/atf/cf/%7B7E45C7E0-A3E0-4B89-AC9C-E807E1B0AE4E%7D/JENKINS_WHITE_PAPER.PDF in which he identified new media skills on page 4 that are essential in preparing kids for the digital age. All of these skills can be embedded in a podcasting unit that includes research. Another valuable piece of research that we discussed was the PEW Research Memo, http://www.pewinternet.org/~/media//Files/Reports/2008/PIP_Podcast_2008_Memo.pdf.pdf. Although it shows that podcast downloads have not increased significantly in all age groups, they have almost doubled with teens since 2006.

We listened to a variety of podcasts, elementary through high school. These podcasts can be found in iTunes.
Middle 101
Sandia Prep Radio International
and a few from Texas A&M

As we moved into the "logistics" of creating a podcast I pulled information from sources that have helped me with podcasting in the classroom. My first "hand on" opportunity to learn about podcasting was at a CESA 4 training about a year ago conducted by Naomi Harm, Innovative Educator 2.0. Her blog has great ideas for podcasting with students and is rich with other ideas for using new technologies in the classroom. Tony Vincent's blog, Learning in Hand: iPods, provides valuable tips and ideas for podcasting in the classroom. Dan Schmit of Intelligenic spoke about podcasting at the Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Conference a few months ago. Dan emphasizes the 80/20 approach; 80% research and writing, 20% technology which I wholeheartedly agree with. Finally, there are always questions regarding copyright and Wesley Fryer's Wiki on Copyright and Podcasting is a wonderful resource.