As I sat in a presentation being given my 6th grade teacher, Mrs. K, about China, I could not fight the urge to blog about the experience. Mrs. K was using an actual slide projector. (One of my students asked while she was setting it up, “What is that thing?”) Every year she comes and talks about her trip to China, shows some great slides, shares some great stories and provides a great first-hand knowledge based learning experience for my students.
This year my students and I tried to incorporate technology into this presentation. We used todaysmeet.com to back channel during her presentation. (I cleared it with her first.) The students did an amazing job of following along, asking questions, making comments, reflecting, connecting to their own experiences. I sat in the back and tried to answer some questions, shared additional websites and pictures for them to look at during the presentation. They started to answer each other’s questions and engage in conversations about the presentation. All without interrupting the speaker!
This is why I teach! It was so fun for me to watch, react and learn right with the students. They gained a voice when they are normally supposed to be quiet. They got the live presentation plus additional, relevant information instantly. Another benefit was that I was able to invite parents to “watch” the conversation. This provides a connection between school and home and allows parents to be involved in their child’s education.
Technology opens up the world to our students. It shrinks the world for students and allows them to experience things we as teachers could not provide without it.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Paperless Grandparents
This past Friday we had our annual Grandparents Day. Usually for me it is filled with word game, some curriculum material and LOTS of paper. Not this year! I decided our grandparents were going paperless. So, how to fill the time? What am I going to do without all the papers I have used so much through the years. Well. . . . .
6th Grade - Google earth – showed them where were going in 6th Ancient History – took a walk around the pyramids and then amazed them with the Titanic wreckage. We also looked at the student’s blog site (http://www.kidblog.org/) and they showed off some of their Glogs. (http://www.edu.glogster.com/)
7th Grade - Google Forms – had the students help Grandparents contribute to a Google form about 9-11, (which helped us get more responses for our project (http://livebinders.com/play/present?id=186481) Another question on the form was what was another “always remember where you were moment”? We then took those responses and put them in a Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/) It was neat to see the responses in this way. (Kennedy was the biggest word)
8th Grade – PBS Website/Google Forms – used PBS site about colonial America (our next unit - ) We took the “would you survive in a colony” quiz and then filled out a Google form about what they learned about colonial life. I also had the students list 10 words about their grandparents. Then we “wordled” those responses. The colonial answers will serve as our lead in to our colonial unit this coming week.
In the end I needed/wanted more time. Technology once again served as an awesome tool! It helped to bridge generational gaps and made usually stressful day a very enjoyable one.
6th Grade - Google earth – showed them where were going in 6th Ancient History – took a walk around the pyramids and then amazed them with the Titanic wreckage. We also looked at the student’s blog site (http://www.kidblog.org/) and they showed off some of their Glogs. (http://www.edu.glogster.com/)
7th Grade - Google Forms – had the students help Grandparents contribute to a Google form about 9-11, (which helped us get more responses for our project (http://livebinders.com/play/present?id=186481) Another question on the form was what was another “always remember where you were moment”? We then took those responses and put them in a Wordle (http://www.wordle.net/) It was neat to see the responses in this way. (Kennedy was the biggest word)
8th Grade – PBS Website/Google Forms – used PBS site about colonial America (our next unit - ) We took the “would you survive in a colony” quiz and then filled out a Google form about what they learned about colonial life. I also had the students list 10 words about their grandparents. Then we “wordled” those responses. The colonial answers will serve as our lead in to our colonial unit this coming week.
In the end I needed/wanted more time. Technology once again served as an awesome tool! It helped to bridge generational gaps and made usually stressful day a very enjoyable one.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Recommended Reading
THANKS to everyone who contributed to this list. I put out on Twitter what books would be recommended for a staff to read. Here is the list I received.
"I Read it but I don't Get it" by Chris Tovani.
"The Essential 55" by Ron Clark
"Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement" Robert J. Marzano
"Outliers: The Story of Success" Malcolm Gladwell
"Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics - The Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner.
"A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age"
Daniel H. Pink
"5 Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni
"7 Habits of a Highly Effective Person" By Stephen Covey
"Re-Imagine" by Tom Peters
"Intervention for Young Children with Autism" by Maurice et al
"The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life" Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander
"I Read it but I don't Get it" by Chris Tovani.
"The Essential 55" by Ron Clark
"Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement" Robert J. Marzano
"Outliers: The Story of Success" Malcolm Gladwell
"Freakonomics and SuperFreakonomics - The Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner.
"A Whole New Mind: Moving from the Information Age to the Conceptual Age"
Daniel H. Pink
"5 Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni
"7 Habits of a Highly Effective Person" By Stephen Covey
"Re-Imagine" by Tom Peters
"Intervention for Young Children with Autism" by Maurice et al
"The Art of Possibility: Transforming Professional and Personal Life" Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander
Monday, May 9, 2011
Twitter - Expanding our Classrom - Shrinking the World
(This was also a guest post on freetech4teachers.com, which if you are a teacher and have not checked out yet, you are really missing out!)
While I was principal for 3 years I dealt with a lot bullying/behavior issues related to social media. Finally, I swore it off as a hassle that led to many discipline issues. I swore up and down that I would never use a social media site like Twitter. Now I am back in the classroom full time and cannot imagine my life or career without Twitter.
Twitter recently led to an experience for my 6th graders that I could never planned or make happen on my own. While studying ancient Greece and their gods, I assigned my students a research project on a god. While they were giving their presentations on it, I posted a few tweets about how well they were doing. A teacher in Pennsylvania (@brdcmpbll) happened to see the tweets and it led to an awesome interaction between our two classes.
Mr. Campbell saw that we were studying Greece and asked our class to help his class. His senior Western Civilization class had prepared Greek god reports and we were going to be judges. Through the use of Skype we sat in on some of their presentations. During the presentations, our students used the backchannel Todaysmeet.com. My 6th graders were excited to see other students’ work, talk with students in another state and oh by the way, learned a little more about Greek gods in the process. One of my students actually got to perform the song she wrote about Athena for her presentation to the class in Pennsylvania.
The collaboration due to Twitter did not stop with viewing those presentations. Our class viewed the rest of their presentations using a Google 3X3 grid. Later, the students in Pennsylvania made study guides for my 6th graders using Studyblue, Studystack and Quizlet. All of these sites helped my students learn our material better and made it more fun for the students to learn.
Twitter helped make all this connection and collaboration happen. It broke down the walls of our classroom and allowed students in classrooms across the country to interact and learn from each other. My students were still buzzing about the experience days later, more so than they ever would have been had I just taught a lesson only in our classroom.
Twitter shrinks the world. My students and I follow world events on Twitter, almost as they happen. Greece riots reported by someone watching out their window, earthquake updates in New Zealand, and of course the guy who blogged the U.S. raid on Osama’s compound without even knowing are all examples of events we have “watched” unfold through Twitter. We talk to with classrooms around the world. We participate in classroom competitions and gain authentic audiences for projects of our own. For a recent project the students had to create Prezis on an earthquake. I wanted the students to practice the skill of persuasive writing/presenting and try to win “Worst Earthquake of the Century.” One of my 6th graders was concerned that in the voting phase, everyone would vote for their friends. Great point! Through the use of twitter, my students will have a non-biased audience for their presentations. This provided more motivation for them to prepare great presentations.
Twitter increases our school’s communication as well. I have created a middle school Twitter account (@aslsms) that the students are allowed to tweet from during the school day. The students update it periodically. I also put updates out there for the parents to read. We have gained a few followers through the year; parents and others. Parents are also just checking the Twitter page to see what is going on daily. Also, some students have even gotten their own Twitter accounts and I have communicated with them via Twitter.
Twitter brings the world into our classroom in so many ways. It breaks down the walls of our classroom and allows our students to experience the rest of the world in new and better ways. Twitter provides opportunities for connection, communication and collaboration to help make the students’ learning experiences better. Twitter has made me a better teacher. Twitter has expanded our classroom and shrunk the world in exciting ways for my students.
Please check out some of my students’ work at www.aslsmra.blogspot.com. This is a collection of some of the digital work of our students from this school year. Most, (if not all) of these ideas or websites I learned about on Twitter – yet another benefit!
Two big thank you’s – one to @kevcreutz for getting me to sign up for Twitter. Also, to @brdcmpbll for collaborating on the Greek god project.
Scott Akerson – 7th Grade homeroom – Abiding Savior Lutheran School – St. Louis MO – Twitter handle @mra47 – www.mra47.blogspot.com
While I was principal for 3 years I dealt with a lot bullying/behavior issues related to social media. Finally, I swore it off as a hassle that led to many discipline issues. I swore up and down that I would never use a social media site like Twitter. Now I am back in the classroom full time and cannot imagine my life or career without Twitter.
Twitter recently led to an experience for my 6th graders that I could never planned or make happen on my own. While studying ancient Greece and their gods, I assigned my students a research project on a god. While they were giving their presentations on it, I posted a few tweets about how well they were doing. A teacher in Pennsylvania (@brdcmpbll) happened to see the tweets and it led to an awesome interaction between our two classes.
Mr. Campbell saw that we were studying Greece and asked our class to help his class. His senior Western Civilization class had prepared Greek god reports and we were going to be judges. Through the use of Skype we sat in on some of their presentations. During the presentations, our students used the backchannel Todaysmeet.com. My 6th graders were excited to see other students’ work, talk with students in another state and oh by the way, learned a little more about Greek gods in the process. One of my students actually got to perform the song she wrote about Athena for her presentation to the class in Pennsylvania.
The collaboration due to Twitter did not stop with viewing those presentations. Our class viewed the rest of their presentations using a Google 3X3 grid. Later, the students in Pennsylvania made study guides for my 6th graders using Studyblue, Studystack and Quizlet. All of these sites helped my students learn our material better and made it more fun for the students to learn.
Twitter helped make all this connection and collaboration happen. It broke down the walls of our classroom and allowed students in classrooms across the country to interact and learn from each other. My students were still buzzing about the experience days later, more so than they ever would have been had I just taught a lesson only in our classroom.
Twitter shrinks the world. My students and I follow world events on Twitter, almost as they happen. Greece riots reported by someone watching out their window, earthquake updates in New Zealand, and of course the guy who blogged the U.S. raid on Osama’s compound without even knowing are all examples of events we have “watched” unfold through Twitter. We talk to with classrooms around the world. We participate in classroom competitions and gain authentic audiences for projects of our own. For a recent project the students had to create Prezis on an earthquake. I wanted the students to practice the skill of persuasive writing/presenting and try to win “Worst Earthquake of the Century.” One of my 6th graders was concerned that in the voting phase, everyone would vote for their friends. Great point! Through the use of twitter, my students will have a non-biased audience for their presentations. This provided more motivation for them to prepare great presentations.
Twitter increases our school’s communication as well. I have created a middle school Twitter account (@aslsms) that the students are allowed to tweet from during the school day. The students update it periodically. I also put updates out there for the parents to read. We have gained a few followers through the year; parents and others. Parents are also just checking the Twitter page to see what is going on daily. Also, some students have even gotten their own Twitter accounts and I have communicated with them via Twitter.
Twitter brings the world into our classroom in so many ways. It breaks down the walls of our classroom and allows our students to experience the rest of the world in new and better ways. Twitter provides opportunities for connection, communication and collaboration to help make the students’ learning experiences better. Twitter has made me a better teacher. Twitter has expanded our classroom and shrunk the world in exciting ways for my students.
Please check out some of my students’ work at www.aslsmra.blogspot.com. This is a collection of some of the digital work of our students from this school year. Most, (if not all) of these ideas or websites I learned about on Twitter – yet another benefit!
Two big thank you’s – one to @kevcreutz for getting me to sign up for Twitter. Also, to @brdcmpbll for collaborating on the Greek god project.
Scott Akerson – 7th Grade homeroom – Abiding Savior Lutheran School – St. Louis MO – Twitter handle @mra47 – www.mra47.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
How Exciting are YOUR plans?
Have you ever planned a week of teaching and then walked away, come back and said to yourself, “How boring!” I have had lessons recently that I am just not enthused about teaching. This had led to me to think how my students must feel during those kinds of lessons. If I am excited about it, how can they be? Sometimes we need to fake it yes. There is material that needs covering that just isn’t exciting by itself. But doesn’t that fall on teachers to make EVERY lesson exciting? Is it a teacher’s job to make every lesson the best, coolest lesson and material ever? Isn’t that how tech can help? I am pretty sure that the students pick up on when I am not “into” a lesson. How can I expect them to get anything out of it if I am not excited to teach the material or how I am teaching the material? After planning a week or a unit, step back, look at it, if you can’t wait to teach it, you’re already a step ahead of getting your students motivated to learn it. If you look at something and sigh, find a different way to teach it!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Reflections from METC
Dear Who Ever Will Listen,
I recently went to the METC conference. I learned some things. I have some thoughts. I want to share. But first some awesome quotes:
“The only thing technology changes is what is possible.” @rushtonh
“Are you not getting through the curriculum because of the way you are teaching the curriculum?” @rushtonh
“Kids are digital natives. They came out of the womb with a password.” @rushtonh
“L2L2L – Learn to Love to Learn!” @kevinhoneycutt
“Whoa, did they teach you a teleportation app?” A 6th grader at my school when he saw me on Wednesday morning before I left for METC
To METC presenters, organizers – awesome conference – the amount of collaboration, learning, fun that took place cannot be measured. It energized and refreshed my passion for teaching with technology. It validated all the thoughts I have about teaching with technology. You taught me so much and encouraged me even more.
To colleagues at METC – Awesome to meet some of you! Awesome to reconnect with some of you! It was great to feel like that what I am doing in my classroom lines up with what some of the best tech teachers are doing too.
To my students – THANK YOU – You were so eager to hear about what I learned about. You were so excited to get going on some of the projects. Thank you for begging for Google Earth, or Blabberize, or Froguts on the Smart board or more Edheads. Thank you for being willing to try new things with me.
To my co-workers back at school – I get it. All your frustrations/headaches from me trying to be encouraging and introduce you to so much new technology, I understand better now. At METC there were so many NEW apps, projects, ideas, “techie” things that I know are great, I would love to try, but I don’t know where to start! Which project? When I am going to find time to try to learn that new app? Small bites, we can’t do it all at once. So overwhelming, yet exciting at the same time.
To my administrator (@aslsprincipal) – thank you for letting me go to METC; thank you for letting me try things, thank you for getting on Twitter, thank you for leading the way and being a champion for tech integration with me.
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