Culminating the Hour of Code Week

On Friday, December 12th, the fifth grade challenge class in one of my buildings culminated their Hour of Code week by speaking to Frederick Dupere, a software programmer at Microsoft in California.  Frederick is 28 years old and originally from Canada.

He talked to the kids about his job and the journey he took to become a programmer. The kids asked him about coding, what they could do to get such a job, and about creating their own apps, websites and programs. Mr. Dupere shared an important message to the kids that it doesn't matter your gender or where you come from, that as long as you keep working hard, you can be anything you want to be.

The experience was great and to quote one of the kids, "This is the best Virtual lesson we've done yet"!

Virtual Visit with author Kathleen Benner Duble

On Tuesday, fifth grade students spoke with Kathleen Benner Duble. Kathleen is an author from Massachusetts who had her first short story published in 1999.  Her first book was released in 1996 and was called Hearts of Iron.  It was a 2007 IRA Teacher's Choice.  She has since then published five more books.

Kathleen walked the kids through the writing process, which for her can take a year or more.  She took the students through a character design activity.  Kathleen also shared her books that she has written and the stories from her real life that gave her the initial idea to create the story.  Most are based on family member's and a short story from their life.

Over the last month as the fifth grade students conducted their explorer research project, they read Duble's book Quest.  

A little about the book: 
"It is the year 1610, and the great explorer Henry Hudson is undertaking a difficult journey to find a way to East Asia by going up and over the Arctic Circle. He is determined to find this passage and receive the accolades he has been longing for all his life.
Told from four points of view, QUEST, recounts the story of this ill-fated journey. Johnny Hudson, Henry Hudson's son, is young and dashing, anxious to go exploring and ready to pull a few jokes on his fellow crewmates. His girlfriend, Isabella Digges, is ready for adventure of her own. As Johnny sails from London, Isabella packs her bags to travel to the Netherlands where she will be spying on England's greatest competitor, the Dutch East Indies Trading Company. Johnny's brother, Richard, is left at home, convinced that adventure and excitement will not be his. And Seth Syms, in trouble with the law, has gained a passage on Henry Hudson's boat, hoping for the peace and quiet of a long sea voyage.   But even the best laid plans can go awry. So when Henry Hudson becomes so obsessed with his quest that he ignores the building ice around them, he puts into motion factors that will change all four characters' lives!"

Students were able to ask Mrs. Duble about the book, as well as her favorite books, why she wanted to become an author, and if she had any favorites out of her books.
This was a great connection between a social studies unit and reading activity.

The Real Story of Pocahontas and the Powhatan Indians - Speaking with an Expert at the Virginia Historical Society

This afternoon, 5th grade students at Roosevelt spoke with an expert at the Virginia Historical Society to learn about the Powhatan Indians and Pocahontas.  Much of what historians now know about the Indians we call "the Powhatans" is derived from English sources, as the Powhatans had no written language.  Using primary sources as well as replica artifacts created by Mattaponi Indians, students learned about what life was like in Virginia before the first English settlers made it their home.

Students identified the various natural resources used by Native American men, women, and children to make their tools and clothing. Students were engaged in a discussion about Pocahontas and the myths associated with her life.

They learned that Pocahontas was not her real name, but rather the nickname given to her by her father which meant mischievous one.  Students found out that Pocahontas was 11 and John Smith around 30 when they met and that they were only friends.  Pocahontas actually married her tutor John Rolfe and changer her name to Rebecca after she converted to Christianity.

Students were also able to ask questions about what they had heard or what they still wanted to know.

Students were left gaining a great deal of knowledge and understanding of life of the native americans daily lives and the true history of Pocahontas.

Virtual Talk with an Australian Archaeologist

Today was a great day for virtual lessons.  Students in 4th grade at Jefferson got to talk with archaeologist, teacher and author Alethea Kinsela who lives in Australia.  She has written the book Ancient Australia Unearthed, the first high school history text devoted entirely to Australia's ancient history for the new Australian Curriculum: History. 

In this session, we talked about archaeology, what an archaeologist does, and some interesting facts about Ancient Australia.

Thea shared with the students what her job consists of, the tools that are most important for her job, and what artifacts she usually uncovers.  Her most favorite find was the tooth of an ancient Cave Bear which she showed us.  She also shared the most common artifacts she finds like pottery or ceramics, coins, or stone tools or weapons.

Thea also shared a sabertooth skull so the kids could see its shape and teeth.

Lastly, Thea shared a skull that was found in Indonesia.  The skull is that of a Homo floresiensis (nicknamed the 'hobbit') which is believed to be an extinct species that could've lived between 94,000 to 13,000 years ago.  The individual was believed to be a 30 year old woman that stood only 3.5 feet tall.

So much engagement and learning happened with this lesson today!

Talking to NASA about Robotics

Students in the challenge fourth and fifth grade classrooms at Roosevelt spoke with NASA's Armstrong Research Center for a lesson on "Introduction to Robotics in the Classroom".

David Alexander, learning coordinator for NASA, spoke on how NASA is constantly looking to advance robotics and to increase the capabilities of robots to prepare for future exploration missions. Students were able to discover how and why NASA uses robots, what skills do students need for career in robotics, and what is in development for upcoming missions.

The students learned about how Mars, the red planet, has been the primary focus of explorations by robots, or probes.  The goal is to try discover how life could be sustained on the planet and that they are trying to find any signs of past life.

Mr. Alexander also spoke on careers that could be pursued to come work at NASA and what studies it make take to fulfill those roles.  Students were then able to ask him questions.  They asked about taking computers to space, and how long it make take to design and build on of their probes.  Overall it was a very informative lesson leaving students wanting more!

What is Emerging Technology?

The term “emerging technology” is one that is heavily debated on how it should be defined.  According to Dr. David Thornburg, the two definitions are “if is new to your community of practice” or “when it first starts to become manifest anywhere in the world” (Laureate, 2009).  These definitions both make sense to me and I can see why there would be debate between them.  Then we can look at Dr. Elliott Solloway’s definition.  Dr. Solloway “defines emerging technology as a non-linear process plagued with lots of gaps that moves an emerging technology forward through decreasing production costs, to desirable services to becoming an essential technology impacting everyday life” (Croteau, 2012).  His viewpoint tells us that technology moves out of emergent once the price drops and it becomes mainstream, or the popular technology.

I have often used the term emerging technology to define new pieces of technology I introduce to the district.  Basically it is emerging for the staff who have never worked with it before.  One could argue that the definition can’t be static but can be used in many different categories.  I could say something is an emerging technology in our district or in education.  Even ISTE (International Society of Technology in Education) tells us that “even technologies that have been around for awhile can still be considered emergent if they have not reached the awareness of or have been adopted by teachers” (Thornburg, 2009, p.4). 

I was pretty stuck on that idea until I read more of Dr. Thornburg’s “When is Technology Emergent”.  He began talking about how the different definitions of emergent technology can be dangerous.  One example he gave of these is parallel virtual worlds in cyberspace.  Really this technology began around 1995 when The Palace was released.  It already began being used by some in education at this time.  However, it really was not widely known until another product called Second Life came out.  The point that Dr. Thornburg made was that “to think tools like Second Life are ‘emergent’ technologies does serious disservice to those pioneers who used the original tools when they were first released.  What were they?  Pre-emergent technology users?” (Thornburg, 2009, p.5).  I can not argue with that logic.

By choosing this definition then, that a technology is emerging when it firsts begins to manifest anywhere in the world, I began looking at what kind of technology is emerging at this very moment.  I was very intrigued by screenless display.  When I think of this, I think of Star Wars 3-D holographic imaging.  Something that can appear in the center of the room and students can manipulate and interact with.  Although augmented reality through apps like Aurasma and Chromeville have started to appear in education, it still does not hold the potential for what screenless display could have. 

By looking at emerging technologies through this lens, I know that it can have implications on the way I share it.  The more I examine this, the more I understand how true the statement is.  Many technologies I adopt may still be considered emerging when I begin working with how I can implement them in my role.  It is when I actually share them with others that I believe they have become more mainstream.  To the staff I work with, they are emerging.  I often hesitate in signing up to present on technologies I use and how to apply them in education only because I feel its not new or something that people don’t know about.  I really have to keep my mind on the fact that to those I am sharing with, this could be brand new, something that they can use to innovate their teaching practice.  This also is a positive because I feel more confident in sharing something that is new and it’s harder to question or talk over me.  If it is a mature technology I am sharing, I have lots of resources to back what I am saying, but if it truly is an emerging technology then its cutting edge and might be fair from perfect.

References:

Croteau, Jacqueline. "Emerging Technology, Three Definitions Evaluated - Aazinaago."Aazinaago Consulting. 12 Oct. 2012. Retrieved 30 Oct. 2014 from web. <http://www.aazinaagoconsulting.com/2012/10/emerging-technology/>.

Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2009). New and emerging technologies: What is emerging technology? Baltimore, MD: Author.

Thornburg, D. D. (2009b). When is a technology emergent? Lake Barrington, IL: Thornburg Center for Space Exploration.

Backchannels

Over the past year I have been sharing a lot about backchannels with staff and find that many are unfamiliar with this term. A backchannel is "the practice of using networked computers to maintain a real-time online conversation alongside the primary group activity or live spoken remarks". There are many tools available that teachers can utilize as backchannels in the classroom.

• Today's Meet - "TodaysMeet helps you embrace the backchannel and connect with your audience in realtime.  Encourage the room to use the live stream to make comments, ask questions, and use that feedback to tailor your presentation, sharpen your points, and address audience needs.

• Edmodo - "Quickly and easily bring your Edmodo groups into a realtime discussion.  Each Edmodo group can have a BackChannel Chat.  View the names and profile pictures of your Edmodo students.  The Edmodo app has All of the premium features of Backchannel Chat such as private messages, full transcripts, and advanced moderation."

• Padlet - "Padlet is a free tool to create an online bulletin board that you can use to display information on any topic.  You can add images, links, video, and more.  Walls can be private, open to the public, or moderated by you- meaning that you approve all contributions before they show."

• Socrative - " Through a virtual room such as those available in Socrative, students may pose questions or comments regarding the material at hand in real-time, which the teacher may use to drive teaching and discussion. Classroom collaboration thus extends beyond segments of teaching followed by discussion, seamlessly melding the two, fostering participation and engagement.  Often done silently, it helps maintain class control while igniting and furthering collaboration."

Below are some resources (documents & webinar), from EdTech presenter and blogger Richard Byrne, that can help you understand how to use backchannels and the difference between these different backchannel tools.

• Backchannel/ Informal Assessment Tools Comparison Chart -
• A Teacher's Guide to Classroom Backchannels & Informal Assessment Tools

Yellowstone Virtual Lesson with a Park Ranger

The 4th grade students at Jefferson had another amazing experience today. They got to speak with a Yellowstone National Park Ranger. Ranger Ali spoke with the kids about the wildlife you can find in Yellowstone National Park such as bears, wolves, bison, and elk. Students got to ask her questions, see real wildlife skull and fur, and hear some amazing facts. 

She described the difference between the predators and prey. They learned how the wolves were reintroduced into Yellowstone and the effect that had on the ecosystem there. Ranger Ali also shared information on her job, and the geothermal features of Yellowstone like the geysers, hot springs, and mud pots. (Check out the Yellowstone webcams from some of the geysers)

The kids learned a lot, as well as the teachers, and were engaged the whole time. They came up with great questions! Definitely a great two day start to the students' animal and ecosystem unit.

Talking about Buffalo & Plains Indians Virtually with Experts

Imagine not being able to buy your clothes, tools, food, and household items at a store! During this virtual lesson today, 4th grade students at Jefferson ​​​​​​​​​​​​were challenged to think about how they would meet their needs using the natural environment around them. Students spoke with experts from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West in Cody, Wyoming.

They discovered that long ago many Plains Indian tribes had to use the natural resources around them to survive. This lesson introduced students to a traditional Plains Indian story about a mischievous young man who gets his head stuck in a buffalo skull. 

Iktomi And The Buffalo Skull 

Then they learned the culture of Plains Indians and buffalo as the presenter introduced them to their hands-on collection pieces. They discussed how the Plains Indians used the fur, hide, sinew, bones, and even bladder of the buffalo in their every day lives. The lesson was very informative, interactive, and engaging!

It also met several Common Core Standards as well as national standards in history and social studies.

It's already almost the end of October.....

The year has gotten off to a crazy start!  I hit the ground running and haven't looked back.  I am finally getting some time to fill people in on what I have been up to for the school year.  On the telepresence front, I have already had four guests connect with my classes virtually and quite a few more scheduled ahead.

The first virtual connection was with author Jonathan Emmett who is a children's author from Nottingham, England.  Mr. Emmett is the author of over 51 books, many geared to the younger students. He read aloud to the Kindergarteners one of his books titled "Wanda Wallaby Finds Her Bounce". This story was about "Wanda Wallaby has lost her bounce! Try as she might, she can’t find it. She asks all the other animals, but no one can help. Until, that is, she meets the crocodile – whose advice has a remarkable effect on the innocent Wanda.” The students then were able to ask Mr. Emmett questions like “how many books have you written” and “how do you come up with your characters”. 
Check out Jonathan Emmett’s website at http://www.scribblestreet.co.uk/

The second one was with second graders at Roosevelt Elementary skyped with the Night Zookeeper all the way from the United Kingdom. The Night Zookeeper is a character based on a magical story about the adventures of a night zookeeper and the fantastic animals he meets on his nightly rounds. Students then went into the computer labs and designed their own Halloween animal that would live in the night zoo. What great imaginations they had. Next week they will continue on by writing their own Halloween stories about an evening in the Night Zoo!
https://www.nightzookeeper.com/

My third virtual connection was with Kindergarteners  at Jefferson.  Students spoke with Firefighter Dayna Hilton and Molly the Fire Safety Dog all the way from Arkansas. Firefighter Dayna is a children's author, firefighter and director of Keep Kids Fire Safe Foundation.  She has been featured in USA Today, People magazine, and on PBS Kids.

Firefighter Dayna read the students her story called Sparkles the Fire Safety Dog and talked with them about Fire Safety.  They discussed smoke alarms, practicing fire drills at home, having a meeting place, and having 2 ways out. Dayna went through the steps to take when the smoke alarm goes off at home. 
Check out the website: http://www.firesafetydogs.com/ 

The last connection I made was with the Yellowstone National Park.  Fifth Grade students at Roosevelt Elementary got to speak with a park ranger from Yellowstone National Park.  He touched on a great deal of topics for the kids and took the lesson wherever the students' interests lead making it very informative and engaging.

Some of the topics that were discussed and addressed were geothermal events in the parks, like hot springs, and geysers.  He explained that Steamboat is the geyser that can shoot water the highest but it is not as well known as others like Old Faithful, which at 50 feet below the surface has a temperature of over 400 degrees.  He also showed and discussed obsidian rocks and petrified wood.

The most interesting topics to the students were the fact that Yellowstone sits on a volcano, there are about 20 wildfires a year, and the bison is the most dangerous animal in the park.

Learning to Love Assessment

Reflection from Reading Carol Ann Tomlinson's article "Learning to Love Assessment" in Educational Leadership.

Carol Ann Tomlinson discusses in her article the journey she took as she developed an understanding of what assessment is.  As I read, it really reminded me of my own journey to understanding what, why, and how we assess our students.  It was as natural a progression for me as it was for her.  Ultimately she came to the conclusion that we all hope teachers and students can come to, that assessment can help everyone “push learning forward” (Tomlinson, C., 2009, p.13).

The understanding of Carol’s that resonated with me was number eight, “informative assessment isn’t just about students readiness”  (Tomlinson, C., 2009, p.12).  Although it is true that assessment can help drive our instruction and let us know if students are ready to begin delving into a new topic or need more background knowledge, we also want to remember that assessment can tell us more than that.  “When I could attach what I was teaching to what students cared about, they learned more readily and more durably.  When I could give them options about how to learn and express what they knew, learning improved”  (Tomlinson, C., 2009, p.12).  I have always been a believer that we need to find some way to tie our instruction into a meaningful learning experience and allow our students a creative outlet to express their understanding.  In looking at summative assessments, I often do inquiry-based learning activities where students are able to choose their knowledge output be it creating a movie, glog, online scrapbook, digital story, or any other idea that may cross their mind.  Students become more engaged and take ownership over their product when they can have more options.  They care about what they are sharing and/or creating.

I can’t honestly say that any of Carol’s understandings transformed my view on assessment but rather affirmed what I already knew. This was actually a confidence builder and something I can use to back up the information I pass on to the staff in my buildings.  We have really shifted our districts viewpoint on assessment to not so much focusing on the summatives but rather sharing what our learning objectives are and using formative assessments (or instructional assessments) along the way to help gage the students understanding.  We have also looked at a more personalized learning approach.  I believe that Carol’s article tells us that we are moving in the right direction.

There is a benefit to technology’s place in assessment too.  It allows us to do more instructional assessment s even when students are not within our school walls.  Tools like Edmodo allow them to share with their collaborative groups, or Socrative allow for a quick pulse check at the beginning of class or exit slip at the end of class.  Thinking about incorporating technology into assessment allows us to open the doors even further.  I think my love of technology is what helped me to move along the path of assessment understanding quicker.  I was already looking at a variety of ways to assess students in different settings both online and real time.  The options help to address the needs of all our diverse learners allowing them to share their learning in a format that suits them best.  

References:

Tomlinson, C. (2008). Learning to love assessment. Educational Leadership, 65(4), 8–13. Retrieved from the Walden University Library using the Education Research Complete database.

Reflection (GAME Plan Progress and Class Learning)

Throughout this course, I have had a wonderful opportunity to grow upon my GAME Plan while also learning some new skills and gaining great ideas from my classmates.  Since on of my goals was increasing my proficiency in the area of digital citizenship, my focus was not only reading resources that covered this topic, but also making sure that I focused my lesson design in this course around the same topic.  These lessons are then something that I can continue to apply during the school year for both staff and students.

Another area of my GAME plan was the focus on leadership.  After some reflection, observation, and using print and digital resources, I have been able to build on some areas regarding my leadership role.  So far I have implemented a few things to step up my leadership.  I have requested that every grade level at both schools setup a meeting me with me at the beginning of every trimester so that we can plan out our collaboration on their curriculum in regards to new literacies, tech integration and project design.  I have also set up a professional development schedule to educate my teachers on best practices with the implementation of the new literacies.  I plan to do some flipping with these PDs in order to get the most of the time that we have together.  Teachers will be required to reflect on the practices to me and share resources with their colleagues.

I have decided to tie my GAME plan to my PDP (Professional Development Plan) that is required to renew my teaching license.  The ability to reflect on my leadership and on digital citizenship lessons will help me grow in my role and allow me to continue my progress without setting it aside when other items come up.  The accountability will allow me to focus on these areas continuously while also not creating extra work for myself.  I believe they are great goals for my plan to help me increase my abilities in this role and set myself up for future ambitions.

Currently I feel that my instructional practice regarding technology integration is already at a good point.  I have been incorporating problem-based learning, social networking, and digital storytelling for the past few years.  The only adjustment I plan to make is that while meeting with my grade level teams, it will be a requirement to use at least one of these in a lesson or unit they implement.  I can use my skills to help my teachers build their skills and see how they can really benefit students while creating a cross-curricular, multi-standard addressed lesson.