Presentations App Folder

It has been quite a technological journey this year.  I was an Apple newbie...I am not any more!
I have spent a lot of time on the background set up of the minis - from the storage unit to the Acceptable Use policy to the organization of apps into folders.  (All previously Blogged)
I recently added one more app folder (thanks for the idea Joan).  The "Presentations" folder contains a variety of apps students may choose to access to creatively demonstrate understanding of a concept.

We are starting to branch away from ExplainEverything.  It is, and will continue to be, an option but engagement was starting to wane...and then I introduced iMovie trailers.  Familiar to some...cool for all. Can't wait to see the results next week.

Just today I had my daughter in grade 4 using Inkflow...the infamous Medieval Times Castle project.  We used Inkflow to label photos of her castle taken from different angles.  A task also possible in Word but it was definitely easier to use the iPad to, well, do everything (and collaborate on the couch).

Lego Inquiry with Lego Movie and Blocksworld

In Kinderland we've been inquiring about lego.  We went to see the Lego Movie and yes, "everything was awesome!"  After seeing the movie the kinders came up with wonderings such as, "how is it made?", "who invented lego?", "how do you make lego?", etc.  We have used the iPads in researching videos and websites that can answer our wonderings.  Our vocabulary has been expanding through these questions with words like, creative, manufacture, structure, foundation, etc.  To encourage writing the rule is, if you want to save your lego creation for later than you need to write about it.  Some kinders chose pencils and paper while other students chose to use the camera, video, or explain everything on the iPad.  We take pictures and put them up on our lego documentation panel to show our learning.  Students have been creating lego challenges and writing signs inviting other kinders to take up the challenge.  A new to us app has been Blocksworld.  It is similar to Minecraft in the sense that you can build structures, however geared to a younger audience.  It uses 3D shapes and the students have been excited about creating and sharing their worlds with other classmates.  They challenge each other's thinking continually and taking risks, and this app has introduced experimenting with 3D shapes.  This has been a perfect lead into instructing 3D shapes informally in small groups and formally in Math.  The Lego Movie app has been an exciting way for the kinders to explore their creating in story telling and cinematography.

Two Apps Are Better Than One!

Two Apps Are Better Than One!

In this blog I am going to share how my grade 2 class used one app to create our math and used another to explain it.

In another posting I mentioned our Olympic learning block.  This covered language and math as well as our social studies.  During our shared reading on the SmartBoard, we discussed each days events, medal count and athletes that participated.  This knowledge transferred into our math, giving us real data for our surveys and bar graphs.
Together, we created a survey listing the top 5 favourite olympic sports on tv.  Each student had to survey 10 other students in the class and record the data with tally marks (shown below).

Then we used Graph (click link to find out more about this App).  This App can be used in a variety of ways and for different grade levels.  We selected the bar graph, and inputted our data from our surveys into the Graph App. With a little time and effort, the App created the bar graph for us.  The App allows you to save an image of your graph to the camera roll on your iPad (see below).

Can you guess what we did next??? That's correct, we added all the images into Explain Everything.  Slide #1 was a title page, slide #2 was the student survey and slide #3 was the bar graph.  To the bar graph,  students added photos of each sport next to the appropriate bar.  Finally, they recorded their thoughts, and explained the survey relating to the bar graph.  Here they used pointers and arrows ( a fave among the class), to show what they were discussing.

As the paper and pencil practice continued (work sheets), the students added more graphs and explanations into their presentations.

So as you can see... two apps are better than one!

Uploading PDF's: Part 2

Uploading PDF's Part 2: To Google Drive from a computer

The cool factor continues.  Now that I've stumbled upon uploading PDF's from the internet to Google Drive (from an iPad), I must be able to do it with PDF's on my computer.  With a little determination, I was able to conquer my quest.  Unfortunately it was a two step process, and took a little bit longer.  If there is a faster way, I would love to learn.

1. Create a folder in Google Drive to save the PDF 
2. Select the upload button (next to the Create button, there is an arrow pointing up)
3. Select "Files or Folders" 
4. Select the desired PDF from your desktop/computer etc...
5. Click open
6. Select the link (file), when upload complete (a window will pop up bottom, right corner)
7. Select move to folder
8. select the folder you've created
9. selectt move

I created a folder for my GB+ reading assessments (this is the French Immersion equivalent to F&P reading assessments). The PDF's (GB+ reading assessment sheets) came on a disc with the kits, which I uploaded to My Drive using the process above. Then, I followed the steps from my blog  Uploading PDF's in Explain Everything & Google Drive: Part 1.  

Now I have all the assessment sheets for each reading level stored on my Drive.  To assess my students, I can open the PDF in Explain Everything.  To begin I can select record.  I can use the pen to tick off correct words, circle ones that were forgotten, add things etc... and at the same time,  I have a voice recording of how the student actually read the book!!!

Again, when complete, upload the presentation to Google Drive as a video record.  Share with students so they can see and hear how they read.  Share with your resource team, parents and teachers for the following year.

Uploading PDF's Part 1

Uploading PDF's in Explain Everything & Google Drive: Part 1

Though my inquiry is in math, I have been exploring new ways to utilize this wonderful piece of technology across the curriculum.

I was playing around with the Google Drive App and discovered a hidden button... in the top right corner.  With a slight touch of  my finger, a tab appeared asking which app I wanted to open the PDF with (the text that I was reading at the time).  A selection of apps were displayed (already downloaded on the iPad). So, as I grew curiouser, I selected Explain Everything and BOOM! Each PDF page became a slide in Explain Everything.  This was awesome and just like that, I solved my problem with journaling on the iPad vs a paper and pencil task.
Our learning block at the time was "Les Olympiques".  I found these great journaling prompts on a website, and displayed it on our Smartboard as our shared reading.  The students then had their own copy saved in Explain Everything and were not only able to journal daily, but then recorded what was written. Très cool!  Once we were done this mini journal, the students/the teacher, uploaded each one to Google Drive, which converted it to an MP4 video file.

Example of a slide in Explain Everything

Explain Everything for Droid!!!

One of my students was interested in working on his Explain Everything project at home but does not have an apple product at home.  He did a little research and discovered that...

Explain Everything is not available for Droid products!!!!

I haven't has a chance to test it out but I definitely will.  If it works, it will make the program less exclusive;  more accessible at home.

Struggling with Digital Submissions...actually getting them I mean

This year has been a wonderful year of learning.  I have gone from a teacher afraid of Google Drive to a teacher who uses it a lot for sharing and storing information.  I have gone from being an Apple newbie to feeling naked without my iPad.  I have gone from a teacher who didn't even know Explain Everything (EE) existed to a teacher who appreciates the powerful impact it has on the learning experience for the students.  Throughout it all, however, there is a constant, underlying struggle or barrier to feeling completely successful in this technology inquiry.

Students are using the minis to generate EE projects but, the process more often then not, seems to stop short there.  During the creation, I witness first hand the learning.  When we share our efforts using the Reflector program  I am always impressed.  But, I am seeking greater success in being able to receive digital submissions for evaluation and feedback.  

The students all have their own "Hand In" folders.  The intent is for students to place their files into this folder when they were handing something in.  It makes sense, but it doesn't happen.  Students are indicating it has been "Handed In" so what could be happening?

Possibility #1 (Which I previously blogged about)

When saved into google drive, students haven't ensured they are logged on to their own account.  The file is saved but into a place they cannot regularly access.  Are they still forgetting to do this?

Possibility #2

If there isn't a file already in the "Hand In" folder, when using a mini it is not possible to save into that folder.  Students thought they were saving into the appropriate folder but ultimately they were not saving at all.  I could have solved this problem by booking into the computer lab and having students save something, anything, into the folder but I just created a google doc and saved it where necessary. This really isn't a problem anymore.

Possibility #3

The EE project is there, I just don't recognize it because of the way it was named.  Solution: be very specific about the name students need to use when saving their files and having them also include the names of all students who shared in it's creation.  Looking at the"Last Modified" date can also be helpful.

So why, when students are instructed to hand in their files, when I check, they are not there?  What am I missing? What do I need to do differently?

I think part of the issue is that when a student hands in a project I am not able to check right away for submission.  There is a delay before it "shows up" in the folder.  With hard copy submission, it is physically in my hand or it isn't; I can easily know, as we all do, before the student leaves, whether or not I have their work.

The struggle continues.  I do and will continue to battle on because on the occasions that I am able to evaluate and offer feedback it is awesome!  I dictate my feedback directly onto the EE project and share it back with the students. Cool!!! (If only I could do this in my comfy chair at home instead of requiring the high speed internet available at school.)

Suggestions welcome!!!!

Explain Everything

Goal - students explain their math thinking and consolidate their understanding
Background - Using Patterns to Algebra students have been moving through concrete, picture and abstract representations of patterning rules.  After 12 lessons we wanted to consolidate our learning so the students created tutorials.  They were to create one pattern rule, show with tiles, graph and finally solve using just the numbers (abstract)
Learnings - the students are getting faster at creating "Explain Everything"
- creating the slides made them think and discuss what the pattern looked like
- using the labels allowed them to interact with each slike to expalin the steps involved, or explain parts of the  equation - multiplier, constant and variable

Surprise Learning - students had not connected the variable with the position number as the part of the equation that changes.

Joy - each tutorial was about 39 seconds.  So it was super quick to catch the misconception.  Initially students were upset that they had created a tutorial that showed errors in thinking.  However, we now celebrate that we have tutorials that document their learning!!!

Using Explain Everything to Accommodate for Assessment

The facts:
7/8 Science class
34 students
13 with IEPs requiring accommodations and/or modifications
current unit - heavy on language

The assessment:
A quick multiple choice, true false, matching, short answer quiz

The dilema:
How am I going to read to and scribe for 13 students? (Any attempts to clone myself have been unsuccessful.)

The answer:
Explain Everything!!!!!!
I inserted pictures of each of the questions from the assessment onto an Explain Everything slide and recorded as I read and paraphrased questions.

What I learned/realized:
I thought I was brilliant to have students record their answer on the .xpl  but found that unless it was a multiple choice question the spacing was too small to write; a particular problem for students with fine motor skills issues.  Next time I will provide students with a hard copy to record answers on or, given the style of this quiz, I would set up the clickers to input the answers.
For assessment requiring written responses students can dictate their answers.  I use this feature a lot when giving feedback on .xpl

Student Feedback:
100% positive!  They L-O-V-E-D it!  (Although most requested a stylus for next time.)

Procrastination Project

The Procrastination Project!

Raise your hand if you like to write report cards! Don't be shy... If you do, than you are in the minority.  Now tell me, who likes to clean and organize their house from top to bottom? Not many.  BUT, I bet if you are like me, your house is spick and span just before report cards are due.  Three times a year, I could put my house on the market, with an all day open house.  I call it the procrastination project!

I dread writing report cards.  First, you have to remember how to use the report card program.  Don't forget your password!  Next, is the never ending, time consuming, data collecting, followed by searching through the multiple pages of anecdotal notes (spread all over the couch, your bed, the dinner table...) BLAH! My stomach is in knots thinking about it.

Not this year!!! iPads in the classroom has changed my outlook, on what use to be daunting a task (for me anyway).  This time around, it was simple and satisfying.  Maybe, because everything I needed, was at my fingertips.  Anecdotal notes, photos, voice recording, movies etc... all accessible, all in one place, from my Google Drive (I love you iPad). 

I think too, because the students in my class have to create presentations in Explain Everything, I have seen them "explain" their thinking on a specific task, more than once.  You walk around the room while they are working/creating, you watch it as a whole group and listen to the accountable talk and peer feedback that follows, and sometimes you watch it again. You get a better understanding of your students abilities, with lasting images in your head.  Creating Next Steps wasn't so bad, all I needed to do was close my eyes and picture my students in the classroom.  Or, as I like to call it, a picture of a picture (picturing student work created on the iPad and displayed on the Smartboard).

Happy Writing!

Explain Everything and Google Drive

Using Explain Everything and sharing via Google Drive across a number of classes presented a bit if a hiccup.

What I now know: One mini can be logged into google drive as one user and logged into google drive on Explain Everything as a different user.  

Consequence: Students were logging in to Google Drive, exporting their .xpl files but, because Explain Everything had previously been connected to a different Google Drive account (in a different class) the files were going into another students folders.  They were in effect, disappearing.

Solution: When shutting down the minis at the end of a class students need to not only log off/remove their account from Google Drive but also access the account settings and toggle off the Google Drive account within Explain Everything. (See image below.) Students should have to log into Google Drive within Explain Everything the first time they export/share a file...if not, the file could be going into a different account.

What is half?

A THREE PART MATH LESSON

Cross Strand Learning:

Number Sense & Numeration:

• investigating fraction of a whole 

Geometric Relationships:

• Compose and decompose two-dimensional shapes
• Locate line of symmetry in a two-dimensional shape

Focus: What is half?

Minds On:

Identifier les formes géométriques, en faisant glisser le nom sur l'image correcte.

Activity # 1

The Minds On, was a whole group activity. The purpose of the activity was to refresh the students geometric math vocabulary from grade one.  Students had to identify the 2D shapes and drag the vocabulary over the matching image. This activity was done in Notebook on the Smartboard.  Together we practiced reading the vocabulary aloud.

Action:

Comment est-ce que tu peux couvrire une moitié de l'hexagone? Explique en utilisant Explain Everything.

In our class the students share 10 iPads, thus our Action activity was in groups of two or three.  To complete the task, students had to explore, using 2-D geometric shapes to cover half of a hexagon.  The next step was to take photos of their findings and record their thinking with the Explain Everything.

Consolidation:

Regarde les vidéos créer par les élèves et discute.

This part of the lesson is where lots of cool learning takes place.  The students are so proud to share their work and also excited to see what their peers have created.  

In the consolidation, as a group, we watched all the presentations  on the Smartboard.  (There was another step in there, I uploaded the presentations from Explain Everything to a shared folder in Google Drive).  The students immediately offered peer feedback and shared their thoughts with the class.  Students were able to pick up on criteria that was left out or  able to give an opinion is a positive way.  These videos are also great because students are able to see that there is more than one possible answer to the task.

Exporting work from Explain Everything

Don't know if anyone else has ran into this, but I had students label some diagrams on explain everything today. When we exported the images, I could only export the current slide. Most students had multiple slides created. This caused only part of their work to be saved to google drive/evernote. If I wanted all slides to be saved I had to select "pdf file" and NOT image file. Once this option was changed I was able to get all of the slides. Crappy because now I need to waste that amount of time to re-export this work...
Examples:

Success!

Engagement (Student) through iPads; Explain Everything

iPad Launch (Nov. 13)

It was like Christmas opening up the iPads!  The students were so pumped:)

Thank goodness for Jeremy's patience and assistance with downloading Explain Everything.  I am so grateful for the support from the IIT team.  The basics are new learning from me.  I had never used iTunes cards or gone to the App Store before.  Challenging for me..but now I can:)

Jeremy is so skilled at engaging students.  His idea of "driver" and "navigator" for sharing the iPads and frequently switching roles is genius.  I have 4 students in particular who are challenging to engage.  With the novelty of launching the iPads and with 5 adults in the classroom for the first 30 minutes of exploring Explain Everything features, all the students were actively involved.  The process unveiled the need for further explicit teaching around turn-taking and teamwork.  Ultimately, 11 out of 15 students completed the exploration session.  Today confirmed that the technology is an engaging hook for all the students.  I also learned that students with special needs continue to need accommodations when completing tasks with technology.  Next time, I will ensure that my 4 target students do not need to share iPads as this was overwhelming for their self-regulation.  Our goal will be to gradually work with others with the iPads.  I look forward to further exploring Explain Everything.  This app has huge potential for the monitoring and tracking of student learning.

Explain Everything in Action!

Students had a lot fun with the camera/video tool in
Explain Everything.

I had a fantastic time working with Kathryn Murray's grade 6/7 class using Explain Everything (EE) on her mini iPads. After 5 minutes of initial playtime in EE, students were able to share their findings on what each tool did. Very quickly, they were becoming the experts on the tool. With exploring the tools even further, the students were able to provide examples of how and when this app would be useful.

The software, AirServer, was used for
students to share their screen on the SmartBoard.
 

Taking the tool to the next level, we explored how Siri can be used in EE and how to export final products into their Google Drive accounts and share their video with others.

To finish the lesson, students worked in pairs and used EE to share their summaries of articles in a special Remembrance Day newspaper. When they are done, they will export their videos into their Google Drive account and then share it with their teacher.

Thank you Kathryn for inviting me to spend the morning with your class and giving me the opportunity to help your students learn all about my favourite app!

Wow!  Intense learning for me...the students seem fine!
Watch out!  Sometimes home screen with iPad number disappears!  We learned we needed to put iPad number on back of mini!  We did this with masking tape.  Panic over!

Fun time just with native features.  Sometimes kids are so distracted by applications, it was amazing to see all we could do without one application downloaded.  They listened to SIRI, Google mapped - 3-D, made videos and blogged about a video.

First download was MyScriptCalculator.  Really helpful with Grade 7 BEDMAS questions.  They did questions by hand, inputted on Calculator and compared answers. Fast way to get exponents and operation signs in!  Lots of student thinking as they had to figure out why the answer was different!  High level of student engagement in solving math problems!  Hehehehe!

Finally on day 5 we looked at Explain Everything.  Almost too many options for students to grasp in one go! Lots of menu options.  We really looked at how to take pictures and videos and move them into Google Docs.