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.)

Storage Locker

With the arrival of the Griffon cases for my minis, my set-up is now complete.  In previous posts I have been sharing how I set the minis up for “acceptable” use.  Now I want to share my storage solution. 

I found a smaller kid size vertical locker that stands 54” tall and is 15” by 15”.  These dimensions make it considerably more stable than a regular locker and the storage more vertical (no more dirty knees).  Inside there are two shelves (One 12” from the top and another 14” further down).  I had to order the 2nd shelf as extra.  A third one could be added but holes would need to be drilled.

Cost (including exchange, import costs and shipping) is about $230.  Contact: Chris Sayles ChrisS@jorgensoncompanies.com  webpage: schoollockers.com  (I bought mine off ebay and he threw in the extra shelf)

On each self I attached metal sorters that could support 7 minis per shelf. 

Below each shelf I attached 2 surge protected power bars.

I used industrial strength Velcro to attach the sorters and power bars…this stuff is incredibly strong.

The total cost of this secure metal storage unit with a footprint smaller than a foot and a half square is... just over $300 dollars!!!

(Please note: assembly was required for the locker.)

Sharing Documents with Students in G. D.

So that we could practice putting items into our Google Drive hand in folders (that are shared with me), I wanted to share a document with my students. I created two lists of recipients, one for my Grade 2s and one for my Grade 3s, and I sent the document to both of these lists.  I intended for my students to open the document, answer the question, and hand in the work by moving their document to their "Hand-in to Mr. Creasor" folder.  As students started to open and change the document, we discovered that the changes were being made on all documents, of the same title, open in the classroom.  In hindsight, I realize the ability to simultaneously work on a document is a feature of Google Drive but I am wondering how to get around this feature if I want each student to be able to make changes to the same document?  We tried renaming the document and moving the document.

As I write this, it occurs to me that I should have had my students make a copy of the document, rename it, and then proceed to make changes.  Unfortunately, this possible solution did not occur to me when I was with my class.  Would this be the best route to take?

Thanks for any assistance you might be able to provide.

Scott

Managing apps and Acceptable Use Guidelines

I have spent a lot of time on set-up. As mentioned in an earlier post I found an awesome website offering suggestions about how to manage iPads in an intermediate classroom. Using this resource and a couple of others along with some collaboaration with the students I generated an Acceptable Use Policy - Rules and Guidlines. With it, I feel good about the students accessing the technology...even without protective covers!

I abbreviated the policy and made it the image for my lock screen.









 

I also grouped a lot of the apps into different folders including the ones I don't want students accessing for any reason and those that students should be asking for permission before using.

(I labelled the picture using Ink Flow)

To group apps into a folder press and hold the app icon until it starts to wiggle, drag one on top of another you want grouped with it...voila!  To add or remove icons from the quick access bar at the bottom make the app icon wiggle and move to the bar or away from the bar.

 

 

Rules for iPad Use in an Intermediate Classroom

Found this awesome website that identifies, from experience, some essential rules for effectively using iPads in middle school classrooms.

http://isource.com/2013/03/12/essential-rules-for-effectively-using-ipads-in-middle-school-classrooms/

I particularly like the suggestion to group apps like settings, messaging, FaceTime and game centre into a folder labelled not for use.