Using Keynote and ScreenFlow you can create a video in 15 minutes that students can use to play with and investigate math. Isn't that better than memorizing a formula? Check out the Distance Formula lesson I created below. The lesson is structured around the Inquiry model to optimize student questioning and exploration. Wouldn't you rather be the Guide Beside than the Sage on the Stage?
0 Comments
In effort to open the walls of our classroom through technology we played an exciting game of Mystery Skype today. We called a class somewhere in the world using Skype (arranged by myself and the other teacher ahead of time through Twitter). The students then used resources such as atlas, globes, and Google Earth and Google Docs to try to figure out where the other class was located and keep track of our questions and answers. Sadly for us, the other class found us in only 3 questions! But they played on and let us try to find out where they were located. Each student had a job and while some jobs were more vocal than others everyone took part. We are a 3rd grade class and they are a 6th grade class. It was great to see how they communicated once they knew the age differences. My students even asked to be their pen-pals Afterwards we reflected on how it went and how we can make it go better next time. One reflection was that we need everyone to stick to their jobs better to make things more equal. Another was that we communicate with the other team that no one should ask about countries to encourage only talking about geography. All in all, students are asking when we will do another Mystery Skype. This was one lesson packed full of relating skills and resourcefulness and even quite a bit of resilience. Here is the Doc I shared with my class. This includes job descriptions and a spreadsheet for collecting questions and answers. Next time I will have my students apply for jobs they want to allow more student choice and add another layer of importance and engagement to their roles in the activity. Here are some other really useful links: https://education.skype.com/mysteryskype http://pernillesripp.com/2011/10/25/so-you-want-to-do-mystery-skype/ http://mysteryskypes1213.weebly.com/ During our Everyday Math lessons to reach a wider audience, and to make student learning the focus rather than teacher instruction, I decided to turn a lesson on looking at a US census population map into a STAIR lesson (Stand Alone Instructional Resource). I used the free Infuse Learning site to make a quiz by typing in the outlined question prompts for the EDM lesson and saving it. Next, students simply open the Infuse Learning site and log into the room using the room number (which is always the same when you make an account) and their name. While they are doing this, I "play" the quiz which activates on the student iPads. Once the quiz is activated students can begin working at their own pace. Use both the Infuse Learning quiz and their Student Reference Journals to see the census map (which you can take a picture of and it will appear next to each question on Infuse Learning). As students work through the quiz and talk with collaborate with each other I am able to circulate the room to see how students are progressing and answer any questions. I am also receiving updates on student progress on the teacher screen for Infuse Learning. On this results page I can see how everyone is doing, which questions they've answered and what they answered. I can then download the results or email them to myself. The email feature is a quick one click action. Infuse Learning has been helpful to not only create STAIR lessons but also for a quick open response check for understanding. It's made life easier to keep track of students progress and also allows me to adjust my lessons as needed. Do you carry all your students writing notebooks home each night or stay late after school reading through their writing and offering feedback? Or maybe you don't give written feedback until the published piece is turned in. If this sounds like your situation then I've got an idea that will make it all easier. Google Docs allow students to write their stories online and you are able to comment and offer feedback from your computer at home or at the coffee shop or where ever you like to connect to the internet. I often find myself sitting next to a student and talking about their stories with them with our tech devices side by side. This allows us to both highlight and edit together and have discussions about their work without having to lean over their shoulders and invade their space. Google Docs not only make life easier for you but it offers quick feedback to your students. Students will love using Google Docs as well. The Revision History allows students to see the changes they make over the writing process and revert back to an earlier version if desired. This feature also has saved several of my students from the dreaded deleted story disaster. Somehow a few of my students managed to delete their stories and then do enough attempts to recover it that they couldn't simply press undo. Luckily they were able to revert to an earlier version and recover their lost work. Another plus of using Google Docs is that there is an iPad app for Google Drive making the student work even more accessible. I went to the iPad Summit in New Delhi for my first trip away from my family in three years. It was exciting and nerve racking to prepare for such a thing. However, once I was in the thick of the conference I new it was a smart idea. The keynote speaker Allan November really made his audience think about education. Despite his stomach bug (which only added humor to his delivery) he got our wheels turning with statements such as, "When was the last time you heard cheers and saw high-fiving during an assessment?" We were experienced DBL while making our own tablet stylus and we learned about the Animate It app by making our own educational stop motion videos. |
Kate White
|