Empowering Learning Through The Camera Lens

As the year wraps up many educators are looking for ways for their kids to showcase their learning. Of course we could look at new apps, but I have been considering the simple power of the humble camera. It really is is a powerful learning tool that sometimes get overlooked. Add MarkUp to your images and information can easily be added to a picture that gives learners a creative way to share their knowledge and think more deeply about a topic. I have kinder classes that are using this combo to show shapes in real life like this:

It can also be used in language arts.   In a blog post, Dr Kristi Meeuwse shared how her young learns use their camera when Adapting Classic Stories with iPad.  It showed how kinders read about the Gingerbread Man, and then adapted it to their environment. They went out, took pictures and then used markup to have a “pizza man” go down the slide or a chocolate chip cookie running down the sidewalk.  It is a quick read with links to a series of iBooks she has written (including The Rich Potential of young Children’s Photography, Video, Drawing and Music) about how the youngest of learners can use iPads to showcase their learning. (For more great ideas on how our youngest learners can use technology check out the hashtag #k2can2)

One of Matt Miller’s’ favorite projects, “Caption This” is to take historic images (like Washington crossing the Delaware), and add captions about what the characters are thinking.  You could take the same concept, but make it more personal by having kids capture pictures of projects they have done, or things they have learned about, and then give the object “captions” as they share out how they work, what they have to do next, what they are missing, or whatever would take the leaning to the next level. (Check out Matt’s article. He does a great job of going to the next DOK level).

Some other great ways to use the camera are outlined in Apple’s Everyone Can Create Photo book. It walks learners through how to use the camera in more ways than they may have considered, how to improve their photos, and how to personify their pictures to tell a story. It is learner facing. From there it goes into even more advanced projects including importing photos into Keynote and adding layers, drawings and more to tell your story. Not sure how this all fits into your curriculum? They have a book for that too. Check out the Everyone Can Create Teacher’s Guide for ideas.

Wether you choose to just outline shapes, have projects explain themselves or personify an object, remember the mighty power of the camera to capture learning. How will you use empower learning with the power of the camera?

Not sure how to use MarkUp? Here is a quick video showing how to use Markup on your iPad

Pick An Apple (A plan for workflow)

Image from Benjamin Wong on Unsplash

As I hang out in kinder, 1st and 2nd grade classes I am blown away by the natural creativity of these little learners. They have such an excitement to not only create but to share it with as many as they possibly can. They energize me to find ideas that will allow these littlest of  learners to create in simple ways that won’t get in the way of their learning.

Apple has made it easy for our learners to create with Pages, Keynote and numbers. There are many benefits to these apps, but here are a few of my favorite:

1. These tools require no log-in, yet they allow the learners to add drawings, audio, shapes, images, movies and even typed text. They are soooo versatile
2. If they learn how to use one, it is relatively easy to learn how to use the others.
3. The “Everyone Can Create” iBooks created by Apple Edu are a great resource with multiple projects that can be adjusted to work in multiple grade levels and content areas
4. There are other series of iBooks that have been published including this series from Paula Jamieson (see my post from September 14, 2018) and this series that includes “The Rich Potential of Young Children’s Drawing, Photography Video and Music” by Kristi Meeuwse & Marc Faulder.

I used Numbers as a work flow to lead my learners through the actives I wanted them to participate in . It allowed them to work at their own pace, have a choice in what activities they participated in, as well as how they showed their learning. I could also easily embed extension activities or extra learning resources, allowing my learners to access the information at the level they needed.

Many educators have started developing their own numbers documents. As I have had the opportunity to work with many of these amazing educators, I have curated some resources to support them. A great place to start is with this iBook written by Coppell’s own Mary Kemper. It gives a number of great tips and tricks when creating a numbers work flow.

Next, I suggest looking through different examples to discover what you like and see how others use the apps. Here are a few to consider:

• This Thanksgiving example comes with videos to show how to use the tools. It is a great introductory activity.
• This 2nd Grade science example includes a Citizen Science project. It was also used to introduce numbers to learners.
• This 1st grade math example lets the learners “scratch off” the money bag to “open it” to acces the coins as they learn about the value of coins.
• This 6th grade science example was used for an Argument Drivien Inquiry (ADI) learning experience.

A couple warnings:

FONTS: if you are into fonts and use them with these apps (beyond the basic already on the iPad) they won’t show up in your learners documents. Instead, your formatting will be messed up when they open the document.. There are a couple work arounds for this. The easiest one is to take a picture of your fancy text font and then use that rather than the text. If it is just a short heading I like to use https://flamingtext.com/. It has a ton of options to choose from and you can create a free account and then save the fonts you use the most.

LOCKING: If there is something you don’t want the kids to use, you can lock it down in format under arrange. I got really excited about this and locked TOO much down. If you want the kids to write on it, add to it or move it DON’T lock it down.

There are so many great uses of these apps out there. I have special education educators using Numbers to allow learners to lead their ARDs and an innovative group of 2nd grade educators who are using it to create document to empower learners to self assess and track their progress towards their math goals. It really is so flexible. I would love to learn from you how you use these apps, or how you would like to use them.

Using Images Fairly

As our learners begin to create artifacts to publish to a wider audience it is important that they know how to find media they have the right to use. Of course, the best media is one you create on your own with your camera, google drawing, Canva or other digital tools, but sometimes you just need a picture. Unless your learners have been taught, they usually default to a basic google search followed by a screenshot. an invitation for the Digital Citizenship ghosts of images past to haunt your digital creation, not to mention breaking copyright laws. With that spectral prospect hanging overhead, I want to share some resources. you can use safely and fairly in your class.

Let’s start with this google drawing infographic created by my friend and colleague Sam Neil. (She also has a great blog you may want to check out.)

There are many locations, but my go tos usually come from the ones shown above. Each one is just a bit different, so let’s go through the highlights of each.

Wikimedia Commons is a site that anyone can contribute to and all are free to use. The database is searchable and varied including some historical and contemporary images from museums. Think Wikipedia and images and you have a good idea. These images are still owned by the people that shared them, so they still require proper citation, you just have the right to use them.

PixaBay has both images, drawings, and vectors (icons), but sometimes they show up with a watermark requiring an account to Shutterstock. Don’t let this scare you away from this resource, especially if you are looking for drawings or vectors, there are enough options available without an account that it is worth checking out.

Britannica Image Quest is accessed through MacinVIA. It has everything you would find in an encyclopedia. I searched Benjamin Franklin and Tesla Model 3 and found great images for both.

Google Advanced Search is also an option, as long as the kids make sure they have navigated to select the image based on usage rights. This may be a bit complicated for our youngest learners, but the variety of topics is as varied as Google.

Photos For Class has a wide variety with both historical and contemporary topics. It is unique in that the citation for the photo is embedded within the photo at the bottom, so the kids have already cited their source once they select their photo. This is could be a bonus for young learners.

Unsplash is one of my favorite sites for photos. It is a collection of photos taken by photographers and uploaded to the site. Most of them are contemporary so there won’t be many historical options, but the quality and variety.  As an added bonus, once you select an image it gives you simple text you can copy to credit the source. (Check out the image at the top of this post for an example.) It also has an ios app that lets you drag the image you want to the lower left-hand corner of your iPad to save it to your camera roll. A definite bonus for little learners.

Pics 4 Learning was created specifically for education. The images are pretty basic and only has limited historical options. It allows you to search with a search bar or through pre-identified collections. If you are not quite sure what you are looking for, that could be a bonus.

Bensound is a site with royalty free music. It has limits on the free platform, but still provides multiple music options to pick from and use within your classroom and by your learners.

There are other great sources for images based on what you need.  As a science teacher, I went to NASA image gallery and the National Parks Network when I was looking for images on space, Earth and the outdoors.

This list is not intended to be exhaustive, but just give you an idea of where to start. Even in these sites, it is important to cite your sources.  I know with some of our littlest learners that can be a challenge so you might limit them to one search source and then they can at least state that “All images came from….” not perfect, but a good step on their digital citizenship journey.

Computational Thinking Explored

Recently I was asked to create a presentation on Computational Thinking for science educators. This was very interesting to me as it is something I wanted to dive deeper into when I was one of those science educators. I had read research and articles on it, and I knew it would benefit my learners, but I didn’t understand what it was, and even though I wanted to implement it into my class, I was a bit overwhelmed by my own desire.

As I dove deeper into computational thinking, I realized it wasn’t all that confusing. Infact, I began to understand that computational thinking was something I was already doing, I just needed to

1. Implement it more purposefully.
2. Plan so that the learners were doing the computational thinking, not me.
3. Help learners be more aware when they were engaged in computational thinking.

So, what is Computational Thinking? Basically is it a way of thinking that utilizes specific strategies to help to break down and understand multiple phenomena. Usually it is broken down into 4 different parts.

1.   Decomposition.

In decomposition a problem or event is broken down into smaller parts that can be worked on and or solved their own. Examples in the classroom would include identifying the elements of a story event, task or cycle, or breaking down a complex math problem into more manageable parts.

2.   Pattern Recognition.

This one is just what it says. It is recognizing patterns, similarities or trends. In this one you are looking for patterns that could be use to establish a rule to predict future occurrences. This includes classifying objects, logic puzzles, identifying differences, analyzing work according to specific criteria and other similar activities.

3.   Abstraction

Google says abstraction is identifying and pulling out the relevant information so that main ideas can be defined. (see this website) Many resources I looked into put abstraction and pattern recognition into one group, and in all seriousness, I get a bit confused as I try to sort them out. It does seem that abstraction goes a bit farther where you summarize a main idea or identify the main point of an event rather than looking at all parts of an event.

4..   Algorithmic Design.

Once you have identified your patterns or trends, you can design a algorithm to provide step by step instructions to reach solutions not only for the event you are currently looking at, but any similar events that you encounter. In the classroom it may include creating flowcharts, timelines, instructions, field guides and such.

As I explored computational thinking I came to understand that most educators are doing these things already, the power comes in doing them more purposefully AND having the learners do them so that they are looking for patterns, identifying themes and creating rules. When I was in the classroom I borrowed from NGSS cross cutting concepts (Texas hasn’t adopted these). I had my kids look for and identify patterns in each unit of study. I was looking for a way to tie the units together, and I realized that science is made of patterns. What I didn’t realize is that my kids learned and retained the information better when they were looking for patterns. As they discovered and shared the patterns they found,  their retention increased and I learned from them as they discovered relationships I hadn’t considered before..

Computational thinking can improve our learners ability to identify, think through and solve problems.  It isn’t just for computer ccience geeks. And it ISN’T some mystical concept that only tech gurus can use. It is a powerful way of thinking and learning for all.
If you are interested, or would like to dive deeper yourself, Google has a free Computational Thinking course for Educators. If you are going to take it, let me know. I would like to learn along with you. If you aren’t ready to commit to a course yet,  here is the link to the presentation I created for those science teachers.  😉 It has extra resources at the end to guide your first steps into the exploration waters.

Group Feedback Templates

Recently I was asked to find resources educators could use in their science classrooms during Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) poster sessions.  During this phase of the learning, each group shares their poster explaining their process, findings and the justification for their claim. The other groups give them feedback on everything from the process to the science they use to support their findings.

Matt Miller recently did a blog post showing how he used Google Slides and the sticky note shape to brainstorm.  In an ADI poster session learners often use sticky notes to give feedback. This seemed like the perfect fit, so using Matt’s idea, I created a template for group feedback using Google Slides for the poster session feedback. .

To begin to use the template, each group would be assigned a slide number. They then would title the slide based on their project. Lastly, they upload a digital representation of their project. (In an ADI it is a poster).

Next, the kids giving feedback will duplicate one of the sticky notes (I used the prompts and colors for the sticky notes suggested by the ADI institute.. This gives the kids giving feedback a place to start (scaffolding) as well as flexibility if they want to share something that doesn’t fit with the set sentence stems.) finish out the sentence stem with the feedback they want to share, and “stick” that note on the slide they are giving feedback for.  Video instructions for this part are linked on the template.  I like how the colors of the virtual “sticky notes” not only gives the group that received the feedback specific ideas regarding their project, but it also gives them a quick visual (based on the color of the notes added to their page) on where their project stands.  You could also have each child use a different color as they are giving feedback to track the level of participation in the feedback process.

For my Apple people I made a Numbers Template that does the same thing. Rather than using virtual “Sticky Notes”  I went with a data chart. (Maybe numbers will add sticky notes to their shapes?) And here is a video explaining how to use this resource. Again, I would suggest each child be assigned a specific color (or even better an emoji) so that you can track participation.

Peer feedback improves not only the receiver but also the giver, resulting in an improved product for all. Do you have a favorite tool or strategy to improve feedback? Please share below. I would love to learn from you.

Guest Blog Posts #7

Challenge: Gratitude

by Kate Kennedy A history teacher and gamification newbie in Maine.

November is the month of gratitude. We have an entire day dedicated to sitting around a table with friends and family and actually telling each other what we are grateful for. Forget about the food coma that comes afterwards, and the rush to head out to the Best Buy line, that five minutes around the table is one of the best parts of my year and something we should all be doing more than once.

So that’s gotten me to thinking about how we could jam this once yearly tradition in our own classrooms. What if we took 5 minutes at the end of class every Friday to just share with each other something we are grateful for or appreciative of? It could be related to something in class or not. Think of the possibilities.

Explore how you can do this in your class by clicking here.

Guest Blog Posts #6

Taking It For Granted

by John Honish

7th grade Social Studies Teacher at Waunakee Community Middle School, Waunakee, Wi.

I have failed to live up to my marriage vows.

Wow, that’s heavy, but I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to hook the reader in the intro of your writing, so I’m going to stand by that opening statement and you’ll see what I mean in a bit. In the meantime, I want you to think back on something…
What did you TRULY know about the personal lives of any teachers you had in school? It has occurred to me that students only know what a teacher shares with them, and that varies greatly based on the individual teacher.

I felt like I knew Paul Stellpflug pretty well in high school because he wasn’t afraid to let us know his political leanings, the journey of buying a house, thinking UW-Oshkosh was “Harvard on the Fox”,  and stories from his own high school days at Kettle Moraine. I remember the infamous “Ledger”, a person that earned his nickname based on where he put… stuff… in the bathrooms of Kettle Moraine High School when I was in pre-school. The only reason I know about “Ledger” is because Mr. Stellpflug told us about him.

So what do my kids know about me? Probably the basics, like my favorite sports teams, my general age (although they like to joke that they think I’m in my 40s…) and basic family info. But do you know what I realized? They don’t know enough about Mrs. Honish. They don’t know enough about Mrs. Honish because NOBODY knows enough about Mrs. Honish. And Nobody knows enough about Mrs. Honish because I really suck at telling people about how awesome Mrs. Honish is.

I already posted a gratitude-themed blog for the month of November, but I kept it professional because it was for a blog exchange among educators and I figured the audience would relate to a piece on administration. For those of you that read that post already… too bad, you’re getting another one. You’re getting another one because what I’m TRULY most grateful for in my entire life is Mrs. Honish, and I have failed to share it and continue to take her awesomeness for granted… which I promised I would not do on October 29, 2011, in my marriage vows to her.

So what have I taken for granted in the last 7 years? Want to learn more about his amazing wife? Click here.

Gratitude Changes Everything (Vlog)

By: Michael Matera, 6th grade Social Studies Teacher at University School of Milwaukee, Author of “Explore Like A Pirate” #XPlap and host of #WellPlayed

In this short video, I explore the power of gratitude. At first, I thought I would talk about being grateful for things like my daughter or my family… But then I thought of taking it from a different angle. Have a listen and watch all the way to the end for some questions for you to share your thoughts on. Thank you for being part of my PLN and for watching, sharing, and subscribing.
-Michael Mater

Micheal is the ultimate gamification guru, and now also explores the power of living intentionally. His channel is an amazing wealth of knowledge and ideas, which I am pleased to say I have watched every one. So, take a minute and watch his gratitude video and consider subscribing to his channel.

Going Together

This year I began my 10th year as an educator and my first year as a digital learning coach. I have had 3 different positions now all in the same district. As I reflect on the ride, there are so many things I am thankful for.

My first role as an educator was as a special education science teacher. I entered the education world as an alternative certification educator. I had been a physical science TA for 4 years in college, but that was so many years ago. I still remember two days before the kids were to come in sitting in front of my computer wondering what I was going to do with them. Just as the panic was really starting to settle in, my mentor, Sharon Pyburn, came in, walked me off my cliff and helped me plan my first lesson. She was so supportive doing all she could to help me get the resources I needed. She made a difference for me and for my kids. I co-taught with many different educators and gained valuable lessons from each one of them, but Angie Mahalic became not only a great co-teacher but also a valued friend. In addition, when I was going for my Master’s degree she was so open to every idea I brought to her, no matter how challenging or involved it was.

My second role was as a 6th and 7th-grade science teacher where I taught both GenEd and GT learners. There, my principal, Laura Springer made such a difference. She gave me room to grow and explore new ways of doing things from competitions to gamification and a number of things in between. In addition, she gave me the best example of loving your learners where ever they are that I have ever been blessed to see. She knows the names of every kid in her middle school and gives hugs out daily, to both learners and educators.

 

 

In that role, I also got to work with the amazing Jodie Dienhammer. The first thing we did together was to co-author an iBook, In The Science Lab. I am pretty confident she didn’t need my help to do that, but she taught me so much about new ways to implement the power of technology in the classroom. She also helped me see the different kids can make if we allow them to.  With that jumpstart, my kids wrote or contributed to 5 other iBooks.

This year I started a new position as a digital learning coach, working with the Coppell DLC team and a whole collection of amazing teachers throughout our district. As I reflect back on that first position, staring at a blank lesson plan wondering what I would do when the students showed up I am grateful for the parade of amazing supportive educators who have enriched my life more than they can imagine. They have allowed me to touch the lives of my learners in powerful ways that I could have never done without their support.

The education profession is rich with talented people doing their best to make the world a better place. They do this each and every day by supporting the little (and not so little) people that come into their classroom as well as the other educators they work with down the hall, across the campus, in the district and now with Twitter and other powerful social media outlets throughout the world. Twitter has become such a powerful way for me to improve and learn from others. It has opened doors that I wasn’t even aware was there.

As I look back at where I started, and where I am now, I feel so very blessed for the parade of amazing educators that have supported me on so many fronts and in so many ways. I have definitely been able to go farther by going together.

Guest Blog #5 A Collection of Gratitude

I got a bit behind on my guest blog posts, so I am doubling up today.

First a post by Jennifer Quattrucci on gratitude and kindness and the powerful lesson she taught her 2nd-grade class.

The next post is by Carol McLaughlin. She shares how she has been grateful for Twitter and the impact it has had on her as an educator.

Gratitude & Kindness: Appreciating & Creating a Colossal Dose Of Sunshine One Ripple at a Time

I am overwhelmed with gratitude for the many blessings and opportunities I have had these past couple of months.  As many of you know, I’ve taken on a new endeavor and after teaching kindergarten for 22 years, I am now an extremely grateful brand new second grade teacher. I’m in the same school so some of my students are the wonderful children I had in kindergarten two years ago.

I have an energetic, inquisitive and enthusiastic group of seven and eight-year-olds in the inner city of Providence, Rhode Island. My second graders are always eager to come to school and love to read, write and problem solve in such thoughtful and creative ways. My students are so appreciative of each other and all we do every day. They are culturally diverse and enjoy sharing their own unique experiences with the class. We learn from each other. My school is working hard to build community among families and staff and we have a safe, respectful environment. I am grateful to be a part of the Harry Kizirian Community.

Also as many of you know, I have been working hard to create special moments and experiences for my students by creating DonorsChoose projects and have been extremely fortunate to receive help from so many generous people. One that has had an enormous impact on my students is our Kindness Matters project.

Want to learn more information about this amazing project and look into her 2nd-grade classroom? Click Here.

 

Next up The fellowship of the Tweet

The Fellowship of the Tweet: A Grateful Member

I’ve always felt a little odd. A lone wolf. I usually don’t mind, but you rarely grow in isolation. You need others to encourage you. To push you. To inspire you.

I had no idea I needed a Twitter PLN. I didn’t even know what a PLN was until 8 years ago around this time actually. I was in the last PD session before we were out for Thanksgiving holidays. To say we were all ready to go was an understatement.

The PD was edcamp style and the last session was entitled, “Building a PLN.” I went to it because the others were all on academics areas and I wanted to learn something totally different.

However, I  had no idea this session was about to change me in so many ways.

I went to the session and was introduced to Twitter. We all joined and I sent out my first tweet.

Carol’s story of how Twitter has changed her life is empowering and insightful. To learn more click here. 

Guest Blog #4 Gratitude About the Imperfect

Today’s guest blog is from Suzy Lolley. She is a fan of technology and gamification. In her post, she shared 3 specific things she is grateful for and what she has learned along the way.

Gratitude about the Imperfect

Social media can really skew our view of ourselves. I don’t know about you, but the more I see people’s perfect families, perfect houses, and perfect lives, it makes me feel like there’s something wrong with me. It can make my gratitude meter run a little low. However, in this month of gratitude, I want to be very intentional to be thankful for the imperfect.

Three Ways I’m Still Grateful for the Imperfect

Specifically in teaching, when you have a whirling dervish of thirty students or more, there will be imperfect moments. Plenty of them. It’s time, as we celebrate Thanksgiving, to be thankful for those classroom days that don’t always work out as they should. Or the things that seem to be imperfect expectations placed upon us. The tasks that we vow we wouldn’t put on people if we were in charge. If we take time to be conscious of what the blessings behind the imperfections are, we won’t have to yearn for someone else’s happy social media life; we might just have a happier life ourselves.

Imperfection #1: Others’ Expectations

Want to learn more? Click here.