For my second artifact, I chose the Technology Walk-Through Tool, which allows technology leaders to quickly go into a class and give feedback in a nonthreatening way about how technology is being implemented. Teachers tend to be hesitant about being observed, but this tool is non-evaluative in nature and is not intended to judge a teacher's class in any way.
Too often, teachers hesitate to open their classrooms to others. In general, teachers giving one another feedback can be incredibly valuable. When I was a classroom teacher, years ago, I worked with a new teacher one year, a career changer who was eager and very motivated. He spent two plan periods every week visiting other teacher's classrooms. This teacher would sit in on anything you were teaching and take notes the entire time. Then he wanted to discuss what he'd seen. Often, he had compliments, suggestions, and lots of questions. Upon request, I visited his classroom multiple times and gave the same kind of friendly feedback. I found it far more valuable than any formal or informal observation from an administrator, and I ended up visiting the classrooms of more teachers in my building. I found that I always learned something valuable, and I was usually able to make a suggestion or two in addition to reassuring a teacher about some of the wonderful things he or she was doing.
Technology is a perfect example of how informal, non-evaluative walk-throughs can give teachers feedback about how they're utilizing technology. Also, they can get information about new ways to incorporate existing technology, and ways to make technology use interactive and engaging. The template in the link allows the observer to organize his or her thoughts in a cohesive way. Hopefully this tool can lead to some very productive conversations about technology usage in classrooms.
Monday, November 6, 2017
Infographic--Artifact #1 for EEND 680D
This artifact is an infographic of some of the important things it takes in order to be an influential Educational Technology Leader. I chose this artifact because I was surprised at how easy it was to make, and how useful these could be for my classroom. I used a website called Venngage for this assignment, and was impressed by how many different kinds of templates they had. For the purposes of this assignment, I made an infographic geared towards teachers, but in the future I will use infographics for my students as well.
I am eager to try out infographics with my students, and I will be exploring various websites besides Venngage. For one thing, Venngage doesn't allow you to download the infographics, merely to share the website link. However, the website is simple to use and to teach to students, and the templates are very user-friendly.
As an teacher of English Learners, I know that my students need simple text with lots of graphic support when learning new concepts. Infographics can be a great way to do this, and now that I know how easy they are to make, I will definitely be using them with my students.
I am eager to try out infographics with my students, and I will be exploring various websites besides Venngage. For one thing, Venngage doesn't allow you to download the infographics, merely to share the website link. However, the website is simple to use and to teach to students, and the templates are very user-friendly.
As an teacher of English Learners, I know that my students need simple text with lots of graphic support when learning new concepts. Infographics can be a great way to do this, and now that I know how easy they are to make, I will definitely be using them with my students.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Course Reflection EEND 678A
Taking this course has given me quite a few new ideas to implement in my classroom. The first idea that I think I will use is backchannel talks. I love the idea of showing a video twice--once so that the students can just watch, and then once so that they can react and talk about it. For my ELL students, oral language and written language are two different things, and often one will develop before the others. I have students who are more comfortable communicating verbally, and those who like to write, largely because they can use translators and dictionaries to assist them. This would be an excellent way to accommodate for different learning styles among my ELL students, especially 3rd grade and up.
Another important thing I learned in this class was the use of a slidedeck. I loved the way ours turned out, and it was easy (and fun) to develop a single slide. Since it wasn't a huge project, I could spend a lot of time on my one slide until it was something I was proud of. I tend to think my students would have the same opinion about it. I can already think of many applications. For example, I could have my 3rd graders each make a slide about a different environmental issue. My 5th graders could come up with their own propaganda slides for or against the Revolutionary War. This type of project would be easy to implement, and my students would get excited about it without too much fuss.
Finally, I really liked developing the PBL. Though it was a huge challenge for me, the final product ended up being pretty cool, and I know my students will be enthusiastic about it. I've learned a great deal through this course, and I'm excited to have lessons ready to go!
Another important thing I learned in this class was the use of a slidedeck. I loved the way ours turned out, and it was easy (and fun) to develop a single slide. Since it wasn't a huge project, I could spend a lot of time on my one slide until it was something I was proud of. I tend to think my students would have the same opinion about it. I can already think of many applications. For example, I could have my 3rd graders each make a slide about a different environmental issue. My 5th graders could come up with their own propaganda slides for or against the Revolutionary War. This type of project would be easy to implement, and my students would get excited about it without too much fuss.
Finally, I really liked developing the PBL. Though it was a huge challenge for me, the final product ended up being pretty cool, and I know my students will be enthusiastic about it. I've learned a great deal through this course, and I'm excited to have lessons ready to go!
PBL--Artifact #2 for EEND 678A
I chose this artifact because it was perhaps the most challenging assignment I've completed through this coursework. Basically, I created a problem-based learning unit where my third grader ELL students can design their own vermicomposting bins (in groups), use PixNTell to do tutorials on various parts of their project, and work on their writing skills by authoring a blog in the point of view of one of the worms.
For me, PBL is extremely challenging because I always feel like my ideas are too contrived. I'd love to give students more freedom in designing their own solutions to problems, but the age of my students, as well as cost, tend to limit this. I think my final project was a good compromise between student choice and direction for the project. I did make a vermicomposting bin once, but it was a teacher-directed enterprise. This project is different because the students will research, design, and build their own vermicomposting bins, taking pictures and writing directions at each stage. For my ELL students, expository writing is really critical, and this is a true life application of this kind of writing.
I'm especially excited about the tech applications of this project. I like the idea of having them draw the steps and narrate them in PixNTell. I know that my student are fascinated with how worm bins work. I also like the idea of the students taking the lead with the worms. Frankly, I have a habit of accidentally killing them. My students could take the compost and put it into our school garden at the end of the school year. They'd be learning about decomposers and applying that knowledge to soil quality as well as plant science. Finally, I thought my students could do a video story about their project for Koala TV, the weekly program that our school plays for all students. Producing their own video (as ELL students) would be excellent oral English practice for a real reason.
For me, PBL is extremely challenging because I always feel like my ideas are too contrived. I'd love to give students more freedom in designing their own solutions to problems, but the age of my students, as well as cost, tend to limit this. I think my final project was a good compromise between student choice and direction for the project. I did make a vermicomposting bin once, but it was a teacher-directed enterprise. This project is different because the students will research, design, and build their own vermicomposting bins, taking pictures and writing directions at each stage. For my ELL students, expository writing is really critical, and this is a true life application of this kind of writing.
I'm especially excited about the tech applications of this project. I like the idea of having them draw the steps and narrate them in PixNTell. I know that my student are fascinated with how worm bins work. I also like the idea of the students taking the lead with the worms. Frankly, I have a habit of accidentally killing them. My students could take the compost and put it into our school garden at the end of the school year. They'd be learning about decomposers and applying that knowledge to soil quality as well as plant science. Finally, I thought my students could do a video story about their project for Koala TV, the weekly program that our school plays for all students. Producing their own video (as ELL students) would be excellent oral English practice for a real reason.
Grant Application--Artifact #1 EEND 678A
I chose this artifact because it is a tech-related grant application that I can actually use. This is actually an application for a grant to expand a program we started in 2016. A few years ago, a fellow teacher and I wrote a grant to start a Lego Robotics and Engineering Club for 2nd graders, using the Lego WeDo Robotics system. I run 3rd-5th grade robotics through a school-sponsored program with VexIQ Robotics, but this program is only for students 8-12 years of age. Since our new science standards (NGSS) require the integration of engineering as a part of the curriculum, our thinking was that this would be a good introduction to engineering for our 2nd graders. In addition to the club, we had a goal of making the materials available to the teachers as they teach particular units in the new science curriculum.
This grant application is for materials so that we can double the size of Lego Robotics. We have so many students apply every year (60+), and parents are always inquiring about us opening additional spots. We'd like to purchase more kits and also get some replacement supplies for a few pieces that are lost or cracked. From my experience in writing grants (I've written or helped to write more than ten, and won funds from four of them), it's much easier to get initial funding to start something new than it is to get continuing funding for a project that already exists. This is a giant challenge for teachers, since we often can't find the funds to keep programs going successfully.
My hope would be that because this is already a successful and popular program, funding is more likely to be approved. The school is willing to pay for the staffing and provide the classroom space and laptop use, but we have to find a way to fund the materials on our own.
This grant application is for materials so that we can double the size of Lego Robotics. We have so many students apply every year (60+), and parents are always inquiring about us opening additional spots. We'd like to purchase more kits and also get some replacement supplies for a few pieces that are lost or cracked. From my experience in writing grants (I've written or helped to write more than ten, and won funds from four of them), it's much easier to get initial funding to start something new than it is to get continuing funding for a project that already exists. This is a giant challenge for teachers, since we often can't find the funds to keep programs going successfully.
My hope would be that because this is already a successful and popular program, funding is more likely to be approved. The school is willing to pay for the staffing and provide the classroom space and laptop use, but we have to find a way to fund the materials on our own.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017
Course Reflection 713Z
Through this course, I have grown as a connected educator, largely through the development on one cohesive unit. That was the most valuable thing in this course, for me. Getting feedback from other teachers, improving upon lessons, and getting outside my comfort zone have all helped me understand the complete process of writing and carrying out e-learning units. I appreciated how the learning in this course all revolved around one cohesive unit. For me, learning about the bits and pieces of teaching with technology is helpful, but being able to put it all together has been the most useful for me. I have a finished product that I'll for sure be able to use with my students this year.
The article that stuck with me the most was the one entitled: Assessing Online Learning, from Online Classroom in Module 3. I love how one of the authors (Patti Shank) talks about how you should not expect a bell curve with this kind of teaching. If your course is set up right, your students are prepared for the expectations, and far more students will achieve mastery. I think this is the right model for teaching, especially online teaching. I also really liked the section by Rob Kelly on having students self-assess. I've always done this, to a small degree, but I think I can incorporate more of it with online learning.
Our online discussions were also helpful, even when teachers didn't have usable suggestions, as when I was having trouble with Google Docs vs. MS Word. Sometimes it helps to know that others have struggled with the same thing, and to see the things they've tried. I got some solid feedback on my assessment, and some ideas about working with students who have different learning styles than my own.
Overall, I learned more during this course than I had thought possible. This was my first entirely online course. Typically, I tend to learn more in a face to face class where I can have discussions with classmates about what we're doing. However, the online format ended up going better for me than I had thought it would. I learned a lot and have lessons ready to implement right away.
The article that stuck with me the most was the one entitled: Assessing Online Learning, from Online Classroom in Module 3. I love how one of the authors (Patti Shank) talks about how you should not expect a bell curve with this kind of teaching. If your course is set up right, your students are prepared for the expectations, and far more students will achieve mastery. I think this is the right model for teaching, especially online teaching. I also really liked the section by Rob Kelly on having students self-assess. I've always done this, to a small degree, but I think I can incorporate more of it with online learning.
Our online discussions were also helpful, even when teachers didn't have usable suggestions, as when I was having trouble with Google Docs vs. MS Word. Sometimes it helps to know that others have struggled with the same thing, and to see the things they've tried. I got some solid feedback on my assessment, and some ideas about working with students who have different learning styles than my own.
Overall, I learned more during this course than I had thought possible. This was my first entirely online course. Typically, I tend to learn more in a face to face class where I can have discussions with classmates about what we're doing. However, the online format ended up going better for me than I had thought it would. I learned a lot and have lessons ready to implement right away.
Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Open Educational Resource--713Z Artifact #2
This artifact is an analysis of the open educational resource DKFindout.com, which I will use with my unit on Explorers. I analyzed the section on Vikings, because that's one of the first parts I will use with my students. Here's a screenshot of the page.
I chose this artifact because the resource is high quality and my analysis is strong. I work with ELL students, so my 5th graders will be able to access the page and read it well, for the most part. For those newcomers who aren't proficient at reading in English, the addition of Google Read and Write will increase accessibility for them.
One challenge I had with this assignment is that all the explorers we're studying aren't represented yet. This site is a work in progress. But the quality is high enough and the engagement potential strong enough that I would use this site with my students regularly, despite it being incomplete. One of their favorite parts is the quizzes included with every topic. They also like the clickable pictures with more information on each topic.
P.S. Please use this link to see my artifacts from previous courses.
Here's the actual Open Educational Resource Analysis:
I chose this artifact because the resource is high quality and my analysis is strong. I work with ELL students, so my 5th graders will be able to access the page and read it well, for the most part. For those newcomers who aren't proficient at reading in English, the addition of Google Read and Write will increase accessibility for them.
One challenge I had with this assignment is that all the explorers we're studying aren't represented yet. This site is a work in progress. But the quality is high enough and the engagement potential strong enough that I would use this site with my students regularly, despite it being incomplete. One of their favorite parts is the quizzes included with every topic. They also like the clickable pictures with more information on each topic.
P.S. Please use this link to see my artifacts from previous courses.
Here's the actual Open Educational Resource Analysis:
For this assignment, I picked the DK Findout pages about the Vikings and the Viking Explorers. (This is near the beginning of my explorer unit, after Zheng He and Marco Polo and before Henry the Navigator.) I’ll probably concentrate on the pages about Viking longships, Leif Erikson, Erik the Red, and the longships. Here is the link to this open educational resource: https://www.dkfindout.com/us/history/vikings/
I chose this resource because of the high-quality images available. I also know that the information from DK is accurate and well-researched. I was amazed to find out that DK has an online version (of the famous DK Eyewitness books) with interactives, online quizzes, and many things to click around and find. Another reason I chose this resource is because it is kid-friendly. To be honest, some of the information about the Vikings is rather unsavory, with lots of murder and pillaging. (Seriously, Erik, his father, and his son were all banished from their homes for the same crime—manslaughter.) In class, I will go into some of that, but before they get lost in the violent parts of Viking history, I want them to have solid background information. Parents wouldn’t complain about this website, and the kids will still find it fascinating.
Why is it appropriate for your students?
The reading level of these pages is within range for my 5th grade ELL students, and they can use Google Read and Write if they are newcomers or have lower reading levels. Unlike some of the other webpages on the Vikings, this one is written at a good level for intermediate students without being simplistic or boring. The graphics are excellent and help the kids visualize the history.
How does it align with your outcomes?
One of my outcomes is for students to be able to write about and orally explain why and how explorers traveled to other places. This site provides some of the answers, though students will have to read carefully and explore the pictures and their captions to get the most out of this site. Some but not all of the other explorers we’re studying are on this site, but I thought the information on the Vikings was particularly good.
With what other resources do you see it being paired with? Why?
My students will pair this resource with our Discovery Education videos (my school has a subscription and the students can get to the videos independently) and various NEWSela stories that are on topic and leveled precisely to the reading levels of my 5th graders. I chose these two resources because they are extremely high-quality, accurate, and age-appropriate. Instead of me teaching them about the explorers, and more specifically the Vikings, I want them to be able to discover and discuss. It’s only then that a true understanding of history comes about. The videos on Discovery Education are high quality and will spark their interest, and then they can use NEWSela and DK Findout to learn more and report back on the new things they’ve learned.
Will it be used as an opener? Tutorial? Motivational piece? Refresher? Other?
Initially, I’ll use a short video on the Vikings from the Discovery Education website to spark their interest (as an opener). They always want to know more, so letting them explore the DK Findout pages on the Viking Explorers will suck them in and get them reading and thinking about these explorers and their motivations. The page on the longship in particular is detailed enough that the students will get a better idea of the challenges of traveling long distance in these ships. When paired with sentence frames, word banks, and peer support, my students will be able to meet the goal of orally explaining why and how these explorers traveled.
Explorers Unit Road Map--713Z Artifact #1
This artifact is the road map for my 5th grade Social Studies Unit on Explorers. These pages are designed for students to use to guide them through this unit. For the last three years, I've taught 5th Grade Social Studies to groups of ELL students. Keeping them engaged during these units can be a challenge, and I think that the technology I've added in will increase their interest level. As I'm teaching, I always have to keep in mind the ELL WIDA standards as well as the Social Studies curriculum I'm teaching.
I included this artifact because I'm rather pleased with the way it turned out, visually. I think it will appeal to the students and serve as instructions throughout the unit. The rubric is specific and makes it easy for me to grade and easy for students to use as they look at their own work. I like the way the students have to justify their choice of explorer with reasons. Commenting on the posts of other students will allow for interaction, and hopefully some respectful debates will occur. Google Classroom has some limits, but the students do enjoy using it. The directions on how to use Google Classroom should give a review in case students aren't sure of how to get on, make posts, and comment.
One major challenge I had with this project was that Google Classroom won't let me add a "dummy account" so that I can see what my students see. My original intention was to do a screencastify to show how to use Google Classroom, but I couldn't get around my district's safety requirements. I ended up doing screenshots to show the relevant parts, and writing out directions instead. If I had do this project again, I think I'd add in more video links onto my Google Classroom site, so that students had more resources. I will have to do that this year before I teach the unit this November.
P.S. Please use this link to see my artifacts from previous courses.
I included this artifact because I'm rather pleased with the way it turned out, visually. I think it will appeal to the students and serve as instructions throughout the unit. The rubric is specific and makes it easy for me to grade and easy for students to use as they look at their own work. I like the way the students have to justify their choice of explorer with reasons. Commenting on the posts of other students will allow for interaction, and hopefully some respectful debates will occur. Google Classroom has some limits, but the students do enjoy using it. The directions on how to use Google Classroom should give a review in case students aren't sure of how to get on, make posts, and comment.
One major challenge I had with this project was that Google Classroom won't let me add a "dummy account" so that I can see what my students see. My original intention was to do a screencastify to show how to use Google Classroom, but I couldn't get around my district's safety requirements. I ended up doing screenshots to show the relevant parts, and writing out directions instead. If I had do this project again, I think I'd add in more video links onto my Google Classroom site, so that students had more resources. I will have to do that this year before I teach the unit this November.
P.S. Please use this link to see my artifacts from previous courses.
Tuesday, June 6, 2017
Introductory Post: All About Me
Hello! My name is Melissa Eaton, and I am an Elementary ELL Teacher for District #204. Currently, I teach grades K-5, and each year I teach a variety of ages and English levels. I've been teaching for 17 years, ten of them in District #204 as an ELL teacher. Before that, I was a classroom teacher (of mostly ELL students) for grades 3, 4, and 6 in Cicero. Pretty much my entire career has been spent working with students from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds. I absolutely love the variety and the challenge involved in my job. I'm proud to work in a building where every class is like the United Nations; I can have ten students in a group and every single one of them has a different first language.
I've been teaching since I had an actual chalkboard and no computer in my classroom. For most of my teaching career, though, I've had a single computer, and I have always integrated technology into my teaching as much as possible. I am one of the founding members of Teachers Pay Teachers, and I found out recently that one of my digital products was the first-ever sale on the site. I'm fairly comfortable with technology, and I feel like it's my responsibility to integrate technology into my teaching in a way that benefits my students and gives them the skills they need to succeed. My district will be 1:1 with Chromebooks as of 2018-2019, so I want to be ready for that transition.
Actually, until this last school year, I'd never had a SmartBoard, just a projector that overheated multiple times a day. I was lucky enough this year to get the latest small classroom SmartBoard that has a screen more like a TV instead of using a projector. I started the instructional technology cohort back in the fall, and I have been integrating more and more of what I learn into my teaching. In addition, my second job is as an adjunct instructor for Benedictine University's graduate ESL endorsement courses, which are blended. This has required me to learn a great deal about online programs like Blackboard, Canvas, and D2L.
On a personal level, I live in Plainfield with my husband and my two sons, and I'm expecting a baby girl this fall. I've been maintaining a blog about my family since 2009. Using the blog as a kind of journal, my blogging varies in regularity, though I've never missed a month. I love the format of a blog because I've had this blog since my son Nick was about six months old. He's now eight and a half, and my younger son Henry is six. Using a blog, I can look back and remember not only the milestones from my children's lives but what I was thinking and feeling at the time. I also did pregnancy updates when I was expecting Henry. That has been very helpful to me because I can go back and remember what I looked (and felt) like at different stages.
While I'm certainly not prolific, I have published over 1,000 posts in the 8 years I've been blogging. The blog I'm using now is one I started back when I was taking graduate school courses for my master's degree, back in 2008. While I'm comfortable with blogger and with many online programs, I have to say I still don't do twitter. It is probably something I'll explore more while on maternity leave. Right now, my favorite tech tools are Google Classroom, padlet, QR Codes, and Google Earth. One of the lessons I am most proud of this year is a padlet I did with my 1st graders. I actually did several--this is just one of the most recent ones.
I assign daily writing homework for my students, and my 1st grade ELLs were learning about animal adaptations. I gave them a QR code and let them write their responses on the padlet. They loved it and several kids kept adding responses day after day. During class, they'd start out at one of the dkfindout pages, like this one, and then post what they'd learned. With some padlets, I let the students comment on one another's work, and this added an interactive dimension that they loved. They'd even take home the QR code and add more comments. The parents loved seeing what the kids were working on in class.
My funniest EdTech moment? I have to say it was a simple Discovery Education lesson, where I was showing one of the Planet Earth videos to a class of 3rd graders in a class I was co-teaching. I had seen the video before and somehow never noticed the polar bear mating scene in the middle of the video. So yes, I accidentally showed 30 nine-year-olds about three seconds of polar bear sex. Luckily, polar bears apparently don't last very long, and the scene was immediately followed by footage of the most adorable baby polar bears ever. I distracted the kids by pointing out the cuteness of the babies, while the student teacher I was co-teaching with quietly panicked in the corner. I guess my distraction worked, or else the kids were just clueless, because no one said anything.
I've had plenty of failures with EdTech, mostly with my ELMO document camera refusing to boot up, or my SmartBoard software freezing repeatedly when I've prepared a lovely lesson for my observation. We're getting new computers this year (laptops with docking stations), and I'm hoping to have fewer fails this year.
I've been teaching since I had an actual chalkboard and no computer in my classroom. For most of my teaching career, though, I've had a single computer, and I have always integrated technology into my teaching as much as possible. I am one of the founding members of Teachers Pay Teachers, and I found out recently that one of my digital products was the first-ever sale on the site. I'm fairly comfortable with technology, and I feel like it's my responsibility to integrate technology into my teaching in a way that benefits my students and gives them the skills they need to succeed. My district will be 1:1 with Chromebooks as of 2018-2019, so I want to be ready for that transition.
Actually, until this last school year, I'd never had a SmartBoard, just a projector that overheated multiple times a day. I was lucky enough this year to get the latest small classroom SmartBoard that has a screen more like a TV instead of using a projector. I started the instructional technology cohort back in the fall, and I have been integrating more and more of what I learn into my teaching. In addition, my second job is as an adjunct instructor for Benedictine University's graduate ESL endorsement courses, which are blended. This has required me to learn a great deal about online programs like Blackboard, Canvas, and D2L.
On a personal level, I live in Plainfield with my husband and my two sons, and I'm expecting a baby girl this fall. I've been maintaining a blog about my family since 2009. Using the blog as a kind of journal, my blogging varies in regularity, though I've never missed a month. I love the format of a blog because I've had this blog since my son Nick was about six months old. He's now eight and a half, and my younger son Henry is six. Using a blog, I can look back and remember not only the milestones from my children's lives but what I was thinking and feeling at the time. I also did pregnancy updates when I was expecting Henry. That has been very helpful to me because I can go back and remember what I looked (and felt) like at different stages.
While I'm certainly not prolific, I have published over 1,000 posts in the 8 years I've been blogging. The blog I'm using now is one I started back when I was taking graduate school courses for my master's degree, back in 2008. While I'm comfortable with blogger and with many online programs, I have to say I still don't do twitter. It is probably something I'll explore more while on maternity leave. Right now, my favorite tech tools are Google Classroom, padlet, QR Codes, and Google Earth. One of the lessons I am most proud of this year is a padlet I did with my 1st graders. I actually did several--this is just one of the most recent ones.
I assign daily writing homework for my students, and my 1st grade ELLs were learning about animal adaptations. I gave them a QR code and let them write their responses on the padlet. They loved it and several kids kept adding responses day after day. During class, they'd start out at one of the dkfindout pages, like this one, and then post what they'd learned. With some padlets, I let the students comment on one another's work, and this added an interactive dimension that they loved. They'd even take home the QR code and add more comments. The parents loved seeing what the kids were working on in class.
My funniest EdTech moment? I have to say it was a simple Discovery Education lesson, where I was showing one of the Planet Earth videos to a class of 3rd graders in a class I was co-teaching. I had seen the video before and somehow never noticed the polar bear mating scene in the middle of the video. So yes, I accidentally showed 30 nine-year-olds about three seconds of polar bear sex. Luckily, polar bears apparently don't last very long, and the scene was immediately followed by footage of the most adorable baby polar bears ever. I distracted the kids by pointing out the cuteness of the babies, while the student teacher I was co-teaching with quietly panicked in the corner. I guess my distraction worked, or else the kids were just clueless, because no one said anything.
I've had plenty of failures with EdTech, mostly with my ELMO document camera refusing to boot up, or my SmartBoard software freezing repeatedly when I've prepared a lovely lesson for my observation. We're getting new computers this year (laptops with docking stations), and I'm hoping to have fewer fails this year.
Thursday, March 2, 2017
Students Staying On-Task During Chrome Book Use
I'm a K-5 ELL Teacher, and one issue I've had more than once with technology is keeping students on-task while doing independent activities. My ELL groups are high-need, especially my 3rd-5th grade groups, and this means that if we're working on composing memoirs using Google Docs, four or five of my nine students need help at any given time. I've had fewer hands up when doing research since we started using Google Read and Write, but ELL kids generally need a very high level of support. I have students write their names on the board and then I help them in that order. The problem is that I always have at least one student in a group who will open a new window and play games, surf the internet, and basically avoid academic tasks. Other than students tattling on one another, I really have a hard time figuring out when they're doing this. Often I'll find out later, when a student's work isn't completed and they'll admit why.
Since my students are learning English and often have translation needs and definitions, I am actually okay with them opening a new tab and looking up something or translating it. This increases independence and is what I want them to do when they need help. My policy thus far has been that if I catch a student doing something off-topic (but not inappropriate) online, they get a warning, and if it happens again they lose their computer privileges for a week or longer. Earlier this year, while working on individual Google Slides projects on Native American Tribes, I managed to catch one student playing math games more than once. He was really behind on his work. I took away his technology privileges for the remainder of the project, and I printed him the sites he needed and gave him loose leaf paper. His was on big sheets of paper instead of online.
My question is this: what methods or ideas do you have to keep students focused and on-task when working online? At least in my case, it's nearly impossible to constantly monitor every screen, but I need my students to be on-task. Of course, engaging and interesting lessons and activities really decrease this kind of work avoidance, but not every project and assignment will be thrilling to every student. I'd love some ideas about how to deal with this issue.
Since my students are learning English and often have translation needs and definitions, I am actually okay with them opening a new tab and looking up something or translating it. This increases independence and is what I want them to do when they need help. My policy thus far has been that if I catch a student doing something off-topic (but not inappropriate) online, they get a warning, and if it happens again they lose their computer privileges for a week or longer. Earlier this year, while working on individual Google Slides projects on Native American Tribes, I managed to catch one student playing math games more than once. He was really behind on his work. I took away his technology privileges for the remainder of the project, and I printed him the sites he needed and gave him loose leaf paper. His was on big sheets of paper instead of online.
My question is this: what methods or ideas do you have to keep students focused and on-task when working online? At least in my case, it's nearly impossible to constantly monitor every screen, but I need my students to be on-task. Of course, engaging and interesting lessons and activities really decrease this kind of work avoidance, but not every project and assignment will be thrilling to every student. I'd love some ideas about how to deal with this issue.
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