The tool I have found recently, and absolutely love is an app called Feedly. The app is on my iPad & iPhone so I'm not sure if it is available through other types of technology. The app allows you to quickly scan through numerous of articles, research, blog entries, etc. on any topic or numerous topics in a short amount of time. I have set up folders with in the app for Education Technology, Special Education, Preschool, Education, and even topics for me on a more personal level such as fitness and weight loss. I hated that I didn't have the time to sort through all of the research out there on different professional topics to at least give me a good background on what was going on in my professional world. This helps me save time as well as keeps me informed! I can save articles to read later when I am waiting for an appointment or have a free minute or two at work. This could even be used with older students as a good place to store research or to sort through lots of research information on a topic, but I have found that the topics are more general rather than searching for a specific person of interest in history. An example would be under Special Education I have information pertaining to Autism, ADHD as well as legal matters schools are dealing with along with how parents are coping with the difficulties their children are having in school. This would fall under Augmentation on the SAMR model because you are able to find all of these articles on the internet, but the app allows you to speed up the process as well as narrows down the resources you are given to chose from.
Definitely going to try this app. I like the folder aspect and could see using this with my kiddos to find online info for their selected topics they can easily access.
The app for IPad that my students are currently using is called Animoto. It allow my students to take pictures from the camera or captured photos and turn them I to a collage style movie. It also allows them to add animation, sounds, music, transitions and text. They have used it to create class movies on following the rules and on our zoo trip. They are now using it as one of their choices on sharing their research on animals. I believe it is the modification level of SAMR as it allows them create new products not possible without technology.
The app I use the most is Class Dojo. It is web-based and can also be downloaded on mobile devices. It monitors student behaviors in the classroom and is a communication site for the class. I use it in my class to help reward students for good choices. I am able to share with other teachers my class and they can become involved with promoting good behavior choices. I frequently use it to communicate with parents. I am able to send reminders, kudos, and any other blurb to all parents. I have several parents that prefer to communicate through this site. The feedback I have received has been very positive from families involved. I also use it to record behavior choices for assessments. It is a concrete way to note daily behaviors. There is an option to leave personal messages for individual parents so that they can note specific behaviors, triggers, choices... good and bad. These notes are also printed with student so that you can use information in any type of documentation/data. As a teacher, I also use it to reflect on whether I am giving out more encouragement & praise, or if I am giving out more redirection & discipline. It helps to motivate me to be positive towards students. As a parent, I use it to open discussion points with my children. My son has a 504 plan and I can easily see if he is meeting goals or having a difficult time making choices. This is at the Augmentation level of the SAMR ladder.
The app that I use in my classroom all the time is 'Show Me'. I use this app as a review/assessment tool in my high ability math class. Tuesday thru Friday, we have various lessons, and then on Monday, I assign a 'Show Me' lesson to each student. The student has to then 'teach' the topic that was assigned to him/her. I grade the lesson that each student creates, and then I share the top videos with the on-level and below-level math teachers. They then use the student created lessons in addition to their teaching. Students must create the videos on an IPad, but they may view their videos on any computer or other device. I would classify this in the modification level of SAMR because the students are creating lessons to be taught, and other students are then learning from these student created lessons.
The web-based tool I use is Starfall. With my preschoolers, we use it on the Smartboard on Tuesday. I am usually introducing a letter, number, or color for the week. The students take turns coming up to the smartboard and interacting with the activities. These activities can include: matching letters, differentiating between lower and uppercase letters by clicking or dragging the letters to the correct spot, counting and graphing items, etc. We also use the smartboard to draw letters and shapes. On Thursday, we return to Starfall only this time we go to the computer lab. While there students are asked to again do the letter, number, color activity that we did earlier in the week and once they have completed that they may choose activities of their choice. Some popular choices for my students are to have a story read to them, design a pumpkin/ person/ snowman, listen and sing along with nursery rhymes and motion songs, do simple math by counting and graphing objects, etc. While in the computer room, the students get to choose what lessons they want to do and reinforce their skills on. Throughout the week, we also use Starfall on the IPad as time allows. I believe this all falls under the SAMR level of augmentation as it is a direct tool substitute with functional improvement
Since I don't have a classroom, I have to practice technology implementation with the teachers and parents. Thank goodness, they have all been extremely patient and supportive throughout the process. I have spent some time this week working through Google Classroom and trying to learn various components. The teachers are assigned as my students, so assignments will be forthcoming. Since these two weeks are fall break, I don't want to intrude on their schedules too much! My hope is that we can learn the power of this tool together because there is the potential to cover all levels of SAMR. Our District uses Google Chrome for the most part, so I placed an APP for Google Classroom on my Chromebook.
I have used Symbaloo in my classroom. Symbaloo has been best used as a web-based tool. Symbaloo helps teachers create a one stop place to gather all useful websites for learning in a simple and visually appealing format. I like Symbaloo because it is easy to organize and user friendly. You create a board of buttons that connect to whatever website you'd like. I like the fact that you can easily move buttons to reorganize your board however you'd like. You can also have multiple boards. I have websites for my kindergartners to use in the computer lab color coded by subjects. Students can connect to my Symbaloo page through my school website, so it can be used at school and at home. I can modify my Symbaloo page to focus on our current learning targets. For example, when we were learning number sense with (1-5) I created a button to connect my students to a game on sheppardsoftware.com that reinforced what we were learning during our math lessons for the week. I feel that my use of Symbaloo would be considered augmentation on the SAMR model. Symbaloo is a substitute of classroom tools such as games and worksheets but with the endless choices of interactive games and tools on the internet it is definitely an improvement.
I don't have a classroom. I pull out for EL services or push in to the classroom. One thing I have used with my students at lower levels of English proficiency is Brain Pop ESL. It words on my Dell tablet or on a laptop computer. I did have to pay for it but it is excellent. They are short lessons on vocabulary and/or parts of speech/grammar. They are entertaining and engage the kids. It also allows them to repeat words and phrases and check for understanding at the end of the lesson. They are very short lessons which is good because it keeps their interest and engages them in the learning. I believe this would be at the lower levels of the SAMR model, perhaps the augmentation level, but it is great fora the kids I work with.
Site Name: No Red Ink Platform: web-based SAMR level: Modification Purpose: No red Ink is a fun site that targets common core grammar and writing skills using students' interests. Teachers can customize activities, make quizzes for whole class or specific students, track progress, and access tutorials. Application within the classroom: In my classroom, during student independent work time, I have students independently use this site to practice grammar using interactive excersizes. Also, I have created quizzes to see if current objectives have been mastered. Pros: Great resource to help defferentiate instruction and assessments Cons: Registration for each student
My situation is a little different. I teach Elementary Music and Art. My room is not set up with all of the digital fancies thus most things are "old fashioned." :) I do use the internet and social media for teaching ideas and Professional Networking. Resources include Pinterest, YouTube, Symbaloo, Twitter, and various websites.
Our computer labs are booked daily and our students do not have iPads so I often share things on my desk PC with the students.
One resource that I use a lot is John Jacobson's Music Express. We receive the Student Magazine with lesson plans and there is a Music Express YouTube channel. These also have student and parent access.
When our students receive iPads, I'm sure it will open some new doors for music and art. :)
The tool I have found recently, and absolutely love is an app called Feedly. The app is on my iPad & iPhone so I'm not sure if it is available through other types of technology. The app allows you to quickly scan through numerous of articles, research, blog entries, etc. on any topic or numerous topics in a short amount of time. I have set up folders with in the app for Education Technology, Special Education, Preschool, Education, and even topics for me on a more personal level such as fitness and weight loss. I hated that I didn't have the time to sort through all of the research out there on different professional topics to at least give me a good background on what was going on in my professional world. This helps me save time as well as keeps me informed! I can save articles to read later when I am waiting for an appointment or have a free minute or two at work. This could even be used with older students as a good place to store research or to sort through lots of research information on a topic, but I have found that the topics are more general rather than searching for a specific person of interest in history. An example would be under Special Education I have information pertaining to Autism, ADHD as well as legal matters schools are dealing with along with how parents are coping with the difficulties their children are having in school. This would fall under Augmentation on the SAMR model because you are able to find all of these articles on the internet, but the app allows you to speed up the process as well as narrows down the resources you are given to chose from.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely going to try this app. I like the folder aspect and could see using this with my kiddos to find online info for their selected topics they can easily access.
DeleteThe app for IPad that my students are currently using is called Animoto. It allow my students to take pictures from the camera or captured photos and turn them I to a collage style movie. It also allows them to add animation, sounds, music, transitions and text. They have used it to create class movies on following the rules and on our zoo trip. They are now using it as one of their choices on sharing their research on animals. I believe it is the modification level of SAMR as it allows them create new products not possible without technology.
ReplyDeleteThe app I use the most is Class Dojo. It is web-based and can also be downloaded on mobile devices. It monitors student behaviors in the classroom and is a communication site for the class. I use it in my class to help reward students for good choices. I am able to share with other teachers my class and they can become involved with promoting good behavior choices. I frequently use it to communicate with parents. I am able to send reminders, kudos, and any other blurb to all parents. I have several parents that prefer to communicate through this site. The feedback I have received has been very positive from families involved.
ReplyDeleteI also use it to record behavior choices for assessments. It is a concrete way to note daily behaviors. There is an option to leave personal messages for individual parents so that they can note specific behaviors, triggers, choices... good and bad. These notes are also printed with student so that you can use information in any type of documentation/data.
As a teacher, I also use it to reflect on whether I am giving out more encouragement & praise, or if I am giving out more redirection & discipline. It helps to motivate me to be positive towards students.
As a parent, I use it to open discussion points with my children. My son has a 504 plan and I can easily see if he is meeting goals or having a difficult time making choices.
This is at the Augmentation level of the SAMR ladder.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe app that I use in my classroom all the time is 'Show Me'. I use this app as a review/assessment tool in my high ability math class. Tuesday thru Friday, we have various lessons, and then on Monday, I assign a 'Show Me' lesson to each student. The student has to then 'teach' the topic that was assigned to him/her. I grade the lesson that each student creates, and then I share the top videos with the on-level and below-level math teachers. They then use the student created lessons in addition to their teaching. Students must create the videos on an IPad, but they may view their videos on any computer or other device. I would classify this in the modification level of SAMR because the students are creating lessons to be taught, and other students are then learning from these student created lessons.
ReplyDeleteThe web-based tool I use is Starfall. With my preschoolers, we use it on the Smartboard on Tuesday. I am usually introducing a letter, number, or color for the week. The students take turns coming up to the smartboard and interacting with the activities. These activities can include: matching letters, differentiating between lower and uppercase letters by clicking or dragging the letters to the correct spot, counting and graphing items, etc. We also use the smartboard to draw letters and shapes. On Thursday, we return to Starfall only this time we go to the computer lab. While there students are asked to again do the letter, number, color activity that we did earlier in the week and once they have completed that they may choose activities of their choice. Some popular choices for my students are to have a story read to them, design a pumpkin/ person/ snowman, listen and sing along with nursery rhymes and motion songs, do simple math by counting and graphing objects, etc. While in the computer room, the students get to choose what lessons they want to do and reinforce their skills on. Throughout the week, we also use Starfall on the IPad as time allows. I believe this all falls under the SAMR level of augmentation as it is a direct tool substitute with functional improvement
ReplyDeleteSince I don't have a classroom, I have to practice technology implementation with the teachers and parents. Thank goodness, they have all been extremely patient and supportive throughout the process. I have spent some time this week working through Google Classroom and trying to learn various components. The teachers are assigned as my students, so assignments will be forthcoming. Since these two weeks are fall break, I don't want to intrude on their schedules too much! My hope is that we can learn the power of this tool together because there is the potential to cover all levels of SAMR. Our District uses Google Chrome for the most part, so I placed an APP for Google Classroom on my Chromebook.
ReplyDeleteI have used Symbaloo in my classroom. Symbaloo has been best used as a web-based tool. Symbaloo helps teachers create a one stop place to gather all useful websites for learning in a simple and visually appealing format. I like Symbaloo because it is easy to organize and user friendly. You create a board of buttons that connect to whatever website you'd like. I like the fact that you can easily move buttons to reorganize your board however you'd like. You can also have multiple boards.
ReplyDeleteI have websites for my kindergartners to use in the computer lab color coded by subjects. Students can connect to my Symbaloo page through my school website, so it can be used at school and at home. I can modify my Symbaloo page to focus on our current learning targets. For example, when we were learning number sense with (1-5) I created a button to connect my students to a game on sheppardsoftware.com that reinforced what we were learning during our math lessons for the week.
I feel that my use of Symbaloo would be considered augmentation on the SAMR model. Symbaloo is a substitute of classroom tools such as games and worksheets but with the endless choices of interactive games and tools on the internet it is definitely an improvement.
I don't have a classroom. I pull out for EL services or push in to the classroom. One thing I have used with my students at lower levels of English proficiency is Brain Pop ESL. It words on my Dell tablet or on a laptop computer. I did have to pay for it but it is excellent. They are short lessons on vocabulary and/or parts of speech/grammar. They are entertaining and engage the kids. It also allows them to repeat words and phrases and check for understanding at the end of the lesson. They are very short lessons which is good because it keeps their interest and engages them in the learning. I believe this would be at the lower levels of the SAMR model, perhaps the augmentation level, but it is great fora the kids I work with.
ReplyDeleteSite Name: No Red Ink
ReplyDeletePlatform: web-based
SAMR level: Modification
Purpose:
No red Ink is a fun site that targets common core grammar and writing skills using students' interests. Teachers can customize activities, make quizzes for whole class or specific students, track progress, and access tutorials.
Application within the classroom:
In my classroom, during student independent work time, I have students independently use this site to practice grammar using interactive excersizes. Also, I have created quizzes to see if current objectives have been mastered.
Pros: Great resource to help defferentiate instruction and assessments
Cons: Registration for each student
Link:
Noredink.com
My situation is a little different. I teach Elementary Music and Art. My room is not set up with all of the digital fancies thus most things are "old fashioned." :) I do use the internet and social media for teaching ideas and Professional Networking. Resources include Pinterest, YouTube, Symbaloo, Twitter, and various websites.
ReplyDeleteOur computer labs are booked daily and our students do not have iPads so I often share things on my desk PC with the students.
One resource that I use a lot is John Jacobson's Music Express. We receive the Student Magazine with lesson plans and there is a Music Express YouTube channel. These also have student and parent access.
When our students receive iPads, I'm sure it will open some new doors for music and art. :)
http://www.musicexpressmagazine.com/subscribe.jsp