Just wanted to take a quick moment and share this podcast for the Flipped Learning Network and EdReach. I was interviewed by Troy Cockrum, another English flipper. We discuss aspects of flipping in the HS English Classroom and discussed how to engage students in effective peer editing.
My area was hit hard by Hurricane Sandy and I will write more and post later. In short, I'd like to thank Troy for this opportunity!
Enjoy!
Rabu, 31 Oktober 2012
Sabtu, 27 Oktober 2012
Remote Desktop Just a Tab Away
When at home I use the Remote Desktop Connection to access the remote servers at school for all the curricular content I've created over the years. Remote Desktop has been invaluable especially when I have to call out unexpectedly and need to create sub plans (ah, the life of a mom) or when I want to tweak lessons at home, and now Remote Desktop-ing is even easier by adding the AccessNow RDP Client by Ericom to my Chrome browser. Now I can access the server within a Chrome window and do not have to go through the Window's menu. You too can do this even if you do not use Chrome because it will work in any HTML supporter browser.
By the way to make the above screenshot, I...
As an additional bonus with Chrome, I can minimize the browser windows and have a nice split screen between the remote desktop and my home laptop.
I might not be able to explain exactly when I need to use the splitscreen capability other than for creating more resources for class, but nonetheless, it is convenient to have when I will want to use it.
The AccessNow RDP Client by Ericom delivers accessibility, efficiency and convenience for productivity whether at home or anywhere on the road. Find it in the Chrome Web Store.
How it Works
While I am tech savvy, I have no idea about the technical terminology of how/why this works. I liken this to driving a car: I am a very safe (yet lead-footed) driver, but I have not the vaguest inclination as to how/why my vehicle runs or how to fix it. So, I will let the experts show you:I do know this: in order to access your school's servers, you must have the information from your tech department.
Access Anywhere
One of my favorite things about Chrome is the ability to have my bookmarks wherever I sign in to Chrome. I can now access the Remote Desktop on any computer that has Chrome. So I shared this information with other teachers at my school and here was one reply email. For you iPad users, this is good news too: the Ericom AccessNow works on your iPad! Can it get any better?!
- Opened a new tab,
- Used the Ericom AccessNow app to open my school Outlook email on the remote server,
- Then hit printscreen (my laptop at home is old and doesn't have that cool clipper tool),
- Pasted the screenshot into MS Paint (on the laptop, not the remote server)
- Cropped, edited as needed, and saved.
Bonuses
It is so nice to not have to go through the Windows main menu and have that top bar appear (and always be in the way!) and be able to move easily between tabs. Also, when I use the Windows main menu to connect to the remote server, I can't copy/paste from the remote view to the home view, and for someone who loves making her own clipart with printscreen and Paint, this is a problem!As an additional bonus with Chrome, I can minimize the browser windows and have a nice split screen between the remote desktop and my home laptop.
I might not be able to explain exactly when I need to use the splitscreen capability other than for creating more resources for class, but nonetheless, it is convenient to have when I will want to use it.
The AccessNow RDP Client by Ericom delivers accessibility, efficiency and convenience for productivity whether at home or anywhere on the road. Find it in the Chrome Web Store.
Rabu, 24 Oktober 2012
Capturing Classroom Videos
Screencasting
Using the FREE and super easy Screencast O Matic web tool and a $25 headset, I've started to create videos that will supplement my explanation of concepts studied in class. I haven't really used videos all the much for flipping my classes because of accessibility and inequity with technology in the classroom, but now that those issues are close to being resolved, I am very interested in learning how to to add videos to my bag of tricks.This is a 15 minute video that I created which explains elements of an adapted version of "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe. I just made this video today during the 2nd half of my prep period in one take. I had the document previously created, and I recorded myself discussing the text. Students don't have a copy of my answer sheet, but now they can use the video to make sure their pages are complete.
For one of my students on homebound instruction, I created a personalized screencast to show her how to navigate Edmodo and answer some of her questions. As I always tell my writers, showing is much more effective than telling. Now I can show them showing is more effective!
For our study of Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men, I opened the book using the Kindle Cloud Reader and recorded myself discussing elements of Chapter 1. Students then completed various tasks reviewing Chapter 1 and viewed the screencasts prior to taking a quiz. Many students stated that they preferred the screencasts to a live lecture because they could control the pace. As a delivery method for information, the screencast is efficient, and using Screencast-O-Matic, I was able to create the video in under about 20 minutes taking into account the time for uploading to Youtube.
Smartphone
And while this isn't a screencast, I used my android cellphone to record a quick video of students reviewing the site No Red Ink. Students were using No Red Ink for the first time and since they were really enjoying using the site for grammar instruction, I captured their responses. Using cellphone video recorders are an easy way for students to do book reports, show group work in process, or record a group discussion.
And for something REALLY COOL, Karl Lindgren-Streicher, a 9/10 world hisotry teacher in San Mateo, CA used his iPhone and a time lapse app to create a video showing a day in his class.
Whether for information delivery or capturing the moment, video production in the classroom can be as easy as using a screencasting or smartphone app. If you have any tips, tricks or feedback for making videos and using them for supplemental purposes, please share your ideas and examples.
Senin, 22 Oktober 2012
Heroes & Big Huge Labs (I'm not talking about Brody)
Both my 9th grade Honors students and my one section of 12th grade general-level students start the year off studying the Hero's Journey concept and connect it to literature. The freshmen work with their summer reading books (The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien and Abarat by Clive Barker) and the seniors apply the concept to Beowulf. For both sets of students, they are at the cusp of a new beginning: the freshmen need to be called to action and learn how to think for themselves, and the seniors need to be pushed into thinking about being out in the abyss of the real world beyond the school.
For independent reading, two weeks ago, I assigned my 9th grade Honors students the novel Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey and the seniors Grendel by John Gardner. For the freshmen, I posted resources to facilitate their understanding of the novel on Edmodo and stated that there will be a Hero's Journey Unit Test that will assess students' understanding of the Hero's Journey concept and their application of the concept to the two summer reading novels and Dragonsong. I told the students, "Do what you know to do when reading a novel. All your past and present English teachers have modeled how to study a novel. Now this is your call to adventure to show that you know how to apply the same process." That's it. I got the usual questions...
"What will be on the test?"
"What do I write down?"
"Will you be collecting the stuff that is on Edmodo?"
"Will you be grading this?"
Essentially, they wanted to play the game of school: do what the teacher tells the students to do. They wanted to be lead instead of becoming leaders. I refused to give in. Any student question was answered with an additional question.
I wasn't as tortuous for the seniors. I gave them a handout on paper with questions organized by topic (setting, theme, character, etc) instead of by chapter and told them they had 12 days to finish the novel (essentially a chapter a day). Trying to sound like a college professor, I said, "Get it done. Period."
I did want to check on the students and make sure that they were reading, but I didn't want to do it in the traditional manner (despite giving a traditional test later) and just give a quiz assessing reading comprehension, and I did want to use higher-level thinking skills without it turning into a huge project. So, when introduced to Big Huge Labs in my MAIT class, I thought, "Ah-ha! This is how I will check and get students to synthesize!"
Big Huge Labs has nothing to do with dogs (as far as I know) or my therapy dog, Brody, but it is a FREE, useful site for creating quick digital projects. More like a personal photography laboratory, users can upload pictures to create motivational posters, trading cards, magazine covers, mosaics and just about any photo-based project. Assessments for reading do not necessarily need to be a "Gotcha" traditional quiz that assesses comprehension. Quick digital projects such as these will show whether students have "gotten it."
For grading, students could do peer assessment using a checklist and OSU rubric or the teacher could assess using the OSU rubric, evaluating the use of the text, the choice of image, and the overall presentation of the card or motivational poster.
The freshmen were assigned to create trading cards based on the characters in Dragonsong and the seniors created a motivational poster for either "Beowulf" or Grendel. Students doing a keyword Google Image search found relevant pictures, pulled information from the text and synthesized it into the trading card or motivational poster as applicable.
Comparing two cards on the same character, I know one paid more attention than the other while reading. I also can guess based on the character chosen and the description how far the student read into the text.
The not-so academic seniors made some phenomenal and easy posters on "Beowulf" and Grendel. Students were able to quickly and adeptly show they understood concepts in the two stories. Students can customize the colors, fonts, and borders of the text and picture. Notice, that while two students used the same picture, the feel of the end product is unique to each. This project can also provide a quick glimmer into the personality of the student with the choices he/she makes.
For independent reading, two weeks ago, I assigned my 9th grade Honors students the novel Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey and the seniors Grendel by John Gardner. For the freshmen, I posted resources to facilitate their understanding of the novel on Edmodo and stated that there will be a Hero's Journey Unit Test that will assess students' understanding of the Hero's Journey concept and their application of the concept to the two summer reading novels and Dragonsong. I told the students, "Do what you know to do when reading a novel. All your past and present English teachers have modeled how to study a novel. Now this is your call to adventure to show that you know how to apply the same process." That's it. I got the usual questions...
"What will be on the test?"
"What do I write down?"
"Will you be collecting the stuff that is on Edmodo?"
"Will you be grading this?"
Essentially, they wanted to play the game of school: do what the teacher tells the students to do. They wanted to be lead instead of becoming leaders. I refused to give in. Any student question was answered with an additional question.
I wasn't as tortuous for the seniors. I gave them a handout on paper with questions organized by topic (setting, theme, character, etc) instead of by chapter and told them they had 12 days to finish the novel (essentially a chapter a day). Trying to sound like a college professor, I said, "Get it done. Period."
I did want to check on the students and make sure that they were reading, but I didn't want to do it in the traditional manner (despite giving a traditional test later) and just give a quiz assessing reading comprehension, and I did want to use higher-level thinking skills without it turning into a huge project. So, when introduced to Big Huge Labs in my MAIT class, I thought, "Ah-ha! This is how I will check and get students to synthesize!"
Big Huge Labs has nothing to do with dogs (as far as I know) or my therapy dog, Brody, but it is a FREE, useful site for creating quick digital projects. More like a personal photography laboratory, users can upload pictures to create motivational posters, trading cards, magazine covers, mosaics and just about any photo-based project. Assessments for reading do not necessarily need to be a "Gotcha" traditional quiz that assesses comprehension. Quick digital projects such as these will show whether students have "gotten it."
For grading, students could do peer assessment using a checklist and OSU rubric or the teacher could assess using the OSU rubric, evaluating the use of the text, the choice of image, and the overall presentation of the card or motivational poster.
The freshmen were assigned to create trading cards based on the characters in Dragonsong and the seniors created a motivational poster for either "Beowulf" or Grendel. Students doing a keyword Google Image search found relevant pictures, pulled information from the text and synthesized it into the trading card or motivational poster as applicable.
Comparing two cards on the same character, I know one paid more attention than the other while reading. I also can guess based on the character chosen and the description how far the student read into the text.
 |
| This one above has spelling errors and a poor choice in the picture. |
The not-so academic seniors made some phenomenal and easy posters on "Beowulf" and Grendel. Students were able to quickly and adeptly show they understood concepts in the two stories. Students can customize the colors, fonts, and borders of the text and picture. Notice, that while two students used the same picture, the feel of the end product is unique to each. This project can also provide a quick glimmer into the personality of the student with the choices he/she makes.
