Technology

This past week, I implemented a new app in my class called StoryLines.  I used this app as a vocabulary game, but the possibilities are endless.  The game is similar to the game telephone, but with words and pictures.  Up to nine students are able to play at a time.  In my class, I used the app as a whole group game by projecting the iPad screen for all the students to see.  The first student typed in a vocabulary word.   The next student drew a quick sketch to show the word.  I then projected the iPad for the whole class to guess the word.  My students really enjoyed this game and asked to play it again and again.  I plan to use this app again in my class.  In the future, I would like to use this game in small groups as a center.

Persistence

I have been feeling extremely stressed lately.  I am feeling as though there is no down time.  I am feeling like this because it is a busy time of year at school.  I have many meetings on a weekly basis so I try to keep up with my lesson plans and papers outside of school.  Report cards and conferences are also coming up and that stresses me out.  With all the school stuff, there is also all the master’s work.  I am trying to keep up with things and get ready for the spring conferences.  I am trying to stay positive with all the stress in my life.  I know that I am slowing approaching the end and will soon graduate and have some work lifted off my plate.  When I reflect upon persistence, I know that with hard work, I can meet any challenges and goals I have.  I am always up for a challenge and right now, I feel like I am challenging myself to do my best and complete everything that needs to be done to the best of my ability.  Reflecting upon persistence has improved my mental state and attitude as I constantly remind myself to stay positive.  I know that when I fall down, I can always call my colleagues and friends to encourage me to keep going.  As I think about myself, I have learned that it is okay to feel down, but it is important to get back up and keep going.

Technology: Haiku Deck

I began creating a Haiku Deck on my own to try it before presenting it to my class.  I wanted to create a deck with synonyms and then have students add to the deck by creating their own pages.  Well, as soon as I began creating one and typing in words for pictures, inappropriate pictures came up multiple times.  I instantly knew that I would not be able to use this tool to let my students explore with individually or projected for the entire class.  As an alternative, I wrote the words on the deck and found a picture.  Students then worked as a class to add synonyms without having to find pictures.  My students enjoyed using this technology tool.  This tool could be very beneficial for the future especially with vocabulary words.  I would use this tool again, but similar to how I used it the first time due to the pictures.

I have always been very excited about technology in the classroom.  Before the master’s work with technology, I was always looking for new ways to incorporate technology in my classroom.  This program has given me more resources for my tool kit that I can continue to incorporate in my classroom.  Although the resources are limited for my students, there are still many ways to get technology in the hands of students even if it means with whole group instruction.

http://www.haikudeck.com/p/dY91txsnb0/my-story

Technology

       I recently tried using QR codes as part of a literacy center in my classroom.  My students loved it.  I created an organizer with the headings past, present, and sentence.  Students had to find a QR card with the present tense verb on it.  They wrote the word, changed it to the past tense, and scanned to check their answers.  Students could then make adjustments as needed and then used the word in a sentence.  I really liked that students were able to get instant feedback to check their answers and make adjustments as needed without my help.  This is something I plan to continue using in my literacy centers.

       This week, we have been learning about graphing.  Students were expected to take a survey of the class, tally the results, and turn the results into a table, picture graph, and bar graph.  I had two students in my class use the iPads to create their project since there are two iPads available.  The used the app Educreations.  Each page included a different part of the project.  After completing the survey and graphs, they went into the hallway to record the steps they took and explain each part of the process in detail.  I was then able to go back and listen to what they did, share it with the class, and their parents.  The class enjoyed hearing the steps they took and relate to similar steps they took.

Technology

            Last week, my students interviewed one another and wrote about that friend.  To incorporate technology in this project, I had the students each create a page with the app Educreations.  They took a picture of their friend, wrote a fact about that person, and recorded themselves reading the fact and introducing the friend.  Once the class was finished, we watched the “book” on the screen.  The students were so excited and proud of their work.  It was a fun way to incorporate technology in my classroom.

            A new app I have tried in my classroom is called Number Run.  My students are very excited about this app as part of our Math Stations.  In this app, a character runs on journey through a world.  There are facts along the way for the students to answer.  The facts become more challenging as the students move through the worlds.  It is quickly becoming a favorite app in my classroom.

Marzano's What Works in Schools

          For the past few weeks, I implemented two new ideas to help with classroom management.  Below are the two new strategies, I implemented in my classroom:

1.  Rules and Procedures: Group Work- Assign “jobs” for groups (time keeper, recorder, etc.), spend more time talking about behavior and expectations before beginning group/partner work--I think this is something I could work on to make group/partner work more effective.  This will help me to ensure each person is in charge of something and contributing to the team.

2.  Teacher Student Relationships-I would like to use a rubric with students at the end of lessons.  We begin each lesson with the objective.  At the end of the lesson, I would like to use the 4, 3, 2, 1 rubric to check for their understanding (4 meaning you have a strong understanding and 1 meaning you need more help).  At my level, I think I would like to try it with a thumbs up or thumbs down to begin.

          I found the above strategies to be effective in my classroom.  My students loved wearing the “job” buttons during group work time.  I found this strategy to be helpful because as students worked, I was able to watch and see the students involved and taking on the role of their job and contributing to their group.  Marzano states, “establishing and enforcing rules and procedures is a prerequisite for effective instruction in all k-12 classrooms” (p. 89).  By having the rules and procedures for each “job” during group work, I felt the students knew exactly what to do and what I expected of them.  The second strategy was also effective in my classroom.  I used the thumbs up or down after teaching a lesson.  This allowed me to quickly see which students felt like they understood and which students would need more support.  Before having students complete math independent work, I had the students draw a happy face for understanding or a straight face if they felt they needed more support.  I found this to be helpful because as I walked around the classroom, I knew which students needed more support by looking at their paper.