To say I had issues with Google Forms would be an understatement. I had to go step by step reading the directions in our Google App book by Graham. The instructions in Chapter 7 did make it easier but I can say it will take many, many more times me doing this in order to feel comfortable making a quiz or test with Google Forms.
I think there are many advantages Google Forms gives a teacher such as being able to easily access a students progress, creating quizzes just to name a few. When you think of Common Core and the student I think Forms gives them ways to complete many tasks. I know I talked to my fifth grade daughter and she told me in her class they just used Forms in completing their STEAM project in conducting surveys and she also added that her teacher uses this for many of their tests.
I think I once I feel comfortable with this I can see many advantages in time management this would give a teacher.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Courtney's classroom site
Well I didn't think I would have a hard time building a site since for seven years I helped design and upkeep the athletic website for Carson-Newman. However, I'm not off to a good start. I've tried to create the site and once I think I've got it I can't find it. I'll try again.
Here is the link
https://sites.google.com/site/courtneyclass2/
Here is the link
https://sites.google.com/site/courtneyclass2/
TECH: Tablets in Education
Technology has changed the way you learn in a classroom. I will look at two tablets that I've seen used in the classroom, Kindle and iPad. I've researched articles and shared in part similarities and differences.
KINDLE-
A kindle can hold 1200 or more e-books. With a kindle the use of paper is cut tremendously and also relieves the problem of heavy backpacks for the students to tote around. Teachers could use new strategies in their teaching styles and with the text-to-speech function the kindle helps students who have vision problems and language barriers.
The cost of a kindle is much more appealing than that of an iPad.
IPADS-
Provided with a huge variety of apps, iPads allows students and teachers access to all different types of teaching methods and learning. It has the functions of note-taking, music, video, e-readers, communication and many more. An iPad is not competitive in cost but its more than just an e-reader.
With the implementation of Common Core into the classroom, teachers and administrators are having to find new ways to keep students engaged, implement technology and maximize their class time.
According to the article, 8 Studies Show iPads in the Classroom Improve Education by Ashley Wainwright, it's amazing how much of an influence iPads are having on students studies.
"A research study conducted in Auburn, Maine showed that Kindergartner students using iPads scored much higher on literacy tests than students that didn't use the device."
"Univ. of California Irvine medical school reported iPad equipped medical students scored 23 percent higher on national exams than previous unequipped classes."
"In a study conducted by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in California showed that students using iPads saw their math test scores increase 20% in one year compared to students using traditional textbooks."
There are still some that doubt the benefits of iPads in the classroom and there are still some things that need to be worked out. However, it's hard to argue against the positive aspects we see taking place in student's learning.
KINDLE-
A kindle can hold 1200 or more e-books. With a kindle the use of paper is cut tremendously and also relieves the problem of heavy backpacks for the students to tote around. Teachers could use new strategies in their teaching styles and with the text-to-speech function the kindle helps students who have vision problems and language barriers.
The cost of a kindle is much more appealing than that of an iPad.
IPADS-
Provided with a huge variety of apps, iPads allows students and teachers access to all different types of teaching methods and learning. It has the functions of note-taking, music, video, e-readers, communication and many more. An iPad is not competitive in cost but its more than just an e-reader.
With the implementation of Common Core into the classroom, teachers and administrators are having to find new ways to keep students engaged, implement technology and maximize their class time.
According to the article, 8 Studies Show iPads in the Classroom Improve Education by Ashley Wainwright, it's amazing how much of an influence iPads are having on students studies.
"A research study conducted in Auburn, Maine showed that Kindergartner students using iPads scored much higher on literacy tests than students that didn't use the device."
"Univ. of California Irvine medical school reported iPad equipped medical students scored 23 percent higher on national exams than previous unequipped classes."
"In a study conducted by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in California showed that students using iPads saw their math test scores increase 20% in one year compared to students using traditional textbooks."
There are still some that doubt the benefits of iPads in the classroom and there are still some things that need to be worked out. However, it's hard to argue against the positive aspects we see taking place in student's learning.
TECH: iPad Literacy
Preparation:
I think the Spelling Test app would be beneficial at the K-6 level. I know some kids minds tend to wonder during a test when the teacher is calling out the word and using them in a sentence. The Spelling Test app allows children to see the letters correctly and not in their own handwriting. My daughter's teacher has used this app this year and she loves it. I also have seen an improvement in her test scores. The voice is very precise in pronouncing the words and that is very important.
Presentation:
Educreations is currently used in several of the classes that I sub in. It's wonderful for creating video lessons. Pictures can be inserted into the document to break the monotony and make the lesson more appealing. There are also featured lesson plans that are available for teachers to use.
Book Creator is wonderful for all levels. I've seen it used in a fifth grade classroom this year. Courtlyn's Social Studies teacher has used it for the students to be divided into groups and individually collaborate on the book. It's wonderful that it allows the students to work individually but all of them share their input with each other. The homeroom mothers used the same program to put together a keepsake book for the teacher's end of the year gift.
I think the Spelling Test app would be beneficial at the K-6 level. I know some kids minds tend to wonder during a test when the teacher is calling out the word and using them in a sentence. The Spelling Test app allows children to see the letters correctly and not in their own handwriting. My daughter's teacher has used this app this year and she loves it. I also have seen an improvement in her test scores. The voice is very precise in pronouncing the words and that is very important.
Presentation:
Educreations is currently used in several of the classes that I sub in. It's wonderful for creating video lessons. Pictures can be inserted into the document to break the monotony and make the lesson more appealing. There are also featured lesson plans that are available for teachers to use.
Book Creator is wonderful for all levels. I've seen it used in a fifth grade classroom this year. Courtlyn's Social Studies teacher has used it for the students to be divided into groups and individually collaborate on the book. It's wonderful that it allows the students to work individually but all of them share their input with each other. The homeroom mothers used the same program to put together a keepsake book for the teacher's end of the year gift.
Monday, May 18, 2015
iPad Basics
Keynote-
Just since I got my iPhone 6 in January have I been introduced to KeyNote. I was pretty amazed when I realized the similarities between it and PowerPoint. All of the programs are pretty simple once you've taken advantage of the tutorials. I had fun just exploring all the different animations. There are some many choices when it comes to inserting charts and graphs. One of the cool things about KeyNote is the way it has made it easy to display your data in colorful and creative ways for students of all ages. I can imagine elementary students in a classroom having a fun creating and giving presentations on the iPad more so than with PowerPoint.
Box.net-
Why did I not know about this sooner. I love how all you have to do is sign-up for a personal account and you receive 10 GB FREE!!!! Its your storage drive wherever you go, as long as you have access to the internet. The plus is you don't have to worry about losing it. The ability to share files with others makes it comparable to Google Drive. There are also options to leave comments on files, so you can communicate on collaborative projects. You don't have to transfer documents from device to device since it's a webpage storage.
iThoughts-
I have never used a mind-mapping app. before, until I tried iThought. It was fairly easy to use and I liked the click and drag features that made it easy to change your mind. When I'm trying to write and organize things I'm constantly changing my mind and this is a wonderful tool to have at your disposal. When you think how could this be useful in the classroom, I think the teacher could present a main idea and have the students help add the links. The teacher could write as the students offer their ideas and information. The students could even take turns typing their ideas on a collaborative map the teacher creates. The teacher could also use this app as a way to organize ideas and thoughts to teach a particular topic.
Rover vs. Safari-
There are many similarities between the two as a browser goes. Both have history, favorite functions that you can easily find the webpages you have searched in the past. They have the same scroll features and both are considered safe browsers and are meant for iPad, Mac and iPhone browsers.
Even though they have those common features they are different in that Safari doesn't support flash and Rover does. Rover is designed for education and Safari is a normal webpage browser. Rover offers educational apps and resources for teachers and students. Rover is also a safer online environment.
Rover is a wonderful safe browser to use for educational purposes.
Just since I got my iPhone 6 in January have I been introduced to KeyNote. I was pretty amazed when I realized the similarities between it and PowerPoint. All of the programs are pretty simple once you've taken advantage of the tutorials. I had fun just exploring all the different animations. There are some many choices when it comes to inserting charts and graphs. One of the cool things about KeyNote is the way it has made it easy to display your data in colorful and creative ways for students of all ages. I can imagine elementary students in a classroom having a fun creating and giving presentations on the iPad more so than with PowerPoint.
Box.net-
Why did I not know about this sooner. I love how all you have to do is sign-up for a personal account and you receive 10 GB FREE!!!! Its your storage drive wherever you go, as long as you have access to the internet. The plus is you don't have to worry about losing it. The ability to share files with others makes it comparable to Google Drive. There are also options to leave comments on files, so you can communicate on collaborative projects. You don't have to transfer documents from device to device since it's a webpage storage.
iThoughts-
I have never used a mind-mapping app. before, until I tried iThought. It was fairly easy to use and I liked the click and drag features that made it easy to change your mind. When I'm trying to write and organize things I'm constantly changing my mind and this is a wonderful tool to have at your disposal. When you think how could this be useful in the classroom, I think the teacher could present a main idea and have the students help add the links. The teacher could write as the students offer their ideas and information. The students could even take turns typing their ideas on a collaborative map the teacher creates. The teacher could also use this app as a way to organize ideas and thoughts to teach a particular topic.
Rover vs. Safari-
There are many similarities between the two as a browser goes. Both have history, favorite functions that you can easily find the webpages you have searched in the past. They have the same scroll features and both are considered safe browsers and are meant for iPad, Mac and iPhone browsers.
Even though they have those common features they are different in that Safari doesn't support flash and Rover does. Rover is designed for education and Safari is a normal webpage browser. Rover offers educational apps and resources for teachers and students. Rover is also a safer online environment.
Rover is a wonderful safe browser to use for educational purposes.
Disciplines in Education
I was so excited to look at apps that I felt would benefit a K-6 teacher.
The first app I chose to review is the Stack the States Game App. for the i-pad. I truly love this app, both of my children have it on their iPads. It is an interactive game, that helps students learn the states and their capitals. It’s a simple, but ingenious concept for a game. All you do is answer questions about states correctly and “win” that state. Then position, rotate, and drop states in a pile in an effort to reach a checkered line. I love it because the questions you have to answer aren't just questions that you'll know the answer right off the top of your head. The states peer at you through cartoon eyes and blink and look at each other. And the app is FREE!!!
The second app I chose to review is Read-Me-Stories, it offers a selection of talking picture books with which beginning readers can read along. A definite plus is a new book is made available every day. The app also comes loaded with a nice selection of books to get you started. The books are for ages 4 and up. The books are well illustrated and easy to read. They have simple storylines and are appropriate for young kids. This app would work well as a reading tool in a kindergarten or first grade classroom. The only drawback might be that because its a read-along app the students would need to use headphones.
The third app in disciplines for education I chose was MathTappers:Find Sums. This is a math game to help children learn basic facts for addition and subtraction. Instead of using flashcards the children get to experience 10 frames and part whole models. There are two levels - building quantities from 5 to 20 and also building 100. The students can use numbers and apples. When using in the classroom the teachers can track the progress of their students and email a report to the parent directly from the app.
5/7 - GAIN (Presentations)
Google Presentations and Microsoft PowerPoint are very similar. There are few differences but just enough to make you take a closer look at the Pros & Cons.
Microsoft PowerPoint- The biggest plus to using PowerPoint is the internet is not needed. Also, there are many slide options in which you have the ability to jot down your thoughts, whether it be animations, using WordArt or being able to insert texts, images or audio. The drawbacks are it is not available to everyone. You must have PowerPoint in order to view the presentation. The biggest downfall is the cost of the software.
Google Presentations on the flip side does require internet connection but also allows its users to collaborate on the document and access it from any source (phone, iPad, computer). While it is easy to use its designs are limited.
In chapter 5 Graham states, "Google Presentations is a powerful presentation maker that is part of Google Apps for Education. Presentations has all of the features users have come to expect with traditional presentation software such as PowerPoint and Apple's Keynote. Slide transitions, animations, inserting images and video are all part of Google Presentations. The difference is in sharing, collaboration, and price. Special features like these will help students and teachers fulfill requirements of the Common Core State Standards."
In watching my oldest child using Google Presentations for class projects I'm still amazed how she and her partners can collaborate on things and not even have to meet/stay after school. I would advise when using this for classroom projects make sure to emphasize that if you make changes that you inform your group.
After having used Microsoft throughout high school and college, I'm convinced now that Google Presentations is something I will use from here on out.
*Graham, Michael J. (p.71) Google Apps Meet Common Core, SAGE Publications.2013
Microsoft PowerPoint- The biggest plus to using PowerPoint is the internet is not needed. Also, there are many slide options in which you have the ability to jot down your thoughts, whether it be animations, using WordArt or being able to insert texts, images or audio. The drawbacks are it is not available to everyone. You must have PowerPoint in order to view the presentation. The biggest downfall is the cost of the software.
Google Presentations on the flip side does require internet connection but also allows its users to collaborate on the document and access it from any source (phone, iPad, computer). While it is easy to use its designs are limited.
In chapter 5 Graham states, "Google Presentations is a powerful presentation maker that is part of Google Apps for Education. Presentations has all of the features users have come to expect with traditional presentation software such as PowerPoint and Apple's Keynote. Slide transitions, animations, inserting images and video are all part of Google Presentations. The difference is in sharing, collaboration, and price. Special features like these will help students and teachers fulfill requirements of the Common Core State Standards."
In watching my oldest child using Google Presentations for class projects I'm still amazed how she and her partners can collaborate on things and not even have to meet/stay after school. I would advise when using this for classroom projects make sure to emphasize that if you make changes that you inform your group.
After having used Microsoft throughout high school and college, I'm convinced now that Google Presentations is something I will use from here on out.
*Graham, Michael J. (p.71) Google Apps Meet Common Core, SAGE Publications.2013
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)