Many of us have heard of the Danielson Framework - the tool in which teachers practices are evaluated. Teachers are assessed in four basic areas - planning for instruction, classroom management, instructional strategies and professionalism with colleagues, etc. There are various components to each area, but a major part of all of them is communication with students, as well as facilitating the environment for learning with student collaboration. How are we creating an engaging learning atmosphere for each one of our learners? How do we attest to their individual learner variability within our learning environment and allow them to truly express their thoughts and demonstrate their knowledge of deeper, higher order thinking skills.
I've recently become even more entranced with discussion boards or blogging - that medium we use to get kids discussing how they feel, what their thoughts are, their reflections on various things. I've used both KidBlog and the discussion board within the Blackboard Platform. Now, by exploring the uses of Google Classroom, my energy for utilizing these means for integrating writing, thinking process, reflection and student-goal setting has been key. For me, as a new teacher in my school and district this year, engaging with these middle school students has helped me get to know them in a closed format - where they can write and say what they truly feel and not fear what others will say in response to their answer. This is a key to success in my classroom and also the Danielson Framework - creating a culture for learning where students are not afraid to take risks.
So many of the kids' responses are amazing to read - well-written, very thoughtful, and also, feedback for me - what a better what to create the culture and excitement for learning than for students to know they have a forum to share their thoughts and reflections. I've already assigned multiple prompts within our Google Classroom interface, some of which works with our website, listening activities and more - it amazes me how much kids know and how much they will share with you if you just ask.
Give your students an opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings in a way that works for them, whether it's blogging, sticky notes, journals or more. They ask us questions all the time where we facilitate their learning to help them find their answer. Return the favor through your questioning and start asking away!
Showing posts with label Literacy Practices. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Literacy Practices. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Stand for Something - Spring into Action
I love the week after spring break because everything seems so refreshing for the students to be back at it with bright smiles and ready to finish out strong.
This week, my 2nd and 3rd Graders have launched a new project around service. We are integrating our music composition skills to build eBooks as "retells" for others using soundscapes. Not only are students working within the music realm, but they are also working on recognizing main ideas of books and summarizing!
Perhaps the coolest take away is that kids are serving others. Kids get it, they want to help - they want to be involved in things to better the world. Providing these opportunities, connecting through digital methods is a great avenue to spring into action for a cause. Take a look at this Kids Consortium link on Technology Service Learning Projects.
How can we help our students stand for something and use technology or just innovation through low tech means? Is it makerspaces to allow for creating and exploring? Is it filming an iMovie as a public service announcement? Is their passion recycling and keeping our streets clean where they want to make a poster for advocacy? Think about integrating thematic messages into literacy and math to allow for this exploration and give to our students to allow them to be proud and support something they care about.
We stand for our kids because we're in this profession. It's their turn to stand for something too, and it starts with you. #MakeEmBelieve.
This week, my 2nd and 3rd Graders have launched a new project around service. We are integrating our music composition skills to build eBooks as "retells" for others using soundscapes. Not only are students working within the music realm, but they are also working on recognizing main ideas of books and summarizing!
Perhaps the coolest take away is that kids are serving others. Kids get it, they want to help - they want to be involved in things to better the world. Providing these opportunities, connecting through digital methods is a great avenue to spring into action for a cause. Take a look at this Kids Consortium link on Technology Service Learning Projects.
How can we help our students stand for something and use technology or just innovation through low tech means? Is it makerspaces to allow for creating and exploring? Is it filming an iMovie as a public service announcement? Is their passion recycling and keeping our streets clean where they want to make a poster for advocacy? Think about integrating thematic messages into literacy and math to allow for this exploration and give to our students to allow them to be proud and support something they care about.
We stand for our kids because we're in this profession. It's their turn to stand for something too, and it starts with you. #MakeEmBelieve.
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Disrupting the Norm
The snow is melting, the brightness of the skies - this can only mean one thing...soon it *WILL* be spring in our lives! Okay, so perhaps yes, but maybe a little wishful thinking, but I think anyone living in Wisconsin can appreciate this statement after a long and cold winter.
As the season change and our students' get a bit antsy, the big key is what do we do to make the learning fresh and new? What do we change up to make something innovatively different and deepen the thinking and meaning to our learners' minds?
A couple weekends ago at the EdTech iOS Summit at Waukesha North, Holly Clark presented the idea of The Digital Disrupters Mindset - making the adjacent possible. She described how digital disrupters start with and continue to focus on the questions and inquiry.
Connecting with the Depth of Knowledge, how do we make this thinking visible; how can we allow for students to handle and tackle the daily problems in their learning? The first step, in any realm, is focusing on instructional design. The next step, is creating student agency to move from the consumption to creation of learning!
Opportunities for oracy in "Turn and Talks/Stop Think and Listen Pair Shares," using them as an exit ticket on Notability or something similar! Student TED Talks, Explain Everything Presentations, iMovie Trailers or Google Forms are all quick and efficient models utilizing our key instructional design cores, but adding the fresh and innovative mediums that our students crave in using technology for higher order thinking.
Something new and fresh can be a sunshine-filled day with our students or perhaps a familiar tech tool used as a revamped new project - it doesn't have to be the full "spring" into action, but just a simple change in season. Take time to appreciate the change with your students as we move from consumption to creation and deepening understanding and comprehension with your learners!
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: ONE Singular Sensation
"We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams." ~Arthur Shaughnessy
My first memory of hearing the "One singular sensation" song comes from, like many people, Sesame Street. Counting, that was the way to go, learning what each number was and a little rhyme to go after it. My second memory of "One" is hearing it in a dance recital as a kid and standing in awe as the kids older than me danced in a kick-line and just wowed the audience.
As we come away from the inaugural ONE Conference this past Friday, can't help but think of this song, and define for myself what "One singular sensation" truly was throughout the conference. I loved Molly Schroeder's speech about living in beta and making connections with my learners. I enjoyed passing by the Rock Star Stage and was motivated by those speakers to try something new.
Even more, I was inspired by my students that came with me - the kids that gave up a day off to come help me out with a presentation. Through their eyes, their words, the magic of using technology and learning with it came alive. This truly helped ground me and see that it matters, it makes a difference. Those moments of on-the-spot learning where they had the courage to talk with an educator in Waukesha that they didn't know, or their initiative to fight through nerves to say why Notability "works for them best" or that Explain Everything is the "way to go." That's what it's all about - when our learners can articulate how the technology is helping to learn and understand better, and make instruction and assessment and more, more meaningful.
Yesterday, we had some professional development about strategies to impact behaviors and keep the flow of our classroom going, and the term "grit" was brought up - what is it, how would we define it? Not only do I believe each of my students' has grit, the power to overcome obstacles that are in our path, but especially each one of us as educators. It's that passion to work one-on-one with a student who needs that additional support; it's a perseverance to keep going when something tough happens in our personal lives and put a smile on for our students; it's the presence of mind to take a risk with technology even after all devices have seemed to shut down and not work on the same day when you had the coolest lesson planned!
All of the presentations were excellent - from learning about QR Codes, to Thoughtful Logs, to Aurasma, to our Core Apps - so many good resources to find and look at and try in the classroom. Each of these strategies and tools and more can be our ONE Commitment, our ONE singular sensation, to take a risk and try something new!
Yet remember ultimately, for us, as teachers, grit is coming into work and knowing, we are going to give some kid a safe place to be, to make some kid's day, some kid smile. That's grit. That's passion. That is who we are. We are educators and teachers.
My first memory of hearing the "One singular sensation" song comes from, like many people, Sesame Street. Counting, that was the way to go, learning what each number was and a little rhyme to go after it. My second memory of "One" is hearing it in a dance recital as a kid and standing in awe as the kids older than me danced in a kick-line and just wowed the audience.
As we come away from the inaugural ONE Conference this past Friday, can't help but think of this song, and define for myself what "One singular sensation" truly was throughout the conference. I loved Molly Schroeder's speech about living in beta and making connections with my learners. I enjoyed passing by the Rock Star Stage and was motivated by those speakers to try something new.
Even more, I was inspired by my students that came with me - the kids that gave up a day off to come help me out with a presentation. Through their eyes, their words, the magic of using technology and learning with it came alive. This truly helped ground me and see that it matters, it makes a difference. Those moments of on-the-spot learning where they had the courage to talk with an educator in Waukesha that they didn't know, or their initiative to fight through nerves to say why Notability "works for them best" or that Explain Everything is the "way to go." That's what it's all about - when our learners can articulate how the technology is helping to learn and understand better, and make instruction and assessment and more, more meaningful.
Yesterday, we had some professional development about strategies to impact behaviors and keep the flow of our classroom going, and the term "grit" was brought up - what is it, how would we define it? Not only do I believe each of my students' has grit, the power to overcome obstacles that are in our path, but especially each one of us as educators. It's that passion to work one-on-one with a student who needs that additional support; it's a perseverance to keep going when something tough happens in our personal lives and put a smile on for our students; it's the presence of mind to take a risk with technology even after all devices have seemed to shut down and not work on the same day when you had the coolest lesson planned!
All of the presentations were excellent - from learning about QR Codes, to Thoughtful Logs, to Aurasma, to our Core Apps - so many good resources to find and look at and try in the classroom. Each of these strategies and tools and more can be our ONE Commitment, our ONE singular sensation, to take a risk and try something new!
Yet remember ultimately, for us, as teachers, grit is coming into work and knowing, we are going to give some kid a safe place to be, to make some kid's day, some kid smile. That's grit. That's passion. That is who we are. We are educators and teachers.
Check Out our Waukesha BB9 Instructional Strategies Course for handouts on sessions!
Tuesday, January 20, 2015
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Start the Discussion!
I developed a new lesson where we are doing a film study - starting with a story map, my students are describing the characters, setting and plot of an old school Mickey - The Opry House. They identify what is happening in the beginning, middle and end, as well as what Mickey is doing in the scenes.
Here's the catch: they watch it in SILENCE.
Taking this a step further, they are beginning the process of composing music to accompany what is happening, but planning out what instruments and sounds would "make sense" with what's going on in the scene. As they began the discussion, the atmosphere became lively as they started debating what they should use and why based on the scene.
Building in sentence starters and prompts for oracy, and in general just the collaborative aspect of sharing can help build students' levels of deeper thinking and language skills. Therefore, as I shared in an earlier post, an online platform can be a useful tool for students to share their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment about those happenings in your classroom instruction in connection to any subject.
Those discussion boards or blogs are becoming ever popular to allow students to GET WRITING and describing their own thoughts as an evidence piece to deepen their thinking and making it visible. Additionally, seeing others' thoughts and perceptions can also help and clarify their own understanding on any subject! Kidblog is a great tool to get you started!
As a teacher, I always think of myself of as a "big kid" - still learning and having fun (despite a few gray hairs these days), but know a valuable strategy is those discussions portals online or in person to the wheels turning of creating something new with and for my students!
How do you make thinking visible in your classroom - is it digital? We'd love to hear some of your practices and share out what's working for you!
Here's the catch: they watch it in SILENCE.
Taking this a step further, they are beginning the process of composing music to accompany what is happening, but planning out what instruments and sounds would "make sense" with what's going on in the scene. As they began the discussion, the atmosphere became lively as they started debating what they should use and why based on the scene.
Building in sentence starters and prompts for oracy, and in general just the collaborative aspect of sharing can help build students' levels of deeper thinking and language skills. Therefore, as I shared in an earlier post, an online platform can be a useful tool for students to share their thoughts and feelings in a safe environment about those happenings in your classroom instruction in connection to any subject.
Those discussion boards or blogs are becoming ever popular to allow students to GET WRITING and describing their own thoughts as an evidence piece to deepen their thinking and making it visible. Additionally, seeing others' thoughts and perceptions can also help and clarify their own understanding on any subject! Kidblog is a great tool to get you started!
As a teacher, I always think of myself of as a "big kid" - still learning and having fun (despite a few gray hairs these days), but know a valuable strategy is those discussions portals online or in person to the wheels turning of creating something new with and for my students!
How do you make thinking visible in your classroom - is it digital? We'd love to hear some of your practices and share out what's working for you!
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Thoughtful Thursdays: A GPS For Learning
When I traveled to South Dakota a couple years ago, I remember the car rental agency worker asking if I wanted a GPS. I have a tendency to get lost, so this probably would've been a good idea; however, I did decline at the time, thinking I would "figure it out" in my seven days in the Black Hills.
When the closing speaker of the #SLATE2014 Conference, Julie Mathieson, spoke of South Dakota, traveling, and more, I knew it would be a great speech to reflect upon, just because I love the area and insights. One of the questions she prompted was being mindful of how we are empowering our learners through time, space, path and pace of learning for our students. If we are mindful of these concepts and foundations, through self-paced design and thought toward learning styles, our teaching strategies and mediums prompt intrinsic rewards for students!
The doesn't mean there isn't going to be traffic jams, detours, road blocks, and perhaps even an accident along the way - both for the student and for the teacher or technology even. As a teacher facilitating this learner, we are the encouraging drivers ed instructor in the front seat, calmly encouraging our learners to approach cautiously yet with confidence, thinking ahead on their map to where they need to be academically, thereby encouraging higher levels of thinking and those intrinsic rewards to get there!
Throughout the conference, my mind was swimming with new ideas and things to do with my learners, to integrating tech throughout the general education classroom. The way in which technology has allowed for personalization and relevancy in application is amazing to watch or see. The tools we heard are so applicable to redefine our learning experience and move towards an agency for change - for student agency in their learning.
Learning, just like traveling, is an epic road trip across various cities, counties, states and even countries for the worldly traveler. It starts small, as a road trip starts simply with starting the car. Our responsibility as teachers is to continually ignite the engines of our learning community of students, confident to try something new as a risk taker, and ultimately, a kid, a student, fostering curiosity to take the next step together - to try, to be, to LEARN, together.
Three Easy Things to Start Small from the #SLATE2014 Conference:
1. Explicit Vocabulary Instruction can be as fun as Trading Cards or a ThingLink Word Wall!
2. Students need a place to share their feedback digitally beyond a doc or project - make a blog or backchannel! (Also check out some blogging rubrics...)
3. Use Free Resources that Work: Wisconsin Media Lab, Badgerlink and more - a lot is here for US as teachers and educators and for our learners!!!!
Have you been using any of these resources or more? Give a shout! We'd love to collaborate!!!
When the closing speaker of the #SLATE2014 Conference, Julie Mathieson, spoke of South Dakota, traveling, and more, I knew it would be a great speech to reflect upon, just because I love the area and insights. One of the questions she prompted was being mindful of how we are empowering our learners through time, space, path and pace of learning for our students. If we are mindful of these concepts and foundations, through self-paced design and thought toward learning styles, our teaching strategies and mediums prompt intrinsic rewards for students!
The doesn't mean there isn't going to be traffic jams, detours, road blocks, and perhaps even an accident along the way - both for the student and for the teacher or technology even. As a teacher facilitating this learner, we are the encouraging drivers ed instructor in the front seat, calmly encouraging our learners to approach cautiously yet with confidence, thinking ahead on their map to where they need to be academically, thereby encouraging higher levels of thinking and those intrinsic rewards to get there!
Throughout the conference, my mind was swimming with new ideas and things to do with my learners, to integrating tech throughout the general education classroom. The way in which technology has allowed for personalization and relevancy in application is amazing to watch or see. The tools we heard are so applicable to redefine our learning experience and move towards an agency for change - for student agency in their learning.
Learning, just like traveling, is an epic road trip across various cities, counties, states and even countries for the worldly traveler. It starts small, as a road trip starts simply with starting the car. Our responsibility as teachers is to continually ignite the engines of our learning community of students, confident to try something new as a risk taker, and ultimately, a kid, a student, fostering curiosity to take the next step together - to try, to be, to LEARN, together.
Three Easy Things to Start Small from the #SLATE2014 Conference:
1. Explicit Vocabulary Instruction can be as fun as Trading Cards or a ThingLink Word Wall!
2. Students need a place to share their feedback digitally beyond a doc or project - make a blog or backchannel! (Also check out some blogging rubrics...)
3. Use Free Resources that Work: Wisconsin Media Lab, Badgerlink and more - a lot is here for US as teachers and educators and for our learners!!!!
Have you been using any of these resources or more? Give a shout! We'd love to collaborate!!!
Monday, October 27, 2014
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Mission POSSIBLE
So we have successfully made it through the first two months of school. WHEW! I don't know about you, but I'm tired. Lately, my students have been very savvy to my persona as to whether I have indulged in coffee or not lately. Somehow, they are just able to tell if I've had a morning cup of joe, or if I've lacked and am staving it off. Must be that time of year...
Coffee always reminds me of the SAMR, as I seemed to best understand technology practices in modification and redefinition through coffee. Take a look below to the image that Kathy Schrock uses to explain technology integration.
Perhaps the biggest takeaway, is that we do not have to always "live" in modifying and redefining uses with technology. Substitution, Augmentation is okay. Technology ebbs and flows - the intention and true meaning comes with instructional design. Consider what makes the learning come alive, the true target of the lesson and the reason for why the technology enhances the learning.
And remember, it doesn't need to be the 'next big thing.' Maybe, you can just shoot a rocket to the moon, measure how far it goes or the angles. Record it and integrate a writing piece on any of the mathematical components as well.
(Thanks Sarah Sierszyn for the usage of your video)...
Start small, shoot for the stars, and trust yourself as a pilot and your co-pilots in your co-teachers and colleagues. Together, we can make each day Mission: POSSIBLE.
Tuesday, October 7, 2014
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Making Sticky NOTEs on ABILITY
My colleagues know I love sticky notes. I use them as an organizational tool, as they are often to-do lists on the "Sweet Spot" of my MacBook, as well as prioritized in order of need to complete on my desk. Just the way I roll. Recently, I've tried using them as quick tickets or exit slips and BOY ARE THEY EFFECTIVE! Students view them as something quick, and I view them as the ever-needed formative assessment of their learning, their connections, their understandings. Pretty awesome use...although I'm running out of them currently...
As we have begun arranging songs and creating new movement games, my students have loved the Ability to be Noted within the SDW Core App, Notability! With feedback being an applicable use to this app, students are listing rules, descriptions and able to draw within the very app, making the learning seamless and the connections even greater, and quite easily, I can share and comment on their work. Additionally, with typing, writing, drawing and highlighting all at once, this app is awesome for just about any subject or project! Aside from that, Notability would be what many label as "intuitive," where students just seem to "get it" and make sense of how to use it a little bit easier.
If you've been reading my posts, you can probably tell I'm a pretty structured, in-the-box, liking to be planned person. I love scheduling, planning, color coding, and organizing - just who I am. Our students are often the same way - they like predictability and routine, knowing what will happen next, and the ease of application to use the tech tools we place in their hands. The tech we are doing in my classroom isn't huge right now - we're all still learning along the way and getting back into the routine, so before taking on the radio shows on GarageBand, the lyric breakdowns in Explain Everything, or the Skype/Google Hangouts with others, or even sharing and collaborating upon Google Docs with peers, my learners are getting back into the flow of utilizing Core Apps and the features of each, as well as organizing them.
Notability is one way to do this - it has changed my personal workflow, and can change the way of your students' learning to make the important NOTEs truly stick, so students can show their learning and ABILITY in an organized, intuitive and amazing ways :)
How has Notability worked for you? What other tools are you using? Please share your thoughts and ideas as we build upon our professional learning networks together!
As we have begun arranging songs and creating new movement games, my students have loved the Ability to be Noted within the SDW Core App, Notability! With feedback being an applicable use to this app, students are listing rules, descriptions and able to draw within the very app, making the learning seamless and the connections even greater, and quite easily, I can share and comment on their work. Additionally, with typing, writing, drawing and highlighting all at once, this app is awesome for just about any subject or project! Aside from that, Notability would be what many label as "intuitive," where students just seem to "get it" and make sense of how to use it a little bit easier.
If you've been reading my posts, you can probably tell I'm a pretty structured, in-the-box, liking to be planned person. I love scheduling, planning, color coding, and organizing - just who I am. Our students are often the same way - they like predictability and routine, knowing what will happen next, and the ease of application to use the tech tools we place in their hands. The tech we are doing in my classroom isn't huge right now - we're all still learning along the way and getting back into the routine, so before taking on the radio shows on GarageBand, the lyric breakdowns in Explain Everything, or the Skype/Google Hangouts with others, or even sharing and collaborating upon Google Docs with peers, my learners are getting back into the flow of utilizing Core Apps and the features of each, as well as organizing them.
Notability is one way to do this - it has changed my personal workflow, and can change the way of your students' learning to make the important NOTEs truly stick, so students can show their learning and ABILITY in an organized, intuitive and amazing ways :)
How has Notability worked for you? What other tools are you using? Please share your thoughts and ideas as we build upon our professional learning networks together!
Monday, September 29, 2014
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Couldn't Say It Better Myself!
Students teaching other students - just love seeing that in my classroom.
Today, while teaching recorder, a student who is somewhat shy and laid back, took the lead and demonstrated and taught his peers how to play the difficult line of "Yellow Submarine." This normally quiet and shy kid, jumped up and said "listen, listen, listen, I got it" - what an amazing moment for this young man to show his leadership and be PROUD of what he has come to understand and know. Not only did he play the passage, but he taught other students as well, enough that a couple of them were still singing it by class time, 15 minutes later. Gotta love those moments!
As our Student Tech Team is beginning the year, I asked them to create a short easy to follow video for their younger peers within our school to teach them our core apps. One student took on Book Creator as follows:
Taking the time to go back and review basic skills, formats that you want for your students is a key to success - and part of teaching them the life skills of organization and planning. My hope is to show this to my kindergarten and first grade as a brief introduction to each core app, and to build out our first projects together.
About Book Creator
A great intuitive CORE App for your students - use it for sharing summaries of reading, new understandings in math w/ actions/TPR videos, vocabulary and spelling word journals as well as writing journals, art portfolios and more!
Allows: Drawing, Text, Pictures/Video Support from within the App and Camera Roll, Sound Files, and true personalized design.
Export as ePub, PDF & Video.
Power of Sharing
The power of sharing, the power of giving students' ownership of the tech specs to SHOW their work and understanding can help to foster self-efficacy, pride, and leadership, as well as build community with mentor classes - allow this power of student voice to take reign in your classroom - whether just between students in class, mentor classes throughout your building, or maybe a Skype activity with another class. The excitement will amaze you and truly enhance your learning community!
Within the next few weeks I will be highlighting our CORE apps with some student perspectives, as well as discussing integral ways to utilize in both literacy and math. Share your ideas with us!
Today, while teaching recorder, a student who is somewhat shy and laid back, took the lead and demonstrated and taught his peers how to play the difficult line of "Yellow Submarine." This normally quiet and shy kid, jumped up and said "listen, listen, listen, I got it" - what an amazing moment for this young man to show his leadership and be PROUD of what he has come to understand and know. Not only did he play the passage, but he taught other students as well, enough that a couple of them were still singing it by class time, 15 minutes later. Gotta love those moments!
As our Student Tech Team is beginning the year, I asked them to create a short easy to follow video for their younger peers within our school to teach them our core apps. One student took on Book Creator as follows:
Taking the time to go back and review basic skills, formats that you want for your students is a key to success - and part of teaching them the life skills of organization and planning. My hope is to show this to my kindergarten and first grade as a brief introduction to each core app, and to build out our first projects together.
About Book Creator
A great intuitive CORE App for your students - use it for sharing summaries of reading, new understandings in math w/ actions/TPR videos, vocabulary and spelling word journals as well as writing journals, art portfolios and more!
Allows: Drawing, Text, Pictures/Video Support from within the App and Camera Roll, Sound Files, and true personalized design.
Export as ePub, PDF & Video.
Power of Sharing
The power of sharing, the power of giving students' ownership of the tech specs to SHOW their work and understanding can help to foster self-efficacy, pride, and leadership, as well as build community with mentor classes - allow this power of student voice to take reign in your classroom - whether just between students in class, mentor classes throughout your building, or maybe a Skype activity with another class. The excitement will amaze you and truly enhance your learning community!
Within the next few weeks I will be highlighting our CORE apps with some student perspectives, as well as discussing integral ways to utilize in both literacy and math. Share your ideas with us!
Monday, September 15, 2014
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Back to the Earth
Many of my students know my love for Jason Mraz - acoustic guitars are just one of those things, coupled with meaningful lyrics. When Mraz's single "Love Somebody" was released in May off his latest album, YES!, a number of students excitedly asked me if I had heard his new song. Made my heart warm inside to have built those relationships where they know me well enough to make those connections with me beyond music or technology.
Another song that is heard in a commercial or two as of late is Back to the Earth, which contains the lyrics "I try to stop the world from moving too fast, try to get a grip on where I'm at, and simply this dizzy life and put my feet in the grass." Too often, I feel the world truly is moving so fast - I start my school day, and suddenly it's already the end of the day before I know it! Where did the time go? Where did those moments of reflection go? What just happened?!
Taking time to reflect, take a step back, and go back to earth truly enables students and educators together to see the growth and progress of how far they've come. The roots that education is for all of our youth allows for the foundation for success, motivation and more. Technology can aid in that process - sharing a quick voice recording of a reflection from a lesson plan, or better, students creating their reflections in a new way - a radio show with Garage Band, where students practices their speaking and listening skills in reading with reflection. How about a newscast by using iMovie or TouchCast, which can serve as an opportunity to role play and further engage learners as well as gain a concrete understanding of the learning.
Interestingly enough, Mraz's line immediately before is "Whenever my head starts to hurt, before it goes from bad to feeling worse, I turn off my phone and I get down low, and put my hands in the dirt." Truly, technology the vast opportunities are wonderful for students, but maintaining a balance in screentime is just as key. Taking a step back to turn off the phone, and do that simple community and classroom relationship building, remains just as important as the latest and greatest discovery on a mobile device. For with that relationship comes the trust, the motivation, the honesty, and the risk-taking needed to try something new or traditional and to know that everything will be okay along the way.
Many of the song titles on YES! come into play into teaching and education: some days, you have to go Back to the Earth, take a step back, and try something traditional with perhaps a bit of tech integration, other days, students and teachers need to Rise to a new challenge that innovative technology practice. Along the way, some things may fall apart, but maybe the most important of 3 Things to remember is to "take a breath and bow and let the chapter end." Our lessons will live on - especially the memorable ones in our students' lives. There will remember those impactful moments of the Skypes with an author, the career days or community and culture week. We design our futures bright not based on where we've been, but how we try again, and through it all, love for our students is always the answer.
Another song that is heard in a commercial or two as of late is Back to the Earth, which contains the lyrics "I try to stop the world from moving too fast, try to get a grip on where I'm at, and simply this dizzy life and put my feet in the grass." Too often, I feel the world truly is moving so fast - I start my school day, and suddenly it's already the end of the day before I know it! Where did the time go? Where did those moments of reflection go? What just happened?!
Taking time to reflect, take a step back, and go back to earth truly enables students and educators together to see the growth and progress of how far they've come. The roots that education is for all of our youth allows for the foundation for success, motivation and more. Technology can aid in that process - sharing a quick voice recording of a reflection from a lesson plan, or better, students creating their reflections in a new way - a radio show with Garage Band, where students practices their speaking and listening skills in reading with reflection. How about a newscast by using iMovie or TouchCast, which can serve as an opportunity to role play and further engage learners as well as gain a concrete understanding of the learning.
Interestingly enough, Mraz's line immediately before is "Whenever my head starts to hurt, before it goes from bad to feeling worse, I turn off my phone and I get down low, and put my hands in the dirt." Truly, technology the vast opportunities are wonderful for students, but maintaining a balance in screentime is just as key. Taking a step back to turn off the phone, and do that simple community and classroom relationship building, remains just as important as the latest and greatest discovery on a mobile device. For with that relationship comes the trust, the motivation, the honesty, and the risk-taking needed to try something new or traditional and to know that everything will be okay along the way.
Many of the song titles on YES! come into play into teaching and education: some days, you have to go Back to the Earth, take a step back, and try something traditional with perhaps a bit of tech integration, other days, students and teachers need to Rise to a new challenge that innovative technology practice. Along the way, some things may fall apart, but maybe the most important of 3 Things to remember is to "take a breath and bow and let the chapter end." Our lessons will live on - especially the memorable ones in our students' lives. There will remember those impactful moments of the Skypes with an author, the career days or community and culture week. We design our futures bright not based on where we've been, but how we try again, and through it all, love for our students is always the answer.
Monday, September 8, 2014
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see." Henry David Thoreau
Selfies. They're all over the media - Facebook, Twitter, even award shows, the news, and more. They've become a part of our pop culture of the 2010s and will probably continue as our digital age evolves. But what makes the selfie so popular? What makes it so prevalent to "be" in a selfie?
Well, what makes someone not? Provided, many selfies are "just for fun," with comical smiles or actions accompanying them. All remembering good times - moments that are irreplaceable with memories that last a lifetime. A step further, and other pictures, maybe not selfies, but just pictures, become a deeper meaning. These pictures, in fact, end up meaning everything. Think about those little kids who get to meet their idol and get that all important picture. How about those family pictures - moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas that we cherish so deeply, along with cousins, aunts and uncles as well. Or even more, what about those pictures of friendship - caught candidly...those people that mean so much and essentially become a part of our families with smiles, tears, and laughter.
Let's take a risk, maybe something new or an expansion of an idea you've already done, and give our students the objective to take pictures of the world around them. Can they see the angles of your classroom furniture and connect them to math? Perhaps our youngest learners can describe the colors of the playground and the shapes of different equipment? Maybe some students can take a picture for each direction they take in the car ride or walk to school. The possibilities are endless, and are a simple way for students to tell their story - to document what they see, hear, feel, and experience in the world around them. Then, we can build on the learning to take those pictures to the next level - a project on iMovie or Explain Everything or Book Creator, describing their learning as a speaker or tour guide, and sharing the story of their life with deeper connections. Empower your students to take the lead, to make their pictures be worth a thousand words through their eyes, what they see and what those photos mean to them.
Me, I've never been a selfie fan. Sure, I love to photobomb all kinds of selfies being taken, but I tend to run away if someone wants me to take a selfie with them. Yet, I think of the best reason for a selfie is pride. Satisfaction to be proud, strong in your convictions in being who you are as a person. We are those people. We are teachers, changing the world of our youth, empowering them with care and compassion to become everything they will be in the future. So today, take a selfie for you - be proud of who and what you are as an educator, together with and for your students. Then, allow them to take pictures of their story, and a selfie along the way, to share and be proud of who they are as well.
"As we look ahead to the next century, our leaders will be those who empower others." ~Bill Gates.
Selfies. They're all over the media - Facebook, Twitter, even award shows, the news, and more. They've become a part of our pop culture of the 2010s and will probably continue as our digital age evolves. But what makes the selfie so popular? What makes it so prevalent to "be" in a selfie?
Well, what makes someone not? Provided, many selfies are "just for fun," with comical smiles or actions accompanying them. All remembering good times - moments that are irreplaceable with memories that last a lifetime. A step further, and other pictures, maybe not selfies, but just pictures, become a deeper meaning. These pictures, in fact, end up meaning everything. Think about those little kids who get to meet their idol and get that all important picture. How about those family pictures - moms, dads, grandmas and grandpas that we cherish so deeply, along with cousins, aunts and uncles as well. Or even more, what about those pictures of friendship - caught candidly...those people that mean so much and essentially become a part of our families with smiles, tears, and laughter.
Let's take a risk, maybe something new or an expansion of an idea you've already done, and give our students the objective to take pictures of the world around them. Can they see the angles of your classroom furniture and connect them to math? Perhaps our youngest learners can describe the colors of the playground and the shapes of different equipment? Maybe some students can take a picture for each direction they take in the car ride or walk to school. The possibilities are endless, and are a simple way for students to tell their story - to document what they see, hear, feel, and experience in the world around them. Then, we can build on the learning to take those pictures to the next level - a project on iMovie or Explain Everything or Book Creator, describing their learning as a speaker or tour guide, and sharing the story of their life with deeper connections. Empower your students to take the lead, to make their pictures be worth a thousand words through their eyes, what they see and what those photos mean to them.
Me, I've never been a selfie fan. Sure, I love to photobomb all kinds of selfies being taken, but I tend to run away if someone wants me to take a selfie with them. Yet, I think of the best reason for a selfie is pride. Satisfaction to be proud, strong in your convictions in being who you are as a person. We are those people. We are teachers, changing the world of our youth, empowering them with care and compassion to become everything they will be in the future. So today, take a selfie for you - be proud of who and what you are as an educator, together with and for your students. Then, allow them to take pictures of their story, and a selfie along the way, to share and be proud of who they are as well.
"As we look ahead to the next century, our leaders will be those who empower others." ~Bill Gates.
Monday, July 14, 2014
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Collective Collaboration
I love coffee, as does much of the world. Sometimes people even go as far to call it the "nectar of the gods." For me, I wouldn't quite go as far to call it that, but...if you add one word in front of the beverage, it does become even better: summertime coffee. There is absolutely NOTHING better than waking up, and making a delicious cup of Door County Highlander Grogg to sip on while quietly reading emails to start my morning and listening to an array of tunes to wake me up.
As I walked into buy coffee today, I was greeted with by the baristas by being told "Tracy, you're a day early." I agreed with them - I have been consistently meeting with a colleague to prepare for tech conference we are presenting at in December. My barista of many weeks, Sarah, asked me what the deal was. I explained to her attending professional development for the next three days as she asked me what my order was. Since there was no line, she asked what it was about, and I described the context of comprehensive literacy, going further in-depth into reading and writing with students even in music, and how I had started brainstorming for how I would apply my learning.
Sarah asked a few questions, further wrung up my order and said, "Tracy, thanks for what you do for kids. I know they are learning a lot from you. Today is on us."
I was completely blown away by the generosity and her comments, showing genuine interest in what I was doing with professional development. As I thanked her many times over, she said, "just keep it up, and don't mess up my schedule next week! See you then!"
I chuckled and walked out, with my order in hand to professional development and learning about literacy. Had many great takeaways and even better conversations with colleagues. But this post isn't about that quite yet. (Stay tuned for Thoughtful Thursday!) Essentially, reflecting upon the learning, and embodying the mantra that everyone has a unique perspective for teaching our youth; taking in what all educators describe and teach each other is key. Truly listening to each other and learning from the wisdom for strategies and collaborating around what works best for students is key. Working together and communicating those ideals and brainstorms serves to only better the educational experience.
With a plethora of resources shared from today's professional development, the caring nature of a coffee barista acknowledging what educators do to educate kids, the conversations and reflections around the lessons from today's learning, anyone can take these important components of education into their educational practice: sharing resources both digitally and hard copies with one another, building up each other within our learning community, challenging, but encouraging collective feedback and connections about learning are all simple ways that go beyond the world of literacy or technology, but to all learners - educators and their students.
Ultimately, it's about finding that spark for kids and how to apply it. Perhaps that's the newest book out in a series. Or maybe a new app that teaches both math and gamification such as Dreambox to engage our learners. How about connecting the reading through Shadow Puppet Edu? Whatever it is, we work together to find it, to help our students engage with their learning and achieve.
It's simple, really. As the quote on my coffee said this morning, "Know what sparks the light in you. Then use that light to illuminate the world." ~Oprah
One conversation at a time, one new idea applied, let's start the fireworks and have our students light up the sky.
As I walked into buy coffee today, I was greeted with by the baristas by being told "Tracy, you're a day early." I agreed with them - I have been consistently meeting with a colleague to prepare for tech conference we are presenting at in December. My barista of many weeks, Sarah, asked me what the deal was. I explained to her attending professional development for the next three days as she asked me what my order was. Since there was no line, she asked what it was about, and I described the context of comprehensive literacy, going further in-depth into reading and writing with students even in music, and how I had started brainstorming for how I would apply my learning.
Sarah asked a few questions, further wrung up my order and said, "Tracy, thanks for what you do for kids. I know they are learning a lot from you. Today is on us."
I was completely blown away by the generosity and her comments, showing genuine interest in what I was doing with professional development. As I thanked her many times over, she said, "just keep it up, and don't mess up my schedule next week! See you then!"
I chuckled and walked out, with my order in hand to professional development and learning about literacy. Had many great takeaways and even better conversations with colleagues. But this post isn't about that quite yet. (Stay tuned for Thoughtful Thursday!) Essentially, reflecting upon the learning, and embodying the mantra that everyone has a unique perspective for teaching our youth; taking in what all educators describe and teach each other is key. Truly listening to each other and learning from the wisdom for strategies and collaborating around what works best for students is key. Working together and communicating those ideals and brainstorms serves to only better the educational experience.
With a plethora of resources shared from today's professional development, the caring nature of a coffee barista acknowledging what educators do to educate kids, the conversations and reflections around the lessons from today's learning, anyone can take these important components of education into their educational practice: sharing resources both digitally and hard copies with one another, building up each other within our learning community, challenging, but encouraging collective feedback and connections about learning are all simple ways that go beyond the world of literacy or technology, but to all learners - educators and their students.
Ultimately, it's about finding that spark for kids and how to apply it. Perhaps that's the newest book out in a series. Or maybe a new app that teaches both math and gamification such as Dreambox to engage our learners. How about connecting the reading through Shadow Puppet Edu? Whatever it is, we work together to find it, to help our students engage with their learning and achieve.
It's simple, really. As the quote on my coffee said this morning, "Know what sparks the light in you. Then use that light to illuminate the world." ~Oprah
One conversation at a time, one new idea applied, let's start the fireworks and have our students light up the sky.
Monday, April 28, 2014
Tracy's Tuesday Tech Tip: Senses & Sensibility
Ever have one of those nights when you're walking along, and you catch a whiff of those delicious fries that you love? Or how about that aroma from the pizzeria down the street...the perfect thin-crust delight that you know may not be the best for you, but is oh so worth it as you savor it in the moment...
Beyond the sense of smell, what about that book cover that catches your eye while at the library so much that you have to open it and see what it's about. Even more, I love chatting it up while enjoying a delicious latte at the Steaming Cup in Waukesha, when all of a sudden a great song I haven't heard comes on the speakers. I just find myself bopping along to the beat and really enjoying the sound!
We are a species of senses - whether taste, smell, hearing, sight - we all have certain things that appeal to us at our initial reactions based on our senses. With the idea of appealing to the sense, come the thoughts behind student engagement - what can we do to make them become and stay engaged?
In this week's edition of our blog, we have two ideas for reading and math assessments that can help appeal to your students' senses!
Math Practices: Ever heard of a Photo a Day? Check out the pic below where one teacher has given his students a calendar of different math concepts, and his students are to take a picture of the concept each day. Think about tying this in with our core apps - perhaps a Notability file or Explain Everything presentation - and having students describe what their picture means aside from the text. What a great visual representation of the
Literacy Practices: As music can define a mood, the BooktrackClassroom idea gave me a great idea to tie in another core app: GarageBand! After creating a written response to any prompt - could be part of writer's workshop, or a short analysis of a text from reading workshop, students create music to help illustrate their writing. As they are reading their response, think about the power of having their own "soundtrack" to the background! (Booktrack is also a great resource if you're looking for a way to start this idea up in your classroom without iPads or GarageBand.)
Do you have anything that you've tried in your classroom this year integrating technology into your instruction? Share with us your ideas and please give us feedback on ours! We are all learning together on this journey of transforming our students' lives with technology tools!
Beyond the sense of smell, what about that book cover that catches your eye while at the library so much that you have to open it and see what it's about. Even more, I love chatting it up while enjoying a delicious latte at the Steaming Cup in Waukesha, when all of a sudden a great song I haven't heard comes on the speakers. I just find myself bopping along to the beat and really enjoying the sound!
We are a species of senses - whether taste, smell, hearing, sight - we all have certain things that appeal to us at our initial reactions based on our senses. With the idea of appealing to the sense, come the thoughts behind student engagement - what can we do to make them become and stay engaged?
In this week's edition of our blog, we have two ideas for reading and math assessments that can help appeal to your students' senses!
Math Practices: Ever heard of a Photo a Day? Check out the pic below where one teacher has given his students a calendar of different math concepts, and his students are to take a picture of the concept each day. Think about tying this in with our core apps - perhaps a Notability file or Explain Everything presentation - and having students describe what their picture means aside from the text. What a great visual representation of the
Literacy Practices: As music can define a mood, the BooktrackClassroom idea gave me a great idea to tie in another core app: GarageBand! After creating a written response to any prompt - could be part of writer's workshop, or a short analysis of a text from reading workshop, students create music to help illustrate their writing. As they are reading their response, think about the power of having their own "soundtrack" to the background! (Booktrack is also a great resource if you're looking for a way to start this idea up in your classroom without iPads or GarageBand.)
Do you have anything that you've tried in your classroom this year integrating technology into your instruction? Share with us your ideas and please give us feedback on ours! We are all learning together on this journey of transforming our students' lives with technology tools!
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