SLATE Conference: Google Hangouts

SLATE Conference 2014 Presentation:
Hanging Out While Learning, Collaborating, and Being Efficient:  Using Google Hangouts Successfully in and outside the Classroom!

SLATE Conference: Google Uses @ District and Building Level

SLATE Conference 2014 Presentation:  
Google is Like Duct Tape-- Uses that Stick at the Building and District Level

Admin Lunch N Learn- November: Appy Hour for EP and more

Today our topic is Appy Hour for EP and more!  Looking forward to sharing 3 apps- Skitch, Pic Play Post and Pic Collage.  All which can be used to document and give kuddos to staff after formal and informal observations.  And, we have a few guests sharing how they are currently using this in their buildings.

The Last Generation of Kids That Played Outside- a Second Opinion

I recently read the article, “The Last Generation of Kids That Played Outside” by Nate Hanson on the HUFFPOST blog.  I’d like to offer a “view from a different angle” (a life lesson I learned last night in the Big Hero 6 movie) of the content in the post.

A hopeful thought hit me while reading Facebook Sunday morning, thanks to technology coupled with quality teaching practices, we are preparing an innovative workforce with students who can think, create, and transfer skills to be successful in their futures!

The best way to demonstrate this is through examples.  So, here’s a few.

Have you seen children create amazing structures using the Minecraft app?

Minecraft gives students the freedom to create, pushing their imaginations to the limit and allowing them to be creative in ways not possible in the real world.  Players must make decisions about how to invest their time and resources in order to accomplish their goals. They are constantly reflecting on their choices and refining them to make better decisions in the future.  They work together with others to accomplish tasks they could not accomplish on their own.  Finally, they are learning valuable skills of coding and being exposed to vocabulary like servers, clients, portals, and command line operations that can help them be successful in the many new careers that will exist for their generation.

Imagine the innovation and critical thinking skills developed in a classroom where students are using Minecraft for math lessons on X,Y and Z coordinates, Physics lessons for Laws of Motion, and history lessons reenacting important historical events.  All the while, students are using apps and tools they are familiar with, thus engaging them in learning and more importantly deepening the learning experience because of the means to collaboration, creation,and critical thinking the technology tool provides coupled with the rich classroom conversations among students and use of supplemental resources facilitated by the teacher.

Have you ever seen students learn about something they couldn't otherwise experience the same way because of an iPad app?  

Take for example learning astronomy, specifically constellations, using the Star Walk app?  With the Star Walk app, you point your iPad camera to the sky and you can then see all the stars, satellites, constellations and planets, all in their proper place and labeled.  As you move the camera around, the app adjusts in real time.

Using this app, students can critically think about astronomy and formulate their own answers to the following questions from hands-on, real time data and interaction:

• Does the sun really rise in the east?

• Does that ever change?
• Where do all the planets appear in the sky?
• How can you tell a planet from a star or galaxy?
• Can people in the Southern Hemisphere see the same stars as people in the Northern, Eastern, or Western hemispheres?
• Where do stars go during the day?

Imagine the innovation and critical thinking skills developed in students from learning with this app.  They critically think about the relationship of starts, cause and effect, and impact stars and planets have on each other. They are experiencing the content rather than just reading about it. The iPad allows the means to this learning when otherwise would not be possible due to time of day and limited opportunity to a clear sky daily.

Have you ever seen students learn with and from others in the world through the use of a variety of iPad apps?  

I have witnessed 1st graders who were studying the seasons.  They hadn't yet know the types of trees/leaves, so they used the Leafsnap app to identify the leaves.  

They then counted and categorized their leaves and sent their data to over 30 classrooms in other states. They also shared samples of their leaves to students in Texas to compare and contrast their climate based on the color and size of the leaves.  After having a few unanswered questions about why the leaves from Texas were different, using the Skype app, they were able to discuss in person while over 1,000 miles separated them.

From their discussions, our students learned first hand from other 1st graders about the climate in Texas and how that affected the leaves so they didn’t turn colors.    

Think about the innovation and critical thinking skills these students experienced by using a variety of apps.  They used critical thinking skills to determine which type of tree their leaf was, math skills to report their data to others and analyze the data from classrooms// around the nation, geography skills to locate various states and countries on the map.  Finally, they were learning valuable work skills in being able to communicate clearly and appropriately with others to learn together, as well as be connected in a global society using tools that reflect those in jobs they will occupy in 15-20 years.

Playing Outside

If you believe our future generation isn’t playing outside any longer because of the iPad, I urge you to consider other causes.

• The same was said about television a few years ago and more recently Nintendo and Playstation. Today there are hundreds of channels providing content for all interests and many game platforms with hundreds of games.  
• More families have both parents working outside the home.  This causes children to be in daycare facilities longer and not get home for time to play outdoors.  It also causes children to be home alone more, limiting playtime outside (unless parents are okay with children playing outside when they are not home).
• Children are much more active in sports and activities then they were in the past.  The level of commitment to these activities requires children to be at practice or meetings multiple days/week.  This causes children to not be home as much for play time outdoors.
• Playing outside is not as safe as it once was.  Being monitored by parents now is necessary, which requires parents to also be available and outside with their children.  Yet, with working full time, then coming home to make supper, and getting homework done, little time is left for playing outdoors.
• Parenting style has changed- the family structure has changed and families are not as connected as they once were.  It’s up to the parent to get kids outside to play. It’s up to us to limit screen time, encourage physical activity, play with our children, and provide opportunities for them to socialize with others.

Our children should still be playing outside building forts with tarps and wood, creating ant houses, planting leaves, and playing Monopoly. I have a hard time buying into the statement that the iPad is restricting them from going outside and having these experiences, unless as adults we allow that to happen.  

I hope the above examples showcase how an iPad, or rather the content on an iPad, develops curiosity, creativity, and innovation.  I think we need to extend the questions asked in the article to the following--

Article:  Are we losing the sense of wonder that we used to possess?

View from a different angle:  How can we use technology to enhance the sense of wonder we posses and help to foster more curiosity from experiencing the world, learning with and from others, and creating unimaginable processes and products!

Article:  Are we grownups forgetting the adventures we had?

View from a different angle:  How can we use technology to capture the adventures we had and are having to reflect on them, remember them, and share them with our own children so they continue?

Article:  Are we lazily reading Twitter instead of showing our kids the endless possibilities of curiosity and dreams?

View from a different angle:  Are we showing the kids the endless possibilities of curiosity and dreams using a variety of tools (technology, print, materials) and sharing these possibilities on Twitter so others can learn and engage in conversations to deepen the experience?  Are we engaging with our children in outside play and learning the technology they know as well as sharing the experiences to create well-rounded children who will grow to be successful adults?

Technology is not going to go away.  It’s impact in society, business and day to day activities are too great.  Technology permeates how people learn, communicate, bank, shop, as well as provides great efficiency.  It will not go back to the way it was.  What we can do, is embrace it and put it to use in a positive way.  

The bottom line is balance is needed!  As a parent, and educator, it’s up to me to select the best learning opportunities for my children and balance that with all the skills they need to be successful in life. I encourage the use of the appropriate tool to help them learn deeper, think harder, and create better!  Sometimes that’s on an Ipad, on a computer, on paper, in a book, on a board, in dirt,  in a box, with a sewing machine, using legos, or building blocks.  The options are endless!  

Let’s raise a generation of kids that build birdhouses for the yard and create virtual communities using technology.  A generation that plants seeds and maple leaves as well as documents their growth, analyzes the best needs for their maximum growth, and shares this process with others through the use of technology.  Let’s raise kids who have a deep toolbox of resources and skills to be successful in school, career and life- outdoors and with an iPad!  I agree with Kenny as he stated in the comments to the article, “There is room in their lives for both!”

________________________________________________________________________

Side Note:  There was a reference in the article about Steve Jobs not letting his kids use the iPad. I know this has been circulating across social media platforms, so again, I’d like to give a different viewpoint.   Here’s a  “view from a different angle”.

Steve Jobs did not say he did not allow his children to use iPads at all.  He simply said, “We limit how much technology our kids use at home.”  He does what all of us parents do- help our children balance the activities in their lives to be knowledgeable communicators and critical thinkers who enjoy life and lead a healthy lifestyle which will hopefully contribute to being happy and successful in life!

Dog Blog: A tech-ified Mystery Reader

I had a great time being a mystery reader in Mrs. Malchow's 1st grade classroom!  Check it out:



Dog Blog: A tech-ified Mystery Reader: On Wednesday afternoon, Mrs. Uelmen, our Director of Instructional Technology, popped in as our Mystery Reader. We were a bit worried whe...

Sturgeon Bay School District Inservice

I'm excited to be traveling close to my alma mater (Southern Door)- Sturgeon Bay School District for a district inservice around integrating Chromebooks into learning.  I'm excited to work with the staff in Sturgeon Bay! 


My presentations:
Be a Student in a Chromebook Classroom- grades 6-12
Chromebooks in Education- grades 3-5

September Admin Tech Lunch N Learn

While updating to ios8 was a timely and somewhat painful process, it is well worth it!  IOS 8 brings about many great functionality and productivity improvements.  Check them out below.



Check these tutorials out for more info:
Apple iOS 8 updates
YouTube Playlist:  ios8 updates

PHS Personalized Learning Lab

Introducing the new PHS Personalized Learning Lab-- this room was designed to be a flexible space for small group instruction and collaboration. All furniture is easily moveable and able to be reconfigured in many different ways to support groups of 2, 4, 6, 8 and up to 15!  I am excited to get feedback from students and teachers about this space as we move forward in planning more of these spaces to best support next year's flex mod schedule at PHS!

UW-Lacrosse Blended Learning Conference

I was honored to be asked to present at the UW-Lacrosse Blended Learning Conference this week.  Educators from around the Lacrosse area gathered to learn about and discuss best practices in technology integration.  While I couldn't be there physically due to travel and time of year, I was able to join virtually- my first virtual presentation!  Thanks to my co-presenter, Kimberly Uelmen, for being part of this journey with me!

Our topic was  Using Twitter for student collaboration and district promotion.  My part of the presentation focused on the instructional uses for Twitter in the classroom.  I was able to showcase some of our teachers thanks to blogs by our teachers and technology integrator.  Thanks to Sara Malchow, Clay Reisler, Steven Seamandel, and Dave Bentz for your ideas, testimonials and documentation of learning!

Kimberley's focus on was on using Twitter to promote our district.  She shared how our district uses twitter as well as tips she's learned along the way for successful marking using this social media.

Check out our presentation below or watch a recording of our session.  Or, follow us on Twitter:
Amy Uelmen @amyuelmen   Kimberly Uelmen @kuelmen_pr

Northcentral Technical College K-12 Summer Tech Workshop

I'm looking forward to heading to the Northwoods tomorrow to work with educators on integrating technology in the classroom. I'll be presenting at the K-12 Summer Technology Workshop at Northcentral Technical College.    I'm excited to learn from and with them!

The sessions I'll be teaching.

Keynote Presentation: Technology as a Game Changer

Be a Student in an iPad Classroom K-4 

Be a Student in an iPad Classroom 5-7

Be a Student in an iPad Classroom 8-12

SITA Professional Development July 2014

I had a great time talking technology with educators in Northeastern Wisconsin the last week of July!  It always gets me excited to discuss ways to integrate technology for students to collaborate, connect and show what they know in creative ways!

This year I presented the following session:

Be a Student in a Chromebook Classroom
Be a Student in an iPad Classroom
Christmas Shopping in July:  Chrome Webstore

Kahoot.it: Engaging Classroom Interactive Resource

Looking forward to today's Admin Lunch and Learn!  It'll be a Kahoot!



  Kahoot! is an interactive classroom resource that can be used with any device:  laptops, iPads, Chromebooks, etc..  It's trivia/ quiz-like format set to music engages participants and brings out the competive nature in all of us!  Not only does this tool provide a learning opportunity i the classroom, but it also stores all the participants responses for access or download.

See Kahoot! in action in one of our high school math classes.

Kahoot! can be an effective tool to for baseline and formative assessments.  Because it is highly engaging, students stay on task and engage with the content.  

Effective Uses in the Classroom:

• Pre-assessment to determine students prior knowledge on a topic
• Check for understanding of knowledge and skills
• Review of concepts- student or teacher created
• Formative Assessment

Follow up questions:

• What is beneficial about Kahoot! for student learning?  For teachers?
• What are some effective ways Kahoot! could be used in the classroom?
• How could you have used Kahoot this year with staff or students for efficiency, data gathering, modeling technology use, etc.

Patent Attorney Encourages 5th Graders at Glenbrook via Google Hangout

I was able to observe an amazing learning opportunity today!  Fifth graders at Glenbrook Elementary have been spending some valuable time learning about inventions and creating their own invention to solve a current problem or fill a need on the market.  Prior to today, they shared pictures and descriptions of their creation with a Patent Attorney, Kerri, from Minnesota.  Today, the Patent Attorney participated in a Google Hangout with the 5th graders to discuss the importance of and need for patents as well as to provide feedback on their inventions!

During the discussion, students asked the Patent Attorney some questions regarding patents:

"How many patents have you written?"

"How come people can't copy each other's books?"

"Can people apply for a second patent if the first one has expired?"

"Do companies like Target get patents?"

During the invention feedback, Kerry, the Patent Attorney, recognized a few inventions from the students that he thought were great and could make it to market.  Those include:  The Sock Monster, a product to hold socks until you find the partner; Marker Everlasting, a product that will rejuvenate dried up markers, Night Horse, a light up harness so a student can see her horse in the dark, and Finger Saver, a tool that functions like a hammer but has a magnetic tip to avoid smashing fingers.  

Students in Mr. Hendricks, Mrs. Melberg, Mr. Slemkes and Mrs. Kasten's classes were able to engage in conversation with an expert in another state!  Technology has provided the means to the research and is allowing us to bring many experts into our classrooms for deeper learning regardless of location.  However,  more importantly, the teachers have provided the task and encouraged the creativity, and the students provided and developed critical thinking, collaboration and creativity skills to develop amazing inventions!  Kudos to Glenbrook 5th grade students and teachers!

Experiencing Google Apps, Chrome Apps and Chromebooks as a student

The Northeastern Wisconsin Google Summit was a great success!  I was fortunate to present a session to educators in the area about using Chromebooks in the classroom. For one hour teachers got to experience learning like a student.  I facilitated the session as if the teachers were students who participated in a day's lesson using Google Apps, Chromebook apps and web.

My goal was to model strategies that could be used in the classroom for collaboration, critical thinking and creativity and all while using a variety of digital and print resources to learn and and be engaged.  I wanted teachers to develop strategies for using technology to be part of the entire learning process rather than just used as a end of unit project.

View my lesson plan and the learning experience below.

World Language iPad Exploration

iPads have the potential to be a effective tool for World Languages with all the apps that support audio, video, content, and the integration of all these.  That's why I'm excited to train and explore the use of iPads with our awesome 6-12 World Language staff!



Air Server  
Directions for use:   Text     Video

Story app by Disney

If you are looking for a quick (super quick) way to create a slideshow, I found the Story app by Disney to be the answer.  You add your photos from your camera roll, it automatically creates the layout and adds transitions and music (from Disney movies/collection).  You can customize all this as well or just publish as is! It's a free app which is a plus as well!  One note:  you won't find this app by searching the app store, but if you Google "Story by Disney app on iTunes" you can get it this way!  Try it out!

Here's a sample of a movie I created of my daughter's snowshoeing adventure!

Educator Effectiveness Playlist- PSD

Google Forms are a great tool for creating student or staff surveys for Educator Effectiveness.  Below are a few screencasts to help in creating your own survey:

Creating a survey using Google Forms:

Tools to make analyzing your data in a survey effective:

NTEP- Amazing Tech

Looking forward to talking amazing tech tonight with new teachers and their mentors!


 

Appy Hour: Great iPad Apps for Administrators

Appy Hour!   Best iPad Apps for Administrators

Resources for today's Lunch N Learn:
Backchannel
Pulaski District installed apps K-5
Air Server Directions- mirroring iPad on computer
What's the best app for...



 

Productivity Apps
1.  Groupmaker- Free
Easily create groups for professional development, set timer, and pick a group or person to speak up first!


2.  TED- Free
Access to the plethora of TED videos.  Can bookmark videos to watch later, see suggestions for viewing, and save videos for offline viewing.


3.  Google Drive- Free
A great app for using Google Drive on an iPad.  Can view drive files, create and edit docs and spreadsheets,  and add comments to docs.   A nice bonus to be able to import photos from camera roll to Drive.


4. Hootsuite- Free
A great app for organizing your Twitter account for ease of viewing and posting.  Create streams to see tweets specific to an Tweeter, hashtag, mentions, direct messages etc.  Also, can view, post and comment on Facebook posts with this app.


5.  Hangouts- Free
Initiative a Google Hangout from your iPad.


Creation Apps
6.  iMovie- $4.99
An amazing video creation app- has all an amateur video editor needs- adding video, editing clips, adding transistion, music and text for pizazz!  The best part of the app, in my opinion, are the movie trailers.  Create an engaging video in minutes with the trailers.


7.  Haiku Deck- Free
Looking for a replacement to Slide Rocket?  Don't really like Google Presentations?  Find Prezi too hard to navigate or coneptualize?  Haiku Deck is for you!  A simple, clean presentation creator!


8.  Story by Disney- Free
A simple slideshow creator.   Within minutes, import photos from your camera roll, crop, add music and share!   May not find it when searching the app store.  Google "Story by Disney app store" to get there!


9.  Cycloramic- $1.99
Rotates your phone to take a 360 degree photo.


10.  MadPad- $2.99
A creative app to mix words or sounds!
See this in action in Mr. Pierre's music class


For Fun
11.  Soundhound- Free
Ever hear a song and wonder who sings it, what the name of it is, or what the lyrics are?  Soundhound can help you with all of these!


12.  Aurasma- Free
An amazing virtual reality app that literally bring objects to life!


13.  Home Design- $6.99-9.99
Design a room- layout, furniture, color- and take a 3D virtual tour of the space.