A New Favorite Blog

After becoming a Pinterest addict last spring, I very quickly realized that almost all of those teachers who post adorable projects, lessons, classroom management strategies, etc., are bloggers too! So, I jumped aboard several of my favorite blogs and now spend plenty of time oohing and ahhing over some pretty innovative ideas...

Today, I came upon teacher Farrah Kilgo, resident blogger at Think*Share*Teach who shares her journey as a fourth grade teacher, including how she implements a variety of Web 2.0 applications. Check out this post where she documents her first attempts at using QR codes in the classroom. If you have never played with QR codes before (You've likely seen them everywhere --- check out the bananas next time you're in the produce section :), download the i-nigma app for your phone and bookmark this QR code generator in your Diigo account.

Basically, QR codes are barcodes. Using an app, like i-nigma, you can scan the QR code on your phone or tablet, and it will send you to a link with more information. How does this work in the classroom, you might ask? Well, Farrah shares how she provided students with a math activity, asking them to rename each fraction using lowest terms. Next to each problem, she has a QR code positioned, so the kiddos can check their answers. Yes, you can link the QR code to answers! This means that your students are getting immediate feedback! To make some QR codes (it takes 10 seconds and all it requires is some copying and pasting), go experiment with this FREE QR Code Generator.

If you're interested in another take on QR code implementation, you're welcome to take a peak at this website I created for a QR Code scavenger hunt. Go here for a brief summary. Same idea as Farrah's, except you can post clues throughout the school building. Each time a student(s) arrives at the appropriate destination, they scan the QR code for the next clue.

I'll be subscribing to Think*Share*Teach, so I can nab some more great ideas!

Some Animoto Inspiration!

Yep, I absolutely LOVE Animoto! I was lucky enough to experiment with this incredibly simple application when on the hunt for a platform to share my TK'ers (Transitional Kindergarten) understanding of digital citizenship. As I'm sure many of you will attest, our students -- even four and five year-olds -- are "technology natives"/experts/biologically programmed to use the latest and greatest gadgets, insert whichever attribute you like :) Last year, my kiddos could seamlessly navigate an iPad, access games on Mom or Dad's iPhone, and download books on their Kindle account. I'm not sure whether I could say the same about myself...

Nevertheless, tech skills are not synonymous with digital literacy. I wanted my little guys to have a basic understanding of the rules and responsibilities that come with being a member of our physical and digital world. Visit Hector's World for child-friendly videos and activities about how to stay safe online. Anyways, I used Animoto as a means of publishing short student interviews where I asked students to share what they learning about being safe online. While I don't have permission to post this video here, let me assure you that it was PRECIOUS and parents commented on how professional it looked...oh the secrets of the trade!

Until watching several sample Animotos from previous semesters, I didn't realize all of the potential ways to integrate this handy tool into daily instruction. I am a big fan of Meghan's "Plant Vocabulary" Animoto, where she pairs plant terms with their corresponding pictures. She even selected the most adorable plant background to compliment her theme! I was also inspired by Taini's "Frog and Toad Vocabulary" Animoto, where she matched new terms from the story with visuals and definitions. What a fantastic way to hook students' interests AND set a purpose for reading!

Now, I'm finally ready to share why I chose that sweet little visual at the top of this blog post! You might have wondered how a purse and its contents could strike any relation with Animoto. Well, my wheels are turning and I'm thinking about designing an inferring activity for first graders, using the contents of my purse. And, Animto might be the ideal way to hook the kiddos' interest. I'll keep you posted as my plan evolves.

Have you come upon any Animoto inspiration? If so, do tell!

An 8 Year-Old's Writing Conundrum

Last weekend I spent some quality time with my buddy, Ben, a precocious, over-the-top silly, and strikingly honest 8 year-old. He's my resident sports expert, lab assistant, and sous chef (that is, when a dessert of his choice is on the menu!). Before we could explore his handy science kit that I'd pre-stocked for the holidays, Ben was given strict instructions from Mom to complete his remaining homework assignment...the ever dreaded journal entry.

Begrudgingly, he retrieved his spiral bound notebook from the abyss that is his knapsack and haphazardly began jotting down a few sentences. "There....I'm done!" he exhaled, as if holding his breath for the three minute span of writing. Ben slid his notebook across the table, inviting me to take a peak. The entry read "This weekend I went out to dinner. I went to my basketball game. Andrea came over." As a teacher, I knew that this minimalist response wasn't going to cut it. I encouraged him to add some details, perhaps the name of the restaurant, the score of the baseball game, or, at least, our "date night" adventures. I was met with the oh-so-typical eye roll and a murmur of, "But we do these EVERY week and it's only my teacher who reads them..."

Fast forward a few days and I find myself face-to-face with a variety of alternatives to the seemingly artificial daily/weekly/bi-weekly journal entry (not that journals aren't a helpful instructional tool, I just think there are other more engaging, digitally based alternatives!). Arzt (2012) shares a variety of blog implementation strategies for the classroom, noting how this platform enables students to publish for genuine audiences, while connecting, sharing, and conversing with other students and teachers. The article is chock full of links to sample blogs, student artifacts, and videos. I, especially, liked the Tale Trail Project, a Quadblogging endeavor where 5 different classes participated in a collaborative writing project, necessitating plenty of creativity, negotiation, and synthesizing, as each class authored different pieces of the story. It is a story after all, so the kiddos had to ensure that all of the individual pieces were neatly "woven" together to maintain continuity. Pretty incredible!

My teacher heart melted as I explored Miss D's class blog, documenting their butterfly project. Students posted a variety of questions they had about butterflies (note the adorable phonetic spelling!) in preparation for a Twitter chat with classes from around the world, where students could share their knowledge about butterflies! Talk about a way to inspire excitement and enable global communication :) The Global Read Aloud is another favorite of mine, as students from across the world read and respond to the same book using platforms such as Skype, Twitter, blogging, or a Wiki.

Now, how many of us remember literature circles?? I know, they're still relatively common in the classroom, but I'd hope they've evolved from those ditto-esque worksheets, necessitating a brief summary/picture/question from the "Director," "Illustrator," "Vocab Expert," etc. I remember filling mine out right before the bell rang at the end of the day to minimize my homework load...yes, I've always liked getting ahead. Anyways, I was DELIGHTED to read how West Hartford teacher, Johanna Cleary, uses blogging to establish book clubs! Can you imagine how much richer those discussions must be when students are able to converse with one another inside and outside of the classroom!? Personally, I think my little guy, Ben, would eat this up! Better yet, what if he had the chance to blog about his weekend adventures, and then receive comments from his teacher AND peers? I know for sure, that he would be thrilled to start off with Making Paper Blogs. Personally, I think it's the perfect way to provide a tangible representation for the how-to's of blogging.

So, what are of your ideas for implementing blogs in the classroom? Any favorites you read about in the article that you think might be feasible?

Blogs, Wikis, Post-It Notes...Oh My!

Yep, I'm a self-proclaimed "Post-it Note" addict and Staples office supply snob with a(n) obsession passion for all things organized. It's only fitting, then, that I tackle class readings in an equally as systematic (color coded and labeled!) fashion. Now, I'm sure I'm not the first to realize that this is a powerhouse of a text, chock full of purposeful strategies to connect students and facilitate rich, authentic conversations. It's a pretty easy read for this once self-proclaimed tech phobic, and I'm eager to put some of Richardson's suggestions into practice. I took a few minutes to check-out Vicki Davis' blog, co-founder of the Flat Classroom Project, and while she is certainly a leader in the field of global collaboration, I'm not a fan of paying to participate in a student project (Yep, the "Flat Classroom" is now a brand!).

However, I do have several favorite teacher blogs that I'm sharing here [I've now subscribed to them via GoogleReader - brilliant time saver, I must say!] Head on over to 3rd Grade Thoughts, A Cupcake for the Teacher, and First Grade Wow (she posts ALL of her exceptionally creative units for *FREE*), and peak at some other incredible FREEBIES, classroom management strategies, and daily activities. As a new teacher, I can't get enough of this sharing. If you're thinking about debuting a blog(s) for students, I encourage you to explore the following links that I've bookmarked for future reference. I absolutely LOVE this GoogleDOC with a sample blogging permission slip for parents and guidelines for students. Here's a Wiki from Mrs. Yolis' class, documenting the benefits of blogging -- great info to share with parents and students.

In terms of Wikis, I was slightly less familiar with the platform and only mildly intrigued. Given that GoogleDocs allows for real-time collaboration and blogs have the potential to generate plenty of student conversation, I wasn't sure whether Wikis filled any unique need in the classroom. After perusing Welker's Wikinomics, I certainly see the benefit in housing review material, notes, videos, etc. in a central location for students to add to and reference. As someone who tends to stray away from group work given the inevitable social loafers, I especially like how a Wiki allows teachers to track students' contributions -- pretty ingenuous! Make sure to stop on by Wikijunior where I found some VERY comprehensive "developed books" such as Geometry for Elementary School , chock full of visuals and student-friendly explanations. Wikibooks, given that they are governed by teams of editors, may prove to be the ideal supplement to out-of-date textbooks.

Some food for thought: I may be a proponent of blogging about classroom activities in order to engage parents and fellow teachers, but do you think it's asking too much of already time-strapped teachers? What about Twitter? Do any of you Tweet updates to parents? With respect to Wiki implementation, what part should you play as an educator, as your students create and edit new material? How much overseeing do you think is warranted?

Welcome to the Blogosphere

I've dabbled in blogging for several other courses, but I've got to say, I really enjoy blogging independently :) I like that my "voice," quirkiness, creativity, whatever you'd like to call it, can come out as I tackle this digital, albeit authentic, take on authorship. Don't be fooled...blogging isn't so simple for me. It takes more time than I'd like to admit reading, responding internally, synthesizing my wacky thoughts, writing, editing (writing and editing some more, of course!) and finally publishing. Just as Richardson (2010) attests, the unique nature of blogging is the connectivity that follows, the responses that generate conversations across local, state, and international borders, that result in these rich, living documents. Major implications for lifelong learning and the acquisition of those notorious 21st century skills, right?

When I first heard about blogging in K-5 classrooms, I was skeptical: How could a tool of this nature be used meaningfully in an elementary classroom? Heck, there are primary teachers who use KidBlog as a means of generating discussions among their Kinders, most of whom are still attempting to master letter-sound correspondence! And, yet, that's exactly why blogging is absolutely intended for classroom use, particularly for this tech absorbed generation of kiddos! This idea of meaningful authorship, of flattening the classroom walls to continue conversations, of giving a voice to students who may be reticent to share in class, is thrilling. As a reflective practitioner, then, it is my responsibility to master the ins and outs of blogging, before introducing this platform to students.

Take a few minutes to peak at Mr. C's Class Blog, quite an impressive compilation of daily updates, complete with pictures, commentary, and some student video reflections. Make sure to read his Teaching Manifesto - it will certainly tug at your heart strings. What a fantastic way to engage parents, community members, and administrators, while compiling an online portfolio...talk about opportunities for reflection and teacher sharing!

While this is a more sophisticated take on blogging, likely a good avenue for teachers with established classroom blogs and student contributors, quadblogging is a fantastic way to generate a blogger audience among students both nationally and internationally. In a nutshell, quadblogging involves four different classrooms/ schools, including your own, where one blog becomes the focus for a week, while the other students and teachers respond. Neat idea, huh? Go here for a basic description. Did I mention, it's FREE?

I'm curious...Were you an independent blogger before enrolling in EDUC 584? Do you see the benefits of blogging independently before introducing students to this platform? While blogging certainly holds great educational value and real-world relevance, is blogging truly feasible for all educators? Is blogging just another task on an already tight to-do list, or might blogging take the place of another classroom assignment/ activity? Eager to hear your two cents!

Literate or Illiterate? The Status of "New" Literacies

In an attempt to snazzy up my first official blog post, I decided to include a cheerful little graphic. Good thinking, right? My first inclination was to head over to Google Image, plug in some basic search terms (...think books, students, school supplies - you get the idea!), snag the perfect image, and begin construction on this post. In the midst of my perusing, I came to this harsh realization...was I committing some sort of copyright infringement by including another person's artistry in my work? You bet. I'd say it's rather fitting given that I just read through the NETS Standards for Students and Teachers (See here and here).

I quickly made my way over to Flikr and found the above image. Looks to be a smorgasbord of paint chips, encompassing just about every color of the rainbow. I liked it for its abstract quality, but even more so for its quirky visual representation of these new skills, dispositions, and curiosities that are a necessity in both our physical and digital society. You see, just as those paint chips spill over with color, each displaying a different mock-up that naturally leads from one hue to the next, new literacies are a more sophisticated, person-centered, constructivist based set of skills that harness many of the same concepts we've attempted to teach in, perhaps, a more superficial manner. Richardson (2010), cites skills such as analysis, research, organization, and synthesis as just a sampling of the competencies our students need to be successful contributors to our modern society.

With such a variety of *FREE* digital platforms at our finger tips, these new literacies can be applied in the most authentic of means as students become readers, authors, and innovators. As a teacher, per the NETS Standards, it is my responsibility to harness student creativity and critical thinking, promote appropriate digital conduct, and espouse a digitally literate mindset (or, at the very least, a willingness to learn!) In terms of the NETS Standards for Students, these are NOT simply an add-on to the customary curriculum. Rather, I must embed opportunities for collaboration and exploration throughout all facets of instruction to purposefully incorporate the use of technology.

Here's some food for thought: How can we teach these requisite skills without getting completely caught up with "teaching to the tools?" Sure, there are a wealth of Web 2.0 applications readily available for use, but what do you think are the best ways to strategically integrate technology to bolster and enhance instruction?

About Me...

I knew from the age of 10 that I was destined to be a teacher. I know, it's rather cliche, but don't us teachers all preach the same thing? Yes, I certainly was one of "those" who spent my afternoons playing school with a disgruntled little brother who was far from thrilled to be my first ever specimen student. Not to worry, I had a wealth of eager and compliant participants(the stuffed animal kind, of course!)who proved to be the ideal audience.

Fast forward just a few years, and I found myself in my first education class at Muhlenberg College, in Allentown, PA. Being the perfectionistic, overly driven, Type A student that I was, perhaps still am, I didn't think twice before responding to my professor's first question of the course: "Why are you all in this class?" I'll admit it, I made the rookie mistake of responding with: "Because I LOVE kiddos and I want to be a teacher!" Cue chuckling from professor and peers...From that day forward, I realized that to be a successful teacher took a lot more than passion - try knowledge, skill, flexibility,determination, organization, and a capacity to manage and evaluate data, to name a few.

By May of 2011, I was the proud recipient of a BA in psychology with certification in elementary education. I returned home to West Hartford, jumped through several hoops to get my CT certification, and took on my first teaching position as the interim Transitional Kindergarten Teacher at the Mandell JCC, while the primary teacher took an extended maternity leave. I don't think the word "incredible" does justice describing the year I had with some of the most creative, tenacious, adorably sweet, and unbelievably bright students known to teacher-kind! Needless to say, I shed my fair share of tears on the last day of school. My practical side reared its ugly head this past fall, and I decided to dedicate this school year to finishing up my MA. I miss the classroom more than you can imagine, but I'm now on the prowl for a position in the public schools. Keeping my fingers and toes crossed!

Aside from teaching, I am an avid crafter, shopper, organizer (Yep, someday I might have a blog dedicated to my adventures in home organization!), gym-goer, reader, baker, friend, sister, and daughter. And, there you have it, a brief synopsis all about me!

Have a wonderful week!

Andrea