Mobile Learning Lab

For this lab, I became a memeber of Classroom 2.0 (http://www.classroom20.com/).  I had never heard about this site and found a lot of great groups that I could join and learn from.  This is a great way to grow my personal learning community and connect with others about my teaching.  I found a lot of wonderful questions and answers about technology.  There are many topics that peaked my interest and that I could converse about, such as classroom management and cell phone use in the classroom.  I think of other places that I've joined or explored to to grow my personal learning community, and this is much more appealing.

I also explored Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/) and was able to create a poll that can be responded to via text message.  I am a 2nd and 3rd grade teacher who works on the School Improvement Team as well.  I have been working with this team of educators to gather information from teachers and staff members, students, and parents.  We created  a series of surveys to get some of the information we needed.  One of the questions in our school's report required us to give the average number of years that teachers had been teaching.  Instead of going from room to room and chasing teachers around the school, Poll Everywhere would have been such a better way to go about it.   We could have taken one minute to type the question and teachers could respond the next time they took out their phone.  The poll was so easy to create and I think that it is a great way to get a response from people because it is so simple to text someone- no need to sign into a website, answer 10 annoying questions, then submit it.  The responses show up right away on the Poll Everywhere site.  This would be a much better way to get responses to a poll that's being conducted. 

Wicked Problem Project

PROBLEM
There is a huge push for students to be fluent readers and unfortunately so many students are simply not.

SOLUTION
After being introduced to the concept of pod casts and video casts, I thought that it would be a good idea to video my students and let them watch themselves do their reading.  I figured this would be a great way for them to make improvements to their reading fluency.  By doing this, students would hopefully begin to take greater interest in how they could improve their own reading fluency.


TPACK
What is the TP knowledge for the solution?

I have chosen to use Flip cameras and/or the video option on digital cameras to record my students’ reading.  I always try to incorporate many different learning styles into my teaching and this is one way I can do that.  It reaches students who learn by hearing and seeing because of the use of videos.  I first thought maybe audio technology would be all it takes, but I think actually seeing themselves read will be a greater benefit to the students.  It is also a hands-on approach because I intend to have the students actually do the videotaping and hopefully a few of them will take interest in learning how to upload them onto the computer.  I believe this process will make the students feel as though they have ownership of this project.

What is the TC knowledge for the solution?
The technology that I am using will make the content accessible to not only my students and their families, but also to others out there who would like to see this project actually being implemented.  Once students have begun taking part in this approach to increase reading fluency, they will also be able to reflect on their own progress- successes as well as challenges.  Because the video recordings will be video-casts online, other educators, parents, and students will be able to view the progress that the children are making.  Since the readings are recordings, we can truly study what the students have done and try to figure out ways to better teach reading fluency.  Other teachers have done things very similar to this.  One of the videos I found, shows how students independently record and keep track of their readings.
Click here to view video.

What is the PC knowledge for the solution?
I have designed this project so that students are getting the opportunity to learn in a variety of methods while striving to reach one goal- fluent reading.  The primary focus of this project is on the students.  I am looking to improve students’ fluency by increasing the number of words they read per minute.  Secondary to that is the way they sound- expression and clarity.  Once my students begin to watch themselves and hear what they sound like as they read, I am confident that they will begin to take greater interest in how they can improve their own reading fluency.  Jonathan Kantrowitz's blogs about the positive effects of web cams to help students' reading specifically because of the "I can see me" procedure.  This goes hand-in-hand with my belief that students need to see, hear and do in order to really learn something well.  Check out his posting.  Jonathan Kantrowitz's Blog

Take a look at my final project!
Wicked Problem Project

Group Leadership Project

1. Our group used a couple of different tools to deliver our PD tutorial.  The first tool we used was Jing (www.jing.com).  We chose to use this because it was able to record our voices as well as what we were showing on the computer screen.  The second tool we used was Camtasia (www.techsmith.com/Camtasia) because it was able to do the same thing as Jing, but record for a longer time and also convert to the appropriate format.

2. During the development process of the final project, I learned how to use Vyew (www.vyew.com) to conference with other group members about our project.  We used Jing to do a screen capture of our text conversation.  We also used Vyew to do a recording of our actual conversation for a second conference.  This project also taught me that there are different free tools to convert one recording format to another.  For example, we found that the way Jing saves recordings is not compatible for playing on Prezi, so we had to convert it.  I used a program called Switch to do this.  I also learned how to use Jing and Camtasia to record my voice.  One of the things that I did not know about (and still am unsure I like) is Celtx (www.celtx.com).  This was used to create a storyboard of our presentation.

3. If I had to develop a similar product again I would not push my group to take so much time on making the story board.  We didn't find that it was necessary, especially since we had a script to do the tutorials from.  After doing the four tutorials, we were able to come up with the material for our presentation on Prezi pretty easily.  I also might explore using other programs to expand my repertoire of tools.

Here is the link to our final project.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DruNzzLPKPc

Personal Learning Plan- CEP 812

            I look back to the fall and the start of CEP 810 and can’t believe all that I have learned.  I said it then and will say it again; I always thought I was so “computer literate” until I started working towards getting my MAET certification.  It is just so amazing to think about all the new programs and tools I have learned about.   When I wrote my first refection I was focused on keeping up with the RSS feed and Twitter.  That is not my primary focus anymore.  I can honestly say that I really cannot get used to using Twitter.  It is definitely not my primary way of connecting with others.  The RSS feed that I started is very overwhelming.  I think I could sort through and unsubscribe to a few of the readings I get and maybe I would find it more useful.  As for the other goals I had set back in the fall- I definitely would like to keep working towards them.  The first was to use blogging as a source of communication between parents and myself.  I was also hoping to get my students writing some blogs.  These are still two big things that I will be working on.

Another one of the goals I had was to learn more about the SMART Board and how to incorporate it more into my teaching.  I have actually done a great job of that.  I am proud to say that I have started to use it in every subject area.  This does not mean I use it every day in every subject (that would be overkill), but I have learned new ways to use it and have found some great resources to help me with that.  I will also continue to learn about all the SMART Board technology has to offer because it seems to really help engage my students.

            Now, at the forefront of my thoughts is the TPACK design and this has really helped pull together the “why” of technology in education.  During CEP 811 we did a couple of assignments that introduced us to this concept.  I began to wonder what it was all about and while taking 812 I had the opportunity to do some great reading by Punya Mishra and Matthew Koehler. I would like to follow and keep up with readings/articles by the two of them because I have found it easy to relate to what they have to say.  I also think they have a lot of insight into TPACK, which has really made me think about how I present and teach lessons to my students.

I was recently introduced to a genre of tools that would really help reinforce the TPACK idea.  The focus of tools that we learned about in 812 all had to do with recording in some form or another (both video and audio).  I wasn’t sure what I had gotten myself into.  I’d never heard of Vyew or Jing, or Audacity…and that’s just the start of them!  How on earth was I going to be able to learn these new programs and complete 18 assignments including two large projects?  After all the stress subsided and I read through everything I needed to do and started to get going with it, my head was swelling with ways I could use these tools in my classroom to help my students.  The first, and probably the most beneficial were using pod casts and video casts to record my students’ reading.  My plan was to help increase reading fluency and I cannot wait to continue this into the next school year.  I would like to find a way to use pod casts and video casts so that my students can connect with students in other schools.  We have done pen pals before, but this would be the newer, more tech-savvy way of pen pal communication.

            My goal is to use my time over the summer to keep up with some of my subscriptions on my RSS feed (once I clean it out and find some new subscriptions) and keep note of the things I think are really great.  By the fall I could have a whole slew of new ideas for my classroom (but a few would be realistic).  My goal is to set up a blog this summer and write a letter explaining how it can be used and why I have chosen to do this.  That way parents can start communication using the blog as soon as students get their classroom assignments.  It will be a great way for parents to respond to one another about questions they have with reading or homework assignments.  I have really learned a lot in the past 6 months and will definitely be a better teacher because of the MAET certification program.

Part D- Findings and Implications

My project, making video casts of students in my class to help with reading fluency, was- for the most part-implemented as I had planned.  I have recorded the students and kept up with that, but uploading them onto the computer became more of a hassle because of the technology at our school.  I am able to do this at home, but that is also the time when I need to get a lot of other grading done and do assignments for class.

Reading fluency has been an ongoing issue in my classroom for years and with this project there has proven to be some evidence of success.  I am proud to say that the number of words per minute increased in one of my students.   Expression and clarity improved for two other students.  When my students watched their first recorded reading, they were not aware of how they looked or sounded and continually said "I need to read with more expression," or "I can't really hear myself."  When I recorded them on another occasion, there was definitely a difference.  I would have liked for more of my students to have had success with this, but I think that will happen as I continue to make changes and improve my method of using the videos for reading fluency.

There are a few things I would do differently given what I have learned with this project.  First of all, I would definitely try to record my students in a quieter atmosphere.  I think this might be something that I could accomplish if I taught the students how to record each other, then they could go to the library to do this each week.  I would also approach this differently by introducing it earlier in the school year.  I started this project more than half way through and by this time my students are very set in how we do things.  To change things up often creates some commotion, but nothing too bad.  I am thinking that when I do this project again, I will have students write short reflections after watching their recordings.  This way it will be an even greater learning experience.

Something that other teachers should know is that recording students for the purpose of improving reading fluency is a great tool (and it is not such a secret either).  There are many pieces of research out there that show how this can improve reading fluency and it seems silly to ignore something that might actually help.  Even though it might take a little while to get used to- TRY IT!  It is fun for the students and you will be very happy with the results.  Find a recording tool that will work with your school's technology and go from there.

I will definitely do this same project again, but not without a couple of changes.  As I mentioned before, I would like to start right away in the school year.  I will make sure to incorporate a recording schedule into my weekly plans so that I can stick to a consistent schedule for getting this done. I would also like to have students keep a reflection log or some sort of journal (maybe even an audio cast).  That way they can reflect on their own journey through becoming a more fluent reader.  Along with that, I would like for parents to become more involved with this.  I was thinking that maybe I could have parent volunteers come in a upload the recordings or even do some of the recording.  I would also encourage parents to record their children at home and could designate a website for them to upload the recordings to.  These are just a few of the directions I'd like to go with this in the future.

Part B- Storyboard and Script

For our group project, Erin's and my job was originally to take videos of us using Publisher and teaching the different parts on the Smartboard, however we could not get a good picture because of the light reflection.  That is when we decided to use Jing to record the audio and screen captures for the tutorials.  For the final project, both Erin and I will be making sure the tutorials get converted to the correct format so that we can upload them to Prezi and make sure that they are working properly.  Chessi and Kelli will be doing the final editing adding in some audio pieces.  They also wrote the original script (which is a little altered to sound more natural).  We will all make sure we like the Prezi layout prior to making it public.
Take a look at our storyboard: https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AbgD1TeExDUBZGNtZzM2c3JfMGNzc240N2ho&hl=en
Take a look at our script: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NWWsVsGK8ZbWqBTv_5BRFcSmevzA1h0K_41IRUS0VXc/edit?hl=en# .

Part C- Implementation

www.msu.edu/~satovsk6/implementationtake1.mp3

Web Conferencing

We used Vyew (www.vyew.com) to try a video conference with the web cam feature.  This is the second time using the Vyew site- the first time we used the text tool.  While the web cam seemed like a great tool to use for working with people across long distance, it was rather unrealistic for our group because finding a time that we could all communicate at once was nearly impossible.  It was awesome the first time when we could all do the work simultaneously, but it is rather unrealistic.  Between school work, after school meetings, after school classes, etc, using Vyew is just not practical.  For us, communicating via email and text messaging or talking on the phone worked best because we were "on the go" so much and never sat down to actually do the work until all different times.  While Vyew has offered some great tools, it simply didn't work for us.
On another note, I could see where this tool would fit in to communicate across schools and classrooms whether within the district, across the state, or on the other side of the world.  I think it would be very interesting to see what students could collaborate on given a specific topic.  What a great learning experience it would be for them!

Part B- Application of TPACK

1. I have chosen to use Flip cameras and/or the video option on digital cameras to record my students’ reading.  I always try to incorporate many different learning styles into my teaching and this is one way I can do that.  It reaches students who learn by hearing and seeing because of the use of videos.  I first thought maybe audio technology would be all it takes, but I think actually seeing themselves read will be a greater benefit to the students.  It is also a hands-on approach because I intend to have the students actually do the videotaping and hopefully a few of them will take interest in learning how to upload them onto the computer.  I believe this process will make the students feel as though they have ownership of this project. 
2. The technology that I am using will make the content accessible to not only my students and their families, but also to others out there who would like to see this project actually being implemented.  Once students have begun taking part in this approach to increase reading fluency, they will also be able to reflect on their own progress- successes as well as challenges.  Because the video recordings will be video-casts online, other educators, parents, and students will be able to view the progress that the children are making.  Since the readings are recordings, we can truly study what the students have done and try to figure out ways to better teach reading fluency.
3. I have designed this project so that students are getting the opportunity to learn in a variety of methods while striving to reach one goal- fluent reading.  The primary focus of this project is on the students.  I am looking to improve students’ fluency by increasing the number of words they read per minute.  Secondary to that is the way they sound- expression and clarity.  Once my students begin to watch themselves and hear what they sound like as they read, I am confident that they will begin to take greater interest in how they can improve their own reading fluency.       

Part A- Description of Need or Opportunity

There is a great need for students to become fluent readers.  This means they are able to read their books at a good, smooth pace.  It also requires them to know the words without thinking about them and to read with good expression.  For many students, this is a really big challenge.  Just remembering what the words say is hard enough for some students, but then putting that together with all the other aspects of fluent reading!?!  That is just too much to think about.  This is where my idea comes in to play. 

            In my classroom, we do weekly fluency checks.  Students sit with their table group and every child gets the chance to be the reader.  When it is their turn to read, they sit in the chair with the other students on the floor in front of them.  They read a book to their tablemates just as a teacher would read to the class.  During this time, I have the opportunity to observe my students and give them a fluency grade.  This tells me who has been practicing their books from their book bag and who needs to work on this.  If a student knows the words, but doesn’t read them fluently, that is where my challenge comes in.  
             How do I get these children to really read with expression and enthusiasm?  Well, in our school we have limited funds.  However, we have these great Flip cameras that can record students.  My idea was to record students and upload them to a place where they can see themselves.  When I spoke with my class about this, I had a lot of enthusiasm in response to seeing themselves on a website as a podcast.  They really liked the idea.  My hope is that it will motivate them to work harder on their reading fluency and that they will watch themselves and pick up ways that they can improve their reading.  It is also a way to share with families what we are doing in class and for students and families to see how far they have come.

            Logistics: Students will be videoed anywhere from once a week to twice a month.  We will continue this process for the next three months (until the end of the school year).  If I see that it has helped, it will be implemented into my plans for the next school year as well.  My plan is for the students to learn how to video each other so that I can observe more than one student at a time.  I would like to see one Flip camera per table group.  That way everyone gets videoed.

            Some of my ideas have been tried in other forms (using an ipod to keep recordings).  This link from teachertube.com shows how students record themselves for timed reading fluency: http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=210987&title=Oral_Reading_Fluency

The Oregon Department of Education has similar ideas and has planned out a lesson that is similar to what I plan to do.  It can be found at:

http://teach.oetc.org/lessonplans/reading-fluency-and-expression

There is a lot of research about fluent reading, but here is one article that relates to my idea specifically:

http://educationresearchreport.blogspot.com/2010/11/webcam-research-helps-kids-improve.html

            My plan is to begin this in my classroom now.  I will choose some of the students with lower fluency rates and start with them.  They will be recorded weekly and will be asked to observe themselves.  I want to know what they think of their reading.  I will not compare them to anyone else, but will simply ask them how they could improve.  They will be recorded again each week (maybe more than once at the beginning) so that they can see the improvements.  This will be implemented into my basic reading plans (if all goes well) beginning in the fall. 

            This project will be considered a “success” if students make improvements in their reading fluency.  I believe this will be an “easy-to-assess” assessment and will keep students motivated to want to be fluent readers.

All Things "Casting" Lab

Here is my introduction for the All Things "Casting" Lab.
http://jaycut.com/community/mixes/2U0KRHTAL/h264-mp4-medium.mp4?lhylem

Part A- Brainstorming Session

We just completed our brainstorming session for the Professional Development project in CEP812.
1.  Our group used Vyew (www.vyew.com) as a tool to carry on our text conference about using Publisher to create a news letter. 
2.  There were a few advantages to using this conferencing tool.  First, it was easy to navigate and it was free.  I noticed how easy it was to use the side bar to add text, cut, paste, and also move the text.  Also, I liked that there was an option to record our voices if we chose to do it that way.  There were also ways to video ourselves, which we will be able to try out in the future.
3.  I can only think of one disadvantage to this web conferencing tool.  It was hard to follow the conversation at times. People have the opportunity to write all over the page, so we kept stopping so that we could organize the text.  I actually think it would have been easier to do an audio capture with it so that people could follow easier. 

Here is the link to our web conference using Vyew.
www.msu.edu/~satovsk6/part3.swf

Final Reflection: CEP 811

1.    I’ve learned a couple things about effective teaching strategies when integrating technology.  First, and probably most important, be prepared.  Technology works differently depending on the computer you are using or the program you are running.  There is always a really good chance that a video clip that once worked on your home computer might not work on the computer you are using in the classroom.   On a more serious note, I’ve learned ways to incorporate technology into my teaching that I don’t actually have to present.  For example, a StAIR will allow students to learn a concept or practice something they have already learned using technology and I don’t need to be there telling them what to do.  Technology can be a great way to make learning more effective for students if used appropriately.  

2.      Integrating web-based technologies has helped me think about and evaluate uses of technology in different ways.  Some teachers might think that using Power Point to present information to students is a good way of incorporating technology into their teaching.  While this is technology, there are so many other ways to help students learn concepts.  Take wikis for example.  Students can contribute to an existing wiki or create their own to prove that they have understanding of a certain concept.  Other students can also get on to that wiki and contribute their information or edit what has been written.  It can be a great tool for collaboration as well as demonstrating understanding.  If a teacher is set on using Power Point, then there are ways to make the presentation more appropriate for a variety of different learning styles.  They should add video clips or even their own sound or voice-overs.  

3.   Personal Goals for Learning and Technology and Integration:

One of the things I really wanted to do before this class started was create a class web page.  I have one through my school district, but it is not a very good system- it is more of a holding place for information.  I was extremely excited to be able to use Weebly with such ease and most importantly, without taking so much time.  I was able to create a professional looking web site for my classroom and can use it to communicate information to families.  Another goal of mine was to be able to learn about some tools that would better incorporate technology with ease into my curriculum.  I have found tools like using wikis and creating a StAIR to be two things that I can use.

4.    I am not sure about new goals.  Right now I am still trying to take in everything I’ve learned and am trying to incorporate them into my teaching.  It is hard to imagine what else I can do right now, but hope that in the future I will be able to use technology in all areas of my teaching and that it will become second nature to think about technology when doing plans and designing lessons.

UDL Guidelines- Educator Checklist

After evaluating my lesson about generating writing topics with the UDL Educator Checklist, I feel a whole lot better about the lesson I created.  I have many more features than I had originally thought I would.  I am eager to go back and make additions to the lesson I created based on the barriers I found.  I am posting the link to it below.
Link to UDL Checklist

Evaluation of MERLOT Materials

Here is the link to the review I posted on MERLOT: 

http://www.merlot.org/merlot/viewComment.htm?id=520538&backPage=viewMaterial.htm%3Fid%3D293273&hitlistPage=%2Fcomments.htm%3Fmaterial%3D293273

I posted my review below as well.

Quality of Content

This software presents valid concepts, models and skills that students in elementary school need to learn.  For some students, learning to tell time and then practicing it, is difficult especially in a digital world.  The value of learning to tell time on an analog clock is priceless.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching-Learning Tool

This material can be used for practice- and allows for teachers or students to set it up according to their ability level (which is a plus).  Students should be able to tell time- analog to digital- and vice versa.  This will simply reinforce the material at their level.  Students will also be practicing telling time with words.  For example: "a quarter to 8" might be written at the top, then students will find the digital clock with 7:45 on it.

I have found this material useful for reinforcing the important skill of telling time.

Ease of Use

Students can access this from school and or home and have parents help them as well.  The only thing that is confusing is at the beginning when you have to set up your "character."  I also think the buttons to get started should be larger and more appealing to young children who are using this program.