A New Attitude Towards Teaching

As this course approaches its completion I have been thinking and reflecting on what I have learned over the past few months and how my understanding of teaching and learning has changed.  I have gleaned a lot of new information regarding the shift in education towards a 21st Century approach to instruction.  Prior to undertaking this course I had never heard of a “21st Century” education, however, I know fully understood what this concept means and have the utmost confidence that I am placing myself on a path to being confident enough to implement and use the strategies and tools that I have learned about.  Although, I admit that I still have a lot more learning to do in regards to a 21st Century education and the Web 2.0.  In spite of this, I am excited at the prospect of furthering my education in this domain because I realize the educational value that many of these tools bring to the classroom and the positive effects that they have on enhancing the learning experience and deepening a student’s understanding of the material.   

As previously stated, this course has proven to have a significant impact on my view of education and has changed my understanding of what teaching in the 21st Century means.  I think all teachers should inform themselves of these new practices and become more proficient in using them because they are continually proving to more effective at strengthening a student’s understanding. Teachers who refuse to adapt their teaching to reflect these changes in educational discourse are doing a great disservice to their students. With that in mind, I think it is important that teachers do not simply begin to use Web 2.0 tools without a rudimentary understanding of how they work because it may lead to confusion for the students and frustration for the teacher.  What teachers need to understand though is that they do not have to be complete experts in the tools that they implement.  I have found that the Web 2.0 lends itself to a two-way approach to education, as opposed to a traditional one-way exchange, in which the teacher learns alongside and sometimes from his/her students.

Personally, I plan to continue to grow my understanding of the 21st Century model of education.  My plan to do this includes taking more formal education that continues to build on the material from this course.  I also plan to continue to explore educator blogs and websites that are focused on the pursuit of furthering one’s understanding of this paradigm shift in education.   

Authored by: Jon

The Benefits of Video Conferencing for Students and Teachers

Video conferencing refers to the meeting between two or more participants using their computers, or other video supported devices, to transmit audio and video data to the other members of the meeting.  The popularity of video conferencing has gained a lot of popularity in the last several years as users continue to interconnect with people from all over the globe. As a professional tool video conferencing is proving to be an invaluable resource because of its ability to connect people in a more personal way when compared to other forms of communication such as emails or phones.  Furthermore, it is becoming a more preferred method of communication because it allows the users to connect with another and have a face to face conversation at virtually any time. From my own personal experience I know that a lot of school boards in isolated areas chose to use video conferencing as the primary interview method when interviewing prospective employees.  

Apart from being a useful form of conducting business or job interviews, video conferencing is also gaining popularity in education.  It is becoming a preferred method of teaching students in rural areas where teachers are not readily available.   Another useful application of video conferencing is to support material being learned in the classroom.  Using these tools, students can engage in virtual field trips to places that they are learning about in class and get a real sense of what these places are like in real life, as opposed to a description in a textbook or website.  

This Youtube video provides some additional insights into the benefits of video conferencing in schools.  

Authored by: Jon & Emily

Letter To Parents

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am excited to take on this new adventure with all of you. I have discussed with the students already but I would like to discuss this with everyone involved in the child’s life. Starting after March Break we will be having a ‘flipped classroom’ for math. With the Flipped Classroom essentially the students do the homework at school and the lectures/ lessons at home. Each week there is going to be three videos for students to watch that are going to be embedded on our class blog. Students will be given a schedule and the schedule will also be posted online to keep track with what they should be watching. Every weekend, Tuesday night and Thursday night students will be asked to watch the lessons on their own. The days following  the lesson we will be doing exercises, projects, assignments and discussion in class on lessons viewed previously. Having the students do their ‘homework’ at school and ‘lessons’ at home I believe we can get some meaningful work and learning completed.

This is something new to teaching and many of you may be concerned. Many of you may be questioning; ‘Is my child going to learn everything they need to?’ I believe the answer is YES! I have been doing some extensive research and here are some websites that have information and stats about the successes with the flipped classroom.

• Site #1
• Site #2
• Site #3

What I am asking of YOU the parents and guardians is that you join your child as much as possible while viewing the lessons at home. Also, engage with your child in a conversation after you watching the video to help him/her think and question their understanding and learning.

I think this opportunity will be very positive for you and your child. It is a great way to stay involved in your child’s schoolwork. Now you will know when you ask your child ‘What did you learn at school today?’.

I understand that not everyone may have access to a computer and internet at home. You may want to consider going to the library or community center with your child. I will also be downloading the video onto a USB. So if you don’t have internet but have a computer your child can sign out the USB for at home viewing. Lastly, I will be having computer lab openings for students and their parents every Monday morning from 7:45am to 8:30 am, Tuesday afternoon from 3:10 pm- 4:00 pm and Thursday afternoon from 3:10 pm- 4:00 pm. I hope one of these will be helpful to you if you are in need.

If you have any other questions or concerns. Please call me at the school.

Thank You,

Miss. Zwier

Video for Learning Resources

One website that provides videos to support learning and teaching is called Classroom Clips.  This website has been developed to provide users with additional resources  that can be used to reinforce and clarify concepts that are being learned in the classroom.  What I really liked about this website is that the videos were sorted by grade level and then broken down further by subject content.  Another website that uses video to reinforce learning is Zane Education.  This website is similar to other video based educational websites, however, what I thought was really unique about Zane Eduation was that it’s videos were accompanied by subtitles.  The website claims that videos with subtitles are extremely effective at developing stronger reading and literacy skills.  The only downside to this website is that full access to the video archives is reserved for subscribers only, which costs about $200.00 a year.  

Authored by: Jon

The Flipped Classroom: Parental Information

Dear Parent(s)/ Guardian(s),

I am sending this letter home with your child to explain to you a new teaching concept that we will be implementing in our classroom this year.  The new method of instructional approach that I will be using this year, in our classroom is called a Flipped Classroom.  This approach may be unfamiliar to you as it is a fairly novel approach to teaching.  The main concept behind this approach is that lesson instructions will be provided in video format and will be given to the student the night before.  Student’s will then come to school the next day and work on an assignment based on the previous nights lesson.   

One of the benefits of the flipped classroom is that it allows students to learn the material on their own time and at their own pace.  Student’s can view the video as many times as they like and are encouraged to speak with their parent(s)/guardian(s) or consult other internet resources for further clarification if there is something in the lesson that is confusing to them.  Another benefit of this approach is that the videos will always remain available for viewing, allowing students to review a previous lesson(s) before a test.  

The flipped classroom eliminates the traditional one-way, one-time approach to instruction.  Students will understand the lesson at a more meaningful level than what a one-time, one-way in class instructional approach offers.  It is also the hope that they will come to class with questions that otherwise may have been skipped over and never answered.

As eluded to earlier, after viewing the lesson the night before students will come to school they next day and will work on assignments that will reinforce what they have already learned.  By learning the concept at home and doing the assignment in class the idea of “homework” is flipped so that work that would traditionally be assigned for homework can be completed in class with the assistance and expertise of the teacher.   

As an initial introduction to the flipped classroom I have instructed the students to view this Khan Academy video explaining long division.  The link to the video is  http://goo.gl/UwtPpA.  To watch this video, simply type the link into the address bar of your internet browser.  I encourage you to watch this video with your child and help clarify any areas of the instructions that are giving her/him problems.

I will be primarily using Khan Academy for my instructional videos throughout the year.  However, there are additional websites that provide the same services as Khan Academy that I will be using occasionally.  These additional sites are Teachertube (http://goo.gl/e7d9NH) and Edutopia (http://goo.gl/9AVDsT).  I encourage you to explore these sites with your child so you both may familiarize yourselves with them.

Finally, I am sensitive to the fact that home internet access may not be available for everyone.  However, the public library as well as the community centre both have computers that can be used to access these websites.  

If you have any additional questions or concerns please feel free to contact me so we can discuss this exciting opportunity.  

Sincerely,

Mr. Hiller

Audio Creations

Name of Activity/ Lesson	Target Grade Level	Task
Interview	All Grades (grade level will just determine support and detail into the assignment)	Students will be asked to interview someone. Based on what your studying you may ask students to interview an elder, grandparent, historian, athlete, idol etc. Once students pick who they are going to interview students will use a audio recording program such as; Chirbit, KidCast.com, Yodio or VoiceThread. VoiceThread or Yodio may be good for the older students as they can add audio to pictures and make it more as a presentation. It may be a good idea for students to prepare questions before doing their interview for a guide.
Read to Assess	All Grades	Teachers may want to record students reading for many reasons. Firstly, the teacher can use it for assessment and parent teacher interviews. Next, the students then can hear themselves reading which is a good way for them to reflect on their progress. And lastly, many new teachers may find it beneficial when doing running records. If the teacher records the student reading they will be able to go back to it for filling out the running record to make sure they did not miss anything.
Audio Notes	All Grades	Teachers can record their notes for the day for multiple reasons. Teachers can audio record their notes for students with special needs; such as visual and attention difficulty. Students with visual needs would be able to listen to the recording in order to learn the lesson and may be able to use the recording to write their own notes at their own pace. Students with attention difficulty can listen to the notes at their own pace and maybe in another area where there is less distractions. Also, all students could benefit from the recorded notes if they were accessible on a class blog for when the students are at home working on homework and studying.
Field Trip Recording	All Grades	Have students bring a recording device with them on a field trip. SInce they would most likely be not able to access wifi the entire time they may need to use an offline recording device. Students can record what they are being taught on the field trip for notes. Another student could be taking pictures throughout the day. Following the field trip students can collaborate their findings to make a audio visual presentation with sliderocket or prezi.
Audio Tour of School	Junior, Intermediate and High School	Have students make an audio tour of the school that can be recorded and replayed for people coming to see the school. This may be a good task for high school students in a technology class to allow the school to use for when the upcoming grade 9’s come to visit the school with their parents.

Podcasting and Audio Tools For the Classroom

In order for teachers to remain relevant and current in their classroom they must continue to embrace new tools and resources that enable them to provide dynamic and meaningful lessons.  With the emergence of the the Web 2.0 and the shift towards a 21st Century approach to teaching teachers must remain up to date on the newest trends in teaching.  While I admit that not all new tech trends will lend themselves to the classroom I believe that Podcasting and other audio tools create a unique chance for teachers to engage students and make them active participants in their own education.  The following are 5 classroom activities that incorporate Podcasting and other audio tools into your daily teaching routine:

1. One way to incorporate Podcasting into a classroom activity is to have student create a fictional commercial aimed at attracting immigrants to settle in their particular city.  The students could use existing photos or videos of their city or use photos or videos that they have shot, and pair this with an audio description of why their city of town would be a good place for an immigrant to settle.  We believe that this activity would work best with grades 7-8.
   
   
2. For teachers who are interested in integrating a more blended approach to learning they could record  lesson instructions audioally and upload these instructions to a class Edmodo page or Facebook page.  Furthermore, the teacher could also differentiate this lesson by providing different audio instructions for students that need accommodations and simply send them these instructions as a private message.  This is also a great way to keep parents involved because they can listen to the instructions with their child and assist them if they need any.  Furthermore, by recording the instructions and uploading them to a Facebook or Edmodo page, students who absent from school can still complete the assignment because they can access the instructions from anywhere.  
   
   
3. When traveling on a field trip students can use an Ipod, tablet or other digital recording device to take audio  notes and a digital camera to take pictures.  At school the next day, students can slide show software such as Powerpoint or Sliderocket to create a slideshow that acts as a guided tour of the trip.  Students can then upload their slideshow to Slideshare for others to access.This is a fun and novel way for students to demonstrate what they learned on the trip, while at the same time giving the teacher feedback on the merits of the trip.This activity would be useful for students from grade 5 and up.
   
   
4. Record students reading a story in a group.  Each student can have a different role.   Would be good for younger grades to practice reading skills and then be able to hear their voice reading the story.  Older grades could do a similar activity and focus on manipulating their voices to display punctuation and emotion.  Even older grades can write their own story, record it and use a program like imovie or other video editing software to create a digital animation to accompany their video.
   
   
5. When teaching students how to write for a specific audience the teacher could have them write a children’s story.  They could then record the story using a digital recording device and then make a short movie using iMovie or other video editing software that pairs their audio recording with digital characters.  

Authored by: Jon

Google Apps vs. Microsoft Office Online

In this post we both looked at Google Apps as well as Microsoft Office Online and compared the merits of both of these programs.  Below we have provided a chart that outlines both the unique and shared features of each of these cloud based applications.  While some of the information below are our own observations we also included information from TechRepublic US and Infoworld.  For a more in depth review of the applications we encourage readers to check out the links above.  

Google Apps	Both	Microsoft Office Online
Collaboration with others is appealing through Google docs. As multiple people are able to work on the same document at once. 15GB of Free Storage Most people will have to experiment with the program as it will be a bit different to other computer office tools that they typically use. Social Networking on Google apps is called Google+. This program has similarities to Facebook. Google hangouts is useful because you are able to instant message and video chat with a group of people all at once.	Word Processing -Google (docs) and Microsoft Office Online (Word) Spreadsheets- Google (sheets) and Microsoft Office Online (Excel) Presentations- Google (Slides) and Microsoft Office Online (PowerPoint) Email- Google (Gmail) and Microsoft Office Online (Outlook) Web Pages- Google (Sites) and Microsoft Office Online (SharePoint) Storage: Google (Drive) and Microsoft Office Online (Skydrive) Instant Messaging- Google (Talk) and Microsoft Office Online (Lync) Video Conferencing- Google (Hangouts) and Microsoft Office Online (Lync) Social Networks- Google (Google+) and Microsoft Office Online (So.cl) Note Taking:Google (keep) and Microsoft Office Online (OneNote)	Will be familiar to most users as Microsoft software is frequently used on computers. Individuals will be able to adapt easily however not all the same features are on the online version. 7GB of Free storage Microsoft is easier to use on mobile devices. Social networking on Microsoft office is called So.cl. This program is fairly unknown.

There are obviously various pros and cons to each application and we feel that there was no clear cut winner for someone looking to use these applications at a basic level.  In the end it would come down to a preference for operating systems that we think would make the biggest difference when choosing which application to use.  

Authored by: Emily and Jon

6 Great Tools and Resources for Increasing Student Engagement

Edmodo

The first educational resource that we are reviewing is called Edmodo.  Edmodo is a social learning website that attempts to connect teachers, students and parents from around the world in a safe and collaborative platform.  The creators of the website envision this resource as the Facebook for schools.  Similar to Facebook this tools requires user to register a username, which allows them access to the various resource available on the site.  What we thought was particularly useful about this website is that is allows the classroom teacher a create class page, that students and parents can join, in the same way they would join a Facebook group.  What we really liked about the idea of a group dedicated to a classroom is that the website allows users to post comments or link interesting or helpful articles to the page for the other users to view.  The teacher also has the ability to create and upload assignments or quizzes to the page for students to complete.  This is a great function for a teacher who is interested in creating a blended classroom, as it allows students to access assignments from remote locations and upload their completed work to the page.  The group page is also a great way to keep parents informed on what is happening in the class because teachers or students can easily communicate about what happened in class that day or any upcoming events events that may be pertinent to them.        

The website also has a “Discover” option which we thought of as Pinterest for education.  Users from around the globe can upload lessons or units on any subject and topic and have them available for other users to use.  Teachers and students can also upload these resources to the group page for other members of the group to browse.  

VoiceThread

Another great Web 2.0 tool that gets students involved in the learning process and makes them active participants in their education is VoiceThread.  VoiceThread is an interactive collaborative website that allows users to upload images, videos or text documents.  Although there are other websites with based on a similar concept, what we thought made VoiceThread unique was its ability to allow other users to comment on or add voice, text or audio to previously uploaded content.  In a similar review of this tool the New Jersey Education association noted that VoiceThread is a great way for students with hearing impairment to comment using sign language and webcam commenting.  The other great thing about VoiceThread is that the sites allows the users to control who is able to view their videos, so students using this tool for a class project can choose to share their work with just their classmates if they do not feel comfortable making their video completely public.  

Here are some great examples of how VoiceThread is being used in classrooms around the world. http://ed.voicethread.com/myvoice/#browse

Bubbl.us

Bubbl.us is a Web 2.0 tool that allows its users to create brainstorming and mind mapping diagrams right on the website.  We think this tool would be very useful in a classroom to help students organize their thoughts.  Furthermore, it also provides the teacher with a simple visual that allows them to determine if students are on the right path prior to undertaking a research project.   For example, using the Bubbl.us mind map below, a teacher could determine if a student has included all of the important information for research into Thanksgiving before he or she actually starts the project, and if something is committed it can easily be edited into the mind map.  

  

This Image was borrowed from: http://www.teachers.cr.k12.de.us/%7Egalgano/bubblus_ex.jpg

There are however, a few downsides to this tool.  The first is that users are only able to create 3 free mind maps and after that must pay for either a monthly, yearly or team membership.  Because of this, we feel that Bubbl.us is not very piratical for daily use in a classroom unless your school or distrcit has purchased a team membership.  Another disadvantage is that there are no privacy controls to allow users to restrict who is able to view their mind maps.  Once it is posted anyone can search and view your mind map.  Thus, it would be important to ensure students did not include any personal information when posting their map.  

Prezi

Prezi is a fun web 2.0 tool to do presentations. We see it as fun, yer professional way of creating great presentations. Emily has used this tool in university for presentations and she has enjoyed the things it has to offer. Prezi is a cloud-based program which makes it handy for users as they can log onto their website anywhere, anytime and work on their presentation. Prezi makes presentations more exciting and the ability to zoom in and out on objects is neat as you can emphasize certain things. Prezi also allows viewers to see the presentation which is nice because you can see the whole picture of the story. Below is a quick introduction video to the world of Prezi.

Blabberize

The fifth web 2.0 tool we looked at and test was Blabberize. Emily made an account to look at a little deeper and had a fun time with it. With Blabberize you can take your saved photos and put a voice to through the mic on your computer, prerecorded voices or through your phone. The tool was easy to use and we think would be appealing to many students. From a early years perspective, teachers could use this when using photos for documentation and have the students put a voice to it to give the photo a story. Teachers could either teach students how to use it or they could do the recording with the students and the student could explain what is happening in the photo. This could be a form of assessment. Teachers and Parents can become friends on Blabberize and share their students work or they teacher can pull up the photos during parent teacher interviews. I think parents and teachers will benefit from hearing the students’ stories behind each photo.

Storybird

Lastly, we looked at Storybird. We both love this web 2.0 tool as it allows students to put their writing into a digital book with pictures. As kids we both remember being asked to write stories but rarely having the opportunity of putting images to it. With Storybird students are able to publish their writing with attractive pictures to go along with it. We think by making the students aware that they get to publish their work gives them an incentive to work harder and keep their interest sustained, while completing an assignment. Once students become aware of the program it may encourage more writing in students. For Jon last year he used this tool in his class to make a story as an entire class. They were all excited to participate in the activity and see their work. For one of his students he enjoyed it so much he had his parents sign him up for the program at home to make more stories on his own.

Authored by Emily and Jon

Models of Blended Learning

Primary

Blended learning in the Primary level looks a lot different than what it might look like at an Intermediate or Senior level.  At this level there is a much greater emphasis placed on a model of blended learning that centres around a teacher guided approach.  Blended learning in the primary grades might be having classroom centres, that the students move through, and one of the centres being technology based.  In the world of blended learning this is what is known as the rotation model.

Example 1:
In my class last year we used centres to teach math and one of the centres that the students rotated through was an Ipad centre.  With the help and guidance of my TA students would play math based games on the Ipad that reinforced the concepts we were working on in that particular unit.  I believe that this enhances the learning of the students because it gives them a fun and engaging way to practice the concepts that we were learning in class and allowed them to strengthen their math skills in a new and novel way.  I also really liked using the Ipads because the students were able to play games that were at their level of understanding.  That is why the classroom TA was placed at this station, so that she could monitor the students, assist them with any questions and ensure that they were playing games that challenged their current levels of understanding.

Example 2:
In my class last year my Junior Kindergarten Students had opportunity to connect with students in Ontario through Skype. The students were exposed to another culture through the internet. Since all my students are First Nation and most do not leave the community often or at all they were able to see and connect with people who live differently than them. Along with Skyping we sent pictures of our community. This experience I believe was eye opening and exciting for both parties as they both had so much to share.


Junior

Example 1:
Through reading various articles about blended learning I came across a website that I think is a fantastic way to encourage reading comprehension.  I had never heard of this website before this, but I truly believe that this is an amazing way to motivate students to become more proficient readers and writers.  Furthermore, it allows the teacher to demonstrate to his/her students the global connectedness the Internet bring us and a good teaching moment to demonstrate safe sharing of information on the Internet.

The website is called The Monster Exchange.  The following description of this program is taken directly from this website:

“Monster Exchange is designed to encourage the development of reading and writing skills while integrating Internet technology into the classroom curriculum. Classrooms from a variety of schools worldwide are paired together; the students in each classroom are split into groups, each of which designs an original picture of a monster. The students must then write a description of the monster. The partnered classes then exchange their descriptions via e-mail and the Internet. These students are then challenged to use reading comprehension skills to read the descriptions and translate them into a monster picture. The true challenge involves creating a redrawn picture as close to the original picture as possible without looking at the original and using only the written description of the monster.”

Although this website is appropriate for grades K-8 I think it would work best in conjunction with a descriptive writing lesson for grade 5.  I think that a lesson that used the Monster Exchange to teach descriptive writing would truly enhance the learning experience because, not only would the students be really motivated to and intrigued by this lesson, it would also motivate them to really put a lot of effort into their description so that they could ensure that the person who is reading the description on the website is able to produce a monster that is similar to theirs.

Example 2:

Another example might be using a site like glogster. The teacher could put the information needed to learn a specific lesson and then the students can explore the Glog to learn. I used glogster in my grade 5/ 6 practicum class to teach about the Canadian Government. The students went on the Glog and I had a worksheet for them to fill out as they explored the Glog. The glog seemed engaging as it had videos, tests and articles for them to read. I used the worksheet to keep the students on task and give them a guide for their learning. Do you know any other suitable ways to test the students knowledge while exploring the Glog?

Here is a link to the Glog: http://ezwier.edu.glogster.com/canadian-government-grade-5-6/

Intermediate

At this stage of their learning the students have more independence and can be expected-if they chose to- to complete work with little face to face interaction with a teacher and outside the confines of a brick and mortar campus.

Example 1:

A website called the “Clayton Christensen Institute for Disruptive Innovation” details many examples of blended learning from all across the United States ranging from the K-12 classroom.  One good example of blended learning, detailed on this website, at the intermediate level comes from the Albuquerque eCADEMY.  The following is a description of this program takes from the website:

“At the Albuquerque eCADEMY, students in grades 8–12 meet face-to-face with teachers for their first course meeting at a brick-and mortar location. They can complete the rest of their coursework remotely, if they prefer, as long as they maintain at least a “C” grade point average in the program.”

What is good about this approach is that: first it offers the students the option of either completing the course at the brick-and mortar campus or from a remote location off campus.  This is useful because it allows the students who may be struggling the option of working, face-to-face with a teacher to give them further guidance Second, the condition that they can continue the course from a remote location if they maintain a “C” average  because it acts as a safety net.  Before a student has fallen too far behind to catch up, this condition ensures that are being monitored and will be given the proper support if they struggle.

I think this enhances the learning experiences because it offers students the independence to go about the course work at their own pace and the freedom to do it whenever they want.  I also think this model offers a good balance and gives students who may not prefer an online course the option of a traditional means of instruction.
Although we do like this approach, there are several questions that we have.  First, is the course fluid in terms of the delivery method?  By this we mean that can students alternate between taking the course online and in the classroom or are they forced to stick with their choice unless they are struggling.  Second, is the course that is offered at the brick-and mortar location still based on computers, with the teacher supervising them or is it more like a traditional classroom with the teacher delivering lessons and the students using pencil and paper methods?

Example 2:

At the Intermediate age the students are becoming more independent and becoming responsible for their learning. They soon will be moving onto University or College where they will have full responsibility for their learning. Since this is the case the teacher is trying to get the students to start exploring and researching on their own. A way that they could do this through blended learning is giving the students a Math Topic. Then ask them to use the computer to find out how to do perform the appropriate operations. The teacher could lead the students to a site such as Khan Academy to assist with the assignment. After giving time for research the students could come back and present what they learned about the topic.
By having the students present their understanding the teacher can make the appropriate adjustments to where they should begin their teaching. If the students seem to grasp the concept well s/he can move onto a more difficult task. Or if s/he only see’s some students struggling she can make sure s/he puts the appropriate accommodations into her lessons.