Poll Everywhere

Poll Everywhere is a fun and quick way to take a poll by texting a certain code to poll everywhere.
It was super easy to create the poll.  All I had to do was chose the question and how it would be answered and everything else was done for me.

It seems that almost every student in Middle school and above has a cell phone and would be able to take a poll if requested.

My Poll about seasons.



NETS:
Poll everywhere could fit into NETS #5 - teachers could use a quick poll at the end of class as a formative assessment about how the students felt class was.  Questions could ask if there was still confusion - or what topic should be reviewed again.

Google Forms 1

The assigned activity this week was to create a survey using Google Forms and link the survey to a spreadsheet to compile the user input while taking the survey.

When I first read about the requirements for this activity I thought it was going to be a tough one with many detailed steps.  Turns out google forms makes it so easy with the templates and question types set up.  Also, being able to easily collect the answers for later evaluation is a big plus.

As a teacher, putting short surveys on the homework webpage and asking students to provide quick feedback on how they felt about the homework would be interesting.

I created the following survey about amusement rides.



To take this survey online instead of through the blog post, please use this link.

Survey responses can be seen with this link.

Nets:
5:  Teachers could exhibit leadership in their schools by using google forms to demonstrate the effectiveness of digital tools.  Teachers could use survey forms to get students, other teachers and parents involved in fun learning activities.

Jeopardy Labs

This activity required us to create a jeopardy game to play in the classroom.  I chose questions from the Governor's Race prep and made a game for my son to practice with.

I thought the jeopardy application was very easy and didn't have any problem entering my questions and answers into the table.

To play the game please use this link.

Nets: 

This activity is connected with NETS 2a.  The game allows the use of a digital tool to promote student learning and creativity.

Prezi

In this activity we were asked to create a Prezi which included text, images and video.  I really enjoyed creating this Prezi and chose to do the life cycle of a butterfly because it is a topic covered in 2nd grade each year.  I started with a basic template because the background fit so well with my topic.  I was able to embellish the template with additional frames.  I didn't find any part of this assignment difficult.  I think Prezi gets easier as you use it.  In my opinion, editing text is the most confusing part.

I had a little difficulty embedding the Prezi into my blog because I'm not able to see the Prezi on the 'edit post' area.  Only after I publish and view the blog am I able to see the actual Prezi.  This is confusing and I tried many times to get the embedding code into the HTML correctly before realizing this issue.

In any case, here is my Prezi...



NETS:
The nets covered would include 2b by using Prezi to develop technology-enriched learning opportunities and also 3c by communicating relevant information and ideas to students through interesting digital media.

Prezume

The activity this week was to create a resume using the Prezi presentation program.  Prezi provides a very creative way to generate a presentation.  I have used Prezi before for a short presentation in school but would not have thought to use it for a resume.  I'm still not 100% convinced that I would provide a potential employer only a link when applying for a job but perhaps a pdf and a Prezi link would intrigue an employer.

When creating  My Resume  I found Prezi to be a bit picky and cumbersome.  For example when inserting text if I wanted to move the text box I had to click out to get the hand but had to click into the edit mode to change the text size.  So to get things positioned correctly, I felt that I was going back and forth in and out of edit mode.

Prezi presentations actually make me a bit dizzy but I can understand why young kids would enjoy the movement and creativity of the program.

NETS:
3c - Prezi presentations help to communicate relevant information and ideas to students different technology.

PPT 1

Cause and effect 

For this activity we had to create a powerpoint that would hold an audience's attention.  Something different than an old boring, bullet point slide show.  I am pretty familiar with powerpoint so making the slides wasn't a big issue for me.  What took the most time for me was finding images that I wanted to use from the internet.

I decided on a very simple topic of Cause and Effect.  I have taught the topic before to second graders and I thought having a visual representation of the idea would go along way in helping them to understand.  After gathering the images, the slide show assembly went pretty fast.  I didn't use a lot of text so there wasn't too much to format, etc.

I already had a DropBox account so I didn't have to create a new one to save my Cause and Effect PowerPoint.

After I saved the powerpoint the difficulties began.  I was working in PowerPoint 2013 and after saving to drop box I wanted to access the <embed> code so I could paste the slideshow into my blog.  Turns out there was a change from PowerPoint 2010 to 2013 and the Share > Embed menu item is no longer there.  So I started down a long path in trying to figure out how to get this embeded in to my blog.  Finally I used a website called SlideShare which let me upload my PowerPoint and create the necessary HTML code to paste into my blog.

These steps took a few tries.  My slides looked perfect in PowerPoint but after uploading and embedding some of the text had shifted and things were a bit botched.  I repeated the process a few times but there are still one or two slides were words are out of place.  I'm not sure what to do differently to prevent or change that.

NETS 3 applies to this activity because Powerpoint is a great tool for teachers to use to teach digitally to their students.

Paper Revise

This assignment gave us the opportunity to correct any errors in our APA papers and then re-format them in a different way.

I wasn't aware that each submission into a journal might potentially require a different format, so that was an interesting tidbit of information.  I don't know how this activity will help in the classroom, exactly, but it did help improve my comfort level with Word.

APA Format Mini-paper

I must admit I'm not sure if we are supposed to blog about our APA mini-paper formatting or not.  I didn't create a post when I submitted the paper but thought I'd better go back and update my blog just in case.

I have a love/hate relationship with APA formatting.  I understand there should be some standard for the multitude of papers created by people for research or educational purposes.  It is nice that the title pages and references all conform to a specific format.  On the other hand, I think APA is a bit extreme.  For example, centering a table vs. left justifying it.  In my mind, that doesn't need to be a rule. 

Although programs like Word have made writing in APA format easier with pre-formatting and citation building processes, I still dread the thought of writing APA papers.

Google Docs - Uploading my Resume

For this activity we were asked to either create or upload an existing version of our current resume.  Luckily, I had just worked to update my resume so I had a copy prepared and ready to upload.  Typically I save my resume in pdf format because I use an older copy of Word and I'm a bit nervous that each person who views the file will see the formatting in a different way.  Saving in pdf helps to resolve the formatting issue.

Google Docs is an extremely useful tool in school and in the corporate world.  Gone are the days when each coworker had a different version of a spreadsheet.  Now updating information is easy and can be shared by all.  Although I haven't used the functionality yet, the invite feature is interesting.  It seems that instead of sharing a link, individuals can be invited to view the document.

NETS:
3d - Google Docs help teachers utilize work processes in a digital environment.  Information shared can be evaluated and used to support teaching and learning.

Numbers 1.4 - Hypothesis Testing

In this activity we learned how to formulate and test a hypothesis using a t-test analysis.  Given the data of reading scores across various demographic groups of 8th grade students, we were to determine if there was a statistically significant difference between scores of:

• White students compared to Black students
• White students compared to Hispanic students
• Hispanic students compared to Black students

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For the first test, the categorical independent variable is ethnicity (white/black only) and the continuous dependent variable is NAEP 2013 8th Grade state reading averages.

Null Hypothesis: Ethnicity (Black or White) has no impact on 8th grade reading performance.

From the t-test results (p < 0.5) we can reject the null that being a black or white student has no impact on reading performance.  Black/White ethnicity does have an impact and we have a 95% confidence that if the test was repeated we would arrive at the same results.

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For the second test, the categorical independent variable is ethnicity (white/hispanic only) and the continuous dependent variable is NAEP 2013 8th Grade state reading averages.

Null Hypothesis: Ethnicity (White or Hispanic) has no impact on 8th grade reading performance.

From the t-test results (p < 0.5) we can reject the null that being a white or hispanic student has no impact on reading performance.  White/Hispanic ethnicity does have an impact and we have a 95% confidence that if the test was repeated we would arrive at the same results.

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For the third test, the categorical independent variable is ethnicity (Hispanic/Black only) and the continuous dependent variable is NAEP 2013 8th Grade state reading averages.

Null Hypothesis: Ethnicity (Hispanic or Black) has no impact on 8th grade reading performance.

From the t-test results (p < 0.5) we can reject the null that being a hispanic or black student has no impact on reading performance.  Hispanic/Black ethnicity does have an impact and we have a 95% confidence that if the test was repeated we would arrive at the same results.

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From each of the separate t-tests we can reject the Null Hypothesis.  There is a statistical significance among the ethnic groups in regards to reading scores.

If I were going to present this information in APA format I would be sure to show all the data, the descriptive statistics and how the p value was determined.  I would state the Null hypothesis and explain if the t-test had shown whether the null hypothesis could be rejected or not.  I would also include any graphs that would aid the reader in understanding the data results.

NETS: 

3d - T-tests can be used to evaluate groups of students to determine significant factors with test scores or other variables.

Numbers 1.3 - Descriptive Statistics

In this activity we needed to download an existing spreadsheet, do some statistical analysis on the data, create a graph and use it to analyze information.  Downloading the spreadsheet was not a problem, however, I found out having a Mac was not optimal for the statistical analysis.  It would have been nice to use the Data Analysis Toolpak that was available to Windows users.  I was able to get some of the statistics easily with functions, but some I had to google and figure out on my own.  In the end, I ended up doing most of the calculating by hand to verify the output because I just didn't quite trust that I was using the formulas correctly.

According to the descriptive statistics females have a high mean score on the 8th grade reading assessments.

After graphing the results for all students in all states, we can see that Virginia is almost in the middle of the pack with 23 testing regions/states scoring higher and 28 testing regions/states.  Virginia comes out just above the average score.

 If it is too difficult to read the state data in the graph above, the original spreadsheet can be found here.

NETS:
3d - Using information resources to support research and teaching.  Knowledge of the descriptive statistics availability will be helpful for many applications.

Numbers 1.2 - Determine Letter Grade using IF Function

In this activity we needed to use a nested IF statement to have Excel take a numerical grade and convert it into a letter grade (A-F).  Getting the formula working was a bit tricky.  I don't remember working with IF functions before so the first few times I tried, I wasn't able to get the correct outcome.  All those open and close parenthesis were tricky!

For some reason the Excel help feature was not working on my laptop.  I'm wondering if it didn't get loaded with the software for some reason.  When searching 'If Function' I was getting no items in the help contents at all.  So, I was relieved that Dr. Pierce offered this link on the assignment sheet to look at the formula.  From the example I was able to set up the IF statement and got it working.

Must be a difficult class.  No one got an 'A' for the semester.

My Grade spreadsheet can be found on Google Docs.

NETS:
3d:  As a teacher, using Excel as a grade book makes use of current digital tools to analyze and evaluate students' learning.

Numbers (Excel) 1.1 - Grade Book Activity

In the first Numbers (Excel) spreadsheet activity, we manipulated data with formulas, did a lot of formatting and copying, and created a bar chart.  Most of these steps I had done before but it has been a while so my skills were definitely a bit rusty.  I was able to download the spreadsheet and create the functions for Average, Min, Max and Range without any issue.  I was aware of the handle trick and have used it often in the past, so copying the formulas across the columns for each 'Term' worksheet went pretty quickly.  I had forgotten about the format painter, so using that was a good refresh for my memory.

Next we created another worksheet to contain the Semester Final Grades.  I don't remember creating a formula that spanned worksheets in the past, so I wondered how it was going to go.  I was pleasantly surprised when I used the Average function on one worksheet and was able to click around to the other sheets to select the cells I needed to add as part of the formula.  Easy peasy.  Isn't technology great!

Creating the bar chart gave me a bit of a headache.  I selected the range of names and the range of scores and got a CRAZY looking graph like this:

I don't know what the heck that was.  It wasn't exactly what I was expecting.  I had to format the chart a bit, change axis data and play around to turn it into a usable chart.

After all the movin' and shakin' I was able to upload my Excel Grade spreadsheet to Google drive in case you are dying to have a look :)

I realize the uses for excel are limitless and with access on Google drive there isn't any expensive software to buy.  I assume teachers are using excel to keep track of grades, however I wonder -  with new internet databases for grade-keeping, such as Clarity, will teachers continue to use the program.  I supposed time will tell.

NETS:

3c - Excel could be used to communicate information to students, parents, and peers.

3d - Data is excel can be manipulated in different ways to analyze and evaluate scores and other information to support learning.

Using Screencast-O-Matic

Screencast-O-Matic is an interesting tool that captures on-screen movements and records them to video.  For this activity we put Screencast-O-Matic to use by creating a short 'how-to' video.  I chose to download the application instead of leaving an internet connection open while recording my video.

I decided to find and record a tip that I didn't know about so I could learn two new things.  I found that the Spotlight tool on the Mac computer does many cool things so I recorded some of the possibilities.

I had to play around with the screen recording and needed to start, stop, delete, and restart quite a few times before getting everything just right.  I found that it took quite a bit of planning to have the my screen prepared and all the steps I wanted to cover laid out.  After planning and having examples ready, etc - I was able to record with no technical difficulties.

After creating the video I was able to upload it to YouTube (Video on YouTube) and then embed it quite easily onto my blog.

NETS:
2a - Design videos as learning activities using digital tools.
2d - Use videos as alternative assessments.  Students could create a video, showing what they have learned.

Jing Screencast

The ability to capture small snipits if videos could be very helpful in class.  In this activity we used Jing to capture a video of a useful tip or trick.  I chose a short video on how to fold an 8-page booklet from a piece of paper.  Students could use the booklet to take notes or for a creative writing assignment.

The Foldable Screencast video is very short and I would most likely play it in a loop in the classroom.  A loop would allow students to follow along and then watch as many times as necessary while working on the booklet.

Jing is a great little tool and I have already used it many times.  I think having the little ray of sunshine on my desktop helps to remind me to use it often.

NETS:
3b: short video clips can be used to support student learning by providing relevant information.

Posting on the Padlet (Get a Video)

For this activity, I used Padlet to post ideas on how to use a video from YouTube if there was no internet access.  The class Padlet wall had some ideas posted already and I was easily able to click anywhere on the wall and add my own comment.  I appreciate not having to download anything on my computer to use this application and can think of many ideas for using it in the classroom.

One thing that comes to mind for classroom use is literature groups.  Being able to access the Padlet wall at home means Padlet can also be integrated into homework assignments.

Here is an interesting website to get additional ideas for using Padlet in the classroom.

NETS:
3b: Padlet is the perfect digital tool for collaboration among students, peers and other groups.
2d: Padlet could be used as a digital portfolio for alternate forms of assessment.

Wordle - American Revolution

As a current substitute I move through various topics each day.  This afternoon the forth graders happened to be studying the American Revolution.  I created the following American Revolution Wordle from their study guide and the terms we were discussing.

The visual representation would be helpful for students who are visual learners and would benefit from seeing information summed up in a graphical way.

Wordle Word Clouds

I love the Wordle word clouds.  Wordle is a wonderfully visual way to draw attention to important pieces of information that might otherwise get burried. I have seen Wordle used in schools often.  Recently students created a personal Wordle by entering characteristics that applied only to them.

As for using Wordle myself... I had some difficulty getting the Java plug in to work on my computer.  I am using a Mac OS with Google Chrome and according to my friendly error message, Chrome does not support Java 7 on a Mac OS.  So... I had to do all Wordle creating in Safari instead.  No biggie - just something to remember for the future.

NETS T 2000 Standards Wordle:

NETS T 2000 Wordle

NETS T 2008 Standards Wordle:

NETS T 2008 Wordle

Visually, it seems there is a focus shift from teacher-focused in 2000 to student-focused in 2008.
Also, learning seems to be a bigger focus in 2008, although it was important in 2000, and 2008 standards are worded more in 'digital' terms than in 'technology' terms.

NETS:
1c - Wordle could be used as a tool to clarify a student's conceptual understanding of a topic.
3d - Wordle would be helpful, digital tool in analyzing important information from a vast amount of text.

Self Portrait

The self portrait assignment on Picasso was quite entertaining.  I didn't really have any issues getting it to work or creating the portrait.  I found the directions very user-friendly.  Each facial feature had it's own category for the most part and it was easy to delete, move, rotate, etc.

I played with the tool quite a while before saying enough and saving this image. It doesn't look a think like me :)

I think students would have a ball doing this in class.  It is a perfect exercise for learning descriptive words.  One option would be for the teacher to provide the description and have the students create the portrait.  Another option might be for the students to create a portrait and then write a story about the character.

NETS:
1a - This activity would promote creative an innovative thinking.

Jing Image

The Jing image capture and annotation application is a very useful and user-friendly tool.  It was quite easy to understand the tools and use them in various ways.  The Sunshine menu on the corner of the computer screen is clever and is a constant reminder of the image capture capability just hanging out, waiting to be used.

I can imagine using this in the classroom often.  Perhaps to point out specific facts about an item or even create a graphic organizer by leaving the text boxes blank and having the students fill them in.  I appreciated the ease of use because students would be able to pick this up quickly and would enjoy using it for assignments.  Jing is certainly a benefit to visual learners like myself.

I used Jing to create the math study image shown below.  I find using visual tools to break apart information is extremely helpful in the learning process.

NETS used:
2a: Design lesson plans using Jing to promote student learning and creativity.
3d: Model use of current tools like Jing to locate and evaluate information.

Zoom Videoconference Tool

I was able to download the Zoom tool without any problem.  I hosted a video chat and invited Dr. Pierce but then my son called and I had to run.  Later I was able to host another chat and invite a classmate.  We investigated how to share our desktop with each other and how to move around in Zoom a little bit.

Zoom seems like it would be a useful tool in the classroom to video chat with people in different parts of the country or the world.  Having the capability to show items on your computer while discussing them in 'person' is a plus.  I would have to consider pros and cons for using Zoom with something like parent/teacher conferences.  While video conferencing is a useful tool, being face to face with a person and reading body language is also important.

NETS:
3b - Zoom can be used to collaborate with students, peers, parents, etc. in the classroom for lessons.
3c - Zoom could be used for meetings to communicate important information to parents or other teachers.

Organizing with Diigo

I have used Diigo in the past to bookmark articles for a paper.  I had not organized lists or tags so I took time to play around in Diigo today.  In my library I created a list to hold the articles I used in the past, a new list for another paper I will be writing this semester, and a list for classroom technology ideas.  The highlighting feature is extremely helpful.  I can imagine using it frequently.  Diigo is the perfect place to bookmark all the articles I'm interested and with the highlighted text there won't be a need to reread quite as much.

I am using Google Chrome on a Mac computer and didn't have any issues with the Diigolet.  The only other add on I've used is Pinterest. However, during my digging in the Diigo information I found information on Awesome Screenshot: Capture & Annotate.  It is an add on which can be used to capture an image of a webpage and annotate it - like this...

It is possible to capture all or a piece of a web page and then add circles, arrows, smudge outs, etc.

Using Diigo to organize websites and Awesome Screenshot to capture images from the sites could come in very handy in the classroom.  Students could be directed to specific sites from the Diigo library and then could use the capture zoom in and share pertinent information.

I am looking forward to using the collaboration and groups feature in Diigo in the classroom.

NETS addressed:
1c - Use collaborative tools to promote critical thinking and creativity.
Also - NETS 4 - Modeling good digital citizenship and responsibility - when collaborating.

Millennial Survey

I scored a 71 on the Millennial Survey I was actually surprised it wasn't higher considering I am pretty techno savvy and like to have fun gadgets.  I suppose the score isn't all about technology considering the questions regarding political views and religion.  For example, I wonder if leading a 'religious life' reduces your millennial score for some reason, or if you must be ‘liberal’ to be Millennial - just questions to ponder.

My thoughts on the Frand article:  The article was written in the year 2000 and already seems out of date.

1.     Computers aren’t technology:  Unfortunately, I supposed my age in this case dictates my response.  I do consider computers technology.  I remember the days when buying a computer was a huge investment and there were six thousand wires needed to connect the Internet, speakers, a monitor, etc.  I also worked for many years in the IT department of a large company and technology meant you were dealing with computers and necessary software. 

2.    Internet better than TV:  Huh….  Tough question.  I don’t think I have to decide between the two anymore.  I regularly have my laptop open, looking at Pinterest or reading email while half-watching TV.  The article suggests that finding specific information is difficult on the Internet and that it is necessary to determine the reliably of the information once it’s found.  I think we’ve become smarter in that regard.  It is no secret that and information found on the Internet in unreliable and should be crosschecked.  I don’t believe anyone takes information from the Internet as gospel.  Perhaps crosschecking and digging deeper is actually improving critical thinking skills in students. 

3.    Reality no longer real:  The word ‘reality’ is so overused these days.  With all the reality TV shows as well as our knowledge of media photos being photo-shopped and staged, I rarely believe things are as they look.  If anything, I am skeptical until I verify. 

4.    Doing rather than knowing:  I do think skills are becoming more important than knowledge alone.  I’m not saying that knowledge isn’t important, but it is critical to be able to apply the knowledge and to do it quickly.  New technologies are being discovered, produced and released at such a quick pace; there is no time to spend on a long learning curve. 

5.    Nintendo over logic:  I have a ‘Nintendo’ attitude about most things.  Quite honestly, the manuals are just too long to read through.  I spend time following directions when I’m assembling something but when it comes to technology, I am a ‘jump in an try’ person.  Honestly, YouTube is a great teacher when trial-and-error isn’t working.

6.    Multitasking way of life: This is certainly the cause of many arguments in my household.  My teenage children are convinced they can do three things and still do them at 100%.  I don’t believe they can, and know for sure that I can’t.  I certainly multitask things that don’t require much brain power but when it comes to school work or driving, the multitasking ends.

7.    Typing rather than handwriting:  For me, typing is a lifesaver.  I consider myself a horrible speller so typing (with spell check) is a wonderful, wonderful thing.  I would also say, I’m no the best writer so having the ability to cut and paste and move things around is powerful.  I would have a very difficult time going back to handwriting.

8.    Staying connected:  Does anyone use beepers anymore?  Funny.  I am probably not the norm on this topic.  I am not active on Facebook or any other social media sites and am not the best at keeping in touch with friends and family.  I would say I like the ability to connect but don’t want to be connected – if that makes any sense.   In my opinion, text messages are the best!!  You can reach out and say a quick hello anytime.

9.    Zero tolerance for delays:  I wouldn’t say I have zero tolerance for delays until I need the information right away!  Haha.  Perhaps that is the rub, the information is out there and accessible so we should have immediate feedback.  However, I am sure many emails and text messages have gone horribly wrong when someone responded without taking time to think things through.

 

10.  Consumer / creator blurring: I agree with this completely.  I worked in IT for years in customer support.  Support basically meant receiving information about a problem the customer was having and either providing the steps to solve the ‘known’ problem, or create a new piece of code for them to install and fix the ‘unknown’ problem.  Customers found bugs all over the code that needed to be fixed and this was huge, expensive, world-wide software.  It is extremely difficult to test every detail of large software system before release.

Some ISTE NETS addressed in this article are:

4a – model and teach safe and ethical use of digital information – especially when verifying the validity of information.

4c – promote digital social responsibility – certainly when using social media.

5c – evaluate current technologies and stay up to date with new possibilities.