Senses with Seesaw

Seesaw has quickly become my favorite app for elementary students. (I can't thank Mrs. Davidson enough for sharing it with me!) It is an open ended app that allows for creation, sharing, and communication - essential life skills educators must help students develop. After working through a few speed bumps in accessing the app from iPads, I've used this app on a near daily basis with students. Over a dozen teachers at HCES and JGES are experimenting with all it has to offer and I'm looking forward to hearing the parent perspective as teachers begin to send family letters home.

Yesterday a class of kindergartners used Seesaw to demonstrate what they have learned about their five senses. Students used the drawing feature to illustrate something they can hear, see, smell, taste, or touch. Next they recorded themselves explaining which sense they associate with their picture and words to describe it. In centers that lasted about 20 minutes students were able to complete this task and most were able to create two images for different senses. Students will now be able to view on another's work and the teacher can get a glimpse of what each student knows about senses and their oral communication skills.  This is a great example of how easy it is to get students creating, sharing, and communicating with Seesaw!

Click here for an example of a student's work

Students working on their illustrations

How fluent are you?

When is the last time you listened to yourself read? Why should students listen to themselves read? Over the last few weeks several classes at JGES learned about the different components of fluency, how fluency impacts reading comprehension, and how to self-assess their fluency.

For our purposes we broke fluency down into four areas - accuracy, speed, expression, and punctuation. After practicing what each component sounded like, students used the app Seesaw to record themselves orally reading a piece of text. Afterwards, students listened to the recording and assessed themselves on each of the four focus areas. Based on their self-assessments, each student set a goal that he will focus on over the next several weeks before repeating the process. 

Students using Seesaw to record a reader's theater

A student self assesses her fluency

Hour of Code

This week, across the globe, individuals are participating in Hour of Code. This introduction to computer science is designed to demonstrate that anyone can learn the basics of coding. One class of first graders used the resources at code.org (visit to have your own Hour of Code) to better understand computer programming. In their tasks, students worked to help Pixel the puppy find his way home.

Students learned how to program a series of commands and put to use their knowledge of patterns to create loops! What a fun way to practice math skills! After coding, I asked students about the task and the responses were overwhelmingly positive. Each student I spoke to individually commented on the challenge that the task faced and how much they enjoyed it. 

The Hanover ITRTs are currently reading "Mindset" by Carol Dweck and I couldn't help but think how these students demonstrated a growth-mindset in their willingness to accept a challenge and the joy that they found in working to solve that. How can we, educators and parents, help our students continue that mindset moving forward? What do you do to help instill a growth-mindset in your students or children?

First Grade Curriculum Night

On Thursdsay, November 5th first graders had the opportunity to bring their families to school to learn what it means to be a first grader at HCES. Attendees rotated through three rooms focused on math, reading, and technology integration. In each room, teachers shared what students have been and will be learning this school year as well as strategies that can be used at home to help students be successful.

Mrs. Davidson, Mrs. Trent, and I shared examples of student work that demonstrated how students are using technology to transform their learning. Parents viewed student work that integrated science and writing, heard students demonstrate their understanding of number concepts, and witnessed how technology can be used to enhance creative storytelling.

In addition to learning about how technology is supporting learning, students had the opportunity to teach their parents how to use the app ChatterKids! Using a picture of topics recently learned about (bats, pumpkins, apples, and American symbols) families worked together to create a movie showing what they knew about a topic.

I enjoyed meeting families and sharing about the meaningful learning happening in first grade at HCES. Enjoy the pictures below of families working to create ChatterKids!

Writing

Google Docs has become an unparalleled writing tool for first and fifth grade students. In Docs students are able to type like a traditional word processor. However, it allows for powerful collaboration that transform the learning experience. 

Multiple students can be in a file working on it at the same time. For example, in one fifth grade class, students were group and assigned different cell parts. They then researched the cell parts and collaborated in a Doc to share what they learned about their assigned part and learn about the other parts of a cell. 

Fifth grade students have also been using Google Docs to improve their reading comprehension skills by writing book responses. Once they've completed the responses, students share with one another and give feedback. Students are working to construct meaningful comments that help others grow as readers and writers. Examples of good comment beginnings include "I agree with you because...", "I disagree because...", "Can you explain ___ more? I am wondering..." In addition to students providing comments, I and the classroom teacher can provide instant feedback as students are working. 

Last week first graders began using Google Docs to type their writing and will spend time this week reviewing and commenting on their classmates' work. They will be working to provide constructive comments to improve their classmates' writing.

I have enjoyed collaborating with classroom teachers and students in getting their "Schoogle" accounts set up and their writing started. I am excited to see our students transform as writers with these great educational tools! 

Students are constructing their reading responses

A student reviews comments posted on her reading response

An example of a student's response and comments

Fall is All Around Us!

I've got a lot of catching up to do with blog posts, but I couldn't wait to share this meaningful learning experience that two first grade classes have participated in over the last couple of days. As we've all noticed, the temperature is dropping, leaves are changing color and falling, animals are preparing for winter, and many other changes are occurring. First graders have been some of the most keen observers of these changes!

In science, first graders have been busy learning about the changes that fall brings. With the help of iPads and the app PicCollage, students took pictures of signs of fall and then wrote about their photographs. What a great way to tie science, writing, and technology into a lesson!

                                                

Students capturing signs of fall

A student writes about the sign of fall shown in his photo

A student writes about the sign of fall shown in her photo

A student's finished work

Students at Work!

What an awesome week of technology integration at JGES and HCES! From book reviews to rhyming words to learning about explorers, students were busy learning and using technology in purposeful ways. 

Book Review Blogging

Fourth graders blogging

Last week I taught one class of fourth graders how to use Kidblog (a blogging platform) to write book reviews for their classmates. Students are writing the reviews which include a brief synopsis, character description, and opinions. In addition to being a great resources for finding good books to read, the blog enable students to develop their writing skills for an authentic audience - their classmates! 

The beginning of a student's post

Digital Storytelling
In science, first graders have been busy learning about bats, owls, and apples. After reading several books about bats, each student used the app Educreations (allows students to including drawings as well as voice recording) to draw a scene from one of the books and retell that part. In addition to sharing what they learned about bats, this form of digital storytelling had students practice their listening comprehension and verbal communication skills.

A student works on her bat illustration

Story Problems
In math, first graders have been working to solve addition and subtraction story problems. However, with the use of iPads and the app Educreations, students created their own story problems and then recorded themselves explaining how to solve the problem and write the number sentence that represented the story problem they created. Students wrote problems about cats, sharks, hats, mermaids, and much more! Through the creation of these story problems and explanation of how to solve, students used higher level thinking skills that demonstrate a deep understanding of the process of addition.

Two students creating their story problem

Explorers 

What do you know about Christopher Newport, Christopher Columbus, Juan Ponce deLeon, and Jacques Cartier? I'm sure these two classes of third graders at JGES can teach you something! After researching one of the four explorers, students created a ChatterPix that included the country that sponsored the explorer, what the goals of the explorer were, where he traveled, and other interesting facts. 

Students were excited about using the app and quickly picked up on how to take a photo of their explorer, record themselves sharing the information they learned, and save it to Dropbox for sharing. They demonstrated great teamwork by helping one another through the steps. 

A student shows another how to use ChatterKids

Two students view a ChatterKid

A student carefully considers what he'll say before recording

Taking photos of Christopher Newport

A student records her ChatterKid

After creating their ChatterKids, students saved their work to Dropbox. This allowed students to view their classmates' projects. Finally, they each shared something that they learned watching the videos using Padlet. Padlet is a digital "cork board" that allows users to post comments and view what others have posted. It's a great tool for sharing and communicating. Enjoy the pictures below of students watching one another's projects!

Letters, Beginning Sounds, and Rhyming Words
All kindergarten classes have been introduced to the iPads. These students are pros at handing the iPads properly and are learning how to search for apps. Of course there's more behind these lessons that just technology!

Students using Chalk Draw to practice writing their names

A student shows a classmate how to search for the Sound Sorting app. Students sort pictures based on beginning sounds. 

 A student practices sorting rhyming words as a SMART Board center

 

Owls are Interesting Creatures
Another way that first graders have shared what they've learned in science is by creating a PicCollage. On the collage, students include a picture of an owl puppet they each made in class and three facts about owls. This was a great way to tie science into writing!

A PicCollage Example

Who's Teaching Who?

Last week was a bit of an anomaly - Wednesday I participated in training for our district's assessment management system, Thursday was an early release day for students, and Friday I took a personal day. 

With that said, these two classroom experiences demonstrate why I love my job so much! And in going along with the anomaly theme, this post takes a more reflective tone.

Fact Families

Last year I was fortunate enough to work with four first grade classes on a regular basis. I got to know the students well and looked forward to working with them each week. It was astounding how much they learned and changed over the course of the school year. Fast forward to this school year and those students are now second graders. 

The first few weeks of school those students and I passed one another in the hallway with waves and smiles, but this week I had the opportunity to help some of those students share what they know about fact families using the app Educreations. The app allows users to create "movies" that include visuals and voice recording. As students are explaining what they know about fact families, they can illustrate or highlight key points. Students worked to model a fact family and the series of equations that belong to their chosen family. 

A student recording his fact family knowledge with Educreations

While they have only been second graders for a matter of weeks, they are so different than the first graders I worked with a few months ago. Students who used to become frustrated when they were unable to articulate their thoughts or didn't get it "just right" the first time showed perseverance and patience. Others, who sometimes tested boundaries, were excited by the task at hand and engaged in the lesson. 

It was amazing to see the progress these students made and caused me to reflect on the changes I see in my son from day to day. At home I try hard to take in these moments and only hurry when it's a must. We often get so caught up in the hustle and bustle and working toward our end goals that we forget to stop and celebrate the small (or big!) changes that happen along the way. With pressures of pacing, testing, deadlines, 20+ students and more it's often easier to get wrapped up and lose sight of these changes at school. While I hope I taught these students something about fact families and Educrations during their center with me, I am certain that it was not as valuable as the lesson they taught me. 

A student works on the title slide for his Educreations video

Programming with Kodable

As mentioned my first post, one class of first graders is learning the basics of computer programming, or coding, with the app Kodable. The classroom teacher and I are working to help the students become independent coding so that it can become a regular part of their math rotations each week. I've found that with this "new" way of thinking for students, many of them benefit from talking through their strategies, or sharing why their "fuzzy ball" keeps getting stuck at a certain point in the maze. While helping other students talk through their work, I glanced over and noticed this... 

These two students were stuck on the same level and began working through the task together. This, to me, is learning. Go beyond the surface of two students sitting next to one another looking at their iPads. Here are two students deeply engaged in the task at hand - in this case problem solving. They are communicating their strategies, analyzing what's working or not, collaborating to develop a solution... skills that will be used far beyond the walls of our school! This is my happy place!

Creating experiences for students that allow them to get wrapped up in their learning and go beyond the content is what I strive to do each day. I'm already looking forward to my next post. Third and fourth graders are using technology as a way to "go beyond the content" in Social Studies and Reading this week!

Rain Doesn't Damper Our Learning!

More than six inches of rain fell in Ashland over the past seven days! While outside may have been wet and gloomy, HCES and JGES students have been excited to learn with technology. 

iPads and Writing

Kindergarten students are learning iPad basics during small group rotations. In addition to practicing how to properly hold and turn on an iPad, students are learning how to use the home button and to search for an app. Students are using the app "Chalk Draw" to practice writing their names and alphabet. 

A student practices writing her name

Number Combinations
First grade students have been building their number sense by exploring number combinations. For example 4 can be made by combining 0 and 4, 1 and 3, 2 and 2, etc. Using counters or cubes, students represented different combinations for a particular number. With the help of the app "Pic Collage", students documented their representations.

A PicCollage Example: Number combinations for 8

Students making their representations and creating photo collages

Since students were already familiar with the app ChatterKid, some completed an "App Smash" that allowed them to verbalize what combinations they discovered. Collages they created in PicCollage were used as the picture in ChatterKid. Students then recorded themselves listing the number combinations that were displayed in their representations. 

A student communicates the number combinations modeled with counters

Sharing What We Learned

One class of first grade students learned how to use the app ChatterKid this week. After a short introduction to the app, they then shared what they learned about a specific US symbol. Students used a drawing and made it "talk" with facts they learned during reading groups.

A student works to create a Washington Monument ChatterKid

Digital Citizenship
Fifth graders across Hanover County engage in a series of nine Digital Citizenship lessons throughout the course of the school year. This week I began the series with the introductory "Acceptable Use Policy" lesson. We focused on how our actions can impact our friends, family, and larger community. 

The goal of this Digital Citizenship course is to help students become "Digital Citizens".  This means helping students fully engage in modern advancements like apps, games, social media, cloud computing, and smart devices all while maintaining safe, responsible, and respectful behaviors.  In addition, when you become a digital citizen, you will know how to use technology critically and pro-actively to contribute to society. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital_citizen

We're off to a Great Start!

JGES and HCES students may have been in school three short weeks, but learning is well underway. Teachers and students have been actively engaged in the use of technology to support the instructional process. Here's a peek at what's been happening! 

ChatterKids
I cannot say enough good things about this (FREE!) app. This easy to use app allows students to take a photo of anything, draw a "mouth", and record up to 30 seconds of sound. Students in first through fifth grade have made "Chatters" that demonstrate their reading comprehension, writing skills, and what it means to be a good citizenship. 

In fifth grade, students used this app to describe characters in their weekly reading. Using evidence from the text, students explained a character trait that defined their selected character. In first grade students created "Amazing Pictures" inspired by an imaginative story they read in class. Through the use of ChatterKids, students worked to elaborate on their writing by adding details about the appearance of their character and more. 

Students busy creating ChatterPix

Students love sharing their work through "Gallery Walks" where they get an opportunity to view what their classmates' creations

Kodable
One class of first graders is computer programming with the app Kodable. Students use a series of arrows and other directional keys to move their "Fuzzy Ball" through a maze. Kodable, and other programming resources teach students sequencing, problem solving, critical thinking, and communication skills. Students will develop skills that carry over into mathematics, science, and reading. The visual cues for this app are especially helpful for those students with reading and/or language obstacles. 

Students programming with the app Kodable

Reading Rotations
First grade teachers at HCES are working to improve the effectiveness of their SMART Board use this school year. As a result, I have been working with students on using their classroom SMART Boards as an independent reading center. Currently, students are learning the basic functions of the SMART Board while reviewing uppercase and lowercase letters. As the year progresses, students will become independent at this station with activities tailored to meet the instructional needs of student. 

A student practices matching letters at the SMART Board station

In addition to collaborating and planning with teachers, I've been working to update old and set up new iPads (JGES now has 38 and HCES has over 110). I'm so excited to get these devices in the hands of students and see the wonderful things they can create this school year!