Reflections for #SummerLS

This summer I joined a Summer Learning Series coordinated by Todd Nesloney AKA @TechNinjaTodd on Twitter using the hashtag #SummerLS.  I have followed Todd for a while because he often tweets out advice about a variety of technology-related topics.

For several years, I have been increasingly interested in how a teacher might leverage technology to improve instruction.  I first started using Twitter thanks to Jimmy Fallon and his weekly hashtag questions.  I didn't use or understand Twitter, but was curious about what tweets didn't get shared by Jimmy each week.  I now follow 308 people, mostly educators, and have 240 followers.  I have sent out 1,639 tweets.  I really should be tweeting more, and am looking for ways to better utilize Twitter in my own classroom.

This blog post comes after more than a year away from blogging.  I am posting because of this week's challenge from Pernille Ripp (@pernilleripp), a 7th grade teacher from Wisconsin who I also follow because she coordinates the Global Read Aloud.  Her challenge for the #SummerLS participants is to do some kind of reflection this week.  I am choosing to compose my reflections in my blog because one thing I have been thinking about this summer is that I need to share more of my thoughts with other teachers.  In addition, I think the blog will be a great reference for me to review my thinking and growth as a professional.  I have enjoyed re-reading the few blog posts I have written.

This summer, I have been reading about character and "grit" and its place in education and reflecting on how I want to incorporate technology for the 2014-15 school year in my classroom. I have finished the book How Children Succeed: Grit, Curiosity, and the Hidden Power of Character by Paul Tough.  I am currently reading Teach Like a Pirate by Dave Burgess and Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck.  I have a tendency to read two books at a time and bounce back and forth between them. I plan to read Save our Science by Ainissa Ramirez, Fair Isn't Always Equal by Rick Wormeli, and There Are No Shortcuts by Rafe Esquith.  

The technology ideas have come to me mainly through Twitter and Feedly.  I have found some fabulous educators to follow through those two apps and glean an amazing amount of ideas from their blog posts.  One thing I have done this summer is start to organize those posts using Diigo.  I have several lists started and am taking all the posts I've saved in my Pocket account and am organizing them so I can share the lists with my colleagues.

In addition, I have solicited some advice via Twitter on what application might be most useful for a student e-portfolio.  Right now, I am considering using either a Google Site or an Evernote account. I am leaning toward a Google Site because we are a GAFE school and would like my students to understand how to use all the Google Tools at their disposal.

I have also decided to use the following applications this upcoming school year with my students as they create their e-portfolio:  Educreations, ThingLink, Storify and Twitter.  I plan to do some flipped lessons and am going to use Nearpod for those lessons. Finally, I plan to start using some game-based applications, starting with Kahoot.

I plan to write a blog post about each of these applications and how it is going during the school year using the various applications.

Web 2.0 Tools

This past week, I spent my first two days in the Year 1 Cohort B 21st Century Learning Institute at Grant Wood AEA.  I am excited to find I am exactly where I need to be to help myself integrate technology skills and tools into what I am teaching this year. 

These first two days, we learned about image tools:  Picasa, Wallwisher, the AEA Online resources, and Photo Peach.  We also talked about how we will create our own ePortfolio in Google Sites to archive the work we will do with our students and fellow staff.  I am really glad I applied and was accepted to this cohort group because I really need reasons to get myself to take more risks and incorporate more technology tools into both my math and English curricula.  I find that if I am not "required" to do something new, I am really nervous and sometimes downright scared to try and use what is new.

I plan to use Wallwisher with my "bell ringer" activities in math class.  I also wonder if a person can't use it with the Daily Oral Language sentences in English 10.  Kids could type their corrected sentences into the sticky note and then post it to the wall.  I wonder if most sentences fall within the 160 character limit?

I can see using Picasa and Photo Peach with video storytelling lessons.  Kids are able to upload 30 photos in Photo Peach and can put captions on each photo.  Specifically, Photo Peach limits a user (in the free version) to 30 slides.  One can insert black slides for words between photos, too.  Picasa is a little more difficult to use, I think.  One has to download it to your computer.  It doesn't exist totally in the clouds like Photo Peach does.  That is one reason I may not use it as much with my students.  I wonder if there is enough space on a jump drive to hold Picasa plus photos. 

I definitely will have students make use of the AEA Online resources a lot more than I have in the past.  I think back now on how little I've used these resources and I feel ashamed.  I know that the images and clip art will really be useful in kids' presentations.  In addition, I am excited to see how we can use the research tools in English 10.

I plan to use our school's Google Apps for Education a lot more with all my classes.  Last year, I had only my English 10 students use the Google Docs feature.  This year, students will create and maintain their own ePortfolio, will use Google Reader to mine the Internet for articles related to their favorite topics, and will use Blogger to write about what they are reading through Google Reader.  I notice right now that Google Reader and Blogger are not available through my school account.  I will contact our technology people and get at least Reader and Blogger added as options for kids.  I am really excited to use these resources.

With the donated laptops I acquired for the district over the summer, we will not be able to save much on the hard drives.  I'm trying to treat these computers like Chrome books, where the computer is run strictly to use tools (like Google Docs) that have remote storage for student (and teacher) work.