I'm starting a collection of resources for incorporating gaming/game-based learning into the classroom. The following are some gaming websites I've found.
http://www.classroom20.com/forum/topics/gamification-in-the-classroom
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/games/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/
http://yoyogames.com/gamemaker/studio
http://www.alice.org/index.php
I've been checking this one out about discovering why Pluto is not a planet anymore and so far it is AWESOME! Kids would love it. My students already completed their space unit, but I think I'm going to go back and have them do this activity. So fun and educational.
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/games/actiongames/plutos-secret/
http://www.educationarcade.org/
Calling it a night. More info to follow.
Wednesday, February 27, 2013
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Game-Based Learning
I'm sitting here on Snow day #3 and wondering how that darn groundhog still has a job?? How many times can he be this WRONG about the weather and still have a job? Spring, where are you? Are you coming around this year?
So both kids are down for naps and the half-sick hubby is also down for a nap and I'm finally getting some quiet time to focus on one of my last assignments for my first Master's class. The assignment requires reading the NMC Horizon Report > 2012 K-12 Edition and also watching some videos. One video that I have recently watched that stuck in my mind was one about a teacher transforming his class into a game-based classroom. He set up the entire structure of it to resemble that of a video game that students might play. They aren't given grades, but instead must master a level before going on to the next. See video.
The horizon report also discusses game-based learning. This idea has really sparked my interest. I plan to do much more digging in to this topic so be prepared for me to share some of the goodies I find with you. :)
So both kids are down for naps and the half-sick hubby is also down for a nap and I'm finally getting some quiet time to focus on one of my last assignments for my first Master's class. The assignment requires reading the NMC Horizon Report > 2012 K-12 Edition and also watching some videos. One video that I have recently watched that stuck in my mind was one about a teacher transforming his class into a game-based classroom. He set up the entire structure of it to resemble that of a video game that students might play. They aren't given grades, but instead must master a level before going on to the next. See video.
The horizon report also discusses game-based learning. This idea has really sparked my interest. I plan to do much more digging in to this topic so be prepared for me to share some of the goodies I find with you. :)
Monday, February 18, 2013
Random Thoughts: 21st Century Learning for Students and Teachers
So my Master's class through William Woods University is taking my mind in many places I never thought I'd go. We have discussed how 21st Century schools should and likely will look in the future. Students likely won't attend designated core classes, but instead they will attend classes that have many subjects intertwined. They will be working on using math, science, and communication arts skills to solve real-world problems. They will no longer be sitting in desks in rows. Classrooms will be arranged like a lounge. There will be mobile docking stations, round tables, couches, or whatever else needs to be present to help students be more comfortable so they can settle in and learn. Physical education will also be different. Perhaps K-12 students will be allowed to choose from various physical education classes just as many college students have the ability to do. The overall school system will be a huge transformation from the teacher-directed system we have now. Students will be in control of most of their own learning and teachers will be the guides to help them through the process.
A discussion post this week from a fellow WWU classmate got me thinking even further into transforming schools into 21st Century places of learning. She mentioned how it would be nice if administrators would create a weekly podcast to share district updates, instead of having teachers sit through informational meetings. Teachers are so busy (to say the least) and sometimes sitting through those types of meetings are tough to do. Those are the ones I often see teachers bringing papers to grade so they feel like they are actually making progress at something. This led me to think that not only does learning need to change for our students, but also our teachers. I just recently blogged about our in-service session in which teachers trained teachers. This process also needs to change. Both of my sessions consisted of me standing at the front of the classroom for part of the presentation and sharing information for teachers to use. I gave them time to work and use something they learned during both sessions and apply it to something they could take back and use in their own classroom. I now realize I should have re-structured this course a little differently. I felt like it was effective for many teachers, but I could have changed it to make it even more powerful. I'm imagining teacher-in-service sessions where teachers are sitting around round tables, or on couches, or somewhere comfortable where an idea is thrown at them and then they brainstorm ideas of ways to use it in their own classrooms. Teachers could be divided into expert groups aside from their project groups. They would meet with these various groups to get many more ideas of implementing ideas and projects into their classrooms. They could also share knowledge they may have of experts in the fields being discussed, so kids could be connected to outside experts through Skype, or other social networks. When teachers leave these sessions they would leave with several lesson plans to add to their curriculum that integrate higher-order thinking and technology use into the works. The teacher leading the session would be in charge of guiding the rest of the teachers through the process and helping to locate resources of information and also keeping things flowing along.
Hmm..... this could really work!
The quote below sums it all up. I told the teachers in my sessions helpful ideas and I taught them how to use them, but I don't feel like I did enough to fully involve them. Guess I have next year to try to get it right again.
A discussion post this week from a fellow WWU classmate got me thinking even further into transforming schools into 21st Century places of learning. She mentioned how it would be nice if administrators would create a weekly podcast to share district updates, instead of having teachers sit through informational meetings. Teachers are so busy (to say the least) and sometimes sitting through those types of meetings are tough to do. Those are the ones I often see teachers bringing papers to grade so they feel like they are actually making progress at something. This led me to think that not only does learning need to change for our students, but also our teachers. I just recently blogged about our in-service session in which teachers trained teachers. This process also needs to change. Both of my sessions consisted of me standing at the front of the classroom for part of the presentation and sharing information for teachers to use. I gave them time to work and use something they learned during both sessions and apply it to something they could take back and use in their own classroom. I now realize I should have re-structured this course a little differently. I felt like it was effective for many teachers, but I could have changed it to make it even more powerful. I'm imagining teacher-in-service sessions where teachers are sitting around round tables, or on couches, or somewhere comfortable where an idea is thrown at them and then they brainstorm ideas of ways to use it in their own classrooms. Teachers could be divided into expert groups aside from their project groups. They would meet with these various groups to get many more ideas of implementing ideas and projects into their classrooms. They could also share knowledge they may have of experts in the fields being discussed, so kids could be connected to outside experts through Skype, or other social networks. When teachers leave these sessions they would leave with several lesson plans to add to their curriculum that integrate higher-order thinking and technology use into the works. The teacher leading the session would be in charge of guiding the rest of the teachers through the process and helping to locate resources of information and also keeping things flowing along.
Hmm..... this could really work!
The quote below sums it all up. I told the teachers in my sessions helpful ideas and I taught them how to use them, but I don't feel like I did enough to fully involve them. Guess I have next year to try to get it right again.
Friday, February 15, 2013
Teachers Trained Teachers
Well the day came and went. Today was our full day teacher-in-service day in which teachers teach sessions to fellow colleagues. Overall, I believe it went pretty well. My first session was called 30 Sites in 60 Minutes and I did just that, unrehearsed. I did a quick review of all the sites 30+ and then allowed time for teachers to explore and set up accounts on some of them. At the end, I also allowed them to share any sites with me that they use and then we added them to the Scoop. So be sure to check the link out again for the 30 Sites in 60 Minutes.My second session was on Google Spreadsheets. I believe it also went pretty well. Showed the group examples of spreadsheets I had created, how to set one up, and how to make changes to it one it is set up, including getting it to automatically average, add, subtract, etc. I had some Coaches in the session and they seemed to find some good uses for keeping track of their stats. I also had them do a Google Form and they then had it grade itself using the script Flubaroo. The last session I was in was not presented by me. It was a BYOC session (Build Your Own Curriculum). Our district bought this program in which it is a web-based curriculum building site. We are in the beginning stages of that program. It is one that takes several years to get going. I believe the day of teachers training teachers was an overall success.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Teachers Training Teachers
My school district PDC committee is in charge of planning out our in-service days throughout the year. A few years back they started having one of our full day in-service sessions be one in which teachers train teachers. What happens is that an teaching interest inventory is sent out several months in advance. Teachers have the opportunity to submit ideas for classes they would like to teach during that in-service day. Then from those classes, another inventory is sent out to see which classes staff members want to sign up for. This year we used a program called Sign Up Genius to collect responses for who wants to join each class. This is a super easy and FREE website to use for organizing volunteers for events, sign ups for events, etc. My school even uses it for parents to sign up for parent-teacher conferences. Once teachers are all signed up, final plans are made for which classrooms will be used for the sessions and the instructors finish designing their presentations. Our topic of focus this year is on technology. All teachers for the sessions must focus their presentation on something involving technology. I will be teaching two sessions. One is called 30 Sites in 60 Minutes and I am including a link to the site I am going to use to teach that session. Its from scoop.it. This session will include links to many different websites that I have encountered over the years that are the most helpful with educational technology. I will be adding to this "scoop" as I find more sites, so keep checking back to it! Our sessions are actually going to be more like 75 minutes long, but the extra time will be given for teachers to explore some of the sites they have been introduced to. My other session I will be teaching will be on Google Spreadsheets. As soon as I get something ready to share, I'll include a link for it. I've not completed my presentation for that session yet. I have found so many uses for Google Drive in my classroom and in my personal life. If you haven't looked into all that Google has to offer, you are missing out! Our school has the Google Apps for Education package, so every teacher and student in the district has a school-sponsored Google account. It was a very worthy investment!
I like to share a motivational quote with many posts (going to work harder on that), so here is my last thought to leave you with.
I like to share a motivational quote with many posts (going to work harder on that), so here is my last thought to leave you with.
I've Been Discovered
Thank you Teaching Blog Addict!
A little background... I am currently enrolled in an online class through William Woods University, Missouri. One class assignment was to expand my PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network). I gave several different forums a whirl. I started following more educational people on Facebook instead of just friends and family, I joined Twitter (for the second time in my life), tried out SecondLife (immediately quit that one... seemed like a huge time waster to me), and also started doing more blogging and started following more blogs. Oh and I've tried to find more educational pins on Pinterest. Through expanding my PLNs I've found that one cannot feasibly try to keep too many going at once and be successful at all of them, at least not me anyway. I also have a husband, two kids, a teaching job, Master's classes, and I'm trying to find my body back by exploring something called "fitness" for the first time in my life (see my personal blog for fitness motivation). :) So through this exploration time I've decided (again) that Twitter is not for me. Even though I've heard of how useful it can be to educators for so many uses inside and outside of the classroom, I'm still thinking I'm going to pull the plug on it again. I decided that my niche is in blogging. I don't like to be limited to only a few words here or there (I tend to have a lot to say.) :) With all of that being said, it brings me to today. While catching up on the blogs I'm following in Google Reader, I came across one by Teaching Blog Addict that had a post for new bloggers to submit their blogs for others to discover them. This was exactly what I needed and exactly what I did! I don't like doing all of this blogging and not having anyone read it. So tonight while multi-tasking (aka doing homework and being distracted by my PLNs which were meant to help me), I checked my blogger to see if I've had any pageviews today. To my surprise, I did. Several of them at that! This is just what I needed to kick me back into gear with blogging. So here I am with an update on the technology use in my classroom.....
My 5th graders are still working on their webquest about roller coasters. My main job with this assignment has been mediation! Some of my kids are really struggling to be respectful to other students opinions. They were working with their expert groups yesterday and today and several students in the groups wanted to do more arguing about what should happen instead of just making something happen. So many of my students are used to the teacher always telling them what to do and them not really getting much of a say of what goes on that it is tough for them to switch rolls and have a say, but also have to be open to other classmates opinions. I can tell they need more practice with this! Otherwise, the webquests are going very well. I can't wait to see how the finished products (roller coasters and presentations) look.
My 6th graders are still expanding on their world maps. They are plotting points of volcanoes and earthquakes that they researched and discovered, drawing in plate boundaries, labeling boundary types, labeling plate directions, etc. Their maps truly are looking awesome. I'll be posting pictures of the finished products!
I broke some exciting news to my 6th graders at the end of last week. Through my expansion of my PLNs I also came across the opportunity for students to Skype with a Yellowstone National Park Ranger, so that's exactly what they will be doing. It won't be until March 12 (that's the soonest date they had available that worked with our schedule), but we are all extremely excited. I've never Skyped with my students before. I have only Skyped in my personal life with my husband when he is working on the road, so that our kids can see and talk to him as well.
That is my update for current happenings in my classroom. More frequent posting to come, I promise! I'll make sure it's worth your while to follow my blog. I'll keep posting technological help and ideas that I come across. I'll be posting one big help in a few minutes.
A little background... I am currently enrolled in an online class through William Woods University, Missouri. One class assignment was to expand my PLN (Personal/Professional Learning Network). I gave several different forums a whirl. I started following more educational people on Facebook instead of just friends and family, I joined Twitter (for the second time in my life), tried out SecondLife (immediately quit that one... seemed like a huge time waster to me), and also started doing more blogging and started following more blogs. Oh and I've tried to find more educational pins on Pinterest. Through expanding my PLNs I've found that one cannot feasibly try to keep too many going at once and be successful at all of them, at least not me anyway. I also have a husband, two kids, a teaching job, Master's classes, and I'm trying to find my body back by exploring something called "fitness" for the first time in my life (see my personal blog for fitness motivation). :) So through this exploration time I've decided (again) that Twitter is not for me. Even though I've heard of how useful it can be to educators for so many uses inside and outside of the classroom, I'm still thinking I'm going to pull the plug on it again. I decided that my niche is in blogging. I don't like to be limited to only a few words here or there (I tend to have a lot to say.) :) With all of that being said, it brings me to today. While catching up on the blogs I'm following in Google Reader, I came across one by Teaching Blog Addict that had a post for new bloggers to submit their blogs for others to discover them. This was exactly what I needed and exactly what I did! I don't like doing all of this blogging and not having anyone read it. So tonight while multi-tasking (aka doing homework and being distracted by my PLNs which were meant to help me), I checked my blogger to see if I've had any pageviews today. To my surprise, I did. Several of them at that! This is just what I needed to kick me back into gear with blogging. So here I am with an update on the technology use in my classroom.....
My 5th graders are still working on their webquest about roller coasters. My main job with this assignment has been mediation! Some of my kids are really struggling to be respectful to other students opinions. They were working with their expert groups yesterday and today and several students in the groups wanted to do more arguing about what should happen instead of just making something happen. So many of my students are used to the teacher always telling them what to do and them not really getting much of a say of what goes on that it is tough for them to switch rolls and have a say, but also have to be open to other classmates opinions. I can tell they need more practice with this! Otherwise, the webquests are going very well. I can't wait to see how the finished products (roller coasters and presentations) look.
My 6th graders are still expanding on their world maps. They are plotting points of volcanoes and earthquakes that they researched and discovered, drawing in plate boundaries, labeling boundary types, labeling plate directions, etc. Their maps truly are looking awesome. I'll be posting pictures of the finished products!
I broke some exciting news to my 6th graders at the end of last week. Through my expansion of my PLNs I also came across the opportunity for students to Skype with a Yellowstone National Park Ranger, so that's exactly what they will be doing. It won't be until March 12 (that's the soonest date they had available that worked with our schedule), but we are all extremely excited. I've never Skyped with my students before. I have only Skyped in my personal life with my husband when he is working on the road, so that our kids can see and talk to him as well.
That is my update for current happenings in my classroom. More frequent posting to come, I promise! I'll make sure it's worth your while to follow my blog. I'll keep posting technological help and ideas that I come across. I'll be posting one big help in a few minutes.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Techno Update
I've discovered some new websites that I'd like to share. I had to share this one http://www.problem-attic.com/ with all of my colleagues today. It is a website that allows you to choose from topics or state standardized tests to create worksheets/tests/quizzes/MAP practice packets of your own. Instead of having to search through random state tests, this site seems to pull them all together and allows you to pick and choose which questions you want to use. This site is awesome and so far it is FREE!
Another site I found and started digging into is http://www.zooburst.com/ This site looks like it has a lot of neat applications, but I wasn't able to explore them in too much depth yet. The free part of it is not very extensive, but you can purchase a subscription and get more options. The site allows you to create a storybook in somewhat 3D Augmented Reality. There are bound to be a lot of Communication Arts applications for this site!
My 5th graders are beginning a new assignment this week. They are working on our first webquest and so far it is going great. It is a Force and Motion Webquest created by a teacher in Sikeston, MO. It's a great assignment for a very chatty and rambunctious group of kids. :) They have all been engaged each day and so far are working pretty hard. http://www.sikeston.k12.mo.us/sjhs/forceandmotionwebquest/intro.htmlStill loving my job and learning more and more each day about technology innovation.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
My Home Away From Home
Just thought I would share a couple of pictures of my classroom for those getting interested in my blog to have an image in mind of where I do some of my best work. :)
This is a picture of my room. It is an eMINTS classroom with a 2:1 ratio. I'm working on getting it to be a 1:1 ratio.
Finally got it done! My favorite quote is now much larger on the wall for all kids to see. Everyone needs some good motivation once in awhile.
This is a picture of my room. It is an eMINTS classroom with a 2:1 ratio. I'm working on getting it to be a 1:1 ratio.
Christmas in January
My neighbor across the hall (Renee) and I are extremely excited about the set of 15 new headphones we just got in today! So many more possibilities now! We LOVE the attached microphones! The kids are just as pumped as we are!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Edmodo
I've begun trying to incorporate Edmodo into my classes this week as well. Edmodo is kind of like a Facebook, but for school. It can all be moderated by the teacher as to what kids can and do post. You can also post quizzes, polls, etc. I'm still learning many of the uses for Edmodo in the classroom, but the little I know about it so far seems as if there are bound to be hundreds or thousands of possible uses.
So far I have my 6th graders using Edmodo. They just finished up a project of making a Google Presentation on Plate Tectonics. As they found helpful websites on Edmodo, I had them post those websites on a discussion post on Edmodo. That way they could help each other out and remember which sites to use themselves. If they had questions for sites to use they also posted those questions onto Edmodo and other students would respond with help. I also used Edmodo to inform them of a quiz they would be having the next day in Google Forms, and I wrote a post for them to comment on what they had learned so far about their current topic of where volcanoes and earthquakes occur around the world. It was great reading what they had to say.
I will be sure to share more uses of Edmodo as I find and use them.
*One of the ladies in my current Master's class shared the idea of using Edmodo in her classroom to have kids do book discussions with their classmates in other hours on the same books that they were all reading. I thought that was a great idea! This makes me want to have my kids working on various projects in one hour and sharing with kids in other classes who were assigned to the same project.
I LOVE GOOGLE!
Any educator who is not using Google Drive in his/her classroom is MISSING OUT! I LOVE GOOGLE! I have found so many uses for it. I am extremely blessed to have an eMINTS classroom with a 2:1 ratio of desktop computers, so we can use the computers for a lot of projects. This weeks new one was to create and submit a quiz to the kids through Google Forms and then install Flubaroo into the Google Spreadsheet to automatically score those quizzes. Super SUPER easy after figuring it all out. We will be using those quizzes more often to see if the kids are understanding what they need to as we go. The program also automatically hi-lights the failing scores and hi-lights the question that receives the lowest scores so you can easily see what the kids are not understanding. I will attach the directions below for how to use this program. Teachers will not be disappointed with this one!
http://www.flubaroo.com/flubaroo-user-guide#step4
I must add that all of our students have Google Accounts through the school, so I simply emailed this form to them after setting up an email group including all of my 6th graders.
http://www.flubaroo.com/flubaroo-user-guide#step4
I must add that all of our students have Google Accounts through the school, so I simply emailed this form to them after setting up an email group including all of my 6th graders.
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Classroom Update
The flipping saga continues. :)
I thought I would give an update of what my students are working on now and share new ideas of new units as we begin them.
I have two preps: 5th Grade Science and 6th Grade Science.
5th Grade Science: My students have been filling out a moon phase chart for the past month. Each day they enter my classroom their first job is to fill out their planner (of which I post the daily assignments/objectives on my website https://sites.google.com/site/libbertsdomain/). Their second job is to get onto the following website and record the moon phase for the current day. http://www.calculatorcat.com/moon_phases/phasenow.php
If it is a Monday, students must catch up on their moon phase from over the weekend using the following website.
After they do those chores at the beginning of class, then they begin work on their current on-going assignment. The one we are working on now is they are making a Prezi for the moon phases. Students are responsible for learning why we have the moon phases, the order of how the moon phases transition, how each phase looks, and what the names of each phase means. They will then put that information into a Prezi. I provided the rubric for them and they use it to guide them through the assignment.
6th Grade Science: The sixth graders also know that when they enter my classroom they need to fill out their planners and see what we will be working on for the day by looking on my website. After they fill out their planner, they are also supposed to begin work on their current project. A few are finishing up making a Google Presentation on Plate Tectonics. I, too, gave them a rubric for this assignment and then they are responsible for creating the slides based off of what the rubric requires. I also have them research the information themselves.
Most of them are finished with that assignment and have begun the next one, which involves many aspects. The first thing they do is use the internet to research locations of 20 major volcanoes and 20 major earthquakes that have happened around the world. They are to type the data they find (location, magnitude, date, etc.) into a Google Spreadsheet which they create themselves and share with their group members. After they get that data collected, they will use a blank poster board and create a topographic map of the world by either drawing the continents or printing them off, put the grids for the lines of latitude and longitude, and then plot the locations of their earthquakes and volcanoes.
I'm very anxious to see how they do with this assignment. It's going to be a challenge for a lot of them, but I told them that I knew it would be hard and I knew they could all rise to the challenge. My kids are truly enjoying my classes. They want to be engaged!
I will keep you updated on how things go and what else we try!
I'm very anxious to see how they do with this assignment. It's going to be a challenge for a lot of them, but I told them that I knew it would be hard and I knew they could all rise to the challenge. My kids are truly enjoying my classes. They want to be engaged!
I will keep you updated on how things go and what else we try!
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Why I'm Flipping Out
I truly believe that in order for someone to give their full heart to someone or something else, they first need to be inspired. I have been inspired by technology. In recent months I have found more of the full potential that technology offers the education world. Children currently in schools are considered to be "digital natives". Technology was all around their world before they even saw the light of day. Those of us who have been around a few more years (I know I'm still near the bottom of that totem pole), are considered to be "digital immigrants". Many of us were here before a lot of technology ever was. Children, "digital natives" thrive for using technology in all aspects of their lives. Adults, "digital immigrants," seem to be scared of technology. They are afraid of it because they don't know how to use it or perhaps are worried that the technology can do more than they can. Some adults are scared of their jobs being replaced by robots or some other form of technology. Regardless of our view, we have to all come to the realization that any children born from here-on-out will be considered "digital natives." They will only know a world of technology in many forms. We don't even know what will exist by the time this years babies are considered to be adults. Technology is emerging at an incredibly fast speed. Because of this I have realized that I need to try to stay up with the times and keep my middle school students engaged by teaching them in ways they learn best... through the use of technology. They don't want to sit stagnant in desks and read through textbooks and answer questions on worksheets. Think back to your schooling days. Can anyone remember one special worksheet that you did? I don't remember hearing people say, "I remember that Chapter 9 Worksheet 9.1 that we did in Math class. It was the bomb!" I do hear people talking about projects, though as they reflect on educational careers. Students remember the projects and experiments and other adventures that they got to use hands-on learning during the course of the activity. They remember the things that engaged them. They often also don't remember what was told to them, but rather what they had to research and present themselves. For these reasons as well I'm trying to change my classroom from one in which I am at the front of the room doing the lecturing, reading, teaching, etc., to one in which I am walking around the room as the guide and facilitator. I'm "flipping" my way of teaching. I see the students as being on a tour and I'm the bus driver. I take them to where they need to go, but it's up to them to get off the bus and explore the excursions. This blog will be my way of sharing my journey through flipping my classroom. It is a slow process, but so far an intriguing one. I have a new-found love for my job again. I have to admit that I was already getting bored and wore out with the way I was teaching. This is a whole new way of teaching, and it is great! Please continue to check in to see how things are going as I'm working to "flip out inside my classroom".
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