Video Capture

Have you heard of flipping your classroom or your lessons?

I mean yes, there are lots of definitions of flipping.

Flipping your lid: get angry
Bottle flipping: "fun" past time to challenge your bottle flipping skills
House flipping: remodeling a house to make it look nice

You get the idea.

Well, you can flip a lesson or a classroom as well.  Basically, you find a way (very often a video) to show students the lesson/content at home and then they come to school to work through questions, practice problems, small group lessons, etc with support from the teacher.  What once was the lesson is now the homework and what was the homework is now the classwork.  It's "flipped".

Like I said, very often video is the format used to capture the lesson from the teacher so that students can watch it at home.  However, I have come to rely on video capture for so much...and I not flipping my lessons.  It can be used for so much more!

And guess what...I have a poster session on it at #ISTE17!  I'm so excited about it!

Once I have my full presentation, I'll happily post it.  However, I thought I'd give you an intro to how you can use video in your classroom.

One of my favorite ways to use video or rather have students use video is to present.  Now some students really have an issue with hearing their voice.  However, typically, if you reassure them that it will not be presented to the class, they are good.  I would recommend selecting a handful that are willing to actually present to the class though.  I'll get into that in a minute.

The reason to have students record their presentations is so that you don't have to take up class time for multiple days (ex. science period for 4 days) while students present their project and you grade the rubric.  If students are recording their presentation, they are still explaining their thought process, they are still explaining what they created or found, and they are still able to show you everything you have asked to see but now take away the fear of public speaking, take away the in class time factor, take away not being able to "redo" a presentation, take away having to rearrange if someone is sick, take away not being able to grade at home (with a glass of wine perhaps), etc.  The videos provide you and your students with some flexibility.

Here is a sample that one of my students created at the beginning of the year regarding whether or not Mother Teresa should have been canonized.  I asked them a question, gave them some resources, and asked them to create a presentation using any "powerpoint" style program they wanted and then to record over it explaining their thinking.  This student chose to use Adobe Spark on their iPad.  What do you think?

Here is a copy presentation with of the rest of the videos for your Google Drive:
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1cowNXnDZpa3pJbHOt4lzIPJJJ7eH-Fas_vImmq9U-JU/copy?usp=sharing

Do you use video in your classroom?  What do you do?  Please share...always on the hunt for new and better ways to do anything in the classroom.  Thank you!

When NOT In Rome...

use @DoInk Green Screen app to get yourself there!

Recently, our 6th graders read Julius Caesar. In years past, the 6th graders were able to put on a production of the play. This year our Literature teacher was new the to school (as was I and a number of other teachers) and she decided to have the kids break into groups and film select scenes instead of acting out the whole play.

Here's a quick clip of some students practicing: https://instagram.com/p/BRbTYv1jyQi/

When the Lit teacher came to me asking if the students could film and edit in my class (technology), I also suggested adding a little green screen action. My walls are painted green after all. We didn't know exactly how it would work out but she was on board!

The groups were given a choice if they wanted to film and use the green screen or not. Then they all went about filming. The groups that wanted to use the Green Screen were given either my iPad or one from another teachers classroom. They took different approaches.  One group edited their video first and then put it into Do Ink, adding their images of Rome in last. Another group put each of their video pieces into Do Ink, added their images of Rome and then edited everything.

The point was...it didn't matter what they ended up doing.  They enjoyed being able to act out what they read.  And those that added the green screen were able to search and visualize what it would have the scenery would have looked like if they really had done the play.

Internet = Truth!

A friend of mine used to (or maybe still does) has an email signature that talks about Abraham Lincoln referencing the truth of all things on the internet.  So let's first admit that the ridiculousness of this signature line is hilarious and I loved getting emails from him strictly for this reason.

Now, lets move on to the fact that there are some people that legitimately believe this to be true.  Not the Abraham Lincoln part (or maybe...I don't know) but the part about whatever is posted on the internet being true.  It's like saying that everything on TV is true or said on the radio is true.  It's not.

Perhaps when these medias first came out and they were revolutionary and unknown and it was FANTASTICAL! (yup...I said it) At that point in time, I suppose it was acceptable to believe that everything that was put out to the world could be believed as true.  We didn't know...but now, we do.
So we can no longer claim ignorance. And it's so important that we teach our children/students that everything is not true and how to differentiate between fact and not-so-obvious fiction.

I recently began working with my middle school students about evaluating the websites they gather their facts from in order to ensure their validity.

Side note: When I said that to them...they looked at me and I was informed that they didn't know what I was saying.  I told them we needed to look at websites and see if the information was accurate and legit.  They understood that.

Anyway...it was kind of a fun series of lessons.  I didn't tell the kids we were working on website validity.  I told them we were working on researching some kind of social justice/current event/make the world a better place website. Of course, I have to model what I expect.  So we visited http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/.

It started with choosing a cause that you have a passion for and ensuring that you are properly educated before you start spreading any message.  So I told them that this particular cause was very near and dear to my heart but I wanted them to be fully educated. Of course many of them were confused having never heard of a tree octopus. It was SO fun to be completely flabbergasted at the fact that they had never heard of this animal!!

Since they didn't know anything about the Tree Octopus, we started researching some basic questions.  Ex. Where do they live?  What do they eat?  How do they breath?  Why are they endangered?  I encouraged them to explore the website and also other websites (not provided by me).

Some classes explored outside the website others stayed solely on the page I gave them.  The ones that started exploring began questioning whether or not these animals were real sooner.  However, they came to me with "They aren't real because I've never heard of them." or "They can't be real because I've never seen one."  To which many other students jumped on board to exclaim that just because you can't see it doesn't mean it doesn't exist...i.e. atoms and molecules.  And the fact that they are only 10/11/12/13 means that they haven't explored the whole world or seen all there is to see.
It was an exciting discussion from a teacher perspective.

As time went on it was very clear that the class was divided as to whether these animals were real or not.  So we finally sat down one day and had a discussion.  No laptops, no computers, no devices.  I very seriously wanted to know what they thought since this was such a hot topic of debate in my classes.  Regardless of what they thought, I needed a solid defense...an explanation of why they felt the way they did.

In the end, I told them that the whole website was fake.  The students that believed it to be fake felt validated.  The students that believed it to be real were frustrated, amazed, and some even thought it was hilarious.  BUT, I got my point across.  Just because it's on the internet, does not mean it is real.

Anne Frank

I teach at a K-8 Catholic school.

This post is about the 8th graders specifically.  They have been reading the Diary of Anne Frank.  I read that book when I was a child.  I picked it up when I was bored one day, not realizing the weight that book carried.

Unfortunately, there were so many visual descriptions that were critical to the story that I just couldn't image.  I couldn't see them in my mind.  I feel like it took away from the gravity of what I was reading.  I couldn't possibly image how a door was hidden!  I couldn't see how small the living quarters really were.  I read the words but the images were from my life, with a few tweaks.

Back to the 8th graders.  Maybe they have a better imagination than I did as a 4th/5th grader.  Or maybe because we have never been in that kind of situation (for which I am so thankful), it's not something we can fathom, imagination or not.

This week they are going to the local Catholic high school to see the play Anne Frank.  That will give them a better visual representation.  I want to support that in my class.  I want to show them something that will really make them see how hard it was and the struggles that these families faced. I want them to understand how brave Anne Frank was...this girl who is their age.  I want there to be an impact.

So this week and next week, we will be taking the time to explore the Anne Frank museum online. Specifically, we will be looking at some of the photos and pieces of history from her life.  And I think most importantly, we will be able to go on a virtual tour of Anne Frank's Secret Annex.

I hope it gives the 8th graders a really good concrete visual of what they are reading.

Re-envisioning SAMR

*warning: slight ranting*

I know there are SAMR fans out there and those that aren't super supportive of SAMR. That's fine. We all have our opinions right?  In all reality, it's about what works for you, your teachers, your students, your team.

Now, to say, that I am a fan of SAMR. At least what it represents. I like that it gives a framework for understanding how to gauge how technology is being used in the classroom. SAMR isn't dictating how to use technology, SAMR isn't replacing pedagogy, SAMR isn't taking the creativity out of teaching.  It's a set of guidelines as teachers (myself included) make their way through the sometimes murky waters of integrating technology in the classroom. It is a frame of reference.

However, I admit that I often feel frustrated and sometimes even defeated with how SAMR is viewed and approached. Keeping in mind that SAMR is a frame of reference...many people look to "achieve" R. Ok, that's fine, that's dandy. But before you "achieve" anything...are YOU ready for R? Are your STUDENTS ready for R? Do you have a clear understanding of what R represents in the classroom?

I would like to numerically, clearly point out how to approach SAMR in my opinion.  I do them numerically, so I won't get sassy in my post. Although I did make sure to wear my sassy pants today just so you know.

1. Understand what each level of SAMR represents.  Without a clear understanding, you may not be meeting the level that you have planned for.

2. Look at your objective, your lesson, and your students. What step of SAMR will best support their learning outcomes? If S is what is best, then please just substitute. If M is what is best, then feel free to modify.

3. Once you feel comfortable with integrating technology in a certain step, then start experimenting/collaborating/researching how to integrate another step.  You can always go back and forth.

4. Don't get stuck. If you're happy substituting, still focus on growing and trying new things.

Don't focus on "achieving" each "step" and getting to the "top".  (sorry for the gross over use of air quotes...and yes I made them in the air before I typed them).
Ultimately, remember that understanding and reflection are the keys to effectively utilizing SAMR.

*rant over*  I feel better now...thanks.  :)

image created by Aaron Davis mash up from @JustLego101 & Amy Burvall