Google Discussion and Google Hangouts

Google Hangouts, with its screenshare option, proved to be the perfect tool for a conversation with Mrs. Schmidt and Mrs. Olson.  The English teacher, Mrs. Schmidt, and the science teacher, Mrs. Olson, are collaborating on writing reflections pertaining to the annual science egg drop.

Mrs. Olson wanted to share hundreds of photos from the egg drop with students and decided that a Google Group would be a great place to put the link to her Picasa Web Album.  In addition, the Google Group is a great place for students to conduct prewriting comments and suggestions by student for students that Mrs. Schmidt provides.

Since the Google Group has a private setting, below is a screen shot of the number of views and comments.

The collaboration between staff/student and student/student also meets an ITLS Standard 2A, Skill 2B 

Read More

iPad Whiteboard App In Science Class

The Whiteboard app for the iPad has many uses.  Hear how, Ms. Thut, uses the app in her science class.


Video Link
ITLS Standard: 1 and Skill (Grade 9)

Read More

iPad Whiteboard For Authentic Connections In Science

Mr. Lenz discovered the whiteboard app and put it to good use.  View how technology was incorporated into his Science classroom at the right time and for the right reason.

Read More

Mrs. Stainton Presented Golden Apple Award

Today was a great day as Mrs. Stainton was presented with one of the Fox11 Golden Apple Awards!  Mrs.  Stainton  strives to incorporate real learning situations in her classroom.  I really have enjoyed helping Mrs. Stainton incorporate technology tools where it is needed.

Enjoy the presentation!  Thank you, Mrs. Stainton for the job you do!

Read More

Haiku Deck In Action

Last night, the culmination of six months of work took place for our AP Environmental Science students.  As has been noted in the past here, here, and here, Mrs. Stainton has done a tremendous job of creating a real learning experience with her students and showed the final products to parents, students, and staff.

After I introduced Haiku Deck in a Lunch N' Learn time, Mrs. Stainton felt that it was the best tech tool for vividly capturing the students' responses as it pertains to their project.

Check out the incredible presentation that was created by Mrs. Stainton.  LINK HERE

Read More

Physics Lab Report Enhanced With PicPlayPost

"More engaging than our usual paper reports."

"I liked how the video was right next to our graphs."

"Creating the backgrounds was fun!"

"It's easier than using a slide show."

All statements from students in class.

Lab reports have been created for years.  To enhance the reports, we decided to use the PicPlayPost app as a technology tool to incorporate the Venier Video Physics app and the graphs that were prepared from the analization of the video.

Some challenges that we did run into occurred prior to creation.  The students worked extremely hard at applying the initial vertical velocity data, as recorded in the Video Physics app, to the horizontal distance that a dart could travel.

I liked how the teacher set perameters for four parts of the PicPlayPost and left up to two more parts for creativity.

This lesson could really have taken off with more time for interviews by the students who could have verbally explained the process and interpreted the data.

Finally, students shared the lab report with the instructor by using the Google Drive app.

View the process!

Read More

PicPlayPost To Produce Video Physics Lab

See a sample of how students are going to pull the entire contents of the lab, both data and final product, together with the PicPlayPost app.

Read More

Vernier Video Physics App

For the next few days our Physics students will be plotting the motion of an object.  Our physics teacher decided to purchase the Video Physics app which will allow for videoing and graphing options.

Since I can't be in his class for all seven class periods, I created a four minute video that can be shown to all students prior to use of the app.  The video allows for the teacher to not have to master the use of the tech tool, but can focus on the content which is a much larger aspect of the learning than the tech tool.

When creating these video tutorials, I always act as if I am presenting in front of the students.  This way, I virtually am!

Read More

Anatomy PBL Video

An example of a student using Skitch and iMovie to help a patient diagnosis their medical condition.

Of course, this was only a PBL situation, and the patient did not really have any medical condition.

Read More

Project Based Learning In Anatomy Using iMovie

View the details of the project and how the students are working.  After the videos are complete, the students will be using the videos they created to assess a real person's injuries!

Read More

Student Choice Presentation Tech Tools

Mr. Landers is culminating a science experiment by having students choose what presentation tool is best for their data.  Spending a morning with the content teacher prior to class allowed us to determine the choices that students could have.

During class, we emphasized with students that using a tech tool, "because you may have used it in the past" is not a great reason for using the tech tool this time.  Students were asked to investigate each tool so that they could decide the best tool.

The teacher took care of the content, while I, as a learning support teacher, was able to assist with some technical difficulties, mainly setting up Glogster accounts and other accounts for students.  It is always beneficial for two teachers to be present in a classroom of 26 students.

See the exact list of tools with link and document created for students.

See the choices that students had.

Read More

Transfer Of Matter Through iMovie and Skitch

The science teacher wanted students to demonstrate their knowledge of how matter transfers from the food they eat to the energy they produce.  Students are able to demonstrate any activity that they love to do through video and still pictures.  Each still picture can be enhanced through the use of the Skitch app.

I was able to teach the basic functions of iMovie and Skitch before the students engaged in using the app.

I prepped with the teacher for about 30 minutes prior to the lesson.  This way she was able to know the features of the apps.  This helped because she was able to answer questions that students had while using the app.

I was impressed by the engagement that the iPad's caused with the students.

See how it worked.

Read More