Last winter, I wrote about the excitement of mounted projectors in our school (Classrooms with a View).

This month, more projectors were powered up and ready for business in classrooms. What follows is a little sample of how projectors are being used as well as how they could transform learning in the classroom. Get inspired. Please add your own ideas as well!

Ideas for using a Computer Projector

•    Daily Slideshow for Students – Eye-catching slideshow of regular routines and new information that is displayed each day as students are settling into the classroom.

•    Notes – Type notes using an application like Word or Excel for students to view and copy. Easy to store and print out for absent students.

•    Review Books – At the end of each lesson (science or studies) create a page/slide in PowerPoint that summarizes what has been learned. At the end of the unit, this book/slideshow can be made available for students to review.

•    BrainPOP or online videos – watch current, up-to-date, curriculum related videos as a whole class.

•    Maps – View maps from Google or take virtual tours through Google Earth.

•    Graphic Organizers – Use Inspiration or another application to create and fill out Graphic Organizers with your students. Online organizers also are available.

•    Skype – Connect with another classroom or expert in the field to share and exchange ideas on any topic. Find partners at Skype in the Classroom.

•    Graph – Survey your students in the moment and create a graph using Excel or an online tool.

•    Flashcards – Make your own or use an online tool, such as Flashcard Machine, to study as a class.

•    Photo Slideshows – Take pictures of events, experiments or any topic and then as a class watch as iPhoto slideshows. Students can discuss observations, connections and reflections, even record annotations.

•    Jeopardy – Review topics by playing as a class with a game board created in PowerPoint.

•    Your Own Classroom Computer Lab – Sign out the laptops and use your classroom computer and projector to guide students right from their seats through a technology infused project.

Ideas for using an IPEVO P2V USB Camera with a Computer Projector

•    Sharing – You no longer have to pass artifacts around which can become a management and focus nightmare! Students can see when it’s placed under the camera and the projector is on, letting everyone concentrate on the discussion.

•    Read-Aloud – Place a picture book under the camera, and everyone has a great view to enjoy the pictures as well as follow along with text. Don’t forget to flip the text!

•    Textbooks and Maps – Don’t have a digital copy or no time to make one? No worries- put your document under the camera to enhance your directions or lesson.

•    Math Manipulatives – Much easier to see than on an overhead.

•    More Demonstrations – Show students what buttons or apps to push on an iPod. Or maybe you need to show them how to do some intricate origami folds. No matter what the demonstration, the camera and projector make it easy for everyone to see clearly.

•    Microscope-like – Perform science experiments and analyze results right under the camera. No more crowding around a table! Snap pictures with the camera, too.

•    Need more ideas? Go to IPEVO’s website for Tips, Tricks and Ideas.

Last spring, my Librarian colleague, Valerie Loughman, and I completed a project funded by a MassCUE Initiative Grant.

Background:

Third graders traditionally study famous people who have lived in Massachusetts (MA HSS Standard 3.7). Unfortunately, what should be a celebration of contributors to our state turns into mass confusion for this age level. Appropriate materials simply are not available for all these leaders.

Our solution:

Enlist the help of a 5th grade class to analyze the resources and create podcasts and flash (quick fact) cards that would serve as an accessible, multimedia, research experience for the 3rd graders. A newly, created Library Wiki and dedicated iPods served as the portal of learning.

The outcome:

Third graders were engaged with research materials that were appropriate for all learning styles and reading levels. In the end, these flexible materials helped yield a “green screen” sharing of knowledge. Third graders produced a mock CNN style interview.

What follows is our presentation that we shared at this fall’s MassCUE Conference. Please check it out to read more about our goals and see the specific equipment and software that we utilized.

When I taught first grade we used to go on a hunt around the school for things that we were studying. For example, if our focus in math was right angles, we would grab our clipboards, papers and pencils and walk around the halls, library, cafeteria, office, playground and where ever in the school twenty buzzing with excitement students could fit. We would sketch what we found, and then write a sentence. These pages would then be bound together as a class book and put in our book nook for all who wandered into our classroom to enjoy.

Five years ago, I used to say: if only we had digital cameras then… (Did I just date myself?) Then we could have made quick, authentic, non-fiction books using a word processing program….

Time to jump to today’s innovations. I now say: if only we had iPod Touches back then…

Recently, a third grade class started using Touches to check out trash barrels in our school as a part of a grant. The goal: to see how we could improve and promote our UpCycle program. Would we find trash or treasure in these barrels? This week, these third graders are going to present their initial findings in the form of a slideshow at an all school assembly. From there, we will develop short movies or public service announcements to target the areas of environmental awareness need.

The power of the Touches is how each student can be so independent and involved in the process of completing this project. Each Touch has been given a free Gmail account. The classroom teacher’s email has been added into Contacts. Therefore, when a student snaps a picture, s/he can email it to the teacher with a tap. A note, thought or reflection may be typed into the email’s body. (For example: Look at all the paper in here!) The teacher can evaluate the child’s work from her inbox.

If the objective is to combine the images from the different devices, the teacher may put them in a shared folder for a slideshow in iPhoto. Or the students may select the images on the Touches to go into a free Dropbox app on the Touch. Now, these images will be accessible on a designated computer or from any of the other Touches through this Dropbox app. Using Photos or  iMovie right on the Touch,  students also can create their own slideshows or movies using each other’s images. These can be shared via email to the teacher again. (Or put in the Dropbox.) Soon they will be posted to a class blog or wiki for viewing by an audience beyond the classroom walls.

Putting the power in students’ hands… love it! And how great is it, that we’re saving paper and toner while teaching people to be green?!

Does anyone else want to give this tool a try? Or please share how you’re utilizing the camera and/or sharing features of the Touches!

Google Earth has been around for a while, but how many teachers are using it with their classes? We have it on every machine at school; however, I don’t think people really know its power or even potential. It’s fun to fly to your house and possibly some popular tourist location in the world using this program, but I don’t think most people go much further. I am at the Google Geo Teachers Institute in Maine, and I must say, it’s been worth the drive to find out what’s under the hood of this free application.

What I want to focus on right now is what is already available to teachers in Google Earth. There are tons of tools, but no creation is necessary to access rich content compliments of Google and its content partners. You have to be willing to do a little exploring, but it’s like a candy store.

Here is what the Layers look like at first glance:

Let’s peel back the Layers  and see what awaits you and your students. In Google Earth, you simply click on the drop down arrows and see the goodies.

• Borders and Labels: standard map fare helping to define boundaries clearly. No need to use outdated classroom maps anymore!
• Places of Interest: a feature that shows places like businesses, transit stations, mountains, parks & golf- great for legend reading skills and commerce lessons.
• Photos: current and authentic pictures about a location submitted by users are available. No worries- the pictures are screened before being chosen. The pictures focus on the location (without people). There are two options: Panoramio and 360 Cities.
• Roads: traditional map info regarding highways, routes and streets for map reading skills.
• 3D Buildings: This is what sets Google Earth apart from traditional maps. Actually go and check out a city, and let your students get a feel for what it’s like there. Switch over to the Street Level view and take your own virtual tour strolling the streets. And don’t miss the Trees feature in this layer!

• Ocean: where to even begin… see National Geographic articles and quizzes tagged to locations; find shipwrecks; and track marine life to name a few.

• Weather: maybe charting temperatures for a location is old hat, but what about cloud watching?

• Gallery: You’ve got to see it to believe it! With partners like Discovery Networks, NASA, National Geographic and the New York Times supplying content in various multimedia as you visit a location, students are engaged in learning, not just being entertained.

• Global Awareness: See what organizations are present in an area, such as Greenpeace and WWF.

• More: This section has plenty to offer from National Parks to US Senators that can be integrated into social studies lessons.

So power up that classroom projector, and with a simple check mark in the Layers of Google Earth, vast content is within flight. You just have to choose the destination for your students’ learning.

A few months ago, I wrote about Goodreads. (Check out the post here.) A fifth grade teacher was trying out this site with her students on a voluntary basis. Recently, she surveyed the students who opted to use this site instead of the traditional, paper reading log. Here are the results:

• 78% of the students feel that they read more than they used to

• 56% of the students feel that they talk more about books with family and friends

• 100% of the students feel that the teacher should offer Goodreads to future students

• 56% of the students plan to continue using Goodreads in the future

• 100% of the students explored other parts of the site that weren’t mandated (such as writing stories and book trivia)

The teacher felt that these results demonstrated that the experimental use of Goodreads was a success. And I would agree! These results certainly are aligned with the teacher’s ultimate goal of her students becoming lifelong readers and reflectors. Any one else want to give it a try next year?

Last post, I wrote about stop-action movies. This is a quick follow-up to share two movies that were completed with our May Challenge Crew.

The Snow Man

Chicken Little

These movies are very simple attempts at a “how-to” narrative and a retelling of a story. For both movies, we used IPEVO Point 2 View USB Document Cameras. With “The Snow Man”, we used a Logitech USB Headset for clear, sound quality. We were amazed at how easy and fun the movies were to make with the SAM Animation software. We are hoping to integrate this technology into fifth grade social studies, specifically European explorers, next year. Wish us luck!

It’s almost the end of the school year. Things are crazy, but at the same time, they can be a bit stale. Especially, after testing has come and gone, students often see that milestone as a sign to check out. Looking to continue to engage your students right down to the end? Give stop-action movies a try!

For the next few weeks, a handful of teachers and myself are exploring what SAM Animation has to offer. This software developed at Tufts University is very user-friendly. It comes as a demo or pay for a full download. The demo works well enough to capture images with your built-in or external cameras , and then add narration or audio. The movies can be exported as QuickTime or other file formats for various mobile devices and destinations. (Tip: in the demo version, to find these other options, use the File- Export Menu.)

Stop-action movies lend themselves beautifully to science topics due to the time lapse capabilities that allow a very slow process (such as plant growth) to be observed at a faster rate. However, science is not the only subject that can harness the power. Check out the many examples here. (And stay tuned for a future post that displays the teacher created examples that we are going to develop as a part of our May challenge.)

What I REALLY like:

SAM Animation was developed with the understanding that the technology should not get in the way of the content. The content should be front and center. (Read about how animation is good for the classroom in their white paper.)  It’s a true integration tool that is easy to use, and the concept of stop-action movies really makes students think. Students have to plan how they will break concepts and actions down in meaningful chunks to in turn build a coherent message that demonstrates understanding. Plus, it’s tactile, hands-on and fun!

Want to get started? Check out SAM Animation’s video tutorials here. Also, iCreate to Educate, a partner company, has great resources for teachers.

Your thoughts and experiences with animation and stop-action movies are welcome!

Many teachers, students and parents are not thrilled with reading logs.

Why? Paper reading logs are flat. On the norm, they only show a list of book titles. Therefore, there is not a lot of investment. Students (often with the prodding of parents) fill out these sheets to fulfill an obligation. At the end of the year, the data only indicates the number of books read. (And honestly, do we even know if the students are actually reading?)

One fifth grade teacher did not feel that these traditional reading logs were making lifelong readers and reflectors. Therefore, she asked for volunteers in her class (with parental permission) to try out Goodreads. This site allows users to keep track of books they have been reading, but it also makes reading interactive and social. Some of these features include creating book groups, writing stories, and creating/taking book trivia quizzes.

After using the site for a couple of months, I interviewed the teacher and three of her students to get their opinions about the Pros and Cons of Goodreads.

Teacher Pros:

• Students are able to set reading goals and the number of books that they want to read.
• Students can read each other’s recommendations.
• The site allows for book conversation between the users (teacher to student and student to student).

Teacher Cons:

• This is a not an educational/school site, so there is no dashboard or classroom area for a teacher to find and manage students.

Student Pros:

• Students can explain about what they like/didn’t like about books they have read.
• Users can share what they are reading with friends on the site. This helps with future book selections.
• Users can comment back and forth about books that are being read.
• Students can form their own book groups to talk about books, authors and topics.
• Users can write stories and get feedback from friends on the site. (This makes students want to write more!)
• Users can test their book knowledge with the quizzes from others.
• Students can make their own quizzes.
• There is an iPod app for Goodreads.

Student Cons:

• Site is not entirely kid-friendly: other users (who are not even friends) may use inappropriate language that can be seen by students.

To the best of our ability we are addressing the Cons. We have set student accounts to be more private with students using anonymous user names. We have conversations with students about how to conduct themselves so that they are safe and in respectful situations online. The teacher has friended students and interacts with them at the site. Finally, an important piece is parental support. Since it is being accessed at home, students only can participate with parental consent. Parents are aware that this is a real world site, and they will need to guide and monitor students as well.

I feel that the Pros definitely outweigh the Cons. Every student I interviewed was enthusiastic about what they were doing at the site. The students and teacher are discussing books authentically. Reading is no longer defined by a book list on a piece of paper.

I welcome your thoughts and experiences with reading logs on or offline.

Many moons ago when I was a second grade teacher, I was involved in a grant that brought three computer projectors to my elementary school. Our focus was the traditional five paragraph essay and how projecting student work and our own mini-lessons was faster, more efficient and eye-catching to students. The tools, resources and technology have evolved so much in a decade; however, one thing has remained the same: having a clear view to learning opens up your world.

In my current district, stimulus funds allowed us to mount a dozen projectors this school year. Unfortunately, we have more than a dozen classrooms and specialist rooms. Therefore, we had to have a selection process. Over the years, I have seen many pieces of equipment collect dust because it was doled out to a targeted grade level or even building. Either support was not available to foster its integration into the teacher’s classroom curriculum, or there simply was no investment. (I recall many computers appearing in my second grade classroom, and no one ever showed me how to use them. That was a turning point for me. I wanted to learn and went down a new path with a Masters program. This is not the case for everyone.) Therefore, the principal and I decided to have teachers apply for projectors. We were looking for individuals who were going to figure out how to give their students that view on a daily basis.

Today, I met with the projector collaborative group. Installation took longer than the district anticipated, but many have had two months to “play”. Today we supported one another by sharing tips and tricks on screen resolution, brightness and signal loss as well as what unique ways the equipment is seamlessly helping students learn curriculum. I took this opportunity to introduce the teachers to Wallwisher as a way for us to share these fabulous integration ideas (and then in turn use this new tool with their students, hopefully). Please check them out here.

I’m hopeful that our enthusiasm will spread amongst teams and that a new application process will be funded and, most importantly, embraced.

On a side note: At the MassCUE 2010 Conference, Suzy Brooks shared this Wallwisher PDF from Passy World with her participants. Suzy’s presentation was a real inspiration on how to be “Technically Invisible”. This is what we aspire to with our new mounted projectors. Thanks, Suzy!

Will Richardson’s article “Publishers, Participants All” in the February 2011 Educational Leadership really struck me this week. We all tell our students and children not to talk to strangers. Safety is paramount whether we’re on the street or online. However, if we really want to get students embedded in a global community of sharing, we need to start depending on the kindness of strangers (Thanks, Tennesse Williams!).

A while ago, I started to do just that by using the Comments4Kids hashtag on Twitter. Wondering what I’m talking about? Well, whenever my students are blogging, I tweet out a message with a direct link to the blog and add a hashtag.

For example, my tweet may read: Read and comment about Flat Ryan’s latest adventure in Germany http://abbotflatstanley.edublogs.org/2010/12/23/flat-ryan-in-germany/ #comments4kids .

What I’m hoping for is that my PLN on Twitter will see this tweet and choose to visit the the link and leave a comment. An added bonus would be if my PLN retweeted my request. If the request is retweeted it has the potential of being read by people outside my PLN who may decide to visit and comment on the blog. There is also the chance that it could be retweeted again. The cycle could continue infinitely, and the “Flat Ryan” author no longer is writing to just his teacher, classmates and me, but anyone who uses Twitter.

Of course, my tweet may not catch the eye or interest of my PLN in the Twitterverse. We’re all busy, right? That means no new visitors to the blog, and Flat Ryan will not be able to have any conversations to extend his learning.

Now, adding the hashtag (#comments4kids) to the tweet takes it to another level… and a new audience. Created by William Chamberlain, here is his original post on the idea. Essentially, you can filter/search Twitter by using a hashtag. People who are interested in commenting on kids’ blogs will follow #comments4kids. Therefore, my tweets requesting comments on a student’s post will not just end up in the vast worldwide sea of tweets, but rather flow into a designated pond that is being fished. Critics may say that we’re putting our students into a possible dangerous situation. Maybe, people who are not teachers and up to “no good” will follow this hashtag? My response is that you still have to teach your students to be safe online. We use generic usernames and don’t share private information. Teach them how to swim, not avoid the water!

I can’t even describe the excitement of my students when they receive comments from around the world. They realize that they have a voice, and it motivates them to write more! And who doesn’t want that?

This whole system works on the idea that if “strangers” comment on your students’ posts, then you need to comment on other students’ posts as well. Hence, a community of sharing grows and flourishes! Want to increase the traffic on your students’ blogs and get them engaged in the learning process? Go here to find out more information on how you can rely on the kindness of strangers.