Ramping up

As the calendar year comes to a close it's exciting to look at how things are really starting to ramp up with the TLLP project.
Now that Jennifer has carried out what sounds like a tremendously successful day of job-embedded professional development, Cheryl and I are getting into the details of how a similar day will run at her school.  Administration is completely on-board, recognizing the benefits to staff as well as leveraging some of the monies available for release time.

Some of the equipment we've ordered has already arrived and I've already had some very positive feedback from using the LiveScribe pen.  For running records it's an invaluable tool, completely non-threatening and natural to use.  The portable document cameras should be tremendously effective with mobile device demonstrations in particular.

It's amazing to me the way that small, very subtle changes in approach can have such a big difference in focus.  I say this because of Cheryl's very careful wording of the release time being offered by her administration to support PD:  Instead of "sign up for a technology workshop that interests you", she's made teachers think about the all-important "why", and asked them to consider a student or two who is at level 2 or below, and come to the workshop with that student's specific needs in mind, with the intent of leaving with specific strategies to address those needs.

This is going to make a huge difference.

I've been to many, many workshops that have been billed as, "Paul's going to show us how to use the (insert tech toy/software here)", with teachers attending only mildly interested.  In these cases I find I'm constantly having to create hypothetical contexts for the usage of the tools:  "For those students who might benefit from seeing the lesson again on their own time, use this...", or "If you have a student who is shy, you may want to try this..."
But with teachers arriving with "those" students already in mind, their focus should be laser-like, with pointed questions and specific lessons in mind.
Can't wait.

I love my job.

Ministry Licensed Software

Recently I have been exploring Clicker 5 and Photo Story, two Ministry Licensed pieces of software.

I am excited by each of these tools and have loved watching my grade 2 students learn to use both programs.

It is amazing to see how quickly the students can figure things out and how these tools can enable some children to demonstrate knowledge and understanding in ways that may otherwise be difficult.

I have targeted a few specific children with Clicker 5 and regularly make simple vocabulary grids to support them with writing tasks. For one of my students the ability to use Clicker 5 has allowed him to go from a dependent writer (asking how to spell each word and not being able to re-read his own work) to an increasingly independent, more motivated writer. By reducing the writing frustration and scaffolding the student through access to key words he can independently produce text that is coherent and legible. I have watched excitedly as both on-task writing behaviour and productivity have increased.

The next step for me is to learn how to use Clicker 5 beyond the creation of basic grids.

In the new year, I am hoping to learn how to create Digital Stories with this tool and will offer another job embedded PD sessions for a few teachers on Clicker 5.

Photo-Story is being explored by my grade 2 students thanks to the support of our wonderful teacher-librarian Rose Gordon-Rak. Mrs. Gordon-Rak and I have been working in collaboration to create meaningful tasks for the students as a way for them to demonstrate their learning in the content areas. The students have recently learned how to find and import pictures and use voice overs using Photo-Story with our Science Unit on Solids and Liquids. By the end of January each of the students will have completed their first Photo Story which they can share with others.

It is my hope that the students will be able to create their next digital Photo-Story project independently and will be able to choose to use this program for a future culminating task.

A special thanks Rose!!

Our project continues to move forward....

Our TLLP project is well underway... we have been working on building teacher capacity for the use of technology as a tool to support student learning.

Recently, Jennifer hosted a very successful job embedded PD session for teachers at her school while Paul and I will be doing the same at Forest Run in late January early February. Teachers will be asked to think of specific "at-risk" students they feel would benefit from the use of technology when planning their teaching/learning task.

In the spring, each school will have a celebratory party... where teachers involved with the PD sessions can showcase the technology they have used with students.

Beginning in January, I am hoping to begin informal "Tech Talk" teacher sessions twice monthly. During these sessions, teachers will be encouraged to share questions, concerns, successes and challenges with using tech tools with their students. Hopefully teachers will bring artifacts and or work samples to showcase how various programs an applications can be used as a way of differentiating instruction. This forum should allow us to develop an in-house PLN and build our collective expertise and experience.

I'd like to consider inviting students to some of these sessions to discuss some of their experiences and insights with technology in school.

WELCOME CHARLES HOWITT TEACHERS!

Now that you're here, please tell us how you use technology now, and why you decided to take part in this PD opportunity.

ECOO Conference November 2010-2011

This week Jennifer and I, along with a teacher colleague (Rose) had the opportunity, thanks to our TLLP funding, to attend the ECOO. The conference was a wonderful way for the three of us to build our knowledge about technology and how we can further use it as a tool to support student engagement and learning.

We each attended a variety of sessions on topics including using the Smartboard as a tool to support math in the Primary and Junior grades, Digital Storytelling, Using Clicker 5 and Photo-Story. The professional learning for each of us was fantastic!! Presenters shared many wonderful resources that we can now use to support our students and can share with other educators!!

Thanks to the TLLP for providing us with the funds to attend this conference and to help us support both teachers and students in their use of technology for teaching and learning.

Click on the links below for the information we received in our conference sessions.

Pete's PowerPoints. Here you will find a collection of free PowerPoint presentations on a variety of subjects and topics which you can download and use.

Off to a Good Start. Here you will find links to a number of web 2.0 tools. Also check the section called more, more, more for additional links. Thanks to Gaily Lovely

Motivating Boy Writers. Here you will find a link to a blog written by Kent Manning. He provides several links to visit. Thanks to Kent Manning

Using SmartBoards in your Primary and Junior Math program. Here you will find Smart Notebook files with many math tasks and manipulatives ready for use in Notebook 10.

Blog by Brenda Sherry. Brenda was one of the ECOO conference organizers. Her blog contains many wonderful links.

Click here to go to see our online survey for our Technology Day

If you would like to see our on-line survey that was created using Survey Monkey for our Technology Day click here. Feel free to take the survey.

VoiceThread

Today Jennifer and I, along with a colleague from Jennifer's school (Karen), are attending a VoiceThread PD session offered by the ABEL network.

While I have made an initial attempt to use VoiceThreads with my grade 2 students, I ran in to a few glitches from getting the microphones working to determining the best way to create a VoiceThread, without giving the students individual email accounts.

Over the last few days, I have been "tweeting" my twitter friends to gather more information about VoiceThread. Many of my new friends have suggested that I get an educator account...so I'm hoping to hear more about that today at the VoiceThread session.

My class was excited to hear that I would be learning more about this web 2.0 tool. They are excited to try it again with me at school and to be technology leaders in our school.

Stay tuned to see our first official voicethread (hopefully) after the training I get from this session.

Attending GAINS Math Camppp 2010, and thinking how we can use technology as a tool to support our students as they learn math concepts.

Which programs would work best? What are the limitations and/or challenges we may face.

Lots to think about in the days ahead....

Sharing the Journey

Wow,

What an exciting adventure this TLLP experience is already shaping up to be. After attending the OTF Social Media course I'm feeling so much more enlightened, and competent with some

web 2.0 applications. I'm spending this morning with a York Region colleague sharing some of my new learnings, and deepening my knowledge by scaffolding for her how to blog, set up and use tweet deck and introducing her to some other web 2.0 apps (Jingle and typewith.me).

We're going to try to collect some initial information on her knowledge and interest about tech and education using voice thread. It will be my first experience with this, so stay tuned....

OTF Social Media Course

Spending three days at an OTF Social Media Workshop along with Jennifer and 28 or so new friends. Had a great first day learning more about twitter and blogging. So much great information to learn and lots of tips and tricks to make our tweeting experiences more enjoyable.

Second morning warm up is to write a brief blog using using Wordpress.

Check out my blog here: http://blogitwithme.wordpress.com/

So excited for Days 2 and 3.

Paul, I hope your enjoying whatever adventures your up to.

Cheryl

web 2.0

Should we consider incorporating some web 2.0 applications into our work with students if our board is looking at building this in as a technology piece?

What's your thinking Paul?

TLLP Networking Expectations

TLLP Networking Expectations: all this information is included in the TLLP Networking Site handout that was provided to us at the Ministry Training Session on May 6/7

All projects will be required to :

Post two artefacts from their project - one posting by Dec 31 /2010

second one prior to May 31st 2011

Blog entries can be an artefact.

Post entries on ecommunity site

Easy Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers

Check out this SlideShare Presentation: There may be some information we want to use for our project.

Easy Web 2.0 Tools for Teachers

View more presentations from pingable.

Data Collection

Let's think about how will we gather data... a few things sites to check out

survey monkey

wuffo.com

google forms

Can we use these to our benefit?

Student work: would it make sense to put some of the work on the blog us to review together?

Focused Interviews? Video format using flip camera

• ensure you're asking the same questions to each participant

What ethical considersations do we need to think about when collecting and sharing data?

Day 2 of the TLLP Training Workshop....looking forward to hearing lots of interesting information and new ideas....

Taking a few minutes to explore Gizmos with Paul.

We are here at the TLLP....

Actions Needed to Meet the Smart Goals

1. meet with Paul to familiarize ourselves and build our capacity with the programs- schedule specific times and topics

2. ensure administrators are on-board and supportive- update administrators on where we are with the program and where we'd like to head .... how can they continue to support our goals

3. decide on some of the programs that may be best suited- so we can think about matching programs to students for next year- continue to explore the programs- group them according to what they may offer?

4. decide on teachers and potential students who would benefit-how many teachers do we and to work with? What's realistic? How many students would be manageable? Do they all need to work on the same programs?

5. Jennifer speak with new administrator to discuss project ideas- how to select teacher(s)?

6. build our capacity with Clicker 5-who can best support us? Is there any outside training available?

7. develop relationships with interested teachers

8. will we be involved with case-management? Will case-management be in place next year?

9. have a conversation with administrators about students bringing in their own technology such as ipods and laptops etc.

TLLP and Smart Goals Development

Smart Goals (as of May 6/10)....always a work in progress...

S: To work with interested teachers to build their capacity to engage and increase the achievement of targeted at-risk student using Ministry Licensed Software

M: Data will collected via surveys, interviews/reflective conversations, video/audio reflections, student work samples

A: The goals will be attained through one-one sessions with team members and participating teachers/students

Defining the mission

Here we are, three elementary teachers from YRDSB on a collective journey of learning.

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