I knew I wanted to be an educator when…

This week, I was asked to create a cell phone story about why  I wanted to become a teacher.   I was not looking forward to this assignment, in fact it made me nervous.  I am new to the SMART phone world, still call it a car phone from time to time, so I quite doubtful that this feat could be accomplished on a cell phone.   I was wrong.   It was not easy, but it was not that hard either.  Adding audio was more user friendly that I expected.  I was disappointed in the Voice Thread app, as it would not allow the video editing I completed in WeVideo to attach, but fortunately WeVideo allows for audio recording.   All in all, I would use both of these apps with my students since the audio feature is not a requirement.  Here is a link to my cell phone story.

Birds of a Feather….

Finding a teacher who has used cell phones and or mobile devices in the classroom as the sole source of technology for a project is akin to finding a needle in a haystack, especially with teachers in my school.  The school where I work is very much a “NO PHONES” type of school.  It has only during the past two years that some flexibility in regards to mobile devices for educational purposes in the classroom has been allowed and that is on a teacher by teacher basis.  So it was slim pickings when it came to finding a like minded peer.  To say I was on the cutting edge here at my school (me?!) would not be too far off the mark.  Fortunately, there is one other teacher who is beginning to use mobile devices, including iPads and personal student devices in the classroom more frequently and with much success.

I sat down with Stacy Weiss, Science teacher at PDSD and interviewed her on her experiences (personal communication, November 2016).  Attached is a link to the interview, it is in ASL, not spoken English, but is relatively easy to follow.  Before I arrived at the school for the Deaf, Stacy was the de facto technology person in the high school department.   She is not opposed to technology, just the lack of resources and support for teachers.  She has stated that she likes all of the avenues that the school has provided in regards to technology (iPads, laptops, SMART boards, Apple TV, etc), but the staff that is tasked with monitoring and servicing these devices is lacking in knowledge.   It is worth noting that we are a predominately Mac campus with a knowledgeable PC tech department.   The staff has no desire to go PC based and the IT department has no desire to be Mac, it is a unique situation in which Stacy shares that it often affects her ability to plan and teach successfully.   Stacy discusses in this interview that she has had struggles getting projects off the ground for several reasons, many relating to the school’s unclear policies as well as a disconnect with the IT department.   Stacy has, in the past,  used her classroom iPads as a means to create and share such things as Google Docs, Slides and Power points and has used mobile apps such as Thinglink.  Stacy shares that limited parent interaction, lack of internet access at home as well as the fact that iPads are required to remain on campus at all times is also a major concern when developing projects.   As the Science teacher, she has had students develop parts of their projects online and used in their presentations.   Due to the policies of our school and that fact that student who are under 18 need to have parental permission, her project does not have an online presence, although she has expressed a desire to create something like this in the future.  She feels that educating the parents is just as vital as  While it is a struggle, Stacy admits that it is worth the outcome.  She would like to see it be an easier process, but realizes that it takes time.

I felt better after my conversation with Stacy.   I have experienced many of the same issues that Stacy has faced.  Being one of only a handful of teachers on my campus who actively use technology, I was nice to know I was not alone.  Stacy has been a teacher at our school longer than I have been and she has more insight in some of the policies instituted in the school.  Having a chance to talk with her in this capacity shed some light on those specific policies.   It was also insightful to learn about specific iPad policies for the school, especially since I hope to get iPads in my classroom next year.  I am hopeful that as more and more teachers become comfortable, the administration will accept these changes and allow policy to change as well.

Discovering something new- A tech impaired teacher’s review

As I wade through all of the potential tools for teachers on the internet, it is important to vet these tools for usefulness for the needs for my students as well as their educational application.  This week, I am reviewing three websites that I found to be most beneficial.  Two of them are more classroom/lesson focused while the third gives my students easier access to alternate means to communicate.  Most importantly, they all connect to Google Classroom, which is quickly becoming a deal breaker for me.

Website #1:  Peardeck

This is not the most friendly website at first glance.  The video tutorial makes it seem easy, but it is more complicated than it appears.   Believing it was simple, I jumped into the deep end of the pool.  I thought I could swim, but I sank-straight to the bottom.   I uploaded a pre-made Powerpoint to Peardeck to manipulate as I assumed that would be easier, it was not.  So, I dragged myself out of the deep end and watched some Youtube videos, this beginner’s tutorial was most useful. After arming myself with some swim lessons, I jumped walked  back around to the deep end of the pool and jumped in.  While the free settings in Peardeck were useful, I could not access some of the features that seemed most appealing, therefore I signed up for the free 30 day trial and created my own Peardeck, one I could use in my classes (you can check it out @ Peardeck using the code Oojjv).  Once I created an original Peardeck and looked at it from the teacher and the student perspective (I opened two browsers, one as a teacher and one as a student), my initial apprehension disappeared and I saw the potential.  This is definately a website tool that needs to be explored at school with a computer connected to a projector.  It is hard to see the big picture on a home computer.  The cost of Peardeck is concerning, $100 annually (if you qualify for an educator discount), so unless you are really committed to this tool, it may not be beneficial.  On the positive side,I was able to easily add it to my student lists in my Google Classroom.  The one real big draw for me was the fact that I can send each student a recap of the Peardeck, with their individual/personal answers (not classroom responses), in form of a Google Doc called a Takeaway.  Students can use this information as notes and a study guide.  Here is the takeaway for the PearDeck I created.  All in all, after wading through the confusion at the first sight,  I would give Peardeck4-star-review3 stars.

Website #2: Formative

The word “formative” makes me nauseous.  In this educational environment where testing and data, not student need, seems to be the only focus, formative assessments are king.  Currently at my school, I have to give formal formative assessments, often way off ability level, to my students at least once every two weeks. This is does not include my own testing, state mandated testing, writing samples, etc, hence my hatred of the word “formative”.  So when another teacher suggested I look at this website, I balked, just because of the name, once again, I was wrong (this is becoming a theme, but I guess that is part of an old dog learning new tricks).  Unlike Peardeck, Formative is pretty easily understood.  Once you log in (I did so using the Google login, simple-one click), you simply choose “+assignment”, from there you can create a new question, upload content and probably the best part is being able upload any content, and modifying it.   I took a handout that I use in my classroom, scanned it and uploaded it to Formative.  I was then able add questions directly to the uploaded material.   I was also able to add additional related material.  Students proceed to answer questions on their devices, either via a code that is provided to them, or through the Formative assigned in Google Classroom.  Formative can be created directly on the Formative website, content can be added (pictures or YouTube clips) as well as allowing the students to choose multiple choice, true/false or short answer questions.  One of the best aspects of formative is that students are able to show their work on the assessments, they are not limited to the question types listed above.  On the instructor side, the teacher can see the students live on your device as they take the assessment.  This allows for the teacher to see where the errors are happening in real time and intervention can be made.  I think that is an important aspect of this tool, especially when working with students who have special needs, immediate intervention is essential.  Here is the code for the formative that I created (N.B. this is a prototype) if you want to check it out:YWPP224.  Overall, I would give this website 4-star-review3  stars.

Website #3:  WeVideo

By far the most valuable tool that I examined for my students this week is WeVideo.  Given the nature of my students, utilizing a video webtool is quite beneficial.  At times, written English is often a hindrance for my students.   Trying to weed through the written word to see if the struggles are with written English or with the comprehension of the material.  Allowing my students to record responses to demonstrate understanding is crucial.  I have used other web tools in the past, such as a student Youtube channel, but we often struggled to get them uploaded to Google classroom or attached as an email. If completed, students would often submit the first and only take of their recording.  As an English teacher, I teach edit, edit, edit, yet when students would record themselves there was no way to edit themselves and still send it to me via Google Classroom.  WeVideo changed that.  I feel so strongly about the potential benefits of this website for my classroom, not for me, but for my students, I have documented my journey in a series of screenshots below to demonstrate my journey in making a video for my classes.

how-to-log-inadding-chrome-extension storage-time choose-how-to-video creating-a-new-video uploadrecord-screensee-what-you-are-recordingcutting-and-splicingsaving-to-drivesgoogle-classroom

One thing that I found when working with WeVideo was the tutorials that are posted.  They are a bit hard to find.   It is ultimately easier to find them on a Google search and choosing WeVideo Academy.  They are located within the website itself, but it is harder to find.

Click here to see my video demonstrating how to access student AR goals.

 

One thing that was a disappointment to me, given the video nature of the tool was that the tutorials were not closed captioned.   There is a manual that offers many of the same tips as the videos, but I (like many of my students) am a visual learner.  I want to see the process, not just read about it.  Therefore, I reached out to the support team of WeVideo to ask if they would consider captioning their tutorials.  Below is a copy of my email and WeVideo’s response:

Hello,

I am a teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.   I was introduced to your product recently and I think that there many potential applications for my students.  There is only one problem, the video tutorials are not captioned.   There is a CC button, but when pressed it only reads that captions are off with no option to engage them.  It would be beneficial not only to Deaf and Hard of Hearing individuals to have captions, but it also acts as literacy support to hearing individuals as well.   Captioning the WeVideo Academy videos would be a great way to enhance such a wonderful product.

Respectfully,

Meghan Lorentz


Hi Meghan,

Thank you very much for your feedback. I will forward it to our Development department.

Meanwhile, you can find most of the tutorials as helping articles here: https://www.wevideo.com/support

If there is something the students can’t find, they can always contact us at support@wevideo.com and we will do our best to help them.

Best regards,

Andrea

Of the three websites that I reviewed, I think WeVideo will be the most valuable to my classroom.   I am planning on sharing it with my fellow teachers of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.   Hopefully, my school will see the value in it as well and help pay for the annual fee.  Otherwise, I will be writing a teacher’s grant or creating a “GoFundMe” page to make sure this tool is available to my students.   I give this website five-star-client  stars!

 

References:

4-star-review3.jpg [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2016, from   https://www.google.com/search?q=4stars&safe=active&espv=2&biw=958&bih=930&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZg-Lf46bQAhVfVWMKHaNaATcQ_AUIBigB#q=4 stars&safe=active&tbs=sur:f&tbm=isch

5-star-review3.jpg [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2016, from https://www.google.com/search?q=4stars&safe=active&espv=2&biw=958&bih=930&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiZg-Lf46bQAhVfVWMKHaNaATcQ_AUIBigB#q=4 stars&safe=active&tbs=sur:f&tbm=isch

Filling Up My Educational Toolbox

There are a plethora of tools available to all on the web.  While they all have some benefits, some are more applicable to the educational setting than others.   I have looked into three tools on the web that I find very beneficial in the classroom.  Below are my thought and experiences with these tools.

URL Shorteners:

I have used URL Shorteners in the past and to be honest, I did not see the point.  Due to the nature of the URL codes as well as their length, I often create a name and link the URL to it.  My main objection to URL shorteners was that while it may have made the length shorter, it did not change the impersonal nature of a URL; hence why I like linking the URL to a word.   I am a Google person, I use the Google platform in my work and personal interactions, so naturally, I used Goo.gl.  My world did not change and I saw no need to really use it.  What I had wasn’t broke, so why would I fix it?  But, alas, my assignment was to create a URL that I could customize to be friendly enough to give someone over the phone.  My tried and true Google platform failed me, it was not the avenue to go as Google does not allow for customization.   Therefore, I looked at bit.ly.   Bit.ly is a website that is easy to use.  It does require registration and they tend to send too many “welcome to the club” emails, it does allow for customization of a URL, one that can easily be explained over the phone and does not need the creative word and linking that I love so much!  I am contemplating starting student blogs in my class and adding customized URLs would be much easier for my students to share their ideas.  Below is the customized URL to this very blog (in case you forgot where you were and how to get back!).

http://bit.ly/teachersjourney

QR codes:

QR codes are by far one of the most useful tools that I have in my teacher bag of tricks.   Most of my students struggle with the written word and English is not the easiest language to learn.  The syntax and semantics of English and American Sign Language could not be any more different if they tried.  QR code allow my students to connect sign language to the written word.   I currently use a QR Code Vocabulary wall in my class.  Students record the ASL sign for each vocabulary word, save the clip in a Google Account specifically designed for this QR code project.  Students then create a QR code, print it out and attach it to an index card to be placed on the vocabulary wall.  Students are able to download a QR code reader to their phones.  When they forget the sign or the vocabulary word, they can independently access the vocabulary word.   I have attached a picture of QR Code vocabulary wall as well as one of our QR codes, demonstrating how to use the word FOOTBALL in a sentence (please note that football is in all caps to indicate the ASL sign/s).

 

                 i-play-football

 

I have also added a QR code on my syllabus so parents and students have access to my contact information.  It can also be saved on their phones.  This was the first year that I have done this, it has received positive reviews.  You can view it below.

http://bit.ly/LorentzSyllabus

Bookmarklets:

I have items in my favorite bar, bookmarks to help me get to places quicker (they are now on a Symbaloo page), so I was not to thrilled to look at “bookmarklets”, boy was I wrong.  I looked into two bookmarklets,Quietube and Printliminator.  I was blown away by both of them.   I have always been hesitant to use YouTube in my classroom, since I needed to make a sprint to the front on the class to make sure that I hit pause before the next video played (not always the most appropriate videos follow an educational video on YouTube).  At times the commercials and ads on the sides of a YouTube video are also not appropriate.   This is where Quietube comes into play.  It all but eliminates these issues.   Videos are placed on a white screen, video only.   At times, a video pops up over the video, but it can easily removed.  The only problem that I have is that Quietube is blocked by my district, not just at the school level, it is blocked at the state level and no one seems to know either.  The IT department in my school is trying to get it unblocked, we shall see. The second bookmarklet that I researched was Printliminator.  I have been looking this forever!  I often avoid printing out or attaching article to my student’s Google Classroom because of numerous ads attached to the article and the giant pain in the rear it is to copy, paste and edit in a word document.  Printliminator literally eliminates unwanted information on the page, it is a godsend!  There is one small problem, it can only be used on certain internet browsers, it is a small problem, well worth the end result!

Digging Deeper into Educational Mainstays

I tend to be an all in kind of teacher.  If someone shows me something new, I am all gung ho and eager to try.   More times than not, by the time I get back to my classroom, all of the enthusiasm is gone, because I see the reality of my demographic of students and the ability to use this new trick.  So as I set about to learn more about websites/tools that would be beneficial to my own class and students, I was a bit leery.

In a perfect world, I would be able to evaluate all of the sites above from my school computer and report how each would be educationally applicable….but I work in a state run school, so that is a pipe dream.  Therefore, before I even began any exploration of commonly used sites and evaluating their educational application, I needed to see if the website was even accessible.  After playing around on my teacher computer as well as a student computer, I discovered three websites which have a web presence, but are also compatible with the systems in place at my school.

Social:Glide

Glide is a video texting app that allows its users to send short video messages to one another.   My students and Deaf peers have been talking about it for quite a while, but being a hearing person who is not thrilled to see her reflection on her phone, I avoided it…but my students did not.   So I caved and investigated the app.   As soon as I signed up for an account, I was blown away.   At least 20 people that I knew were already on Glide, students, friends and peers. The recording process was simple, well for the most part…it is a bit of a challenge to hold the phone at selfie length and sign a message to someone.   I noticed that my language was compromised as I tried to be clear outside of the normal signing space.  After some practice, it got better.   I reached out to three friends to ask their opinions on using Glide.  Stacy Weiss, PDSD Science teacher, is a Deaf user of Glide.  In a Glide based interview, I asked her thoughts on Glide (personal communication, November 4, 2016).  Stacy reports that while she likes Glide, there are positives and negatives.   On the plus side, it allows Deaf individuals, who often struggle with the written word, access to the same instantaneous communication as text messaging.  Glide uses SMS and not data, like texting, which is beneficial.   On the down side, the video length is 5 minutes and can be quite long as a “text” message.

On the educational side, I see many benefits of Glide.   While my students understand the concept of emails and text messages, they struggle with written English.   Glide allows for short to the point video messages in their native language. I see the applications of this website and am seriously considering its application in my classroom. The one concern that I have is that I would have to use my personal cell phone number and share that with my students.  I am not sure if I am not comfortable with that nor do I know my school’s policy for sharing my phone number with my students.  I do know that I will be investigating this policy.   This is the only downside I see for its educational implications.   On the flip side, the potential benefits are endless.   Students can collaborate with one another on projects, share concepts with the teacher and each other, in a quick and easy way.   Students can also send messages to the teacher when and if they have questions.   I really see this as the best use of this application.  American Sign Language teachers at Ohio State University are using it their classrooms to connect students with members of the Deaf Community in order to provide a more authentic experience (Haas, 2016).  Deaf students can also have an authentic experience, as they are able to communicate more clearly in their native language and not have their questions/concerns subject to interpretation when presented in English.  All in all, I feel that the benefits most certainly outweigh any potential negatives, especially when working with the Deaf population.  I also added my husband to Glide so he can send video texts to our kids when he has to work late.   All in all, I give this website four stars!

glide-logo-blue

Creative:  WeVideo

I will be honest, this website looks phenomenal, but if you have little to no experience with editing, it is overwhelming.   It is not the most user friendly website in the world, but once you get past the sheer scariness of it, it is manageable.   I definitely need to spend more time playing around with this website, but I feel that it would be worthwhile.  I was disappointed this website requires a paid annual fee after the trial is complete.   The instructions to use the website are a manual that downloads to a Google Doc, which is nice, but not realistic.   I did not read it, I probably never will.  I am more of a “watch the video” or learn by doing.  There was not video tutorial, so I just jumped in and tried it.  I did do further research and found the website Tech for Teachers which does provide video tutorials and shares how WeVideo and Google Drive are compatible. The website also shares examples of how teachers are using WeVideo in the classroom.   I found this to be more beneficial than the Google Doc that WeVideo provided.

At first, I used internet explorer (told you I was an old dog!) and I was not able to access WeVideo as Internet Explorer is not a supported browser.   This may be a problem in my classroom as Google Chrome hates my room!  I have been told by IT to use Internet explorer instead, maybe we need to switch to Firefox.  WeVideo is one of those websites in which I see great potential, but honestly, I would probably not use it.  As an English teacher, I am limited in how much time I can spend teaching new technologies in class.  This is a website that will need extensive instruction to get it up and running.   If I was able to work in conjunction with the technology teacher to ensure that the students understood the basics before they came to my class that may be an option.  Since my students and I are already familiar with VoiceThread, they know how to navigate it and ultimately, it is cheaper at $79/year as opposed to $259/year that is the road I would most likely take.  I can sell my boss on the former; I doubt she will go for the latter.  The potential is there but in reality, I am not sure it would be the best match for a small special education school.  I give this website 2 stars simply due to its unfriendly nature, especially to unskilled web users.

wevideo

 

Curation: Symbaloo

This by far was the best website/tool that I investigated for use in my classroom.  I fell in love from the moment I saw it.  I often try to employee the “don’t judge a book by its cover” rule for websites as well.   I threw that out the window the minute I saw this website.   Just from looking at it, I knew this was a winner!   My students often struggle with remembering websites, especially from home to school or classroom to classroom. Symbaloo solves that problem.  Visually, Symbaloo’s format is one that most students are already familiar.  Instead of bookmarking the websites in a toolbar on one specific device, Symbaloo allows for a tile like design, similar to what they see on tablets, across all devices.  Symbaloo also can be set as an individual’s homepage.   Many times, my students struggle with recall.  I have resorted to colored index cards for each class period so I can locate their website and passwords, essentially putting the responsibility on me.  Symbaloo allows that responsibility to be placed on the student; it puts them in charge of their learning.

I was so excited about the potential uses of this website in my classes; I contacted a fellow teacher and convinced her to try it out as well!  We are both going to introduce it to our students this week. Mimi Chau (2014) reports that Symbaloo was designed for the non-tech savvy teachers for easy classroom use.  She goes on to explain that there are a plethora of ways that teachers can use Symbaloo, such as: lesson planning, sharing websites with parents and other staff members, and to embed in a classroom blog or website (Chau, 2014).  Symbaloo has many aspects to it; I was not able to examine them all in depth.  The section for lesson plans looks especially promising although it was a little challenging to navigate.  I have created my own Symbaloo for personal, school and Wilkes already.   Clearly, this is a site that I will be referencing much in the future.  I give Symbaloo 5 stars!

symbaloo

Resources

By Chaim Haas, Glide’s Head of Communications. (2016). Hands-On Language Learning: Glide in the classroom at The Ohio State University | Glide – Live Video Messaging. Retrieved November 06, 2016, from

http://www.glide.me/hands-on-language-learning-glide-in-the-classroom-at-the-ohio-state-university

 

Chau, M. (2014, April 9). 11 Ways to use Symbaloo in the Classroom. Retrieved November 6, 2016, from https://www.theedublogger.com/2014/04/09/11-ways-to-use-symbaloo-in-the-classroom

 

Glide [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2016, from https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0d/Glide-logo-blue.png

 

Symbaloo [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2016, from https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5263/5645229401_397c450a59_b.jpg

 

WeVideo [Digital image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2016, from https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8381/8573753792_8427f065a7_b.jpg

 

WeVideo – Technology Resources for Teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved November 06, 2016, from https://sites.google.com/a/apps.edina.k12.mn.us/techresourcesforteachers/elementary/wevideo

 

 

Using web 2.0 tools in the classroom: An interview with Lindsay DeHoyos

Who says you can’t teach an old dog new tricks?  I have been the education field for a long time, almost twenty years… a number that never ceases to blow my mind because I still feel like a newbie in many ways (and even better since I have not aged at all!).  I started the master’s program at Wilkes not only better my own skills, but to help my students become all that they could.  As I walk this path of self discovery, I realized that there are many teachers who are in the same boat as me.   Many seasoned teachers (nicer than saying old) have found themselves at a crossroad.  While we may not be old in human years, in technology years, we are ancient.   Many of us had computers in our schools, but they were behind closed doors, under lock and key.  We Generation Xers, unlike Generation Y and Millennials, did not grow up with technology.  So I did what any self-respecting person would do, I sought out the young hip (? kool, phat, dope?) teacher, who happens to be the technology teacher and I asked for her help in navigating technology at our school.

I sat down with Lindsay DeHoyos during our mutual prep time and asked her how she goes about employing new technologies in her classroom (personal communication, November 1, 2016).   The school that we work at is a PreK-12 school, so Lindsay teaches from ages 3 to 21.  Given the huge gap in ages, we decided to focus on high school students and the manner in which technology applies to them.  As the technology teacher, Lindsay explained, she and the high school students are responsible for the daily student video productions (morning announcements, but ours have to be recorded and broadcast on classroom tvs) as well as the school’s annual yearbook, which incorporate the app Aurasma last year to make the yearbook a 3D experience.  Lindsay explained that many of the tools that she uses in her class, such as Walsworth and LanSchool were predetermined by the IT department within the agency for whom we work.  Many of these decisions have already been made and she has to make due. Lindsay explains that she did advocate for the incorporation of Aurasma since many Deaf students are familiar with it (thanks to her husband, Adrian).  Lindsay also explains that she really likes LanSchool as it allows her to monitor all of the students at once.  She logs in on her iPad and she is able to walk the room, making sure that all of the students are on task.  She said she really likes the feature that allows her to share a particularly interesting piece to all of her students directly on their device.   Lindsay explains that since her class is one that tends to be creative, it is beneficial to share ideas and spark creativity.

Other than IT and the regulations that are put in place due to their policies, Lindsay reports it is the lack of student know-how that seems to cause the biggest hurdle.  One assumes that a student of today’s generation would be technology savvy, that is simply not true.   Many times it takes several days to complete a lesson when only one day was planned.   The school uses MAC based computers, but many students are not familiar with it, so they struggle.  Lindsay concluded some sage advice.   She encouraged me to continue what I am doing, excited to see others using technology in their classrooms, but warned that technology does not solve problems (it often adds to them, she added with a knowing smile).  Be prepared, have a backup plan and be prepared to punt!

I feel very lucky to not only share a prep period with Lindsay, but she is also my next door neighbor in our educational building!  Lindsay has been navigating the waters of our IT department far longer than I have and I thrilled for her guidance.   I really like the LanSchool tool she shared with me and am already drafting a request to have it installed in my room on at least a trial basis.  I may be slow on the uptake, but one foot at a time!

screen-shot-2016-11-04-at-2-28-07-pm

Thanks, Lindsay!