Revamping Curriculum with Technology

Remember when I researched and gave a beautiful, eloquent screencast presentation of the SAMR Model? Sure you do, that was a great blog post. Well, after doing that assignment, I had all this technology integration knowledge sitting around in my head just waiting to be used. So guess what I did with it? I took a boring, tired, overdone curriculum and revamped it using technology! Yahoo!

Not excited about rewriting curriculum? Well, at least Ryan is always there to support my valiant teacher efforts...

To start, I first took a fairly boring unit that I teach every year to my students: Poetry. During this unit, each day we read a poem, discuss a given poetry concept, find that concept in the poem, then go to our tables and illustrate the poem. On the last two days, the kids get the chance to write a poem themselves. That's it. Read, discuss, illustrate... read, discuss, illustrate... read, discuss, illustrate... now quick write! Booorrrrring.

While poetry is a freestyle, creative genre, the kids don't get to experience that side of it with the existing unit. All they experience is boring discussions and then they do scribbly drawings in their poetry journals that don't mean much because they are just not into it. By the end of the year--who am I kidding, by Spring Break!--the kids have mentally "checked out" and are ready for summer. This monotonous poetry unit is not engaging enough to reel them in. While I like the monotony of it as a teacher (same thing every day=easy to plan=more time to get end-of-year stuff ready), each year I can tell that my kids don't like it.

With the introduction of 1:1 iPads in my school next year, I knew that this unit needed a technology revitalization. So I did it! And it's great! Take a look!

(For more information about my unit revamp, click HERE to see my presentation notes or click HERE to read the entire assignment.)

After doing this assignment and changing up my poetry unit, I am really excited to try it out next year! It will definitely be more work than the monotonous read-discuss-illustrate model that I usually use, but I have a feeling that my students are going to LOVE it and are going to learn way more. (And that's the point of it all, right?) Before, my poetry unit involved a lot of passive learning where students would sit back and listen to poems and discuss poetry concepts, but they never really practiced applying the concepts until the last day. Now, students are continuously involved in ACTIVE learning with TECHNOLOGY and POETRY! Every day, they are using technology to reflect, create, and express their voices! No more sitting back and daydreaming for my kiddos--they are going to be real poets and engaged learners! Woohoo!

Seriously, if you can't tell, I am super excited.

How about you? Are you excited about technology integrated curriculum yet? Well you will be after you  read these awesome poetry/technology activities that I created for this unit. Perhaps you could use them in your own classroom or modify them to fit your own curriculum/students' needs. Enjoy!

Online Learning Journals

• Tech Used: Seesaw
• Description:
• After reading an example poem as a class and discussing a poetry concept...
• Take a picture of poem and circle rhyming words, underline repetition, illustrate imagery, etc. with Seesaw
• Post illustration to Seesaw learning journal
• SAMR Level: Augmentation - Seesaw replaces the paper-and-pencil illustrations we did before, but provides functional improvement as students take a picture of a common poem (less paper/mess) and post their illustrations into their online journals (organized). Also, teachers can review online posts easily and clearly see progress (saves time). Technology FTW!
• Why I Like It: I like using Seesaw to keep all student journaling localized, organized, and without wasting paper. Also, I like that parents are able to view student work on Seesaw. Home-school communication bonus!

Nature Observation Poems

• Tech Used: Camera on iPad, PicCollage
• Description:
• Take photos of nature in courtyard using Camera on iPad
• Select one “inspiration” photo and write a short poem (by hand) of observations
• Take picture of poem and use PicCollage to juxtapose poem with inspiration photo
• Share creations with partners/small groups
• SAMR Level: Modification - Students are using technology to create visual and written art using multimedia and technology. They are applying poetry concepts in a transformative way.
• Why I Like It: Ahem, getting the kids OUTDOORS in May?! What a great idea! The end of the year is the perfect time to take advantage of the beautiful weather and use it to inspire poetry!

Silly Animal Poems

• Tech Used: ChatterPix
• Description:
• Partners select a random animal picture from hat
•  Partners write poem (by hand) about animal using repetition
• Partners use ChatterPix to take picture of animal and record themselves reading poem together
• Partners share creations in small groups
• SAMR Level: Modification - Students are creating, performing, and displaying poetry using multimedia and technology.
• Why I Like It: I especially like this activity because it helps students practice reading poetry orally in a silly, engaging, nonthreatening way with the help of a partner. Everyone (even the shy students) will have fun participating and practicing French!

Rhyming Word Picture Dictionaries

• Tech Used: PicCollage, Reflector
• Description:
• Walk around class and take pictures of objects that rhyme
• Use PicCollage to juxtapose rhyming word pictures and write words underneath using sound spelling
• Continue making multiple rhyming PicCollages to create a “rhyming word picture dictionary”
• Selected students share picture dictionaries with class using Reflector
• SAMR Level: Modification -  Students are creating connections and practicing poetic tools using multimedia and technology, then sharing with others in class.
• Why I Like It: This activity makes poetry VISUAL and ACTIVE! Plus it is like a word treasure hunt -- I can just see the students being super engaged!

Color Simile Webs

• Tech Used: Popplet, Reflector
• Description:
• Type a color name in the center of a web using Popplet
• Take pictures or write words of objects that could make similes with that color
• Selected students share Popplet using Reflector and class reads web using simile structure (“Color” comme “Object”)
• SAMR Level: Modification -  Students are creating connections and practicing poetic tools using multimedia and technology, then sharing with others in class.
• Why I Like It: Again, so visual! So active! And students LOVE finding colors in the classroom. I think the web structure in Popplet will really help students see the connections between objects and help them understand color similes in an engaging way!

Classroom Poetry iBook

• Tech Used: Book Creator, iBook, Seesaw, School Website
• Description:
• Day 1: 
• After discuss poetry tools we have learned about and practicing how to write a poem as a class...
• Write a poem rough draft
• Take picture of rough draft, record explanation of what poetic tools you used, and post on Seesaw learning journal
• Day 2:
• Type final draft into a blank page on Book Creator
• Express poem by recording audio, illustrating with paint feature, attaching video, and/or taking a picture
• Share book page with teacher
• Teacher compiles Book Creator pages into an iBook and posts as ePub or movie file on school website for parents and other classes to see
• Classroom celebrates publication of poems with iPad Poetry Café
• SAMR Level: Redefinition - Technology has really changed this assignment into something that would be impossible without technology. Students are creating, performing, and displaying poetry using multimedia, then using technology to collaboratively create an iBook as a class and to share their work outside of classroom walls. Wow! Learning has been transformed!
• Why I Like It: Collaboration! Self expression! Voice and choice! Poetic freedom! There is so many good things going on in this final project -- I love it!

So there you go! Some SAMR examples of how to change a unit from ordinary to extraordinary! Feeling more excited about curriculum yet?

I am really glad I revamped this unit. The sample activities I came up with are so different than what we did before. I think it will really help students stay involved and engaged in learning. (Even though it will be taught in May!)

This is my last blog post for my EdTech course. However, I am willing to continue my blog if there are actually people out there who are interested and want to learn more about using tech in early education. I have some fun apps up my sleeve that I could introduce, or I could talk about topics that interest you or answer your questions. So, if anyone is listening out there, please let me know if I should continue this or not!

Merci! :) Happy summer!

iMovie: Creating Personalized Videos (Part 2)

So, how was screencasting? Did you create some awesome videos to support your students' learning at school and at home? Way to go! You are an awesome teacher! Now, as I was saying in my last post, Screencastify is a great tool for quick, simple videos (especially how-tos for computer and iPad activities). However, if you want something with a little more WOW factor, iMovie may be a better tool for you.

With iMovie, you can create videos using text, pictures, videos, and audio. You can add fancy transitions, use artsy filters, change fonts, add background music, and more. Overall, iMovie is the ideal tool for creating high-quality video products. Because there are so many options of what you can do with iMovie, it is a little more complicated to use than Screencastify. But fear not! All you need to know is a few basics and you will be on your way to creating awesome personalized videos for your students! You can do it!


To Mac or Not To Mac?

When you use iMovie, you have two options: you can use iMovie for Mac (available on Mac computers) OR iMovie for iOS (available on iPad and iPhone). I have used both and like both programs but for different situations. Below is a comparison to help you decide which program best fits what you want to do with iMovie.

iMovie for Mac

(This is based on the iMovie available on my district laptop -- iMovie '11 Version 9.0.9 -- which is unfortunately outdated)

Pros:

•  Easy to type text quickly (using keyboard)
•  Can select "blank" background slides (useful when making text-only slides)

Cons:

• Not as many pre-made Project Themes to choose from
• Not as many Theme music soundtracks to choose from

iMovie for iOS

Pros:

• Lots of interesting pre-made Project Themes
• Lots of fun Theme music soundtracks
• Easy to add pictures/video taken directly with iPad

Cons:

• More tedious to add text (touchscreen keyboard)
• Not able to select blank background for text slides (although you can take a picture of a blank piece of paper and use that as a workaround)

So, based on what you are looking to do, you can choose whether you prefer to work with iMovie on your computer or iPad/iPhone. It's up to you!


How Do I Use It? I'm Scared!

Now, let's talk about how to use iMovie. Don't be scared, you can do this. All you need to know are a few basics! Instead of writing an essay on what buttons to press and where to find them, I am going to make another screencast! (See, Screencastify is a great timesaver for how-to videos.)

Here is a rough overview on how to use iMovie on your Mac...

And here is a rough overview on how to use iMovie on your iPad/iPhone...

Go Forth and Make Awesome Videos

Now that you know some of iMovie's basics, you are ready to start tinkering with it and trying it out for yourself. Just like Screencastify, think of all the amazing videos you can create to support your students' language learning at home! I have used iMovie for Mac to make sight word videos and French book read-a-longs. I have uploaded these videos onto my YouTube Channel so that parents can access them at home and kids can continue practicing their French at home even if the only thing their parents can say is "Oui! Oui!" Here is an example of a sight word video:

I have also used iMovie for iOS on my iPad to make slideshows using pictures of my students, audio of my students speaking French, and French music files of songs we sing in class. Here is an example of what I have created using iMovie for iOS:

As for students using iMovie, the iMovie for iOS app is user-friendly enough where older elementary students could probably handle it. They could use it to make movie trailers that summarize a book they have read, record themselves acting out a scene in a play, take pictures of an insect or plant and then creating a video to depict it's life cycle... the options are endless!

However, I am still not convinced that younger students -- like my K students -- could handle it. The user interface may be too difficult to navigate for them (after all, it did take me a while to figure out). Also, there may be too many editing options where they might become confused and overwhelmed. I could definitely see myself using iMovie as a class to create something collectively (with myself ultimately doing most of the editing), but I do not think my students could make iMovies on their own. Let me know your thoughts on this subject: Can K-1 students handle making iMovie creations independently?

So, there you go! Hopefully this overview gave you some insight on what you can do with iMovie. I hope it helps you to make some awesome personalized videos for your kiddos!

Next week, I am going to show you how to take a curriculum and revamp it and integrate technology into it using the SAMR model. Stay tuned!

Screencastify & YouTube Video Editor: Creating Personalized Videos (Part 1.5)

(For those of you wondering how I made my Screencastify video look so clean and professional...)

In my last blog post "Screencastify: Creating Personalized Videos (Part 1)," you may have noticed that the beginning and end of my screencast video had been "trimmed" or cut out. I did this to remove the ugly parts (like clicking the "Start Recording" and "End Recording" buttons). When making screencasts, I like taking the time to remove these bits because the video is cleaner and more professional looking without them. Trimming a screencast is easy to do. I simply use YouTube's built-in Video Editor tool and BAM! It's done and on the internet, ready to view.

To use YouTube's Video Editor...

1. Go to YouTube and sign into your teacher YouTube account.
2. Click "My Channel" to go to your channel's homepage.
3. Click "Video Manger" on the top of your channel's homepage.
4.  Click "Create" on the left side navigation menu.
5.  Under Create, click "Video Editor."
6. Select your uploaded screencast from the right and drag it down below into the editor.
7. Click and drag the beginning and end bars in order to cut off the extra bits you don't want. 
8. Save by clicking the blue "Create Video" button at the top. Voilà!

Was that hard to understand? Well, luckily I have made this second screencast to demonstrate the trimming process visually. Enjoy (again)!

All in all, the YouTube Video Editor tool is a great tool to use to help make your screencasts look more professional. However, iMovie is another tool you can use to create high quality professional videos for your students-- and you don't have to mess around with multiple tools to do it. Stay tuned for next week's blog post and I'll explain more about iMovie.

Screencastify: Creating Personalized Videos (Part 1)

So you made yourself a teacher YouTube Channel! (I mean, after my convincing blog post two weeks ago, why wouldn't you?) Congratulations! Now, start filling it with awesome educational videos! YouTube is a great place to find useful videos that other people have created. But what if you need a specific video to meet your students' language learning needs and you just can't find it on YouTube? You're in luck! Screencastify is a simple tool that you can use to create quick and easy videos for your students without too much work.

I know, I know. It may not be "too much work"... but it's still work. More work for you. Being an immersion teacher is great, but there are times where it requires WAY more work than the average teacher. There are tons of resources available for English (and even Spanish) speaking classrooms, but zip for the Frenchies. Alas, this is just the life we lead. There are not as many resources for (French) immersion teachers, so we just have to make our own. But look on the bright side:

1. Once you make your video, you'll never have to make it again! (Unless you of course change your curriculum, but by that time you'll be a tech pro and making a screencast won't be such a daunting task.)
2. You have 2+ months of summer coming up! Perhaps you'll have some free time during June or July where you can sit down and churn out some videos so you are ready for next year!
3. By making your own personalized videos, you are targeting the exact needs of your students and providing them with useful resources to further their learning at home. Cookie-cutter English YouTube videos will look dull in comparison to your awesome French video differentiation!
4. The tool I am about to show you is EASY and QUICK. You can do it! I promise!
5. Ryan Gosling appreciates your extra work.

So, are you ready to learn about an awesome video creation tool? Here we go!

A "screencast" is a recording of your computer screen (meaning whatever you see on your computer is recorded into a video). You can also talk during a screencast and record your voice. This is a VERY simple way to take a video and record some vocabulary to help students at home. There are many screencasting tools out there, but the two I hear most about is Screencast-o-matic and Screencastify. I prefer Screencastify, so that's what I'll show you how to use today!

First things first, you need to go to the Chrome Web Store and download the Screencastify Extension. Once you have it downloaded, a tiny "film strip" icon will appear in the upper corner of your Google Chrome web browser.

Now, instead of wasting my time writing a lengthy explanation of what buttons to press and what you can do with the tool... why don't I just use Screencastify to show you?! Below is a screencast that demonstrates how to make a screencast using Screencastify. (It's Screencast Inception!) Enjoy!

Now, for my textual learners that need to read written text to internalize knowledge, here are the boiled down steps:

1. Open Google Chrome.
2. Hit the Screencastify icon on the upper right of your Google Chrome web browser.
3. Set your recording settings however you'd like (capture area, webcam or no webcam, etc.).
4. Click "Start Recording."
5. Do your thing. Press "Pause" if you need to.
6. When done, click the Screencastify icon again and click "End Recording."
7. Click "Share" to put it on YouTube or Google Drive, or click "Save to Disk" to download it onto you computer.
8. Pat yourself on the back. You just made a screencast!

As you can see, Screencastify is a super simple tool to make quick videos to assist students and parents with learning at home. And remember, you can record ANYTHING on your desktop: websites, documents, PDFs, PowerPoints, slideshows, and even your iPad via Reflector. Think of all the differentiating possibilities! You can make videos for...

• Sight Words Lists (with pronunciation, sample sentences, corresponding images, etc.)
• Spelling Word Lists (how to say each word so parents can help out with practice tests at home)
• Homework Instructions (What does this say? What does this mean? What do I do?!)
• French Phonetic Help (think "M avec un A, ca fait MA MA MA")
• French Book Read-a-longs (using a slideshow of book page pictures, a PDF of a paper book, or a Powerpoint "book" that you created yourself)
• iPad App Tutorials (showing how to use a certain app so students can watch the video and know what to do at independent centers)
• Professional Development Presentations (like I did in my last blog post "The SAMR Model: What Is It & Why Should I Use It?")
• Professional Development How-To Videos (so you can assist staff in understanding and using more technology without having to show everyone individually how to do simple tasks)
• MORE!!!

Overall, Screencastify is a great QUICK tool to make a video. However, if you would like a little more "wow" factor to your videos so that they look more professional and perhaps more engaging to students, iMovie may be the tool for you. I will talk about how to use iMovie to make personalized videos in my next blog post. Until then, try making a few screencasts and see if you like it.

Happy screencasting!