Technology in the Classroom
January 2015
iPad App Request
As we learned with last month's newsletter, there are over 1 million apps available in the App Store with education being the second most category. The technology department would love to provide an opportunity to get feedback about apps which are great for students to use and should be downloaded onto the iPads.
The app requests will then be turned over to our Mobile Management Device Technician, Reina Garcia. Starting at the end of January, she will go around and update the iPad carts once a month with any new apps that were requested.
The link for the form is also on the District's Website:
http://www.aliceisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=272052&type=d&pREC_ID=682732
Technology Survey
If you have not completed the survey, please take a few minutes to fill it out. The results will help me in deciding what areas of technology need to be focused upon for upcoming training.
"Edmodo is an educational website that takes the ideas of a social network and refines them and makes it appropriate for a classroom," (edmodo.com). This past fall, we decided to move forward with using Edmodo throughout the school district to help connect students, teachers, and parents.
One of the advantages to Edmodo is parents are given a specific code to where they can follow their student’s activities on Edmodo and see what the teacher(s) have posted. Parents are unable to view any information posted by other students. Edmodo works hard to help protect the students who are using the site. Many teachers have directed parents to the Edmodo site if the parent has a question about a particular assignment. The site also provides the opportunity for parents to see what type of assignments their student has for their classes.
Another great advantage to Edmodo is students only have to have one log-in for their educational career. Students link to their teachers through a class code and they can be linked to an unlimited number of “classes.” This is great for teachers who are sponsors or coaches of after school acitivities because they can create an Edmodo class for their team. The coach can then post announcements to Edmodo for their team to view along with providing a chance for the team to ask questions for everyone else to see the answers.
There are several teachers throughout the district who have been utilizing Edmodo in their classroom. Below are quick snippets of how they are using the tool.
According to Kandace Fox, WAMS’ teachers use Edmodo as a way for students to access assignments even when not in class. They can upload all powerpoint, pdf files, or videos used in class and students can then access them anywhere. Also some teachers use it as an assessment tool creating quizzes and such where students can respond and evaluate them. Parents have expressed they like it because it is a way to see what notes, and assignments are being given in class. Students also have access to talk/message the teacher if they have questions about class or the assignment and not have to wait till they are in class to do so.
Clarissa Moreno uses Edmodo to remind students about their homework, assign quizzes, assign homework & projects. She also utilizes Edmodo as a key communication tool to communicate with students about their missing assignments, touch base with students who need assistance, and interact with my absent students. In order to help her students get caught up she uploads students' assignments to keep them caught up, and answer any questions they may have about her course.
Mary Reiley tries the snapshots weekly. Her students love to go on Edmodo. The badges are a great treat for them to receive with the added benefit of sending a message to their friends. She will soon be taking Edmodo to the next level by creating her own little assessments for them also.
If you missed the initial training of Edmodo or would like to receive additional training, I will be doing a training on Wednesday, January 28th at Dubose Intermediate starting at 3:45PM.
Kandace Fox
Clarissa Moreno
Miss Moreno teaches 6th Grade ELAR at Dubose Intermediate. Miss Moreno is also Dubose's Campus Technology Liaison.
Campus Technology Liaisons
The team of liaisons are also invited to attend trainings during the summer and then bring back the information to their respective campuses. This past summer, we brought in trainers from Apple to cover the iLife and iWorks applications available on the iPad and Macs. iLife apps consist of GarageBand, iMovie, and iPhoto while the iWorks apps consist of KeyNote, Pages, and Numbers. The team was able to learn how to use all of these applications in a classroom setting and bring to life different tasks the students can complete. Ever thought about having your students create a movie trailer for a book they read? They can do this task with using iMovie, iPhoto, and even creating their own music in GarageBand.
Below is a list of the campus technology liaisons.
Alice HIgh School:
Dr. Linda Zamarripa
DAEP:
Armando Salinas
WAMS:
Kandace Fox
Dubose Int:
Clarissa Moreno
Memorial Int:
Kathy Frisco
Hillcrest:
Morgan Saenz
MR Garcia:
Blanca Garza
Noonan:
Estela Lewis
Saenz:
Elda Salazar
Salazar:
Gracie Cantu
Schallert:
Cristina Wright
Flip Your Classroom
Flipping your classroom allows the students to watch the lecture/teaching portion of your lesson at home for homework while taking notes. The students are also able to pause the video to think about what they just heard and even rewind points they need to hear again. This then allows class time to be used on taking the teaching portion a step further with activities, discussions, and projects.
Flipping your classroom allows you to individualize the learning for every student. Students who grasp the concept quickly will be able to spend class time on a project based learning exercise to take their understanding to another level while students who are struggling with the concept will be able to get more time with the teacher.
Below are three steps to consider when you want to flip your classroom.
- Rethink classroom time. The key to flipped learning is to spend face-to-face time on powerful, creative learning activities. Picture your ideal classroom experience, and do that.
- Teach your students how to watch instructional videos. Spend time showing your students how to control the pace of their learning while watching your lecture videos at home.
- Keep your videos concise. A good rule of thumb is 60 - 90 seconds per grade level. (For example, a fifth grade video could be 5 x 60secs = 300 seconds to 5 x 90secs = 450 seconds).
Please remember, you will only be able to view the video before school, after 5pm, or once you are away from the district. For right now, it will show up as a grey box with a sad face.
Technology Training Events
Edmodo Introduction @ Dubose Intermediate
I will also answer any questions you might have about the website.
Wednesday, Jan 28, 2015, 03:45 PM
1000 North Cameron Street, Alice, TX, United States
Alice ISD Technology Department
Velma SolizGarcia
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction
Coordinator of Instructional Technology
MiReina Garcia
District Technology Specialist/Mobile Device Management Tech
Alex Garza
District Technology Specialist
Rick Ortiz
District Technology Specialist
Amelia Salinas
Textbook Coordinator/District Technology Specialist
Ruben Sandoval
District Technology Specialist
Website: http://www.aliceisd.net/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=272052&type=d
Location: 2 Coyote Trail, Alice, TX, United States
Phone: 361-664-0981