Tech Topics
Ideas to help implement technology - just try ONE thing!
Driving Digital Learning
The truck and its' staff will be available before school, during school, and after school for teachers and other staff to either casually drop in at a convenient time during the day or to participate in a small group training planned in advance. Staff can visit the truck to ask specific technology related questions or just drop in to see "what's new with technology in education." Small teams can be trained on particular technology tools (both hardware and software) without ever leaving the school.
Click on the link for the schedule to see when Driving Digital Learning will be at your school!
CPS Teacher Focus
Becki Arlington
Becki Arlington has been teaching for 14 years and is currently a 2nd grade math and science teacher at Mt. Airy School. She is a graduate from Cincinnati Public Schools. When Becki was completing her student teaching in college she had the opportunity to teach in a few surrounding suburban districts. She shared that, “…it didn’t feel natural.” She knew growing up she wanted to be a teacher and through her college experience she knew that she wanted to teach for Cincinnati Public Schools.
When asked about her special interests Ms. Arlington replied, “I have completely embraced teaching math! Growing up, I hated math- I was scared to death of it and did everything to avoid it in high school and college. I have made it my mission to make math fun and meaningful for my students, but this has required me to deepen my understanding of math in a big picture sense.”
Becki recently set up a Donors Choose account because she saw a need to bring technology into the hands of her students. She said, “I love the fact that our CPS students have so much technology in 7-12 because this is a real world experience. After visiting the co-teaching demonstration classroom and seeing the level of engagement with these sixth grade students, I knew that I had to have more technology in my classroom! I had heard about Donors Choose.org but had not used it, but was hopeful that it could help me get some tablets into my students' hands.”
She said it was relatively easy to create her Donors Choose account, “It took about an hour to get everything completed. As far as hints or tips, you will need pictures of your students for the account. So, make sure to get some "anonymous" student pictures ahead of time. Even if you have photo releases, I would still use anonymous photos so that you can share your project on Facebook and other social media. I am 100% certain that my project was funded because of my Facebook share. Let's face it, everyone has friends and family that want to help your students but need an easy way to do that; Donors Choose provides that opportunity. I was lucky to have my project funded quickly through social media, but projects are posted on the Donors Choose website so that generous people all over the globe can help fund your project as well.”
What's Happening Around Cincinnati Public Schools
The Power of Digital Collbaration: Twitter and Blogging
It is amazing what a summer connection on Twitter can do to inspire students to become better writers. Two teachers who had never met before spent the summer months connecting, tweeting, and eventually chatting; all with the common goal of having their two classrooms collaborate through the upcoming school year. The 6th grade students in the Co-teaching Demonstration classroom at Pleasant Hill Academy are reaping the benefits of this vision.
Each day Joelle McConnell and Belinda Freeman’s students complete the same writing assignment as Anne Clark’s 6th grade students from Manchester, Indiana. Students in both classes are quickly learning how to produce meaningful writing for a shared blog. Ms. McConnell shared, “It has been amazing to see what this collaboration has done for our students. Their writing continues to improve because they know they are posting to a real blog. With each new post our students receive feedback from not only their classmates, but an entire other class as well as Mrs. Clark, Ms. Freeman, and myself.”
Two of Ms. McConnell and Ms. Freeman’s students were asked about the shared blog and they stated, “Blogging makes me a better writer because when I blog my writing people give me feedback. The feedback helps me know what I can do to make my writing better.”-Jamario “I work on my individual writing goal each day. Blogging is helping me become a better writer because everyone gives me feedback on how I am doing toward my goal. I am overcoming adversity because I didn’t like to write, but now I do!”-Rahsaan. Two of Ms. Clark’s students shared, "When Mrs. McConnell gives us comments, she want us to understand our writing better." ~Kaesyn "Whenever they (Mrs. McConnell's sixth graders) comment, it makes me feel better about my story, so I would like to write more." ~Lace
If you happen to hear clapping or loud noises coming from Pleasant Hill Academy on Friday mornings, don’t worry. It’s 6th grade students in the Co-teaching Demonstration Classroom cheering because they are so excited to post to their blog.
Summer months are known to bring sun filled days and long warm evenings. This past summer, who would have guessed the power of Twitter would bring together two teachers and, in turn, two classes from different states.
Get Started Somewhere - Tech Tools for the Classroom
Nearpod
With Nearpod, teachers can create interactive lessons which will increase student engagement and create an excitement for learning. This site allows teachers to collect student responses instantly, and track student comprehension in real time. Teachers may create their own presentations, or download readymade lessons (sometimes for a nominal fee). Students join sessions using a unique code. Lessons can be viewed on many devices, such as tablets, laptops, or smart phones. Students can then view content, respond to questions and prompts, take surveys or quizzes, and more. Nearpod is great for quick, easy data collection, and is a wonderful tool for flipped lessons.
Check it out at www.nearpod.com
Power My Learning
Are you looking for an instructional technology tool to help you differentiate your instruction to students? Look no further. Power My Learning is an amazing tool for teachers and intervention specialists to provide tasks by customizing the learning experience for each individual student. PowerMyLearning provides free tools to help differentiate instruction for all students in your classroom. PowerMyLearning eliminates the hard work and guesswork because they provide thousands of academic videos, academic games, premade lessons and much more!. All of the activities and tasks are linked directly to the Common Core Standards which align with Ohio’s Learning Standards. PowerMyLearning is the free web-based tool that you have been searching for to help you save precious time as you differentiate your lessons for all learners in your classroom.
Emaze
Emaze is a web-based presentation software with a flair. The software offers a variety of free templates that feature 2D and 3D templates, HD graphics and colors, zoom and pan, and even video. For example, some of the presentations make it appear you are in an art museum or even flying from one mountain to another. Emaze will allow for a better visual presentation - and will allow for students to be even more creative with their presentations. Templates are available within Emaze, but you can also use existing PowerPoints to create a unique presentation for all to enjoy.
Need Help with Implementing Technology?
Demonstration Classrooms
There are six different Demonstration Classrooms within Cincinnati Public Schools. These classrooms are here to support teachers and showcase how teachers can seemlessly implement technology into the classroom. These innovative classrooms are currently located at the following schools:
John P. Parker - Veronica Cotton - 3rd grade
Rockdale - Jennifer Miller - 5th grade
Pleasant Hill - Joelle McConnell - 6th grade
Roselawn Condon - Christina Cupp - 8th grade
West High - Chrissy Reeves - 10th grade
Withrow - Craig Rush - 11th grade
Please contact them for a visit to see innovative ways to encourage collaboration, innovation, and real world engagement for students.
The Demonstration Classrooms do a lot more. For example, the Demonstration class at Withrow High School taught by Craig Rush learned first hand about entrepreneurs as they developed their own Business for Good. The Business for Good Project was sponsored in part by the Mayerson Foundation and Junior Achievement; it was attended by nearly 50 business and community partners.
For more information about the Demonstration Classrooms - please visit the website.
CPS Teacher Example
In Mr. Parker's class, students know the expectations right when they walk into the room. Students get their assigned iPad from the cart, and then take a seat in a collaborative group setting. The projection of Vocabualry of the Day (VoD) discussion board indicates for students to login to their Blackboard account and click on the same discussion board. Mr. Parker uses the a free visual online dictionary called Snappyword. Students will click on a specific word, explore the visualization of the VoD along with the defintion and associated vocabulary. Students think-pair-share a sentence to write and post by applying the vocabulary word alongside the other VoD presented that week. Attaching pictures help the students have a visual representation of their sentence. Students are use to this routine, which allows Mr. Parker the time to take attendance and manage any technology issues.
Mr. Parker continues to implement technology into his classroom; tudents use Tackk - a place to post videos, pictures, and other items to share with one another in the classroom. On any particular day, students can then other technology tools that Mr. Parker includes in the classroom, such as Thinglink, which incorprates engaging content by adding rich media links to photos and videos. The links provide even more information and visual for students to gain understanding. For clarification and reinforcement, students visit Quizlet - again more visuals, links, and videos to help.
WordSift is another technology application that Mr. Parker uses on a daily basis. Students are able to cut and paste into WordSift, and the program will quickly identify key words, Mr. Parker used it for the Declaration of Independence. Students access Google Translate for text translation and post observations, images, and comments on the discussion thread within Blackboard.
After students have completed their Argumentative Writing piece featuring their claim, evidence, and justification they are invited to work on their culminating unit project which is to create a Digital Story using iMovie. Their iMovie will then be uploaded via their Google Drive using their CPS email; and then it will be submitted to the Tackk for all to see.
Ed Tech Tools Used at CPS
The list is updated on a regular basis - want to contribute to the list, email Megan Safko-Preslin at preslim@cps-k12.org
User Guides
Visit the Google My Tomorrow site, go to Staffnet, click on the My Tomorrow link on the left-hand side. Once in the My Tomorrow site click on a specific section you are wanting more information, for example, technology and you'll find help guides for usage.
Blackboard also has user guides for CPS applications: login to your Blackboard account - find ITM District Training Resources.
The ITM Help Desk also provides user guides on their updated Google website.
What's Next?
Hour of Code
Hour of Code happens the week of December 7-13 in celebration of Computer Science Education Week - but you don't have to do it just that week.
Give it a try - you'll be surprised at how engaged your students will become in this activity.
Opportunities to Learn More Tech in the Classroom
High School Technology Roundtables - Course #1993.6456
Tuesday, Nov 24, 2015, 04:15 PM
Mayerson Academy, Highland Avenue, Cincinnati, OH, United States
Integrating Technology into the Elementary Classroom Roundtable - Course #2003.6512
Are you interested in bringing 21st Century Learning into your elementary classroom? Monthly roundtables will be offered the fourth Tuesday of each month. You will have the opportunity to work with colleagues on developing skills and strategies needed to effectively implement technology into any elementary classroom. Discussions and activities will include website development, creation and management of digital lessons, management of devices, developing formative assessments, learning management systems, incorporating stations and more.