Day 41 - Making Mistakes or Too Taxing?

When you're feeling unwell, especially as a teacher, the reactions of the students to your lessons can be magnified disproportionately.  It leaves me with the question when the tasks don't go as I intended, was the reason that the task was too taxing for them. I failed to differentiate adequately. Or did the students just make mistakes that will enable them to grow as learners and build on in the future? In marking policy terms...green for growth?

As a reflective professional I enjoy the mental gymnastics that are needed to quantify the lessons that I have delivered. By comparing the work that I have planned, delivered and reflected on with the TPack model or SAMR, I feel able to discuss the authenticity of iPad use in the classroom. Was the iPad the right tool for today's tasks did it hit the learning objective appropriately?

What have I used in the classroom today? 

1) Showbie - delivery of content, text marking, filing and grading work. Including adding peer assessed pieces of work into an individuals' profile.
2) Echalk - www.echalk.co.uk How tall is the Giant? 
3) Popplet - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/popplet-lite/id364738549?mt=8 to gather keywords from research topics.
4) iMovie - teacher made examples of work.
5) Camera & Book Creator - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/book-creator-free-make-books/id661166101?mt=8

So, although the work was iPad based and purposely focused on the use of the device, how did each lesson fair to the success criteria/demands of the SAMR model?



1) Showbie Maths task - Substitution as the resources were screen shots of the original task sheet. However the direct link enabled the children to work interactively by inputting their estimates.


2) Maths Task - Augmentation as the students were given a direct link to the task on echalk website, giving the student improved access to the task. Modification came for some students when they chose to utilise the iPad built in camera to take a shot of their partner being measured and comparing it to the original task.

3) Popplet - using research techniques to read and comprehend the non fiction text. In partners allowing the students to read and make sense of the passage. Modification due to the 'speak function' the ability to have the passage read to the students who are daunted by an extended text allows the student to remain independent within the task.
As this was the first time the students were asked to pull out key facts from a text and place them in a mind map, it was challenge for the students to also consider how a mind map is constructed. Digital literacy skills are inherent in the task and need teaching as much as the content. The simple process of adding the work to the child's portfolio (by tapping on the star icon) means the cycle of assessment is completed and totally in the hand of the student. Their profile truly reflects their own individuality and approach to learning.

4) Modelled iMovie work is very powerful. When that modelled work is interactive and engaging then it captures the audience and encourages them to strive for their best...bordering on redefinition? No boring worksheet here!!!

5) Camera and Book Creator - Redefinition. period. Why? Independence. For me the ultimate aim is for the students to use their iPad to show how they understand the task. This would mean that the outcomes of the task are very different and have individual flair and accents on which elements of the task were selected to be put forward for grading. As always with self assessed tasks work that is chosen has to not only be explained but justified. With the voice recording option in Book Creator, the student can submit, in their own words, why they have chosen the work.

Day 40 - Sick note

What do you do when you're too unwell to teach? When your throat feels like it's on fire and your voice makes you sound like a wrestler?  

The answer practise your own skills on iMovie! The experience of editing on a Mac and iPad are quite different. I marginally prefer iPad as it's responsive and tactile. Adding titles and theme tunes is a pleasure. It really is intuitive and allows you to work with and edit video simply and directly in the editing menu. 

Lego characters are always willing participants in animations ...they are non threatening so the creativity of the film maker is brought to the fore. As a teacher it is so important to know the tricks of the apps that you use with the children. Not just to calm your nerves but also to ensure that the time you do allocate to using creative apps in the classroom is quality time. If a task is left incomplete there is a tendency for the students to under value the time spent. The use of the device is seen as unimportant play, or even worse a treat. It's imperative to give the right impression to the learners that using their device is a tool to improve their learnIng...and not to undermine the overall aim for learning to be enhanced and strengthened. 

Digital Genius is a program run by Solutions inc www.solutions-inc.co.uk, a Premium Apple reseller with whom I have a close partnership. They were instrumental in supporting the ongoing progress of the successful and acclaimed 1:2:1 project. Subsequently, I have been asked to oversee a series of training events which provide both students and teachers with the opportunity to practise their skills in order to encourage digital skills to be perfected. Even laryngitis has its positive side! 

Day 39 - Discussion Point ( What is assessment?)

Assessment is a hot potato in schools' it (rightly) occupies the agenda at staff meetings and with LEA's. It is sometimes the case that there is not a consensus about what qualifies as 'acceptable forms' of assessment. Opinions differ. Views change. Discussions are had and in general, the middle ground is fought over to come to a final decision about the model of assessment.

The spotlight has been on assessment linked to levels of attainment for a while now. The move away from levels and charting steps of individuals along a linear chart to reach expected levels has been superseded by the ability of a teacher to be able to demonstrate progress. Teacher assessment is key here. Informed teachers, having undergone moderation meetings, having their decision making and marking scrutinised. It is fair to say that teachers are just beginning to regain the control over what constitutes evidence of progress. It has always been the case that teachers go with their professional and deep knowledge of their charges. It is often that a good teacher can pinpoint the small nuances of progress as it's the picture of the whole learner that the teacher can draw upon. Not just a stand alone, disconnected piece of writing or maths work.

That's where todays lessons come in to play, demonstrating that the use of mobile technology can unlock the ability of a learner to demonstrate their understanding of their work, in a format that means something to them...

What have I used in the classroom today? 

1) The outcome of the Literacy lesson was to be able to assess the children's ability to be able to express an opinion based on their knowledge of poetical devices.  The task was posted on the tried and tested Showbie as now all the children are comfortable accessing their resources this way. They choose their challenge level with confidence and have the ability to exercise choice in their learning. This liberates them to truly show their response to the task, whatever that may be.

The students actually had eight poems to choose to discuss. The format was clear. The discussion was the important aspect. How could the students capture their opinions? Video, audio capture or text...My success criteria was based around proving that the discussions contained quality talk. I had the means to check as a play button will instantly replay the conversations. Many students choose to use the audio capture in Showbie as they could also display the poem that was being discussed. The response to this task was transformational, the students took charge and paired off to discuss and capture their ideas. 

Working together and sharing ideas, valuing the conversation and recording the talk in their own way. 

The success of the lesson saw the students share using the screen and AirPlay - scrutinised for the inclusion of poetic devices such as alliteration, rhythm or free verse. Whether the evidence was typed in a speech bubble, recorded as an audio note or videoed. The results were further discussed and given a mark from their peers. Finally, my teacher assessment was added to the tweaks and pointers provided  by  the rest of the class. The beauty of Showbie being that I can give that timely, targeted and individualised feedback quickly and simply. Job done. 

Day 38 - Comical

Children make you laugh...they come out with the most unexpected statements which can turn an ordinary day into something special. Lego, in my experience also has that power. It seems to be able to transcend gender and age to connect (sorry about that!) with players. The reaction to today's session in computing was quite overwhelming. Understandably once I reflected on the nature of the task.

What have I used in the classroom today? 

1) Lego Comic Builder: As part of the computing curriculum students are supposed to experience the relationship between images and text, how this affects the audience and message being portrayed. I am presently working with Year 5's & 6's on a design project centred around William Morris and my Y1 & Y2's are brushing up on their mouse control skills. (not flash enabled for tablets)

http://biomediaproject.com/bmp/files/LEGO/gms/onliine/CITY/ComicBUilder/comicbuilder/intro.html


The design aspect of the William Morris project is focused on giving the students the opportunity to design a contemporary piece influenced by Morris, but squarely pinpointing graphical and design principles. So perspective and angles is an important element. The comic builder allows the student to play with scale and placement of objects without having to be an expert draftsman. This may be opposite to the critical skill of drawing and appreciation of the fine motor skills that sketching can bring. But, in this case, I want the students to be freed from the pressure of not being a very good drawer, and allow them to experiment without worrying about the limitations that they put on themselves or would ordinarily prevent them from taking part. Everybody's work looks professional. I can see that certain individuals in the class are genuinely proud of the work they have produced. Their image of themselves as designers has been transformed by the inclusion of the design package. Added to this the bonus of Literacy skills of captioning, punctuation of speech, condensing phrases to tell a story with limited characters meant the task was rich with learning. The children were bursting with pride in their capabilities. So much so that a few parents have asked for the link!

This wasn't the only option open to the students, pen and paper have their place for those confident enough to show their understanding in this format. 

The year 1's could not wait to start the dragging and dropping the Lego characters into their page. Yes the template was chosen randomly, and yes their finished article wasn't a coherent comic book story but the focused and genuine engagement with the task was total. Their iPad timers counting down their allowed 15mins at the desktop, only served to focus their minds to the task. The menu of choices were exciting and the finished product genuinely reflected their ability to control the computer using drop down menus, sliding buttons and scroll bars. The year Two's then paired with a year 1 peer and gave them a quick walk through tutorial before leaving them to their own devices...well at least for the ten minutes of the iPad timers silent countdown.  If the first practice is anything to go by, these children could be budding cartoonists, journalists, graphic novelists...Hey that gives me an idea!

Day 37 - Persuasion

If you use an iPad as a tool for learning  you'll be more intelligent, fashionable and the envy of all your friends! 

The Bronze Age was the context, persuasive writing the LO and digital literacy skills were being honed in design. The cross curricular task meant that the Year 3 & 4 students applied themselves brilliantly and equipped themselves to approach each element with renewed enthusiasm. 

What did I use in the classroom today ? 

1) Popplet  to allow the students to magpie and collect their tailored phrases, giving the students chance to collaborate and discuss the various options. The quality of the talk when the students were deciding on their persuasive word options was encouraging.

The finished advert was made in Book Creator or Pic Wall having gained additional resource images from the British Museum, posted on Showbie. 

The task was a success for three reasons 

1- the students were self motivated and took the opportunity to personalise their learning.

2- ability was overshadowed by the collaboration and discussions that took place between pupils'

3- the task was completed in the 50 minute lesson time, Shared back to Showbie and marked. 

The vertically grouped class of 33 year 3 and 4 pupils, using the iPad gives them the freedom to express themselves . Their creativity is key, they are willing to take risks with their learning. They seem to really look forward to extending their skills and never fail to smoke throughout the lesson. 

Teaching with iPad has transformed my teaching and the way the students react to me, this is mirrored in their achievements. They are proud of their work and can't wait to share their efforts with others. 

Day 36 - more than one way to skin a cat.

There's always more than one way to skin a cat...a strange saying that I've never been sure of its relevance, until today.

What did I use in the classroom today? 

1) Showbie, to outline the task and post scaffolded resources. PDF MARKER 

2) Puppet Pals 2 

3) Type Drawing

4) Book Creator - compliation of final cut  

5) Camera on video mode with blank screen and 

6) iMovie for visual edit with recorded voice overs. 

7)  Airdrop to collect and collate the different media files simply and quickly.  

The task was ordinary enough... recite a poem. The LO ( learning objective) driven by the success criteria was to recite the poem using some of the following techniques;
- Clear voice
- Expressive reading
- slower pace
- actions
- facial expressions

The group task meant that the 24 verses of Charles Causley's Ballad of Charlotte Dymond  - was split into 6 parts. So four a verses each. The sixth group of students were given a quick demo of  Puppet Pals 2 and told to illustrate four verses using the spoken lines and the characters from the poem. Happily they set about telling their version of events through animation. Secure in the knowledge that their discoveries would have to inform a group of their peers. Passing on the baton of skills always focuses the mind and ensures maximum concentration with a raised level of understanding. 

Whilst the groups rehearsed and learnt their lines off by heart in the twenty minute limited task, it was fascinating to see how the students approached their challenge. Many just learnt by rote walking around in small circles like caged lions...chanting madly to themselves. A few recorded their voices and played it back, fewer still marked their text to ensure the trickier words were recalled. But when it came to recital time, the students stood tall and performed their parts with confidence. Some had a back up of a TelePrompted script displayed on a friiends iPad. So as a precautionary measure I decided to ask three students to record the recital. 

One using the camera just on a blank screen ( lens covered) 

One using a voice note in Book Creator and the third? This student videoed the group huddled around the voice activation stations. It was a multi media event! 

The final bonus to the whole event was that two of the girls wanted to collate the footage and edit it together...using book creator they mashed the apps together including Type Drawing to emphasise the text - just as the success criteria had determined, but this was a multi sensory/ multi media/ multi faceted approach. iPad in action supporting different leaning styles and approaches. 

The task turned from being teacher led to student determined. It was student led as they saw multi possibilities for the work to appeal to all learners beyond that of my lesson plan. yes it took a few more minutes to complete the final edit, but those who took on the task were happy to fore go play to collaborate with their fellow digital geniuses! 

....so what have I learned? There is definitely more than one way to skin a cat! Technology transformed the classroom into a media room, with different students taking on the persona of editor, proof reader, graphics designer and voice over coaches. A buzz of energy continued through the class and raised the confidence of those who sometimes feel that poetry isn't for them, everyone had something to contribute.

Day 35 - Instant results?

It can be frustrating when as a teacher, you don't get to see instant results from the children.  It is often the case that progress is recognise by subsequent teachers. But in this world of instant gratification and access to knowledge via the internet, teaching or should I say results from teaching, is under the spotlight.

It is tempting to provide the class with activities that will satisfy this need for instant success. I like to think by utilising Showbie, the children get the feedback that encourages and guides them to improve which in turn motivates them. Parallel to this is the need to allow the children to experience failure and for them to build up their resilience when working through tasks. Providing tasks that require them to focus and try to master delicate or intricate sub-skills. Today, was one of those days...

Year 5 & 6 are embarking on a course of study all about William Morris, the Victorian designer and artist. The end result of this topic is to produce a Morris inspired design of their own, but with a modern twist but a clear notion of the essence of Morris. Together, their class teacher an I have planned work which will incorporate the skills of digital design required by the computing curriculum.

So what have I used in class today?

1) Popplet - https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/popplet-lite/id364738549?mt=8 a simple mind mapping app which allows the user to include visual elements as well as written words and links. The mind map based on the ubiquitous and persuasive Google search. Interesting the date of birth of the eminent designer was agreed however the date of death was less clear from the evidence gathered. There lies a lesson in itself! My aim was to add to the Popplet as 'facts' were discovered and as the project developed.

2) Keynote https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/keynote/id361285480?mt=8 the powerful Apple presentation app is continuously reinventing itself in my classroom as it is so versatile and allows the creativity of the students to be fulfilled to the highest levels. Today, the students were asked to use the Instant alpha function to edit William Morris designs and isolate individual motifs as a basis for their own modern day versions. Although the Mac version allows more controllability the iPad was remarkable effective in picking out the individual leaves and flowers. One the design had been reduced and isolated the class were free to use the flip and rotate options to create a tile of repeating pattern. The following designs are just a few of the students first efforts...I have high hopes for the final designs if this is what can be achieved in the pre-task.







3) Flashcards https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/flashcards/id478986342?mt=8 - Homophones and Homographs are tricky to get straight in your head, according to the year 5's! Again, it was important that the class felt they had a rapid grasp of the concept. I wanted to make an instant impact on their understanding. So the The task was placed on Showbie, with scaffolded resources and then the class  set off with a dictionary to find the definitions...




 

...the great thing about this task was the progress in the class and level of understanding tangibly increased when the children began to play the match-it games and took on their peers with the competitive duelling game. An excellent resource and one that got the thumbs up from the whole class. That's what I call instant results! Perhaps my teaching did strike the balance between providing tasks to grapple with and challenge my learners and the instant gratification that keeps them motivated and wanting more!

Day 34 - Practice what you preach

My teenage children will testify that my favourite saying is "How do you know you don't like something unless you've tried it?" Followed swiftly by " ...and if you don't like it you don't have to do it again." This has served me well. I try, unless it involves roller coasters, to stick to this myself. Even using this mantra to my professional life too. So when recently I switched from full time teaching to part time with some consultancy, I have re discovered the need to follow through with my beliefs. 

Yesterday, I stood in front of a group of teachers. I would have liked to have said all eager, but I know that some of them were doubting why they needed to spend their time listening to my pitch on the benefits of including mobile technology to enhance both teaching and learning. It's at these times when your authenticity shines through or is exposed. If you truly believe on what you say then it is naturally communicated to your audience. Whether your audience is a group of teachers, governors or a class of year three pupils. 

So today at school I was mindful of my own authenticity, I always reflect on my own performance as it is the last lesson that you taught that should be the benchmark for the next...

What I used in the classroom today : Showbie is a given as it allows me to deliver differentiated resources to my pupils with ease and is flexible enough to deal with the variety of tasks I want to be able to offer. I always use this in conjunction with iTunes U courses. 

1) Explain Everything: the task LO today was for the year 3&4 to recognise the value of the digits in decimals. having started the lesson asking what a decimal was and being greeted by a stony silence, the thought of visualising tenth has, hundredths and thousandths was hanging in the balance. I tentatively went through the visualisation of decimals on a grid. Having opened the PDF in Explain Everything the students were able to show their understanding in a concrete manner using the annotation tools. After twenty minutes, the students were confidently identifying decimals in visual and written form, switching between place value and money to put the work into context. 

This shows the tentative steps taken by a reasonably confident mathematician. The following screen shot is from a student with  specific fine motor skills. You can clearly see the difficulty caused by the scale of the work. However, mathematically he has gained the correct knowledge. He went on to complete the same task showing the improvement in a very short time within the lesson. 

The iPad allowed the student to feel the difference between the decimals and this element and the ability to have a go and be resilient meant that in the end the concept was understood even with physical difficulties. 

2)  iMovie Trailier -  in English comprehension is a key element that needs to be a cornerstone of the skills taught. Using a resource from the incredibly creative and inspirational Literacy Shed - Little Boat struck me as the ideal foil for the students to edit and select, as a director would, the images to tell a short story. Using a template allows those less confident to structure their work in order for them to be guided and achieve highly. 

The trailers were formed from screen shots that were edited in photos, cropped and enhanced to achieve the best effect.  The finished trailers were ven more valued as they were the result of a collaboration/ mentoring of a year 3 with a year 4 student.