Another three weeks have rocketed past, and another embedded tour ends. (Ha! See what I did there?) Thanks to all of Shelby County High School, from Mr. Oakley on down, for making me feel at home. Special thanks to Julie Webb, who was kind enough to open up her library's Kentucky Room to a Cardinal fan such as myself (*cough* 8-3 and coming your way *cough*).
East will be my first embedded Shelby middle school, and I'm looking forward to the experience and meeting the staff.
I am not disciplined enough to stop tweeting for the next six days, but I will likely not blog until after the first of December, my first day at EMS. Until then, have a safe, happy, and wonderful Thanksgiving long weekend!
Tuesday, November 25, 2014
Monday, November 24, 2014
TUIT: Lindsay Ricke, MLC HS
Lindsay Ricke is a science teacher at Martha Layne Collins High School. Integrating technology in her students' learning is nothing new -- in fact, Ms. Ricke was recently part of instructional coaches live tweeting from her classroom using the hashtag #theyet -- but her recent use of Smore caught my attention and I had to give her a #ShelbyTUITshoutout.
I have talked about and even embedded Smores previously in Edtech Elixirs, but I haven't really taken a moment to explain what they are. Basically, they are online flyers, but that simplifies what they are capable of showing. Yes, Smores can publicize events, but they can also be used as student productivity tools. Think of them as interactive posters. You start with a template and can choose from several categories. Pictures, YouTube videos, hyperlinks and text can easily be added. You can print the finished Smore or save it as a PDF, and since it's published to a URL, the flyer can be shared online or through email. For teachers or students, Smores could also be a viable alternative to other visual digital presentation tools, like PowerPoints or Prezis.
Yet Ms. Ricke came up with another idea. Instead of just doing lab reports on a pencil and paper worksheet, she had her AP Chemistry students use Smore. Not only does the use of multimedia enhance the finished product (students took pictures and even video of the stages of their experiments), but since their reports are published, their work now has more validity than the typical "teacher as audience" and can be returned to later for reflection or to help study content. Two student examples are below. (Note that in the first example, students shot their own video, uploaded to Vimeo, then embedded it in their Smore; in the second, they found an appropriate video on YouTube showing aluminum reacting to copper.) Very impressive!
Ms. Ricke, thank you for integrating technology as often and as well as you do!
I have talked about and even embedded Smores previously in Edtech Elixirs, but I haven't really taken a moment to explain what they are. Basically, they are online flyers, but that simplifies what they are capable of showing. Yes, Smores can publicize events, but they can also be used as student productivity tools. Think of them as interactive posters. You start with a template and can choose from several categories. Pictures, YouTube videos, hyperlinks and text can easily be added. You can print the finished Smore or save it as a PDF, and since it's published to a URL, the flyer can be shared online or through email. For teachers or students, Smores could also be a viable alternative to other visual digital presentation tools, like PowerPoints or Prezis.
Yet Ms. Ricke came up with another idea. Instead of just doing lab reports on a pencil and paper worksheet, she had her AP Chemistry students use Smore. Not only does the use of multimedia enhance the finished product (students took pictures and even video of the stages of their experiments), but since their reports are published, their work now has more validity than the typical "teacher as audience" and can be returned to later for reflection or to help study content. Two student examples are below. (Note that in the first example, students shot their own video, uploaded to Vimeo, then embedded it in their Smore; in the second, they found an appropriate video on YouTube showing aluminum reacting to copper.) Very impressive!
Ms. Ricke, thank you for integrating technology as often and as well as you do!
Friday, November 21, 2014
TUIT: Kathie Wrightson, SCHS
Kathie Wrightson, an English teacher at Shelby County High School, would have several reasons to deserve a #ShelbyTUITshoutout. She's an eager integrator of tech, starting with the Blackboard LMS she uses with her dual-credit classes. However, this particular shoutout is because of an app Ms. Wrightson brought to my attention for the first time: Magisto.
Magisto is a free app for Android, iOS and Amazon devices. (Assuming you have already shot the photos and videos and put them on your hard drive, you could also do it from your desktop, which even allows you to directly connect to your Google Drive; a Windows PC app is coming soon.) You can either take photos and videos within the mobile app or access media already on the device. Choose a theme and some royalty-free music (or your own), OR you can choose "Clean" to continue without template effects and use your original audio. Once you OK it, Magisto takes a few minutes to magically edit it together. You can preview the "draft" and make final tweaks. Once you are happy, the video is uploaded to the Magisto website. You or others can comment on the videos, and share them across social media in various ways. Videos can also be organized in public or private albums. You can also make a "group" album open to other members to add their own videos; I can see this handy in a classroom setting. I have to say, the final product is very professional looking, and the app is extremely easy and fun to use. Here's a sample video I made of SCHS, as well as a link to my public Shelby County album.
As I said, the app is free, but there are some limitations; for example, you are limited to a certain number of media clips, a fixed number of downloads, and the final video cannot be longer than 15 minutes. If you are willing to spend $4.99 a month for Premium, you can use more multimedia, make longer videos, and get unlimited downloads. For $9.99 a month at the Pro level, you can get all of what Premium offers plus HD quality videos.
Back to Ms. Wrightson! Magisto started with leadership from students: they were the ones who brought it to Kathie's attention. Her English 101 classes were challenged to come up with a social science experiment that involved a cause/effect relationship that applies to real life. One pair of students came up with a "Free Hugs" theory: a student who is more well-dressed will get more hugs from strangers than a more casually dressed student. They went to a mall and captured the experience with Magisto.
You can see how Magisto could be used as an engaging and high-order summation and synthesis of learning: documentary of an experiment in a science lab, the working out of a math problem on a whiteboard, historic photos of a world-changing event, a "movie trailer" of a book.
Thanks to Kathie for letting me know about Magisto!
Magisto is a free app for Android, iOS and Amazon devices. (Assuming you have already shot the photos and videos and put them on your hard drive, you could also do it from your desktop, which even allows you to directly connect to your Google Drive; a Windows PC app is coming soon.) You can either take photos and videos within the mobile app or access media already on the device. Choose a theme and some royalty-free music (or your own), OR you can choose "Clean" to continue without template effects and use your original audio. Once you OK it, Magisto takes a few minutes to magically edit it together. You can preview the "draft" and make final tweaks. Once you are happy, the video is uploaded to the Magisto website. You or others can comment on the videos, and share them across social media in various ways. Videos can also be organized in public or private albums. You can also make a "group" album open to other members to add their own videos; I can see this handy in a classroom setting. I have to say, the final product is very professional looking, and the app is extremely easy and fun to use. Here's a sample video I made of SCHS, as well as a link to my public Shelby County album.
As I said, the app is free, but there are some limitations; for example, you are limited to a certain number of media clips, a fixed number of downloads, and the final video cannot be longer than 15 minutes. If you are willing to spend $4.99 a month for Premium, you can use more multimedia, make longer videos, and get unlimited downloads. For $9.99 a month at the Pro level, you can get all of what Premium offers plus HD quality videos.
Back to Ms. Wrightson! Magisto started with leadership from students: they were the ones who brought it to Kathie's attention. Her English 101 classes were challenged to come up with a social science experiment that involved a cause/effect relationship that applies to real life. One pair of students came up with a "Free Hugs" theory: a student who is more well-dressed will get more hugs from strangers than a more casually dressed student. They went to a mall and captured the experience with Magisto.
You can see how Magisto could be used as an engaging and high-order summation and synthesis of learning: documentary of an experiment in a science lab, the working out of a math problem on a whiteboard, historic photos of a world-changing event, a "movie trailer" of a book.
Thanks to Kathie for letting me know about Magisto!
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Jumpy Lenovo Cursor and Driver Updates
Several SCHS teachers have complained about their Lenovo Yoga ThinkPad cursors moving by themselves as if possessed, or a sensation of almost chasing the cursor with your trackpad. This has happened to me a few times as well. Our intrepid CIO Tommy Hurt got ahold of our Lenovo area reps, and got some advice. (No, it's not to get a priest for an exorcism.)
Two things to consider first.
One: I know that when I type, I sometimes have to get used to a trackpad being near the underside of my thumbs and palms. I have inadvertently scooted my cursor by accidentally brushing against the trackpad in this way. So if your cursor suddenly moves and stops, it may be operator error.
Two: Do NOT install driver updates to your Lenovo unless you have an issue you're trying to resolve. If you are NOT having an issue with your trackpad, don't worry about installing new drivers. While it likely won't hurt your computer, you may use up precious time.
With the caveats out of the way, let's get down to business.
1. There is a specific site for Lenovo Yoga driver downloads. Go to the site.
2. From the drop down menu of "Components" on the middle left side, choose "Mouse and Keyboard."
3. You want to just install the second and third drivers, as indicated below. Completely download and install one driver before installing the next. Be ready to restart the computer each time.
I installed these drivers myself earlier today, and so far, so good. However, if you install these drivers and still have a jumpy cursor, put in a work order and let us know. (Please explain that you did install these drivers but it didn't help.) Good luck!
Two things to consider first.
One: I know that when I type, I sometimes have to get used to a trackpad being near the underside of my thumbs and palms. I have inadvertently scooted my cursor by accidentally brushing against the trackpad in this way. So if your cursor suddenly moves and stops, it may be operator error.
Two: Do NOT install driver updates to your Lenovo unless you have an issue you're trying to resolve. If you are NOT having an issue with your trackpad, don't worry about installing new drivers. While it likely won't hurt your computer, you may use up precious time.
With the caveats out of the way, let's get down to business.
1. There is a specific site for Lenovo Yoga driver downloads. Go to the site.
2. From the drop down menu of "Components" on the middle left side, choose "Mouse and Keyboard."
3. You want to just install the second and third drivers, as indicated below. Completely download and install one driver before installing the next. Be ready to restart the computer each time.
I installed these drivers myself earlier today, and so far, so good. However, if you install these drivers and still have a jumpy cursor, put in a work order and let us know. (Please explain that you did install these drivers but it didn't help.) Good luck!
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
ActivePrompt
5/15/17: The original version of ActivePrompt is no longer active, so I have removed the original URL link from this entry. However, a "revised" version is now available online. Please see the edited note at the bottom of this entry.
A few months ago, I discovered a free and very engaging formative assessment tool called ActivePrompt. If you prefer video, I talk about it here; but if you prefer text, I discuss this tool below the video.
How does it work? After going to the site, you are first asked to upload an image to interact with. (The image I created for the video is available here.) Next, you are to write a prompt that begins with, "Drag the red dot to..."
By going to the site, you automatically will generate two URLs, as seen in the bottom half of the image above: one for students, and one "teacher" or display site. On the student view, the student will see a small red dot in the upper left hand corner. The student moves the red dot in response to the prompt given. Note that the student only sees their own red dot, not everyone else's.
From the teacher or "display" view, the teacher can see the red dots from multiple students move in real time. (Teacher tip: although seeing 30 dots move around definitely has a "wow" factor, you might want students to respond first before showing the display site, so their answer is not a victim of peer pressure.) While students have their browser's tab open, they can keep moving the red dot over and over again.
On the display site, you can click the tools icon in the bottom right to clear all the dots (possible if all students have closed their browser tabs), change the prompt question, or even shortcut to the student view. Note that anyone with the display URL can make these changes, so be careful in sharing the address.
The great thing is, the created student and display sites can be revisited over and over, even if you close your browser and go to the URL on another day. (Since there is no registration at any point for student or teacher, take care to save created prompt URLs in an accessible place, since when you visit the main ActivePrompt website again, you will start from scratch.)
How could you use it? Anytime you would like to assess the class on the fly, you could use a generic response image like the one above and reuse it over and over again. Or, you could assess specific needs that involve images. For example, you could upload an image of the periodic table and ask students which element is commonly known as gold; see in real time how quickly it takes students to move to "Au"! Another example would be to show a picture of various numbers and have students identify the prime number. Because of its visual nature, ActivePrompt would come in very handy for classrooms with students who are ELL, struggling reader/writers, or pre-literate (kindergarten or first grade students).
Downsides? Sometimes the red dot can be a bit tricky to "grab," although on a multiplicity of devices (Android smartphone, iPad Air, MacBook Air, Lenovo Yoga ThinkPad) I have gotten it to work. The URLs might be a bit long for some, but you can make it easier for students to get to them by putting links in a TodaysMeet, a tweet, or a teacher website; you could also shorten the URL with various sites (Goo.gl, TinyURL, Bit.ly, etc.).
All in all, a great formative assessment tool, especially at no charge!
Have you used ActivePrompt? Have a clever idea on how to integrate it into your lesson? Comment below.
Editor's note 5/15/17: The original version as described and shown in the screenshots and video above is no longer active. However, a new version is available here. And it's still free! The interface is more streamlined but there are some significant differences:
A few months ago, I discovered a free and very engaging formative assessment tool called ActivePrompt. If you prefer video, I talk about it here; but if you prefer text, I discuss this tool below the video.
How does it work? After going to the site, you are first asked to upload an image to interact with. (The image I created for the video is available here.) Next, you are to write a prompt that begins with, "Drag the red dot to..."
By going to the site, you automatically will generate two URLs, as seen in the bottom half of the image above: one for students, and one "teacher" or display site. On the student view, the student will see a small red dot in the upper left hand corner. The student moves the red dot in response to the prompt given. Note that the student only sees their own red dot, not everyone else's.
From the teacher or "display" view, the teacher can see the red dots from multiple students move in real time. (Teacher tip: although seeing 30 dots move around definitely has a "wow" factor, you might want students to respond first before showing the display site, so their answer is not a victim of peer pressure.) While students have their browser's tab open, they can keep moving the red dot over and over again.
The great thing is, the created student and display sites can be revisited over and over, even if you close your browser and go to the URL on another day. (Since there is no registration at any point for student or teacher, take care to save created prompt URLs in an accessible place, since when you visit the main ActivePrompt website again, you will start from scratch.)
How could you use it? Anytime you would like to assess the class on the fly, you could use a generic response image like the one above and reuse it over and over again. Or, you could assess specific needs that involve images. For example, you could upload an image of the periodic table and ask students which element is commonly known as gold; see in real time how quickly it takes students to move to "Au"! Another example would be to show a picture of various numbers and have students identify the prime number. Because of its visual nature, ActivePrompt would come in very handy for classrooms with students who are ELL, struggling reader/writers, or pre-literate (kindergarten or first grade students).
Downsides? Sometimes the red dot can be a bit tricky to "grab," although on a multiplicity of devices (Android smartphone, iPad Air, MacBook Air, Lenovo Yoga ThinkPad) I have gotten it to work. The URLs might be a bit long for some, but you can make it easier for students to get to them by putting links in a TodaysMeet, a tweet, or a teacher website; you could also shorten the URL with various sites (Goo.gl, TinyURL, Bit.ly, etc.).
All in all, a great formative assessment tool, especially at no charge!
Have you used ActivePrompt? Have a clever idea on how to integrate it into your lesson? Comment below.
Editor's note 5/15/17: The original version as described and shown in the screenshots and video above is no longer active. However, a new version is available here. And it's still free! The interface is more streamlined but there are some significant differences:
- The "polling" side for students (with a much shorter and easier URL to share) allows the student to move the red dot, but once they stop moving and take their finger off the trackpad/mouse/touch screen, their response is locked in. They cannot move the dot again. If they made a mistake, they have to start over with a new response.
- When viewing the "response" (teacher) side, you no longer see the red dots move in real time, but only see where they land. You have to manually refresh the response side to see the newest/latest changes; it will not update automatically.
- Polls can be easily reset from your account.
- A public gallery is now provided where you can easily clone favorites to your own account. While somewhat large and currently not searchable or organized in any way, it's worth browsing; there are lots of generic ones worth using.
- You can still upload your own images, but they are currently limited to 2 MB or less. Keep in mind that all images uploaded become part of the public gallery; you currently cannot make private uploads or prompts. (The responses, however, are private to your account.)
Friday, November 14, 2014
Star Wars, Shakespeare, and Rebels
Let's travel back in time, shall we? No, not to 16th century England. About a year ago, while at a bookstore with my oldest daughter, I stumbled upon Ian Doescher's William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope. Shakespeare and Star Wars? The English teacher in me nearly swooned. I bought it, loved it, and began thinking how I could use it in a classroom. Six months and a grant later, my freshmen English students were reading and analyzing the text while comparing it to other media, such as the original film and a radio drama adaptation. At the end of the unit, Ian himself generously agreed to Skype with our classroom. (He insisted I call him Ian, and I don't like to make New York Times best-selling authors mad.)
Tangent #1: I wrote a reflection on our Skype experience here, along with 7 tips on how to successfully run a Skype chat, in case you want to read more about it.
The WSSW educational experience ended up being a whole Core Content-aligned unit that lead into reading Romeo and Juliet, and I had created a significant amount of material. Shame to let it go to waste and not be shared, I said to myself. So I began thinking, and I Googled. But soft! What website broke through yonder Windows screen? Star Wars in the Classroom. Educators that love Star Wars? Be still my heart!
I emailed Thomas Riddle and Wes Dodgens, the co-webmasters of the site, with my conundrum: a bunch of lesson plans, resources and handouts and nowhere to put them. Turns out they were about to start a Rogue Initiative to gather just that sort of thing from educators. And that's how my entire unit ended up online, and how I became the first Rogue.
Tangent #2: Throughout the process, the social media manager Eric Smith from Quirk Books (the publisher of WSSW) was extremely helpful and generous, so a tip of my hat to him. He was also responsible for putting my academic materials on Quirk's site, as well as getting Random House to publicize my unit at librarian conventions and even Pinterest.
And now we come to present day. Thanks to Star Wars in the Classroom, I have become connected to many like-minded educators. One of them, Dan Zehr, is not only a teacher but a blog contributor to the official Star Wars website. This week, Dan and his co-host Cory Clubb invited me as a guest on their Coffee With Kenobi podcast.
It was a thrill to talk about the impact of Star Wars on my life both personally and professionally, as well as do a literary analysis on a recent episode of Star Wars Rebels. A link to the podcast's page is here.
Ian, Thomas, Wes, Eric, Dan, Cory: thanks to all of you for helping me merge multiple passions!
And for all of you educator readers out there...May the Edtech Be With You!
Tangent #1: I wrote a reflection on our Skype experience here, along with 7 tips on how to successfully run a Skype chat, in case you want to read more about it.
The WSSW educational experience ended up being a whole Core Content-aligned unit that lead into reading Romeo and Juliet, and I had created a significant amount of material. Shame to let it go to waste and not be shared, I said to myself. So I began thinking, and I Googled. But soft! What website broke through yonder Windows screen? Star Wars in the Classroom. Educators that love Star Wars? Be still my heart!
I emailed Thomas Riddle and Wes Dodgens, the co-webmasters of the site, with my conundrum: a bunch of lesson plans, resources and handouts and nowhere to put them. Turns out they were about to start a Rogue Initiative to gather just that sort of thing from educators. And that's how my entire unit ended up online, and how I became the first Rogue.
Tangent #2: Throughout the process, the social media manager Eric Smith from Quirk Books (the publisher of WSSW) was extremely helpful and generous, so a tip of my hat to him. He was also responsible for putting my academic materials on Quirk's site, as well as getting Random House to publicize my unit at librarian conventions and even Pinterest.
And now we come to present day. Thanks to Star Wars in the Classroom, I have become connected to many like-minded educators. One of them, Dan Zehr, is not only a teacher but a blog contributor to the official Star Wars website. This week, Dan and his co-host Cory Clubb invited me as a guest on their Coffee With Kenobi podcast.
It was a thrill to talk about the impact of Star Wars on my life both personally and professionally, as well as do a literary analysis on a recent episode of Star Wars Rebels. A link to the podcast's page is here.
Ian, Thomas, Wes, Eric, Dan, Cory: thanks to all of you for helping me merge multiple passions!
And for all of you educator readers out there...May the Edtech Be With You!
Thursday, November 13, 2014
Taking the Murky Out of the Microphone (Lenovo Yoga ThinkPad)
In our district, Shelby County High School is the first school to get Lenovo Yoga ThinkPads (a laptop/tablet hybrid). One of the teachers came across an issue with the default microphone quality. SCHS's library media specialist Julie Webb (@RocketLibrary) poked around the Internet and found a Lenovo Forum, and on the Forum, found a solution. Thank you, Julie!
Basically, it comes down to adjusting your microphone settings. Follow the directions in my YouTube video below and you will no longer sound like a murky lagoon creature underwater.
Basically, it comes down to adjusting your microphone settings. Follow the directions in my YouTube video below and you will no longer sound like a murky lagoon creature underwater.
Monday, November 10, 2014
TUIT: Jennifer Cox, Tracy Huelsman, Jessica Ruddy (MLC HS)
Jennifer Cox and Tracy Huelsman are instructional coaches. Jessica Ruddy is a social studies teacher. All three are from Martha Layne Collins High School. It is their use of Twitter (and in the case of the instructional coaches, the use of a website) that earns all three a #ShelbyTUITshoutout.
First, let's talk Twitter. Ms. Cox and Ms. Huelsman tried a novel approach to observing a classroom. They decided to share their observations (and pictures) in real time using the hashtag #theyet. (They also continue using the hashtag when writing tweets relevant to educators involved in the "becoming" of being an ongoing learner and practitioner.) To me, this opens up a lot of intriguing possibilities about PD of the future, especially involving lab classrooms. You could follow a hashtag as the class happened, even tweeting along questions or comments -- or you could look at the archive of the event later, through the thread of the hashtag. Combine that with a reflective piece at the end, and you have an effective way of achieving professional growth. Of course, a live tweet cannot replace what you can experience with your own eyes and ears. However, if it gives the time-harried educator another avenue of "observing," then it is worth considering.
Following the idea of "live tweeting" is a recent occurrence in Ms. Ruddy's AP European History. Using the hashtag #apeurosalon14, Jessica periodically tweeted out key ideas from the class as they were discussed. What a useful tool for students! If incorporated all year long, they could look up the thread to study for the AP test in the spring . . . ask questions of the teacher (and each other) . . . and have a backchannel during a Socratic discussion or while watching a video.
Last but not least, a plug should be given for Tracy and Jennifer's website, Coaching Corner Collaborative. Only a month old, it is quickly growing into a reference point of relevant links, blog entries, and other resources for instructional coaches or anyone involved in fostering a growth mindset. In additional, the site looks slick and professional, thanks to the template driven power of Weebly.
Congrats to all three, and I can't wait to see where their tweeting takes us!
First, let's talk Twitter. Ms. Cox and Ms. Huelsman tried a novel approach to observing a classroom. They decided to share their observations (and pictures) in real time using the hashtag #theyet. (They also continue using the hashtag when writing tweets relevant to educators involved in the "becoming" of being an ongoing learner and practitioner.) To me, this opens up a lot of intriguing possibilities about PD of the future, especially involving lab classrooms. You could follow a hashtag as the class happened, even tweeting along questions or comments -- or you could look at the archive of the event later, through the thread of the hashtag. Combine that with a reflective piece at the end, and you have an effective way of achieving professional growth. Of course, a live tweet cannot replace what you can experience with your own eyes and ears. However, if it gives the time-harried educator another avenue of "observing," then it is worth considering.
Following the idea of "live tweeting" is a recent occurrence in Ms. Ruddy's AP European History. Using the hashtag #apeurosalon14, Jessica periodically tweeted out key ideas from the class as they were discussed. What a useful tool for students! If incorporated all year long, they could look up the thread to study for the AP test in the spring . . . ask questions of the teacher (and each other) . . . and have a backchannel during a Socratic discussion or while watching a video.
Last but not least, a plug should be given for Tracy and Jennifer's website, Coaching Corner Collaborative. Only a month old, it is quickly growing into a reference point of relevant links, blog entries, and other resources for instructional coaches or anyone involved in fostering a growth mindset. In additional, the site looks slick and professional, thanks to the template driven power of Weebly.
Congrats to all three, and I can't wait to see where their tweeting takes us!
Saturday, November 8, 2014
The First Steps of 3D Printing
When I ran into Loretta Shake, the LMS of North Oldham Middle School, at EdcampKY a few weeks ago, I was happy to catch up with a former colleague. But when she revealed that her library recently acquired a 3D printer, I was all ears.
Loretta is an educator with 27 years of experience. She has been at NOMS for the last 16 years, 15 of those as their library media specialist. Ms. Shake was kind enough to take a picture for this entry, shoot a video of the 3D printer in action, and last but not least participate in the interview below. If you are considering getting one of these in the near future, her information and advice will be extremely helpful!
Hello! Let's start with telling us the process of getting the 3D printer in the first place.
I had knowledge of the MakerBot 3D printer; however, while attending ISTE this summer I found out about Afinia. In talking with their reps I learned they sell refurbished models for $500 which I felt was a great price since I wasn’t sure how I was going to integrate it into instruction. I think most of the small models like I have generally start at $1,299. I used technology funds that we had from fundraisers. I had to get approval from our DTC [District Technology Coordinator] prior to purchasing.
Once you get past the initial price, what is the maintenance of the printer like? How much does the filament cost?
So far maintenance has been easy. The filament does come on a spool. Each spool averages about $40. I have been allowing students to sign up to have things printed. Afinia suggests the cost be figured by the weight of the object times .06 per gram. However, I upped the price to .15 per gram. I have received great support from Afinia when I couldn’t figure out something.
How long does it take to print an object? Is it loud while it prints?
Several factors determine the amount of time it takes to print. The size of the object and how you “fill” it. You can fill it solid, hollow, or loose. [A large solid object could take a few hours or longer.] It is not loud while printing until the end when it beeps to let you know the print job is complete.
Here is a video, taken by Loretta, of her printer in action:
How have students and teachers reacted to it?
Most have been amazed. It has become a focal point for the library. Students will stand and watch it print, others ask how they can print something. Most think it’s cool our school has a 3D printer.
I imagine you are getting a lot of "whoa!"
What websites or online resources for the 3D printer would you recommend?
We use www.thingiverse.com to search for most of our models. MakerBot offers some great tutorial type videos. www.tinkercad.com has a free online program to create your own 3D objects.
Any advice for other LMS's wanting to get a 3D printer for their own library?
I would suggest you spring for a refurbished model like I did to gain support and once you can find ways to integrate into instruction then you can invest in a larger model. I plan on creating a MakerSpace in my library and teaching students how to print all on their own.
Ms. Shake, I can't thank you enough for your time!
Questions about 3D printers? Do you have expertise or experiences with 3D printing you want to share? Comment below!
Loretta is an educator with 27 years of experience. She has been at NOMS for the last 16 years, 15 of those as their library media specialist. Ms. Shake was kind enough to take a picture for this entry, shoot a video of the 3D printer in action, and last but not least participate in the interview below. If you are considering getting one of these in the near future, her information and advice will be extremely helpful!
Hello! Let's start with telling us the process of getting the 3D printer in the first place.
I had knowledge of the MakerBot 3D printer; however, while attending ISTE this summer I found out about Afinia. In talking with their reps I learned they sell refurbished models for $500 which I felt was a great price since I wasn’t sure how I was going to integrate it into instruction. I think most of the small models like I have generally start at $1,299. I used technology funds that we had from fundraisers. I had to get approval from our DTC [District Technology Coordinator] prior to purchasing.
Once you get past the initial price, what is the maintenance of the printer like? How much does the filament cost?
So far maintenance has been easy. The filament does come on a spool. Each spool averages about $40. I have been allowing students to sign up to have things printed. Afinia suggests the cost be figured by the weight of the object times .06 per gram. However, I upped the price to .15 per gram. I have received great support from Afinia when I couldn’t figure out something.
How long does it take to print an object? Is it loud while it prints?
Several factors determine the amount of time it takes to print. The size of the object and how you “fill” it. You can fill it solid, hollow, or loose. [A large solid object could take a few hours or longer.] It is not loud while printing until the end when it beeps to let you know the print job is complete.
Here is a video, taken by Loretta, of her printer in action:
How have students and teachers reacted to it?
Most have been amazed. It has become a focal point for the library. Students will stand and watch it print, others ask how they can print something. Most think it’s cool our school has a 3D printer.
I imagine you are getting a lot of "whoa!"
It has been a “whoa” factor for the most part. I have had students print things for a project. I have asked 7th grade and art teachers to collaborate with me when they do their geometry unit. There is a free program called TurtleArt that allows students to create geometric shapes. We would then print them 3D so they can take them to art class to press in clay and paint.
We use www.thingiverse.com to search for most of our models. MakerBot offers some great tutorial type videos. www.tinkercad.com has a free online program to create your own 3D objects.
Any advice for other LMS's wanting to get a 3D printer for their own library?
I would suggest you spring for a refurbished model like I did to gain support and once you can find ways to integrate into instruction then you can invest in a larger model. I plan on creating a MakerSpace in my library and teaching students how to print all on their own.
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| The finished product. |
Ms. Shake, I can't thank you enough for your time!
Questions about 3D printers? Do you have expertise or experiences with 3D printing you want to share? Comment below!
Thursday, November 6, 2014
TUIT: Christina Mishio, SCHS
Christina Mishio has taught for three years as a social studies high school teacher. She admits she's not afraid to take an edtech plunge, even if it's a bit of a scary tightrope walk. As part of her Criminal Justice class, students have always done an annual group project involving taking notes and analyzing evidence of crime scenes. (In the past, this may have only consisted of finding packets in various places in the school with pertinent information inside.) However, especially with the help of technology, she wanted to take it to the next level. So Ms. Mishio reached out to me. How could she integrate technology and do the project paperless? If she created actual crime scenes (with police tape, "blood," footprints, etc.) how could students take, annotate, and share pictures?
Enter Evernote and Skitch, two great partners in crime. (Heh. Sorry, I can never resist a bad pun.) Both of these edtech tools are high on the list of my all-time faves. Before we get to the plan I created for her class, a quick intro to each tool is in order.
Evernote has completely transformed my personal and professional life; it is absolutely my favorite organizational, planning, and archiving tool. You can create Notes arranged in Notebooks, which are saved in the cloud and therefore accessible in real-time syncing across a multiplicity of devices, with desktop programs, smartphone/tablet apps, and even within a web browser. Notes can consist of text, pictures, audio, and attachments like PDFs. Notes and Notebooks can also be shared with others, which will be important later. While Evernote is free, for $5 a month or $45 a year, a Premium account gives you several upgrades including going from a 100 MB monthly upload cap to 1 GB a month.
Skitch is definitely my go-to picture annotation tool. It is a free app, as well as a free desktop program. Upload a photo, and add arrows, stamps, text, freestyle pens, shapes, even a pixelation tool. (It can also annotate PDFs, if you have a Premium Evernote account.) Although Evernote owns Skitch, you can use either product independently. However, for Ms. Mishio's project, the power of their partnership becomes evident.
First, Christina created her own Evernote account. With 8 groups to set up, Ms. Mishio then created a unique gmail account for each group. (This can pay off later if she wants to incorporate some Google Drive tools into her classroom.) With each email, she created an Evernote account. Inside of each Evernote account she created a "Crime Scenes Group __" Notebook. Inside the Notebook, she attached her directions and set up a few Notes with tables so student analysis would be ready to be gathered in a consistent format. Before exiting each Evernote account, she made sure to Share this Notebook with her teacher account, so that in real-time she could view the student work as it was completed, and eventually assess their results.
Next, Ms. Mishio made sure each iPad had Evernote and Skitch apps installed, and went ahead and logged into each appropriate group's Evernote account. (Keeping track that iPad #1 is logged into Group #1's Evernote account is key here.) And with that, they were ready for the Crime Scene project.
In short, the students were highly engaged, and the impact in their learning was evident in the amount and complexity of their various text and picture Notes. It helped that there was almost a game-like feel to the project; students actually walked through the school to designated areas, taking and annotating pictures, discussing and analyzing evidence. By using Evernote, Skitch, and technology, they felt like 21st century detectives.
One recommendation from Christina was to go ahead and trust the students with the user names and passwords to the Evernote accounts. Not only did that cut down on her having to log students back in if they accidentally logged out, but several students (unprompted by the teacher!) went ahead and downloaded the Evernote app to their smartphones and logged into their group accounts. In this way, instead of being limited to one device per group, the ability to capture and analyze information doubled or tripled. This could also allow students who were absent for part of the week-long project to contribute from home or during after-school hours.
Of course, using Evernote and Skitch in such a way could be easily tweaked for a variety of different content areas and projects. Indeed, in a 1:1 environment, it could completely transform the way student work is created, saved, archived, and accessed.
Congrats to Christina Mishio for taking her integrated edtech leap and getting a well deserved #ShelbyTUITshoutout!
Enter Evernote and Skitch, two great partners in crime. (Heh. Sorry, I can never resist a bad pun.) Both of these edtech tools are high on the list of my all-time faves. Before we get to the plan I created for her class, a quick intro to each tool is in order.
Evernote has completely transformed my personal and professional life; it is absolutely my favorite organizational, planning, and archiving tool. You can create Notes arranged in Notebooks, which are saved in the cloud and therefore accessible in real-time syncing across a multiplicity of devices, with desktop programs, smartphone/tablet apps, and even within a web browser. Notes can consist of text, pictures, audio, and attachments like PDFs. Notes and Notebooks can also be shared with others, which will be important later. While Evernote is free, for $5 a month or $45 a year, a Premium account gives you several upgrades including going from a 100 MB monthly upload cap to 1 GB a month.
Skitch is definitely my go-to picture annotation tool. It is a free app, as well as a free desktop program. Upload a photo, and add arrows, stamps, text, freestyle pens, shapes, even a pixelation tool. (It can also annotate PDFs, if you have a Premium Evernote account.) Although Evernote owns Skitch, you can use either product independently. However, for Ms. Mishio's project, the power of their partnership becomes evident.
First, Christina created her own Evernote account. With 8 groups to set up, Ms. Mishio then created a unique gmail account for each group. (This can pay off later if she wants to incorporate some Google Drive tools into her classroom.) With each email, she created an Evernote account. Inside of each Evernote account she created a "Crime Scenes Group __" Notebook. Inside the Notebook, she attached her directions and set up a few Notes with tables so student analysis would be ready to be gathered in a consistent format. Before exiting each Evernote account, she made sure to Share this Notebook with her teacher account, so that in real-time she could view the student work as it was completed, and eventually assess their results.
Next, Ms. Mishio made sure each iPad had Evernote and Skitch apps installed, and went ahead and logged into each appropriate group's Evernote account. (Keeping track that iPad #1 is logged into Group #1's Evernote account is key here.) And with that, they were ready for the Crime Scene project.
In short, the students were highly engaged, and the impact in their learning was evident in the amount and complexity of their various text and picture Notes. It helped that there was almost a game-like feel to the project; students actually walked through the school to designated areas, taking and annotating pictures, discussing and analyzing evidence. By using Evernote, Skitch, and technology, they felt like 21st century detectives.
 |
| An example of a student group's Crime Scene Notebook |
One recommendation from Christina was to go ahead and trust the students with the user names and passwords to the Evernote accounts. Not only did that cut down on her having to log students back in if they accidentally logged out, but several students (unprompted by the teacher!) went ahead and downloaded the Evernote app to their smartphones and logged into their group accounts. In this way, instead of being limited to one device per group, the ability to capture and analyze information doubled or tripled. This could also allow students who were absent for part of the week-long project to contribute from home or during after-school hours.
Of course, using Evernote and Skitch in such a way could be easily tweaked for a variety of different content areas and projects. Indeed, in a 1:1 environment, it could completely transform the way student work is created, saved, archived, and accessed.
Congrats to Christina Mishio for taking her integrated edtech leap and getting a well deserved #ShelbyTUITshoutout!
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
Hello Rockets!
It started with an Instagram picture last week.
I'm looking forward to working with Mr. Oakley and the rest of the SCHS staff. Although I might rename the Kentucky Room the Cardinal Room, if County's LMS Julie Webb will allow it.
In closing, I must say thanks to Mrs. Willhoite and the staff at Clear Creak for all of their hospitality and eagerness to learn edtech. The journey continues!
And now, I'm at school #4 on my year-long embedded tour: Shelby County High School. In addition to that, it's the first school I've worked with in the district that has Lenovo Yoga Thinkpad laptop/tablet hybrid device, so that meant a new addition to the tech family.
(For those that don't know, it's a Windows 8 touchscreen computer with a "digitizer pen" that can "pose" in four different ways: laptop, stand, tent, and tablet.)
I'm looking forward to working with Mr. Oakley and the rest of the SCHS staff. Although I might rename the Kentucky Room the Cardinal Room, if County's LMS Julie Webb will allow it.
In closing, I must say thanks to Mrs. Willhoite and the staff at Clear Creak for all of their hospitality and eagerness to learn edtech. The journey continues!
Monday, November 3, 2014
EdCampKY, a Postscript
Whoa! Wow! (And afterwards: Whew!) Just over one week after the first EdcampKY in Bardstown, Kentucky, I am still trying to decompress the good ideas from the "unconference," and can't wait for it to continue on a regular basis throughout the state.
I'll get to a list of my takeaways from EdcampKY in a moment, but first things first. As powerful as Twitter and other social media platforms are, it's always a treat to see colleagues face to face again (Donnie Piercey, James Allen, Loretta Shake, Matt Arledge), or for the first time (Mike Paul).
Before I forget, I should also mention that it was a pleasure to meet the principal (Wes Bradley) and assistant principal (Heather Warrell) of the host site, Thomas Nelson High School. Only three years old, it is built for innovation and collaboration. Several times I wandered into a classroom and couldn't tell if I was in a high school, or a college campus, or a corporate retreat. The culture of learning is palpable. (I took several Twitter pics of the facility, so scroll back through my tweets if interested.)
Before I forget, I should also mention that it was a pleasure to meet the principal (Wes Bradley) and assistant principal (Heather Warrell) of the host site, Thomas Nelson High School. Only three years old, it is built for innovation and collaboration. Several times I wandered into a classroom and couldn't tell if I was in a high school, or a college campus, or a corporate retreat. The culture of learning is palpable. (I took several Twitter pics of the facility, so scroll back through my tweets if interested.)
So, narrowed down, here are six things I learned from Edcamp.
1. The "unconference" approach to PD: As an organizer of professional development myself, it is extremely hard to see how you could leave it to chance and teacher initiative what the topics of sessions might be until the very morning of your conference, much less who might moderate or facilitate them. But that's what an unconference does. Although session assignments are sometimes done with index cards taped to a wall, Google Sheets filled out by the Edcamp organizers provided a digital way to keep the latest session information on track. Also, a true session in such an environment is more of a "give and take" discussion than a "sit and get" presentation. I think there was a bit of a struggle sometimes to accept this, both for moderators wanting to share their expertise and for the attendees. However, some of the best sessions were ones where educators popcorned their thoughts around the room. In the end, an unconference model may just be a cure for the summertime PD blues -- creating opportunity for teacher leadership, time for discussion, and immediacy for feeding educators the exact learning they need, when they need it.
2. KET Board Builder: Amy Grant shared several of the resources available through the various KET digital resources of EncycloMedia (PBS LearningMedia, Discovery Education, and KET ED On Demand). While I knew there was plenty there, I usually don't have time to explore it, so that was appreciated info. One of the bigger finds was the Board Builder, a way of creating a electronic "poster" by only adding multimedia from within KET's own resources, making it filtered and vetted. These Boards require a login and can only be shared with other users within the site, but it might especially be a welcome multimedia tool for those wanting a safe project tool for younger students.
3. Google Form Add-Ons: Recently I have experimented with running scripts with Google Forms, giving you ways to unlock even more powerful tools. (If you are interested in the same, here's a page about them.) Scripts are not easy, and have to be installed every time you want to run them. However, Google Forms finally have Add-Ons (as a menu choice at the top of an opened Form), some of which recreate functions previously available only in complicated scripts. Better than that, once installed they can be used over and over and in an easy to use way. My favorites so far are Choice Eliminator (which takes a multiple choice option away as someone choose one and submits the form -- perfect for scheduling meetings or "first come first serve" project choices) and Form Values (which allows you to save recurring lists of answer choices for questions, like all the schools in the district, to easily insert them repeatedly into Forms).
4. Shelfies. A librarian shared this term in one of the session discussions, and I love the idea. Take a picture of your bookshelf and share it with others. That lead me to brainstorm a little app-smashing: annotate the picture with Thinglink, adding URLS to author websites, book trailer videos of students chatting up the book, or text-based information. Stick an iPad near the shelf with the Thinglink on view, and your "shelfie" will now come to life for students, becoming an interactive kiosk. (As it turns out, I'm not the first to brainstorm this idea. For example, here's one in German.)
5. NewsELA. This site takes actual up-to-date news articles and provides an incredible service for teachers and students needing differentiation and more non-fiction, as required by Core Content: you can scale the reading by adjusting the complexity of the text at one of five different levels. Most have comprehension quizzes as well. You are limited to five articles without registering, but once you do, you have unlimited access.
6. Photomath. This free app is currently available for iOS and Windows (Android coming in 2015); with it, Mike Paul easily won the Edcamp Tech Slam. It's not hard to see why. Magic seems the only plausible way that it can work. Using a bit of augmented reality technology, scan a math worksheet that is printed (NOT handwritten) and Photomath will not only solve the equation, but show you the steps on how to get there. Scary? A bit. It's technology like this that reminds us that students can get the answers without us, so it is up to teachers to change the questions and make sure students can do the thinking. Here's a video of it in action:
PhotoMath from MicroBLINK on Vimeo.
Looking forward to returning to another Edcamp soon. Until then, I'll occasionally check in on the hashtag #edcampky and continue following their Twitter account.
Have you used any of the tools above? Do you have questions about an "unconference"? If you went to the 10/25 EdcampKY, what did you think? Please Comment below.
2. KET Board Builder: Amy Grant shared several of the resources available through the various KET digital resources of EncycloMedia (PBS LearningMedia, Discovery Education, and KET ED On Demand). While I knew there was plenty there, I usually don't have time to explore it, so that was appreciated info. One of the bigger finds was the Board Builder, a way of creating a electronic "poster" by only adding multimedia from within KET's own resources, making it filtered and vetted. These Boards require a login and can only be shared with other users within the site, but it might especially be a welcome multimedia tool for those wanting a safe project tool for younger students.
3. Google Form Add-Ons: Recently I have experimented with running scripts with Google Forms, giving you ways to unlock even more powerful tools. (If you are interested in the same, here's a page about them.) Scripts are not easy, and have to be installed every time you want to run them. However, Google Forms finally have Add-Ons (as a menu choice at the top of an opened Form), some of which recreate functions previously available only in complicated scripts. Better than that, once installed they can be used over and over and in an easy to use way. My favorites so far are Choice Eliminator (which takes a multiple choice option away as someone choose one and submits the form -- perfect for scheduling meetings or "first come first serve" project choices) and Form Values (which allows you to save recurring lists of answer choices for questions, like all the schools in the district, to easily insert them repeatedly into Forms).
4. Shelfies. A librarian shared this term in one of the session discussions, and I love the idea. Take a picture of your bookshelf and share it with others. That lead me to brainstorm a little app-smashing: annotate the picture with Thinglink, adding URLS to author websites, book trailer videos of students chatting up the book, or text-based information. Stick an iPad near the shelf with the Thinglink on view, and your "shelfie" will now come to life for students, becoming an interactive kiosk. (As it turns out, I'm not the first to brainstorm this idea. For example, here's one in German.)
5. NewsELA. This site takes actual up-to-date news articles and provides an incredible service for teachers and students needing differentiation and more non-fiction, as required by Core Content: you can scale the reading by adjusting the complexity of the text at one of five different levels. Most have comprehension quizzes as well. You are limited to five articles without registering, but once you do, you have unlimited access.
6. Photomath. This free app is currently available for iOS and Windows (Android coming in 2015); with it, Mike Paul easily won the Edcamp Tech Slam. It's not hard to see why. Magic seems the only plausible way that it can work. Using a bit of augmented reality technology, scan a math worksheet that is printed (NOT handwritten) and Photomath will not only solve the equation, but show you the steps on how to get there. Scary? A bit. It's technology like this that reminds us that students can get the answers without us, so it is up to teachers to change the questions and make sure students can do the thinking. Here's a video of it in action:
PhotoMath from MicroBLINK on Vimeo.
Looking forward to returning to another Edcamp soon. Until then, I'll occasionally check in on the hashtag #edcampky and continue following their Twitter account.
Have you used any of the tools above? Do you have questions about an "unconference"? If you went to the 10/25 EdcampKY, what did you think? Please Comment below.
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