IPADs - Getting started

IPADs:  What a scary matter!

When I was approached to take part in a pilot project using IPADS, to be honest, I was scared and hesitated to take part. I could not imagine using IPADS any differently than laptops. I honestly thought IPADS were no different and I saw it as yet another thing I was expected to add to my plate of things I needed to teach my students. I wasn't crazy about the idea but I figured what better way to challenge myself, so I decided to take this project on and I'm glad I did! I have discovered wonderful things with the IPADS.

In this first blog on IPADS, there are a few must do's before starting any project with students:

FIRST: Create a dropbox account before class[maybe a day or two, remember you will be providing your students with the e-mail address and password] and make sure the IPADS have the DROPBOX app. Then have students link their ipad to it - this should be the very first thing you do with your students on the ipads. [this will be the way students' send you their projects]
* if IPADS have a DROPBOX APP, have students click on the app and then enter the e-mail address and password [you will need to give this to them, it needs to be the e-mail address and password you used to create the dropbox account] 

* make sure that if IPADS are shared in your school that at the end of class students unlink the dropbox from the IPAD, this is done in the same matter as above.

** CAUTION: students will have access to their classmates projects as well, this is one of the disadvantages of using dropbox but I found it the most easiest for  getting their projects.  Students are pretty good about not check their classmates projects.  I found that students were so busy working on their projects anyway that when it finally was time to send me their project there were no problems.

SECOND:Make sure that the screensaver on the iPads have the iPad number on it, this makes it easier for the students to know their iPad number. It also helps to have the iPad number on the outside of the iPad. Then provide students iPad numbers [this will help you keep track of the ipads] I decided to keep track by giving students the iPad in terms of what number they fall under in the roll call. So Johnny was number 1 on the roll call, so he got iPad 1.

THIRD: Provide enough time to hand out and get iPads back, even though iPads aren't as slow as laptops in shutting down, the first two times I kept forgetting how long it takes to hand them out and to get them back.
An idea have students start on a quick little activity while they are waiting to receive their iPad e.g put a picture on the overhead and have students write a number of words that come to mind when they see the picture.  Or have them write a few sentences about the picture they see.  Or better yet have them have a one minute conversation with the person next to them about the picture [in the target language]
Or have them get started on their homework or a short quick exercise when they have handed their iPads back to you.

Also get a student to help you hand them out and put them back in place.

FOURTH: if you have a chance before having students use an app, check it out yourself and see how it works, you don't need to be an expert but at least know some of its functions and whether it can be sent via dropbox, can you download pictures onto it...can you record voice?? etc...

Remember that you don't need to be an expert, I often found that students would ask me things like how do I delete a picture on bookcreator...I didn't know so I was honest and told them I wasn't sure....but then I asked outloud and sure enough someone in class knew how!
Sometimes I wasn't sure about something and there was always one or two students who knew what to do, so I had them be my technology assistants.

FIFTH:  When possible make sure you show your students how the app works, don't assume they know, because most of the time there maybe one or two students who know. I always put my iPad under the document reader and showed my students how they could record...add photos etc.. This really doesn't take all that much time to do.


** most of all remember that you don't need to feel like an expert enjoy learning with your students.
** Don't overwhelm yourself with having to use so many different apps, I focused on using two apps and my students did numerous activities using the two different apps.  There is so much you can do with two apps!
*** Try to have a focus for using the iPads: My focus was being able to have my students develop their oral skills and trying to incorporate as many skills in a project as possible.

GOANIMATE

Voice recording and animation:

Each time I teach Grade 11 I normally like to do a project on mixbook, where students write about their childhood, but having two grade 11 classes this year I decided I would do the mix book scrapbooking with one class and I would try GOANIMATE with another class.Since last year I have been meaning to use the site: GOANIMATE.  I have had the opportunity to have my students use the site twice.

I had my Spanish 11 class work in pairs to create a story using the grammatical components we had learned in class. I had them do this as an end project. I found that they really enjoyed working on this and I love that it was a change for them, as they could use audio recording and incorporate some writing if they wanted to.


espanol by harman on GoAnimate

Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate. matt & ann by IN on GoAnimate

Animation Software - Powered by GoAnimate.



I also used it with my grade 10 class, as a way for them to review on what they had learned in Spanish 9, they were to introduce themselves and get to know a friend. I turned out well!

Grade 10

spanish by nicole1 on GoAnimate

Animated Presentations - Powered by GoAnimate.

My childhood project

MIXBOOK

I found this fabulous site to do a scrapbook online, which was perfect for a spanish 11 project I had in mind. In Spanish 11 students need to use preterite vs. imperfect and what better way to have them do this than to have them write about their childhood.
www.mixbook.com was easy to use and the students really enjoyed doing a project about their childhood. It's also good for those students who may not be so artistic. Overall the students loved working on this project and reminiscing about their childhood en español.


Advantages:
It's easy to use, students e-mail to you
students can share and have other students collaborate on their project [peer editing etc...]
it's easy to upload their photos
it has pre - made scrapbooks so students choose a theme but can still personalize it.
it works well for students who feel aren't too artistic so that they can focus on their grammar

Disadvantages:
students have to create their own accounts
the site was very slow when students were all logged in at the same time [very very slow on laptops]
you can't have students record their voice which would be a cool feature to have.

| Learn About Mixbook Photo Books | Create your own Photo Book

Providing students control over their learning

This year I decided that I would be more flexible in how I would have my students hand in their projects. I decided that I would allow my students to hand in projects in the format in which they felt comfortable using. After teaching them a few web 2.0 tools, such as toondoo and prezi.  I gave my students a mini project in which they were to write about their family, I gave them the criteria and then I I told them that they could choose the format they wanted to: such as glogster, prezi, toondoo or any other web 2.0 tool they were familiar with.

It was incredible to see the various ways students chose to do the project. I had about 30 students and I had about 10 or more use a web 2.0 tool and the rest still chose to do it by hand.  It was interesting for me to mark and it was great to see that they included all the required criteria  even though it was done in a different format.

I believe that giving them choices is important because it allows them to have some control in terms of how they want to show their learning. I think this is definitely something I will continue doing in my class as it helps students feel more engaged in their learning because they have a say in how they can demonstrate their learning.  I also love that the format they choose to do their project also makes their project a little more personal. I believe that students would be more likely to hand in projects if they have a say in the format of their project.


Here is an example of one using toondoo.

      

Spanish- Mi Familia by IMOT | Make your own at www.toondoo.com

E-portfolio part 1

This past friday, I did the first part of the portfolio with my students, I had them listen to their first recording and give themselves a self-evaluation, I also asked them to have one classmate listen to their recording and evaluate them. There were a couple of challenges:

first, some students had still not created an edmodo account - next time I will have them all create an account in class rather than leave it up to them because even though I gave them plenty of time to create one, they still had not created one.

second, some students had not done the recording, either because they had been absent or because we ran out of time in class to do this and they forgot to show up at lunch time or after school to do their recording.  I will try to have them all do a recording in class next time perhaps borrow the COWS and have a few at a time do a recording instead of just using my laptop and having them go one at a time.

third, The COWS[Computers on Wheels] at my school only has 15 laptops, I have 30 students, 15 of those laptops about 2 - 3 were not working well. This was a bit frustrating as I had not anticipated this, so I ended up giving half the class a short lesson on one of the concepts and then gave the other half the lesson. It was a bit of a struggle. I think next time I will have them do the listening/evaluating of their recordings when they are working on the exercises of the lesson, therefore I only have to teach the lesson once and I don't have to work over the noise of the students listening to their recordings. This was perhaps the most frustrating part. It also took a huge part of the day about 30 - 40 mins if not more.

fourth,  a number of students had forgotten their password, which was a minor problem and it was quick to solve as you can reset their passwords on edmodo.

However despite the problems that I encountered I think it was  beneficial for the students to listen to themselves as I heard a lot of them comment on themselves such as....I need to say more next time....I need to to speak louder or I need to use more vocabulary. We will try doing another one next week and see how it goes. Hopefully the second time around will be easier and quicker.

E-portfolios

As we start the school year, I'm thinking what my goal will be this year. I have used a number of Web 2.0 tools in my classroom, but there is something different I would like to do this year. I have decided that I will have my Spanish 9 students create an e-portfolio. Why? Well, this year I would like for my students to keep track of their progress in the course. I think that it's important that students can keep track and have some control of their learning. I'm planning to use Edmodo to be able to have my students post or send me information. I also plan to work with my department in order to develop a system for students to create e-portfolios. I would also like to survey my students in order to find out whether making an e-portfolio was useful for them or not. I hope that once I have developed an e-portfolio in Spanish 9 I can have my other grades 10/11 create or continue on a portfolio that they have created in grade 9. I look forward to another year of excitement and learning!

Reflecting back on my learning

As I reflect back on where I was technologically-wise and where I am now, I realize I have done quite a lot and I'm even amazed at myself at how much about technology I now know. I recall being somewhat reluctant at first, but thank goodness Nicole, our school technology teacher kept on believing that I would learn, she kept e-mailing me website after website for me to try until finally I decided to give one of the websites a try. Let's just say the first time there were a few barriers, for starters I was in the portable, the website I used didn't seem to work well, there were a number of problems when I was working with my class. Well I was about to give up on the whole idea of using technology in my classroom, it just seemed more work than anything else. But there was Ms. Nicole again, and so I decided to give it another try just for her sake and the truth is I'm glad I had Nicole because thanks to her I learned that it's important first to have an open mind and be willing to try new things and take risks. Having such a wonderful support system in which you are given the opportunity to learn and grow made it easier for me to give technology a chance in my classroom. For example Nicole was willing to teach me how things worked or to go to her if I had questions. I have used a number of websites with my students, many that have been successful, others that have had drawn backs. But in the end the learning experience has been amazing. I have learned that it's okay if you don't know all the answers and letting your students know is perfectly find. I have also learned to ask for help from my own students, some who are more technology savvy than myself. I learned to have a second plan just in case technology just isn't working well on that particular day. I've learned not to be afraid of technology and to show no fear and believe it or not the computers can sense your frustration. In this particular school year I have done various projects with my students using various websites, I have also created a twitter account - a fantastic tool!, I have also created a blog, which is helpful in giving me insight as to what has worked and hasn't worked for me and I have created my own website using webnode to communicate more with my students in terms of checking out homework, important events, etc... What I would like to work on for next school year: How to know how many of my students are using my website, as it's difficult for me to know how many students are finding my website useful or not. I want to make my website more interactive, in which students can feel comfortable providing feedback either to me or each other, as I have a section right now where students can write but nobody has written on it. Linking my website to the school website for easy access to my students cutting down on oral exams during class and having students record themselves and have them evaluate themselves Get my students to write or use avatars to post in spanish/french so that there can be more peer evaluation and they can improve the target language [in this case spanish/french] Difficulties: One of my difficulties has been updating my website, I often find it hard to update with videos, tips...etc....but perhaps next year this will be easier as I won't be starting from zero Engage students on my website Update my blog more often Students not having access to internet at home and be absent on the days in which the class works on projects