Google Goodies

My trial of using Google Docs to post to Blogger:

JamieLynn Griffith

Google Tools for Educators

A CA-BOCES workshop offered by Rick Weinberg focusing on everything GOOGLE! Here is my reflection on all the adventures in learning of the day.

Google Tools

Google Docs - Enjoy the simplicity, but still want more creative options.

• Found the templates, but I want more Google. I'm one of those stereotypical elementary education teachers that likes the visual presentation aspect.
  
• Etherpad - it's just like Edmodo Chalk!
  
• Like how the kids can edit all at the same time w/ out interferring w/ each other
  

Google Reader

• Had some time to "catch-up" on the blogs I follow
  
• Learned that you can subscribe to a news topic
  
• Rick recommended some A+ blogs that I've added
  

Google Wave

• Need to do my home-work on this one for the What is a COMMUNITY? project next week
  
• figure out how to create a group
  
• send invites to those who still need one
  
• decide if we want to share images too - slideshow
  
• embed the "conversation" on our site & the Google Presentation
  
• robots -??
  
• playback option
  

Google Books

• Everything I search for doesn't have a full view option - bummer
  

Google Squared

• A detailed search - still thinking how to use this?
  

Google Mobile Apps

• Maybe if I ever have a charged phone that's a current piece of technology I'll have to re-visit this area
  

Google Calendar - I want to color-code my life

• Deciding how I want to utilize this
  

Google Guru

Rick has an amazing wealth of knowledge in technology education! He's so creative too - I loved his Google Learning Adventure that he created as a differentiated extension of what the workshop had highlighted. Thanks for the inspiration today Rick. Here's one more link in efforts to make you #1. Rick's blog can be found at http://edtechman.blogspot.com/

Community Connection

Interested? The second grade team embarked on an adventure on foot into our community - Randolph, NY. Our class filmed an impromptu video diary of the field trip.

innovative? Mrs. Freeman had a wonderful idea for a field trip to accomplish many goals:

1. Celebrate the 100th day by cashing in 100 pennies for a crisp $1 bill at Cattaraugus County Bank

2. Have the students utilize the local Randolph, New York US Post Office to mail Valentine's Day cards to their parents

3. Support a local business and order a special lunch from Oregano's restaurant

Well, obviously I fell in love with her idea! We had been talking about starting our communities unit in our classroom and I knew this would fit perfectly. Last year's class had made an ABC Book of Randolph and this trip would allow this year's class to visit some of those places. Plus, field trips are hard to get support for and this one was low-cost, but I knew it would prove to have a big-time effect! So, we shared our idea with PTA and they were happy to fund the trip for the second grade team.

The night before - my only quiet time in my life to really think - I lay in bed and realized that I never called the people to set up the interviews, hadn't charged the digital camera or camcorder's batteries, and didn't finalize the vision of what the objective for the whole project should be...............

Yet, the next morning I was distracted by cookie baking, penny counting, and envelope stuffing that was the organized chaos that is often found in Mrs. Griffith's classroom. Admist the commotion I tried to organize the supplies and before I knew it Ms. Giere's class was already out the door.

Have I said how thankful I am that I currently have a student teacher? Well, Mr. Inzana to the rescue. We made an excellent team on Friday! I think we finally reached that collaborative point that student teachers and cooperating teachers do when they share a similar vision and goal for the classroom in which they both lead together. He had the envelopes counted & stuffed his pockets with the videos cameras. Yes, I said video cameraS! It turns out as much as I plan ahead - things just happen. Like the fact that I never put a TAPE in the camcorder! So much for finding the mic spot on Mark Carls camera! But, Mr. Inzana had brought his too. As I was taking still shots and my extra batteries kept dying, I couldn't help from laughing at what a pain technology can really be. So, Mr. Inzana was put in charge of the video project and we are working through "technical difficulties" at this time. But here's the PhotoPeach slideshow I made for the students from the still shots. They really like PhotoPeach since they can comment without an account.

Making a Community Connection on PhotoPeach

Let me tell you - it was COLD! The students had a marvelous time. First, we went to Cattaraugus County Bank. I was surprised how shy they were with the bank tellers and could tell this may have been their first experience within a bank. Next, we put our postage on our Valentine's day envelopes to send to our someone special - their families. We went behind the scenes for a detailed tour of Randolph Post Office and the journey a letter takes once it goes into the mail slot where they mailed their holiday cards. After that, we walked down Jamestown Street to the Randolph Free Library. We walked through the children's section and plan to return for a more lengthy visit this spring. Last, the class ventured further down Main Street to see where our lunch was being made - Oregano's. By this time, we were quite chilly and started the trek back to our warm classroom.

IMPACT? Google Earth is a wonderful asset for classrooms, but experiencing the "road view" is another thing alltogether. I'm looking forward to the discussions we'll have this week about our community. Plus, I'm curious to see what questions they'll have for other students in other communities to add to our Google Presentation page for the What is a COMMUNITY? project. Also, I have the privilege to work with wonderful teachers and excellent people on my team in second grade. We each help each other out wherever and whenever it's needed. I'm so thankful for their organizational skills and support. We have a great community in our little cul-de-sac in the yellow wing - don't we!

Impressed? The members of our community are .... I'm looking for the right word.... kind, considerate, willing to help, good sports, appreciative, knowledgeable, ....I can't even express how impressed I am by the Randolph community! I'm so thankful to be a part of it.

Thank you to all of the people we interviewed & were able to talk with on our trip:

Denise - Bank Teller

Amy - Postmaster

Allison's Grama - Community Member

Tammy - Clerk

Mrs. Beck - Librarian

Tonja - Restaurant Owner

The video interviews will be.......coming soon!

I'm a planner. But, sometimes the best things happen when working on a whim.

Gumby

Ever feel like you've stretched yourself so thin in so many areas of your life? I have!

Advice from others..............."slow down"..............why is this so difficult for me?


A wonderful friend and collegue of mine has a favorite saying when referencing reading. I can't remember who the reading guru is who originally said it, but I think I need to put that into practice!

"Slow down to speed up!"

I call myself a recovering perfectionsist, but still have the personality tendencies of a Type A! Why do I constantly push myself to be the overachiever?



Everyone had their Educon experiences. Plan A: Attend the conference. Well, that didn't work out. Plan B: Attend virtually. I attempted to attend virtually, yet spent time with my family instead. On my second attempt - of course I couldn't just let it go, give up, stop pursuing...things worked out. Yet, the conversations have continued and one can still learn from Educon. From reading everyone else's comments, posts, etc. I've come to the conclusion that one important element that many gained from the experience is, that it's all about relationships.


My "Things Can Always be Better" Goals:
1. Focus - on my students' concerns, interests, and needs more
2. Find - other teachers to collaborate with and share more ideas
3. Family - make every attempt to make the small moments quality ones
4. Friends - go out of my way to "be there" in any way possible
5. Figure - out ways to continue to learn from others and be accepting that others may actually learn from you


I really like this ebook that was created in Ben Hazzard and Rodd Lucier's session. I didn't participate in it, but I'll use it for inspiration....

Field Guide For Change Agents

View more presentations from Ben Hazzard.

I'll never slow down. Honestly, I think it's okay! I'll keep pursuing my goals in my typical fast-paced manner, but in order to "speed up" I need to keep my focus clear. I have SO many things to learn......but I'm learning! I can't keep up......but I'm still learning! I'm so glad that I have people to learn from and that inspire me.


So, here's to continuing to make attempts to build even stronger relationships with others in all aspects of my "gumby" life................and to focus on the moment and being real in "real-time."

An Arctic Animal Adventure

 

Interested? Students researched an Arctic animal, used PhotoStory 3 to independently make an animal riddle movie, and composed a persuasive essay as a group for a vodcast. The final projects were presented using GlogsterEDU. A Google Form was used to keep track of the votes cast for the most interesting Arctic animal.

innovative? National Geographic's Creature Feature provided a perfect place to begin research - with images, cards, videos, sounds, maps, and a printable fact sheet. The students proved to be capable of more than I initially thought possible! They quickly found 5 facts and were ready to move on. Yet, we took a day of small groups and learned how to successfully use a highlighter with the printable fact sheet and found some important elements were missing in what they had recorded. So, they were encouraged to make them a little more detailed - and did!

A new appreciation for PhotoStory 3 grew recently, as Dennis Grice shared his animal riddle idea that he's done with his students in California. After talking with him about my previous concerns - mostly blurry pictures - and learning that it may have been the result of students saving the thumbnail of an image and not the full-size one, I was excited to utilize this simplistic yet amazing program with my class. Don't let the simplicity fool you though, because my students really utilized the options offered to their fullest potential -

Our Animal Riddle Steps:

Step 1: image upload - A Digital Kit with a variety of PowerPoint backgrounds to provide color, mixed with images from Creative Commons & Discovery Education were easily shared with each student.

Step 2: text - Since they had an organized research paper with their 5 facts already on it, they were ready to type. The chose the font color, type, and size too.

Step 3: voice recording - PhotoStory3's simple start and stop button allowed them to record independently, as well as playback their work to ensure its quality.

Step 4: customize motion - Students were able to add movement & zooming techniques to the photos with text.

Step 5: music - Students really loved this part of creating their own background music for their unique movie!

The group component of the project - the persuasive essay - was well worth the effort. Chris Hyde had suggested a persuasive movie and we adapted it to fit our current project. Student groups met and discussed what three elements made their Arctic animal the most interesting. Some facilitation was needed to keep the groups focused, but each learned how to take the ideas that they all found and put them together in a final writing piece. The Step-up-to-Writing technique that we use for writing assisted them in their format. I'm a huge fan of Step-Up's color-coded basic outline and the organized transition they provide to paragraphs. They practiced and practiced - then filmed their vodcasts.

Final Glog Presentations - Each animal group designed their own glog with each individual's animal riddle and the group's vodcast. They loved choosing their own elements, players, walls, texts, and graphics. Groups really did a nice job taking turns and working collaboratively on the SMARTboard.

I made the glog to link them all together & included a Google Form for the votes to be tallied. Next, I sent out a Tweet, parent email, and this post to see what votes the students would get - just for fun! They are looking forward to the final tally!

IMPACT: My students loved all aspects of this project. Throughout the day they'd inquire when we'd be working on our Arctic animal projects. We've done a lot of group projects and this one the could really "own" with the creation of their PhotoStory3 movies. How neat is it to be a producer and create an original movie about a content-related topic?Also, when you have high standards for research and writing, students will prove they can make that choice to work to their fullest potential.

I had the opportunity to be inspired by ideas that Dennis Grice and Chris Hyde shared. I also had the priviledge to learn new components of PhotoStory3 from Mr. Grice and Cathryn Mascara including the option to customize motion on slides with text. Inspired by Mr. Grice's tutorials for his students, I installed Jing on my computer and have started to figure out how to make video tutorials for my students!

Impressed: The group leaders of each animal group really made me proud! This time I chose students who are capable, but don't always choose to display the leadership qualities that they possess. They were organized, effective, and helpful in a less dynamic way, but in a way that was absolutely beneficial to the group as a whole, but also for their confidence as well. I was also impressed with the final student projects - they have come so far with their cooperative skills and tech skills! They are ready for more CHALLENGING projects!

Fraction Fun

Interested? A VoiceThread of student-created word problems involving finding the fraction that represents part of a group or set. We shared it for any problem solvers on Twitter. Lastly, students added the answers after viewing the comments left.

innovative? Mark Carls finally sold me on trying out VoiceThread this year and WOW we'd loved it! I really needed an idea to make it useful for us. Since we've done our first VT - Meet Mrs. Griffith's Class - the ideas haven't stopped! Plus, we've enjoyed seeing how others utilize it at the primary level. We'd solved some math problems on a VoiceThread that Karen Ditzler's third grade students created and my students were inspired to make their own version on fractions - our current chapter. They'd watched Mrs. Ditlzer's comment that combined the use of pens and video. Last time we'd tried our webcam it wasn't working right with VoiceThread. Thank you for your innovative example, so we could adapt it to be innovators here at RCS!

So, students composed and illustrated word problems in small groups. Since they were already at the independent stage of making voice comments, the transition to video comments went really smooth. The students read the problems for others to solve.

Here's the final VoiceThread -

IMPACT? We appreciated those that we've collaborated with this year such as Mrs. Ditzler, Mr. Carls, and Mr. Grice participating in our project. The students were amazed at how sharing it on Twitter could get other teachers, students, and even a Vice Principal solving problems and interested in this format of making math more interactive. They also thought the variety of ways that people commented was really neat - typed, voice, and video comments combined with the use of the pens. This was one of our best VT experiences yet because of the global connection.

Also, the students were introduced to the concept of equivalent fractions on a different level as a result of the comments. They needed to think about if the equivalent fractions were correct because the answer was different than what they had recorded as a group. Thanks!

Impressed? I was amazed with Twitter and people's response and how this impressed upon my students the importance of working with other's outside our classroom and learning from and alongside them.

Reading with a Whole New Meaning

Interested? One reading group in my class in Randolph, NY collaborated with a reading group in Andrew Kauffman's class in Goshen, IN. We used various modes of communication and collaboration to read Magic Tree House: Afternoon on the Amazon by Mary Pope Osborne.

innovative? We'd been using Skype to communicate and collaborate with our classes for a while. Since it had been such an effective means, we chose to utilize it for a Skype-based Literature Circle. Our initial plan was to make two video Skype calls where the students could discuss the roles that they prepared ahead of time and complete a VoiceThread for the final project.

Our first meeting was a success. Student pairs had prepared one of three roles -

Super Summarizer, Artful Artist, or Discussion Director. Their "documents" were also shared through Skype's share feature.

Well, I'm so thankful for how the project took on new directions as we continued to learn new tools and had the desire to integrate them into our classrooms. We added 3 new tools:

Stixy

I love the use of Post-It Notes in class. We use them all the time for so many purposes, so what could be better than an online version. Students in both classes shared predictions. Students could easily create a "sticky" with Stixy! They were excited to type them on a sticky instead of writing them.

FlockDraw

The kids were finding so many facts about the Amazon Rainforest while reading about Jack and Annie's adventure. Flockdraw allows you to write or draw collaboratively in real time. Both groups flocked together for a meeting to record their facts. Students were fascinated that they could see the facts being typed simaltaneausly. A definate benefit to this site - no refresh button needed here!

Wallwisher

Last, Andrew sent our class a "wall." Here we utilized this form of online sticky note posts to make more predictions. It was a more straight-forward, simple, and user-friendly form of stickies for second graders. No invitations needed either - one can just double click and leave a message.

IMPACT? One student's attitude towards reading and school totally changed for the positive through these experiences.

It's vital for learners, both teacher and student, to look back and reflect on one's learning. At the close of this project, students predicted how the story would end, composed a new ending to the story, recorded their favorite new fact about the rainforest, as well as what they enjoyed the most.

Here's the collaborative VoiceThread -

Impressed? Even though these students read independently, it doesn't mean that they are readers who have a desire to read and have a love for it. These readers needed to be challenged and engaged to realize that reading for them has taken on a new purpose - they aren't learning to read, but are now reading to learn. Also, these students learned how to use new tools and have become independent and confident with them - empowerment!

Why innovativeIMPACT?

I'm really new to the wonderful world of blogging, but am realizing that blogs are the most effective if their purpose is easy to identify. I want to know what kind of focus that blogger's posts will have. As a reader, it also helps me when they are organized and follow a similar pattern each time.

My plan: Reflect mainly on teaching that involves my favorite teaching style -
Project Based Learning! Focus on 4 questions and how they relate.

Interested? This section will be an overview of the project. If you're interested in reading further, great. If not, one can move on to something else that's more applicable to one's teaching and learning.

innovative? This part will showcase the technology aspects that were the most creative and new to our classroom.

IMPACT? This area will highlight how the project impacted the students and myself as learners.

Impressed? This question will focus on my favorite aspect of it all.