The Talking QR Code

QR Codes have made an impact on education as a great digital tool to engage students in learning. They are great to use as scavenger hunts, quick tips, resources, notes, and examples.

Did you know that you can create QR Codes that talk?

Recently, I read about using QR Voice to create talking QR Codes. Immediately I had to try it out. I spent a few minutes brainstorming ways to integerate this into an activity or lesson. The possbilities are endless. Teachers can use QR Voice for directions, vocabulary, scavenger hunt, and tips.

Next week, my students will be working on translating word problems into equations and solving them. PERFECT for QR Voice Codes. I found 15 word problems to record for the QR Voice Code Sheet. To create my codes, I use QR Voice. It is simple to create. Just type in what you want the code to say, click the QR Code icon, and you are done.

Glogster as a Presentation Tool





A few months ago, I discovered Glogster. A way to create a digital posterboard. I immediately begin thinking of ways for my students to create a digital posterboard to engage them in learning. I spent some time playing with Glogster and fell in love.

This digital learning tool can be used for so much...explaining a topic, expressing your thoughts, and more. This week we will complete our Unit 2. Students will finalize their unit of study with a project using data from the staff of our school...age, number of years teaching, minutes it takes to get to work, etc. Students will use their calculator to create histograms and box plot using their data. Picture taking software will allow students to capture a picture of their histogram for their presentation. Each student will create a Glogster to discuss the shape, center, spread, five-number summary, standard deviation, and show their histogram and box plot.

Students will use Kid Blog to write their overall summary of the unit, what they learned, need help with, liked or disliked. Their Glogster will be posted to their blog post.

 

So stay tuned for more examples!

Students can create glogs for...
1. All About Me Assignments
2. Explaining a Topic
3. Vocabulary Review
4. Historian Projects
5. Sharing Ideas

My favorite tools on Glogster is the ability to grab a picture or video. Grabbing allows you to take a picture or record a video for your Glogster. Try it out with me!

Unit 2 Patterns in Data Project

Objective: Students will create graphic representations to display data, compute summary statistics, and describe the shape, center, and spread of the data, find the variance, and standard deviation.

Part 1: Students will use Staff Survey data collected using Goggle Docs.

Part 2: Constructing your graphs.

1. Use your calculator to create a histogram and box plot.
2. Take a picture of your calculator sketch of the histogram and box plot.

 Part 3: Calculations.
   
     1. Compute the measure of center, measure of range, five number summary, variance, and

          standard deviation.                                                      

 

Part 4: Analyze your data. (Kid Blog)

Write a summary of your graphs that includes the 5-number summary statistics, the measure of center (the mean, median, mode, and range), the shape, and the measure of spread. What can you use this information for? 

Part 5: Create a glog on Glogster. Include the picture of the histogram and box plot, include the measure of center, 5 number summary, range, and distribution. Post your Glogster's URL onto your Kid Blog post.

Rubric

Points	Requirements	Comments
4 - A	Poster has a box plot of the data labeling the 5-number summary statistics. Posters has a histogram with intervals labeled (intervals are your choice) and frequencies shown. A section of the poster shows the mean, median, mode, and range of the data. Calculations must be shown or explanation of calc steps taken to find answers shown. A section of the poster must contain a verbal description of the shape, center and spread of data.
3 – B	Only 3 out of the 4 criteria are shown. Calculations are not shown. Plots are not appropriately labeled.
2 – C	Only 2 out of the 4 are shown or 3 of the criteria are shown and calculations are not shown or plots are not labeled.
1 – D	1 out of the 4 criteria are shown
0 – F	No work is done

 

Sample Student on Summary Statistics

 

 

 

 

 

The Digital Learning Log

This year I had the great opportunity to get a class of set of iPads. I spent the first semester finding different ways for students to save their projects, ideas, and notes. Evernote has been my favorite for saving files and notes, but it was a little difficult to manage all my students evernote account.





This semester, although only in Week 2, I have been using Kid Blog as a digital learning log. Kid Blog is an safe online classroom blogging site. Teachers have full control over all posts and comments. It is simple and fun!



We have completed two ( 2 ) assignments on the site so far, and it has been great. Kid Blog has provided my students with the  opportunity to create a digital learning log to share, save, and track their educational experiences while in my class. From journalling to sharing projects, Kid Blog is easy to create, use, and manage.

And yes....there is an APP for that! KidBlog has an App for students to use on thier iPad and iPhone.

Check out a few of my students first 2 assignments on their KidBlog site: See how Action Jackson is using KidBlog in math!

Digital Learning Day

I am so excited to prepare for Digital Learning Day! Check out a dozen of  Digital Learning Projects you can integrate into your class to promote an innovative learning math environment!

1. Video Blogging
2. Twitter Writing Project
3. iMovie and Word Problems
3. Animation Videos
5. Glogster Project
6. Word Clouds
7. Podcasts
8. Today's Meet Project
9. Math in the News Blogging
10. Fotobabble
11. QR Codes Activities
12. Think-Tech-Toe

For ideas, printables, strategies, rubrics, check out our Store!

Go Animate

Creating animated movies for students is one of the best activity to promote creativity and engage students in learning. One of my favorite website to accomplish this task is GoAnimate. It is very easy to use. The basic site is free to create an animated movie, but if you would like to upgrade they have that option as well.

This new semester I want my students to be engage in learning vocabulary using different digital tools. We will begin our semester using Go Animate to create animated movies to explain key terms in the unit.

Students will go to the site, create a short movie that explains the word, and then share thier movie.
See the example:

What is a Dot Plot? by youngfm on GoAnimate

Video Maker - Powered by GoAnimate.

 To share our videos, student will complete a Vocabulary Gallery Walk. This and many other strategies can be found in my book, A Collection of Digital Instructional Tools.

For a copy direcions and rubric, purchase a copy of my new e-Book PLANKS ! Great projects with directions and rubrics!



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On the 1st Day...1 Tool to Engage and Encourage

Engaging and Encouraging Mathematical Ideas with Today’s Meet

Want to engage to students in mathematical conversations? Want to encourage them to analyze and critique their mathematical ideas? Today’s Meet is a great tool to used in math to engage and encourage students to share their mathematical ideas and thoughts.

In our math class, we use Today's Meet as a Parking Lot. Students post questions or comments from an assignment and other students are other to respond or comment. To encourage students to participate in responding to their classmates, extra points are rewarded. Students really love to share how they solved a problem, tips they used, and even websites they found to assist them in working through the assignment.

Today’s Meet is also be used as an assessment tool for my students. From assessing prior knowledge to how well they understand a specific topic, Today’s Meet motivates students to
engage in their learning. To assess students, provide students with a question, vocabulary word, or a topic and have students respond to it. To keep student’s identity confidential, I provide my students with a number to use as their name.

Today’s Meet provides a great tool as an exit slip for students to share what they learned in class for the day or what they may be need more help with. The opportunity to print the transcript, allows you to provide students with a copy to use a review or for absent students.

Today’s Meet is a free tool to use in your class, and setup is easy. Visit www.TodaysMeet.com, create your room, and then select how long you want your room to be available. Today’s Meet will provide you with an url for your room. Give students the url and begin engaging them in mathematical conversations.

For more ideas on fun ways to integrate technology into your classroom, visit me at www.funintegratingtechnology.blogspot.com.

Project with Rubric can be found in our Store! Check it out!

Felecia M Young

Salisbury High School, Salisbury NC

On the 3rd Day...3 Digital Assessment Tools

REPOST....


In my class students dread taking assessments because they are so boring. With all the new technology they are experiencing in their lives, traditional teaching styles must be enhanced with the integration of technology.

With a class set of iPads and 80% of my students with an iPhone or Android creating online assessments was a great idea. There are many to choose from that can suite your needs.

Here are 3 assessment tools I've had great success with using iPads, iPhones, and Androids.

1. Nearpod is an interactive presentation and assessment tool. Teachers create a multimedia presentation and then share it with students. The teacher controls what the students view, students engage in presentation through quizzes, surveys, polls, or writing. It's easy, free, and engaging. www.nearpod.com

2. Socrative is a smart response student assessment tools that allow teachers to engage and assess students with exercises and activities. www.socrative.com

3. Polls Everywhere is an assessment tool that allow teachers to assess students using their iPad, smart phone, desktops, or laptops. Students respond as a text message, using a URL, or using Twitter. The teacher creates multiplier choice or open end questions using the free site. Unfortunately if your audience is more than 30, you will have to pay. Questions can be integrated into PowerPoint or Keynote presentations to create the ultimate multimedia presentation, where responses are shown live.
www.polleverwhere.com

Each of these can be used to assess prior knowledge, an understanding of knowledge after the end of a unit, or be used as practice, warm-ups, or exit slips activities.

Other options are Google Docs, Survey Monkey, Class Scape, and Study Island.

www.funintegratingtechnology.blogspot.com

Felecia Young

Using Digital Tools to Integrate Blooms Taxonomy

I love to integrate multiple educational researched based activities in my daily lessons. This is an example of a lesson that incorporates the 6 (six) levels of Blooms Taxonomy using digital tools

Visit my article on Edudemic: http://edudemic.com/2012/11/35-digital-tools-that-work-with-blooms-taxonomy/
Tweet it! Like it! Pin it!

A Blooms Taxonomy Math Lesson on Systems of Linear Equations

Remember: Create a mindmap to demonstrate when isthe best situation to use each method for solving systems of linear equations.

Understand: Tweet your favorite method to solve systems of linear equations and explain why.

Apply: Given a system, use ScreenChomp to solve ande xplain the steps to solving the system of linear equations.

Analyze: Create a Stickyboard to explain thedifference between the methods of solving linear equations.

Evaluate: Assess using Socrative to determinewhether or not you understand how to solve systems of linear equations.

Create: Use Sock Puppet to compose a skit on the3 methods to solve a system of linear equations.



This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.