Digitally Speaking in Math with Voice Threads

As I was creating my codes, I decided to integrate Voice Thread into the activity as well. My co-worker introduced me to Voice Thread last week. Voice Thread is an engaging digital learning tool students can use to communicate in class. Voice Thread is a audio blog that allow students to record text and audio comments about uploaded images or sites.The basic account is free and allows you to create up to 5 threads.

I created a few threads for my students to use as Exit Slips for class next week. I have included an example below. In this example, we will a Order of Operations Voice Thread to review Order of Operations with students. The task will be for students to create a mnemonic device to remember the Order of Operations.




A TwitFriend sent me this link with good resources on Voice Threads. Check it out if you are interested in more information.

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

 

 

 

 

 

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 7th Day.....7 Tips to Effectively Use iPads in Your Classroom

This is my first year using iPads, so I started out with these simple things and it has really helped to maintain sanity in my classroom while students are using the iPads.

1. Create a ipad contract for students and teachers.
2. Create a set of rules and procedures for students to follow while using iPads. Establish procedures from getting iPads to returing them.
3. Teach your students how to properly use the iPads. Model all procedures, iPad functions, keys, etc.
4. Assign each students a iPad to use daily. Require that students only use their assigned iPad each day.
5. Create an iPad Sign-in/Sign-out sheet. This will help with accountablity.
6. While students are using their iPads, monitor, monitor, monitor! They are less likely to venture off and explore if they know you are watching at all times.
7. Don't be afraid to take student's iPad privileges. My first removal of iPad from  a student was when he changed the background. Small, but it was big enough to let students know that I was very real!

Have fun! Students enjoy using them, they are engaging, and it motivates them to learn.

Popping with BrainPOP

Read our Brain Pop Article: POPping Into An Engaging and Interactive Classroom

 

One of the best digital lessons I’ve ever done was with the use of BrainPOP and ActivExpressions. BrainPOP and ActivExpressions gave me the opportunity to create lessons that are engaging and interactive.
One day while in class, I came across BrainPOP and watched the video. I clicked on Quizzes and I saw shining lights around ActivExpressions and ActiVotes. Were my eyes deceiving me? Can my students use ActivExpressions to take a BrainPOP quiz? Yes, it was true! What a perfect combination! But, will it work with my high school students?

Read more at: POPping Into An Engaging and Interactive Classroom!

 

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Teacher Tools

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My favorite pair for engaging students in assessments: BrainPop and ActivExpressions!

Today's (11/14/2012) iStrategy is using Podomatic's Minicast Feature. Students can download a song and pictures to create a picture video. Two steps...Add music and then add photos. Publish and you are done! Who says you can't have fun integrating technology? This sample video is dedicated to my Mentoring Group!











Today's (11/13/2012) App of the day is Worldsalad! This FREE app creates word clouds in a quick, fast, fun way! Help students review vocabulary and combine this with Fotobabble and have them explain their word salad! What a great way to engage students in learning vocabulary, concepts, formulas, and more! So easy, no directions required!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just found this cute, fun, interactive sight for students to use as a way to explain thier understanding of a topic. It's called Fotobabble! It is a free app or you can use the website. Students upload a picture and create a voice recording for the picture. Check the example I used below:

 

 

 

Check out the Printable Page for the Template for the Fortune Teller!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Free Texting

   

 

If you have students like me, a cell phone is attached to their hands like their fingers. I needed to find a way to communicate with my students and parents for reminders, updates, and simple acknowledgements. Last year I used Remind101 and it was great. It is a free tool you create messages online, setup delivery date and time, and that it! This year, I came acorss the site: sendhub.com. It's the same concept as Remind 101, but a bit different. Remind 101 does not require you to import contacts, students send a message to an assigned number and that's it. Sendhub, requires you to create a contact list. Both sites allow you to schedule delivery. Check out both and see which one works for you!

Download the free new App:  Remind 101 App!

Get Started Here: Remind 101

 

 

 

Bitly

Save, share, and discover links across the web. We use bitly in class as an easy way to share online tutorial sites for our students.  Students can access websites easily and fast. It is a great collaboration tool for groups. Check out our class bitly: Our Class bitly

The Instant Classroom

 This is a great

www.superteachertools.com/instantclassroom/

Create a free, customizable, printable seating chart and more with Instant Classroom.

The iPad Pen

 

 

Since we have a class set of iPads,  my students and I have love what we can do with the iPad pens. Yes, you can use your fingers, but for graphing and neu.Annonate pdf assignments, the pens are a must have. Amazon and Ebay have them in bulk for very cheap! That reminds me, I have to pay my co-worker!

The Tool Belt

This is a cute garden tool belt I found in the Dollar Bin at Wal-mart. I added a bow for flare and I must say it is a keeper. It is small enough to stay on the side comfortably all day and big enough to keep my pins, small notepad, clips, keys, markers, lotion, etc. Thinking about making some for my kids teachers!

 

First Day...for teachers!

First day back to school for teachers, and I spent all of it cleaning, organizing, and decorating! I am always very excited about the new school year...new beginnings are so wonderful! I am working on a few pieces for the classroom and will be sharing them in this post! A calming color scheme and social media is my theme for the year.

iPad Poster

The apps on the poster provides students with 9 tools they will be using through the year to assist them in being successful in the class.

I did a facebook board today, but didn't take a shot of it. Will do tomorrow or Friday. Can't wait to work on the Pinterest board (Pinning Great Work) and thinking about the Tweet board I saw on Pinterest.

Cell Phones in the Classroom

Last week in class, my students used their mobile devices for learning. There many ways cell phones can be used in the classroom that can enhance the overall instruction. I've listed 10 ways you can used cell phones in your classroom with an example of it's use. My students love the opportunity to use their mobile devices for learning.



1. Camera ~ Picture Collage / Picture Scavenger Hunt
2. Video Recorder ~ Video podcast
3. Voice Recorder ~ Create podcast.
4. Internet ~ For quick research information.
5. Poll Everywhere (http://www.polleverywhere.com/) ~ Quick assessments, feedback, surveys, quizzes.
6. Celly (cel.ly) ~ Quick assessments, feedback, surveys, quizzes.
7. Remind 101 ~ Free and private way to text message students reminders, homework assignments, etc.
8. Quick Reponse Codes ~ Fun way to assign assignments, worksheets, projects, etc.
9. Calculator ~ Easy quick calculations.

What are some other ways we can incorporate cell phones to enhance student learning?

Teach This Way

This is a great site that contains Technology Resources for Teachers. The site provides video tutorials of technology resources you can integrate into the classroom. Check it Out!

http://www.teachthisway.com/
Find them on Facebook and Twitter!

Go Animate

So, I found this awesome animation site for my students to complete a project on. Go Animate is a wonderful online site that allows you to create mini animation movies.  The site is free, it just requires you to sign-up. You can create animations using funny cartoon characters, add music, movements, different scenes, and  many other cool features. You can even record your own voice.



How I Used It In My Classroom:
To involve students in their learning, I had them use the Internet to search for the order of operations and a problem that incorporated each step being used. They used their notes to create an animation that explained how to solve a problem using the order of operations. The students really enjoyed this project and learning the steps to the order of operations was so much fun.

Ways to Use It In Your Classroom:
1. Give each student a vocabulary word. Have them define it and create a mini animation on the definition.
2. Group students and give each group a topic, allow students to create an animation that will help student review.
3. Use it to introduce a new lesson or topic.
4. Reviewing a topic.

What are some other ways you could use this site in your classroom?

Check my sample animation I created with my daughter: Cell Phone Animation.

Technology In The Class

This summer I was inspired to begin using technology more in my classroom. Students are surrounded with technology in their daily lives, so why not use it in the classroom. There are many opportunities to integrate technology in the classroom, from computer programs to mobile devices.

My goal is to use this blog as an opportunity to share with you creative, fun, and easy ways to integrate technology into the classroom.

We are in a technology forced world, it is our duty to prepare our students for the 21st Century academically and technologically.