My son is in 5th grade and with that comes harder math problems. Parents, including my wife and I (mostly my wife though), sit down with our children on a nightly basis to assist with working through some really complex material. Since most of us have not experienced this sort of problem solving since high school, it can become really overwhelming. There are two math apps that can provide parents with some background knowledge on solving tough math problem. WolframAlpha can help parents understand the steps that need to be taken to work out a certain math problem. The PhotoMath App allows parents to take a picture and obtain an answer for a particular math problem. Khan Academy and Common Sense Media’s Common Core Explorer are also exceptional resources that will help you brush up on your math methodology. Looking for additional research based programs and resources aimed at addressing the “at home math gap?” Look through Think Through Math’s research section for more information. By no means are these resources an antidote for the stressful environment math homework creates, but at least it’s a start. Brad Currie is the author of the newly released 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. His other books include All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities and Personalized PD: Flipping Your Professional Development. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Google Certified Trainer. Brad currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Dean of Students for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. He speaks and presents nationally about technology integration. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.
1 Comment
The 2016-2017 school year is upon us. Deep down inside everyone is ready to get back into the groove and move forward in a positive direction. With a new school year comes an opportunity to try new things that can compliment your existing culture. Some food for thought... Maintain Faculty Handbook on Google Docs Create an Adobe Spark Video Welcome Back Message Post Faculty Meeting Resources in Google Classroom Participate in a Hashtag Celebration Use Google Forms to Survey Students Post Daily Announcements on YouTube channel Push out important reminders to stakeholders utilizing Remind Play music for students during lunch with Pandora Brad Currie is the author of the newly released 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. His other books include All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities and Personalized PD: Flipping Your Professional Development. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Google Certified Trainer. Brad currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Dean of Students for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. He speaks and presents nationally about technology integration. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.
Cross posted from the Corwin Connect Blog: http://corwin-connect.com/2016/07/visible-learning-digital-world/ John Hattie’s research over the past few decades has provided educators with some tremendous insight on what truly impacts students’ learning. Basically, anything that is at or above an effect size of .40 has been found to greatly enhance the learning environment for students. Going through Hattie’s data it becomes apparent that what really promotes the success of students is establishing positive relationships, self reported grades (1.33), providing meaningful feedback (.73), teacher credibility (.90), and intervention services (1.07), to name a few.
So what does the research say about the integration of technology impacting student learning? Looks like the jury is still out. Hattie provides research on various forms of educational technology, including such things as gaming/simulation (.37), online digital tools (.32), mobile phones (.29), web based learning (.18), and computer assisted instruction (.45). The fact remains that educators and students are still exploring what is possible and beneficial when leveraging the power of technology to understand the concepts at hand. Let’s break down Hattie’s effect size list a bit more and apply some of the best practices to the digital world that we are apart of currently. Towards the top of his list is collective teacher efficacy (1.57). There is no doubt that teachers must come together in their schools, districts, and on a global scale to discuss and understand what works as it relates to student learning. This can be accomplished in a variety of ways during common planning time, staff inservice days, subject area meetings, and professional learning communities. So what does this look like in the digital world with a device accessible at your fingertips? Educators can leverage the power of their personal learning network (PLN) on a tool like Twitter. Voice Over Internet Protocol services like Google Hangout and Skype can bring educators together in real time to discuss best practices and data so that they can fine tune their methods. The more teachers collaborate and learn from one another, the more likely student success will be impacted. Classroom discussion (.82) helps students process and reflect on the topic at hand. Currently I serve as an adjunct professor teaching a hybrid edtech course and taking advantage of the wonderful virtual tools available to extend our classroom discussions. Flipgrid and Voxer give students an opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations on the device of their choice. Posting a resource such as a video clip and having students react through video comments on Flipgrid is pretty powerful. It especially gives those quiet learners who are sometimes reluctant to raise their hand in class an authentic voice. Voxer can be utilized as a space for conducting an online book talk. Typically a book talk takes place in a classroom or library with students in small or large groups. With Voxer, the teacher creates virtual groups and students leave messages through the tap to talk feature. Questions are posted by the moderator or the actual authors themselves. For example, Sharon Plante and Billy Krakower participated in a Voxer book talk for my summer edtech course at Drew University. They would ask students questions and provide insights related to their book, Using Technology to Engage Students with Learning Disabilities. The impact on learning is real at a high level and taking place in the virtual world. Feedback (.73) and providing formative evaluation (.68) are two instances where teachers can glean insight on strengths and weaknesses related to the topic that is being taught currently in class. The National Education Technology Planspeaks to the importance of assessments being embedded, accessible, adaptive, and in real time. For example, a teacher can leverage the power of the comment feature within Google Docs to give students descriptive insight on their writing process during a particular assignment or project. Teachers can also monitor student’s understanding of a topic in a flipped environment with a service called Playposit. Create a “bulb” which requires the teacher to upload a video and embed questions at specific points that will access their knowledge of what they are watching at that point in time. Data is collected and provides teachers with the ability to gauge student’s comprehension. Visible Learning in the digital world is tangible and can really impact student learning in ways once thought unimaginable. Teachers should consider implementing one of the methods listed in this blog post to enhance their professional growth and meet the needs of learners. School and district leaders must support this sort of learning environment and and encourage teachers to take a risk with educational technology. This sort of culture will ultimately bring all stakeholders to the table and help promote the success of all students. Brad's latest blog post was originally posted on ASCD EDge. Social media can have a profound impact on how your oganization tell's it's story and helps members grow professionally. In this day in age, people want access to information by tapping their screen or clicking their mouse. There are many "tools of the trade" that can help organizations move forward in a positive direction. Twitter, Voxer, YouTube, and Pinterest are four vehicles in which organizations can differentiate their message, collaborate on ideas, and share resources. Let's take a look at specific ways these social media tools can move an organization from good to great... Reading a book on a particular education topic to expand your knowledge and ultimately impact the success of students is not something new. However, reading a book with other educators from around the world and sharing insight virtually is something much different. Organizations can bring their members together virtually by conducting an online book talk utilizing a tap to talk app called Voxer. This free app enables users to create a group and leave messages with group members that can be listened to in real time or at a later date. Links, images, videos, and other resources can be shared in order to bolster the conversation. Once a book is selected, participants can post questions and share insight about particular chapters via voice or text. The great part about Voxer is that you can listen to and participate in the conversation while you are driving in the car or have quick second at work. Telling your organiziation's story is really important, especially with social media. Twitter is a tool that can be utilized to promote events, hold monthly chats through a hashtag, share resources, hold virtual conversations, and inform members of happenings. Looking for exemplars in terms of how an organization can use Twitter to tell their story? Look no further than New Jersey's ASCD Twitter handle @NJASCD. How about a twitter chat that incorporates insights of ASCD members and emerging leaders? The #ASCDL2L chat is a wonderful opportunity to expand your personal learning network and gain insight on important educational issues with people from around the world. Some people learn best through images and videos. Ever consider creating a YouTube channel for your organization? This is a great way for people to watch teachers in the classroom teach lessons, watch inspirational video clips, or watch thought leaders give a keynote address. The videos can be posted on your organizations YouTube channel and push out through various social media feeds that will reach all members. Pinterest is a very popular social media site that allows users to pin resources on a board. It also provides an opportunity to archive articles that highlight members or organizational intitiatives. So what do you say? Set up a Pinterest board for your organization and post resources for your members to learn from and ultimately share with others. Have one of your members won an award or been appointed to a new position? Pin the online article to your organization's board for all to see. It will bring about a new sense of pride to your organizaton's virtual community. There are so many ways that organizations can leverage the power of social media to tell their story and help members grow professionally. Start today by using one of the tools mentioned in this blog post and see over time how it transforms your organization's impact in the virtual world. Remember to differentiate the way you push out information and balance communications in the physical and virtual world. Stay consistent with your organization's virtual presence and provide opportunites for members to share their knowledge. Brad Currie is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and co-author of the newly released book titled 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. Contact Brad by visiting his website www.bradcurrie.net or following him on Twitter @bradmcurrie. Post a Comment 1000 Characters Remaining That's right. You heard it here first. The Twitter feed never lies. Or at the very least it provides users the ability to access classroom, school, or district content that would otherwise be hard to obtain if observing from afar. Teachers, principals, and superintendents from around the world are taking 140 characters to get the message out and move the educational conversation forward.
Throughout the 2016-2017 school year Black River Middle School, by way of the @BlackRiverMS Twitter handle, was able to give stakeholder's an accurate depiction of learning experiences that take place across all grade levels and subject areas. Mrs. Moore's 4th grade classroom by way of the @MrsMooreFRSD Twitter handle was able to expand my knowledge as a parent of my son's daily learning experiences. The Falls Creek School District in Wisconsin leveraged the power of their hashtag #gocrickets and Twitter handle @fccrickets to promote all the great things that are taking place on a daily basis. There are so many great examples of how educators use Twitter to push the positive. Tweets highlight the great work of students, the innovative methods that teachers implement, and the exciting learning environment that leaders support. All it takes is a smartphone, the Twitter app, and a commitment to tell your story through social media. A great way to become acclimated to all the things that Twitter has to offer is by purchasing the book 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. It provides novice, intermediate, and expert users ideas and insight on how to make this invaluable tool work for you. At the end of the day, if you do not tell your classroom, school, or district story, someone else will and it could be wrong. Brad Currie is the author of the newly released 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. His other books include All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities and Personalized PD: Flipping Your Professional Development. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Google Certified Trainer. Brad currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Dean of Students for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. He speaks and presents nationally about technology integration. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter@bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.
This summer I am fortunate enough to teach a master's level educational technology course at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey. I am really excited to challenge myself and students to think outside of the box. When utilized correctly, technology can be a game-changer in helping students understand the content at hand and supporting educator's growth in ways once thought unimaginable. I want our class to understand the importance of networking, collaborating, and learning in the physical and virtual world. Most importantly, I want to see our class understand the importance of leveraging the power of technology within an autonomous learning environment. Some of the tools and resources I will expose our class to can be found on the Symbaloo board below.
There is no doubt that I will take risks even thought it's the first time I have ever taught a college level course. Students will gain knowledge on how to utilize a Twitter hashtag, #MAT803, to share and connect with others pertaining to the topic at hand. Voxer, a tap to talk app, will be used to hold virtual conversations on such topics as digital citizenship, books like Seymour Papert's Mindstorms, and the implications Universal Design for Learning have on promoting the success of all students. Students in this class will also understand the importance of blogs as a way to share and obtain best practice methods in the field of education. Google Classroom will examined and modeled as a way for students to thrive in a paperless learning environment. FlipGrid will help students discuss key components of the National Education Technology Plan and other relevant topics. Designing engaging and relevant lessons with technology will also be a focus of the course.
As you can see this will be an exciting opportunity to teach a hybrid course that will ultimately prepare students for a teaching and learning environment that will undoubtedly exist when they enter the workforce. I am looking forward to the deep conversations and sharing of diverse perspectives on educational topics. Examining leading research on the effective utilization of technology in conjunction with what current practitioners are saying about the state of education will be zeroed in on during the course. So what else am I missing? Share your thoughts in the comment section so that I can provide students with a relevant learning experience.
Brad Currie is the author of the newly released 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. His other books include All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities and Personalized PD: Flipping Your Professional Development. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Google Certified Trainer. Brad currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Dean of Students for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. He speaks and presents nationally about technology integration. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter@bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.
The 2nd Annual Better Together California Teachers Summit is taking place on Friday, July 29 at over 30 locations around the state of California. Last year over 15,000 educators attended this event to share, collaborate, learn, and network with one another. This free event will inspire and push educators to impact student success in ways once thought unimaginable. Want to get a glimpse of what this unique experience will be like? Check out the event YouTube channel, follow the #CATeachersSummit hashtag, or "like" the Facebook page. So how can educators be "better together" in 2016? There are so many ways that resources and ideas can be shared in the physical and virtual world. For some, Twitter is the "go to" resource to stay current with educational trends and connect with like minded educators. Others prefer attending their local Edcamp so they can share insight and speak with people face to face about topics that are near and dear to their hearts. Another great way for educators to collaborate and learn from one another is right in their very own schools by way of the Pineapple Chart initiative. Finally, educators can utilize Periscope to watch live or archived shows about best practices that are taking place in classrooms, schools, and districts. There are so many ways that educators can be "better together" through tech and non tech methods. A commitment to growing professionally and risk taking are two key ingredients that go a long way with being entrenched in this way of life. Start today by choosing one of the "better together" options listed above and watch how you move from good to great. This will not only change who you are as an educator, but ultimately impact the success of all students. Brad Currie is the author of the newly released 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. His other books include All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities and Personalized PD: Flipping Your Professional Development. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Google Certified Trainer. Brad currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Dean of Students for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. He speaks and presents nationally about technology integration. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter@bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.n
Recently, Kelly Weldon and I conducted a presentation titled Leading in the GAFE Era at the Garden State Google Summit. You can find the embedded presentation below. It's imperative that classroom, school, district, and organizational leaders commit to a growth mindset in a Google Apps for Education learning environment. There are so many unique ways to leverage the power of Google tools to push teaching and learning to new levels. The collaboration and efficiency that comes with having access to Google Apps for Education is a game-changer. So how can educational leaders integrate GAFE tools into their daily lives? In addition to the many examples Kelly and I share in our embedded presentation below, here are a handful to consider for immediate implementation...
1. Flip your faculty meetings and professional learning communities with Google Classroom. Collaborate and share more efficiently by creating a virtual class that fellow colleagues can access on their time.
2. Provide your administrative office staff with time and support to become acclimated to the various GAFE tools that will make their jobs much easier in the long run. A paperless learning environment must extend past our classrooms and into main office area. 3. Utilize the SnagIt Chrome extension to record tutorials, parent information presentations, and enhance student learning experiences.
Brad Currie is the author of the newly released 140 Twitter Tips for Educators. His other books include All Hands on Deck: Tools for Connecting Educators, Parents, and Communities and Personalized PD: Flipping Your Professional Development. He is one of the founding partners of Evolving Educators LLC. Brad is a 2014 ASCD Emerging Leader and Google Certified Trainer. Brad currently serves as a K-8 Supervisor of Instruction and Dean of Students for the Chester School District in Chester, NJ. He speaks and presents nationally about technology integration. Learn more about Brad by following him on Twitter@bradmcurrie or visiting his website at www.bradcurrie.net.
|
Archives
May 2020
Categories
All
|