Debriefing over the semester

·      What thoughts, ideas and learnings did you take away from the PLC Showcase? 

    The Showcase was something that allowed myself and other teachers to meet and share. Since we were using QR codes to demonstrate different activities from using it, a pondering question was answered by another teacher who I don't see about installing a software to enable laptops to read QR codes using the webcamera. I immediately went online and google searched a QR reader for Macs and tested it out. The QR reader software worked but it still has its slowdowns. Nonetheless, this shows possibilities for our students and classrooms.  If I didn't know this information through meeting this teacher I wouldn't have the drive to explore and know about it today.

     Some other things I took out from the showcase is a writing piece that will allow my ESL beginners to start writing language. I found out about some websites that I do plan to use such as glogster, animato, and educreator. 

 

·      Thinking back over your PLC work this semester, what were some of the lessons you have learned? 

 

l learned that you don't know possibilities until you try especially with student activities. When technology doesn't work, find another way to accommodate.

 

·      How might the information gained in questions 1 and 2 impact our professional work? 

The information that were discovered and learned stretched me and my teacher repertoire to be better than who I was and to use my learning in the classroom so mistakes are less frequent and student success is more. 

The PLC Showcase was great as it provided us the opportunity to explore the different thought patterns and learnings of our peers.  Technology and integration was the key things  I took away.  While we are all very different contents, Learning Styles, Teaching Styles, Seasoned teachers and New teachers we have so many common ideas and methods we share.  I love seeking the history and Math connected. It made me think about how could I link my content with history or even math.  I also was able to get writing tools that I could use in my class as I feel very inadaquate Teaching writing but with these resources i'm open to taking the challenge to merge the disciplines.

As I look back over our PLC learnings this semester I have to say that while technology is a GREAT tool we must have a back up plan in the event that there is a technology breakdown and if the idea or project does not follow through as we planned.  I have seen really cool and excited ideas Crash and burn, but I believe that is we learn something from our failures and mishaps then we have accomplished our goal.

As professional we must take every experience and use it to our advantage. The PLC for me has been a time of growth and professional development. I have learned more about my self and my teaching being a part of my PLC that has helped me to be a better teacher and be observant of the vast diversity in our school both student wise and collegue wise.  The new ideas I saw at the PLC Showcase are things I will try to work into my class plus If is have questions I have collegues that I can work with to better perfect these new skills.

Wow! What a busy month!

I am learning so much more about my lower level beginners. I am taking a step back to scaffold more for their academic and language purposes. I wish I thought of these ideas and worked with it sooner but as this is ending in a few weeks I know it will only get better for me and my learners next time.

I am taking it step by step. I know that should be obvious and we think it should come easy for our learners. A real life example that occurred is that I have assigned a reading text to my lower level students and assumed that they can find answers from their reading for their comparison assignment. It didn't work and became more frustrating.

What I should have done is provide focused reading comprehension questions for them to think and answer while they read or after reading the passage. I want them to use what they read but I got to make sure they are thinking about what I want them to think. I didn't provide that information for them earlier, hoping that they'll know what to do then and evidently they did not. It is so easy to overlook these small things in teaching.

So far, it's been wonderful! Can't wait to finalize our PLC showcase! It's going to be great! We have student results to prove our effective teaching strategies.

Another thing I just remembered is I am using my edmodo class page for my short answer assignments rather than having them copied questions on paper or providing that on paper for them. They are using technology (ie, laptop) to do that and it ensures more time for more student-teacher interaction in the classroom!

We are beginning to start our presentation. We do have student work to show case some of our work. We have used technology to ensure and engage our student learning. It has been a great exploration on our part and we are so excited for possibilities! We can't wait to show y'all!

I feel like in my classes I have used certain websites for one and not the other or it's the other and not the one. Strange. It's like I'm experimenting what is available for my classes. But then again, my two classes are different in their language acquisition. We'll see.

A website to watch for:

Quizlet - http://quizlet.com/
This is website great for vocabulary! You can have photos attached and students can review the word, the definition, and the picture representation. Great for ESL kids! Not only that but they can play games with those vocabulary words. So far, my students are playing online game and simultaneously learning new words. It's great!

PLC Showcase

At the end of our semester of work, all PLCs will be showcasing their work at the Wyandotte High School PLC Showcase on Wednesday, December 12th in the Social Hall.  The showcase will be a public demonstration of our learning, collaboration, and results.  Each PLC will showcase work that reflects how your learning and collaboration has impacted student learning.  Each PLC is encouraged to be creative and innovative in their demonstration (student examples would be highly encouraged); however, please be sure the following are addressed through your presentation -
    PLC Focus

Collaborative Actions   

Summary of PLC Learning

Impact on Student Learning

Connections to Future Teaching and Learning

In addition, all staff will have an opportunity to visit each demonstration during the Showcase.  Many outside guests will also be in attendance.  

If your PLC requires any kind of additional resources, please submit any requests for those materials via the comment section to this blog entry by NOVEMBER 9th. You will receive these materials by or before your November 28th meeting, so you will have AT LEAST two weeks to work on organizing your demonstration.

EDMODO

Wow! I love this useful website. It is so easy to attach movie files and it's quick! I found out that video clips that I downloaded can be uploaded easier using schooltube, an app within the website. Aside from the fact that there are copyrights laws that I have to abide, my next step is to use schooltube and teachertube before youtube for video clips. Plus, embedding it isn't a problem to me. The website can also be in 5 different languages, one is Spanish, which is helpful to my newcomers.

While creating their iMovies, my students enjoyed it. The purpose is to speak and to speak clearly. They practiced before recording and really enjoyed going through the process. Today, we uploaded the files on edmodo where I can download and listen to them without a problem. Plus, Edmodo also gives the options for students to respond what they feel while turning in assignments. It's great!

Without having to go to Facebook or using Facebook per se, I can ensure that they are not distracted.

http://www.edmodo.com/home

What's been going on

I have learned about QR Codes and how they can be used in the classroom to direct students to Video's, websites, Reading assignments, etc.  I have not created one to use in my class but I'm planning to find a way to introduce them to my students.

We have started MLA Formatting and I wanted to have more than just a lecture so i was able to find and modify a Powerpoint that has the basics of formatting MLA and I used it to present the notes in my class. I also wanted to have a visual/audio lesson too.  I was able to find an MLA Training video that was good and repeated the information that I had presented. In addition to the Video and Power Point I used my chalkboard to Draw an example of what the first page of an MLA paper would look like.  This provided repetition and various visual, audio, and verbal methods of communicating the MLA Concepts.

The students followed these methods well. And a Check for Knowledge I questioned the students at the end of the presentation and video calling on students to answer the question without them knowing who would be called on.  I saw that after a couple of time calling on specific students the other student started engaging in answering questions without being called on.  I felt that they were able to understand the concepts we had covered.

I plan to have the the video on our Classroom Facebook page so they can refer to the video to help them when working on projects.

Bored with Power Point? Try Prezi!

Let's be honest. Kids have gotten so used to Power Points in the classroom that they're bored by them. Heck, I'm bored with them! Prezi is a web based option that works like a dream and is much "cooler" than Power Point according to my students!

I'm in the process of migrating my Power Points over which is ridiculously easy to do! Here's a short daily agenda Prezi for my advisory kids for you to check out.

Advisory on Prezi

QR what?

You've seen them. You may have even scanned them. They seem to be everywhere lately....including in my classroom! I happened upon some classroom uses for them on Pinterest and decided to give it a shot.

I created QR codes with links to listening activities, to online quiz practices and to general directions and assignment information.

Step by step, here's how I introduced it.

1. Found and modified a Power Point to introduce the codes and explain how they work.
2. Next, I helped those with smart phones download a bar code scanner app and off to work they went!
3. Those without smart phones had some issues as the online QR decoder didn't always want to read the codes.

I'm still using it in the classroom and the kids love it! Currently, there is a QR code option for activities but they are not required.  I'm looking into some better alternatives. 

If you'd like more information or a copy of my Power Point, just let me know! In the meantime...

Wondershare

I still haven't used netvideohunter to download youtube videos yet. Lisa shared with me another video downloader called wondershare. It downloads quick and so far no delay in downloading here at the school. :)

I plan to use this wondershare program instead of netvideohunter.

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In our PLC so far, we are digging deep with possibilities of ensuring student learning with technology like using QR codes for websites--inspired by pinterest. I soon will have a log-in.  I hope it's a blessing and not a curse. A lot of possibilities there and especially with technology incorporation!

Lisa started using polls on her classroom facebook page, which Willie uses, and she found that it worked. I have been inspired to create a facebook page so students can view the videos without buffering on facebook. I'm hoping it will work this way. There was also a website for online quizzes that she used from Willie suggestion's but it didn't work for her since the answers didn't all come through. We are still experimenting!

Facebook/YouTube

Today was a fun day in Beginning ESL! Because we were beginning Food vocabulary today, I found and downloaded a great youtube video of a food vocabulary chant.

Now, because I know youtube won't work well when all of the kids are watching it, I downloaded it using a video downloading program called Wondershare. Word of caution here...the web version of Wondershare is totally annoying and puts a download link on everything. The software version, which is free, works much better.

Once downloaded, I added it to What's Happening In Ms. Q's Room, our classroom Facebook page. The kids could then view the video and participate in the chant. It was pretty awesome and they learned some new vocabulary. 

Video to come! (I hope!)

Finding the Right Mix of technology

We have been discussing how while we want to use technology in the classroom, but many times the technology backbone does not allow for it.  We have been brain storming ideas that allow us to find ways to use the technology we have and address what to do when our students do not have access to the internet outside of the school.  What are other options for these students: i.e. public library, free internet hot spots (McDonalds, Bread Co. etc)

Also technology the is compatible with the Smart phone, like a School Loop App, or having students review videos or facebook post on phones.

How can we meet the student where he or she is with his or her own level of technology access and abilities?

One thing we came up with was expanding the use of Google Docs and encorporating this into student skills, and classroom activities.

I watched a video "Interactive Technology in Science Class" which I don't teach a Science class but it is informative towards any high school class that has technology available. After watching, I think back to the smartboard in one of my classrooms. I want to use it but apparently it hasn't been set up because there are still some installation issues.

In the video, clickers for the smartboard were used as part of the classroom review activity. Clickers are useful but we don't have them in our classroom yet.

Overall, my thinking while we are trying to ensure technology for student learning is that we would have to try it through websites with their laptops.

Anyone out there have any resourceful websites for us to explore?

ELLs in Content Classes. What can the teacher do to help them?

This is a great video from PD360 that has some fabulous ideas for teachers who are not ESL endorsed to help ELLs in their content classrooms.

Helping ELLs in Content Classrooms

According to the video only 1 in 5 classroom teachers who are not ESL endorsed feel prepared to help ELLs in their classroom succeed. What is important for all of us to remember is that a great many of our kids have much acquired knowledge in their first language and are very intelligent. They're smart. They just don't speak English!

Of note from the video:

• Cooperative learning strategies encourage much needed interaction with native English speakers through simultaneous talking which helps them to learn language and the content that goes along with language.
• Use prior knowledge in students' first language to encourage expression of content in English. Graphic Organizers are a great way to help transfer knowledge from the first language to English.

lq

I have been told that youtube bandwidth for loading videos is only a little bit from which the school district allows in the network. This means the youtube videos that the students are watching in class will go rrreeaaalllyyy slow, considering that other students in the schools are using the district's bandwidth as well.

Youtube videos have really helped connect content and vocabulary so much more with my ESL students. Does anyone know where watching video clips is much more easier? I plan to use the netvideohunter website for videoclips in my whole group instruction but I am also hopeful that in some way my ESL students will be able to watch videos independently and more efficiently to help establish comprehension through videoclips.

Lisa and I finally have our PD360 account logins. Thanks to Mrs. Stewart.  We will both find a video resource that was helpful to us for a discussion next meeting. Willie shared a website that provides visual support for our English Language Learners.

A couple of times I had trouble loading youtube videos even when I did have it loaded on the website. 

This is a website that Willie to use to download videos to prevent buffering or any technological delays for presentations:

http://netvideohunter.com

We'll see how this is going to work in our classrooms! Exciting!

Technology and Video Resources

  This is a Site that teachers can use that allows you to download videos so you can show with out Buffering issues

http://netvideohunter.com/

You have to use Firefox with this, but it is pretty easy. You download it, and it will add it as an add-on to your browser bar. Then you can download your videos. There are explanations on how to do it. 

Another fun Website for students and Teachers to use This allows you to use the online site with various resources in Computers, Reading, Math, Etc.  I have used it to reinforce content from previous lessons and the introduce a new topic.  Student can use it as a resource if they forget how to do a task also.

http://www.gcflearnfree.com

 Our group explored these sites and wanted to share.

Note:  gcflearnfree.org site has a printable function and I thought about this being a great way to create packets for my Home bound students to keep on task with the online activities we are doing in class.

 

Today, we all met after Lisa and I were in another training outside of the school.

Not all of us were able to log in on PD360 so we used Willie's username to help.

- What are we going to do over the next week that contributes to our PLC learning topic?



We are going to get logged in and find one resource video to share with our group that supports our goal. Afterwards, we will reflect on the resources that were shared and blog individually.


  - How does this contribute to student learning?


What we shared and reflected will be influenced on the deliverance of our lessons and promoting student learning.

  - How will we measure the impact of this week's work?

We'll measure it by the effectiveness of the video as we implement it in our lessons. 

Mr. Nation and I met today to discuss our next steps.  We decided that we will take this next week to conduct some research about different technology resources.  We will use PD360 for researching.  This will give us a chance to get familiar with PD360 and figure out what technology tips it has to offer. Then if we find something we would like to try, we can implement it into our lesson.  The goal is to implement some new technology into the classroom that will help differentiate instruction for our students. It will also be a great way for us to broaden our students learning opportunities.  The outcome should be increased student engagement.  We will measure our results through observation and teacher comfort level.  Student feedback will also be used.