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.