Activity 3: Screencasting & MV YouTube

A tad out of order... :)

Screencasting was WAY easier than I thought it would be.  I kept postponing this activity, as well... Mostly because I felt like I needed more time to tackle it.  I thought I would make a million mistakes and have to start over again and again and was kind of not looking forward to that.

Snagit was the tool I used to screen cast, which was very easy to use.  It took a few times of learning how to navigate the tool and start recording before I got the hang of it.

How to access my school webpage

Part 2: Youtube

I've already created a Youtube account for school.  I've used it in the past for uploading Micro-teaching lessons, mostly.  However, one year I used Youtube to create a video that my class sent to our pen pals in Hawaii, which was a fun use.  

I look forward to the possibilities of creating videos and uploading them to either Youtube or my class website.  I find it especially useful to create tutorials or provide information to parents.  As we are getting ready for the beginning of the school year, I think familiarizing parents with information about what to expect this year could be helpful.  Perhaps if a family can't make it to Parent Information Night, it would be useful to have a place for them to access that information and hear about the valuable information we have to share with them that maybe they missed.  

Activity 8: Assessment Part 2

Google Forms has been fun to play around with.  I think I like Google forms the best out of all the assessment tools because of how easy it is to access via your google account.  It's helpful to have everything in one place.  One less website, password/login, etc. to deal with and easy to share with coworkers.

I created a Google Form pre-assessment for Main Idea and Details, a skill we are constantly working on in third grade.  Again, I could see this being extremely valuable when it comes to creating common assessments for PLC work and collecting student data.  While I agree that the grading is way faster using Google Forms, I feel like the bulk of the work goes into the creation of these documents.  It's helpful to be able to play with these tools in the summer before the craziness of the fall begins.  I hope these tools become second nature to me and I become more efficient in creating useful assessments.

Google Forms will be a useful tool in differentiating instruction, as well.  It would be helpful to create multiple forms to meet the needs of a variety of students and groups within my class. I admit, that almost sounds overwhelming to have multiple forms and data collection documents.  I think I would have to start small and create quick, exit slip type assessments using Google Forms.

Main Idea/Details Pre-assessment


Google Forms with Branching Component

Fractions (Beginner, Advanced, Intermediate Branching Form)

I played around with embedding the forms in this blog post! I think it worked ok?

Anyways, I've had most of this blog done for a while now, except the branching component.  I was sort of dreading doing it-- seemed like it would be confusing to tackle.  Once I got started on it, it began to unfold more easily.  It was helpful to listen to Ryan's tutorial.  I paused and restarted his instructions several times, and then just took off on the assignment myself.  I should have waited to listen a little more because it definitely would have been more straightforward if I created all the questions first, THEN determine where to branch off.

Branching is an excellent tool for differentiation!  I like that you can meet students where they are at within one Google Form, allowing them to feel successful.  I imagine it would be ideal to look at student responses and then create small groups based on student results and needs.

I am wondering, is Flubaroo the only way to grade a Google Form? Or does Google have a way to do that within Forms?

Final Reflection

Wow, hard to believe that Nerd Camp is coming to a close...summer is *almost* over! I am so glad that I participated in this course. As someone who generally feels comfortable with using technology, I would have been lost and overwhelmed this Fall without Nerd Camp (the not so good overwhelmed, helpless feeling--rather than the good overwhelmed with all the great possibilities feeling). So, with that being said, I am definitely feeling overwhelmed in a positive way :) I appreciate the exposure to all the various tools and strategies for implementing technology and chromebooks in my 3rd grade class. I especially look forward to the ease in creating common assessments for PLC work while improving student engagement and increasing acheivement.

I am most nervous about the time commitment on the front end with using many of the apps and tools-epecially for assessment purposes. I think using many of these tools will take a lot of time to create and get acquainted with teaching students how to use them properly. So I'll be honest, that feels like the most overwhelming part. But again, much better than not having any Chromebook or Google training. I plan to take a few of the tools we learned, perhaps 2-3, and aim to use them well this Fall. I think that Pear Deck, Socrative, and Google Forms are some of the websites/apps that I feel most comfortable with.

The format of this course has been great.  I learned a lot just by navigating Blogger and interacting with other teachers in our districts via this format.  It just made me wish we were given more opportunities to collaborate with other schools and grade alike teachers!  

Thanks for all your feedback and help, Nerd Camp leaders!! I look forward to going back to all these resources on the Nerd Camp Blog when I need reminders and refreshers!  Have a great 2015 school year!

Activity 9: Digital Citizenship

Scenario 1 :
Miss Starbuck decided to have her reading students use Blogger to create blog posts. The students were really excited about the idea. Many started to log in from home to create posts and comment on each other's work, but their posts quickly got out of hand. One student figured out how to post photos and included dangerous details like names and locations. Other students posted mean comments about classmates. An angry parent complained to the principal, who was unaware that Miss Starbuck was using Blogger in the first place.

Scenario 1 highlights one of the most accessible ways teachers can get students involved with technology- blogging. I can easily see the appeal in getting students to use blogging as a tool in the classroom. It is a very interactive way to get students engaged in learning, especially when it comes to English/Language Arts.

This particular situation seems to lack a lot of pre-teaching online ettiquette, modeling how to blog and respond to others, communication of clear expectations to students AND parents, as well as administrative consent.

Much of what occurred in this situation is because all of that seems to be missing. Students need to understand that behavior expectations also apply to their interaction with technology and the internet. This situation is an example of cyberbullying, something that students need to understand is not taken lightly and that there are also consequences, perhaps legal consequences, as well. In this situation, every single student's well being is in jeopardy. If a teacher doesn't set high expectations for learning, then any student can be a victim of cyberbullying at one time or another.

With all that being said, I don't want my classroom environment or attitude towards technology to feel negative. I believe that using technology within a classroom that has a positive, respectful community will help students understand that their actions online and offline, whether at home or in school, reflect on themselves as individuals. Starting these expectations for learning with technology needs to happen as early as possible, in a way that's developmentally appropriate.

I look forward to using Mounds View Resources as a tool to help my students engage with technology appropriately and educationally. Before using any technology in my classroom, I plan to make students aware of the contract they sign in Info Lit class regarding proper technology use. I plan to make parents aware of the contract and technology we have available to us this coming year, as well.


Scenario 2:
Mr. Kirk is excited to use Google Apps for Education with his third grade students. He jumps in with both feet and his classes are off and running. Because he started so quickly, he never thought about putting policies and procedures in place. After a few weeks, students are spending more time off task than on. They are creating and sharing Docs as a way to bully each other, adding inappropriate comments in Google Classroom, and deleting or changing other students' work. Mr. Kirk doesn't know what to do, so he suspends all technology use in his class, abandoning it completely and any of its benefits.

Mr. Kirk's situation is very similar to that in Scenario 1. He went right into using technology without proper modeling and scaffolding. He, just like me, is eager to get students started with using Google Apps! Especially after this course, I feel like there's SO much I look forward to using with my students. I need to be reminded to take a step back and remember that quality is better than quantity. It's OK to take your time using many of the tools we've learned about throughout this course. While much of what we've been introduced to will help increase student engagement, it will only work if you use it with purpose.

Mr. Kirk suspended technology use in his class as a result of improper use. Seems like a logical consequence in the moment of the situation. Not a realistic long term consequence, however. It's ok though, because as a teacher I'm sure Mr. Kirk would reflect back on that situation and recognize that he took it too far. It's ok to be real with students and help them recognize that technology use takes respect and responsibility. As a teacher, his first responsibility is safety and student well being. Having conversations with students as issues pop up will only help create a classroom community of trust and respect.

As I go into this school year, I am both excited and nervous to use Google Apps and Chromebooks. I want to be a rockstar teacher and find all these great ways to engage students in learning with technology. I also want to be realistic. When Fall rolls around and we hit the ground running, how can I introduce technology to my class in a manageable AND meaningful way?

Activity 10: Collaboration - Endgame

As a group of 3rd grade teachers, we decided to create three different ways of presenting the same information using some of the tools we've explored in Nerd Camp.  We decided to use Pear Deck, Socrative, and Google Forms to create a 2nd grade math review assessment that teachers in our PLC can use to familiarize themselves with the various assessment tools they can use in their own classroom.  Each of the assessments we created include a video to help our team learn further explore the tools.  Hopefully our teams will feel like they can choose the tools that work best for them.


Socrative Review  Code to join room as student: IJRPYAEI

Socrative intro video

Pear Deck Review

Google Form Review

Activity 7: Assessment/Polling & Data Gathering Part 1

Gathering information through interactive websites and technology is such a great way to engage students in learning while also assessing where they are at.  The best thing about these tools is the instant feedback. Amazing!

Kahoot! is one of those interactive websites that I am very familiar with and have used in different settings, including in math as a review, as well as staff professional development.  It is such an easy tool to use and both students and staff love it!  It is also useful to see what other Kahoot games have been created by other users-which is great if you need something in a pinch!

PBIS Review with Kahoot!
I created this Kahoot as an opportunity for staff to review our school's PBIS procedures.

I also explored Socrative.  It seems similar to Kahoot, yet has a few other options that are quick gauges of how students are doing, such as quick question or exit ticket. The space race option is a nice component which allows for the opportunity of group work and some friendly competition.

Socrative Fact Extensions Quiz
I created a Socrative Quiz that I plan to use with my math class this fall.  Since I was less familiar with this website, I decided to try out student view so that I can know what to expect when students try it out.  I really like the different assessment options as well as the instant feedback.  It's extremely user friendly for both teachers and students.

I am excited that I don't have to manually grade when using Kahoot or Socrative :)

Activity 6: Google Classroom

Google Classroom! Today I decided to dive into learning more about Google Classroom and all that it has to offer.  Whenever I start to explore the next Nerd Camp assignment, I always find myself in a sea of tabs and opportunities :) There is so much out there, it's insane.  I love it! But woah, where to start at times?!?

Google Classroom will be a nice way to keep my classes organized and share information with students quickly. I look forward to being able to have one place to go for sending assignments to my students.  Once school starts, it will be interesting to further explore how students interact with Google Classroom. I also wonder how the information will be displayed for me. Will that be easy to organize? I hope so!

I definitely think I am a beginner when it comes to Google Classroom. I am planning to explore it further once school starts. In the mean time, I created a classroom for my homeroom and math classes. I hope that will help me kickstart my fall with using Google Classroom. I also decided to look into some of the other uses of Google Classroom, including Doctopus. I'm still not really sure how I would use Doctopus, but I created a class roster and added my students' email addresses thinking that I may use it some day. In the mean time, I think I have a decent grasp on navigating through Google Classroom. I think I'll be ready to put it into action in the fall!