Students who are struggling with doing quality research on a particular subject are helped by doing group research in a shared Google Doc. Resources can be electronic or print resources. The important thing is that as students share resources, they have to provide a description of the resource and why they think it is important to the project. Two things happen, students with different learning styles or interests find different resources. This provides the whole class with a more diverse collection of resources and stretches everyone's understanding of the subject. Second, it provides modeling for students who have trouble thinking and working through the beginning stages of research.
Sunday, August 12, 2012
Blogging responses to literature
Using Blogger as a tool for students to respond to literature is a very simple use of Google. However, it is different in that it does allow students to see and comment on each other's posts. This is valuable for a number of reasons.
First, just like all of the other services in Google, it places all the students work in one place. This allows the teacher and the student to access it 24/7 and comment. It allows the student and teacher to see growth in the student's comprehension and understanding of the nuances and to discuss that growth.
Second, it is a wonderful vehicle for teachers and the students to share with parents when they do parent/teacher conferences. In our school district at least two of the conferences a year are actually student led. Having the history of the students work all in one place will make a more seamless discussion on growth and areas that may need improvement.
Third, using Blogger as a tool for response to literature allows students to model higher order thinking in a non-threatening. This happens while they are commenting on each other's writing but often without creating an environment where they are aware that they are learning from each other.
First, just like all of the other services in Google, it places all the students work in one place. This allows the teacher and the student to access it 24/7 and comment. It allows the student and teacher to see growth in the student's comprehension and understanding of the nuances and to discuss that growth.
Second, it is a wonderful vehicle for teachers and the students to share with parents when they do parent/teacher conferences. In our school district at least two of the conferences a year are actually student led. Having the history of the students work all in one place will make a more seamless discussion on growth and areas that may need improvement.
Third, using Blogger as a tool for response to literature allows students to model higher order thinking in a non-threatening. This happens while they are commenting on each other's writing but often without creating an environment where they are aware that they are learning from each other.
Use of surveys to teach graphing
Presently the 7th grade math teacher in our middle school does a unit on ratios, proportions and graphing. He has his students create a survey with a few questions. The students then walk around the building with a clipboard and ask people in the halls to answer the questions. Once they have have a good sampling they then return to the classroom and create graphs.
This lesson could easily be transfered to Google Surveys and by doing so would provide some additional learning. There is certainly value in students learning how to create electronic surveys. Probably the most valuable portion of making this electronic is that it will allow students to play with the various graphs and talk about which graph best represents their data.
This lesson could easily be transfered to Google Surveys and by doing so would provide some additional learning. There is certainly value in students learning how to create electronic surveys. Probably the most valuable portion of making this electronic is that it will allow students to play with the various graphs and talk about which graph best represents their data.
GoogleGroups for reading groups across three elementary schools
The Orange Southwest Supervisory Union has three elementary schools who despite having the same curriculum and content programs don't do any student collaboration projects between schools.
This year a small group of teachers, who teach grades 5 and 6 would like to use the elementary Google domain to do some cross school collaboration. These teachers have been collaborating for three year on literacy curriculum so their idea was to find some way to have students do book groups using GoogleGroups. I like this idea for a number of reasons. First, it is using technology to enrich something that they already do. This is a meaningful way to use our Google domain. Second, two of these elementary schools are pretty small. For some students their reading level is so beyond their peers in their school that it is difficult to be challenged. This will allow them to find students with similar reading skills and reading interests. Lastly from a social and cultural stand point these students will all end up in the class in middle school. This is an opportunity for them to interact with each other before they arrive in 7th grade.
This year a small group of teachers, who teach grades 5 and 6 would like to use the elementary Google domain to do some cross school collaboration. These teachers have been collaborating for three year on literacy curriculum so their idea was to find some way to have students do book groups using GoogleGroups. I like this idea for a number of reasons. First, it is using technology to enrich something that they already do. This is a meaningful way to use our Google domain. Second, two of these elementary schools are pretty small. For some students their reading level is so beyond their peers in their school that it is difficult to be challenged. This will allow them to find students with similar reading skills and reading interests. Lastly from a social and cultural stand point these students will all end up in the class in middle school. This is an opportunity for them to interact with each other before they arrive in 7th grade.
GoogleSites for curriculum work
I have always found that introducing new technology tools always goes quicker and more smoothly when our teachers either find uses for it for their own lives or because some work that they need to do requires that they learn the technology.
Our high school has started to do their curriculum work in a GoogleSite. I did the initial set-up of the Site and I briefly trained one administrator on how to make changes and add content. The site has grown in just a month and I have had to provide very little support.
This is the perfect tool for this kind of work because everyone always has access to the most current content. However, teachers are using and learning a Google Tool that hopefully they will see a valuable way to manage their course content for students.
Our high school has started to do their curriculum work in a GoogleSite. I did the initial set-up of the Site and I briefly trained one administrator on how to make changes and add content. The site has grown in just a month and I have had to provide very little support.
This is the perfect tool for this kind of work because everyone always has access to the most current content. However, teachers are using and learning a Google Tool that hopefully they will see a valuable way to manage their course content for students.
Tuesday, July 24, 2012
Google Chrom a welcome surprise!
I had written off Google Chrom as a cumbersome browser. Yesterday I learned that there are some wonderful features that can help with my work flow. I was impressed by the additional functionality of extensions and apps. I need to do some more exploring this week.
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