Change in Participation

A month of school has already passed! My how the time has flown. I have enjoyed getting back into classrooms training and collaborating with teachers! Please let me know if you or your staff is in need of training.

The Global Learner Blog will be having new additions this year! Fifteen very motivated teachers joined me at the annual TIE conference in Copper Mountain during July. Each attendee is working on a project implementing technology resources and ideas from the conference. We'll post updates as they progress. Some projects include: iPad implementations, student film creations, Google Lit. Trips, student portfolios, and much, much more!

If you are working on a project (with or without technology), we would love to know about it. Please encourage teachers throughout the Adams 14 Family to read our blog, get ideas, and share they are doing with the world!

Ready for Class Blogging?

I can't believe that two weeks of school have already passed. This year I have the largest class I've had yet with 29 third graders. I am ready to teach them how to blog. That is my goal this week. I posted a video on my blog about drought in the Philippines. Students will need to watch the video and then answer some questions about what they watched. I hope it will encourage my students to become more invested in the topic of natural disasters that we are currently studying. Has anyone else started blogging with students yet? Any suggestions about how to make it go smoothly with so many students? Visit our class blog at: http://rmtwentyone.blogspot.com/

Math Problem Solving Project

Jim, Laurie, and I embarked on our first collaborative project together which focused on math problem solving skills. We each had our students create math story problems and found a way to post them on our classroom wiki or blogs. My students created glogsters at www.glogster.com. You can see their work here: http://rmtwentyone.blogspot.com. After posting student projects the plan was to have our classes go to each others' sites for our students to solve other students problems. My class has gone to Laurie's blog and will be going to Jim's wiki this week.

What went well:
My students really enjoyed creating their math problems and their glogsters. They are enjoying solving others problems and are practicing their math problem solving skills while they use web 2.0 applications.

What didn't go well:
The timeline we set up of course didn't happen perfectly (of course!). We needed to allow more time to get the project completed. Also, Jim's class couldn't access my classes problems because they can't see the glogsters embedded on our blog. I need to go back and post them again in a way that he has access to them. I will focus on doing that this week! My theory is that his school district blocks glogster (which is too bad). Perhaps we can get it unblocked? As of now, no one has solved my students problems. I hope that Jim's class will have access soon and be willing/able to solve our problems and that Laurie's students will do the same!

I am looking forward to completing another project with Laurie and Jim this year and I think we will be able to continue to work well together! I know my students are benefiting!

1st Semester Global Learner Recap.

Well, the first semester of 2009-2010 is drawing to a close. This was my first semester as a Global Learner, and also my first semester with the district's new, more rigorous pacing, T4S, etc.

I think so far everything is going well. I am finding it difficult to keep up with some of the Global Learner things and also stay on pace with what the district feels I should be doing. I think both expectations were reasonable though, so I'm making due.

Recently, my students collaborated with other science students from the high school and middle school on the ibtoktidbits.blogspot.com blog. My students integrated blog-reponses into a lesson where they used laptops and the internet to research and create electronic products to show what they learned. The blog gave students a chance to share their own opinions and read what their peers said as well.

A few observations - one, it was difficult to get the students to truly collaborate with the other students, very few of my students actually responded to or engaged the students who had already commented. I think a CoverItLive session might be better in the future for this kind of thing (and based on my own experience contributing to Mayville's CiL sessions).

Also, while the amount of incidences were lower than I expected - I've learned that being able to moderate comments is key. A couple of my students decided they were going to post under names like "Mike Rotch", and others that were even less appropriate - making comments that were obscene. Luckily it was only 2-3 kids out of 145 - so not bad, I was also able to figure out who did it an deal with them - but I could see it getting much worse depending on the group of students. You can read all of the appropriate (and hopefully none that are not appropriate) comments at http://ibtoktidbits.blogspot.com.

Overall, I do think that the semester has gone well for me as a Global Learner using technology in my classroom. For sure I've done 10x more with technology this year than last year. My highlight would still be using "clickers" - something I do almost every day now as a warm-up or in-class response tool. (Read my original post abotu clickers here: http://principianteglobal.blogspot.com/2009/09/first-time-using-clickers-as-teacher.html)

Next semester, my goal is to streamline my grading and classroom procedures a bit better - hopefully through more use of technology! Follow all of my reflections at http://www.howatscience.net

My Reflections and Goals for 09-10

I got kind of wordy with my reflection, so I won't say much here - you can skip right to the post in my blog. I basically reflected upon what I'd like to do in the coming year overall as a teacher, and then a few ways that the technology I've learned about over the past two days will help me accomplish those goals.

This is a good time to introduce my "professional" blog. Eventually I want to do more with the domain (like a class website, which is what it was used for last year), but for now it is for me and anyone else who wants to contribute. Working on having good content and promoting it and getting lots of input is something I hope to have happen.

The main site is howatscience.net. Again, the permalink to my GL Workshop Day 2 Reflection is here.

I will say that all of my fellow GL'ers have been a real inspiration to me so far, I can wait to collaborate with all of you over the coming years.

three, two, one

Please post a reflection about today's training! Leave a comment and include: three things you learned, two subjects you want to explore more tomorrow, and one question you still have!

Learn, Practice, Prepare: the future of Global Learners: Live blog event

End of Year Reflection

When I told my students yesterday that we would be reflecting on our experiences from the past year they collectively groaned. A few whined, "I don't want to reflect." Perhaps we "reflected" too much over the school year! But once we got into it, they couldn't stop thinking about our year together and all of the things they had experienced together. One thought led to another and to another and to another.

The last thing we did before they left for summer break was share one thing that they would never forget about third grade, something they will take with them. The two things that came up consistently for my students was going on field trips and using technology. Those experiences will stay with them and held the most meaning for them. I'm reflecting on that!

cross posted at: http://mstaylorsthirdgradeclass.blogspot.com/

Welcome 2009 - 2010 Global Learners

We are pleased to announce the newest Global Learner Project members from Adams 14. These 15 teachers will begin their initial Global Learner training August 5, 2009. We will shortly be announcing an additional 5 new Global Learners from our partner district, Center Consolidated 26JT. School year 2009 - 2010 will prove to be exciting and challenging as the Global Learner Project moves into its 3rd year, Inspiring, Educating, and Empowering 21st Century teaching and learning. Please make the new GL'ers feel welcomed.

Here they are!

Laurie Arnold: Alsup Elementary, Third Grade
Jenny Bloom: Rose Hill Elementary, Kindergarten
Tom Ciolek: Kearney MS, Math
Mary Davenport: Adams City HS, AVID\English
Kristin Edwards: Adams City MS, AVID\Science
Sara Feaster: Central Elementary, Third Grade
Lisa Garcia: Adams City HS, AVID\English
Andrew Giles: Monaco Elementary, Pre-Kindergarten
James Howat: Adams City HS, Science
Emily Klein: Kearney MS, Science
Jennifer Lindberg: Rose Hill Elementary, Third Grade
Brianna Sealy: Alsup Elementary, Third Grade
Aimee Stork: Rose Hill Elementary, Music Education
Esmunda Talamantes: Hanson PK-8, Second Grade
Michelle Waheed: Central Elementary, Second Grade

Glogster Craze Hits Third Grade

My class has also started to use glogster! Thanks Liz for showing it to us at the Global Learners UNITE session. Today we used the Smart Board and Glogster to create a classroom glogster about our responsibility to share the world with other animals. Each student got to put an idea onto the glog. It was a fun and engaging way for students to collaborate on a project together and to incorporate ideas from a poster they created and a writing assignment they did independently for previous assignments. We kept it simple and just have photos and words on it.



crossposted at: http://mstaylorsthirdgradeclass.blogspot.com/

lesson plan: http://schoolweb.acsd14.k12.co.us/ectaylor/globallearnerlessonplans-IBUnitsofInquiry.htm

Research Writing with Podcasts

At the end of the year my students have been growing a little too comfortable with each other, me, and everything we do regularly in the classroom. The best thing to do seems to spice things up and add a little more variety to our learning! That's why I decided to have my students publish their expository paragraphs in a new way. They wrote about a topic they researched on the internet and with books. They created podcasts to publish their work. This motivated them to complete their paragraphs in a timely fashion and to do a good job with them. They loved recording their voices, even if most of them were a bit nervous at first. We used iPods with iTalks to create some voice memos. I then posted them on my website. Next we are going to listen to each podcast and the students are going to help assess each others' work using a rubric from Write Source for expository writing. I found this was an easy and fun way for students to publish their writing. Check them out on our classroom website. Does anyone have any other ideas on fun ways for students to publish writing?
lesson plan

Collaborative Book Reviews

Fourth graders at Central and third graders at Alsup created book reviews, posted them on blogs and read book reviews written by other students. They left comments for each other, read comments left to them, and left comments to respond to those left for them.

This was my first collaborative Global Learners project with Kathy Hughes who teaches fourth grade at Central. We kept it relatively simple for our first project. We decided to focus on reading and student blogging.

My students were really excited about blogging! They loved using the laptops, reading book reviews, reading comments, and leaving comments for each other. They also learned a lot about blog etiquette. Students wrote interesting, thoughtful comments to each other and responded well to comments left for them. It was a good project to start with, not being too complex, and incorporating reading and writing skills. It took longer than we planned and because the third graders were not able to leave comments for the fourth graders until the blog was adjusted and it took students a long time when using the computers for the first time for a project like this.

Throughout the rest of this school year students will be completing more book reviews to be posted online. The classes can continue to read each other’s book reviews and leave each other comments. Please visit our blogs and leave us comments, or visit with your students! We'd love to get more comments about our book reviews!

Alsup Third Grade Book Groups
Central Elementary Book Reviews
Lesson Plan

Confessions of a Digital Film-Maker

cross posted at~ http://mstaylorsthirdgradeclass.blogspot.com/

I have been making films with my students for over three years. Last year, six films were submitted to the film fest (check them out on my class website). I've developed a process to use with the students that connects making films with the writing process and draws on their love of film and their background knowledge. I have the students learn how to use Photo Story 3 for windows and Windows Movie Maker. We use the Smart board to make a film with each of the programs before students are given the freedom to plan and make their own films.

Some confessions:
1. I enjoy making films as much as my students do (or more)
2. Film making is easy for students to learn how to do (even third graders)
3. I always have students make a plan for their film first (they don't like that part very much)
4. I'd like to focus more on digital storytelling (versus film making)
5. I'd like to know how other teachers are using digital film making and storytelling with their students (I need more ideas)
6. Sometimes I have technical difficulties (like taping over parts of a student's film before it has been downloaded...oops!)
7. I haven't started making films with my students yet this year (so there is a small tear in my heart slowly growing larger)

How have you used digital film making with your students? Who is making films for the film fest this year? I'd love to hear your ideas!

teachers using technology

~cross-posted at: http://mstaylorsthirdgradeclass.blogspot.com/~

I am honored to work not only with fellow Global Learners but many other teachers who make 21st century learning a priority in their classrooms. As teachers in my school get introduced to new forms of technology they are impressed, inspired, and motivated to incorporate it into their classrooms and professional practices. In turn, I am inspired by their ideas and creativity with how to do it!

At Alsup, my team of fellow third grade teachers uses many forms of technology on a regular basis; the laptop carts, Discovery Education Streaming, websites, clickers, and document cameras. They are curious about wikis and blogs and would love their own websites. They find out more about these on their own and even try them out.

Laurie Arnold has created a student blog called Third Grade Bloggers that her students used last year and she plans to use it again this year. Brianna Sealy is always using video clips to support her teaching and she utilizes clickers with ease. Katie Coggin has started using the laptop cart during Writing and utilizes many math web based activities with her class. These are just a few of the many ways these teachers and others at my school have been proactively teaching with techonolgy.

Do teachers you work with utilize technology in their classrooms?

Parent/teacher conferences

Last night's Back to School night/parent-teacher conferences went particularly well. I made it a point to show the parents the class webpage and talked about the paperless policy of my classroom, blogs, Google Docs, and the idea that I'm using the technology to get the students ready for both higher education and the job world. I also invited them to listen to any of the podcasts or read the notes for themselves if they wanted to. More than one parent made a comment along the lines of "Oh, I like that!" and one parent that I had previously emailed to invite to last night's conference said "Oh, I've already been there, and I read [my daughter's] blog." The student's eyes got big, and she said, "You did??!" :-)

I even used the downtime to help the rest of my team create class webpages on Google Sites, and I even got the math teacher to (finally) set up his blog and link to it on his class webpage.

A great night from a Global Learner point of view. :-D

Welcome Global Learners - 2008

Book Groups Blog

~cross-posted at: http://mstaylorsthirdgradeclass.blogspot.com/~

My reading group created book reviews after reading a chapter book with a book group. The goal of the assignment was for them to enjoy reading fiction, discuss the book with others, and create a book review after reading so they could synthesize the experience and bring closure to the 10-week long project. In order to make it more meaningful and exciting, they published their book reviews online on a book group blog, and some also created podcasts which I posted on my classroom website. The students loved it! They put a lot of time and effort into their book reviews and enjoyed putting them online. They also enjoyed leaving comments for other students in the class on the blog. Please visit our book groups blog and read some book reviews. There is also a quiz to take. Also you can listen to some podcasts on my classroom website. We'd love for other students to leave us comments on the blog and take the poll also! Have you done anything like this with your students? Any suggestions for improvement? Thanks!

Global Learners Identity Final Comments

Please checkout the four images here and vote for the layout you like best. In the comments portion let us know what color color scheme you like best. This the last opportunity for input before the final logo is unveiled, so make sure you have your input.

Global Learners Indentity Taking Shape

Check out the next level of drafts below. Which version do you prefer? What colors would you like to see integrated? What changes would make this represent our brand? Do you think we should integrate the Adams 14 name somewhere in the logo?

Please reply to the poll on the right panel.

Click the image to enlarge.

Global Learners Indentity

A friend of mine has been working up some sketches for possible ways to get our identity across (as a group of cutting edge educators). He has put together some rough sketches of letters and different images. This includes everything and is rough (his words). He wanted to make sure we had a chance to see everything he has worked on so far. Once we develop an identity/logo we will use that for our websites and communication media (business cards).

Checkout the images below and let me know what you think. What parts work? What parts need to be added? What image/concept/identity needs to come across more clearly? What parts just don't get the idea of global classrooms across?

Thanks in advance of your comments. (click the picture to zoom)