A Digital Learner's Blooms Taxonomy

Greetings all..A colleague forwarded a link to this wiki: Digital Verision of Bloom's Taxonomy and I thought it would be good to share with everyone.

I have spent a lot of time perusing the site and am finding it useful as a reflection tool as I plan the my instruction using some of the newer educational technology. I have been thinking about (and planning) my collaborative project with Doug and I have found that the site helps is helping me to refine my vision of what I want the final product to look like.

Also, I find it is helping me in my conversations with my peers who resist using technology due to their frustration at seeing students merely copy and paste.

With that in mind I think the website above is a good way to begin thinking about higher level uses of instructional technology and help teachers reflect on what kind of digital products they would like for their students.

Anyway, I hope everyone finds it useful...

Oh, one final thought.. When you are using technology in instruction, are you Searching, Locating, and Finding, OR are you Animating, Publishing, and Directing?

Blogging in the Classroom

I have accomplished a goal of mine- I had some of my students post on our classroom's blog! During centers two weeks ago, 7 children in one of my reading groups wrote about their favorite books they have read this year. They explained why they enjoyed the book and then posted it on the blog. Then, I sent the link out to my Monaco colleagues and asked them to comment on the post. The students in my class were ecstatic to see the comments and felt proud of what they had accomplished.
The best part of the project was that now my whole class wants to participate! They are proud of what their peers have done and would love to become a part of the blog.
My kids are using 'techy' words too, which is pretty cute. I'm looking forward to another group of readers posting this week :)
If my seven and eight-year old students can blog, yours can too!

http://boothsbookworms.blogspot.com/

Special Ed/Music Project

Keep a lookout for the new "Edusymphony", a collaborative project between me and Kelly Buerster. Using music and video for support of literacy. Finished project will be posted here and on the Sped site.

Compatibility

So recently I have been using a lot of the pre-made lessons from the Harcourt website. I used it sparingly last year and found it does make life simpler. Now I am using the whole group powerpoints as a jumping off place for my lessons. My issue though is I would prefer to use the Smart Board. I am wondering if anyone has any ideas on how to easily convert the PowerPoint presentations into Smart Notebook. Or there might even be some other websites, lessons etc that some of you use. I would appreciate any advice. THANKS!!

Assigning Partners

This is a picture of where most of our whole group instruction takes place. This year we have assigned partners for the Oral Language time of StoryTown. I found designating partners to be a better way to hold students accountable during think-pair-share. I have two ways of assigning partners in my room. One way is more of the old fashion way where I list their names in different colors on an alphabet poster. One partner being assigned the uppercase letter and the other the lowercase letter. This way I can specify which group is speaking first and monitor student participation. The other way I assign partners is through the random generator application on Smart Notebook. This is a quick way to pick partners or call on students individually. I noticed that using this type of technology gets students excited and engaged in the upcoming activity! I also love using the random generator for sight words! Has anyone else discovered a fun way to use the random generator?

There's Tons Going On

The clickers have been an amazing asset for my classroom. I continue to use them on a daily basis, mainly for exit slips in math and reading (vocabulary questions) with the occasional science quiz. Due to the instant feedback provided by the SRS system, the students know exactly which questions they missed and are more inclined to listen when I review the answers. The class loves to see their collective percentage and we all celebrate the days (which are becoming more and more frequent) when they surpass the 80% plateau.
The SRS system also provides me with valuable feedback that determines my math groups on a daily basis. My digital exit slips establish my math small group instruction for the following day and are ever-changing depending on the students who had difficulty with a concept on the exit slip the previous lesson.
I love the clickers. My students love the clickers, and they’re improving my instruction and increasing my student’s engagement. What’s not to like.
I’m also venturing into cyberspace with Liz Springer’s class as we will be viewing and responding to a video representation of a StoryTown reader’s theater lesson. This will be my first experience assisting the students with blogging. I have to say it’s a little intimidating, but I’m glad that others have experienced success; it motivates me to try new avenues of engagement and communication.
In addition to the technology I’m using with my students, I have also set up a wiki for the teachers in my building to share ideas and concerns. It has not officially been rolled out, but I was reading a plethora of emails involving teachers who wanted information about the curriculum, their instruction, and good websites, but I had no idea if and how other teachers were responding. So, I figured it might be easier to start threaded discussions on a wiki so everyone could view responses and provide their own input. I’m hoping it’s utilized often and becomes an asset for our team.
My last initiative was inspired by a website called polleverywhere.com, which is a web-based program that sends a text message, multiple-choice question, to a specified cell phone. The site allows for up to 30 participants answering one question per day. I am still in the preliminary phase, but I hope to send a permission slip home soon. I realize that the message will have to be sent mostly to parents, but my goal is that parents will be encouraged to ask their child what the comprehension question is about, which will lead to more academic conversations at home. I will post an update regarding the effectiveness and success (or failure) of this idea in the near future. In the meantime, check out the site.
I hope everyone else is well and I look forward to seeing many of you in the near future.
Sorry for the obscenely long post.
BONZAI!!!
Robbie Robinson

~A Must See ~ Global Learner Newsletter

I'd like to announce the first ever Global Learner Newsletter. You can find this newsletter by visiting the Global Learner Google Site. Scroll down about an inch and you will see a heading titled Newsletters. Click on Fall 2010 to be taken directly to our newsletter.

Why have I created a newsletter you may ask? Well, several reasons. First, I wanted an efficient way to let everyone know some upcoming events. Second, I'd like to begin showcasing ideas, lessons and resources occasionally. Finally, it is an interactive newsletter allowing you to view links and RSVP for upcoming events.

Check it out, it's worth it! Also, if you have ideas for future newsletters, please let me know and we can collaborate on the next one!

Thanks!