Have Students Show What They Know with Educreations

     Anyone who has followed this blog for any length of time, knows that I love my iPads due to the creativity that the devices allow students to show.  I am passionate about students creating content rather than just consuming it and the more innovative that they can be while demonstrating their knowledge, the more I love it!  Educreations allows for just that...it is like a blank sheet of paper just waiting for the artist to begin.
     In this project, students show what they know and help others in the process.  The details below include a task, a tutorial, and a rubric for the creation of math videos using the screen recorder.  In this activity, students will assume the role of an online course developer and create a screencast using Educreations, an app that is easy to use and 100% reliable in uploading and sharing work.
   


Overview: "For the past nine years the Sloan Consortium and the Babson Survey Research Group have taken a look at the state of online learning in the United States. The 2011 survey reveals that the number of students learning online has now surpassed six million, with nearly one-third of all students in higher education taking at least one online course.  Last year’s annual survey revealed the largest ever year-to-year increase in online enrollment since the study began eight years ago." - Going the Distance  

 "Online learning has numerous benefits, including expanding course offerings, customizing and personalizing learning, giving struggling students a second chance to master a subject through online credit recovery when they fall behind, and providing a rigorous, interactive learning model. Online learning is providing the content and integration of digital tools for portable and mobile learning opportunities." - iNACOL 

Your task is to assume the role of an online course developer and create a screencast using the Educreations app for our online course resources.  The Screencast Tutorial that follows details your task and provides information on how to use the app.  You will upload your completed project via the submission form posted.  

Tutorial:

Video Link

Rubric:

Rubric

Feel free to borrow, edit, and use with your students:)

AppSmashing at #ASCD15

I had heard of AppSmashing, but I had never tried it until today at #ASCD15.  This afternoon, Dr. Bruce Ellis kept us captivated with his recipes for smashing, but as we soon found out....pretty much anything goes!  AppSmashing, also known as layering apps, is the process of using multiple apps in conjunction with one another to complete a final task or project (via Greg Kulowiec).

In AppSmashing, you can use pretty much anything.  When searching for apps to use, free is good, but shouldn't drive the train unless it is a true constraint. As with everything in lesson planning, start with the end in mind and then back it up from there.  The big question should always be, "What is the learning outcome?"

It is okay to think of tools beyond the iTunes store (Yikes! Did I really just say that? Disclaimer: I'm only repeating what I heard, because I secretly adore Apple).  But according to some, there are other resources on the web that are open-ended platforms which allow students to be creative.  It's also important when choosing tools to think about students' strengths and what they like...or don't like. For example, if students don't like hearing their voice, give them the option of modifying their voice with an app like Change My Voice.  If they don't like seeing themselves on camera, allow them to use an avatar or simply add audio to images.  Bottom line: be flexible, because

it's about the content and lesson objectives, not the technology tool.

Start with determining what you want your kids to learn, demonstrate, or analyze?  Got an idea? Great, then figure out what app you could use to support your objective... When Dr. Ellis asked session attendees "What apps would you recommend having with you if you were stranded on a deserted island with your students?" here is what we came up with (after getting past the idea of being on an island...with students!!!):

He added to our list:

and then added even more:

Again, it is not about the app, it is about the end goal: students interacting with content in new and innovative ways.

It turns out that AppSmashing is pretty straightforward. First, create content with an app and save to the camera roll. Then, create content with another app and again save to the camera roll. Finally, use a third app to merge the first two products and edit...then...save to the camera roll. Repeat, as needed. That's it! That's AppSmashing! Here is one recipe involving only 2 apps to get you started, Dr. Ellis' presentation with samples on the last several slides, and tons more on Pinterest:

So, what will you smash? Have you already done this? I would love to see what you or your students have done!

Link Student-Created Videos to Study Guide w/ QR Codes

I am so excited to share with you this week's #Made4Math post, because it is not something that I made at all...it is something created by StuDEnTs (I just helped facilitate)!!!  If you have read for any length of time, you know I love projects in which students create videos to explain the ins and outs of solving a specific problem.  We have created math projects filmed as a silent movie, stop motion animation, and just plain old screencasts.  In fact, there is not a week that goes by in which students are not required to utilize technology to demonstrate learning, because I truly believe...

you learn 95% of what you teach, even if you are teaching to an audience via video.  So, to prep for the college Trig final this year, I handed students a 20 question Study Guide and taped a sheet of paper with a table numbered 1-20 to the classroom door.

I invited them to sign up to demo one of the questions on the Study Guide...with a partner, of course (to hold their phone).  The students, now pros at explaining mathematical "how-to's" and "why's" eagerly volunteered to explain a problem (well, let's be real for a moment...these were seniors about to fly the coop so, I offered bonus points - something I rarely, if ever do - to everyone who actually spoke and demonstrated their mathematical prowess in the video).  It was amazing to see how quickly the students volunteered to explain how to work a problem of their choosing!

The students uploaded their videos to You Tube (something else they learned this year) and then shared the link via a Google Form.  I created a QR Code  of their link using QRStuff and took a screenshot of the code (it also let's you save the image if you want).

I inserted the image into the corresponding square of a clean copy of the original table numbered 1 - 20.

The QR Code Table was shared with each of the students and updated regularly until all of the student videos were added.  It has always been a dream of mine to be able to hand students a Study Guide and a sheet with links to relevant student-created videos to support their studies.  So, this was my year!!!  I really had students sitting in class wearing earphones and using a cell phone to scan QR codes to watch their friends explain math problems.  It still makes me smile in July!

Favorite Find Friday:: IPad Case

One of my favorite bloggers, Dr. Wesley Fryer, wrote some months ago about #MyFavFriday, the Makyama iPad Case.  I knew then that if he recommended it, I had to have one.  I promptly pointed it out to hubby and marked it as a definite birthday wish (it still took precious son, Mr. 21, to remind him the day of that I had asked for it...ey yi yi) .  It arrived some weeks ago and I have not been disappointed.  The sturdy plastic molded case fits snugly on my iPad and screws securely onto a tripod.  There are slots and spaces on the case for lights, lenses, and microphones, but I am certainly not there yet as a videographer.

Original Image

So why order the pricey case?  I wanted a way for my students to confidently use my (personal...one and only...the one I camped out to get) iPad in class to create our math movies.  By placing the iOS device in the case and on the tripod, students no longer have to hold the iPad while trying to operate the different apps.  It provides a secure, hands free way to take the shots they need for their original works.  I relax a bit too and the thought "I hope they don't drop it...I hope they don't drop it." is silenced for a while:)  When I say, I absolutely love this case, I mean I absolutely LOOOOOOVE this case.  In my opinion, it is a must have for the classroom implementing iPad projects involving pictures or video creations.

Made 4 Math: Tune into Math

Last week, I found myself in need of a quick and easy way to review EvERyThiNg covered thus far in the semester.  You see, I had been out 6 Sch00l DaYs in a RoW!!!  I am not sure that I have missed much more than 6 days total in my 13 years of teaching, much less so many consecutively, but my sweet, precious boy found himself under the knife 1600 miles from home.  So what does a mom/teacher do?  Post as much as possible on the class website and catch the next plane out!
     The students stayed busy while I was away (The first 2 days they were out of school due to Hurricane Isaac; the last 4 they were on the web).  We have an online component, Math XL, that we utilize in class, so we employed the program as a way to practice previously covered material.  I could tell from the online score reports that not everyone progressed successfully through all of the review and an activity was needed to tie it together.  I pulled out a long time favorite and this week's #Made4Math project, Tune into Math (yes, I just made the name up).
     I love this activity, because it super simple and can be made in a flash (while sitting in an airport waiting for your flight).  Tune into Math is a self-checking multiple choice worksheet in which the answer choices correspond to notes on a piano.  When a student finishes the review sheet, they "play" their answers on an online keyboard or the Virtuouso app.  The tune is always something familiar so that they know immediately if an answer needs rechecking.
     While I hand wrote my multiple choice questions, I could have just as easily used a test generator like Exam View (that came with my textbook) or the Glencoe website chalked full of multiple choice quizzes for every high school subject.  (If I were to use a traditional multiple choice option, I would just need to white out the A, B, C, and D choices and replace them with the notes to a song.)

You don't need to play the piano yourself to know the notes to code.  There are plenty of places online with help for songs like Mary Had a Little Lamb, Jingle Bells, Happy Birthday, or the one I used:

Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star (for the Virtuouso app)
C4 G4 G4 A4 A4 G4 F4 F4 E4 E4 D4 D4 C4

Favorite Find Friday: Silent Math Movie

The iPads have not yet arrived, but school is in full swing and we are harnessing the power of the students' cell phones.  In the first 10 days of the school year, we have used phones to communicate, create math tutorials, and assess understanding!!!  In preparation of the iPads' arrival, I have uploaded another project to the class website using a favorite app which was generously shared at Mobile 2012 by TechChef4U.  #MyFavFriday app, Vintagio, transforms any video captured on an iPhone or iPad into a period style movie, complete with special effects and music. Vintagio, previously known as Silent Film Director, can be used to create everything from a 20's style silent film to a 70's style home movie and everything in between.  It is quick and easy to use and allows for film editing, special effects, photos and images, transitions and insertion of title cards.

In the Silent Math Movie project, the students will create a math tutorial without words.  I am so excited to see what the kids will do - their first project with iMotion HD was fantastic!  I'm including the task, sample video, and rubric just as the students will see it.

Task:

"After the depression of the 1890s, immigration jumped from a low of 3.5 million in that decade to a high of 9 million in the first decade of the new century. After the 1880s, immigrants increasingly came from Eastern and Southern European countries, as well as Canada and Latin America. By 1910, Eastern and Southern Europeans made up 70 percent of the immigrants entering the country."  - Eye Witness to History

The earliest American films, which appeared around 1895, were primarily a working-class pastime. Because they told stories without words, they appealed to the large, immigrant population in the United States.  A picture that did not talk was particularly appealing to people who did not speak or read English. - History Matters

Your task is to go back in time and create a movie "showing" how to solve a specific mathematical problem using the  Vintagio app. The challenge?  You must work without words in groups of 2 to create a 2 - 5 minute film that will serve as an easy to understand Math Tutorial for your classmates.  Have fun with this project; part of the appeal of silent films were the creativity directors used in lighting, props, costumes, and movements of the actors.  This is your opportunity to let your creativity shine!

More Info on the Golden Age

Image From Chaplin Museum

Sample: Math Tutorial

Rubric:

Click for larger view

Giveaway:

Want to try #MyFavFriday app, Vintagio, in your classroom?  MacPhun, LLC has generously donated a free code for me to share!  Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Made 4 Math: Stop Motion Animation

     We are two weeks into the new school year and our iOS projects are in full swing.  Students are utilizing cell phones and iPads daily to elaborate upon and reconstruct content covered in class.  They are in essence creating their own version of the Interactive Student Notebook (ISN or INB), except their's are Digital Student Notebooks (DSN) :D  Students have to truly synthesize the information in order to effectively "teach" it and I certainly believe "teaching" helps them remember.  In fact, the National Training Institute (1999) stated that learners retain 5% of what they hear in a lecture, 10% of what they read, 20% of material presented both audibly and visually, 30% of what is demonstrated, 50% of what is discussed in groups, 75% of what they practice, AND 90% of WHAT THEY TEACH.
     Last week, my friend, Kathleen, introduced me to the coolest app used in this week's #Made4Math project, iMotion HD.  (She had students use it to summarize human migration research conducted in World History; I had students use it to create a math tutorial. We loved it so much that we highlighted it at The Classroom Cafe too!)) Here's a quick overview...the Dual Enrollment students created stop motion tutorials to review concepts covered in class and to re-teach others who may not have had a clear understanding.  Each group of students (I would recommend no more than 3 in a group - 5 was too many!) chose from several problem types.  Then, they utilized iMotion HD  to make their animations.
The details of the project including the task, a sample student created video, and the rubric are included for you to take and make your own:
StopMotion Math Task

Stop Motion animation debuted long ago in films.  The first instance of a stop motion film was seen in The Humpty Dumpty Circus in 1897.  It is often used to show objects moving on their own.  In a stop motion film, the animator makes inanimate objects "come to life" by moving the objects through a scene.  The films are created when a series of interlocking pictures are played together through a scene.  When all of the pictures play it looks as though the objects are actuall moving (kind of like a flip book). Your task is to assume the role of a stop motion animator and create a math tutorial film for our online course resources using the iMotion HD app.
Sample Student Video


Rubric

Click to View

The projects turned out great!  The free app was so easy to use.  I observed the students talking more about the curriculum content than the mechanics of making the movie. Yay!

Made 4 Math Monday: Week #3 for Me!

It's another week of two #Made4Math projects in one post, one is crafty and one is  math-y, but both are much needed for my classroom.  Project #1 was inspired by Shey B's fabric tape. While I don't need fabric tape too often in the classroom, I do need bulletin board border that doesn't rip.  I have a board just outside my door that I struggle to keep looking fresh; no matter what I put up, it always appears a bit tattered after just a few days.  So, in this #Made4Math project, I purchased generic border at Dollar Tree and Wonder-Under (fusible web) and fabric at Hancock Fabrics (who happens to give teachers a Red Apple discount of 15%).  I started off with only two fabric choices, but there were so many beautiful pieces that I am sure I will visit again soon!

The border came in very short strips, so a measured how much I needed for each side of the board and then used packing tape to secure pieces together to create the desired lengths.  I used an iron to fuse the Wonder Under to my fabric and then cut out pieces to cover my border. 

I left 1/2" - 3/4" of fabric on each side to wrap around the border's edge.

I finished the ends by wrapping the fabric around them like a package and ironing the material down.  I placed the patterned side of the border toward the back, because the bright colors were showing through the fabric on the first try. 

It was quick work to have border that will stay fresh and crisp in a high traffic area for years to come!

Project #2 stems from anticipation of the new iPads scheduled to arrive next month and focuses on defining a task, providing a tutorial, and developing a rubric for the creation of math videos using the new technology.  In this activity, students will assume the role of an online course developer and create a screencast using the Educreations app.  I choose this app over Screenchomp (even though I met the app developer at Mobile 2012 and loved him!), because I was never able to successfully get Screenchomp to upload my recordings.  Educreations was easy to use and 100% reliable in uploading and sharing my work.  Here's what the students will see on the class website:

Overview: "For the past nine years the Sloan Consortium and the Babson Survey Research Group have taken a look at the state of online learning in the United States. The 2011 survey reveals that the number of students learning online has now surpassed six million, with nearly one-third of all students in higher education taking at least one online course.  Last year’s annual survey revealed the largest ever year-to-year increase in online enrollment since the study began eight years ago." - Going the Distance  

 "Online learning has numerous benefits, including expanding course offerings, customizing and personalizing learning, giving struggling students a second chance to master a subject through online credit recovery when they fall behind, and providing a rigorous, interactive learning model. Online learning is providing the content and integration of digital tools for portable and mobile learning opportunities." - iNACOL 

Your task is to assume the role of an online course developer and create a screencast using the Educreations app for our online course resources.  The Screencast Tutorial that follows details your task and provides information on how to use the app.  You will upload your completed project via the submission form posted.  

Tutorial:

Video Link

Rubric:

Rubric

I am thrilled to be participating in #Made4Math.  It is just the motivation I needed to keep me focused and productive this summer:)

Project Snapguide: Making a Math Tutorial

Snapguide App

Did I tell you the iPads are coming?  It is official!  Our IT director and administration blessed the 1:1 iPad initiative for the 2012-2013 school year:D  So, I am busy this summer revamping lessons to include the NeW, BEaUTiFul, ShiNy, Oh-sO-PoWerFuL technology.  While I am not usually a "project" kind of girl, I have defined several activities I would like for students to complete and for lack of better terminology, I am calling the activities "projects".   I am busy defining the tasks, creating tutorials, and making rubrics to go with each one.

I have just completed an assignment in which students will use the Snapguide app to create a math tutorial for an assigned problem type.  Here is what I came up with:
Task:  According to a Harris Interactive poll in the Spring of 2012, three in ten Americans own an e-reader. With the rise of Nooks, Kindles, and iPads, large textbook companies are moving quickly to electronic versions of content specific e-books.  This is causing Educational Content Writers to adjust how they communicate information.

Your task is to assume the role of a 21st century content writer and create an easy to understand Math Tutorial using the Snapguide app for the Textbook of Tomorrow.  The tutorial that follows details your task and provides a step-by-step tutorial on how to use Snapguide.  You will upload your completed project via the submission form posted on the class website. 

                   Tutorial: 

Click here to see tutorial

                    Rubric: 

    

                 Click here to view

I'll post all three project components on the class website and provide a place for the students to upload the projects.  I have the rubric scored for possible points being 5, 3, or 1 for each category.  Is it okay to score like this (counting by 2's)?  This is my first project in FoREvEr and of course, I am hoping they ALL make 20 out of 20.  So, please provide feedback, especially if you see that I am forgetting something important for their success!

Apple TV and Student Created Videos

I installed Apple TV into my classroom this week.  I was so excited about adding a component that would allow students to be an integral part of the teaching and learning process by making it easy for students to share their work via the "mirroring" application. The students were able to use their phones or one of the iPads in the classroom to be actively engaged in the lesson. I am still planning for 1:1 iPad integration next year and am beginning to organize lessons to include a variety of apps.  This week, I introduced Dropbox, Screen Chomp, and ShowMe. We had several students out due to sports playoffs.  It was so easy to upload their assignments and Study Guides via a shared folder in Dropbox. The students loved the ease of the app and actually used it for an English assignment later in the week.  With Screen Chomp and ShowMe, "early finishers" created content tutorials for their peers. After we watched the students' creations via Apple TV, I added QR code links to the videos and posted them on practice problems hung around our classroom.  Students were able to use the video tutorials as a helpline as needed. As hoped, the students found the screen castings to be especially helpful.  During one class period, a few students actually passed an iPad around the room to watch the videos to jog their memory for a Bell Ringer activity.  I can certainly see the value in having student created videos.  It is a real and relevant addition that allows students to get assistance anywhere and at any time.    

1:1 iPads in High School Math

     Spring Break is about to come to a close and I am excited to go back to work.  I have spent the break learning through blogs, webinars, podcasts, and twitter.  I have so many ideas I want to try before my students leave for summer break - many with iPads and Apple TV.

Rover App

     I have had 1:1 computers in my classroom for the past several years and the students have used them to complete projects, assignments, and reinforce ideas.  While I am an avid Apple fan (I camped out to get the new one :D ), I have been hesitant to migrate to iPads due to the lack of flash capabilities.  I teach dual enrollment math.  All of the students' assignments are online and most require Adobe Flash Player.  However, over the break I investigated Rover.  While Rover has mixed reviews with noted concerns regarding bandwidth, the two web-based services we use worked fine.  

     Excited about the possibilities, I have generated a mind map about the various ways iPads could be integrated into the current classroom structure.  

Created with bubbl.us

This preliminary list is by no means exhaustive.  In fact, I know I am only scratching the surface; it doesn't include project based learning activities, vodcasting, blogging, or wikis. 

     I have access to three iPads and I am installing Apple TV this weekend.  I plan to begin experimenting Monday.  If it works as I hope it will, I will just need to convince IT to let us try 1:1 iPads next year.  Fingers crossed!