Screenleap and iPads

Today I had the opportunity to turn a technology failure into a success using ScreenLeap in my 1:1 iPad middle school Spanish classroom.

My lesson plan was based on projecting an interactive presentation on an interactive whiteboard (IWB). The students would add to their notes from a previous class. However, the VGA port on my MacBook has become very temperamental, and the laptop did not detect the projector once it was connected.

My students were prepared for class with their iPads, and I directed them to ScreenLeap while I quickly logged into the site frommy MacBook and shared my entire screen (which was displaying the interactive presentation). Once I was sharing, ScreenLeap provided me with a code which I wrote on the board. The students keyed the code into the space provided on ScreenLeap and were amazed to be viewing my computer screen on their iPad!

Interactive Whiteboards (IWBs)

The year before last, my school installed interactive whiteboard (IWB) systems. We happened to purchase the ēno by Polyvision for the middle school as a pilot program, then purchased the Mimio system for the upper school the following year.

The IWB system has three distinct components as it relates to teaching: the projector, the interactive whiteboard, and the presentation software. The projector can be used as a ... well, a projector for showing the class images from a computer or tablet (we have iPads). The interactive whiteboard features allow a person to use a stylus at the board exactly the way you would use a mouse on a computer. The interactive software allows the teacher to create dynamic presentations for a unique experience each time the material is presented. (You can download software free at Promethean.)

Here are some problems and solutions we learned along the way while using the eno IWBs.

TodaysMeet for Twitter Basics

There are some amazing resources online for teachers who would like to get started using Twitter, but aren't quite sure how. When I first started using Twitter,  I would begin to read these blogs and get completely overwhelmed. How would I have time to tweet if I couldn't find the time to finish reading an article about tweeting?

Here I will put together some Twitter basics then explain how I have used todaysmeet to teach twitter basics to middle school students..

Create an Account

As always, create your account. Go to twitter - the link brings you directly to a page on which you can create an account. If you are trying to brand yourself, you will want to use a name that is recognizable and consistent with your brand. Same goes with your profile picture. Think before you create: This is how you are building your digital footprint. What footprint do you want to have?

Hashtags

Hashtags are user generated shortcuts so you can get right to the types of tweets (twitter posts) that you want to read. Including them in your tweets means that like-minded tweeps (Twitter + peeps = tweeps, your people on twitter!) can find your tweets easily as well. They look like #edchat (which is a great hashtag for teachers to search for).

Pinterest Basics

I have been exploring how Pinterest can be used in education as a platform for digital curation on a zero dollar budget. In order to participate, you must first know how to use Pinterest. (Feel free to check out my Pinterest boards.)

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board. On each board, you can "pin" images from websites that link back to the original site. Once you create your account, you can create several public boards and up to three private boards. The public boards are ... well, public! Anyone can find the board, follow it, and repin from the board. Only you can access your private boards.

Getting Started with Pinterest

So, you have already created your account and a couple of boards. There are a few basic options for pinning to these boards.

Pinning Basics

Many websites already have a Pin button that you can select while on that site. You will get a pop-up that allows you to select the image and board that you want, as well as the option to tweet your pin. There is also a text box which you may use to add your own description of the site. Once you have completed these, select Pin.

Technology Flavor of the Week

At many schools, teachers suffer from the Technology Flavor of the Week Syndrome. Every time some new exciting technology comes out, we jump in with (a token pilot program in which we are told to make it look successful because they have a plan to jump in with) two feet. I believe I know what the powers-that-be must think: New technology makes us appear cutting edge; This is being given to us as a gift - let's show how much we appreciate our donor by putting it to really great use; and Other schools have it - we can't fall behind! The reality is that teachers cannot keep up with a new piece of technology every year that they are required to somehow work into their curriculum.

The irony is that each new piece of technology is great! Interactive whiteboard? Yes, please! Computers in my classroom? Absolutely! 1:1 iPad program? Sounds exciting!

So what's my problem with the technology flavor of the month?

The Not-Quite-Flipped Classroom

I have read so much information about flipping classrooms. I can see both the benefits and the disadvantages. As I am not quite ready to experiment with this technique until I know my students will find success with it, I decided to try a Not-Quite-Flipped lesson.

I'd Like You to Meet My Class

 The group that I used for this experiment was my grade 8 Pre-Algebra students. There are fifteen students in my class, seven boys and eight girls, and one student with a specified learning disability (SLD). I teach in a private middle school, grades six through eight, with a total of 77 students. We are in our first year of a 1:1 iPad program with iPads that the school purchased, and students are assigned one iPad for the year to use in school and take home each day.

The Backend

Prior to class, I had a bit of work to do. On my iPad, I used the educreations app to sign up for an account with http://www.educreations.com/. Then I created a video tutorial with the app for the lesson topic. A few things to note: Create all the backgrounds for the slides first, then go back and record your voice while you write, and once you have recorded your voice, there is no edit feature. Next I went to the educreations website on my computer and created a class and added the tutorial I had just created. Finally, I sent an email to my students with a link to the class in educreations.