handout slides for engaging the internet vea_november 2014
TRANSCRIPT
Engaging the Internet: Tools to Support Literacy Instruction and
Parent Involvement
Presented by:
Jennifer Floyd
November 2014
The Purpose of This Presentation
• To introduce a variety of web-based tools and show how they can be integrated into daily literacy instruction.
• To identify how web-based tools can also be used to enhance parent communication.
• To demonstrate how to get started using web-based tools.
Why Should We Incorporate Internet Tools?
• To motivate students and foster engagement• To provide opportunities for collaboration
– Educator/Educator– Educator/Student– Student/Student
• To communicate with parents• To keep us organized• Easy to use!• Saves on paper• These are the tools of the future!
The tools we’ll talk about today
wikis
blogs
Todaysmeet
QR Codes
Popplet
Wikis
• Wikis are wonderful tools that allow anyone to create a site where information can be posted.
• Creating a wiki is like making a website, but much easier.
• Wikis are easy to create!
– If you can attach a document to an e-mail, you can upload files to a wiki.
Classroom uses for wikis
• Create a class wiki
– Post information about your class
• Schedule
• Important events
– Post handouts from lessons and activities
• Great for students who are absent!
– Post samples of student work
Classroom uses for wikis
• Content-area instruction
– Create a wiki for individual units with information that students (and parents) can access.
– Have students create a wiki for a unit of study.
• American Revolution wiki
• Civil War wiki
• Oceans wiki
• Geometry wiki
• Maintain lesson plans in one place
• Keep track of a variety of teaching materials
– Videos
– Photos
– Notes
– Powerpoint presentations
– Rubrics
– Review activities
Getting Started With a Wiki
• Decide on a topic for your wiki.
• Choose a site (i.e., wikispaces).
• Create an account.
• You’re ready to go!
Sites for Wiki Creation
• http://www.wikispaces.com
• http://wikisineducation.wikifoundry.com/?t=anon
• http://education.weebly.com
Wikifoundry
Signing up for Wikifoundry
My Title I Reading Wiki
• Created primarily for parent communication, although students have also been interested in the wiki and like seeing what I’ve posted.
• Includes information specific to the Title I Reading program
– Title I School Plan
– Title I Program Description
• Allows me to post examples of student work
My Title I Reading Wiki
• Reminders of important events at school– Family Reading Night
– Report Cards and Interims
– SOLs
• Post the English SOLs for each grade (K-5) for parents to reference.
• Teacher blog– One page that I periodically update with a variety
of information, comments, etc.
My Title I Reading Wiki
• My wiki allows me to control who can add content.
– Right now, that involves me (and my administrator)
– I don’t have to worry about what is being posted on the site, and comments in particular.
What if I want a tool that is more interactive?
What if I want to share my daily experiences?
What if I want to get my students involved?
Then, you’ll want to consider a blog!
Blogs
• Short for “weblog”– This is a great term to mention to students
– Portmanteau word
– Include in vocabulary study
• Blogs are sites where you can post information, but you don’t have to set up your own webpage.
• Others can read what you have to say and then comment on your post(s).
The Professional Use of Blogs
• A blog is a great idea if you want to share ideas with other colleagues (and not be bound by geography!).
– For example, if you have a successful method for establishing literacy stations, you could blog about your method so that others could then implement your idea, too!
Using Blogs in the Classroom
• A blog can also be used to connect with families.
– Blog about what you’re doing in your classroom
– Allow students to be involved in this blog as a way to encourage writing.
• They can contribute posts (With careful monitoring)
– Topics for these posts
• Students could also be allowed to comment on your posts (again, with careful monitoring)
– For example, if you write a blog post describing an activity in your classroom, the students could comment on their participation in this activity
Using Blogs in the Classroom
• Kidblog.org is a wonderful tool to encourage student writing.– Includes safety features to protect students
• Establish who can read posts– All visitors
– Just those in the class
– Administrator/Teacher only
• Establish if you want an adult (admin/teacher) to review and approve posts before the appear on the page.– Provides e-mail notification
Things to Consider
• When posting, keep in mind the following:– You’re representing your school district, whether
you’re posting information personally or professionally.
– Be positive, not negative• Don’t make disparaging remarks about students, your
school, etc.
– Think carefully about the information that you are posting.• Is the information relevant or is it a case of TMI?
• Is the information of a sensitive nature?
Things to Consider
• When students are blogging, have established rules for what is/is not appropriate.– Rules for posting
• Don’t use full names.
• Don’t post personal information (address)
– Rules for commenting• Don’t post mean or negative comments.
• Use this as a time to make positive comments.
• Ask questions
• Ask for clarification if something is unclear.
Things to Consider
• Let your administrator know what you’re doing.– You can provide your administrator with the
necessary privileges to access classroom blogs.
• Have parent permission before students start blogging.
• Communicate with parents– Share reasons for using blogging in the classroom
– Review safety precautions being used
Sample Blogs Created By Educators
• It’s a good idea to look at examples of blogs when you are getting started.
• You can see what others have done and decide what you like.
• You can also see the variety of possibilities available to bloggers.
• If using blogs as a part of classroom instruction, you should definitely check to see how other teachers have used this tool.
Examples of Blogs
• http://readingyear.blogspot.com/
– Two classroom teachers who discuss books they’ve read
• Franki Sibberson
• Mary Lee
• http://readwriteandreflect.blogspot.com/
– Katherine Sokolowski
• Classroom teacher
• 5th grade
Examples of Blogs
• http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/
– John Schumacher, teacher-librarian
– Children’s literature focus
– Connects with a lot of authors
• http://librariansquest.blogspot.com/
– Margie Myers-Culver
– A teacher-librarian
– Also literature-focused
Examples of Blogs
• http://daydreamreader.com/
– Niki Ohs Barnes
• Classroom teacher
• 2nd grade
• Writes about books and teaching
• http://mrcolbysharp.com/
– Colby Sharp
• 3rd grade teacher in Michigan
• Reading emphasis
Twitter…It’s not just for celebrities, it’s for
educators, too!
What is Twitter?
• Twitter is a tool that allows users to “microblog.”–Messages are limited to 140
characters
• Although Twitter is often thought of as a tool used by celebrities to connect with fans, Twitter has educational uses, too!
Why Should Educators Use Twitter?
• To establish and develop Professional Learning Networks (PLNs)
• To be exposed to new ideas and methods.
• To connect with children’s and young adult authors.
• To enrich your professional organization membership
• To keep up with trending news in education
Professional Learning Networks
• Connect with other educators without being bound by geography
– Particularly valuable for teachers in rural and/or small schools, although any teacher can benefit.
– Provides exposure to new ideas and teaching methods
– Don’t have to wait until a conference to interact with other educators.
– You can tweet at any time!
New Ideas and Methods
• Twitter provides a wealth of ideas for literacy instruction.
– Lesson ideas and strategies
– Book recommendations (both student and professional)
– Classroom management and organization
Use Twitter To Connect With Authors
• Many authors of children’s and young adult literature are active on Twitter.– Provides opportunities to interact with authors
• Post questions and comments• Read the author’s tweets to learn about the author.
– Many include personal details.– You feel like you get to know the authors.
• Find out about the writing process• Learn about upcoming books
• Many authors of professional materials also have established Twitter accounts to connect with readers.
Professional Organizations and Twitter
• Many professional education organizations, such as IRA and NCTE have Twitter accounts.– Links to articles– Ideas for your classroom– Book suggestions– Information about conferences
• Many of these professional conferences create hashtags for communication during the conferences.– This facilitates locating other tweets on the same subject.– We could create a hashtag for the mini-conference with #svrcminiconf
and we could share our learning with others.
• SVRC has a Twitter account, too!– @shenvalleyrdg
Other Educational Uses of Twitter
• Many education-oriented websites also have Twitter accounts
• I have gotten some great ideas from tweets provided through these accounts.
– National Writing Project
– Reading Rockets
– Read Write Think
“Virtually” attend a conference…even when it’s across the country!
• Twitter allows educators to follow what’s going on at conferences, even when you’re not in attendance and the conference is far away!
– Many conferences now have “hashtags” to encourage participants to tweet about their experiences.
• #vsra2014
• #ncte2014
Twitter and PD Opportunities
• Information about upcoming professional development opportunities can also be found on Twitter.
– Webinars
– Conferences
– Workshops
– Ed Camps
– Twitter Chats
What is a Twitter Chat?
• Twitter chats facilitate the development of connections between educators and are usually organized around a common topic or theme.– Children’s literature– Independent reading– Writing instruction
• Twitter chats are usually planned for an announced time – #titletalk, hosted by Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp, is
scheduled for the last Sunday of the month, from 8-9 PM
• Conversational tone• Often a moderator will suggest topics or questions for
participant response.• Sometimes, though, chats can be less structured.
Twitter Chats
• You can create a school-wide or even a district-wide chat.– Encourage collaboration– Strengthen PLCs and PLNs– Focus on things specifically related to your school or
district• Example: My district is focusing on writing instruction. We
could create a district-wide writing chat.• Another district might be targeting comprehension strategy
instruction and create a chat based on that topic.
– You just need to make sure that people have Twitter accounts and hashtag information.
Participating In A Twitter Chat
• Using a tool like TweetDeck is suggested– Makes following the conversation much easier!
• Type in the hashtag (e.g., #titletalk) to follow the conversation
• Usually the moderator (if there is one) will post a question.– In most cases, when you choose to respond, don’t forget to
include the question number and the hashtag with your answer.
• Retweet and/or favorite comments.• Don’t get discouraged if it’s hard to keep up!
– Twitter chats are fast-paced!– Lots of messages will pop up!– It gets easier with practice!
Educational Uses of Twitter At School
• Parent communication tool– Share ideas and tips for supporting their children’s literacy– Provide alerts about upcoming events at school
• Family Reading Night• Parent-Teacher Conference nights• Book Fairs
– Post pictures of classroom activities
• Students can also post tweets about their reading (with supervision)– This could be a component of independent reading.– Tweet summaries of books– Tweet questions about books that other students can answer
(also while using Twitter)
Educational Uses of Twitter
• Morning meetings– Students can help you construct a tweet (or more
than one tweet) as a part of a morning message.• “Tweeter of the day”
– Could be a class job that rotates.– The selected student could help you compose tweets during the
morning meeting.– This student could provide suggestions for tweets or responses to
other tweets.
– A student could be responsible for taking pictures for you to upload with the tweets.
– A great time to address what is appropriate to post online.
Educational Uses of Twitter
• Twitter pals
– In lieu of pen pals
– Follow other classes who are on Twitter
– Correspond with each other via Twitter.
Things to Consider When Using Twitter
• Twitter, like any form of social media, is permanent.
• When posting tweets, think before hitting the “Tweet” button.– Consider the tone of the tweet.
– Think about the information you’re providing in the tweet.
– Remember: if you are using this professionally, you are representing your school division.
Things to Consider When Using Twitter
• If you plan to involve your students (and parents, too) make sure that your administrator is aware of what you are doing.– It’s often a good idea to share administrative
privileges/password information with the principal if you have a classroom account
– You should also obtain parent permission.
• Use your professional e-mail account if you’re tweeting for parents or involving students.
• Watch out for Promoted Tweets.– These are tweets sent out by businesses and many of these
businesses would not be appropriate for school– You can block these, but you have to go to the profile page to do
so.
Things to Know About Twitter
• The messages that you send and read are called tweets.
• “twitter handles” – @jen4literacy– @IRAToday (International Reading Association)
• Hashtags– Place the # in front of the topic
• #bookaday• #teaching reading• #literacy• #bproots• #kidlit• #titletalk
Things to Know About Twitter
• RT
– Retweet a message that has already been posted
• Direct Message (DM)
– Allows for private communication
– However, the person you’re trying to contact must follow you on Twitter.
Things to Know About Twitter
• Favorites– Yellow star– Allows you to identify tweets that are your favorite
• This is great if you come across a lesson idea
• Follow– When you follow someone, you will get their tweets.
• Just click the follow button, unless their tweets are protected-then you’ll have to request
– A follower is someone who receives your tweets.• They just click on the follow button to do so.• However, if you’ve protected your tweets, potential
followers have to send a request for you to approve.
Things to Know About Twitter
• Mentioning– Including another person in a tweet
– For example, if I wanted to mention that my class was reading a book by Seymour Simon, I could create a tweet that said something like: “Third graders are reading nonfiction by @seymoursimon.
– Another example could be “Attending a conference session where @donalynbooks is presenting.”
Things to Know About Twitter
• Protected Accounts
– You can protect your tweets so that only the followers that you have accepted can access your tweets
– This can be accessed in the account settings.
– You can choose to unprotect your tweets at any time.
Things to Know About Twitter
• Blocking– Great for commercial tweets
– You’ll need to visit the profile page for the person/company whose tweets you want to block.
– There is a person icon that you will need to click.
– This activates a menu that includes “block.”
• Unblocking– Similar process to blocking
– Go to the profile page and click on the person icon to reveal the menu that includes “unblock.”
Getting Started With Twitter
• Go to www.twitter.com
• If you do not have a twitter account, you will need to click on “New to Twitter? Sign up.”
• You will need to provide your name, create a password, and include an e-mail address.– If you are going to use this as a professional resource, I
would suggest using your professional e-mail.
– Just a reminder: I would keep professional and personal accounts separate.• So if you are going to follow Bradley Cooper, do that on a personal
account linked to a personal e-mail.
• If you’re going to follow the DOE, use your professional e-mail.
Organizing Your Tweets
• You may find it helpful to download a tool such as TweetDeck or HootSuite to maintain your Twitter feed.
– I have Tweet Deck, which I downloaded from the App Store.
– These tools can usually be downloaded onto a smartphone, which facilitates your monitoring of a Twitter account.
Todaysmeet.com
• This is another great tool for the classroom that can be used in large or small groups!
• Go to http://www.todaysmeet.com and create a “room.”
• After you create the room, you will need to decide how long you want to keep the room open.– A variety of choices are available from two hours to one
month.• You can print the transcripts if you want them available later.
– This is particularly helpful if you want to identify areas to target for future instruction.
– Could also be used as an artifact for teacher evaluation purposes.
Title1at9am
Why use todaysmeet.com?
• Provides a platform that encourages collaboration.
• Allows all students to contribute their ideas.– Particularly nice for quiet students who like to fade
into the background!
– Also great for students who need some wait time• They can construct their answer at their own pace.
• Allows students time to organize their thoughts before answering.
• Gives students practice with keyboarding.
Suggestions for using todaysmeet
• Todaysmeet.com can be used for review purposes.– I often insert queries about skills that have been previously
taught.• For example, I might ask about the author’s purpose for writing
the text that we’re reading.• I will also ask about the main idea of a text.
– I often ask students to identify elements of fiction• Characters• Setting• Problem/Solution
– I also ask questions related to the elements of nonfiction texts• Text structure
Suggestions for using todaysmeet
• Students can respond while they are reading a text.– For example, my third graders were read an autobiography
of Clyde Robert Bulla and wrote about the text using todaysmeet.• They described what the author’s school was like and how it was
different from their school.
• They responded to my query about the meaning of a word used in the text.
– My fourth graders read a nonfiction text about fish.• One student moved through the text much more quickly than
another, so I could have them respond at their rates.
• One student did not need to wait on the other student, creating the possibility of disengagement.
Suggestions for using todaysmeet
• Could incorporate todaysmeet.com with Reciprocal Teaching
• Students can respond as they participate in their specific roles.
– Summarizer
– Questioner
– Clarifier
– Predictor
Suggestions for using todaysmeet
• Use as a backchannel during lectures and whole class discussions in content areas.– Again, students may feel more comfortable expressing
questions in this format.
• Have todaysmeet available to students during out-of-school hours.– Students can continue to post their questions and
comments.• You may get an additional view into their misconceptions
about a topic.
– Students may dialogue with each other, encouraging collaborative learning.
Why use todaysmeet?
• Provides an opportunity for discussion that encourages everyone to participate.
• I haven’t noticed anyone copying another person’s answer because all students seem to be very intent on typing their responses.
• Students can pose questions of their own, as well
• You can have individual conversations with students, especially if you want to tease out what’s a problem for students, as well as to encourage the further development of ideas.
Guidelines for using todaysmeet
• Since this is an online tool, I use this opportunity to talk about Internet safety.– Students only use their first and last initial when
they join the “meeting.”
– I go by “Ms. F” in the meeting room.
– Students are instructed not to refer to anyone by their name, but are instructed to use initials.
– No personal information is to be posted.• This is pretty easy to monitor as all comments are
posted and I use this with small groups.
QR Codes-Another great tool!
• We see QR codes everywhere now
– The McDonald’s cup with my sweet tea
– Stores
• Advertisements
• Coupons
– Museums
• Information about exhibits
– Website information (URLs)
QR Codes
• Looks like a barcode, but is a little different
– Can contain text/information
• Apps that read QR Codes can be downloaded to your smartphone or tablet.
• The app scans the QR Code and converts the code into text.
How can teachers use QR Codes?
• Response to literature
– Changes things up for students.
– Provides them with a new, different platform for sharing about books.
• Fourth and fifth grade Title 1 students created QR codes about the characters in chapter books they read.– They identified a character.
– Then they described the character.
– They also explained what the character’s problem was and how the character tried to solve their problem.
How can teachers use QR Codes?
• Summarizing reading
– 20 word summaries
• Book recommendations
– Have the resulting QR codes posted around the classroom.
– Students can scan the QR codes and then choose a book.
• Books with QR code recommendations could even be stored in a particular basket or space for easy access.
How can teachers use QR Codes?
• Literacy stations– A QR code can include directions needed to complete
a station.– Materials for the station can be embedded in the QR
Code.• Fluency poems• Reader’s Theater scripts• Writing prompts• Words to sort
– Students can scan a picture of a posted QR code and then use that information to complete the required activity.
How can teachers use QR Codes?
• Parent communication– Newsletters could contain a QR code for parents
to scan for extra information.
– A QR Code could be placed on student agendas• These QR Codes would contain information that would
be necessary for year-round reference.– Teacher’s contact information
– Website for accessing homework
– Website for accessing student grades
– Homework policies
– Class rules/expectations
This is the message embedded in the previous QR code.
Free sites for creating QR codes
• https://www.the-qrcode-generator.com
– This is the site I use the most.
• http://www.qrstuff.com
• http://www.visualead.com
• http://www.qrcode-monkey.com/#text
You (or a student) would typetheir text here. Then, click on SAVE. Then, click on the
Popplet
• Popplet is a tool that allows students to make connections between concepts and ideas.
• Popplet provides students with a visual representation of information.
• Resembles Kidspiration
Popplet
• Go to www.popplet.com
– You can create an account.
– However, if you want to skip the log-in process with students, popplets can be created without having an account.
• On the website’s main page, you can click on “try it out.”
– The Popplet app is also available through iTunes.
Popplet
• Very user-friendly (for teachers and kids)– Visuals provided on the main page that illustrate each
step of the Popplet process.• This walk-through can always be accessed by clicking on the
question mark in the upper right corner of the pages.
• Many options allow students to personalize their Popplets.– Color
– Font
– Allows drawings to be added
Popplet and Literacy Instruction
• Describe a character from a book– Popple with the character’s name– Other Popples describe the character’s behavior, physical
appearance, likes/dislikes, problems, etc.
• Story maps– Characters, settings, and plot– Construct these maps during and after reading
• Brainstorm ideas for writing• Map out vocabulary words
– Have one popple in the center with the vocabulary word– Other popples branching out could define the word, provide
synonyms and antonyms, and use the word in a sentence.
Popplet and Literacy Instruction
• Demonstrate SOL skill knowledge
– Identify and map the different types of nonfiction text structures
– Work with prefixes, suffixes, and roots
• Have one popple with a root
• Other popples could represent words with that root
– Choose a word and map out the synonyms or antonyms for that word.
Tagxedo
• A free website (www.tagxedo.com)
• Generates word clouds– Similar to Wordle
• You do not have to sign up for an account.
• You do need Microsoft Silverlight downloaded on your computer in order to use Tagxedo.– Most Windows-based computers have this,
especially if they’re relatively new computers.
– Mac users will need to download Silverlight.
Using Tagxedo As A Part of Daily Literacy Instruction
• 20 word summaries
– After students complete 20 word summaries to summarize a text, the words from those summaries can be typed into Tagxedo to complete a word cloud.
– All students’ words can be combined into one cloud or individual students can create their own clouds.
Using Tagxedo As A Part of Daily Literacy Instruction
• If you’re teaching a skill like synonyms or antonyms, students can use Tagxedo.
– Students can collect words that represent the targeted element (i.e., synonyms for the word “fantastic.”
– Then, they can combine their lists of words by inputting those words into Tagxedo.
– The resulting word cloud can illustrate how often certain words appear.
Using Tagxedo As A Part of Daily Literacy Instruction
• Brainstorm a list of a character’s traits and plug into Tagxedo to determine which traits occur repeatedly.
– Then, students can use that information to make some inferences not only about their character(s), but also about what they have noticed.
Things to Consider When Using Internet Tools…
• Make sure that you provide opportunities for modeling and scaffolding as you introduce and use these Internet tools.– You will need to provide on-going training and support
as students use these tools.
• Always make sure that your administrator is aware of how you’re using Internet tools.
• Always inform parents about your use of Internet tools.– Permission forms are a good idea
Things to Consider When Using Internet Tools…
Thank you for attending this session
My contact information:
On Twitter:
@jen4literacy