Digital Portfolios and Student Lead Conferences

“Time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters.” By Margaret Peters

Digital portfolios (or sometimes known as e-portfolios) allows opportunity for students to showcase mastery of content through a variety of methods other than paper and pencil. It allows students to show evidence that they are working toward a goal and improving skills based on objectives. Students gain confidence, learn to reflect on their multimedia work, track and demonstrate growth based on their level of learning and most importantly improve self reflection and build learning independence.

Why are we hearing more about digital portfolios lately? Because more colleges and Universities are not just excepting SAT scores but portfolios. There are many applications you can use for digital portfolio such as blogging, 3 Ring, wikispaces, Google Drive, Livebinders, Gaggle/Edmodo, or Evernote. Evernote is my favorite for many reason but mostly because it’s free, works on all devices and you don’t need internet except for syncing.

In Evernote you can make folders for each students, where they can upload their projects or documents to show mastery. I prefer portfolios because it takes the pressure off of grades and focuses on growth. It also helps set the tone in the classroom environment that we are all different and we will make mistakes but we can learn from them.

I set up my conferences so that I was conferencing with my students in every subject, at least once a week. During this time (because I only had one iPad) I would write the conference notes in their digital portfolio. Over time we could see their progress and growth.

During the conferences, I would discuss with the students individually about what they did well, what they needed to work on and a plan on how they were going to improve. This allowed ownership and also held the students more accountable through reflection. I became the facilitator making sure they made goals that were best for them and that were based on their needs.

Inside the portfolios the students would take pictures of projects they had created, such as the thermal solar house they built or they would upload their best writing piece. Sometimes we recorded our reading fluency so they could hear themselves and make improves. Setting up my portfolios this way allowed the students and I to build a relationship and helped me easily differentiate based on needs and their interests.

Naturally came student lead conferences, where the student walked their parents through their digital portfolio. The students knew their strength and weaknesses and didn’t need ‘prepping’ because they did this naturally every week. It showed the parents the students understood their strength and weakness and allowed the parents to ask their students questions. Because the parents realized that their children understood their learning so well, I found that more parents engaged with their child’s education because they didn’t feel the pressure of figuring out what the student needed to work on. It also naturally helped me, get the parents to see that there is more to education then just grades, taking pressure off some students by default. I also noticed that students had more confidence in themselves because they weren’t comparing themselves against anyone but themselves.

When I left the classroom, I was able to help other teachers set up these portfolios. One teacher @missbrinnsclass, started them. The students are in first grade and it is amazing to see them take control of their learning. Here is a sample of a students writing and her reflection on her work.

This is a video of Madison leading her conference in front of her parents and teacher.

I would love to hear how you are using digital portfolios in your classroom or tools that you are using.

Discovery Education: Changing the Classroom with Techbooks

“There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children.  One of these is roots; the other wings.” by Hodding Carter

Discovery Education has been a wonderful tool in my classroom and in our district. A few days ago, Discovery Education announced at the NSTA conference, that any teacher in the country may have free access to their Techbook from now until the end of June.  This is exciting for many reasons! Techbooks are going to change the classroom and offer students more interaction then just a regular textbook. Another great reason to start this free trail even though it is towards the end of the school year because it is a great way to review for the end of year tests your state has without teaching to the test.

This is the link for the DE Techbook free trial. It is very easy and DE helps you walk through the steps. Once you begin your free trial there is a 4 min video tour before you begin your exploration.

Great Features of the DE Techbook for the Teacher: 

- Curriculum correlates with State Science Standards (Ex: NC 2.L.1.1 – Summarize the life cycle of animals)

- 5E plan with essential questions with built-in prep and big ideas (To learn more about 5E see previous blog post)

- Lessons are broken down into time segments to give you, as the teacher, a rough idea about how long that portion of the lesson should take

- Easy navigations and can add lessons into ‘My Content’ to stay organized

- Offers Hands On Activities suggestions with directions

Great Features of the DE Techbook for the Student:

- The students can highlight and take notes and interact with the text

- You have the option of having the techbook be read to you

- Embedded videos and interactive glossary for the students use.

I highly suggest you check out this free trial from DE. They also offer Free Webinars to ’dive deeper’ into how to use Techbook in the classroom. They also offer Quick-Start guides, that you can download for the Techbook you want to explore more. I hope you enjoy DE’s Techbook as much as I do!

* I am also excited to learn more about DE’s ideas when I attend Discover Educator Network Summer Institute (#DENSI13) this summer in Vermont.

Web Tools for Shift 6 – Academic Vocabulary of the Common Core

“One forgets words as one forgets names. One’s vocabulary needs constant fertilizing or it will die.” Evelyn Waugh

In the Common Core  State Standards (CCSS)- Literacy there are six instructional shifts that are needed to effectively implement the CCSS. In this post I am going to focus on shift 6.

We can use web tools seamlessly with shift 6 to build academic vocabulary. It is important to remember even if we teach math, science, physical education; vocabulary is crucial in learning. The shift 6 – Academic Vocabulary tiers are:

Tier 1: Words we use every day such as chair.

Tier 2: Words that frequently appear across all domains and have shades of meaning such as relieved.

Tier 3: Words that have a specific domain such as photosynthesis- domain: science.

The web tools I highlight can be used in any subject and within each tier.

1. VisualThesaurus is a free mind mapping vocabulary tool that takes one vocabulary word and branches out related words visually. The students can see the different parts of speech and these are color coded. If the student spells a word wrong they offer suggestions helping the student learn the vocabulary. You can have students make their own individualized tier 2 and 3 vocabulary lists to help differentiate. You can also search for word lists, such as this general academic vocabulary.

2. Make Beliefs Comix is a free comic strip maker that allows you too create simple free comics strips. Having the students show master of a vocabulary makes the students critically think, create and communicate their knowledge. Giving them a vocabulary word such as ‘absurd’ and having them demonstrate though making a comic. You can assess mastery without a paper and pencil vocabulary test.

3. Sketch Odopod is a free web tool that you can have the students draw out their vocabulary knowledge. Having the students represent a non-linguistic approach. You don’t need to have an account unless you want to save the pictures. Here is one done on the elements of fiction and on the water cycle.

Ninjawords is a fast dictionary students told me about the other day….they love it because it gives them the definition fast. (It is an iPhone app as well)

Want to learn three more web tools for shift 6 you can use in your classroom check out this blog post, 3 Digital Tools For Common Core Academic Vocabulary by Susan Oxnevad

Please share other ways you are teaching shift 6 in your classroom so we can learn and grow together!

What I Learned from ASCD from My Couch

“We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.” Maya Angelou

I unfortunately could not attend ASCD 2013 this year but because of Twitter, it was like I was there! I learned a lot and still walked away with some great resources, right from my couch! Below I share the things I learned. There are a lot of embedded links so don’t miss out!

1. Maya Angelou speech was inspiring even though I couldn’t hear it. There were many tweets quoting here and this poem is one she recited.

http://www.inspirationpeak.com/poetry/bravetruth.html

2. Fisher and Frey’s – YouTube Channel has great resources

3. Engaged Learning and Teaching with Technology by Meg Ormiston had great insights and it was like I was there with Nicholas Provenzano (@thenerdyteachers) notes.

4. Great Common Core resource site shared by Eric Sheninger @NMHS_Principal called Wiki-Teachers. the site has all of the standards unwrapped with lesson plans, videos and assessments.  http://bit.ly/15k13MX 

5. Link shared by @WholeChildADV Andy Hargreaves and Pasi Sahlberg: Where are We Going and Why? — Whole Child Education

6. 10 Ways to Spice Up Faculty Meetings  by @bcurrie5

7. Leading Technology Integration on Campus: Livebinder of Resources

8. A great chart on managing complex change Tweeted by @RemynesES

9. ”If you really want to do something you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”  Jim Rohn Tweeted by @lindapemik

10. ASCD report 1 and report 2 along with blog post about Edcamp invasion of ASCD from http://www.schooltechnology.org

Even though I could not attend ASCD13, I was still able to learn a lot because of Twitter. Next year, hopefully I will be there and sharing resources for others who couldn’t make it.

Creating Games with the Tiny Tap App Based on Common Core

“Any teacher that can be replaced by a computer, deserves to be. ” By David Thornburg

Tiny Tap is an app that I came across when I was waiting to get my oil changed in my car. I was sitting next to this little girl who was in Kindergarten and she was playing on the app. I asked her to tell me about it and she was showing me all the games she could play on the app and then the game she created on the app herself. Of course I had to also test out this new app and see how I could apply it to the classroom curriculum.

Tiny Tap is s a free iPad app that allows you to create simple games based on pictures that you take, find or ones you draw. The app is very user friendly, even a Kindergarten could make a game. It is easy for teachers to use for differentiated instruction because students can play a game that is based on their needs. Within 10 mins I made a game that connected with the Math Common Core standard K.CC.7.

Here are the steps on how to create a game:

1. Click on create a game and add the title of your game.

2. Tap on the add photo and either upload pictures, take new pictures, find picture on the web or draw a picture based on your Common Core curriculum standard you want to address.

3. To create your question press the record button and start talking.

4. When you have finished recording, select the portion of your picture that is your answer by circling it.

5. Click on done and it will appear on your shelf.

If you want to go back and edit any of the games you created, you can at any time, by clicking on the edit button in the top right corner.  There is also a TinyTap Market where you can see what other people have created, some are free and some are paid. You can also edit others games once it is downloaded into your shelf.

The best part is students who have shown mastery can make games for students that still need to practice certain curriculum skills. This allows students to use their 21st century skills by allowing them to critically think, communicate and create.

I hope you enjoy this app as much as I have!

Reflecting on NCTIES Conference

“Change is the end result of all true learning.” by Leo Buscaglia

The North Carolina Technology in Education Society (NCTIES) took place in Raleigh, NC this week. It was a great time to present my knowledge but also gain knowledge from others. After synthesizing everything I decided to share  some of my favorite sessions and resources.

1. Richard Bryne, @rmbyrne, was a featured speaker at the conference. One of his sessions was sharing 65 web tools in 50 mins. It was a fast paced session and some I knew but I learned some new tools as well. Three of my favorite that I learned and will be implementing are…

-  Pixabay:  Has free public domain images with no login required (Like the one at top of the page)

- Meograph: Four-dimensional storytelling

- Real Time Board: Great for online collaboration, sharing ideas or presentations.

2. The conference theme was ‘Game On’ and many sessions were on Game Based Learning. One of my favorite sessions curated all the GBL sites by type of game (ex. strategy, puzzle, role play etc). Check it out here: https://sites.google.com/site/kbkvgenz

3. Sam Walker, @swalker2, presented on how to use digital passport to help teach digital citizenship with gaming. Check it out here: https://digitalpassport.org/educator-registration

It was a pleasure to also present on the topics of Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) and Twitter for Educators.

Preventing Social Loafing in the Classroom

“Unity is strength… when there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” by Mattie Stepanek

Many times in the classroom when a group of students are collaborating on a project, we see one or maybe two students not pulling their weight or working to their potential. This is called, Social loafing. Social loafing is the tendency to reduce individual efforts when working in groups compared to the individuals effort expended when working alone (Williams & Karau, 1991). Social loafing can also happen within online groups as well. How can educators prevent social loafing in the classroom? Here are my top 5 ideas on how to prevent it.

1. Create rubrics. Set expectations for the project with a rubric but also include a team work component. Have students evaluate themselves as a group before turning in the project, this allows for individual accountability for the group as well.

2. Create reasonable sized groups. Making sure groups sizes are not too large will help with social loafing. Groups sizes should be between 3-5 members, to see the most productivity.

3. Have the students develop rules for the group. Setting rules at the beginning will help all group members achieve the goal. I would give 5-8 minutes for the students to decide on the rules of the group. This allowed them to take ownership of the group along with teaching them real word skills. If you want, the teacher, can also create the rules and assign the jobs for each group member.

4. Model and teach students how to use accountable talk. Accountable talk refers to the ways that educators precisely encourage their students to think deeply, articulate their reasoning, and listen with purpose. There is a great book called, Comprehension through Conversation that helps give you strategies for you to model and teach students to have these rigorous conversations.

5. Highlight individual and group achievements. Everyone wants to feel accepted and highlighting students strengths and achievements will help show that they are a value to the group. I do this by facilitating around the room and making sure each time I go to a group, I make a comment about a different team members progress.

I would love to know any other ideas on how to prevent social loafing in the classroom. Please share your ideas in the comment section.

5E Cycle Integrates 21st Century Skills

“Many school focus too much on achievement… (they need) to create opportunities for young people develop their learning muscles and their learning stamina through working on real problems… to reflect on and manage their own learning.” by Guy Claxton

The 5E model was developed by The Biological Science Curriculum Study (BSCS). The 5Es represent the five stages of a sequence for teaching and learning: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaboration and Evaluate. The 5E model easily incorporates all 21st century skills (4c’s- create, critically think, communicate and collaborate) along with technology.

Engage is where the objective/task is introduced but also allows you to pre-assess. The goal is to spark the learners interest and get them involved. Using technology you can do this many ways such as creating an iMovie to introduce the topic or have the students watch a clip of  a You Tube Video about the new topic you are going to study. I also like using a mind-mapping tool such as Popplet to get the students to start thinking about a topic and telling me what they already know so I can build upon their knowledge.  

Explore is where the learners should take part in activities that allow them to work with materials that give them a ‘hands on’ experience. Simulations or models whose elements can be manipulated by learners, so that they can build relevant experiences of the topic. The learners should be collaborating, questioning, sharing and communication with other learners. The teacher should be facilitates the process and asking questions to get the students to critically think.

Explain is where the learners analyze the exploration and is encouraged to put observations, questions, hypotheses and experiences from the previous stages into action. Communication and collaboration between learners can spur the process. The teachers might choose to introduce explanations, definitions or mediate discussions. Having students create Pic Collages, iMovies or blogging etc will help seamlessly integrate technology along with having students show what they have learned through creating.

Elaborate/Extend is where the understanding gained in the previous stages by the learners, should be encouraged to build and expand upon the new knowledge. Inferences, deductions, and hypotheses can be applied to similar or real-world situations. Varied examples and applications of concepts learnt strengthen critical thinking and provide further insight and understanding.

Evaluation should be ongoing and should occur at all stages, in order to determine that learning objectives have been met and misconceptions avoided. Any number of rubrics, checklists, interviews, observation or other evaluation tools can be used. If interest in a particular aspect or concept is shown, further inquiry should be encouraged and a new cycle can begin that builds upon the previous one.

Flipped Classroom and Common Core Standards

“The focus of flipped teaching is different from other examples in that the technology itself is simply a tool for flexible communication that allows educators to differentiate instruction to meet individual student needs and spend more time in the classroom focused on collaboration and higher-order thinking.” Jac de Haan, educator and founder of Technology with Intention

A year and a half ago I wrote a blog post about flipped classroom for elemntary classrooms and since then a lot has changed.  I think more people are realizing that flipped classroom is not just a buzz word or catch phrase but a shift in the classroom approach while redefining homework. Educators are focusing needs to be on having the students master the content rather than just covering it. The Common Core has helped with the shift, as it is deeper, not wider.  The Flipped Classroom lets you attend to each students individual needs and making differentiate easy. There are a lot of newer sites that can help you do this easily along with connecting the Common Common Core standards already done for you. My two new favorite sites are Ted Ed and Learn Zillion.

The Ted.Ed site offers a structured access of content through subject or series. It allows teachers to “flip” any video on YouTube—including TED-Ed videos, Khan Academy or ones you have created on your own You Tube Channel. With each ‘flipped’ video you can add quizzes, links and other resources to the video. It also progress monitors for you as well. Check it out here and test it for yourself introducing Ted Ed. Other great features are that it is free and if you like a video that has been flipped already but you don’t like some of the questions etc you can customize it to your liking! You can also use the Khan academy site, that has a Common Core Toolkit and match the Common Core standards as well. I also love you can embed this into your wiki, Gaggle assignment, Edmodo or other platforms for your work flow.

Learn Zillion site offers great lessons that are linked to Common Core standards with there Common Core navigator.  You can then download lesson slides and resources that help you teach the lesson, depending on what you need. They have a coach’s commentary that you can listen to, to get expert explanation of the lesson and Common Core State Standards. (This is very helpful when you are still trying to understand these new standards. You can also assign lessons and track student mastery by setting up your class. This site is also free as well!

Flipped Learning Resources:

My Flipped Classroom Wiki

Google Doc by Dan Spencer

TechSmith Flipped Classroom 

Twitter chat #flipclass (Monday @ 8:00)

If you have used another site that allows you to flip your classroom and connect Common Core standards, I would love to learn about it.

National Digital Learning Day…What Are You Doing?

“To achieve goals you have never achieved before, you’ve got to start doing things that you never done before.” Stephen Covey

Today’s students need to achieve 21st century skills such as communication, collaboration, creativity and critical thinking. In order to cultivate this, I believe in building upon a child’s curiosity and encourage them to pursue new knowledge. What better way to kick start this then on National Digital Learning Day on February 6th, 2013! National Digital Learning day is a great day to start transforming your classroom if you have not already and if you have, then try something new, such as a new web tool, a based learning approach or going paperless!

Our school district is encouraging each school to do something for National Digital Learning Day no matter how big or small. As a district we are also having an ‘unconference’. An unconference is a low-key place where educators will learn, share, exchange ideas on different topics such as digital literacy, iPad integration, flipped classroom and BYOT. We will also be having a ‘petting zoo’ so educators can see different devices that could be brought in for BYOT as well. The teachers will be able to see how to put it onto the network along with the devices features.

So I ask my blog family, what are you doing for National Digital Learning Day? Please share in the comment section so we can gain ideas from each other!

To learn more about how to be a part of this groundbreaking event, sign up at here. NDLD site has a great Tool Kit with Lesson Plans and Ideas.

You can also “like” Digital Learning Day on Facebook at and follow the discussion on Twitter using the hashtag #DLDday and @DLDay2013