Recording science experiments

Yesterday, I showed my students how to use educreations (a 30 second lesson). They have seen us use this app for our intial whole group writing instruction but we have never talked about how to use the app. I just showed them how to end lesson, save lesson and name it. Prior to this I set up each of the educreations account on their ipad with my email address and password. Therefore, technically all their work shows up in my educreations account so I can review them all. We have disabled their ability to email on the ipad in kindergarten so they can't email me their work. This actually works better and saves an extra step. However, if I had to email (which my original intent was for the students to email me), I was inputting my email address so when they started to write my last name, my email would pop up.

The students are working with rocks. Yesterday, they were given a bag of 6 rocks, 3 different kinds, 2 of each kind of rock. they observed the rocks and sorted them. Today they made a hypothesis of what happened when they rubbed the same 2 rocks together. Then they were recording their work. Last year, I had a cute little geologist page where they recorded what they did. This year with ipads, they drew their observations on educreations.

Here is one student's work:
http://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/cameryn-rocks/1679781/

Here is another student's work:
http://www.educreations.com/lesson/view/breonna-rocks/1679772/

On a side note, I used educreations for my word study group. They were writing 3 letter words. This is the second day I did this. The first day they had stylus and half of them had difficulty using the styles so I didn't use them today. It was amazing how they remembered how to save the lesson, name the lesson, etc. It is amazing how quickly they pick it up. I really didn't have to say anything but we are saving this lesson.

All of their lessons are on their own individual ipad but they are also on my educreations account too. If a parent wants to see their work, they can open the educreations account on the student's ipad and look at their lessons. Also, all of this work can be upload to three ring, an electronic portfolio I will use this year.
Carrie

New App: Skoolbo

I worked a little last year with piloting a new app: Skoolbo. I had difficulty because my old iPads were iPad1 and I really needed iPad 2 to use Skoolbo. However, I upload the app and had my kids use it so I could also still do the demo.

This is a free app. It can be used on the Mac, PC and iPads. It can truly be used at home or at school for all ages. The students get to pick their player by deciding the color of hair, skin, clothes, shoes, etc. Even though they compete against themselves earning points, they can actually see their friends in the "race" with them. My daughter and son were both on at the same time and they saw each other's names as they were playing.

The parents have to register the kids at Skoolbo.com and then set up their child's password. They are super easy to remember and took my little one about 30 seconds to remember "green" "dragon". They have to identify a color and picture (mostly of animals). The parents set up their own dashboard and then can invite the teacher to view the results. My teacher dashboard has all my students and I can see the number of minutes they have played, the percentage correct, the number of questions they answered and the kind of questions they have been asked. The dashboard will also show today's stats, the last month's total stats, and further back.

I also created a little guide sheet for signing up though it is so easy you don't need anything!

Protecting our investment

Now that I have 27 ipads, what about protecting them from the inevitable drops by a 5 year old? We decided to purchase the following cases. An expensive investment but when you consider the cost of the ipads, it is important to protect the investment. Amazon sells them for $33 each. We might have gotten a deal because we bought in bulk and school purchaser.

These are super cute but the real reason we got them is the ipads will be protected. The hands are easy for the students to hold. They are soft and can easily be gripped by little hands. The ipads pop in and when we carried them up the stairs swinging them (only as a test), the ipads didn't fall out. They were sturdy. 

Oops! While waiting for the sync cart and the cases, I realized that we never thought about fitting these cases in the cart. They do not! Yikes. Well teachers are creative and inventive and with the slats in the cart they do not fit. We figured out this situation by easily removing the slots. We had a bigger sync cart so they actually stand up while being synced. 

Last year, I put a colored piece of paper and number on the back of each ipad. I started this same label system this year until I got the cases. I was paranoid of dropping one of the ipads until the cases came. The students learned their numbers (I am not sure they even paid attention to the color) in about 2 days. When we put the ipads in the new cases, the number/color on back were hidden. We decided to just write with permanent marker on the front of the case (on the leg) the number of the ipad. I think I will also put it on the side of the case as well. Students can readily grab their ipad with the visual number. Also easy for me to grab them as well. The ipad cases will be good year after year.

  

I have clear plastic tubs with the students' folders and headphones in them. Originally the ipads were there too. They will not fit now. From another colleague, she had the suggestion to have a place on the counter or shelves where students can pick up their standing ipad. On the counter would be the matching number. Students would put their ipad on the corresponding number when not using. This is also good for departmental teachers who may have students from different classes using the ipads each period.  I don't have space for 27 ipads in a row but I have smaller spaces for 10 in each location. This will actually be better because then I can have multiple students getting ipads in different locations and they are not all crowded around one area. Save time, avoid conflicts--both things I love.

REALLY becoming an iPad user--Changing my practice

I got my first iPad last year to use with my residents. I mainly used it for videoing them. I bought a bunch of apps that my own children enjoyed. I had a recommendation for Smarty Pants from another colleague and figured this would last my students most of the year learning sounds, letters, and sight words. I could implement iPads in my room, no problem.

Initially I only had 10 ipads. I used 6 of them during guided reading time for literacy centers. This wasn’t too difficult, I thought. Then I realized that the information on Smarty pants needed to be attached to the same student each time. Okay, so I set up a rotation. These 5 students are on one ipad, the next 5 students on another, etc. I had 10 centers so the 5^th and 10^th center were iPad centers. Worked perfectly. Students enjoyed the center with the iPads. I reviewed their data daily. I was happy with the results but I realize that I had nothing to compare it to.

In math, I used the iPads for math centers and at the end of the day if students wanted to use them during free choice time. I found a free app called Find Sums. I liked this app and I could differentiate it for each student.

In January, I was given a whole class set of iPads for limited time during the day. Ohhh, I was excited. Now the students could do Smarty Pants for literacy centers every day while my residents and I pulled for guided reading. This app was working with word study and sight words while I worked on reading at their level with them. So, this organization would require a little more thought to make sure all 28 students had their own iPad, clean up, set up, recording data (there was no way I could realistically look at 28 iPads daily). I consider myself very organized and a little over the top with organization too, so I had to figure something out to have the students manage this organization and take on this responsibility—it would take me way to long to do it all. Here is what I came  up with (that all students with varying degrees of ability could accomplish):

·      I bought colored file folders. These colors corresponded to the take home folder. The take home folders were organized by cubbie location. I have 5 sets of cubbies, each having 5 different sections, one for each kid. Since I have 28 students, some students share. The color of the folder eases the handing back of these folders since all the red are together, orange are together, etc. I wrote their name on the file folders along with a number. This number would be attached to their iPad.

·      Each file folder had assessment data inside. One for Smarty Pants, one for Find Sums but more could be added as more apps were used. On the front of the file folder was Velcro.

·      I took pictures of the different apps and the different sections in Smarty Pants. I made 30 copies of each, lamented them and put Velcro on the back. On the front of the file folder, I put the picture of the app/section that the child was assigned to do. Each child could be at a different place of the app. They would know where to go based on the picture of the file folder.

·      The assessment piece inside showed a picture of the assessment data on Smarty Pants so students would see where to get the information from.

Each table had a tub to store iPads, head phones and the assigned file folders for the children at that table. Pencils were also kept in the tubs. The file folder color and number corresponded to the back of the iPad color and number. Children would only have to learn one number. I also had a whole list of students posted in the front of the room. The child’s name corresponded to the color of their file folder. Names were put in numerical order based on the number of their iPad.

So this was working and then I realized that many students were almost done with Smarty Pants. What to do now? Yikes. I had to think quickly. I found TeachMe kindergarten and first grade. My own children were on these apps. I didn’t need an assessment sheet because the app keeps this data for me. I quickly took a screenshot of the app, make 30 copies, and laminated and put Velcro on them. The students easily switched to the new app when the app changed on their file folder.

Well, the school year 2011-2012 ended and the children make really good progress; more than I had ever had in the past. We took the MAP test and the number sense and word study showed great results! Maybe because of the iPads. Hmmmm! What else could I do next year? I needed iPads all day!!! Not just during guided reading.

Be careful what you wish for!!! The 2012-2013 school has started and I have 27 iPads in my room all day. They are all mine! Now what! I was excited BUT very scared!!!! I really don’t know what I am doing. It wasn’t so bad to have an app here or an app there. But to do it all day? I had a MAC book last year too (which mainly collected dust) because I am a PC user. I like my PC. I know how to do everything that I do on the PC. I used the MAC occasionally last year to sync. They put an apple tv in my room (I didn’t even know that wasn’t a real TV when I was trying to figure out where I was going to put it).

I started to not want all this stuff!  I couldn’t do it. I just was so frustrated with this MAC, with all of this. I am a high achiever and also do what I set my mind to do and this just seemed IMPOSSIBLE. My husband would often see me frustrated with this MAC, yelling at it, wanting to throw it across the room. How do you save a document? How can I change that margin?  I can’t even do the simple stuff, how was I going to master anything else? I converted back to my PC. I just don’t have 20 minutes to figure out margins. I’m done with this stuff.

Well, late nights didn’t help my relationship with the MAC, it really just strengthened my stable relationship with my PC. However, I know that I could do it, if I try. I am not a quitter, thought there were many nights that quiting sounded like a good idea to me!

So, I decided to put my friend the PC on a shelf for a little while. I would try to use the MAC all the time (even if it killed me). I started simple and started to do stuff that I was able to do the little stuff.

Now I had to try to tackle the iPad rules chart. Everyone else in my school who was 1:1 iPad had their rule chart made from teachers last year. The problem is that my kindergartners are not reading yet so I need to put pictures with the words. Ughhh! I wanted to cry. This was so unfair. I had to do this on the MAC!!! Okay, after calling around to people that new MAC, bugging my tech person at school for even the stupidest thing, I figured it out. I cheated a little, decided that this is just the way it was going to format and had a finished project.

Know I am using the MAC daily, and I still have my ups and downs but it is going okay. I synced all the iPads with my apps. I know I need to do this again because there are new apps I want and I will have to try to remember but I will do it.

Here are some more frustrations:

1.    Everyone using the iPad in my little 1:1 cohort has big kids. Mine students are little. There experiences don’t always help me and sometimes I feel isolated, alone with my experiences and problems. BUT this is what I have figured out to help me. I have done some searching for others with iPads in kindergarten and am now following 2 other blogs. I initially thought I don’t have the time (I am not a facebooker, tweeter, etc) but realize that some of these blogs will help me and the posts can be sent to my email. I don’t have to search. I didn’t know that.

2.    I have to be more organized and print friendly with my students. The cohort doesn’t. I again feel isolated and alone as they share their rules and other documents that they have made. I can’t really use much of their stuff. BUT this is what I have figured out to help me. I can use the MAC and adapt some of their work. I know that I have to be picture and word friendly to help ALL my students “read” the print. This is the right thing to do and it is all done for next year. I can also share with others and help other teachers who have felt my frustrations.

3.    I can’t figure out how to SAVE, PRINT, or other things. BUT this is what I have figured out to help me. I have gone on YouTube and seen some videos. I write everything that I learn down and make my very own cheat sheet for me. Some PC stuff relates to the MAC. AND when I get to show someone how to “right click on a MAC” and I feel just a tad bit smarter. I’m getting it I tell myself.

My job is not done. I still have a lot to figure out but I have begun.

If I am going to do this, I am going to do this with everything I have got. That is me. I am going to do this RIGHT! And exceed even my expectations.

My next task is to use the iPad all day and not just substitute it for paper and pencil task. I broke down my day into different activities and made a chart of those and worked with my residents on how to brainstorm iPad usage with each activity.

Breakfast in the classroom	Play soft music (classical). No pictures. Initially we had pictures of forests, ponds, mountains that come as screen savers during the music but we found for a few of our children this is a distractor.
Book boxes (independent reading)	Right now, they are just reading books that are in a basket. My thoughts are that there are free books that are leveled. I am planning on having a library for them on their iPad and they could read their leveled books. (I will share when complete.)
Morning Meeting ·      Second Step (character education program) ·      Flashcards ·      Letter to students (agenda)	Second Step is a program so no iPad use right now. Maybe show videos, music to supplement. Flashcards (Working on making them on my iPad). I would need to be up at the screen when I point to the words and the students read the letters. Is there an program that I can point on my screen and the students will see the pointing? I am investigating this. Letter to students. Right now I write it on chart paper, we read as a class and at the beginning of the year, we circle some of those sight words. If I project it on the screen, students could stand in front of projector while circling it and the words would be blocked by their bodies. Also, students could circle on iPad but it is seen differently from the board to the iPad, may be difficult developmentally to refind to a new location. All kids could possibly have this on their iPad and circle all of them on their own (OHHH, I just thought of this, have to figure out how to make it work.) But they all could do this and not wait for their turn….
Read Aloud and Content Integration	I read a book and I don’t want to totally get rid of this. They love to read books and is probably the calmest time of their days. They get engrossed and I like to READ. But the science that can be connected….
Science	As scientists, they need to record their work. We can have them draw and label. We can have them describe and draw and write/record their information to share with the class. Working on the details with the app and how to show all.
Writing	I am using educreations app right now. I project it up on the screen (and unlike an overhead I don’t have to be by the projector). I can be anywhere in the room helping one-on-one with a student, redirecting a student, etc and still continue my lesson. The students know where to look—the screen—and I am not always in their view. This has been very helpful with students that have attention issues where I can be close to monitor. I can really address all their needs and not run back and forth to the overhead. I was just told about Doceri and downloaded that app. I will let you know what it goes. More tools for teachers I am told. (Educreations can be recorded so I can tape my lessons for my residents to listen to or even for me to review and catalog in my library). Possiblity for a long term sub, maternity leave, sick leave, too many options here.
Michael Heggerty’s Phonological awareness	Still just do it with the students. Maybe I can adapt to iPad for students that need accommodation and/or modification.
Bathroom	I have a bathroom in my room and have the students on a math app (right before math time) while we filter through the bath time. I can accommodate and differentiate at this time. They also don’t play in the bathroom because they want to work on their iPads.
Math	I have not done calendar on the iPad yet. Still need to investigate this one. Any ideas? I teach Everyday Math and am incorporating ideas. Have a lot to work on with iPad integration. I have some good apps but they are limited use. Ideas are welcome. I know that we are working on this part in our 1:1 iPad cohort so this piece will improve.
Guided Reading	Explained above but will be using Smarty Pants, TeachMe K, 1st grade, and 2nd grade to meet students’ needs. Also looking into guided level readers. Will use educreations for the students to write and then record their work with the instruction being recorded as well. Sorta like a worksheet but you get to hear all the instruction too. This will be sent and put in their electronic portfolios. I had the students read into the iPad so I could assess fluency. This is sorta like a running record. I found I could be in many different places at once doing this.
Word Study	I know a colleague used Words Their Way on the iPad. I did a lot of adapting of WTW last year as I think some students are good at cheating on some of the sorts. I made some myself. Still need to adapt to iPads. I could envision something similar to Guided Reading but not sure yet.

Future Plans: I have a lot as you see above. I guess starting small and taking baby steps is my path. I feel like small successes fuel me to have bigger successes and push me even further.

I feel like I could one day say I was a MAC user and smile about it.

I feel like as hard as this seems on any given day or any moment of frustration or success, my students are benefitting from every baby step. They will meet and exceed all expectations. We can close the achievement gap. They will truly be 21^st century learners.

Educreations-Writing lesson

Adding, substituting and redefining in kindergarten. I am trying to "add" something new to my arsenal of iPad usage. Today I used the app Educreations for writing. I used a prescribed writing program for the first 5 weeks. It entails 4 parts daily with direct instruction.

1.  Writing your name (obviously this can a few seconds to a minute or more depending on the ability of the students.

2.  Draw a picture. We correlate to the read aloud and theme that we are learning about. The intent is to teach "how to draw." When we draw we think how different objects are really made up of shapes. For example, a body has a circle head, small rectangle neck, rectangle or square torso, rectangle arms and legs, etc. This helps the students learn to draw and I found it eliminated the "I can't draw this. or I don't know how." that I would hear all year. A little drawing lesson seems to go along way.

3.  Label the picture. We begin the first week with one word, a noun (for example, bee). The second week is an article and noun (for example, a bee or the bee). This supports the sight word acquisition that we are also teaching. The third week is an article, adjective, noun (for example, the yellow bee). The fourth week is a simple sentence (for example, I see the bee.). The fifth week is a simple sentence with an adjective (for example, I see the yellow bee.). Each time we write a word we sound it out, phonetically. We are teaching decoding words during this time. Other skills are capitalization, punctuation, space, return sweep (if applicable).

4.  Reading our label/sentence. We talk about spacing and reading one-to-one correspondence.

Changing the old to the new. So this is how I did it. I used my iPad which is wireless. I could walk around the room, focusing on individual students, even sitting next to a student that is very distracted(!!!) and still complete the lesson, step by step. Everything that I wrote on my ipad was projected on to the screen. No more overhead. I can use the iPad and complete the whole lesson from all around the room. I did not have to run to the overhead and then run to individual students to complete each step of the lesson. I also didn't have students trying to look around me while at the overhead as I was blocking their view. Wow! I could spend the maximum amount of time with students in different locations of the room. Quickly addressing behavior if needed. Quickly addressing students needing assistance. 

Another cool aspect is that Educreations can record the whole lesson, save it, and end up with a complete file of writing lessons. If you have residents/student teachers, they can watch/listen to the whole lesson at home. Going on maternity leave, here is a complete lesson plan for your sub.

I used the iPad for writing but the possibilities are endless. What ways can you think of using this app?

New School Year, New Plan

I am now officially a 1-to-1 iPad and digital kindergarten classroom. I had iPads last year but had to share 30 of them with other classrooms. I am writing this blog with excitement about the possibilities for my students and myself and apprehension because I feel I do not really know what I am doing with all of this technology. This will really be a year of learning, trying, succeeding, and sometime failing at becoming a successful digital learner.

Installed in my classroom is an apple tv, wireless projector, and ziggy. I probably am missing something and writing/spelling something wrong as well. I just don't know.

One of the big questions this year as I set up my classroom is how to position my learning spaces (rug time and student tables) to optimize my technology and make it most usable for me and my students. I am still working this out. I anticipated where the equipment would be housed prior to getting it. (School started August 10th; equipment arrived and was installed August 24th.) I already see a potential problem. I am using the white board (the only white board in the room) as one location for the projector. I already see that the projector needs to sit in the middle of my rug to have the optimal picture projected on the white board. Have to fix that somehow. The other side of the room has observation windows so I had a screen installed that can be lowered for use but also retracted when not in use. The same projector for the front of the room has to be wheeled to the back of the room. Not ideal but definitely doable. I already taped an extension cord to the floor and it goes under the carpet. I think that since that cart has been in the classroom from the beginning of the year, they students are getting used to it. They haven't tripped on cords and most cords are taped to the floor anyway.

28 iPads, 28 students: Full implementation

This week I started with full implementation: every child had their own iPad.Wow! I had already set up their recording folders. To expediate the distribution of iPads, I created structures that the students could be independent on setting up their own iPads and applications. It would just take too long to help 28 students.

Set up: I have 7 tables with 4 students at each table. A few students are assigned to one of the 7 tables for group and partner work but currently sit at a small table to be the most successful. Each table is numbered and the students know their table number. One of the assigned responsibilities is to distribute the iPad tub (responsiblity chart, i.e. job chart). In the tub is each child's folder. Each child has a colored take home folder. The color of the take home corresponds to the cubbie the child has for book bags and coats. The color of the take home folder is the same color of their iPad folder. Their name is one their folder along with their assigned numbered iPad. On their folder is a piece of velcro, attached to the velcro is the icon of the specific game of the smarty pants app. I anticipate adding addition velcro pieces for their math apps for math time. On the back of the iPad is the number of the iPad. The number is written on the color that corresponds to their colored take home folder. For example: green take home folder, green iPad folder with iPad number, green number on back of iPad. Also inside the tub are pencils. The iPad helper passess out the tubs to each table. Therefore: iPads, pencils, and folders are in the numbered tubs.

Since the students come from a special (music, art, etc). I give my direction in the hall to get their headset and begin working. The iPad helper had already put the tubs on the table during the transition of lining up to go to the special. The students walk in one at a time, grab their headset, and walk to their table to their materials. The students sit down, plug in their headset. They have to take off the black cover around the corner where the headset plug is and then plug in headset otherwise, the headset doesn't fit all the way and it doesn't work. It would be easier not to have the cases but it is more important to have the iPads protected. In reality, the students have figured out the routine and it isn't difficult. They then click their app and begin.

Guided Reading lesson: So while the students are doing iPads, I called certain students to work with me in their guided reading small group. I can call students but also have to tap some on the shoulders as they are engrossed in their app and have headsets on and can't necessarily hear me. When they are done, they go back to their iPad.

Recording and clean up: When our time is up with guided reading, I flick off the lights twice, their signal (since they can't hear me) and they raise hands and take off head sets. I state for them to record their data and clean up. They stack their iPads next to their tubs and put their folders, pencils, and headsets in the tub. They wrap their headset cords around the headsets to avoid tangling. They then sit in ready position to go to the next activity. I call students to the rug to start the next activity while the iPad helpers take a cart and go to each table to place the iPads in a cart. They are able to do this independently so I can begin the lesson. Clean up and recording sheet efficiency has decreased immensely. Day 1, 7 minutes. Day 2, 5 minutes. Day 3, 4 minutes. I anticipate it taking 2-3 minutes for recording and clean up which is probably consist with literacy center clean up and sharing products.

What I have changed and learned from 3 days of implementation:
1. I originally put the headsets in the tubs so they had everything in the tub. This created problems as all four students were trying to get all materials at once. I simplified this process by having them pick up headsets that are kept in one big tub. I actually works better because the students are randomly, based on their hallway line, coming to their table to get their materials and working as opposed to having all 4 students getting all materials at once. They also help each other with materials because of the color coded folders and iPads.

2. I have the students wrap their headset cords. Even though the wrapping is not wrapped like an adult would do but with practice I anticipate not having to rewrap any headsets. Currently I am wrapping about 6 out of 28 headsets. At the end of the day I put the headsets back in the tub. Originally, I wrapped all of the headsets. It just wasn't time efficient for me. I also called a student during the day on the first day to try to wrap a headset. She could do it decently so I decided to make this one of the students' responsibilties.

3. Pencils in the tubs. My crayons and pencils and other supplies are shared with all students so I have pencil baskets. I found that having to put the separate pencil baskets out was not time efficient nor space condusive. By putting extra pencils in the tubs, students can easily use them.

4. Recording sheet-I haven't changed anything except that I am double checking all the iPads to make sure their data is correct. We have gone to each table at clean up to also assist with recording giving a little one-on-one attention to clarify the recording sheet. One the first day, we scanned and double checked almost all students. On the second day, we had to assist less but still scanned everyone's recording sheet. We changed about 10 iPad results. On day 3, we scanned and only fixed 5 students recording sheets. I anticipate we won't have to do this daily by the end of next week.

5. Because we use some of the student tables for guided reading (we have 3 teachers in the room and use 2 student tables for guided reading lesson) we have assigned some students to a different location in the room. They take their iPad and headset but come back for recording.

WOWs! I have nejoyed sitting and just watching them work on the iPads. They just love it. It is quite amazing. Every once and a while, you hear an "awesome" or "yeah" when they finish a level or achieve the diploma. They get so excited and are dying to show me.

Behavior management: I have had little incidents of management but I also have set it up with very clear and concise structures due to the amount of money in the room (iPads are not cheap). I had one student who put the iPad in the tub a little rough. She sorta tossed it in but definitely did not do it on purpose. She was excluded from using an iPad the next day. I also did not let a student use the iPad for one day because of his behavior prior to the activity. He was angry and not following routines and exhibiting unsafe behavior. I explained that one must exhibit responsible behavior in order to have the privilege to use the iPad. I also had a few students that were arguing over a headset and were excluded from using the iPads for that day. By the third day, I have had no issues with iPads and headsets. In fact, they are helping each other and encouraging and reminding how to care for the iPad.

FINALLY, my biggest problem is that they are blowing through the apps and I have to have a game plan for the next app soon! I guess that it not a terrible problem to have.