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Pitchfork or Rake?

Are we under using image manipulation software in education?  We live in a world that is wallpapered with advertisement and images.   There are careers upon careers that use this skill day in and day out.  More importantly students love it and are capable of using it.   So why are we not using it more in our classrooms?

Are we scared that the students will misuse it?  Perhaps they will crop one of their friend’s heads onto other strange images or create something that we do not agree with.  Even if this is the case, at least they will be developing skills they can use in the future.  Just like using cell phones in the classroom, students can be shown and it can be modeled how to transform this technology from a silly distraction to a powerful tool in education. 

Or is it that teachers fear the unknown?  When I present workshops on Photoshop there is this intense fear as I walk into the classroom.  As I slowly free them from the shackles of their doubts and their low self-efficacy, they usually turn to me and say, “I cannot believe it is this easy, why did I not learn this earlier”. 

I sometimes think that Adobe Photoshop is the culprit that has scared them and made the run away from image manipulation.  I want to yell out to them that they are safe and that they only need to know under 5% of the program to create the things that they or their students could only dream of before.  Or I want to tell them that there are much easier programs available that they can use that are free, online and fun, such as; Gimp, Paint.net and Picasa. 

Image manipulation opens up worlds for students that they never knew existed.  Students will poor dexterity can create masterful pieces of art that they beg to print in colour and show everyone.  Students who are tired of fighting with word processing programs to create something visually stimulating are set free into a world where the only restriction is their own creativity.  

It is our job as teachers to give students tools that will give them the best opportunity for success and tools that engage and satisfy their curiosities.  However, we often hand them a pitchfork instead of a rake.  Some assignment need programs with more tools such as Photoshop or the endless other image manipulation type softwares. 

OSPAC needs to reconsider or renegotiate with Adobe to keep this program available to students.  Or at very least, they need to find a comparable alternative that will allow our student to create their masterpieces digitally.   

Math Videos for Teaching and Learning

More and more, I see a wider gap in the ability of our students in math.  For some students it is enough to watch a lesson or participate in small group math investigations, however, for some it is not.  How do we support those students who were unable to grasp the concept during the time allotted in class? 

Lately, I have been trying to support these learners through online videos and apps.  Each night I post an online lesson on our blended learning site that students can reference.  Students can revisit these lessons and watch them at whatever pace that they need to.  This acts as support for each student that needs extra help solidify their understanding of the basic concepts.  As well, I like to post apps that will allow students to practice these skills in a fun and engaging way.  For the most part, I try to find apps that are free and that reinforce the skills that I can identify them struggling with. 

Here are a few of the sites that I have been using so far and the pros and cons of each:

Khan Academy

This is the site that I use most consistently.  I like this site because the instructor is not visible, you only see that math being taught.  I find this less distracting for students.  As well, they lessons are very direct and clear and he does a nice job of explaining the basics of each math concepts.  Another pro is that he covers a wide variety of the math curriculum in his over 2000 videos.  For a flipped classroom, they also offer other features such as; badges, skill testing questions, discussion forums, goal setting and tracking.  The only con I find with Khan (haha) is that students like variety, and because the videos all have the same look, students might eventually get bored of watching and listening to these tutorials.

Math Playground

This site is similar in ways to Khan academy, however, it is targeted at younger learners.  Depending on the video, they may or may not have an instructor visible and they focus on the basic concepts.  Personally, I find the quality of instruction slightly more clear on the Khan Academy site, however this site is much more interactive.  For instance, it offers math games, logic problems, math arcade and word problems on top of their videos.  For the most part, it is hit or miss on this site.  I find it a nice way to support Khan Academy and to mix it up a little for the students.  As well, students who want extra practice in a more engaging manner will be able to find that on this site.

 NeoK12

This site also offers math tutorials as well as videos in most curriculum areas.  There is much more variety with regards to how the lesson is captured on this site.  Again, the videos are not quite at the quality of Khan Academy, however, if they have more videos in a variety of different subjects.  There is significantly less selection with regards to math concepts.

Math Live

This site is entirely different than all three of the other sites above.  The lessons are animated and revolve around four different characters trying to solve a math problem.  This is very visual and fun to watch for younger students.  As well, it applies math concepts to real world scenarios.  It has a built in glossary and activity pages for each lesson.  Most lessons are broken up nicely into 7 sections, which can be selected via the menu.  This con for this site is that it has a limited number of math concepts and stick mainly to the basics of math.  As well, it would primarily be used to support younger learners. 

Overall, all of the sites above are a great way to support students for free.  Whether is be a blended learning environment or a flipped classroom, these videos are sure to help.  

Universal Design for Learning Teaching Strategies

 "No two children are alike.  An enriched environment for one is not necessarily enriched for another. "   - Marian Diamonds

As teachers our job entails more than delivering the lessons, that is the easy part.  The hard part and the part the separates the good from the bad, is the ability to plan lessons that cater to the needs to the students.  Determining the area of need, the learning styles, the strengths and the weaknesses of each student is the key to engaging students in lessons that challenge them and help them move towards their true potential as learners. 

 

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a set of principles developed to help ensure that all students have equal opportunities to learn.  Similar in many ways to Differentiated Instruction (DI), UDL focuses on the three primary brain networks to consider when planning and constructing lessons; the “What”, the “How” and the “Why”.

The “What” of learning focuses on the information and knowledge that hopes to be acquired.  As educators, it is our job to present information in different ways and to teach learners how to effectively acquire this information.  The “How” of learning focuses on how students are going to organize their ideas and express their understanding.  Finally, the “Why” focuses on engaging the students and keeping them motivated to continue the learning process.       

One of the main keys to successfully implementing the UDL framework into the classroom is becoming more flexible and using the resources that have been created effectively.  Many of those resources now come in the way of technology.  Each day new technology is developed that will help individual learners break down their learning barriers, communicate their understanding in a more effective manner and keep the learner more motivate to learn.  

Below are five different teaching strategies that can be used in the UDL framework.   Each strategy is put into practical application and involves the use of a technological aid.

Strategy #1:  Offering Alternatives to Collecting Information

Students with special needs often struggle when the information is given to them in a manner that is not suited to their learning style.  All students for that matter have particular strengths and weakness when it comes to decoding, understanding and retaining information. 

Audio books are a great way to learn for many learners.  There is a huge selection of online audio books that can be downloaded for free and used in schools.  Two of the more interesting that I found were Storyline Online and LibriVox.

Storyline Online has a variety of online picture books that are read by famous celebrities.   For instance, Elijah Woods reads the book ‘Me and My Cat’.  This is an innovative way to have students read stories and immerse themselves in reading.  LibriVox is very unique because all of the stories are read by volunteers.  Although there are quite a few stories for younger students, this site seems more catered to older users.  As well, because readings are completed by volunteers, the quality will vary from story to story.  

When discussing the topic of offering alternatives with regards to collecting information, it is hard not to discuss Kurzweil 3000.  This is a comprehensive program that can help all students in many different ways.   For instance, if a student is struggling with reading non-fiction texts in science, the text can be scanned to read aloud to the students.  On top of this, the student can use it to help them prepare for tests and to write effectively on assignments.

Strategy #2:  Organize Ideas Using Graphic Organizers 

Graphic organizers are a great way to help students structure their ideas and their ability to communicate their ideas.  As well, they help students to display and interpret complex topics in a visual way that is more meaningful to them.  There are many different varieties of graphic organizers that students can benefit from using; Venn diagrams, flow charts, concept maps and many more.  Smart Ideas is just one of the many examples of this type of software.  This program is licensed by OSAPAC and can be installed for free on educational networks.  An online version similar to Smart Ideas is bubbl.us and an app version that is similar is SimpleMind.  An example of their use could be seen in History. If students were asked to remember a series of events or how those events impacted a particular situation, such as Confederation, a graphic organizer could be created.  Visuals could be added, along with text, to make to clearer and more visual for all students.

Strategy #3:  Provide multiple medias for Communication 

Technology has really expanded the way that students can express their ideas and understanding.  There are countless ways for students to create very visual presentations that they will take pride in.  Some of the most common programs are MovieMaker, Prezi, Animoto, and Glogster.   There are many other cool programs, such as Kerpoof, that offer even more alternatives. For instance, in Kerpoof,  there is an app to create an interactive story.  Click here to see how children In the younger grades could use this feature to write a story about dinosaurs or whatever they were studying at that time.  Perhaps this is just one of the option of how to express themselves and they get to choose which one best suits their purpose.  

Strategy #4:  Provide tools for Construction and Composition

It is important for students to have tools that help them when learning.  Students with special needs might need more support at times, but it  is a good idea to offer these tools to all learners.  A couple examples of these tools for construction are calculators and spell checking aids. 

In math, it is key that students have proper support in place to ensure success.    Calculators can help the learner achieve their goals and sometimes offer new ways of solving a problem.  For instance, in Algebra, students may have difficulty understanding what a linear equation is, based on the expression mx + b.  However, if they were to use a graphic calculator that plots is equation on a graph and creates a t-chart, the learner would get a visual understanding of what this expression looks like.  There are many different online calculators.  Click here to see a great site that has a variety of mathematical and finance calculators.  This would be a great tool when teaching financial literacy.

Spelling and word prediction programs such as Word Q are a great equalizer when working online.  Students who struggle with spelling and grammar, can effectively use these tools to support their goals.  These tools can help students be more confident with the work they are creating and can teach them spelling/grammar concepts along the way.  Grammar Check is another option.  It is on online grammar checking tool that you copy and paste into.  Not only does it fix your grammatical errors, it also identifies why they are errors.  An example of this in the learning environment is assigning a student to write a reflection on a dance they attended as a school.  The purpose of this is to demonstrate the knowledge of a dance curriculum expectation.  Students are more likely to be able to write in a more clear and coherent manner if they use tools use such as Grammar Check and Word Q

  

Strategy #5:  Make learning fun, interactive and intriguing using a gaming approach

Today’s 21^st Century learners love technology!  They are used to interact with it all of the time and are drawn to learning from it.  By putting technology in the hands of the learners, educators will enhance learning opportunities for all students.  Gaming is a great example of one way the technology can be used to motivate students.

A great example of this is using Mindcraft to motivate students to learn more about the Mid-Evil time period.  By actually allowing student to create a village, they will learn much more about the architecture and the way of life back then.  Another example, is to use Angry Birds to explain the difference between potential and kinetic energy.  Educators might want to incorporate the use of ‘Badges’ similar to those seen in the gaming word.  Each time a student complete a task or shows mastery in a skill they would receive a digital badge.  These badges can be created for free at classbadges.com.

Overall, gaming is just one angle that an educator can take to engage students with technology.  They key is that the students in these classroom will want to learn, to push themselves and come to school each day regardless of their special needs or learning issues  

Apps for Autism

Autism is on the rise and we are seeing more and more in our classrooms.  Recent stats show that 1 in 88 children are on the autism spectrum, this is up from 1 in 110 only seven years ago (CTVNews).  Some might argue that the dramatic rise is based on improved diagnosis, either way, as educators we need to better prepare ourselves to support these students in the best way possible. 

Fortunately, there has also been an increase in the quality of assistive technology to help these students succeed in the classroom.  One of the greatest advancements is in the form of portable devices.  These devices are extremely useful as they can travel with the individual wherever they are.  For teachers, this can help students with autism communicate their ideas and feelings, assist in developing their communication skills and enhance their learning inside and out inside of the classroom.

Communicating Their Ideas

Communication develops differently and at a slower pace for children on the autism spectrum.  For some children, they struggle to communicate even simple ideas and needs.  There are a variety of apps available for Android and Apple, that help children with this struggle.  For instance, Discover My Voice, is a great app where the child can tap images to that relay what they want or need.  Click here to see an example of this app helping a young girl with autism communicate with her parents.  There is also another app called My Voice, which is created specifically for individuals with speech disabilities.  In this app you can create an extensive library of pictures that are linked with audio.  As well, you can customize a keyboard that is designed specifically for individuals with these needs.

Social Skills

People with autism often find social situations very difficult and stressful.  They struggle to communicate their feelings and can become frustrated quickly.  In the classroom, this can result in situations that require careful behavior management strategies.  Using portable devises and apps is just one other tool that might be effective in these situations.  For instance, The Social Navigator App is a great app that is designed to guide children through their current social situation and gives them strategies and reminders to help the resolve that situation effectively and independently.  Another great app that help reduce frustrations and improves social situations, is Austimate.  This is a more comprehensive app that help students work through their daily routines and provides positive and immediate reinforcement, which is a key component in their behaviour and social skill management.  ChoiceWorks is another app that is similar to Austimate, however seems more appropriate for younger children. 

Enhances Learning

Individuals on the autism spectrum can benefit from visual representations to help them learn.  There are many apps available to help them make their learning more meaningful and more visual.  For instance, VizZle is a great app that is designed to help teach visual learners, specifically those with autism.  It has a large data base of material that can be accessed easily, as well the content can also be created.  Due to the visual natural of these learners it helps engage them and keeps them focused.  As well, research is starting to show that this type of technology has a therapeutic affect on their emotions.  To see this tool in action, watch Ali’s story to see how VizZle can truly impact student learning.  There are countless other apps that teacher can use to help students with autism learn in a more effective and engaging manner.

Overall, as you can see, apps should be apart of the education process from students on the autism spectrum.   By making this type of learning portable, it gives the learner more consistency and more independence throughout the day.    

Livescribe

This assistive technology literally puts a student’s learning in their own hands.  This pen does much more than just write: it records, plays back and transfers writing into digital form instantly.  With some creativity, this pen can be used to enhance and deepen learning at any level of education.

Having the ability to record audio into the pen allows for many different applications for a variety of different learners.  For instance, for students who are learning to read or who are struggling with pronunciation or particular sounds, the pen can be programmed by the educator or speech therapist to help learners break down and combine sounds.  This is helpful for the learner because it gives them the opportunity to revisit areas of difficulty as much as they need and it allows them to develop some independence when working on these concepts.

Click here to watch a video of how this can be used to help with speech and learning to read.

As their learning progresses into reading sentences, the pen can be used in a variety of ways.  For instance, the pen can offer specific cues to help students with vocabulary they might be struggling or can deliver content that might not be clearly understood by the reader.  This will allow the reader constant access assistance whenever needed throughout the reading process.

For many learners who struggle with decoding, it can be difficult to gain an understanding of their knowledge in a particular area.  However, because this pen has the ability to read information from a page and the ability to record their answers orally, the learner now has the ability to complete assignments with more independence.  For instance, whether it is a test or a reading comprehension activity, the pen could be used help them understand the text or the questions presented to them, and they could record their answers directly into the pen.  For some learners who struggle to effectively get their ideas down on paper, it is becomes a powerful tool help educators assess their understanding. 

Click here to watch a video of how the Livescribe can be use to create a 'Talking Test'.

Even for students who are fluent readers and writers, this tool can be used in a variety of different ways to help them prepare for various different types of assessments.  For instance, the Livescribe pen can be use to create auditory flash cards to help with memorization of definitions, diagrams, maps, ect…  It is even promoted as a tool to help students prepare for major assessments such as SATs.  These students can record tutoring session and lessons, or use it to give prompts and reminders that will help guide their understanding.  In addition, all of this information can be transferred onto their technology of choice and organized into digital notebooks that could be accessed from anywhere.

Click here to see how the Livescribe can be use to create audio flash cards.

There are countless ways that Livescribe pens can be used in education and beyond.  This enhances student learning because it give the learner more independence and control over their learning.  They will have more opportunities to demonstrate their abilities in a manner that best suits their strengths.  Because this pen will allow students to bypass obstacles that stand in their way of success, they will be able to learn at a deeper level and at their own pace.  The versatility of the pen makes it usable for everyone, not just those who struggle with learning issues.  Overall, the Livescrive pen is a very impressive tool that should be used more in education.  

Click here to watch more tutorials on how Livescribe pens can be used in education.

Technology Tool #3: QR Codes

QR CODES

In the last year, one of the neatest technology tools that I learned about were QR codes.  I used to see these everywhere and thought that they were these super complex images that only computer geniuses could make.  Well, I was wrong, very wrong!  QR codes are one of the easiest and quickest ways to share links to portable devices. 

Even kindergarten classes now seem to be using portable devices more and more.  However, for students who cannot spell, finding an internet site on a topic that is being discussed in class could be difficult.  That is where QR codes come in.  Using a QR code scanner, which is available for free on almost all devices, student can simply scan the code and it navigates them to the intended site.  For instance, if you were doing a unit on dinosaurs and students wanted to learn more through watching an online video, they could simply scan the code under and image of a particular type of dinosaur and press play.   Grab your device and scan the code besides this paragraph to see what I mean.

Scan here to watch a
video tutorial on creating
QR Codes

How easy is it?  Well let me show you in 6 easy steps.

1. Find an internet site that you would like to link to a QR Code and copy the URL.
2. Search "Google Shortener" in web browser and click on the first link.
3. Paste URL where it asks you to paste it.
4. Click "Shorten URL"
5. Click on details beside the shortened URL.
6. You will see a QR code, right click and "Save image as"
7. Scan with portable devices to see if it links properly.  

This tools can be used in many different way in the classroom.  For instance;

More Ideas

• students can create a 21st century resume linking codes on their resume to their professional blogs
• codes can link to exemplars, addition information and notes
• codes can be used to set up learning stations
• codes can be used to link extra information to assignments such as infographics.   

These are only a few examples of how this tool can be used throughout the K-12 setting.  Click here or scan the QR code labeled "More Ideas" for a great website that really captures a wide array of uses for these codes in education.

The impact of this tool across the K-12 setting is that is allows us to link information quickly to our handheld devices.  With some creativity, we can manufacture lessons that are more engaging to students while at the same time remarkably informative.  In addition, as handheld devices become more and more prevalent, this can lead to less paper being used in the classroom and a more positive affect on the environment, as well as a cost saving for the educational system.  The great thing about these codes are that they can be used by all grade for a variety of different reasons.  This is just one more tool that puts learning at the tip of your finger.