Adventures in Tech Integration: Coding in Kindergarten

     A big thank you to the ISTE Coaches Group, who have been encouraging Technology Integration Specialists not only to blog regularly, but also to read and comment on our fellow colleagues’ blogs. 

    Today I am writing about combining Sight Words and Coding in Kindergarten. Both of our Kindergarten teachers taught in 1st grade last year. They are familiar with Bee-bots and wanted to use them in their Kindergarten classrooms. Bee-bots are small, user friendly robots that can be programmed using arrow keys. We talked  about possibly using math problems with the Beebots, but decided to begin with sight words for this first session.

     Our ever helpful  building engineer cut display boards in half for us (yes, it takes a village!). I drew a grid on each board with a black marker and cut and pasted enlarged sight words on random squares. We also provided an audio option for those needing or wanting the challenge of only hearing the word and then finding it on the board. We linked a Chatter Pix, see sample below, to a QR code. This could be a fun buddy activity if you are paired with an older classroom and then the teacher would have a ChatterPix for each vocabulary or sight word made already.  

However, for this first time, we decided scanning QR codes with an iPad to hear the word was a bit much in conjunction with the coding steps. Later in the school year we can incorporate this for differentiation. At the start of the year, just  writing the sight words down on index cards for K students to select is fine. 

    After a brief whole class overview, students work in groups of four or five and take turns with jobs—one student selecting a word from the pile of cards, one finding the word on the board, another laying out the directional arrows next to board to get to the designated word, one who programs the robot to move, and if you do have five in a group, one can be the “fixer.” If the sequence isn’t working, then the fixer adjusts the steps and tries it again. If time permits, a whole class wrap-up is helpful for allowing children to share and synthesize what they have learned. Besides reinforcing sight words and learning the basics of coding, students are also learning how to work together. 

     In first grade last year teachers used the Bee-bots in social studies, navigating to places in the community using pictures of the post office, hospital, train station, etc. on the board as well as using prepositions like over, under, between, next to in the direction cards. There are many curricular possibilities. Go to Twitter and do a search for Bee-bot for further inspiration! I would love to hear what other Coding activities you do for primary students as well. Thanks so much for stopping by. 😁

Final Reflection on Digital and Media Literacy Class

     Digital and Media Literacy been an invaluable course for me. Talented people whom I deeply respect urged me to skip formal tech classes, believing that issues in the ed tech world are changing constantly and anything can be learned online. But I have benefited immensely from the curation of timely materials, the feedback and professional guidance, and the discourse from my fellow students in the education field. It has felt quite luxurious to learn something one moment and apply it in a practical way the next, over and over. 

     I’m walking away feeling very motivated to argue for equal emphasis and attention to the newer digital literacies. I have a better understanding for the need to balance traditional ways of reading and writing in the primary grades with the new ways of doing these things digitally. I find myself more frequently paging through the assortment of tech standards out there and using them to build my lessons and Professional Development. I see the value to beginning a PD session with a discussion of an Essential Question and I will endeavor to provide multiple, reoccurring PD sessions which give teachers a chance to not only try out a new tech skill immediately but also a supported period of implementing it in the classroom and then coming back to share learning and student examples with colleagues. 

     I tried the Chatterbox app on a classmate’s recommendation and found that to be even more expressive than Chatterpix. My next tool to try must be Realtime Board! We would like to do more around student collaboration at my school, and this tool should work well with that aim. I was at the ICE Conference the other week, attending a Smartboard Amp presentation, and realized that Realtime Board could do many of the same things for free! I would also like to do an infographic project with the 3rd or 4th grade, it could really cover a host of digital literacy skills. Finally, I feel that Sploder would be a good extension activity for my coding club, I would just like to become a little more proficient at it myself, first!

     There are at least two things I would like to learn in the future. One is how to participate in the Maker Movement, including how to use a 3D printer. I should start by purchasing a MaKey MaKey kit since it was featured on the cover of the most recent government tech report no less! I also want to learn how to offer online PD sessions, which might be a good fit for some follow up tech PD sessions in my district. I think our class model is a good start—the succinct, friendly video, some resources posted below, and perhaps an interactive piece like EdPuzzle and/or a threaded discussion. Experimenting with this model with a tech specialist colleague could be a good next step!

Midcourse Reflection: Digital & Media Literacy in the Classroom

     I used to think that technology integration was like icing on the cake, that it was at best supplemental to traditional ways of learning in the classroom. I knew it could be used to generate engagement and to extend learning, and for a long while I have recognized the power of an authentic audience and the fact that technology can be a way to develop stronger home/school connections. But now I think that teaching digital and media literacy should be a central part of reading and writing instruction. To be prepared for college, to compete in the 21st century job market, students need to be able to find and analyze information quickly and generate solutions to problems in a creative way, within a collaborative setting. To be successful professionally and even happy personally, it helps to be a true learner. Digital creation tools, the internet, and social media can be harnessed at any time a learner wants to find out more or communicate what he is learning. It can no longer be optional to learn these skills in any school!

     I used to think that schools were a place to learn the canon, to learn about set curriculum like the Battle of Antietam or the Distributive Property.  Now I think that schools should be places where students begin to find out what excites them, what their passions in life might be. School should be a place for students to learn about what interests them the most, with teachers guiding and facilitating this journey. To echo educator Will Richardson, we need students to bring their passions to our world!  This can be an overwhelming concept for a teacher used to being the “expert” in the room. But how much more stimulating it can be to stand shoulder to shoulder with students as a learner. A classroom filled with engaged and energized students is a vibrant, rewarding place to be. 

     I used to think that Digital Divide only referred to the gap between students with devices and internet access and students without. Now I understand that Digital Divide refers to the difference between students creating digital content and students consuming digital content.  It’s so easy to assume that students are receiving the benefits of modern day technology when you see them using computers or tablets. But if teachers stay primarily at the Substitution rung of the SAMR ladder, students are are not getting the opportunity to utilize their creativity and higher level thinking skills. 

     I used to think that handwriting should probably take precedent over keyboarding in the primary grades, now I think that there should be a balance in learning both handwriting and keyboarding. It’s painful to see a student slowed down by a lack of typing skills. With a little daily practice anyone can learn keyboarding, and once a student knows where each letter is, and is not hunting and pecking, composing at the keyboard can start to feel effortless and give students a sense of efficacy and accomplishment. I do believe this is something that can be mostly assigned for homework, and then a teacher can give a five minute typing test once a week to track student progress. Keyboarding practice could also be an option when a student finishes something early and has a few minutes to spare. Some typing programs have a literacy component, like Keyboarding Without Tears, so this can even be done during the reading block in centers. 

     I used to think that a technology endorsement was not 100% necessary for tech specialists, that anything we needed to learn was already out there and available and that the landscape was shifting very quickly. A tool we learn about today might not be available tomorrow. I was pleased to see that when Jennie Magiera, the Chief Technology Officer for Des Plaines School District 62,  tweeted about an open ed tech position in one of her schools, she only wanted 1-1 device experience and a teaching degree.  There was no mention of any tech endorsement requirement. Now I think that taking a series of educational technology classes can really be enriching and empowering. I have read about the SAMR model countless times, I’ve watched colleagues in other schools give inspired presentations about it, and I’ve visited Berwyn District 100 where every classroom has a SAMR poster and the entire community, including parents, are knowledgeable about each step on the ladder. But something clicked this time when I reviewed SAMR for this course. I am motivated like never before to present and discuss the SAMR model with our teachers. I also appreciated learning about the Pedagogy Wheel, a visual guide where SAMR levels and Bloom’s Taxonomy steps are aligned along with apps that can be used at each level. Threaded discussion with fellow students as well as the professor have helped to refine and solidify my current thinking and practices.

     Finally, I used to think that acquiring new technology should be dependent on the interest or enthusiasm on the part of teachers and/or our tech team. Now I think that we should find a way to measure student learning as a result of the adoption of new technology. We need to look at data within a small group first to help us decide more efficiently if this new technology should be adopted school or district-wide. I read about Rapid Cycle Tech Evaluation in the National Education Technology Plan and would like to learn more about this! I like the idea of teachers conducting their own research to test the efficacy of new technology and to drive professional development. 

Final Reflection on Edu 776

     I have learned so much this semester in Edu 776! Sometimes there are applications that I am interested in, or that I’ve signed up for, but I put off taking the plunge—iMovie, Aurasma, and Voice Thread come to mind! So I appreciate the opportunity to try new things.  I’ve also benefited from our discussions of a digital footprint as well as a professional presence on the web. My website and blog are a solid start!

     We are lucky to be in a district that values professional development, that conceived of a faculty cohort taking a tech class together. It’s also been great hearing teachers talk about a variety of tech tools. We need more teachers sharing about what technology they are having success with! It’s been a real pleasure working with some colleagues that I don't always get a chance to spend time with. It reminds me how important the social aspect of learning is. Our district can only benefit from the new and renewed connections between everyone. 

     There have been a plethora of resources presented during each class. I admire the fact that Nicole has tried out every tool she’s shared with  us on students. It’s been helpful seeing a veteran Tech Specialist’s collection of prezi’s, professional website with lists of links on topics such as coding or digital citizenship, and rubrics. I never would have thought to ask people if they wanted my newsletter, the way Nicole does with her teachers who then sign up to get them via Remind. Food for thought!

Remind is a messaging app perfect for schools.

(Image Source)

     In one fell swoop our cohort has gotten experience with blabberize, blogging, wordle, weebleys, wikis, prezi’s and webquests. We’ve been inspired by our fellow students’ iMovies and cool tool talks. We learned a host of transferrable skills and it's been so exciting to see D90 students doing variations of some of these. I look forward to a future D90 PD day when our cohort can share favorite ed tech learning with the rest of our community. 

Lessons in Data Mining

     In class the other night we went Data Mining for all the information we could find on a randomly assigned person. It was sobering to be able to find out information on a person’s job, home purchase, age, and even family pictures. Your mother’s maiden name used to be private and classified information—no more! There are countless websites, some of them for pay, which exist now to help people seek out personal information on others. 

     This exercise made me realize how critical it is for teachers to educate students on leaving a positive digital footprint. Students don't always understand that what they do online is often permanent. When they grow up and mature, those embarrassing pictures or comments are still available to be retrieved. I recently came across a Gaggle article on Twitter which emphasizes that nothing is private when it has been posted on the internet. Students need to learn that it is necessary to protect their reputation. We’ve all heard of the job applicant who gets edged out or even a teacher getting fired because of inappropriate Facebook pictures or comments brought to light.  


                             

                                            Gaggle tweet about Digital Citizenship

     Since it is so easy to extract information about people on the web, now more than ever it is time to take control of your web presence and ensure that you are communicating a positive image for yourself. Steve Dembo lectures passionately about the need for students to have evidence of their creative work available on the internet. He says that not having a digital footprint is worse than having a bad one! When there are only a few spots open for scholarships or admission to a prestigious school, you can bet that some admissions personnel will be googling student names in order to learn more about them. Besides, Dembo notes, wonderful work deserves to be shared with the world, not buried away. As educators we can model a positive, professional online presence for students and help them put their best digital foot forward!

                             Steve Dembo believes that teachers should help students cultivate their online presence. 

Digital Storytelling Reflection

     I am feeling proud of myself for creating my first iMovie! In the past I have relied on WeVideo for moving making, because I appreciated the flexibility of not being tied to a single device when uploading film. However, since we are in an all-Mac district, it makes sense to have a working knowledge of a fabulous tool like iMovie which is at our fingertips. 

     That evening as we watched each other’s movies in class, I was once again struck by the creativity and depth of my D90 colleagues. Its important to take the time to get to know our fellow teachers, but its easy to go about our business with blinders on, connecting primarily with the friends in our inner school circle. Time is always at a premium in schools, and when are we able to talk about pets being part of the family, or the impact our 4th grade teacher had on our life, or a story we’ve had in the back of our mind for a while? The experience reminded me of the pleasures of attending a conference with colleagues, sometimes the bonding and idea exchange that occurs with one another rivals the value of the content presented. 

     With this in mind, it would be illuminating to see the digital stories our students could tell us. What a great, beginning of the year community building activity! Or this could be a classroom job, videographer. And this person could take pictures and videos and turn them into a movie to show everyone a certain time of year, or assembly, or field trip. This would also be a good tool to use to create a film presentation about a region, a book, a period in time, or important issue. One thing we know for sure, students would definitely appreciate the chance to express themselves with digital storytelling. 

Show Data in a Fun Way with Piktochart

     Piktochart is a user-friendly site where you can make really sharp looking infographics in a snap. I created my first Pictochart on coding apps available to elementary students. This is a helpful visual learning tool since our eyes can process pictures more quickly and easier than text.

     You may choose a template or you can create your own. This site is free, but you have fewer templates to choose from with a free account. Any part of the template can be removed or changed. You can upload images from your computer, and there is even a link to import data from survey monkey. Some applications like Canva have a lot of images to choose from, unlike Piktochart, where you must create or supply your own. I also like that Piktochart has a drag and drop option for images. When you are finished, its easy to share via embed code or email. Privacy options are only available for paid accounts.

     This would be a good tool for teachers to use when students have to break down a concept to its basic terms. Students could make a poster advertising a concept. Or students could create an infographic based on research they have done, or they could create an infographic using a variety of data and then interpret that data. Debating two sides of an issue would work well with this tool, as well as creating timelines to show a period of history or the arc of a story. Especially since infographics are popular and prevalent, I believe students would be enthusiastic about using this tool to demonstrate something that they have learned and would like to communicate. When students are doing research on trends or issues or even if you are just doing a data unit in geometry, this is a handy tool to utilize with your classroom!