Take 2 – An iPod Challenge

My class recently completed a math activity using the iPod Application, Math Magic 24!  At the end of the activity, I pulled my students together to find out what they liked and disliked about the lesson and asked how to improve it.   It was suggested that I create a game board to help.  Again, students played on the practice mode and used a 1, 2, or 3 minute timer.   We eliminated keeping score and their challenge was to race their opponent to the top of a ladder. 

Students once again worked on problem solving skills, order of operation, and identified addition and multiplication properties.    Students were given dry-erase boards and calculators for practice and reinforcement. 

iPods and Google Forms -- What Works Best?

This past week, I created two forms on Google Docs for my students to work through in math class. This first form I created dealt with solving integers. This form included 5 pages, the first page required students to input their names, homeroom teachers, and iPod number. A page break in the form requires you to complete and answer all questions before moving on to the next section. The following four pages reviewed adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing integers with several problems on each page. They first attempted to complete the form using iPods. The majority of my students found it difficult to complete the form due to the amount of scrolling they had to do. They became frustrated and most did not complete the assignment. The following day, I had them complete the form again but this time in the computer lab. Here they were successful in completing the assignment and maneuvering was much easier due to the larger screen.

The second form I created was a review of algebra properties. This time I put a page break after every question. This made the page easier to see, and little to no scrolling was required. Students were once again given iPods to complete this assignment. Students commented on the ease of the form and preferred it over the previously lesson.

What I learned with my students is that if you are going to use a Google Doc form on the iPod then it is important to insert a page break between every question. If you are planning to use the form on a computer or iPad then having several problems on a page is more acceptable.

How are you using Google forms?

The Horizon Report - 2011 Edition

The 2011 Horizon Report examined six emerging technologies and their potential impact on teaching, learning, and creativity through key trends that are currently affecting the practices of each. In addition, we must also consider important constraints and challenges when adopting technology into our educational experiences.

As I read this report, I was fascinated with each new technology and excited to see what is becoming available. Throughout this report the one technology that seemed to make it's way into every emerging technology was the “mobiles”. Mobiles are now in the hands of many students of all ages providing us the opportunity to integrate them into classroom activities. It offers the ability to keep in touch through email, social networks, texting, and provides us with networked information wherever we go as long as there is a cell signal. Electronic Books, Augmented Reality, Game-Based Learning, and Gesture-Based Computing mention and refer to “mobiles” with regard to engaging students with learning.

I feel that “mobiles” along with the other emerging technologies offer its own unique twist to an educational experience and as an educator feel that a variety is best when providing our digital native students the opportunity to take part in their learning experiences.

• Electronic Books provide students an opportunity to read a variety of books for less cost. With new applications emerging, it is providing opportunities for those students who struggle with reading by providing them with the opportunity to view videos, look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary, and every annotation or make comments to refer back to. 
   
• Augmented Reality is an active not passive technology that blurs the boundaries between formal and informal learning. AR is providing us the opportunity to visit a historic place, museum, street, park, coliseum and witness an event from the past. Augmented books are developing 3D characters to emerge from the pages of books which will reach students who do not like to read. It provides anticipation, like waiting for the monster to jump out when watching a movie. 
   
• Game-Based Learning is quickly moving into education providing students the ability to problem-solve, collaborate with others, and socialize while incorporating an interesting story line. Students already spend hours daily playing video games, why not incorporate them into their learning environment. Each time I pull out iPods or computers in my classroom, my students seem to disappear into their own worlds while completing their assignment whether working independently or collaboratively. They are eager to help one another and become very competitive when playing against one another. 
   
• Gesture-Based Computing sparked my attention when I watched “Minority Report”. My boys have always been interested in video games and to watch the progression of my first gaming experience with paddle ball to theirs with Kinect system for Xbox is fascinating. Oh, the places we can go!, as students will interact with the computer to build a model or perform the steps of a surgery.

We must consider all these emerging technologies as educators and acknowledge that they in fact will each contribute and influence our teaching, learning, and creative experiences. The sky's the limit and we must provide our students the opportunity to learn how to learn while mastering and truly owning, the subject matter. 

http://www.nmc.org/pdf/2011-Horizon-Report.pdf

 

iPods as a Classroom Response System

I have used iPods as a Classroom Response System in my classroom. While exploring, I found that you can also monitor each student's progress by inserting color rules into your excel spread sheet. The following photos will lead you through the steps once you have created a form using Matt's tutorial above. 

Now you not only have a summary of all responses but, you can also monitor each student individually.

One thing to consider when monitoring students individually is “Spelling”. If your students do not spell words correctly it will mark the answer wrong. It is important that you review the spreadsheet carefully. If you can tell that they were trying to spell the correct word, you can replace their response with the correct answer on the spreadsheet given them credit for the work.

Students enjoy completing an assignment on the iPod.  
I've developed a review on integers for my students to practice with this week.   

Integers

I have been working with my students on integers this week.  It is always a difficult concept for many of my sixth graders.  We started using this video and many are now adding and subtracting with ease.  We also made up a song for multiplication and division:
Same signs, pos-i-tive,
diff-erent -- neg-a-tive
Now just multiply or divide
And you'll be just fine.

Let's Kick It -- Downloading Video From YouTube

This week I have been working on kicking videos from YouTube to my desktop.  This allows me to sync them to the iPods for my students to use as review and reference. I first tired to “kick” using FireFox and was not successful. I then tried using the web browser, Safari and found that downloading these videos was very simple and painless. So remember to use Safari. I created this movie to help anyone “kick” with ease. Good luck. 

I saved all my videos to the desktop. I then created a YouTube folder that is categorized first by subjects and then topics: YouTube ---> Mathematics ---> Algebra, Geometry, Fractions, etc.  folders

When I am ready to sync, I drag the videos I want my students to watch into iTunes.  

Sync iPods and your students will be ready to watch an educational video for review or reference.  Students will click on the "video" icon to watch.

Exploring Web 2.0 Tools

•  What is a blog?

A webpage that is created by one person and is updated on a regular bases with new information. It allows anyone to be a reporter and/or publisher who can share news about anything from your family to your business or profession. A blog is a two way street that helps you build relationships with readers and other bloggers. Bloggers work together, they read, “quote” , and even link each other posts. It provides a personal kind of news that appeals to small audiences.

• What is a wiki?

A webpage that is created by a community of people who are working on the same goal or interest. It allows visitors to easily add, remove, and otherwise edit and change the available content. It is a mass collaborative authoring.

• How are wikis and blogs different?

A blog is a permanent record that cannot be erased by other classmates. Only the author has the permission to delete a post. A wiki is a collaborative effort where everyone who views the site has the ability to edit, add, and/or remove.

• What is social bookmarking?

Network bookmarks that allow you to access your favorite links from any computer and anywhere. Sites like delicious and portaportal are more useful and can benefit other people. Your bookmarks are public so that others can access them as well as you have the ability to access theirs hence creating a network.

• What is a social network?

Social networks are personal learning networks discussing ideas with others. It is an open dialogue with people we respect allowing us to collect ideas, opinions, experiences, links to other websites, and books. It is a place to ask question and get answers. Social network is a webpage that allows a community of people who share an interest to communicate, work, and network with each other online.

• What is an RSS aggregator?

Really Simple Syndication (RSS) provides the latest headlines and very simple, basic information presented in order from newest to oldest. They bring us information to help us do our jobs. This technology has inspired a shift from a hunting-and-gathering information to the domestication of the information landscape. RSS aggregator will periodically check for new posts, retrieve them as they appear, and make them available for reading at your leisure.

• What is Twitter?

Twitter has many uses for both personal and business use. It's a great way to keep in touch with your friends and quickly broadcast information about where you are and what you're up to. For example, "I'm downtown and aching for some sushi. Anyone like to join me?"
For business, Twitter can be used to broadcast your company's latest news and blog posts, interact with your customers, or to enable easy internal collaboration and group communication.

On Twitter, anyone can read, write and share messages of up to 140 characters. These messages, or Tweets, are public and available to anyone interested in them. Twitter users subscribe to your messages by following your account.

There are a variety of Web 2.0 tools to explore and learn about.  Developing my own PLN is a work in process which will continue to change as my knowledge and skills develop.

An iPod Challenge

I created a math activity for my students using the iPods.  In teams, they played the app, "Math Magic 24!" on the practice mode.  They were given a 2 minute timer, game sheet, and 1 iPod to share.  The first opponent was given 2 minutes to solve an expression using the 4 balloons that equaled 24.  They were allowed to reset as needed within the time frame.  If player 1 failed to solve the expression, player 2 was given 1 chance to steal earning 50 of the 100 points is successful.  The players alternated starts for a total of 10 rounds.  My students were excited to play and felt challenged.  I gave them the opportunity to discuss what worked and want we could do to improve the activity.

What worked included
Like the competition
Helped with basic math facts
iPods made it easy and fun
Provided an understand of PEMDAS (order of operation)
It is challenging and provided 3 levels of difficulty
The timer pushed them to work faster on basic facts.

What we can improve on:
It was difficult to remember the expression because the app did not show the final solution when they solved the equation.
It was suggested that I make a board game to use with the "App" so they can see where they are.
They would like the "App" to provide a hint before given them the solution if they are having difficulty

Overall, my students enjoyed the activity.  At the end, one commented that he enjoyed the activity because we did not have to do math today.  Everyone else quickly reminded him that he did in fact do math but it was fun because of how we did it.

My goal is to recreate this activity and take my student's suggestion of using a game board.   With some adjustments and fine tuning this activity will provided my students with an understanding of PEMDAS.