Thing 31: Final Reflections & What’s Next?

For my final reflection I've decided to create an eBook in Book Creator.  Probably my favorite thing this session.

Thank you Polly-Alida for this class!  You have done an amazing job!!!!  Best wishes to you and enjoy this new chapter!

The link to my eBook from Book Creator.

https://read.bookcreator.com/yqjD3XDxKjXDiUARm55hnKwEDFx2/hPfc6lsJS8qEFH1GGvAUXg

Thing 17: eBook Creation

Link to my project

https://read.bookcreator.com/yqjD3XDxKjXDiUARm55hnKwEDFx2/2Zt1lfJ3TEiBCwg57icXHA

Book Creator is awesome!  I watched the Getting Started With Book Creator for Chrome by Dr. Monica Burns from July 2018.  

The product is very easy to use.  I included a link above to the book I created during the 45 minute video.  I love the recording feature.  It allowed me to add a recording of my voice (which I deleted) and also tried out the speech to text feature.  Students will be so excited about this.

My 1st grade enrichment group just started a state research project.  It s the same group who created the green screen video.   This product will be perfect for them.  They can each create a page using the joining code and then I can combine the individual pages and easily share the book with their classes and families - electronically and a paper copy.

The speech to text feature is perfect for first grade.  They can speak their facts on the page.  They can read the notes they take. This will put the focus on the information and not so focused on the correct spelling.  Some in the group have challenges with their handwriting.  Using the product I can find a balance between them learning keyboard skills and creating a project they are proud of.  Some were very frustrated during the last research project with the writing part.  Having them type a fact and speak a fact provides the perfect balance.  Drawing will provide that personalization students crave.

I can see other uses too - reader's response after I read a story to a class.  A quick way to record and assess.  

I am currently reading Magic Tree House books to  1st and 2nd grades classes.  This would fit nicely as a summary when we finish the book.

Excited to begin using Book Creator!

Thing 28: Anything Goes Google

There is so much under Google!  I listened to Hipster Google - 21 Things you probably never heard of.  I also watched two videos from about self-grading quizzes and sharing quizzes from Teachers Tech.

One of the items I really liked was Google Spell.  I thought it would be great for a filler activity during my library classes.   Well, I went to use it and it looks like it is no longer available :(.   I'll have to look for a similar activity..

One tool I am anxious to try is Google Cast.  My students will be so excited to display their work on the Smart Board.   They recently wrote Haikus and it would have been great to have each student display their poem on the screen in front of the class.  I am definitely going to have my students try Google Cast.

Tour builder was another interesting tool.  I am doing a state research project with my 1st grade enrichment group.   I can have them map out a tour of all the state capitals, and they can each put a fact about their capital.

I was amazed by the Google Translate tool and the ability to translate signs using the camera.  I was sharing with someone at work who said they used it in Italy recently and it was a life saver.  Hopefully someday I will find myself in a foreign country on vacation and can use it.

Toontastic looked fun, but I don't have access to a class set of iPads.

I just looked for Google Story Builder and discovered that app has also been retired.  I thought it would have been a good activity for 3rd and 4th graders to use with fairy tales and folk tale characters.

Thing 22: Teaching & Learning with Primary Sources

Wow, there is a lot available in this lesson - so many resources!

 I watched the Powtoon video on the difference between primary and secondary sources. I will use this as an introductory lesson with my 6th graders.  They are visiting Washington D.C. this June.  I started planning a lesson using Google Docs on the Lincoln Memorial for them to do prior to their visit.  

I found a photo collection of design proposals  for the memorial  in DocsTeach. Student will compare and contrast to what is looks like today.

DocsTeach Lincoln Memorial Proposals

 I'm going to pair these with a book on the history and construction of the memorial.  I also found other photos that show various renderings of the Lincoln statue.  Here is one.

LOC Lincoln Statue 

I also reviewed the Kid Citizen and Eagle Eye links.  I can use these with my younger students.  I watched the Eagle Eye video on Flags.  At first I was unsure about it, but by the end I saw that it came back around and did a good job tying the sources together and illustrating to viewers what to look for and types of questions to ask about primary sources.

I registered for DocsTeach and found a great lesson on Rosa Parks arrest record, along with sources about other women who also refused to give up their seats prior to Rosa Parks.  In the lesson there is a version of the arrest record with Rosa's name redacted.  I'm going to experiment with it on my library computers so it it displayed for each student and they can't click to show the entire record.   The objective of the lesson is to have the students figure out who it is.

Arrest Record

Thing 23: New AASL Standards

Working on Cool Tools on another snowy day in Rochester.  I saw a meme that there are 31 days until Spring - I hope they go by quickly!  I completed the exercise in Paige's article and marked on the framework what I am Doing, what I am Close on and those that I need to Improve. 

• For Doing - I have the most under engage across all domains, with the most being under Think.  
•  For Improve - There are quite a few marks under create and share.  The most being under the boxes create/include, grow/include, share/curate, and grow/curate.  
•  For Close - I didn't have as many marked close.  Grow/Inquire was the most marked category.

This exercise indicated to me that I need to provide my students with opportunities to research and engage in discussions about different perspectives.  It brings to mind a recent lesson.   I was reviewing with 4th and 5th graders Me on the Map skills - continent, country, state, city...

As soon as they saw the map of  North America with the US, Canada, and Mexico some students mentioned the wall and opinions started flying.  Some weren't even sure what the wall was. It led to a lesson about what a border was. Another lesson playing a presidential trivia game last week on Kahoot! led to lots of students sharing what they thought was the job of the president.  

These recent classes are perfect examples of Create/Inquire #2 - Devising and implementing a plan to fill knowledge gaps.

Looking  through the Tech Tools, I have used some - Adobe Spark and Do Ink.  Story Board that and Powtoon look doable for my students with available resources.  Both these tools work with Share/Inquire #4 and Share/Engage #2

Other thoughts on the Standards - I use an online planning tool - Planbook.  I haven't seen them as an option in that tool.  On my follow-up list.

Thing 6: Digital Storytelling

Well, weather like today gives me a good opportunity to catch up on PD :) 

The first time I participated in Cool Tools I did a video on Animoto. It was still in my account and it was only 30 seconds.  Brought back memories - it was of my son during his high school swim meet.  

There are a lot of resources listed on Thing 6.  I explored many of them.  Powtoons looks interesting, as well as the Time Line tool on Read Write Think.  The time line tool in Google Slides looked a little complicated for elementary.

I spent the most time on Adobe Sparks.  I made two videos.  Very easy to learn and the free version had enough options to create a nice video.  I'm hoping that my district has a subscription or its included with our Google accounts.  We have a book of the month in our K-6 building and it would be a great project for the students to retell the story using Sparks, adding their connection to the story. 

Here is the first video I made - Annie loves the snow much more that I do!

Here is the second video.  My son has traded swimming for biking!  Tried embedding it - hope it works!

Thing 30 DIY - Makerspaces

So many great resources here!  I fell down a rabbit hole though watching the videos on recreating Twinkies and Cheetos :).  Brought back memories of trying to recreate graham crackers, cheese crackers, and other foods for my kids when they were diagnosed with Celiac disease.  Some successful and some not so much!

The link to makertubs and the challenges David Romano has for his students look very doable.  Loved the reference to the four C's - Communication, Collabortaion, Critical Thinking, and Creativity.  I am going to try and incorporate some of  his challenges or modify them for my 30 minute classes.  

Often when I do makerspace I will group students.  Que groaning, sighing, and eye rolling.  It is so wonderful to see most of that all go away as they start to work together with minimal referring.

I have dabbled in makerspaces in my K-6 library.  I have borrowed the set of Little Bits owned by the district and just purchased my own set with book fair profits. It fosters teamwork and collaboration.  Kids loved it!  It worked best with grades 3 and up.  My kit should arrive the week we return from break and I'm looking forward to using it.  In prior classes I instructed the students to use the diagrams in the kit to assemble a wheeled vehicle.  The teams were so excited to complete the project. This year I am going to give a short lesson on electricity prior to them using the kit, maybe using BrainPOP.   I think it will help those that haven't grasped the basics on electrical currents and help them be more engaged.  Applying what they know to the real world - go makerspace!

 I also use a 3D printer in my library when I have it on loan from the district.  My last unit with first graders involved research and a green screen video on coral reef animals.  We closed out the unit by printing a sea horse cookie cutter for each of the students.  I struggle though because other than watching it, the students aren't actively involved in creating the objects.  I tried Tinkercad last year, but 3D drawing has a long learning curve for students (and teachers!)  My goal this year is to print something I have drawn on Tinkercad.  Prior attempts have not been successful....

I learned that makerspace doesn't have to be fancy, expensive, or complicated.  A skein of yarn and a book about cat's cradle string games will engage students.  I modeled how to tie a knot and make a loop of yarn, and then make "witches broom." Just tying a know I found out was a new experience for some kids.

  

 Most of the students hadn't heard of Cats Cradle, except a few who had learned about it from an aunt or grandma.  Students were motivated to learn, and those that either knew already or picked it up quickly taught others.  Some are regularly coming in the library asking for another piece of yarn, so I keep a supply ready and the book on a table!

I am very fortunate that I don't have to justify makerspace in my building/district.  My admin and RCSD is very supportive - with staff and funding.  My principal and some teachers came into the library when the students were doing cats cradle and they joined in with the kids. Perfect way to connect.  I did the lesson the week before Thanksgiving break.  I encouraged the students to share their new skill with their families during the holiday break.

Makerspace provides and opportunity for critical thinking, creativity, and probably most importantly collaboration.  I want my students to leave elementary school knowing that libraries are a place for life long learning, and makerspace is a motivating and fun way for them to experience libraries and all they can offer.