ipads in the classroom

Picture This!

/ Kristi Meeuwse / Leave a comment

There are no bad pictures; that’s just how your face looks sometimes. -Abraham Lincoln

Have you ever gone down a rabbit hole when you were online?  You know…you click on something that leads to something else and then something else and before you know it, you’ve lost an hour or six.  This happened to me while looking at some suggested apps for taking photographs with iOS devices: iPhone and iPad primarily.

First, let me assert that I am not a photographer.  I have a basic digital camera and iPhone 5.  I haven’t tried being “artsy” with my photographs.  I basically just point, shoot, done.  I know nothing about F-stops, apertures, lenses and the like.  However, through my rabbit-hole experience, I have found a few basic tools that have given me a new-found interest in the artistic side of photography.

First, I read a great article on taking HDR (High Dynamic Range) photos with iPhone.  I hadn’t heard of HDR before, but this article is very easy to follow and has good info.  Keep in mind, that iPads also can be used for photographs.  I downloaded HDR Pro FX app, Moku HD and also Hipstamatic App on my iPhone and iPad. Here are a few before and after shots taken with my iPhone 5 and enhanced with HDR Pro:

Before HDR Pro

Before HDR Pro

After

After

Before

Before

After

After

Before

Before

after

after with Moku app

So, you can see you don’t have to have any talent to create some beautiful shots. I encourage you to play around with your iOS device camera and see what fun things you can do with them.  One more fun fact I discovered:  the volume button on your iOS earbuds serves as the shutter button for the camera.  When the camera is open, if  the earbuds are plugged in, you simply push the volume button on the cord and you can take a photo.  This is great particularly if you don’t want to be seen taking a photograph (People of Walmart upload maybe??)  I digress…

There is an online community I have recently joined for mobile photography.  MobiTog is the iPhoneography Community for iPhoneographers around the world to share their images and join a global community.  You can check it out here. It’s a great place to get tips, ideas and feedback on your photographs.

So, I hope you will try out some of these ideas, go down your own rabbit hole and have some fun!

Today we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

All A’Twitter

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 7 Comments

Dance like the photo’s not being tagged, Tweet like nobody’s following.-@postsecret

I like to think of myself as an early adopter of technology.  I like gidgets and gadgets even when I’m not sure what I will do with them.  I’m on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, Google + and Twitter.  I also read blogs by other educators who use technology such as TechChef4U and Matt B Gomez.  All of these help keep me current.

Image from Twitter

Image from Twitter

Having a Professional Learning Network (PLN) is so important for growth.  Whether you are resting and re-charging on summer vacation or you are in the middle of a school year, you are the lead learner in the classroom.  And…let’s face it, staff development given by the school district isn’t always on target or just in time.

While there are many social media sites you can be involved in, I’m going to talk mainly about Twitter today.  I joined Twitter a few years ago without really knowing what to do with it.  I lurked and read Tweets by local news outlets and some celebrities.  I didn’t tweet because I didn’t have any followers and didn’t know what I’d tweet about even if I did.  I wasn’t doing anything interesting ( I thought) and didn’t think anyone would care.  I really didn’t see the big deal and why people were all a’ Twitter about Twitter.  I felt stupid and definitely like I was missing something.

Once I started writing this blog, a friend suggested I start sharing it via Twitter and Facebook.  I said ok.  Soon, I started having some followers.  The more I blogged, the more followers I got.  That was pretty cool…except I was still missing the point of Twitter… and the bounty of knowledge of other educators.

Going through the Apple Distinguished Educator application process, I started following other ADE’s.  I also started following some of the people they were following.  I started reading their tweets and following some of the links they were sharing.  I was amazed at the wealth of information, apps, links and other information I had at my fingertips.  I had found a PLN that I could share information with and gain knowledge from.  It is like the corner convenience store…open 24/7 and always has just the very thing you need, plus some other things you didn’t even know you needed.

So, a few things you might need if you are not on Twitter or you are still lurking in the shadows:

1.  Use the hash tag # symbol followed by whatever topic you might be interested in.  I follow #edtech, #kinderchat and a few others.

2. Use the @ before someone’s name to find them.  For example, you can find me at @kristimeeuwse.

3.  You can post tweets, choose to favorite some tweets (that way you can refer back quickly), re-tweet or even direct message people.

4.  Keep it simple…140 characters or less and don’t go crazy with the hash tags.  Others may want to retweet you.

Many of the topics you choose to follow have scheduled chats you can join.  These are always full of good information.  Also, if you download HootSuite app, you can add several streams that you want to follow and look at them all at once.

Ok, so you say you don’t have time to do all you need to do plus keep up with all the social media demands.  I say find the time. Simmer down…you don’t have to check it everyday.  If you only do one thing, do Twitter.  Don’t worry if you don’t tweet much at first.  The more you read and learn from others, the more you will find you do have something valuable to add.

It seems the theme of many of my posts this summer trends toward the importance of continued professional development.  In the words of Ferris Bueller, “Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you might miss it.” As educators in the 21st century, we can’t afford to miss much.

Give Twitter a try, or if you are already on, give it some more time and attention to grow your PLN.  It’s worth the time.

Today we will do exciting new things. Let’s get to it!

Using iMovie in the Classroom

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 8 Comments

When you make a film you usually make a film about an idea. -Sydney Pollack

I think almost everyone enjoys a good movie.  The cost of going to the theater, however, is becoming terribly cost prohibitive.  The last movie I saw in the theater was Lincoln.  It was a great film and it renewed my interest in the history of the Lincoln era and the Civil War.  Living in Charleston where the Civil War began, I am able to walk on the very cobblestone streets that Union and Confederate soldiers trod.

iMovieBringing topics alive to our students is difficult…especially historical topics that are far removed from our students day to day reality.  Looking at a Social Studies text with illustrations and images of historical figures isn’t always very engaging. iMovie is an app that can be used across all grade levels.   A 4th grade teacher in my school has her students use iMovie to demonstrate their learning.  A project on Abolitionists involved students using Book Creator to create a book on their chosen Abolitionist and many chose to create an additional project in iMovie.  Here is one student’s iMovie on Harriet Tubman:

Wow…this blew me away.  A nine year old created that.

Teachers can also use iMovie as a tool for introducing content in a meaningful way.  Students are far more likely to be interested in topics when introduced like this:

The fairy tale clips were downloaded from You Tube and inserted into iMovie.  The clips were trimmed and text frames were added.  In this movie, the clips are from familiar movies on which students can anchor their learning.  This 4th grade teacher uses this iMovie to introduce her thematic unit.  What a great way to grab students’ attention and engage them from the beginning.

While I have had my students create iMovies to demonstrate learning, it hadn’t occurred to me to use them for instruction and content delivery.  After these are created, students can access them and re-play them if needed for instruction.

I encourage you to explore iMovie from the instructional side. It will definitely be on my To-Do List for the fall!

Today we will do exciting new things. Let’s get to it!

Summer is Here…Now What?

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 6 Comments

There was nothing like a Saturday – unless it was the Saturday leading up to the last week of school and into summer vacation. That of course was all the Saturdays of your life rolled into one big shiny ball. -Nora Roberts 

My daddy Surf Fishing

My daddy
Surf Fishing

I live in a pretty awesome place.  As a vacation destination, it has beaches and islands, golf, well-preserved architecture, historical significance, and incredible restaurants.  Charleston was also named “the most polite and hospitable city in America” by Southern Living magazine.  I have no trouble slipping into the slow and lazy pace of summer in the South.  I don’t know if it is Saturday or Tuesday.  Coming off a manic, over-scheduled school year, I’m ready to decompress.

So why am I doing staff development for  other school districts and working on conference presentations at ISTE and iSummit…could it be, that the phrase “everything I ever needed to know I learned in kindergarten” is wrong?  I believe you can teach an old dog new tricks.  Our world is fluid and things never stay the same.  Life-long learning helps us adapt to change.  When I work with other teachers in professional development and I speak at conferences, I am sharing my knowledge but I also learn from them.

Don’t we all get a good laugh when someone not in the know says something like, “It must be nice to have 3 months off from work and get paid for it.”  WHATEVER.  I’ve never had 3 months off in the summer in all of the years I’ve taught.  Summer is a great time for re-charging the old batteries, but it’s also a time for reflection, staff development, re-working lesson plans and PS…that classroom that was all packed up in June has to be un-packed and put back together in August.

I hope to soak up some sun and read some good books, but I also hope to learn from others at ISTE in San Antonio, work and learn from my fellow Apple Distinguished Educators at the institute this summer in Austin, and even though I’m presenting, I want to sit in on some sessions at iSummit in Atlanta.  I want to spend some time reading more on Personalized Learning. I want to read all of those great tweets from my PLN on Twitter that I just haven’t had time to look at.  When we stop learning, we become stagnant.  I want to take part in these learning opportunities so that I can go back to work in August excited and ready…because the work and energy we put into our students during the school year is exhausting.  I know there are times I have to dip into my “innovation and creativity reserves” just to make it through.

We spend 180 days (more in some countries), filling others.  Summer is a time we can fill ourselves.  There are few professions that have classroom hours, pre- and post-school hours, conferences and phone calls, weekend work, after-hours grading, professional development requirements, lesson planning, team meetings, extracurricular clubs and teams, parent correspondence, district level meetings, material preparation, and paperwork on top of paperwork.

Whether you are in the northern hemisphere enjoying summer, or in the southern hemisphere going into fall, I hope you will all find time re-charge.  Learn something new. I will be sharing with all of you the things I learn this summer, so y’all come back now, ya hear?

Today we will do exciting new things. Let’s get to it!

End of the Year Wrap Up

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 2 Comments

Waiting makes me restless. When I’m ready, I’m ready.-Reba McEntire

monster“Mrs. Meeuwse, my brain and my butt feel all jiggly.”…  And can’t we all relate to that? We have 7 days of school remaining and these kids are ready.  In fact, I’m not sure if the dinosaur drawing to the left is really a dinosaur or a portrait of me the last few days.  I may or may not be a little cranky…

To be sure, we are continuing our daily routine as much as possible for as long as possible.  We are busy readin’ writin’ and ‘rithmaticin’ daily.  The problem is these brilliant kindergartners are-Caps Lock- DONE,  ready to move on, needin’ to bounce, DONE.

So, in order to preserve my sanity, I came up with the idea that we needed to work on a project.  An end-of-the-year-what-have-I-learned project.  The idea was well received and they quickly wenthope and ella to work sketching out their plan.  They still like to make their plans on paper.  They have the choice of how to present their project.  Some are choosing Explain Everything, some, iMovie, some Book Creator and some Pic Collage.  I needed to intervene only once…a loud chorus of “None of your business!” rang out from a group of girls working together when a rogue boy intruder came by to see what they were doing.

Waiting makes me restless.  It definitely makes 5 and 6 year olds restless. When they are ready, they are ready. What better way to wrap up the year, than to have students share what they have learned?  Some are still working on their projects and it may go on through the week.  Here is one group that made an iMovie. They planned out their script and did it all themselves.  They are already talking about what they want to add to it. They said this is their “rough draft”.

We will have a sharing time so that all groups can show their work.  Some chose to work by themselves on the project and that’s ok too. Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t.  What matters, is that even up to the end, we are working together and students have the ability to choose. When teachers find ways to nurture these inner motivational resources, they adopt an autonomy-supportive motivating style.

All of that to say…the count down is on.  The natives are restless and we need to stay busy.  An end of the year project is just what we need to get us through the crazy.

Today we will do exciting new things. Let’s get to it!

Time To Call An Expert

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 2 Comments

In learning you will teach, and in teaching you will learn-Phil Collins

Under phylogenetic taxonomy, dinosaurs are usually defined as the group consisting of Triceratops, Neornithes [modern birds], their most recent common ancestor (MRCA), and all descendants.  It has also been suggested that Dinosauria be defined with respect to the MRCA of Megalosaurus and Iguanodon, because these were two of the three genera cited by Richard Owen when he recognized the Dinosauria.

IMG_0484Um…what?  I am no expert on dinosaurs. I know enough to get by, but I am completely unimpressive to Tre.  Tre is my in-class dino-phile.  He knows all, and I do mean all, about dinosaurs.  He has tried hard not to look at me condescendingly this week as we learn about these “terrible lizards”.  Tre has written about, talked about, read about, and drawn about dinosaurs this whole year.  You can imagine his bliss as we all focus on them this week.

IMG_0482While a lot of my students are knowledgeable about dinosaurs, there are a lot of misconceptions.  It is hard for them to comprehend that dinosaurs pre-existed humans. We are learning from our work and we are learning from each other.  As always, we have voice and choice in our learning.  Tre chose to write about dinosaurs (above) on paper.  Another student chose to make a Pic Collage (at right).  Others chose to make an Explain Everything.  (see bottom of page).

Dinosaurs are always a topic of great interest.  Using  surveys at the beginning of the school year is a good way to find out about your students’ areas of interest.  This makes them part of the curriculum planning process and part of the decision-making process in their learning.  In the learning community of this classroom, the students learn from me, I learn from them, and they learn from each other.  We all have expertise in something and by giving Tre the opportunity to shine this week, he is buoyed by the confidence of his classmates.  My students all know who to go to as the “Expert” of various things in our class.  This gives my students responsibility, buy-in, leadership and best of all…it forces them to work on solving their own problems rather than coming to me all the time.

I’ve said before that the Explain Everything app is awesome.  (Created by a fellow Apple Distinguished Educator). It really gives you a sense of what a child is thinking when they have to explain their thinking.  Here is Hope, explaining everything about dinosaurs. She is definitely one of my class experts on this app.

In what area(s) are you an expert?  Do your students know who the experts are in your classroom? Do student interests help drive your curriculum choices?  All of these are good questions to reflect on as many of us are ending the school year.

Today we will do exciting new things. Let’s get to it!

We “Arrr” Taking Charge Of Our Own Learning, Mateys!

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 1 Comment

I am not a teacher, but an awakener.-Robert Frost

Seriously, could the end of a school year be any busier?  Lists and lists of things to get done in the remaining 15 days.  As badly as I need to do those things, I still have the small matter (ahem) of teaching these kids who just keep showing up.  🙂

pirateOne of the small joys of teaching little people is their seemingly endless curiosity.  We have extended our ocean unit into a week on Pirates.  They have tons of questions about them.  Living in a city rich with pirate history allows me to share some of the stories of Blackbeard and his time here in Charleston.

My students have loved looking at pictures of different Jolly Rogers and even creating their own.  One group worked on creating their own treasure map after researching different ones online.  They discussed the “necessary components” including the compass rose, the “X” that marks the spot, the need to put the treasure in a safe place and how to find their treasure by marking the “paces” on the map.  These mini mateys collaboratively researched and created their map.

We have a list of “must-do” activities each day and a list of “may-do” activities.  The children schedule their day with their planning sheets.  Part of their “may-do” was to create the treasure map.  There were no specific guidelines and it was their own decision to work together.

My role as facilitator has enabled me to watch them make their own pirate pic collagedecisions and problem solve both individually and together.  One student created a Pic Collage to demonstrate some pirate vocabulary words.  He drew the illustrations in Doodle Buddy and imported them into Pic Collage and then added his sentences.  During the time students are working on their individual plans for the day,  my assistant and I are able to work with small groups, have student conferences and assess if needed.

Watching my students planning their day, working together with others, solving problems and making decisions about their own learning, I know they are ready to sail to first grade.

Today we will do exciting new things. Let’s get to it!

My How You’ve Grown!

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 5 Comments

Without continual growth and progress, such words as improvement, achievement, and success have no meaning.-Benjamin Franklin

Recently, I saw a former student from my kindergarten class 20 years ago.  Talk about feeling old…she was very sweet and told me I hadn’t changed a bit and that I looked exactly the same.  I’m not sure if you can count some wrinkles, gray hair and a few extra pounds exactly the same but I’ll take it.  However, even if I look the same on the outside, I’m definitely different on the inside.

The way I look at teaching and learning has changed.  Obviously over a career span of 24 years, change is expected.  But some of the most significant change has come in the last 2 years as I moved into the role of a facilitator and my students began taking charge of their learning. Through the systematic implementation of the reading and writing workshop approach and by infusing the classroom with the technology from the iPad, my students learn from each other and from a range of collaborative experiences.

This year, I’ve focused on students creating content through a variety of apps and personalizing their learning by giving them choice in these apps.  What this has done has given my students freedom in  demonstrating what they know.  In addition, because they have freedom of choice, they are more engaged and they are retaining more information. Re-teaching skills has been replaced with students collaborating with each other and learning to problem solve together.

Life is messy and not all problems are solved with a “one correct answer” response.  Part of my change and growth has come in allowing my students to grapple with problems on their own or in a group and having them see that not all problems are solved all at once. Working collaboratively helps develop interpersonal skills.  Having choice in their activities, students are working on self-direction. By having students use iPads to create content, they are constructing new knowledge.

21st century learners need to be able to solve problems, and think critically, creatively, and systematically. 21st century educators have to be able to provide their students with the opportunities to put these skills into practice.  In order to do that, we have to be willing to grow and change with our students.

Today we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

Running Records on the iPad

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 8 Comments

Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.-Harry S. Truman

Powerful teaching happens when teachers take information gained from observations and assessments of children’s literacy development into consideration when planning instruction.  Since observations can be subjective, it is important to include data from more formal observations as well.

We use running records as assessment tools to assess students literacy progress.  A running record is a tool for coding, scoring and analyzing a child’s precise reading behaviors. (Fountas and Pinnell).  Up until recently, I was using forms from the Fountas and Pinnell kit for running records.  While a great way to take a running record, it requires a lot of copies and paper.

running record imageI have found an app called Record of Reading.  It is a great app…not just because it was created by my alma mater, Clemson University…but because it is an electronic means of assessing reading behaviors.  You don’t need a calculator as it has embedded formulas for accuracy and self corrections.  The app even records the child reading while the teacher simultaneously takes the record. When replaying the record, the oral reading and the record are synced.  The record can be saved or emailed.  There is also a user manual if needed.  You are able to type or write directly in the app and it doesn’t have to be opened in a PDF annotator.  Best of all, it is FREE!.

Running records inform our instruction through capturing progress, assessing text difficulty, matching texts appropriately to students, and seeing and hearing reading behaviors directly.  They also help us group students with similar instructional needs as well as provide individualized instruction where needed.  They give explicit feedback to the student and to parents if needed.

readingWatching my students grow as readers is rewarding.  I love watching them go from non-readers to readers over the course of the school year. Creating successful readers requires knowing your students…knowing their strengths and where they struggle.  It also requires that we know our students’ interests so that we can have texts available to stimulate reading.  By keeping track of our students’ reading behaviors through running records, we can inform our instruction to best meet their needs.

Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!

Using iPads to Transform Teaching and Learning

/ Kristi Meeuwse / 2 Comments

Every great advance in science has issued from a new audacity of imagination.-John Dewey

ThomasOne of the great things I’ve noticed in the last 2 years is how my teaching has evolved with the use of the iPads.  It’s been a gradual shift, but the way I am using them now is different than the first pilot year in 2011.

In the beginning, I was focused on integrating the iPads into our day and was very much “app” oriented.  We had a lot of success that first year and my class data reflected that.

A subtle shift began last year when my students started taking charge of their own learning.  It wasn’t exactly planned, but the environment was supportive and I was open to their ideas.  Soon, they were creating content and not just interacting with apps.  They were blogging, writing, and reading on the iPad. I was thrilled with the student-centered learning environment.

This year, I’ve learned from my students, we’ve raised the bar, and kids continue to create their own content.  They are teaching other students in other classes and other grade levels, and they are articulating their learning in a variety of ways.  They are choosing how they want to demonstrate their learning and I am facilitating their choices.  I indicate what skills we are working on and they decide how they want to learn it and how they want to demonstrate their learning.  Their choices are far more involved and detailed than anything I would’ve imagined.  They are integrating multiple apps to create a finished product.  They can articulate what they are learning and how to demonstrate their learning.

Here is an example from Explain Everything.  This child was demonstrating plant parts.

I have no idea what next school year will bring (and goodness knows, I am looking forward to enjoying my summer break!), but the outlook is bright.  I am excited about learning from the other Apple Distinguished Educators this summer at the institute and bringing that knowledge back to my classroom.

Wherever you are in your classroom journey, it’s important to reflect on where you are and where you’ve been.  It’s important to celebrate your successes, no matter how small, and then be willing to move forward and try new things.  Daring to imagine the possibilities and being willing to change is not just transforming to your own teaching, it will transform your classroom in ways you never thought were possible.

Today, we will do exciting new things.  Let’s get to it!