TIS & THAT
May 2015 Volume 3 Issue 19
Social Media, Good or Bad? In today’s world there is no escaping social media. As individuals we constantly tweet, update our status, check-in, snap chat and so on. As with most things in life, there are good and bad aspects to social media. In most cases we hear about the negative. An article on Common Sense Media titled “5 Reasons You Don’t Have to Worry About Kids and Social Media” discusses the benefits that social media can offer.
Top 5 Benefits of Social Media ● Strengthens friendships ● Offers a sense of belonging ● Provides genuine support ● Helps express themselves
Consider a Media Shift This Summer Photo Courtesy of Flickr
● Allows them to do good
Knorr, C. (2015, May 8). 5 Reasons You Don't Need to Worry About Kids and Social Media Discover the ways social media can be a force for good in the lives of kids and teens, and help them maximize the benefits. Retrieved May 9, 2015, from https://www.graphite.org/blog
Meet the Authors Carla Grady Librarian, Point Pleasant Junior/Senior High School
Christina Carte Special Education Teacher, Midland Trail High
Rich Senatore Technology Integration Specialist, North Elementary School
Don’t forget about the Microsoft IT Academy! Microsoft IT Academy is available to students and faculty. According to the information posted on the WVDE website, training is provided on “fundamental technology skills” and “technical courses.” Please contact the academy coordinator at your school for more information.
Technology Professional Development Coming this Summer Date
Training
Location
June 11
iPad Basic Training
WVCPD Annex, Charleston
June 11
Emerging Technologies to
WVCPD Annex, Charleston
Engage Digital Learners
June 29
iPad Basic Training
Marriott Hotel Charleston
June 30-July 2
Infusing Technology Summer Academy
Marriott Hotel, Charleston
July 9
Emerging Technologies to
WVCPD Annex, Charleston
Engage Digital Learners
July 20
iPad Basic Training
Fairmont State University
July 21-July 23
Infusing Technology Summer Academy
Fairmont State University
"Summer 2015 Technology Schedule." West Virginia Center for Professional Development. West Virginia Department of Education, 2015. Web. 5 May 2015. <wvcpd.org>.
Photo Courtesy of Wikipedia.org
Enhance your Technology Tool Kit with these Professional Development Opportunities designed to help you “infuse” technology.
Visit wvcpd.org for details.
Teachers are Flipping out for Learning! You may have heard of “flipped classrooms”, but may be wondering what they are all about. Flipped classrooms utilize technology to provide content area instruction in such a way that students can access it outside of the classroom, usually for homework. Class time is then freed up to allow the students to practice their new knowledge and skills under the watchful eye of their teacher. The teacher is there to lend support and provide immediate feedback before mistakes become solid habits. Mr. Rob Grady, a chemistry teacher at Point Pleasant High School, has been using the flipped model for three years. His chemistry content is delivered through videotaped instruction which is Photo Courtesy of getrapt.org then uploaded to Schooltube. Students then access the Schooltube videos and complete class assignment outside of the traditional classroom. This is exceptionally helpful for students who are absent or need extra learning support. gifted and talented students also appreciate the ability to accelerate their instructional pace. Mr. Grady’s classroom is buzzing with activity as everyone works on assignments and labs. The teacher is constantly on the move to provide assistance and offer support. Sarah Gandee, a senior student says she likes the flipped classroom because, “You can go at your own pace and Mr. Grady is there in the classroom to help you when you need “This will one day it. You can also go back and review the content as often as you need to because the become the norm instruction is on video.”
for instruction.” Mr. Rob Grady
Mr. Grady is pleased with the learning improvements he has seen through the use of this model. Since he began working with the June Harless Center in the Spring of 2012 to develop this model, he has been able to work more closely with the students who require additional support. He has also seen a reduction in discipline referrals as engagement has improved. Perhaps the most significant statistic is the percentage of students scoring mastery or above, which has increased by 27.2% between 2013 and 2014. This figure was 20% above the state average for chemistry students.
Here are some great Apps to assist athletes and students: Coach’s Eye $5 per month Ubersense Coach Free CoachBase Free iScoutPad Free GameChanger Free for basic use $ for Premium service Hudl $$$
Image taken from google images of Everyday Golf Coach app everydaygolfcoach.com
Photo taken from Bing Images Courtesy of peflipped.com
iPads in PE: Understanding the Importance of Feedback Think back to when you were in physical
movement involved in the development of skills, it was nearly impossible for a teacher to education class. What was it like? Does the remember every single action made by every term “roll out the ball” come to mind? Today’s single student in a class. Now with the technolphysical education classes are changing for the ogy available, a teacher can capture every better and it is all thanks to iPad and tablets single movement and play it back for a student being brought into the gym! immediately after the skill was performed. The teacher can even replay and slow down the Physical education is all about being active, motion to really show the student what areas of the skill were performed correctly and which How can a tablet be of any use? areas needed more practice. As seen in the Physical education teachers all around the app above from peflipped.com, Teachers can country are seeing the benefit of using tablets annotate or draw right on the screen to in their classes. That benefit: instant feedback. enhance a students understanding of where Teachers are utilizing this technology to give their performance may need adjustment and immediate and accurate feedback regarding a how the student should go about adjusting their students performance of a skill. (SPARK, the body. PE curriculum designed by NASPE (National This type of technology is making its way Association of Sport and Physical Education) out of the gym and onto the practice field as has compiled a list of PE friendly apps that can well. Coaches are taking advantage of this assist any teacher in the gym http:// www.sparkpe.org/blog/physical-education-pe- form of feedback to provide their athletes with the understanding they need in order to be apps-for-teachers/). successful. Prior to tablets, PE teachers would have to I have personally tried this type of feedback relay solely on their memories to provide a in regards to my golf swing. While I was not student with any type of formative assessment happy with the results, it did give me a better or feedback. As we all know, a person’s understanding of the parts of my swing I need memory is the last thing you want to rely on to adjust. Don’t believe me, try it for yourself. when giving feedback. Since there is a lot of You never know, you just might get better!
Image taken from azed.gov
International Society for Technology and Education National Conference
Image taken from isteconference.org
ISTE 2015 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Convention Center Registration
West Virginia Statewide Technology Conference 2015 The Waterfront Hotel Morgantown, WV July 21-23, 2015 Image taken from wvstc.com/
Call for Proposals
If you are interested in presenting, use the link above to fill out the conference call for proposal form.
Need More Credits? TOP 5 classes to take this summer!
Digital Storytelling
Digital Citizenship
Developing and Implementing Webquests
Designing Digital Field Trips
Cyber Safety for Educators
Classes Available online at wvlearns.k12.wv.us.
Image taken from exe734professionallearning.weebly.com
Teachers need to keep themselves active in their own education. Education is evolving exponentially, breaking away from the traditional lecture to a more hands on approach utilizing the vast amounts of technology that is now available to most educators. Online and in-person professional development allows teachers to learn about how technology can transform their current lessons, as well as provide them with the training they need to confidently implement the use of technology in their classrooms.
With summer just around the corner, one major concern for educators is the “ summer slide. ” According to the CK-12 Foundation, 66% of teachers spend weeks re-teaching material. There are a number of FREE programs available to teachers and parents to prevent such losses. Programs such as Brain Flex from the CK-12 Foundation offer teachers the opportunity to provide students mathematics and science practice over the summer break. Students, who enroll in the program, will receive one practice question per day via email. CK-12 even offers free downloads of a BrainFlex flyer and letter to parents that teachers may share.
“Sixty-six percent of teachers spend weeks re-teaching material that has been lost over the summer break.”
TenMarks also offers a free Summer Math Program. The program is normally a cost of $39.95, but this summer it is being offered for FREE. Like BrainFlex, the TenMarks Summer Math Program offers free downloads of a flyer and parent letter that teachers may share with parents. Both BrainFlex and the TenMarks Summer Math Program provide personalized lessons designed to meet the needs of every student.
BrainFlex: Summer Education Math & Science Practice Questions | CK-12. (n.d.). Retrieved May 10, 2015, from https://www.ck12.org/summer
Register for Free BrainFlex http://www.ck12.org/ summer
A Few of My Favorite Things
TenMarks https://www.tenmarks.com/ summermath
http://www.writeaboutapp.com/
http://getflick.io/ . With a simple gesture, share photos, notes, documents, and contacts to any other device running the App.
https://www.haikudeck.com/
A presentation and slideshow App.
A visual writing prompt and creation platform.
http://www.tellaboutapp.com/ Students browse and respond to visual and auditory prompts by recording their own voices.