Tech Tips Tuesday

Kids Can Coach

I've discovered a method to help teachers integrate ICT in the classroom, that takes some of the heat off the teachers themselves. I'm calling it "Kids Can Coach".

Here's how it works:

Planning: Teacher 1 and Teacher 2 (and even Teacher 3) agree on something that they would like students to learn to do with ICT - this might be new skills in a familiar app, or a brand new app.

Preparation: Teacher 1 learns to do this themselves, and has a practice.

Lesson 1: Teacher 1 teaches Class 1 with a demonstration and then supports students as they learn the new skills. Teacher 1 and Class 1 are now experts, and become the coaches for the next lesson.

Preparation: Explain to Class 1 what coaching looks like, and what is expected of coaches. Coaches are told "explain, don't do" and provided with a guide (success criteria) to ensure they cover all task requirements.

Lesson 2: The lesson is repeated with Class 2/3. Teacher 1 gives the instructions and demonstration, and Class 1 students are paired with Class 2/3 student/s to coach.

Results: All students have exposure to the new skills, and students from Class 1 have become experts. In future lesson series, the coaching class should be varied in order to allow all students to experience being the coach/expert.

Variations: 

• Teachers 2/3 could also join in during Lesson 2 and learn alongside students.
• Cycle could be more along the lines of: Teacher 1 teaches Class 1, then Teacher 1 teaches Teacher 2 and Class 2 with Class 1 coaches, then Teacher 2 teaches Class 3 with Class 2 coaches.

Here's an example of how my Year 3 teaching team did this:

Planning: We decided we wanted students to learn how to retell a familiar story (with innovations) in a multimedia presentation using a drawing app (Sketchbook pro) and iMovie. I taught a similar lesson to groups last year, so this was an extension of this idea. I was "Teacher 1" and my class was "Class 1" for this example.

Preparation: I created a Storyboard worksheet for students to use to plan out their story and images. I introduced the project and told students we would be retelling the story of the Three Little Pigs. (We did extensive work with innovating this story earlier in the year). Students did the written part of their Storyboard.

I demonstrated drawing and colouring in Sketchbook Pro

Lesson 1: I demonstrated how to draw with Sketchbook Pro, including how to "crop" so that parts can be reused for additional pictures. Students got started with their images. As students started to get close to the iMovie stage, I stopped the class and brought them back together to explain how to export the images to Photo Library and then import to iMovie. I explained the key steps I wanted them to take when editing the video and adding audio. Students produced their movies with my support.

I demonstrated how to crop pictures to add to another picture.
 (See how the pigs are the same.)

Preparation: I talked to my class about the coaching process, and made it very clear that when we coach with ICT we try to keep our hands back. This is because the other person will learn so much more by doing it themselves than by watching someone do it for them. I listed the success criteria for the finished movie and displayed it on the IWB in the room for Lesson 2 so that students could refer to it when determining if there movie was complete.

Lesson 2: We gathered together with the other two Year 3 classes. I demonstrated the basic steps and tips for the project and then students were let loose to create. I moved around the room and monitored how groups were going. Students were engaged in the task and I was pleased to see that the coaches were allowing the others to do the work. I think it helped that they had had the chance to work through the whole creative process themselves in the previous lesson. They could then appreciate that this was not their personal creative work, so they felt free to provide support instead.

Results: Not all students completed in the lesson time, however they were able to work on these further during consolidation time. Students were very excited to share their movies in the special Movie Session we had the following week. All students developed the skills for using the programs and teachers gained some of these skills as they saw the process and assisted students.

Students worked in a group of three, with one coach.

This coach is trying REALLY hard not to touch the iPad!

Tech Tips Tuesday

National Library Of Australia - Digital Collection

This year is Canberra's centenary and there have been many events celebrating the life of Canberra during this time, with more still to come. For Canberra's birthday at school, I was asked to put together a 5 minute silent 'movie' showing footage and photos of significant events and the building of Canberra into what it is today. 

I can't share it here due to copyright restrictions, but it was enjoyable to put together and explore the images available through the National Archives and the National Library of Australia. I used iMovie to edit the clips and create the movie.

I have been back to the National Library of Australia's site this week looking for resources to use for another lesson I am designing, and again the results have been very pleasing. I am fascinated by the images of Lake Burley Griffin in its construction phase, and struck by the concept of such a complex task to make something that looks like a natural environment. I remember being just as amazed (if not more) when I first learned of the planning and design that went into Central Park in New York City. It is interesting to look back at our history and do so with articles from the past. The digital collection includes: pictures, maps, manuscripts, books & serials, printed music and oral history.

So, today I want to encourage you to check out the resources available at the National Library of Australia either through their website, or through their app, particularly when teaching a unit about Australia's history.

Tech Tips Tuesday

This Week's Tip: Making Animations with Movie Maker

Over the past couple of weeks I have been dabbling with animations with my students. As this is a first time for me, I have been doing a lot of learning alongside the kids. As a result, it's probably been a longer than usual process as we trouble-shoot and work things out together. Today I want to break it down a little so that you can save some time if you give it a try.

WARNING: This explanation assumes some basic knowledge of Windows Movie Maker, and is a starting point for amateur animations.
Creating Characters and Setting

• Provide a variety of resources for students to use in creating their characters and setting - playdough, lego, stuffed toys, paper, whiteboards etc.
• Have students plan out and rehearse the way they would like to move these objects.

Taking Photos

• Explain to students that everything they see in the frame will be in the movie. It sounds basic, but I had a number of photos that included walls, tables, power cords etc - they imagined they could get rid of all this later.
• Make sure the camera battery is charged (and recharged) and that you have enough time to take all the shots for the sequence.
• Be aware of the light in the room as changes will be evident in the photos.
• Use a tripod if possible to limit the movement of the camera.
• For a 15-30 second promo we used about 80 photographs, but our movements were a bit jumpy.

Writing Scripts

• Support students with finding the words to get their message across most effectively
• Encourage them to rehearse their script and time it to see how long it will need to be

Recording Audio

• This can be done in Windows Movie Maker as students watch their completed movie in the preview frame. This allows them to time the two as much as possible.
• If pushed for time, you can begin recording the script in Audacity prior to movie production in Windows Movie Maker. This also allows students to edit the audio and cut out errors. Export it as a WAV and then you simply import the audio at a later time.

Storing Pictures

• Before you start using Movie Maker, it is important to upload photos to a place where you will be able to easily find them and access them throughout the project. DO NOT MOVE THESE FILES ONCE YOU START. If you move the pictures, the program will not be able to find them and they will show up as a red X on your storyboard.

Importing Pictures

• If your camera has captured large images (in terms of mb) you will want to resize them so that Movie Maker doesn't strain under the size. I do this in Windows Photo Gallery so that I can resize the whole group at once. (I'm not sure how else you might do a bulk resize. Any suggestions?)
  
• Click on Import Pictures and select the pictures you would like to use.
  

Moving Pictures onto the storyboard/timeline

• BEFORE you begin slotting images onto your storyboard, you will want to change the settings for the length of time these will play. This is a BIG time-saver! If you fail to do this, you will be shortening each picture individually (a HUGE time-waster) 1. Click on Tools/Options, 2. Click on the Advanced tab, 3. Select your desired picture duration and transition duration
• To change the length of individual slides, select the Timeline view, click on the image you want to change and drag one of the sides
• If students want to have a repeated action, they will need to repeat the action slides (basic I know, but they still needed to be told!)
• SAVE, SAVE, SAVE - I can't say it enough - we've had SO many Movie Maker crashes and it is very disheartening if students lose their work because they didn't take a moment to save it regularly.
  

Editing the Movie

• Add in the audio and make sure it is well timed with the animation
• Add in any desired titles/effects

Save as a Movie!

5th Teaching K-6 Carnival

Welcome to the May edition of the Teaching K-6 Blog Carnival. This month we have a great group of posts and yet again, lots of lists to choose from. I encourage you to check them out and share your comments with the bloggers. Enjoy!

Gripes and Brags

Hall monitor starts this month with a gripe, saying "Is corporal punishment an effective form of discipline?" in his post Progress Report: WTF is up with hitting students?! at DetentionSlip.org.

Historyiselementary brags about a new book The Gift at History Is Elementary. She says, "This post is part book review and part opinion piece regarding the value of personal history and how it fits in with the American story."

Brain Strain

Mark Marshall stops us in our tracks and poses the question Do Classroom Blogs belong in Elementary Schools? posted at Musings from an International Teacher. What is your opinion? Leave your comment to add to the discussion.

In the News

Alvaro Fernandez presents Arts and Smarts: Test Scores and Cognitive Development posted at SharpBrains, saying, "At a time when educators are preoccupied with standards, testing, and the bottom line, some researchers suggest the arts can boost students' test scores; others aren't convinced. Karin Evans asks, What are the arts good for?"

Innovate - Beyond the Slate
Mathew Needleman shares his ideas on How to Get Started Making Class Movies posted at Open Court Resources.com Blog. His down to earth post will help you prepare students for the task of making and editing a movie.

At Child Care Only Fiona Lohrenz presents Tips For Storytime. She shares ideas for selecting texts and choosing an appropriate reading space. This month she also shares her ideas for creating exciting treasure hunts in A Late, Great Idea.

Meaghan Montrose presents Effective Learning Strategies and Study Skills Part 3 posted at Colleen Palat. She shares tips on how students can prepare for exams by creating and rehearsing questions.
Kelly Hines gives us a rundown of how can raise non-technology savvy students in her Unlucky Lists posted at Keeping Kids First. Definitely worth a read.

Look No Further
Wendy Piersall presents Zoo Animal Coloring Pages: Zoo Babies posted at Animal Jr.

Sarah Scrafford presents 100 Free Courses & Tutorials for Aspiring iPhone App Developers, 100 Lectures That Will Teach You to Be Rich, and 100 Awesome Cheat Sheets to Learn and Do Everything in Less Time.

Erika Collin presents 100 All-Time Best Productivity Tips for Working & Learning from Home

Nancy Miller presents 100 Resources to Help You Read Better and Faster posted at Online University Reviews.


Why not submit your post for the next carnival?

The Teaching K-6 Carnival is posted monthly on the 7th. I am collecting submissions throughout the month, looking in particular for posts that discuss and exemplify innovative teaching and the integration of technology in the K-6 classroom. I also invite a few "brain strains" to keep our minds alert and challenged. Please submit only articles of which you are the author and refrain from using this merely as a sales pitch. For full details, please read my call for submissions.
If you have a relevant post that you would like to submit to the next edition of teaching k-6 carnival use our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.


Support this Carnival
If you enjoyed this edition of the carnival, you can support its continuation by sharing it with others. Link to us, add us to a tweet, stumble or digg us. Thanks!

3rd Teaching K-6 Carnival

Welcome to the March edition of the Teaching K-6 Carnival. This month we don't have as many articles, but the ones we do have will really challenge you to stretch and grow as a teacher and learner.

Innovate - Beyond the Slate

Kelly Hines shares Why I Have the Best Job in the World posted at Keeping Kids First. She reminds us of what children are capable of when asked the right questions. Kelly posed the question "What can you do to change the world?" andgot an amazing response from her students.

Kakie presents How do children see & learn about race, color and culture? posted at Bur Bur & Friends: Community Park, saying, "As educators in this diverse world, it is important for us to understand how ALL children come to learn about color, race and culture in a way that is developmentally appropriate. This post is an excerpt from a book that does just that. It was written based on extensive research and studies and is a book all parents and educators should read."

Christina shares Present Movies posted at Early Childhood Teacher. Here she outlines a great video project she did with her students around the holiday season. She encourages students to form clues around a mystery present and as a result students develop oral language skills and thinking skills.

Also on the theme of holidays, Vera Lang presents Free St Patricks Day Crafts Templates: Prancing Leprechauns posted at Fine Craft Guild .com, saying, "This great project just costs 2 sheets of paper. ...and you'll have a REALLY CUTE Leprechaun Marionette! FREE template & tutorial. Pull the strings to make him dance to the rainbow's pot of gold. Fun & Easy Project for K-6 kids."

Brain Strain

In this edition we have two posts that will stretch your mind and help you to consider the mental workout required by teachers as students in their various roles. Both point out the importance of stretching beyond the comfort zone in order to make progress with learning.

Scott Barry Kaufman shares Learning about Learning: an Interview with Joshua Waitzkin posted at SharpBrains. This is a fascinating interview revealing what one can achieve when fully committed to learning. Enjoy a human brain in full display.

Graysen Walles presents Teaching - A Tough Career that makes a Difference posted at The Teachers Movement, saying, "Teaching is the greatest career on the planet, and it is also the most challenging career on the planet. Why?"

Look No Further

Susan Greenwald presents her book Two Plus Two is not Five at Teaching Addition, Subtraction, and Multiplication Facts. This resource can be used for systematically teaching children number facts.

Meaghan Montrose presents Effective Learning Strategies and Study Skills- Part 1 posted at TutorFi.com. This post is a set of study tips for students to use for completing homework.

Why not submit your post for the next carnival?

At this stage, editions of The Teaching K-6 Carnival will be posted monthly on the 7th. I will be collecting submissions throughout the month, looking in particular for posts that discuss and exemplify innovative teaching and the integration of technology in the K-6 classroom. I also invite a few "brain strains" to keep our minds alert and challenged. Please submit only articles of which you are the author and refrain from using this merely as a sales pitch.

If you have a relevant post that you would like to submit to the next edition of teaching k-6 carnival use our carnival submission form. Past posts and future hosts can be found on our blog carnival index page.

Support this Carnival

If you enjoyed this edition of the carnival, you can support its continuation by sharing it with others. Link to us, add us to a tweet, stumble or digg us. Thanks!

The Way We Were - Matinee Movie

On the last day of last term, I treated my class to a Matinee Movie. It was only for the last 15 minutes of the day, but the class really loved it. I got them to set up the seats like a movie theatre, facing the Smart Board. Then I got them to line up outside the door and 'pay me' 3-pence for their movie ticket (a little slip of paper with Matinee Movie written on it!) I told them that they must hold onto their ticket - so they could get back in if they needed to go to the toilet.

I played them one of the old old episodes of The Little Rascals. It was a silent film with the background music playing and those old fashioned written pages to let you know what is happening. I was amazed by how engrosed they were. I could have heard a pin drop! And those who went to the bathroom were sure to show me their ticket on their return.

I think kids love it when grown-ups play make-believe games with them.

The Way We Were

This week my grade began a unit of work called “The Way We Were” focusing on what life was like when the students’ grandparents were children. I am very excited about this unit of work and have been searching out useful resources.

YouTube has some segments and trailers from movies and television programs of this era: Shirley Temple, Little Rascals, Popeye, Bambi, Singing In The Rain, Lone Ranger, The Wizard of Oz...

I found a local seniors computer club that we will communicate with via email. I contacted the convenor, and they passed my details onto relevant people within the organisation. At least 6 people have replied, so we will have a couple of people for each class. We will brainstorm questions as a class, write the email, and then send it off. I'm hoping we will then be able to scan in student work and send it to say thank you. We're also getting word out to the kids' grandparents to see if any of them would like to communicate with us via mail, email or fax.

The principal has agreed to prepare and present “A Day in the Life of Me as a Child”. I think this will be great! And another teacher has offered to bring along a little suitcase of goodies she has kept from her childhood.

We are going to create a “Time Machine” in the classroom where we will store and label artifacts that we can find. (We have a lockable storeroom we will use for this in order to keep the items safe.) One of the teachers grew up in a house that is about to be heritage listed, and so has many items to share and ponder. I'm going to check out what I can find at my parents' place this weekend.

Early next term we will have a “Grandparents and Grandfriends Day” where students will get to ask their Grandperson about their childhood. We will do some singing and activities together in the morning and then share a picnic together.

Another day we will simulate a school day of the past. We will research, plan and timetable it with the students so that everyone knows what to expect. I've heard of other teachers doing this (and finding it exhausting!).

My desire for this unit of work is that it will be driven by the memoirs and stories of students’ grandparents and the email communication from the Seniors Club. I feel this would be much more valuable to the children than if I just do a bunch of research and spoon feed it to my class. I'll let you know how things progress.

UPDATE: Click here to see an overview of our program: Overview of The Way We Were Feel free to use it to help direct your own program on personal histories, and feel free to contact me for further details.