The Power of Video

What's the best app or tool you have on your iPad? Surprisingly, it is one of the simplest, and yet most versatile options you have - the camera. This feature gives students the ability to share their learning and their work with others in an incredibly user friendly way.  Students are also motivated when know their work is going to be on camera and shared with others.

So what are some ways you could incorporate the use of the camera tool in your classroom? One option to try would be to use the camera for students to share their learning and explain their thinking behind a problem or standard.  Not only does this cement that information for the student, but it gives the teacher an insight on the thought process of that specific student.  The teacher can use that information to further personalize the learning of the student to meet his or her needs. In this specific example, students were able to upload and share their videos on Seesaw to share with others. Imagine the pride a student has after sharing his or her video with the entire class!

Another great way to incorporate the camera into a classroom would be to use iMovie to create a movie of the students’ writing.  This example is from a first grade classroom where the students learned about all the features of fairy tales and were able to use Legos to help inspire their own stories.  Once they had written their fairy tales, the students were able to take pictures of each scene of their fairy tale and record their voice reading their fairy tale.  Once they were done with their movie, they were able to share it with their class. Each student had such self satisfaction when sharing their video with others in seeing their video start from a written story and turn into a masterpiece!

This year has been the year of the green screen! Teachers from many grade levels have given students the opportunity to create green screen videos explaining a topic or a story using historical characters. Students use the app DoInk to put together their video with a background of their choosing that helps to support their topic of learning.  In the example below, students were given the opportunity to explain a math topic of their choice and share it with the rest of their class.  In a flipped math classroom, this is a great feature for the teacher to use in upcoming years since the students love hearing from fellow students on how to work out a problem.

How much do you use video in your classroom? How could it enhance the learning of your students? How could it give you more information about each of your students? I challenge you to try one of these or just the camera in general in your classroom and see what an impact it can make!

Technology and Emergent Bilingual Students

English language (EL) learners can benefit greatly from the variety of technology tools available in classrooms today, nevertheless, as we work with EL students it is important to recognize how specific EdTech tools can directly support language acquisition and proficiency.  Technology today can offer students with opportunities to collaborate and converse with peers, reach out to classrooms across the nation and country, and participate in platforms where their voices can be heard.  

Here are some tips to think about when looking for technology to integrate into your EL classroom or daily practice for EL students in your classroom.  

1. Look for tools that get them talking!

It is critical that students learning a new language have opportunities to use the academic language that is attached the subjects and topics they are learning. Using technology tools such camera rolls, and video can support students in understanding specific academic language and also help to spark academic conversations between students.  

• Show a Youtube video that highlights content vocabulary needed to understand an upcoming unit or chapter.  
• Have students capture photos of events or objects and describe what they see - practicing academic discourse, listening, and speaking with their peers.  
• Have students create movies or stories to share their understanding of topics to support classroom discussion.  
• Participate in a flipped classroom approach to learning which is a reversed teaching model that allows students to access video instruction at home as homework.  
• If possible prerecord lessons in students home language so they can preview prior to learning.

2. Look for tools that allow for new experiences and multiple perspectives to be shared.  

Connecting digitally with classrooms and experts from around the world can provide your students with opportunities that support student’s identity, global citizenship and academic growth. Skpye in the Classroom is one platform where educators can connect digitally with classrooms, experts and educators from around the world.  

• Take your class on a  virtual field trip to provide students with experiences that build background knowledge.  

• Connect with experts that can answer questions and dialog with students to practice listening and speaking with an authentic audience.  
• Video conference with students and or experts in countries that live in EL students home country.  
• This could provide an opportunity for EL students to be the classroom expert and share the wealth of cultural knowledge with their peers.

3. Look for tools and strategies that allow for student’s voices to be amplified.  

Students have access to a wide variety of outlets where they can share thoughts and opinions at any moment.  Tools such as social media and blogging platforms can provide opportunities for students to share their voice and thinking at a deep level.  

• Blogging and vlogging (video blogging) can be a great opportunity for EL students to amplify their voice.  Vlogging can be used as a stand alone tool but it could also be used as an support in creating a blog post.  Students can record their thoughts on video then listen to their own words to type a blog based on thinking recorded on the video.  
• Social Media is another tool to support students in creating posts that are clear and concise.  This also supports students in adding volume to their current writing practice.   

Leave a comment to share how you use technology with emergent bilingual students.   

Tova

Instructional Excellence Coordinator

Department of Personalized Learning and Instruction

Empowering Learners: Questions to Ask Yourself and Others - TIES 2016

Approximately 30 educators from the Eden Prairie School District recently attended the 2016 TIES conference in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The conference always packs a big punch in a small amount of time.  Here is what some of our own participants had to say:

Foster a classroom of wonder where play is encouraged to promote each individual learner's curiosity. - Shelly S. EPHS Business and Marketing

Start a journey of yes! - Mark B. Eden Lake 4th Grade

Live in a constant wonder!  Embrace play more! - Patti J. Oak Point Specialist

Giving kids more choice and control of their learning empowers them! Allowing them to be creative and to play contributes to empowerment as well. Teachers need to be a model for creativity. - Nick W. Prairie View Kindergarten

It's up to us to create a work environment which is a delightful place to be and brings joy to our lives. - Michelle A. Administrative Service Center

Questions for Wonder and Play:

EPS educator takeaways truly embraced the sentiments of keynote speaker Dean Shareski. Dean authors a blog titled Ideas and Thoughts , wrote Embracing a Culture of Joy and can be found on twitter @shareski.  His message spurs educators to constantly encourage their learners to be curious, to notice and to wonder.  Afterall, asking questions is cheap and takes little extra effort.  Try adding the following to you classroom interactions:

• What do you think?
• Why do you think that?
• What evidence do you have?

Let’s work collaboratively to design schools and classrooms that are delightful places to be by creating opportunities for curiosity and wonder.  By  eliminating busywork, we can let learners explore what makes them unique and what motivates them, which in turn, instills a passion for lifelong learning.

Additional Questions to Ask of Yourself and of Others:

Many of the presenters also enforced things that we, as educators, have heard repeatedly, but may need to be reminded of or examine in our practice:

• If you believe that relationships are key:  What are you doing to listen to the realities of your students?
• If summative tests do not equate to understanding/grades: What opportunities can you provide for  learners to demonstrate their growth/knowledge?
• If we believe in the mission of each: How can we tap into passions that each of our learners have and let those passions drive their individual learning?
• If not everything has equal weight or privilege: What are we willing to selectively abandon?
• We ask our students to make themselves vulnerable every single day: What type of failure or vulnerability are we will willing to show to our learners?

Call to Action: Connect with Others

Weren’t able to attend TIES this year?  Don’t pout -- go online! A key driver for change is finding creative ways for teachers to connect with one another and share ideas.  One way to do this is to get connected on twitter.  In addition to Dean Shareski above, some of our personal recommendations for follows, and noted speakers from TIES, would include:

• Carl Hooker: @mrhooker, author, blogger of Hooked on Innovation and founder of the ipadpalooza learning festival.
• Pernille Ripp: @pernilleripp, author, blogger of Blogging Through the 4th Dimension, 7th grade educator in Oregon, Wisconsin and founder of the Global Read Aloud.
• Barbara Bray: @bbray27, author, blogger of Personalized Learning, and moderator of #plearnchat on Monday evenings at 6pm central time.
• Tony Vincent: @tonyvincent, blogger of Learning in Hand, former 5th grade teacher and self described geek (apps, stuff, and more).

Going further, you can check out all of the TIES learning by diving into the #TIES16 twitter hashtag.

Finally, as always, feel free to leave a comment about what you will commit to doing after reading this post or give a suggestion (or two) for a twitter follow.

Laurie

Instructional Excellence Coordinator

Department of Personalized Learning and Instruction