tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21243246949145925052024-03-05T13:24:50.712-08:00Blend That LearningMr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-67706067132510510682021-12-17T11:03:00.001-08:002021-12-17T11:03:04.259-08:00Australia<p> A couple years ago, my friend Tina wanted to teach a unit on Australia and asked me to find someone in Australia to talk to her 2nd grade class about animals there. </p><p>Such a simple request, but I had not idea what would become of it. </p><p>We had our first chat with Kylie Kingdon on March 10, 2020. If that date means anything to you, it's because it was mere days before the world (at least here in USA) got turned upside down. Two days after this, we were scrambling to send kids home with everything they would need for remote learning, a totally new concept to all of us. But, back to Australia...</p><p>Kylie is a middle and high school teacher in Perth, Western Australia, and has been such a great partner for our project. She talked to our students about animals and money and comparison to America and the Aborgines who used call Perth their native land. It was awesome!</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6j1yXLlc3YGDN_LNbVmUimVXRdLyziTAT7Q8VCC1V0RekkxUGjYGIbxEpV1Ss6ws70sXFLdWmAmPKQMnR1dz4xEHFrp-7QouhEGC9qGWlknMOnIUIhzmOMhe_aVFW0DsFsPh-1l_2yt-hUUSG6lPNW1cFs-qjD-o21mYY3IH296lq17NSwo4PxRTR=s1440" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1436" data-original-width="1440" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj6j1yXLlc3YGDN_LNbVmUimVXRdLyziTAT7Q8VCC1V0RekkxUGjYGIbxEpV1Ss6ws70sXFLdWmAmPKQMnR1dz4xEHFrp-7QouhEGC9qGWlknMOnIUIhzmOMhe_aVFW0DsFsPh-1l_2yt-hUUSG6lPNW1cFs-qjD-o21mYY3IH296lq17NSwo4PxRTR=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p>After the kids went home, we were able to teach the kids how to write and produce videos about Australian animals. I love this one about emus:</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/L1svAi-3kjs" width="320" youtube-src-id="L1svAi-3kjs"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Fast forward two years since Tina first mentioned this to me, and our partnership has spanned three school years, four Microsoft Teams chats, three video projects, three boxes of food sent between continents (two from Australia to USA and one from USA to Australia), and two Google Slides projects. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/8mKoNy1mtjo" width="320" youtube-src-id="8mKoNy1mtjo"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Check out this video mixtape of our reactions to Australian food. Some of it is amazing and some of it not so much. All of it is greatly appreciated. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">This fall, Kylie got a crazy idea. She is now out of the classroom serving in a coaching role, but wanted to create a way to connect Australian kids and American kids instead of this being a teacher to kid relationship. Just before Christmas Break (which is also Summer Break for them) we had the chance to connect with a 7th grade class in her school on FlipGrid. What an amazing opportunity to talk directly kid to kid and learn from each other. (<a href="https://flipgrid.com/+eefgmx80">Check out the FlipGrid mixtape here.</a>)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">A project and partnership of this magnitude can't just sit on a shelf where no one can know about it. I was honored earlier this week to co-present with Kylie at the Catholic Education Western Australia Virtual Conference about our partnership. You can watch our session below if you like. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9mvSK3oQHGQ" width="320" youtube-src-id="9mvSK3oQHGQ"></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It has been a blast to create an international partnership, which has helped my kids learn about another culture. But, let's be honest, I've made a friend and I'm learning about another culture too. If you have a chance to seek out a teacher in another country, do it! Find them on Twitter or one of the many other platforms available for teachers to connect. You'll be happy you did!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tell me about a connection you've made. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">-----------------------------------------------------</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Want to see more of the projects I've done with 2nd grade in Australia? <a href="https://sites.google.com/boone.kyschools.us/yealeymakerspace/2nd-grade" target="_blank">Check out my site.</a> We have Google Slide Shows and Australian Animal Videos and other non-Australia projects too! </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-81486765486636044822021-12-06T12:01:00.001-08:002021-12-06T12:01:06.183-08:00This Is What It's All About My wife and I are quickly approaching our 25th wedding anniversary. When we talked about ways to celebrate, we looked around our house that we are slowly renovating and knew exactly what we wanted to do.<div><br /></div><div>The bulk of my career was spent teaching 6th grade at a large Christian school in Northern Kentucky and for most of those years, my wife was a 5th grade teacher there as well. There were literally hundreds of kids who got a "double dose of Dunlap," for better or for worse. One of those kids was a girl name Lauren, who is now all grown up and an artist in Columbus, OH. </div><div><br /></div><div>We decided to commission Lauren to paint something amazing for our living room. She agreed and we exchanged important information for her to create the perfect piece. We visited Lauren at her studio this weekend and picked up the painting. It's AMAZING! (I just now noticed the cat looking at us like we are crazy.)</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5mp_Azc0Ja1GhtQeIlhw44j9leBXOVWZVwT4X8UPAG8uJ5MeiKPpCHqd-vOP7jMYG3WN_JIeLEFq5wXoymXYtmsBmsmHDd9VbVi5wEX0tarSUJ0fyNvQ7iU-93KEZpnBlomxQERiJuc/s2048/IMG_0009%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgu5mp_Azc0Ja1GhtQeIlhw44j9leBXOVWZVwT4X8UPAG8uJ5MeiKPpCHqd-vOP7jMYG3WN_JIeLEFq5wXoymXYtmsBmsmHDd9VbVi5wEX0tarSUJ0fyNvQ7iU-93KEZpnBlomxQERiJuc/s320/IMG_0009%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">At this point, this is a story of a couple who are both teachers and have been married a long time... and you wonder why it's on a teacher blog. I get it. But the rest of this is an example of the role we play as teachers. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Lauren made a video of the process and posted it on her TikTok, but she also shared personal thoughts in the video too. You just need to watch it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qYLCiBqlRg4" width="320" youtube-src-id="qYLCiBqlRg4"></iframe></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">As she talked to us in person and spoke to us through the video, it hit me big time. As teachers we spend so much time thinking about our content. Back then, it was multiplying decimals and labelling nouns. Now, it's video edits and the basics of engineering. Those things are so important, but sometimes I forget that teaching is about pouring myself into those kids. It's about letting them see me interact with people and the world around me to learn how to do it themselves. And, yes, I know the Dunlaps are a rare exception, but for us, it's a chance to show what marriage is all about too. As teachers, our pride should be in seeing our students become mature adults, ready to tackle whatever role is waiting for them in the world. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I will always cherish that massive canvas on our wall, but I hope I never lose sight of the hidden message it holds. Teaching is so much more than anything I envisioned it to be when I got into this job 28 years ago. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwIN_DmHtSnq03bfUWjJl65nSzzBJ8LYHH7cLs5sDk-bA44HljlAURvnZTdXYn-9_JVlePX_2NmnO5jQuZf1swFZQBPXMVFe2UvA2JgJntSRlihznF13Z1ALBNEt9Z3i2gJds1y4PBJE/s2048/IMG_0028%255B1%255D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwIN_DmHtSnq03bfUWjJl65nSzzBJ8LYHH7cLs5sDk-bA44HljlAURvnZTdXYn-9_JVlePX_2NmnO5jQuZf1swFZQBPXMVFe2UvA2JgJntSRlihznF13Z1ALBNEt9Z3i2gJds1y4PBJE/s320/IMG_0028%255B1%255D.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-60721078340096451152021-10-29T13:12:00.000-07:002021-10-29T13:12:18.669-07:00It's Not That Hard!I always make it a point that my students know that we don't "play with robots." I like to tell them, "We don't play in Mr. Dunlap's room. We work really hard doing really fun stuff." As my 5th grade class wrapped up for the day, one of my girls made it a point to tell me that, "it's not really that hard." Whatever... <div><br /></div><div>I thought about the kids in the room who struggled (and learned) how to construct <a href="https://modrobotics.com/">Cubelets </a>robots to drive through a maze or the ones who labored with <a href="https://sphero.com/">Sphero </a>code to learn how to make it drive in a rectangle. I can't even describe to you the amount of deep thinking that goes into rising to new challenges with robotics. Sure, it comes easier to some kids than others, but I love celebrating with them when they meet the challenge head on and conquer it. (We celebrated, but I forgot to take pictures.)</div><div><br /></div><div>One of the girls in my room has been a rock star for me for years, and I handed her the loaner <a href="https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/finch/">Finch </a>I have in my room. "Here, see what you can do with this." I would check in on her every once in a while and give her a nudge in the right direction. By the end of Thursday, she figured out how to draw a square and play "Hot Cross Buns." Friday, she thought out loud, "Can I make a circle?" -- a thought that I have never had. We worked together and came up with a solution. We were both super proud of ourselves when we produced a few circles. </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uFKUBZ_HjJYY8p4sT1gKosMxuAUrI28nQDnbBZCbgtDRWwkWpgST30Yp_UFCv6bzflb2ZPjHxvmT0LJuaWXKyC5dxldpepQvX0TgBpbnw2geioiWjOohiPEdp-7XC2dGqMx5M5NcD6E/s2048/IMG_9459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="173" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9uFKUBZ_HjJYY8p4sT1gKosMxuAUrI28nQDnbBZCbgtDRWwkWpgST30Yp_UFCv6bzflb2ZPjHxvmT0LJuaWXKyC5dxldpepQvX0TgBpbnw2geioiWjOohiPEdp-7XC2dGqMx5M5NcD6E/w231-h173/IMG_9459.JPG" width="231" /></a> </div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAW0_DAGUMBB_enI82bfRj4_kQPz7R3EcKIub7nZKHkHHjIPIac5vBKgQqUMdMg5sTWEDwZ_zdU0AOlynb3CBJw4ztJJm3ZxCrmyJWifuNHiHj_mqYyfvYuewXONPjBvCA4gaOZQoFOc/s2048/IMG_9460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAW0_DAGUMBB_enI82bfRj4_kQPz7R3EcKIub7nZKHkHHjIPIac5vBKgQqUMdMg5sTWEDwZ_zdU0AOlynb3CBJw4ztJJm3ZxCrmyJWifuNHiHj_mqYyfvYuewXONPjBvCA4gaOZQoFOc/w148-h198/IMG_9460.JPG" width="148" /></a></div>I love what I do! Yes, it's a blast and it feels like playing, but I love it when the kids accomplish a task that seemed impossible just an hour earlier. <br /><br /></div>Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-1900324741731668582021-10-20T11:55:00.001-07:002021-10-20T11:55:27.696-07:00Robotics Rockstars<p>Hello. It's been a while. So much to catch up on, but now's not the time. I have a great story to tell from today. Maybe we'll catch up another day. </p><p>In the past 3 years, I've done a lot with robotics and coding. Well, I'm not sure how much I've done compared with other elementary teachers around the world, but I've done a lot for my little corner of the educational world here in Boone County, Kentucky. While I have thoroughly enjoyed using Cubelets, Spheros, and Ozobots, there is a part of me that wants to explore something new. </p><p>This summer, I won an <a href="https://www.makeblock.com/mtiny">mTiny robot</a> from a vendor at ISTE. Cute. Right? I have no idea how to use it. And to be honest, I didn't have time at the beginning of the school year to figure it out. So, it sat for weeks. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLfOk2pPcVRYbxVbqZD56l9nTgX2fK9KulaVV7ypWkNPlJP9s8aNVV8_OwaL2cYTm-cCnkUJE_fXDN3Grdb14MCdEeEUbDUZJBoH2lPEbVSQf7kzE9jPLX-fG3uDvOlf5Rh0kMf9ZfK4/s2048/IMG-9395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFLfOk2pPcVRYbxVbqZD56l9nTgX2fK9KulaVV7ypWkNPlJP9s8aNVV8_OwaL2cYTm-cCnkUJE_fXDN3Grdb14MCdEeEUbDUZJBoH2lPEbVSQf7kzE9jPLX-fG3uDvOlf5Rh0kMf9ZfK4/s320/IMG-9395.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div><br /></div>Not long ago, I started to research new robots to see what I could add to my room. Through Twitter, I stumbled upon <a href="https://www.birdbraintechnologies.com/">BirdBrain Technologies</a>, and they let you borrow demo robots for free! So, I asked for a Hummingbird and Finch to try. And, you guessed it, I haven't done anything with them. <div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMi16O90fehyphenhyphencirybDmijayoo2zlpZ_M7wK6lMS03IDUm8Gssm72bhV-834rySqJUnWug5FU2zSd15s60EbmWD-9jaRDXBUEjipHS4ZhTJZKjpnTOXw7LuFAiuA5ydTf5-Wg34AD_w0ZU/s2048/IMG-9396.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMi16O90fehyphenhyphencirybDmijayoo2zlpZ_M7wK6lMS03IDUm8Gssm72bhV-834rySqJUnWug5FU2zSd15s60EbmWD-9jaRDXBUEjipHS4ZhTJZKjpnTOXw7LuFAiuA5ydTf5-Wg34AD_w0ZU/w240-h320/IMG-9396.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZlYJC6HqAHuF9Bd5Af6jbUfrczivXeEum9ObQt8soPMwCR1pD9tjavpLbxQxhFPmkEBpRCiJFMID15JxVvESMOmpv6rryKh6d2wReFpeaLTYbymrCT90SQFr0u3jyxs9yYRzpZI2BPY/s2048/IMG-9397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZlYJC6HqAHuF9Bd5Af6jbUfrczivXeEum9ObQt8soPMwCR1pD9tjavpLbxQxhFPmkEBpRCiJFMID15JxVvESMOmpv6rryKh6d2wReFpeaLTYbymrCT90SQFr0u3jyxs9yYRzpZI2BPY/s320/IMG-9397.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Not wanting an awesome opportunity to slip by, I decided to do something about it. I contacted my 5th grade teachers and gave them 8 names of handpicked kids to come to my room today. Most of these kids have been in and out of my room since 2nd grade and we know each other well. They excel at technological tasks and were up for the challenge. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nWczMABW7oXnl-rYiIk8523D0w9s1nnZ8jj4psl2DSYycjJs12g2dnX5YK0eV5idKLgfWVD-Si4khf5SOe3pEhpIhndZaKiILJx76K9iTAb6fM4SYgzUk5WxgLgXEEGBb9UUr3CbOyU/s2048/IMG-9393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2nWczMABW7oXnl-rYiIk8523D0w9s1nnZ8jj4psl2DSYycjJs12g2dnX5YK0eV5idKLgfWVD-Si4khf5SOe3pEhpIhndZaKiILJx76K9iTAb6fM4SYgzUk5WxgLgXEEGBb9UUr3CbOyU/s320/IMG-9393.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I laid it out for them. I know almost nothing about these robots. I own one of them and am borrowing the other two. My goal for them is to learn how to use the robots and tell me if they are worth buying. They would have to work together, read user manuals, and research on Chromebooks to figure it out. The kids were all like, "Yep. Got this. Let's go!" Really?!? No fear?!? Oh! To be a kid again!</div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">This was one of those teaching moments that just got me so excited. The mTiny kids were a bit stumped till we discovered that the coding tiles look like the belong in Scratch Jr. The BirdBrains use <a href="https://microbit.org/">micro:bit</a> which none of us know anything about. We quickly realized that we were dealing with a coding language that none of us knew, but it kinda looked like Scratch. Did not faze the students at all. I cheered when I saw the Finch moving. I had to talk to anyone who would listen and care. This is what makerspace robotics is supposed to look like, and it was so refreshing! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I have two more days of these kids learning the new robots, and I cannot wait to see what they will be able to do by Friday!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Now, will we buy these products? Maybe. That's a blog for a different day. </div>Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-67179632708290442622018-10-22T10:23:00.001-07:002018-10-22T10:23:58.163-07:00MakerSpaces on TV!Right before school started, I got an email from my friend, <a href="https://twitter.com/emilywgreene" target="_blank">Emily Greene</a>, the administrator of <a href="http://www.nkymakerspace.com/" target="_blank">NKY MakerSpace</a>. Kentucky Life, a show on <a href="https://www.ket.org/" target="_blank">KET public television</a>, wanted to do a spot on makerspaces in Kentucky. Emily asked if I would be willing to bring a class to her makerspace for the filming. It didn't take me long to respond with a big resounding YES!!!!!<br />
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We got our fifth grade on board, and had to move quickly with permission slips, letters home, and media releases. There's nothing quite as crazy as having a field trip on the <i>sixth day</i> of school with TV cameras rolling. Oh, and for an extra bit of stress, the district superintendent was wondering through the classes as well.<br />
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While Emily taught about electrical circuits in one room, I was teaching <a href="https://makeymakey.com/" target="_blank">Makey Makey</a> in another. Of course, it was a chaotic mess. If you've ever used Makey Makey, you know that things can get loud. You know what? It was fun! Students earned <a href="https://sites.google.com/boone.kyschools.us/yealeys-makerspace-badges/home" target="_blank">badges</a>. They explored. We all learned. It was an amazing day, and I'm so glad we did it!<br />
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Of course, I have to remind myself that the real reason for Yealey Elementary being at the makerspace was to create a realistic look for the cameras. But, it's always nice when someone shares the spotlight with you.<br />
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Below is the video that aired on KET. And, I had no idea Duncan Hines was a real person or that he was from Kentucky. Wow! (We come on around 4:00, but I was really into the <a href="https://www.kre8now.com/" target="_blank">Kre8Now</a> segment before it too.<br />
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<br />Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-91530830073204884772018-10-09T16:34:00.000-07:002018-10-09T16:34:13.524-07:00Hey, Hey, Hay! We're starting Book Commercial Today!It's that time of year! I'm very excited to start our second grade book commercial project again this year! One thing we want to do is connect our students with an actual published children's book author. This step is so very important in the process. It helps our students see that authors are real people and how they go about writing their books.<br />
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A few weeks ago, I searched <a href="http://nepris.com/">Nepris.com</a> for a children's book author who I thought could connect well to our second graders. I was very happy to find <a href="http://www.christymihaly.com/" target="_blank">Christy Mihaly</a> who seemed like just the right fit for our room. Mrs. Mihaly recently published two books, one of which is called <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Hey-Hay-Christy-Mihaly/dp/0823436667/" target="_blank">Hey, Hey, Hay! </a> I sent her a message through Nepris and she agreed to be our author this year. <br />
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Today was our first of hopefully a few chats where we talked about her books, her writing process, and how books are promoted. Mrs. Zureick and I were so pleased to see that she related beautifully to the students, talked through the entire writing and publishing process, and even talked about how she needs to promote her books. Wow! I was surprised how much work goes into making a book successful. <br />
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As she said to us, "My book isn't doing its job if no one is reading it." In other words, the book promotion is just as important as the writing process. What an amazing segue into our commercial process. Soon we will be working hard to promote good books in our school library and (hopefully) in local book stores. <br />
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As an extra bonus, Mrs. Mihaly was even nice enough to take her laptop into her Vermont backyard to show us the fall colors in New England -- a welcome change to our unseasonably warm October days here in Kentucky.<br />
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Thank you, Mrs. Mihaly and Nepris for making today happen!Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-74524104444486418842018-09-20T12:25:00.000-07:002018-09-20T12:25:12.213-07:00How I Gamified My MakerSpaceI became a makerspace teacher in the 2017-18 school at the request of my principal. As an elementary teacher masquerading as a technology teacher, I had no clue what I was doing. Of course, that didn't stop me from tackling a crazy cool assignment. I had researched a few new maker gadgets and purchased what I could. I also brought in some of my old coding standbys I've used the past. But, to be honest, I had no idea how to run a makerspace.<br />
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That year was a blur. The room needed to be transformed from computer lab to makerspace. I had to learn the new devices and find ways to talk my colleagues into bringing their kids to me. Since my class isn't in the specials rotation, I had to rely on teacher buy-in and that was hard. When I did get a class in my room, the focus was mainly on exploration and trying to avoid tears and hurt feelings.<br />
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At the very end of the school year, my district went through a major project looking at success criteria and mastery learning for all standards in all content area. That's when an epiphany hit me... <b>a badge system!</b><br />
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I spent the summer working on breaking down all my gadgetry and apps into smaller bite-sized pieces. Each of those levels were designed to bring students from novice to expert in the field and eventually using multiple devices together. What started as a nugget of an idea turned into a website that has turned my makerspace into a game for the students and an organized curriculum for me.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/boone.kyschools.us/yealeys-makerspace-badges/home" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="952" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY-zHtw-HMynxP6GYIJgdMxlZWP2i4GWau4s9Zrqs8dawSW8fJwRVnxj3lFEWg1VHDjd6yj9m_zhCj5H3JJBK6ADxztG_cgWkNV9q3WkxtQed3JWN2tB3AC_lAubBLDPAVeob1Ifd0oeg/s640/home+page.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://sites.google.com/boone.kyschools.us/yealeys-makerspace-badges/home" target="_blank">Click Picture for Web Site</a></td></tr>
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As you navigate the site, you can see numerous options for student choice and growth in various disciplines. In general, the badges start out very teacher directed but wind up with ways for students to explore ways they want to use the technology. I knew that digital badges would win their hearts and give them a chance to display what they know and can do. </div>
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The next step was teacher buy-in. Getting students excited means nothing if I can't get them in my room. That's why I am hosting a Maker Monday once a month after school. Any employee in the school is given the opportunity to come in for an hour, learn the technology, and earn badges for themselves. My first Maker Monday had 10 teachers, earning 5 badges, in 4 disciplines. I call that a win!</div>
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Students are encouraged to tackle any device or app that interests them. I try not to direct them to any one thing unless it's a request by the teacher. This gives students the opportunity for student choice. It also means I frequently have students working in four or more disciplines. </div>
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While I am anticipating a lot of traffic this year, my most consistent class has been third grade. They are sending me 12 kids for about three weeks and rotating groups throughout the year. I am amazed at the results already. One girl who I remember as painfully shy as a second grader is my rock star. She is knocking out badges left and right. I love watching as another girl -- wonderfully sweet and bright -- struggles and works her way through something that -- finally! -- doesn't come easily for her. We've had talks about this being a MAKERspace, and I expect them to MAKE. MAKING is where the learning is. It's OK to PLAY a bit, but this isn't a PLAYERspace because I want them to create. </div>
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Soon, it will be time for this group to rotate out, but I'm having two overlap days. My outgoing class will buddy up with the incoming class to show them the ropes. I am so excited!</div>
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Moving forward...</div>
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<li>My next job is to align these badges to standards. While this program helps tap into another intelligence and helps teach the whole child, the teachers need to see how this work helps them teach students in their curriculum</li>
<li>I'm constantly working on adding more devices to the list. At this typing, I'm working on badges for Kodable, a coding game for non-readers. </li>
<li>I'd like to make a "The Making of..." post to show how I made the badges and the site. </li>
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I'd love to hear how you have organized your makerspace and how you think I could improve our badge program. </div>
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Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-10691361567705608532018-01-18T07:15:00.000-08:002018-01-18T07:15:05.728-08:00Three Months, a Bunch of 7 Year Olds, and 99 Book CommercialsWithout a doubt, the highlight of the fall semester of this year for me can be summed up with this video.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/243136909" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/243136909">Yealey Elementary Book Commercials</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user40968095">Steve Oldfield</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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Mrs. Zureick and I worked together to help our second graders create book videos to promote reading with younger children. This is a project we did on a smaller scale <a href="http://blendthatlearning.blogspot.com/2017/02/2nd-grade-book-commercials.html" target="_blank">last year,</a> but we ramped it up during a Project Based Learning seminar this summer with the <a href="http://www.bie.org/" target="_blank">Buck Institute for Education</a>.<br />
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I'm really excited about this project, the time I spent with the second graders, working with the second grade team, and the final product. This blog post will serve as a means to hit the highlights, and I'm fairly certain it will be a long one.<br />
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A solid PBL unit will have a strong driving question to guide the process. The question we posed to the students at the beginning was...<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; white-space: pre-wrap;">How can we as readers and book reviewers help beginning readers pick interesting books?</span> </blockquote>
I think this was a hard concept for the students to think about when we first talked to them. We got a lot of answers like, "Well, I just tell them what I thought of the book." I remember how we would explain to them that we couldn't just have them sit in the library and explain each book. "Oh, well they can just call us on the phone and we'll tell them." Finally, we guided them to the idea of creating book commercials that would be available through the Internet and QR codes inside book covers. They loved the idea!<br />
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We spent a lot of time talking about success criteria for good commercials, watching and critiquing other videos, and modeling the process ourselves. Finally, we got to survey kindergartners and first graders in our school about books they liked before our local public library brought us a massive stack of books to work with.<br />
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As part of our project, we were able to have a <a href="http://blendthatlearning.blogspot.com/2017/11/how-we-talked-to-author-2000-miles-away.html" target="_blank">video chat </a>with an author who told us about her books, the writing process and how to create a good book promotion. <a href="https://www.tstewartshiu.com/" target="_blank">Tricia Stewart Shiu</a> and <a href="https://www.nepris.com/" target="_blank">Nepris </a>were a huge help in our process of growing from readers to book reviewers.<br />
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If you've ever written anything you know the writing process can be lengthy. If you've ever watched second graders handwrite anything, you know it takes forever. I watched as students would write up a paragraph, get feedback from a peer, cross it all out and rewrite the whole thing. It was at that point I got a crazy idea. <b>Let's teach second graders how to use Google Docs. </b> I don't know when your school starts working with cloud computing, but these kids just got their fingers on Chromebooks a few weeks earlier. This was huge! I think it took two days to get them on Docs and type up their commercials, but it was a massive step forward in our process. We got to teach the editing process without waiting half a class period between drafts.<br />
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Finally, the students were ready to record their videos. We use <a href="https://www.wevideo.com/" target="_blank">WeVideo</a> in our school for video creation and editing. I love how it's quick and easy to create videos in the cloud and sharing is super easy. One goal we had for the video aspect of this project was not to just hold their hands as they created videos but to train them to be the teachers.<br />
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Once videos were completed, I did a bit of tech work in the background. I downloaded the videos to my hard drive then immediately uploaded them back to our Vimeo page. Then we created QR Codes for each commercial. Finally, I sent everything to our<a href="https://www.bcpl.org/" target="_blank"> public library </a>for them to process on their end.<br />
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As the first round of 24 videos were being completed, we started up plans to continue the project through the rest of the second grade in our school. Since we trained these students to be the teachers, we were able to sit back and watch them help their friends. It was at that point that <a href="http://servicelearning.childreninc.org/" target="_blank">Children Inc.</a> found out about our service learning project and wanted to create the video you saw at the top of the page.<br />
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The end result was astounding! Ninety-nine book commercials were put on display at the library! We hosted an open house a week ago for students and families to come and see the videos. It was such a great culminating event to celebrate all this hard work! I wish I could tell you all the stories of self-confidence found, leadership skills honed, and love of reading kindled. I am so glad I got to take part in this amazing project!<br />
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Now, for a reward for reading this far, I'm going to share with you some of my favorite commercials.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/245782842" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe><br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/245782842">HI FLY GUY</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user14771792">Donna Logan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/245111640" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/245111640">Farmyard Beat</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user14771792">Donna Logan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/242640788" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/242640788">BAD KITTY DOES NOT LIKE THE SNOW</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user14771792">Donna Logan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/242630804" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe>
<a href="https://vimeo.com/242630804">Spider Man V.S. Doc Ock</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/user14771792">Donna Logan</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.<br />
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<br />Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-76732718846592731932017-11-27T06:22:00.001-08:002017-11-27T06:22:28.117-08:00How We Talked to an Author 2000 Miles AwayI am currently working with our second grade to create book commercials that will be posted in our local public library as well as our school library. I worked along with one of our teachers to do this project last year, but we wanted to make the project bigger and better for this year. I'll get to the whole project in a future post, but today I want to focus on our author chats.<br />
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Over the summer, I contacted <a href="https://www.nepris.com/" target="_blank">Nepris</a> about our project. If you've never heard of Nepris, you should hop on over there right now and create an account. They will connect you and your class to a professional who can talk with your class about whatever topic you are discussing. Think of what your next unit will be about. Would you like to talk to a person who works in that field but don't know the perfect person to chat with? Don't worry. Nepris will set up a video chat with a professional so your kids can learn more from an expert.</div>
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Nepris connected us with <a href="https://www.tstewartshiu.com/" target="_blank">Tricia Stewart Shiu</a> who is an award-winning author, book reviewer, and motivational speaker, living in the Los Angeles area. I had never heard of Ms Stewart Shiu before but I can honestly say she has quickly become a favorite in our school. I have now been a part of two sessions with her and have a third scheduled in a couple weeks. </div>
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Tricia has everything you could possibly want in a guest speaker for your class. She knows her profession well. She understands the writing process and how to promote books and is able to communicate these skills to our students. Not only is she knowledgeable, but she is able to bring that knowledge to the students' level. Some people may accidentally talk over the heads of primary-aged students, but Ms Stewart Shiu doesn't do that. She knows her audience well. Finally, she is enthusiastic about her work and genuinely loves to talk to the kids about it. As we know from working with kids, enthusiasm is contagious. As she displays her excitement about writing, the kids start to pick on that and get more excited for their projects too. </div>
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I'm so glad that I was able to connect with Nepris and with Tricia Stewart Shiu. I encourage you to find your professional expert today!</div>
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Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-15537045740622434462017-02-13T07:59:00.001-08:002017-02-13T07:59:27.587-08:00Blending Math ClassSince Christmas, I have been working alongside Mrs. Justice to help personalize learning in her 5th grade math classes. It's been an interesting ride trying to find practices that best fit her students and her style. We're nowhere near ready to call this a completed project, but we've come so far already. I wanted to blog about where we've been and the direction we're going. Hopefully by the time school lets out I can create a post about how we've totally personalized learning in 5th grade math.<br />
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<b>Station Rotation Model</b><br />
When I first started visiting Mrs. Justice's room, she already had a station rotation model in action. Students spent time in three stations each class period -- small group, individual, games. With my presence, we were able to add a fourth station -- technology. Since it's really hard to get meaningful work done with four rotations a day, we rotated through the four stations over two days.<br />
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The big question at the time was WHAT technology to use. We use Envision Math at our school, and they have <a href="http://www.pearsonrealize.com/" target="_blank">a website with student activities</a>. The original goal was to use that site for the tech station, but it just wasn't conducive for personalized learning. So, we went with <a href="http://www.mobymax.com/" target="_blank">MobyMax</a>, a site I use with younger students.<br />
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What is great about MobyMax is its personalization. Before you do any work in math, you take a placement test that figures out your holes in learning and gives you lessons to help fill those gaps. Another thing MobyMax does well is review math facts in an app called Fact Fluency. However, as students continued learning missing skills, we realized there was obvious things missing with MobyMax. For one, it lacks a lot of bells and whistles. While a second grader may not realize the difference, a fifth grader will visibly react to "the MobyMax voice" and less than optimum graphics. Another thing that tripped us up was the lack of flexibility. If a student bombed a kindergarten skill in the placement test, the only way to get past that skill was to go through all the lessons and practices -- even a retest didn't solve the problem.<br />
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We had to find something else.<br />
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<b>Flexible Learning</b><br />
Our simultaneous searching lead various places with great blogs and articles, but we hit pay dirt when Mrs. Justice found <a href="http://meehanmath.weebly.com/" target="_blank">Mrs. Meehan's math website</a> for a couple reasons. <br />
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For one, this led us to the <a href="https://www.engageny.org/" target="_blank">Engage NY</a> curriculum which is something Mrs. Justice was familiar with from her previous school. She printed out the modules and used them to revamp her entire approach. Students were assessed and given a starting point in the curriculum based on their assessments. This helped students start exactly where they need to learning. <br />
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We also found the <a href="http://meehanmath.weebly.com/blended-learning-resources.html" target="_blank">resources for blended learning page</a>, and that opened my eyes to a whole new set of math websites I didn't know existed. For now, we've landed on <a href="http://www.zearn.org/" target="_blank">Zearn</a> as a favorite. In Zearn, students are placed in specific lessons by the teacher but are scaffolded through the process from there. Each lesson has warm-ups, fact practice, a video lesson, more practice, and a wrap up that will teach a particular skill. And, say good-bye to freaky voices. Zearn has actors who play the part of teachers on their instructional videos.<br />
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That leads us to our next blended learning model, which I'll call flexible learning for lack of a better name. Students are expected to learn in three modes:<br />
1. <i>Small group instruction.</i> Some students are required to spend 10-20 minutes with Mrs. Justice each day. Others are expected to check in face-to-face a couple times a week to make sure they are learning the new content.<br />
2. <i> Individual work.</i> Students are given paper lessons to work on in class and are expected to complete 3-5 a week. If questions arise, they can ask peers or a teacher for help. As mentioned above, students are given papers each week based on how they have performed on assessments so they are personalized to an extent.<br />
3. <i>Technology. </i> While we really like Zearn, we also have left the door open for them to continue with MobyMax or use <a href="http://www.dreambox.com/" target="_blank">DreamBox</a> (a site they had been using since the start of school). Each of these sites enable personalization based on performance and allow students to move at their own pace.<br />
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And the room looks different than it used to look too as evidenced by this panoramic picture I took.<br />
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<b>Math Menu</b><br />
Moving forward we want to work toward a math menu model, where students will be able to choose each day between main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. These will include some of the pieces mentioned above but will also include creating and playing math games and creating and watching math videos to name a few. We'd also like to open up a few other math programs to students as well. (Click the link for my most recent ideas.)<br />
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We are constantly reading up on new ideas, so if you have an idea, web site, or blog you could recommend, please send it my way! <br />
<br />Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-39698690343073570322017-02-09T06:16:00.000-08:002017-02-09T06:16:30.888-08:002nd Grade Book CommercialsInspired by this <a href="https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-technology-inspire-independent-readers-jesse-buetow" target="_blank">great article</a>, I set out with Mrs. Zureick in second grade to make book commercial videos. We hit some hiccups along the way, but I'm really happy with the final product and how we grew through the process. <br />
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<b>Step One: Selecting a video production tool.</b><br />
In the article, <a href="http://www.21st-teacher.com/" target="_blank">Mr. Buetow's class</a> used <a href="https://spark.adobe.com/" target="_blank">Adobe Spark</a> for their videos. I immediately fell in love with Adobe Spark for its look and ease of use and wanted to run with it. Sadly, Adobe has a 13 and over policy for its users. We discussed the possibility of creating a generic school account that students could access. Sadly, that plan was not approved at the district office, so we had to look in other directions.<br />
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That search didn't take long at all. With three <a href="http://www.wevideo.com/" target="_blank">WeVideo</a> projects under my belt, I felt comfortable using this platform. While I would have liked the animated look from Adobe Spark, WeVideo is an excellent and easy program to use for 30 second video spots. (Feel free to click <a href="http://blendthatlearning.blogspot.com/2016/11/wevideo-in-rain-forest.html" target="_blank">here</a>, <a href="http://blendthatlearning.blogspot.com/2016/11/kentucky-and-wevideos.html" target="_blank">here</a>, and <a href="http://blendthatlearning.blogspot.com/2017/01/wrapping-up-narnia.html" target="_blank">here</a> to read about our previous projects.)<br />
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<b>Step Two: Read the books and write the scripts.</b><br />
I didn't help with this part of the project, but Mrs. Zureick's class spent a lot of time in the school library reading books that may interest younger students. Then, each student wrote up commercials for two books. Using markers, they created their own cue cards to read on camera.<br />
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<b>Step Three: Getting pictures.</b><br />
This turned out to be a minor hurdle to jump over. When I started working with the first two kids, I realized they needed to take pictures of illustrations in the books. I spent a while trying to teach myself how to take a picture using a Chromebook webcam and get that saved into WeVideo on the fly (while wondering how I would teach it to 30 2nd graders) when it hit me that we have a small stack of iPads assigned to each grade level.<br />
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In the end, we took pictures with iPads, plugged the iPads into Chromebooks, then loaded them directly into WeVideo. That added a couple hours to the project, but it worked just fine.<br />
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<b>Step Four: Recording and editing the videos. </b><br />
When I started working with students on this project, we were in the library. I loved the bookshelves in the background, so we made sure that all our "production studios" had a set of bookshelves we could use.<br />
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WeVideo is literally so easy a second grader can do it. As you'll see in the example videos at the end, we had three elements: a video of students talking, three pictures from the book, and background music. Once we got cooking we could do multiple videos at one time and crank one out in less than 15 minutes.<br />
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As you can see in the picture, we tried to work in small teams. I never felt that I had to have control of the Chromebook or the cue cards. I was quite fine with kids helping kids. It worked great! When I was being observed by my principal I made sure one of the best helpers was there working alongside me. That was a positive part of the observation -- I had a protege working with me.<br />
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<b>Step Five: Get rid of last names.</b><br />
Our school policy is to not post student last names online. Our librarian made the realization that WeVideo automatically displays the video creator's first and last name. We had to scramble together notes home asking parents for permission to use the videos. Just before we started deleting videos, WeVideo came through and showed us how to change the names. Whew!<br />
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<b>Step Six: Publicize the videos.</b><br />
The final step was to make these videos available to other students. We are doing this two ways. One, the links to all the videos will go into our school-wide computerized library catalog. So, when a student goes on the webpage for that book, she can view a video commercial about that book. Two, QR Codes will be printed on labels and affixed to the inside cover of these books. This will give students instant access to our book commercials.<br />
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<b>As I wrap up, I'd like to thank a few people:</b><br />
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<li><a href="https://twitter.com/MrBuetow" target="_blank">Jesse Buetow</a> not only wrote the article that gave this project life but was willing to answer questions for me from the outset. </li>
<li>Debbie Schroeder is our school librarian. She's been on top of this project from the moment I sent the email out to the school. She's excited to get more videos created by more students. </li>
<li>Tina Zureick is not afraid to do something new and has invited me into her room on more than one occasion.</li>
<li>The guys at <a href="http://www.wevideo.com/" target="_blank">WeVideo</a> bailed me out of a jam. They were willing to help me with questions -- again -- that I could have probably answered myself if I didn't go into "freak out" mode. </li>
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Here are a couple of videos for you to enjoy.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/embed/#846304831" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/embed/#839493869" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe>
Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-63667040554414087492017-01-06T12:37:00.000-08:002017-01-06T12:37:13.946-08:00Wrapping Up NarniaOur journey through <a href="http://www.narnia.com/us/" target="_blank">Narnia</a> has concluded, but I thoroughly enjoyed <a href="http://blendthatlearning.blogspot.com/2016/11/blending-narnia.html" target="_blank">blogging alongside the students</a>. At the start of the book, each student chose one of the Pevensie children to "become." At various points during the book, the students had to blog as that character. <br />
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This was a great activity for a number of reasons. <br />
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<li>It was a great introduction to blogging. I was surprised how few kids actually knew anything about blogging. However, they all were able to experience the process and see how it's done.</li>
<li>Writing from the point of view of a character is hard to do. This was more than a mere summary of the story. Students had to think like that character. </li>
<li>This was not just writing to satisfy the teacher. Students got to read each other's blogs and make comments. </li>
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I found that once students had one or two blog posts under their belts, I was an obsolete member of the class. I would still make an appearance but was not needed for support much after the ball got rolling. That's what education is about -- helping students learn new skills so they can be independent.<br />
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We also added the <a href="http://blendthatlearning.blogspot.com/2016/12/green-screen-practice.html" target="_blank">vlog concept</a>, using <a href="http://www.wevideo.com/" target="_blank">WeVideo</a> and green screen technology. This was completely new to all of us, so it was a lengthy process. After a few days of recording, re-recording, and editing, the process was complete and most kids got a vlog look that was somewhat convincing that we were standing in Narnia.<br />
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Here are some of the better blogs to see what the students were able to create. <br />
<a href="http://thestoryofedmundslife.blogspot.com/">http://thestoryofedmundslife.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://adventuresofsusan2.blogspot.com/">http://adventuresofsusan2.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://thequestofmysteriouslucy.blogspot.com/">http://thequestofmysteriouslucy.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<a href="http://thepeterway.blogspot.com/">http://thepeterway.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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And here is my blog from the perspective of Tumnus the Faun.<br />
<a href="http://chroniclesofafaun.blogspot.com/">http://chroniclesofafaun.blogspot.com/</a><br />
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I'd like to thank Ms. McGuire for letting me be a part of this project. It was a blast!<br />
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<br />Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-86721672590150495712016-12-13T11:16:00.000-08:002016-12-13T11:16:43.772-08:00Green Screen PracticeAs part of our Narnia blogging experience, we wanted to give the students an option to create a vlog entry as well. So, the other day, I asked for volunteers. "I need two students who are done their assignment for the day and are ready to do something crazy." (Amazing how that motivates kids. "Something crazy" has to be a good thing. Right?!?!)<br />
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I took my two students in the hall and explained what they were doing, and almost immediately one of them commenting about the background. After all, cement blocks painted white is not a Narnia-inspired look. So, I started exploring the options of using a green screen. </div>
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As it turns out <a href="http://www.wevideo.com/" target="_blank">WeVideo</a> has a green screen feature, AND our school owns a small green screen! It was a match made in heaven! </div>
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Last year in my previous school, I co-taught a couple media production classes for middle and high school. But, by saying "co-taught" it just meant I helped by managing and organizing the courses. I actually had no idea how to do half the stuff the students were doing. So, I missed the green screen lesson completely. Fortunately, WeVideo makes it super easy. </div>
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Below are two promos that I created for the entire vlog experience. The first was shot with my iPhone 6 (front camera) and the second was shot with my Chromebook webcam. </div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/embed/#807325937" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/embed/#807343879" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe>
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We showed the first video to the students today, and they were pumped! They were certainly excited to see me with the mountain background AND they can't wait to start using the green screen. This will be fun!<br />
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Now, I'm experimenting with using (finding) lights to make a more consistent green color on the screen. While the phone camera did a better job, I'd much rather not use it for all 50 videos. So, I want to make things work on the webcam for a usable video experience.<br />
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Stay tuned. Good things to come. Of course.<br />
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And, if you want to watch 27 seconds of utter cuteness, you need to watch this...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/embed/#808651482" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe>Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-85206336041110448252016-11-29T10:22:00.000-08:002016-11-29T10:22:33.673-08:00Show Me HowI stepped into Ms McGuire's room to help with their blogging project, and it didn't take long for the students to start asking me questions about how to do things on their blog posts. After a few minutes, I realized there were going to be a lot of questions about text wrapping -- something I don't really do on my blogs. I just plop a picture down in my post and don't worry too much about the aesthetics of the page. (Who knows? Maybe that's why I don't get a lot of hits.)<br />
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I explained to the class that I would start googling that question and we'd deal with it by the end of class. Then Lindsey popped up. "You mean, you want to do this?" I looked at her computer and -- by golly -- she was doing text wrapping with her picture. "Lindsey! How did you do that?!? Show me how!" <br />
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It may seem like a little thing, but when the dust settled I realized how that attitude feeds into a blended learning concept. Back in 1994, when I started teaching, I was the final source of knowledge. Well, the textbook and me -- we were an ugly tag-team match up. If I didn't know the answer to a question, I would get all red in the face and flustered. It was like the deodorant commercial -- never let them see you sweat. I never wanted to show any mental weaknesses. Not knowing was akin to not being qualified to be the teacher.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9ZQIDx-wi8uhcxMrHvOC6O1QyRaIUIJAsubO6bjYMLkfeU22RF0N9ylJFHsaQejrBOB8aG3gFblvOX8WI62XCiQpqbzVMrJsXv9-Ket2WE0zzaJg9ZOr8wbuCIgu0PBbrZH2JnGUkVs/s1600/FullSizeRender.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR9ZQIDx-wi8uhcxMrHvOC6O1QyRaIUIJAsubO6bjYMLkfeU22RF0N9ylJFHsaQejrBOB8aG3gFblvOX8WI62XCiQpqbzVMrJsXv9-Ket2WE0zzaJg9ZOr8wbuCIgu0PBbrZH2JnGUkVs/s320/FullSizeRender.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So much has changed now, and I feel completely comfortable not knowing something. In fact, I'm cool with asking a 10 year old how she accomplished something I can't. Cause it's all about learning and growing, and I'm glad I could model that for 25 fifth graders.<br />
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And, just to show you I can now text wrap.... here's proof.<br />
Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-32697287710957684252016-11-22T09:20:00.000-08:002017-01-06T12:35:15.704-08:00Blending Narnia...<i>What is it about your job that geeks you out?</i> For me, it's those moments when a teacher invites me into her room and gives me carte blanche to do something cool. I'm still quite new at this school and in this role, so I get excited when doors fly open for me.<br />
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This happened for me about a week ago, when I popped my head into Ms. McGuire's 5th grade room. She pointed at her stack of new copies of <i>The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe</i> and said, "Get thinking about how you can help us with these." WHAT?!?!</div>
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Let's back up a few decades to my formative years. I was never into reading as a kid. I read what I had to read for school and occasionally found books that I liked to read. But I was never what I would consider a reader all through my childhood. That changed during college in my Children's Lit course. One of our required readings was <i>The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe</i> and my eyes were opened to the awesomeness of books. I have never been the same since. Because of that trip to Narnia, I have battled for Middle Earth, lived through numerous national dilemmas, and solved countless murders, not to mention exploring the human mind, educational philosophy, and human nature through non-fiction. Would I like to help with this class's trip to Narnia? I couldn't sign up fast enough!!!!</div>
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The problem really boils down to how to use technology when teaching such an epic novel. Since Google searches weren't much help, I had to come up with my own epic idea. After pondering for a while, it finally hit me! The students could blog the journey through the wardrobe as one of the Pevensie children! </div>
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From there the idea moved pretty quickly. I read the first couple chapters and <a href="http://chroniclesofafaun.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">created my own blog as Tumnus the Faun </a>to give the students an example to work toward. It was fun to design the blog as if a faun was writing it, keeping the focus of the book in mind. I'm still toying with the idea of continuing the blog throughout the course of the book or just keeping up one post as an example for future years.</div>
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Yesterday, the students started their blogs, and I'm just geeking out over bringing my passions of reading, blogging, and edtech together as we read one of my favorite books. Stay tuned, and I'll have student examples soon. </div>
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Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-27310741312898770242016-11-21T08:12:00.000-08:002016-11-21T08:12:05.292-08:00Kentucky and WeVideosRiding the wave of success that was the 2nd grade rainforest videos, I realized that this would apply well to a project that our fifth grade was doing. In their social studies class, they were researching Kentucky to determine which region of the country it belongs in.<br />
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(Quick aside: I was born and raised in Philadelphia and always considered Kentucky part of the Deep South. It wasn't till I moved here 20 years ago that I realized I live on roughly the same latitude as my parents. Do I <i>really </i>live in the South?) </div>
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Students wrote a script and found images with their teacher, then I stepped in armed with <a href="http://www.wevideo.com/" target="_blank">WeVideo</a>. The students were tasked to create a video in which they read their scripts and showed some pictures to back up their thoughts. I showed them some extras but really left those up to the students. With that said, I was super impressed how students explored the many visual and audio options within the software.<br />
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WeVideo is not hard to learn, and it's almost as easy to teach. One thing that amazed me is how students took leadership and ownership of this project. I literally taught a handful of kids how to work the software, but 50 kids created a video worth being proud of. How does that happen? Those who finished turned around and helped others. In fact, it was common to see one student help three or four classmates at a time.<br />
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My principal noted that she saw kids working in the hallway. She asked them "Are you working on this in groups?" The response always came back as something like, "No. We're each doing our own, but I'm struggling with editing the sound and he's really good at that. So he's helping me." Boom! How awesome is that!?!!?<br />
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Here are a couple of the best videos from the project.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/view/780242854" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe>
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/view/783056315" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe>
Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-11498094958040209382016-11-10T12:16:00.002-08:002016-11-11T06:10:37.388-08:00ThingLink and the 13 ColoniesI recently had the opportunity to work with some of our fifth-grade team to help students create <a href="http://www.thinglink.com/" target="_blank">ThingLink</a> images about the 13 colonies. I had never seen ThingLink in action before but I was amazed at how easy it was to create with and learn how to use. I created the image below to practice how it is was done.<br />
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<img class="alwaysThinglink" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/846047093112963072/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-846047093112963072;1043138249'" style="max-width: 100%;" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js"></script>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js"></script><br />
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When it was time to talk to students about ThingLink, I showed them another practice image and we let them run with a practice ThingLink. They were allowed to select any topic they wanted but had to include a few different media to practice the process.<br />
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On Day Two, we gave them the learning requirements, their randomly selected colony them set them off on a new adventure. The next few days involved a lot of learning about colonies and how to utilize the technology of ThingLink. Then it was time to present their learning to their classes.<br />
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Almost as an afterthought, it hit us that presenting these would cause some problems. It takes time to log out of a website so someone else can log in, and no one wants that kind of lag time in their classrooms. I quickly created a spreadsheet with the names of all 100 5th graders and shared them with the teachers. The teachers dumped that spreadsheet into Google Classroom... and viola! We had a means of turning the project in and a quick link to all images. <br />
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I thought you might like to see some of the ThingLink images our students created. Here are a few of the best. <b>Let me know how you are using ThinkLink in your school. </b>
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<img class="alwaysThinglink" src="http://s3.thingpic.com/images/sc/r8T51vZ4g1H5wkurX8ofwDEy.gif#tl-848595397436768256;1043138249'" style="max-width: 100%;" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js"></script>
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<img class="alwaysThinglink" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/848608162419310594/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-848608162419310594;1043138249'" style="max-width: 100%;" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js"></script>
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<img class="alwaysThinglink" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/848556398525546498/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-848556398525546498;1043138249'" style="max-width: 100%;" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js"></script>
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<img class="alwaysThinglink" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/api/image/848594197312176128/1024/10/scaletowidth#tl-848594197312176128;1043138249'" style="max-width: 100%;" /><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//cdn.thinglink.me/jse/embed.js"></script>Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-49694801573029497432016-11-10T08:19:00.002-08:002016-11-10T08:19:31.661-08:00WeVideo in the Rain ForestOur second graders are creating their own rainforest in their hallway. It's a sight to behold to watch the trees and foliage spring up from linoleum floors. And mixed into the canopy and forest floor are animals peeking out with -- what's that?!? -- paragraphs written about those animals too!<br />
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I worked alongside Mrs. Zuerick, one of our second grade teachers, to help students create videos about their chosen rainforest animals. </div>
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We selected <a href="https://www.wevideo.com/" target="_blank">WeVideo</a> as our video creation tool, which was is an amazingly simple editing tool. I worked with small groups of students at a time in my lab. Students had to select three pictures of their animal, record an intro with the webcam, insert transitions between visual elements, and their voice reading the paragraph, and wrap it up with background music. Believe it or not, we were able to get 3-5 videos done in about 40 minutes. When all the videos were completed, I created QR Codes for each, and those will be added to the paragraphs. </div>
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Enjoy some of my favorite videos...</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/view/769225342" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/view/771092487" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="479" scrolling="no" src="https://www.wevideo.com/view/775178201" style="border: none;" width="852"></iframe>
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Thanks for watching! <b>How have you used WeVideo in the past? </b>Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-48722904761657784982016-11-09T11:37:00.001-08:002016-11-09T11:37:29.354-08:00Orange Frog: A Book Review<b>Title:</b> <i><a href="http://www.orangefrogbook.com/home/" target="_blank">The Orange Frog</a></i><br />
<b>Author:</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/shawnachor" target="_blank">Shawn Achor</a><br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
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What makes someone happy? Is it a result of what you accomplish? What you think? Is your happiness a result of your circumstances or your reaction to your circumstances? <br />
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<i>The Orange Frog</i> is a parable that takes a look at these questions and nails down the concept that "happiness is a choice." Now, that might seem like a no-brainer to you. It was to me. But how does that play out in your normal day to day life? Are you happy in your work? Are you a positive-thinking person? Do you take joy in helping others? Do you look for the positive in your circumstances? Do other people see you as a happy person or do they hear you complain all the time? How does this affect your productivity as well as those around you?<br />
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In this parable, one frog is an outlier. While the social norms tell him to conform to the other frogs, the more of an outlier he is, the happier he becomes. As time goes on, we start to see him as a positive agent of change for the other frogs. As a team, they become more productive, more happy, more... well, don't let me spoil it all for you.<br />
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The bottom line of this parable is that you can be happy. You can be a positive outlier. You can choose to improve your attitude and in turn help others improve as well. The big question is HOW you continue to find the good in life and make happier choices.<br />
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<br />Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-40424840064431518662016-09-26T10:45:00.000-07:002016-09-26T10:45:09.136-07:00Picasso HeadI spent last week as a fifth grade art teacher. I suppose it's more accurate to say that I team-taught fifth grade art with our art teacher. My lesson was an activity culminating an entire unit about Picasso. During this unit, they looked at Picasso himself and studied artwork from his various periods. To be honest, I had no idea that Picasso had various phases: realism, cubism, blue, and rose. The abstract artwork us non-artsy people assign to Picasso was actually just a small fraction of his repertoire. These students knew all that before coming to me to do some "Picasso art" on their computers.<br />
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We focused on creating abstract art, like Picasso's, using <a href="http://www.picassohead.com/">www.picassohead.com</a>, a drag and drop art site. The site is user-friendly enough that a kindergartner can see success with it. (Seriously, I used it in kindergarten the last couple years.) All you need to do is drag and drop facial features into your canvas. From there you can increase or decrease your feature sizes and mess around with colors. Of course, since this is Picasso art, it was never intended to be realistic. The more abstract the better. Mrs. Rigg, our art teacher, wasn't just content with students creating a simple head. She wanted multiple faces and she wanted them anchored to the bottom of the canvas as well.<br />
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Overall, the students created some incredible artwork with very limited options. It was great fun to work with another teacher and find myself in a place I never thought I'd be... teaching art.<br />
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Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-43808289502887077032016-09-20T07:09:00.000-07:002016-09-20T07:15:55.175-07:00Blended: A Book Review<b>Title: </b><i><a href="http://www.wiley.com/WileyCDA/WileyTitle/productCd-1118955153.html" target="_blank">Blended: Using Disruptive Innovation to Improve Schools</a></i><br />
<b>Authors:</b> <a href="https://twitter.com/michaelbhorn" target="_blank">Michael B. Horn</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/hstaker" target="_blank">Heather Staker</a><br />
<b>Review:</b><br />
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I could be wrong, but I think most schools and districts jump into a blended learning model (or what they would call blended learning) without a lot of planning about how it will work. They buy the hardware, ramp up the wifi capabilities, and figure that teachers will work out the rest of the details. While it's true there are teachers who will make it happen, the harsh reality is that most teachers are too busy to use the technology effectively.<br />
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<i>Blended</i> is a book that can help solve that problem. Horn and Staker think through all the ramifications of what administrators and teachers should consider before launching a blended learning program. And, believe it or not, they spend very little time talking about technology itself.<br />
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The true focus of this book -- and consequently, blended learning itself -- is in the subtitle: disruptive innovation. If we continue to teach like we've always taught we will never truly see blended learning work effectively. If we make our blended learning about technology, we will never truly see blended learning work effectively. Instead, we need to put our attention on the way teaching and learning happen in our schools. (Spoiler Alert: It no longer looks anything like the way we were taught as kids and probably not how we were taught in college.)<br />
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While the text of the book was helpful, the best part of the book for me was the video links weaved into the book. This gave me a look into what other schools are doing so I could see it in action. <br />
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Perhaps my biggest takeaway came from Chapter 3: "Start with the Rallying Cry." "The most successful blended-learning programs are much more deliberate and generally share a common starting point: <i>they begin by identifying the problem to solve or the goal to achieve. They start with a clear rallying cry.</i>" (page 98) I think the number one important idea is to ask your principal <i>why</i> are we attempting a blended learning program, then run with that goal in mind.<br />
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While <i>Blended</i> is a book meant to be read and absorbed by administrators and lead teachers <i>before</i> blended learning is implemented, I also think it would be a great book to be read in those schools where computers or tablets were dumped in teachers' laps with little training or planning. It's time to put some serious effort into a sustainable blended learning model in our schools.<br />
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<br />Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-84728807643954619352016-09-01T07:20:00.000-07:002016-09-01T07:20:01.906-07:00Google ClassroomBack in 2012, I went to a Google Summit in Columbus, Ohio. When I arrived at the convention center I had never heard of Google Apps. I drove home that night a believer. I used all things Google whenever possible and tried my best to convince my school to take the plunge into GAFE. It took a painstaking year till the decision was made to go...Microsoft.<br />
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I'll admit I was disappointed, but once the decision was made I strove to be the best <a href="https://onedrive.live.com/about/en-us/" target="_blank">OneDrive</a> user the school would ever have. I attended (and even presented at) a Microsoft Symposium and put a lot of time into training my computer students on how to best use Office 365 products. If you were a reader of my <a href="http://craigsworld37.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">old blog,</a> you may remember how I experimented with various Office products to find the best fit for certain aspects of school. (If you are an Office 365 user, please do yourself a favor and learn everything there is to learn about <a href="https://www.onenote.com/classnotebook" target="_blank">OneNote Class Notebook</a> and use it religiously in your classroom. You won't be sorry!)<br />
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When I started interviewing for Kentucky public schools, I knew that this Office 365 background would be super helpful for me. You see, all Kentucky public schools are Microsoft schools -- so I thought. I was surprised when in my first Boone County interview to hear them mention Google Classroom. In fact, I was so surprised I didn't even think about it till after the interview was over. I did ask about it in my second interview (for another position). Apparently, Boone County made the decision to go with Google even though Microsoft was available to them. By my third interview (for yet another position), I made sure I had more Google knowledge under my belt. <br />
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Great for Boone County! Better for me. I'm back where I want to be.<br />
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So that leads me to today. I'm coming from an iPad/Office 365 background and sitting in a Chromebook/GAFE school. My job is blended learning, which means I need to help my colleagues navigate the Google waters as they figure out how to infuse digital learning into their instruction. Good stuff, but I have a lot to learn.<br />
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Back in 2012, when I threw myself wholeheartedly into Google Apps, <a href="https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6020279?hl=en&ref_topic=6020277" target="_blank">Classroom</a> didn't exist. While I feel proficient in the basic apps (Docs, Slides, Sheets), I have no idea how to proceed with Classroom. It's taking a lot of reading, piggybacking off other teachers' classes, and observation. It's going to be a wild ride, but I'm looking forward to the end product -- what things will look like come May when we know what we're doing around here.<br />
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I'd love for you to read about the adventures as I blog about them and please... give me whatever ideas you happen to think of yourself. For instance:<br />
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<ul>
<li>Who is a GAFEr I should follow on Twitter?</li>
<li>Whose Classroom blog should I be reading faithfully?</li>
<li>What is the best book on the subject? </li>
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Thanks for reading along!</div>
Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-21642892367770010172016-08-26T09:45:00.001-07:002016-09-02T12:42:51.385-07:00Chrome CampsThere is such excitement in the air this year as our students are walking into a really sweet deal. Every third, fourth, and fifth grade student gets their own Chromebook to use in school. And they are (literally) squealing with delight.<br />
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My job this week has been to run "Chrome Camp," where I go into each of the twelve classes using the Chrome books and to teach them the ropes. It's been both fun and exhausting! It's great to joke with them, walk through all the icky rule stuff, and help them get started. I've also enjoyed photobombing their profile pictures. The great thing is that these kids see me as "the keeper of the Chromebooks," so I walk into their room as a superhero before I even open my mouth.<br />
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However, it's exhausting work too. I'm not used to not having my own classes. I'm really just a visitor in these classrooms. I don't know the kids, their teachers, or the class culture yet. And I'm well aware that there is more on display than the wonderful Chromebooks I'm talking about. There have been numerous with login info, and it's been hairy getting the students off and running<br />
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Overall, it's been awesome to get into classrooms and start the process of moving my school toward blending learning. Setting up the Chromebooks is understandably one small step in the process but it's been an important one. And I'm feeding off the students' enthusiasm.<br />
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Here are some main themes of my Chrome Camp talk.<br />
<ul>
<li>What 1:1 means and who really owns the Chromebook.</li>
<li>How to take care of your Chromebook.</li>
<li>Things to do and not to do with your Chromebook (both the physical machine and digital content).</li>
<li>Parts of the Chromebook.</li>
<li>Log in and make a profile picture.</li>
<li>Sign the Chromebook Contract. </li>
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The contract is a Google Form where students read and agree to statements about treating the Chromebook correctly while being good digital citizens. This can be used if a student displays improper use of the technology and we need to have "an uncomfortable conversation" with them. <br />
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Since I am not the originator of the presentation or the contract, I need to create an original version of these before I can post them on the blog. Hold on tight.<br />
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<b>How are you kicking off your year with Chromebooks?</b></div>
Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2124324694914592505.post-10695359963356535122016-08-23T10:18:00.002-07:002016-08-23T10:18:43.212-07:00Starting OutI was told that we would get a slow start to the year. While I fully believed that statement, I had no idea <i>how</i> slow the start would be.<br />
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Like most teachers, I'm used to the first few days of school being exhausting. You're on your feet more than you're used to. You're talking more than you're used to. You're thinking more than you're used to. Then you go home and collapse. This year... not so much.<br />
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The first three days consisted of impromptu meetings with my RTI and blended learning teams and projects that came out of those meetings. I never thought I would become adept at stringing power cords in charging carts, but after three Chromebook carts and one iPad cart, I feel like I could do that in my sleep -- over and over again. I helped out with first grade math screenings, and I got to know my team members. <br />
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I have to laugh, because people will ask me how I like my new job. "So far, I haven't done anything. I like it a lot!" I laugh then add that things will start to pick up soon. <br />
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Wait... Let me back up a bit for those of you who don't know who I am or what I'm doing.<br />
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I am a 22 year teaching veteran. For those first 22 years, I taught in three different private schools in three different states. I have taught 4th, 5th, and 6th grades and spent a good chunk of time as a computer teacher and tech lead in a PreK-12 setting. My main foci were on iPads, OneDrive, and Renaissance Learning.<br />
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For Year #23, I am in my first year at Yealey Elementary School in Boone County School District (Kentucky). I am the blended learning teacher. My main thrust will be helping third through fifth grade teachers and students learn to use Chromebooks in their classrooms. I will certainly help in other capacities, like iPads in 1st grade or collaborating with our art teacher, but the Chromebooks are what got me here. I certainly hope to post often and show you what we are learning here at Yealey and how we can incorporate these machines into a PBL setting.<br />
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It's going to be a long process, changing the trajectory of a school, but I'm excited to see what's going to happen around here. But for now, I should take a stroll down the hall to try to figure out more teacher names.<br />
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Mr. Dunlaphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01777345404458385277noreply@blogger.com0