Category: Digital Classrooms

Concept Mapping: The Map that Leads to Effective Instruction

3/25/2019

Gif of a variety of people viewing the same map

When thinking of concept mapping, graphic organizers often come to mind. But concept mapping is more than that. The graphic organizer is the tool for this strategy, but can often be confining to our students that see connections outside of the typical graphic organizer. Concept mapping has an effect size of .64. It is important to highlight that this is effective when students are making their own connections and not the connections predetermined by the teacher.

This instructional strategy is comprised of three specific steps.

Step 1. Predetermine the topic or question for the concept map. “A helpful way to determine the context of your concept map is to choose a focus question--something that needs to be solved or a conclusion that needs to be reached (Kieschnick, Bold School, pg. 124).” Teachers can help students focus their concept map by asking essential questions.
Step 2. Pull a list of key terms or ideas from the topic being addressed. Students should work to classify those key terms or ideas in some way. For example, they might identify the broadest ideas working down to the most specific details. Because students may visualize this in different ways, it is important they have the freedom to choose a tool that best supports their thinking.
Step 3. Connect concepts by creating linking concepts and words. In this step students might need language stems to support the connections they are making. For example, “is related to”, “as a result of”, “caused or causes”, “leds to”, etc.

Incorporating Digital Tools

It is important to provide kids with a variety of options for concept mapping, both digital and unplugged. For example, Mindy would rather create a sketchnote as a tool for concept mapping while Gina really likes being able to have a stack of manipulatives with a broad canvas to organize and connect. Online tools that support concept mapping might include Jamboard, Mindmup, Lucidchart , or Google Drawings. For kids who prefer an unplugged option, the Post-its App can allow students to start their work in an analogue environment and then move it and manipulate it online. Finally, for kids who prefer a drawing or sketching method for organizing their thoughts, consider using a camera to capture and share unplugged work.

Key Takeaways

Concept maps are NOT graphic organizers. Instead, it is the process of organizing thoughts and key ideas.
Concept mapping is a scaffolded process facilitated by the teacher. Teachers help students identify the relationship between key terms by asking probing questions and providing language stems.
It is crucial to honor student voice and choice when concept mapping to support personal visualization of the connected concepts.

~Gina Rogers
~Mindy Cairney

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Reciprocal Teaching, it’s Not Just for Literacy Teachers!

3/15/2019

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Chances are if you have heard of reciprocal teaching you have thought of it in the context of an English Language Arts class. Although reciprocal teaching is a text processing strategy, its application is further reaching than the English classroom. Reciprocal teaching has a .74 effect size making it a powerful instructional strategy for all content areas where text is being used.

What is Reciprocal Teaching?

Reciprocal teaching includes four steps:

Predict
Clarify
Question
Summarize

Reciprocal teaching is a process that best works in a collaborative environment so most commonly small groups will be used in this strategy. Additionally, the process helps students organize their thinking about text. Creating a Doc or Slide Deck template for groups to use (see examples in Step 1) can be used to record ideas and provide links to additional tools used in the process.

Incorporating Digital Tools

Step 1 - Predict: The predict step can look different in different grade levels and content areas, however, no matter what grade level or what content area prediction involves previewing the text and connecting prior knowledge to what is seen. Additionally, students think a little bit about what the text might focus on based on the quick previewing that they did. Collaborative conversations are imperative to the prediction process. Recording thoughts on a table in a Google Doc or collaborative Google Slides can help classmates when returning to the conversation and for later evaluation of predictions.

Step 2 - Clarify: In this step students read through the text and note any areas that are unclear for them. One area that can be focused on is vocabulary. To clarify and further make meaning out of unknown terms, students can use an online dictionary tool (like the dictionary feature in Read & Write for Google or the Google Dictionary Chrome Extension) , but additional development of this new vocabulary might be needed. Vocabulary programs have an effect size of .62. One model that can support the explicit teaching of vocabulary is the Frayer Model. On a collaborative doc, students determine words needing clarification. Repeated words from the doc are collected and distributed to groups for further investigation. A shared Frayer Model tool can be used to further build the group’s understanding of their assigned words. Google Slides or Google Drawings fulfill the need to share and collaborate as a class.

Step 3 - Question: After all of the predictions have been made and all unknown terms have been clarified, groups begin in-depth reading of the text. Each group will record three questions they have as they read. Groups are encouraged to come up with a ‘right there’ question, a ‘between the lines’ question, and a critical thinking question (Kieschnick, Bold School). Teachers will need to model the question generation process prior to turning kids loose with this responsibility in addition to providing language scaffolds to help students generate questions. To learn more about question generation check out some of the resources in our Riddle Me This blog post.

Step 4 - Summarize: The final step in reciprocal teaching is summarizing. As a small group, students create a summary of what they just read and come to consensus on how they will show what they know about the text. There are a variety of different ways that students might share their summary of the text. With the time constraints of a classroom, this strategy might not be completed in one day. Flipgrid allows students to share their summary in the moment, with the ability to view with the class at a later time as they evaluate their summaries against previous predictions. This could also be great for students to reflect and review before an assessment.

Key Takeaways

Organization and planning for this strategy is essential. Use collaborative tools to keep groups organized.
Digital tools should not replace collaborative conversations, but instead help collect and record the ideas shared in small groups and provide an artifact to return to throughout the process.

~Gina Rogers
~Mindy Cairney

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Putting it all together: Using the Jigsaw Method with Instructional Technology

3/11/2019

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If you have ever attended PD at Grant Wood AEA chances are you have been exposed to the obligatory Jigsaw Method for processing learning. Although this is said with a hint of sarcasm, the Jigsaw Method ranks as a 1.2 high effect size instructional strategy. Originally the Jigsaw Method was implemented in Austin, Texas as a way to diffuse racial tensions in a recently desegregated school. In order to get the students to work together and learn from one another’s diverse perspectives, researchers devised a method that focused on cooperative learning. The history of the Jigsaw Method is quite fascinating and can be read about here.

What is the Jigsaw Method?

The Jigsaw Method includes a few steps:
1.) Divide students into groups of 5 or 6 that include diverse representations. Appoint a group leader and, as a group, segment the learning into equal chunks (teacher should provide guidance in how to segment), each individual taking one chunk.
2.) Provide enough time for students to read and reread their material and become familiar with the content. Then, the students that have read the same chunks gather together to become experts, discussing main points and preparing a presentation to share with the original group.
3.) Students return to their original group to share the presentation that has been prepared, answering any clarifying questions. During this time, the teacher moves from group to group making observations and providing support where needed.
4.) Finally, students should be formatively assessed to check for understanding and to guide future instruction.

Google for the Win!

We have to admit, it’s Google for the win when it comes to the Jigsaw Method! Google Slides provides an excellent opportunity for student collaboration while working within expert and ‘home’ groups. As a teacher, create a collaborative slide deck for the whole class (Alice Keeler example here), with each group assigned one slide in the deck. Allow expert groups to collaboratively add notes, main ideas, talking points, or even images. When students return to home groups, each student, not just the expert, will be able to access the notes digitally. Pro tip: View all the Slides at once by clicking on ‘Grid View’ in the View Menu.

This same idea is possible within Google Docs, as well. Creating a table in Google Docs allows for the same collaborative power, just with a different feel. As a teacher, create a template for your students. Each home group should have one template. Use ‘Force Make a Copy’ with the group leader. The group leader will share the template with the rest of the group. Pro tip: Thirty kids in one doc is usually frustrating! This idea works best in smaller groups.

Modifications

One concern that we have when looking at the Jigsaw Method is that it places a high level of independent learning on students who might need support in order to fully participate in the learning. We recommended supporting learning objects (texts) be digital in nature and accessible to a screen reader so students who need the decoding support of a screen reader will be able to fully participate. Additionally, we feel that allowing students to record the summary of the learning from the expert group with something like Screencastify or another recording tool might help ease the anxiety of students who are quieter and don’t like to share even in the smaller group.

Key Takeaways

The Jigsaw Method has a rich history of enhancing cooperative learning in diverse learning environments.
Students are responsible for becoming experts in the room and sharing their learning with one another.
Digital tools enhance the collaborative nature of the Jigsaw method, as well as providing accessibility supports to all learners.

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Screencasting Tips for Teachers

11/5/2018

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Click play to listen to this blog post

A screencast is a video recording of the screen on your computer or mobile device. In education, it is typically used to create how-to videos, but it can also be used for grading student work, showing student knowledge on a given topic, or narrating a slide deck. The ability to do this well is quickly becoming a core competency for teachers, especially in the age of blended and flipped classrooms. It's also a really useful skill if you are involved in any kind of professional development at your district.

To create a really good screencast, you need to break it up into three distinct parts. In this blog post we will look at some simple changes you can make before you record, while you record, and after you record, in order to maximize the impact of the screencasts you create at your school.

Before Recording

Choose a quiet place to record. This minimizes distracting sounds in the final video.
Clean up your desktop. It can be distracting for viewers and can make for a bad impression.
Mute notifications on all devices, not just the one you are recording on.
Open all the tabs and apps you need for the recording so they are read to go.
Close tabs and apps you don't need for the recording. This frees up extra memory on your computer and helps ensure things run smoothly while you record.
Have a script or outline to help you remember what to say and what order to say it in. Some people like a word for word script. Others prefer bullet points or a list.
Do a practice run. This is important for finding out what works and what doesn't when you come to record later on.

During Recording

Use a USB Mic. The quality is better than the mic that is built-in to your computer. It will make your screencast sound more professional and can cut down on background noise.
Don't stop...even if you make mistakes. If you trip over a word or phrase, pause for a few seconds, then say it again. You can edit this out later.
Try not to exceed one minute per grade level. If you are making a video for 4th graders, try to keep it under 4 minutes. Shorter is always better. You can always make multiple videos if you have to.
Use text, images and video to add variety to your screencasts. For instance, some tools let you add a webcam recording of yourself.
Be yourself. Record with energy and humor. Try to engage your audience. Talk as if they were right there listening to your record. It improves your chances of keeping people watching to the very end.
Try recording with a partner. If you have a stage or content partner, experiment with a two-person screencast for more variety in voice and in personality. Treat it like a podcast or radio show.
For inking, try a Wacom tablet or a mobile device. Don't subject people to the writing you do with the touchpad on your laptop unless you are very good at it!

After Recording

Remember those mistakes you made while recording? A video editor can help you edit those out.
Video editors are also great for trimming website loading times. Just because you had to wait for the website to load, doesn't mean your viewers have to. If you can, don't speak while a website loads, then you can cut it out later and not miss any of the instructional content.
Some editors will let you add annotations on screen. This can be great for calling attention to things on the screen or for adding information that you forgot to include during the recording.
Cite your sources. You would expect your students to do it, so make sure you set a good example for others by doing the same. If you used music or images from other places, add a slide at the end of your video to say where they came from.

These are some of my favorite tips for creating a really good screencast. Do you have tips for screencasting that you would like to share? What about your favorite screencasting tool? Leave a comment below if you would like to share that with others.

Jonathan Wylie
Digital Learning Consultant
@jonathanwylie

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PDF Candy For All Your PDF Needs

9/5/2018

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A piece of paper, centered on a brown tablecloth with a cup of coffee to the left and a pen to the right. The paper reads, PDF Candy for all your PDF needs

Click play to listen to this blog post

PDFs are incredibly useful for all kinds of things. For instance, they are a universal file format that works well on all devices and don't need any additional software for viewing their contents. However, they can also be a very frustrating file format. Have you ever tried to split a PDF, merge it with another PDF, or convert it to another format? Adobe will sell you a subscription that will let you do all this and more. Preview on the Mac has a number of useful options for this too. However, if you don't have access to either of these options, you can take a look at a tool I saw courtesy of Leslie Fisher. It's called PDF Candy.

With PDF Candy you can do all kinds of useful things with your PDF. You can rearrange pages, extract text, unlock password protected PDFs, and convert them to all kinds of useful formats. You can add watermarks, use page numbers, delete pages or add to the header or footer of a PDF. All you do to get started is head over to PDFcandy.com and choose the feature you need. Then, upload your PDF and get editing!

Of course, one of the reasons that people use PDFs is to try and make it harder to copy or alter their original work, so be mindful of copyright and respect the rights of the original author. There are a lot of powerful tools at PDF Candy, but as Uncle Ben (and others) would caution, with great power comes great responsibility!

More PDF Tips for Teachers

You can create PDFs in Word or Google Docs. Simply create the document as you normally would and save it as a PDF format instead of a Word or Google Doc format. You can do the same with PowerPoint and Google Slides!
If you upload a PDF to Google Drive and open it with Docs, Google will extract the text of the PDF for you and paste it into a Google Doc
You can save any webpage as a PDF in Chrome using the Print menu. Simply navigate to the website of your choice and then go to File > Print and change the default printer to Save as PDF. This works in other browsers to thanks to the PDF Print drivers on Mac and Windows.
iPhone and iPad users can save websites as a PDF from Safari. Simply tap the Share arrow and looks for the Create PDF. Use the built-in annotation tools to markup the PDF or tap the Share arrow again to choose where you want to send your PDF.
You can scan paper documents and turn them into PDFs with mobile scanning apps like Word Lens, Adobe Scan, Camscanner, Scanner Pro, and more.
Sites like DocHub.com will let you sign a PDF for free using their website or Chrome extension. You can also do this with Preview on the Mac, or with the built-in annotation tools on an iPhone or iPad.
Speaking of annotation, the Google Classroom app for iPad will also let students annotate a PDF if you assign them a map or a graphic organizer to work on in a PDF format.

Have you used PDF Candy before? What are your favorite PDF tips and hacks for teachers?

Jonathan Wylie (@jonathanwylie)
Digital Learning Consultant, Grant Wood AEA

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Cultivating Chromebook Creativity in Schools

4/19/2018

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This month, the Grant Wood AEA Digital Learning Team attended (and presented at) the Iowa 1:1 Conference in Des Moines. You can see resources from all those sessions here. For my own part, I wanted to talk about Chromebooks, and more specifically, the ways in which Chromebooks are being used in schools today.

I was inspired to do this particular presentation after a blog post I read from Andy Losik entitled, An American Chromebook Crisis: new report shows sad trends of how students are using the devices. It's not easy reading. It's based on a report from GoGuardian that suggests that there is a lot less creativity in Chromebook classrooms than we might hope there is.

If you look through the slides below, it will look like a long list of tools. Essentially that is true, however, it was not my intention to make this a tool based session. My intention was to try and show the variety of creative things that can be accomplished on a Chromebook. Podcasting, web design, digital storytelling, graphic design, coding and even augmented or virtual reality are very real possibilities on Chromebooks.

The iPad suffered a similar fate when it first came out. It was dismissed as a consumption device. A skill and drill machine that was used to annotate digital worksheets. However, those in the know, those who were using the iPad with intentionality and imagination, they already knew that this was a very creative device that was capable of some amazing things. I'd really like people to look at the Chromebooks in a similar way. So, take a look at the slides below and see if you can find some new ways to use the Chromebooks in your classroom, and keep in mind that most of these tools will also work on a Mac or a PC.

If you are interested in listening to a longer discussion around this topic, you can check out Episode 38 of our podcast, The Edtech Take Out. The episode is embedded below, but you can also find it on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music, or in a podcast player of your choice.

If you are already using Chromebooks in creative ways in your classroom, we'd love to hear about it. Feel free to leave a comment below to help others build on their existing thinking and get some inspiration for things that they can try in their classroom.

Jonathan Wylie (@jonathanwylie)
Grant Wood AEA Digital Learning

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<<Previous

Concept Mapping: The Map that Leads to Effective Instruction

Incorporating Digital Tools

Key Takeaways

Reciprocal Teaching, it’s Not Just for Literacy Teachers!

What is Reciprocal Teaching?

Incorporating Digital Tools

Key Takeaways

Putting it all together: Using the Jigsaw Method with Instructional Technology

What is the Jigsaw Method?

Google for the Win!

Modifications

Key Takeaways

Screencasting Tips for Teachers

Before Recording

During Recording

After Recording

PDF Candy For All Your PDF Needs

More PDF Tips for Teachers

Cultivating Chromebook Creativity in Schools

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