Author: coordt Page 2 of 4

Screencastify Collab with Lobo!

On March 3, 2020

Hey Cloggers,

I’m back for a quick blog post (I already wrote one about our visit to George Jay but wanted to add some information about today’s class). I worked with Laurence (check out her blog @lboucher #plug)

We used Screencastify to screen record us talking about a provocation that was inspired by Rebecca’s dinosaur inquiry assignment. We talked about why the “p” is silent in pterodactyl. We think her students would definitely wonder this as they’re learning about language and various sounds.

Here is the link to our video: https://youtu.be/bao93pdNLDw

Screencastify allowed us to record our screen, voices, and even ourselves if we wanted – but we didn’t (lobo is having a bad hair day…) 😛 You can also use the online pencil to draw, write, and add arrows onto your screen. Interesting stuff!

We both enjoyed working with this application – it would definitely get students engaged and help them learn due to the way they can talk things out and record their learning.

Anyway, gotta go help lobo with her hair.

Clogging off for now,

COordt 🙂

Best Applications for Middle School Students!

by coordt

On March 3, 2020

In EdTech Inquiry

Hey Cloggers and Carly’s Crew,

This week we are back and we are diving into the best technology tools that can be used in middle school. Middle school students are constantly surrounded by iPhones, laptops and televisions at home so we need to ensure that we are providing them with new knowledge that leads them to success. Students at this age are extremely creative and competitive so we chose programs that are tailored to these qualities.

#1 iMovie

iMovie allows students to make a movie from a blank canvas, or create a trailer from a structured story board. Students can use iMovie to create projects like book trailers or a short newscast. iMovie also provides students with the challenge of editing video clips together…sometimes this can be very frustrating for students. Students will have way more fun creating projects on iMovie rather than just handing in an essay and it also encourages students to think outside the box.

#2 Kahoot

This is our personal favourite educational app of ALL TIME. Kahoot is such a fun way for students to review material before a test. Although it doesn’t really tap in to students’ conceptual knowledge, it is still a super fun activity that changes the pace of the class! We still get excited about playing Kahoot so if you haven’t ever played, we highly suggest you go try it out.

Check it out!

#3 Science Journal

We had never heard about this app until we began our research but it sounds super interesting! This app is only available on smart phones but it allows students to record data for lab experiments through pictures, videos, writing and audio. Not only is that app a one stop shop for recording all the data and staying organized, it also allows students to watch videos of other science experiments and get inspired. We thought that this app would be a great resource for students that want an extension on any science projects that are completed in class. Finally, this app turns phones into light and motion sensors (these are lab tools that are extremely expensive). All around it seems like a super neat app!

Go take a look!

That’s all we’ve got for you this week!

Clogging off,

Carly and COordt 🙂

Making it Pretty: Banners Edition!

by coordt

On March 1, 2020

In Free Inquiry

Hey Cloggers,

I’m back with another calligraphy blog and this is the week where things start to look nice… I’m gonna start drawing BANNERS!

To find a variety of banners, I turned to Pinterest to find lots of different styles. I didn’t want to copy those photos into this post because I’m not too sure about the copyright restrictions and I’m not looking to get sued anytime soon 😛

Below is a picture of a variety of banners that I practiced. Some are more structured and some are more creative. There are also ones that would be used for shorter words and some that could be used for longer titles and such.

Check ’em out!

I messed up on the top right banner so I tried it again at the bottom and was more successful. It’s difficult to figure out the distances and making sure you shade it the proper area – that’s why I used Pinterest for inspo!

I really like how these will allow me add flare and creativity to my planning and organizing. They’re simple to recreate and use for a variety of titles, subtitles, and dates.

Check in next week for some cool doodles that I’ll begin to include in my practice of planning!

Clogging off for now,

COordt 🙂

A Day at George Jay!

by coordt

On February 27, 2020

In EdTech

Hey Cloggers,

Back with another blog and today I’m talking about our visit to George Jay Elementary (which is also a French Immersion school).

As a class, we visited Rebecca Bathhursthunt’s kindergarten class – except after hours because 30 adults in a kindie class would be quite overwhelming…

Rebecca introduced us to the idea of inquiry based learning at the primary level. I always saw inquiry as a way to engage middle school students (it just seemed unreasonable to have 20 primary students all working on different assignments before they can even read or write). However, I was super surprised as to how well she implemented the inquiry style into her classroom.

She focuses on guided inquiry where the teacher controls a lot of the learning that occurs. Using picture books for students to research as well as finding a topic that students are interested in are two strategies she uses.

Finally, Rebecca talked about her education heart. This is a concept I have never really heard but one that I love. I would really like to create an educator heart and perhaps use the new fonts that I have learned in my free inquiry to help make it look pretty!

Here are some pictures of Rebecca’s classroom!

Clogging off for now,

COordt 🙂

Best Applications for a Primary Classroom!

by coordt

On February 25, 2020

In EdTech Inquiry

Hey Cloggers & Carly’s Crew,

For this week’s blog, we’re gonna name drop some of the best computer applications and online learning resources for a primary classroom.

Let’s get right to it!

#1: Raz-Kids

This website allows students to find a WIDE variety of books at any time. They have the option of reading books themselves, or they can listen to an audio version of the book (in various languages too). It also involves interactive tools that allows students to practice their critical thinking skills. Finally, it allows teachers and parents to track student progress through an online portal. However, teachers should keep in mind that using this website requires a membership fee for each student.

#2: Mystery Science

This application focuses on science and offers various resources and interactive activities. This format allows for independent learning where students can work at their own pace and choose their topic of interest. Some examples are Plant & Animal Superpowers, Weather Watching, Invisible Forces, and Spaceship Earth. This is great for teachers who want to introduce an inquiry based approach into their classrooms without losing control of classroom management.

#3: Explain Everything

This application allows students to use visuals and pictures to explain their learning. For example, if you are teaching a unit on money in math, students can open the money tab and play around with the various coins and bills. They can then record their voice to add to their video of them working with the money. This app also offers other subjects and a variety of activities within each subject. It’s also available on desktop computers, tablets, and phones!

If you’re a teacher, maybe test some of these out with your class and write a blog about it so we can learn more from you!

Clogging off for now,

Carly and COordt 🙂

Midterm Piano Check-In!

by coordt

On February 24, 2020

In Music

Hey Blog,

I am writing for my music midterm check-in and I’m super excited to tell you about my progress! I have been learning Prince of Heaven on the piano and last week I talked about some of the struggles I have been having with the piece. Despite these struggles, I spent this week really focusing on my piece.

For this term check-in, my goal was to be able to play the right hand smoothly and all the way through without stopping. And I did it! I spent a lot of time practicing this week in preparation for my personal deadline. Rather than simply trying to find a piano around campus, I booked the individual practice room several times; booking it guaranteed that I would have a space to practice and forced me to be there to practice.

The link to the video is here: https://youtu.be/735NxA4EoKM

I had a friend film the video for me because I realized that I wouldn’t be able to play and hold my phone to film and I don’t have a tripod. The song has three verses and goes through the chorus twice.

I found it easy to play (especially since I had just come off a week of daily practice). However, I found that the timing was the hardest thing to keep steady. Without my left hand or a recording of the song playing in the background, I was worried I would speed up the song. There are some points in the song where there is solely the left hand playing; this forced me to count the beats out in my head to make sure I did not get off beat. In the video, you can sometimes see me bopping my head and hands up and down – this is how I kept a steady beat.

I wanted to self-evaluate my work so here are “two stars and a wish” about my video:

Star – I played it all the way through without hesitations or stopping.

Star – I played it with correct fingering and correct timing.

Wish – I played one note early and had to play it twice because of this mishap; next time, I should make certain it’s the correct time to play.

I have really enjoyed diving into this piece and I can’t wait to learn the left hand!

Logging off for now,

COordt 🙂

Font Number Free!

by coordt

On February 12, 2020

In Free Inquiry

Hey Cloggers,

Did you catch my play on words in my title? 😛

Today, I’m learning my third and final font for this project! I’m excited to get into adding flare and fun into my lettering experience so I’m looking forward to learning this font and getting into banners and doodles next blog. For this font, I’m learning a combination of the block font I learned first, and the cursive font I learned last week. This third font will really start to make me look more capable (and more pro) at lettering and calligraphy #fakenews :P. Below is a picture of me practicing the font and experimenting with different sizes, styles, and colour combos.

It’s important to note that for this font to work best, the top font (or cursive) has to be more prominent. This means that it should be written in a darker colour/shade than the back font (block font). This font is great for titles because it look strong without being too difficult.

I think that this is my favourite font so far – maybe just because it gives me calligraphy cred.

I’m going to keep practicing all three fonts this week and over reading break so I don’t lose my progress #grind.

Clogging off for now,

COordt 🙂

Math Manipulative Example (Carly & Claire)

by coordt

On February 12, 2020

In Uncategorised

Below are two videos that outline how students would use manipulatives to solve our bake sale extravaganza problem.

Video Example #1

Video Example #2

Online Safety & Video Editing

by coordt

On February 11, 2020

In EdTech

Hey Cloggers,

So, I’ve decided to delete my blog because I want to make sure I get a job in the future.

See ya…

Just kidding, but seriously, today’s class gave me a snap back to reality.

Today in class, we talked about internet safety and the online footprint we leave and honestly, I’m kind of scared. I know that I’m safe on the internet and that my social media profiles have all the strictest privacy settings on; however, how private does that really make my profile? I know that people can’t see pictures on my facebook or instagram, and I know they have to ask me to follow me, but does this make my profile private? Or just somewhat less public? It’s scary to think about.

Nonetheless, it’s also unrealistic for me to just shut down every social media profile and call it a day. My entire family lives in Europe and social media is one of the ways I can connect with them as often as I do now. And I’m so happy that the internet has allowed me to do this.

I think it’d be cool to have someone with extensive technology skills to search and see what kind of information about me is posted on the internet. I trust that when I hit the private box on instagram that no one can find me, but somehow people from across the country can find my profile and request to follow me… how does this work?

Online safety is scary and I’d like to learn more about how I can adequately hide my personal life without just getting rid of social media and staying offline forever.

Anyway, we also talked about video editing today. I’ve never done any type of video editing at all but it’s definitely something I wanted to learn more about because there’s so many opportunities for student projects with platforms such as iMovie. Keeping the privacy aspect in mind when implementing this tool into the classroom is important (especially after our talk with Jesse Miller today).

I learned that you can pause and play videos on iMovie by clicking the spacebar as well as turn the volume up and down. Here is the video I edited in class today:

The movie isn’t that great but at least the name is quality.

Clogging off for now,

COordt 🙂

Safe Screen Strategies

by coordt

On February 11, 2020

In EdTech Inquiry

Hey Cloggers and Carly’s Crew! (Did you miss us?)

This week for our EdTech Inquiry, we are focusing on…

ONLINE SAFETY IN THE CLASSROOM!

Technology can be a scary addition to a classroom, especially with all of the dangers associated with being on the internet. Lucky for you guys, we have created a list of important strategies to keep you and your students protected online!

With regards to each and every tip, we believe teachers should educate students as to why this can be dangerous, and allow for students to engage in discussions and ask questions about personal safety online.

Tip #1: Don’t share personal information.

Make sure your students know that they shouldn’t be sharing personal information such as their name, address, birthday or school online. This includes sharing passwords with friends; no matter how close the students are, a password is personal and private.

Tip #2: Don’t talk to strangers on the internet.

If someone you don’t know tries to talk to connect with you via an online platform or chatroom, students should inform a parent or trusted adult immediately and allow them to deal with that situation. Stranger danger is just as important on the internet these days, as it is in real life! Students should also be informed that people online are not always who they say they are and they need to be extremely careful before they trust anyone.

Tip #3: Get students thinking about their digital footprint.

As soon as students start creating work online they are building their digital footprint. We need to teach students that everything they do online can be traced back to them and therefore, they need to be cautious and considerate. Teachers can help students decide what is appropriate to post online and what is better to keep to themselves. Students’ digital footprints are related to keeping their personal information secure.

Tip #4: Don’t believe everything you read online.

Students are often quick to believe that everything the read online is straight facts. In reality, the internet is not as credible as we may think. Due to the fact that anyone can post anything, students need to be critical when finding information on the internet. As teachers, we should encourage students to ask an adult or classmate for a second opinion if they ever get confused.

We hope you learned something about online safety! Teachers are responsible for finding where the resources store their data (and students’ personal information). This is just as important as finding quality online classroom resources when it comes to purposeful screen time.

Logging off for now,

Carly and COordt 🙂