Friday, 22 February 2013
Dissemination and Innovation Workshop
Some may think I'm mad spending 2 days of half term at a workshop discussing CPD. Indeed, as I caught the train on Wednesday, I was questioning the decision myself! However, it took less than an hour to know it would be time well spent.
I've met many amazing and enthusiastic teachers and many people working hard to improve science education in the UK. Several large projects have been highlighted as well as invaluable input from teachers running smaller projects within their schools.
It was a mix of Science Learning Centre staff and teachers who had been involved in their previous or ongoing projects. The aim was to review what was new in science education and look at how the Science Learning Centres could incorporate these ideas into their existing or new programmes of CPD.
The following posts are a summary of the learning I took away from the workshop. Some I hope to implement immediately - SOLO taxonomy, York Science Project resources and QR coded student feedback. Others are bigger projects to consider over the coming months.
Friday, 15 February 2013
iPads, Workflow and Happy Days!
This half term has seen me embrace iPads in the classroom after dabbling last term! I have written briefly about the small projects I've looked at, but by far the biggest change has come about by using Edmodo to manage the workflow.
Edmodo is currently free to use and allows students to upload work directly to a group that is coded for their class. I can respond to work very quickly by previewing it and writing a note rather like commenting on a blog post. Most files can now be uploaded, rather than just images, after the December update. We have an 'institution' Edmodo account for the school which improves the security of the site. All teachers have to be verified before they can access.
Students' classwork is generally of a good standard but I have definitely noticed a marked improvement from some students whose book work was previously a little haphazard! Although we've not used Skitch to create a collage of practical work as discussed, students have photographed practicals and annotated them and added this to their work. They have been using Penultimate to draw diagrams and also for writing chemical equations, which is always so long winded to type on the ipad keyboard.
Students are able to post the work directly to me, so that other students cannot read it, and I have given them this option. However, most have continued to post it so that other members of the class can see their work. This has the added bonus of providing a record for those students who miss lessons for music lessons, sporting events or illness.
I am keeping track of work by asking students to maintain a log of Edmodo work in their exercise book. Each lesson, I ask them to write the date and title in their books and 'work on Edmodo' underneath. The Edmodo file is uploaded with the file named with the lesson title and I am able to check them against each other if necessary. They also have guidelines about how to organise their work on their iPad so that it is easy to find again!
The iPad does come with inevitable distractions that need to be highlighted and managed from the start. Students need to ensure notifications are switched off for example, and not just the sound! The myriad of addictive games available are very hard for some students to resist and again, this needs to have a clear policy from the outset. Content of the camera roll should also be considered. The iPad belongs to the student, but this can mean camera roll pictures that could be another distraction.
On the whole, iPads are brilliant. Students are very engaged and keen to find work solutions with them. Those without iPads are still using the Edmodo interface from home, and in school when the school iPads are available.
Edmodo is currently free to use and allows students to upload work directly to a group that is coded for their class. I can respond to work very quickly by previewing it and writing a note rather like commenting on a blog post. Most files can now be uploaded, rather than just images, after the December update. We have an 'institution' Edmodo account for the school which improves the security of the site. All teachers have to be verified before they can access.
Students' classwork is generally of a good standard but I have definitely noticed a marked improvement from some students whose book work was previously a little haphazard! Although we've not used Skitch to create a collage of practical work as discussed, students have photographed practicals and annotated them and added this to their work. They have been using Penultimate to draw diagrams and also for writing chemical equations, which is always so long winded to type on the ipad keyboard.
Students are able to post the work directly to me, so that other students cannot read it, and I have given them this option. However, most have continued to post it so that other members of the class can see their work. This has the added bonus of providing a record for those students who miss lessons for music lessons, sporting events or illness.
I am keeping track of work by asking students to maintain a log of Edmodo work in their exercise book. Each lesson, I ask them to write the date and title in their books and 'work on Edmodo' underneath. The Edmodo file is uploaded with the file named with the lesson title and I am able to check them against each other if necessary. They also have guidelines about how to organise their work on their iPad so that it is easy to find again!
The iPad does come with inevitable distractions that need to be highlighted and managed from the start. Students need to ensure notifications are switched off for example, and not just the sound! The myriad of addictive games available are very hard for some students to resist and again, this needs to have a clear policy from the outset. Content of the camera roll should also be considered. The iPad belongs to the student, but this can mean camera roll pictures that could be another distraction.
On the whole, iPads are brilliant. Students are very engaged and keen to find work solutions with them. Those without iPads are still using the Edmodo interface from home, and in school when the school iPads are available.
Saturday, 2 February 2013
Saturday, 26 January 2013
iPads and Skitch
After #ASEchat this week I picked up several new ideas again - one was to use Skitch to produce a scrapbook of practical work. I haven't looked at doing that yet but I have started to use the app with a class.
The app allows students to annotate pictures on their camera roll or from the web. The annotated picture can then be saved back to the camera roll and added to a piece of work. It's part of Evernote.
This week we tested it with inherited and environmental characteristics. Students either used/took a picture of themselves, or used a famous person and added inherited/environmental labels to to it. They added pictures to their work in Pages and then uploaded to Edmodo for me to mark. All worked well.
I can see how it will be really good for labelling photos of experiments and will dabble with this next week.....
The app allows students to annotate pictures on their camera roll or from the web. The annotated picture can then be saved back to the camera roll and added to a piece of work. It's part of Evernote.
This week we tested it with inherited and environmental characteristics. Students either used/took a picture of themselves, or used a famous person and added inherited/environmental labels to to it. They added pictures to their work in Pages and then uploaded to Edmodo for me to mark. All worked well.
I can see how it will be really good for labelling photos of experiments and will dabble with this next week.....
Monday, 21 January 2013
iPads and Puppet Pals
Puppet Pals is really easy to use and there is a free edition for students to download. Most recently I have used this in Biology where students had to explain why each stage of testing a new drug was needed.
My group have targets C-E but were able to give higher level explanations. Even the free edition has several characters to choose from so for a task like this each character assumes a role of either question asker of information giver. The best ones included higher level questions looking at the ethics involved.
Again, having a small class made the use of this App more practical; for recording, a quiet space is needed and I would struggle in my much larger year 8 class, for example, if all groups were to use this method to present. I was able to show a couple of the videos as a plenary to the lesson and the rest were uploaded to our Edmodo group for feedback.
With a larger class, I set a presentation task where they had to either explain why space exploration costs were justified or why they were not; they had several methods of presentation to choose from and one group chose to use Puppet Pals to present their work. They had never used it before and produced their animated puppet show, including research, in about 25 minutes.
My group have targets C-E but were able to give higher level explanations. Even the free edition has several characters to choose from so for a task like this each character assumes a role of either question asker of information giver. The best ones included higher level questions looking at the ethics involved.
Again, having a small class made the use of this App more practical; for recording, a quiet space is needed and I would struggle in my much larger year 8 class, for example, if all groups were to use this method to present. I was able to show a couple of the videos as a plenary to the lesson and the rest were uploaded to our Edmodo group for feedback.
With a larger class, I set a presentation task where they had to either explain why space exploration costs were justified or why they were not; they had several methods of presentation to choose from and one group chose to use Puppet Pals to present their work. They had never used it before and produced their animated puppet show, including research, in about 25 minutes.
iPad Aurasma
Aurasma in the classroom
At the end of term I wanted an activity that would consolidate learning about adaptation and competition but that the students would see as a treat!
We used the Aurasma App to create augmented reality posters. Students were asked to design a poster that described the adaptations of an animal or plant (I provided various plants and animals - some more difficult to research than others). They then had to record a video, animation or puppet pals that explained how the adaptations helped the organism to survive in their environment.
It is a small class (20) which I split into 5 groups so I was easily able to help with the teething problems of using the App. I printed 2 sets of instructions which I've included below. Although they are long, they are easy to follow. Students only received the second set of instructions once the Aura was completed.
The 'working' posters are at school and I am typing on a Snow Day (!) but I'll add an image to the post later in the week.
Aurasma Instructions 1
Collect the next instructions which explain how to share it
1. Open the
Aurasma App
2. Find your Aura and tap it
3. Tap more
4. Tap share
5. Tap SMS
6. Find the http address for your aura in the box of type. Select and copy it
7. Open QR Code maker app and tap add and name your qr code
8. Tap side arrow
9. Clear the box and then paste http address
10. Tap create
11. Tap save. It will now be on your camera roll
12. Check QR code works by scanning with another device
13. Email to me for printing
14. Attach QR code to your poster
At the end of term I wanted an activity that would consolidate learning about adaptation and competition but that the students would see as a treat!
We used the Aurasma App to create augmented reality posters. Students were asked to design a poster that described the adaptations of an animal or plant (I provided various plants and animals - some more difficult to research than others). They then had to record a video, animation or puppet pals that explained how the adaptations helped the organism to survive in their environment.
It is a small class (20) which I split into 5 groups so I was easily able to help with the teething problems of using the App. I printed 2 sets of instructions which I've included below. Although they are long, they are easy to follow. Students only received the second set of instructions once the Aura was completed.
The 'working' posters are at school and I am typing on a Snow Day (!) but I'll add an image to the post later in the week.
Aurasma Instructions 1
- Draw a scientific poster on the subject you have been given which includes a trigger image. The trigger image should be clearly drawn or emailed to my address to be printed off in colour.
- Make a video that is linked to your poster and explains your topic and save to the camera roll.
- Open Aurasma. If you do not already have an account, set one up using your sgfl username and password
- Press the aurasma A at the bottom of the screen
- Tap +
- Tap Device and choose overlay – this is your video (find it on your camera roll)
- Tap select
- Take a picture of your trigger image from your poster
- Tap arrow
- Name it and tap private
- Tap finish
Well
done! You have now created you Aura
Collect the next instructions which explain how to share it
Aurasma Instruction 2 – How to Share your Aura
2. Find your Aura and tap it
3. Tap more
4. Tap share
5. Tap SMS
6. Find the http address for your aura in the box of type. Select and copy it
7. Open QR Code maker app and tap add and name your qr code
8. Tap side arrow
9. Clear the box and then paste http address
10. Tap create
11. Tap save. It will now be on your camera roll
12. Check QR code works by scanning with another device
13. Email to me for printing
14. Attach QR code to your poster
General iPad use in the classroom
I have neglected this blog over the last couple of months and hope to correct that today!
We launched our iPad scheme in September, where a small proportion of students arrived with their own devices. There have been 2 further waves of iPad distribution since then, and Santa did a pretty good job at Christmas too!
My KS3 classes have shown the greatest uptake with almost 75% of my 7s, 8s and 9s having their own iPad now. Year 10 is still at less than 50% for me and there are very few year 11s with their own devices. Upper school have possibly been 'put off' by the timescale of the scheme - 2 or 3 years - available in school.
I am now encouraging students to use their iPads for general 'written' work in class. At the moment, they have these guidelines. So far so good, but it is still early days and if you have found a better way to administrate iPad work I'd love to hear from you.
We launched our iPad scheme in September, where a small proportion of students arrived with their own devices. There have been 2 further waves of iPad distribution since then, and Santa did a pretty good job at Christmas too!
My KS3 classes have shown the greatest uptake with almost 75% of my 7s, 8s and 9s having their own iPad now. Year 10 is still at less than 50% for me and there are very few year 11s with their own devices. Upper school have possibly been 'put off' by the timescale of the scheme - 2 or 3 years - available in school.
I am now encouraging students to use their iPads for general 'written' work in class. At the moment, they have these guidelines. So far so good, but it is still early days and if you have found a better way to administrate iPad work I'd love to hear from you.
iPADS
in Mrs Wagg’s Science lessons
Please use
your iPads as an alternative to your exercise book but remember to follow these
rules:
1. Your
book must have the date and title for the lesson written into it and must still
be present in all lessons.
2. Under
the title you must write ‘work on
Edmodo’
3. Your
work on your iPad must have the same title as the lesson
4. Your
work must be uploaded to Edmodo at the end of the lesson, or on the same day.
5. Handouts
that cannot be given to you electronically, must be completed by hand and stuck
into your book
6. When
work on Edmodo is marked, you must respond to the Progress Points either by a
written message response, where appropriate, or by resubmitting the work with
the Progress Points added
7. Your
work on your iPad must be filed properly. You should have a Science folder
which contains Topic folders. Each topic folder should contain a set of
lessons/homeworks for that topic.
8. Misuse
of iPads in lessons (eg games, messaging etc) will be treated in the same way
as misuse of phones.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)