Using the iPad Camera

Kids love to use a camera and there are some great ways to use the camera on the iPad in the classroom.  These ideas could be used in work stations and also in all content areas.

• Students could work with a partner to create a video of themselves reading a story.  This gives students the ability monitor their own fluency.  These videos could also be saved to show growth.
• To display student work in a digital way, students can take a picture of their work or creation.  These images can be uploaded into a variety of apps and/or posted on a classroom website.
• Students can create a video demonstrating what was learned on a specific concept or topic.

What are some ways your students have used the camera in the classroom?  Please comment with your ideas.

Chatterpix Kids App

Coming to a Workstation Near You!

Click here for a short ChatterPix Kids tutorial

This week's blog begins our journey into workstations in your classroom. Teachers across BISD have been designing workstations in multiple ways that include both hands-on as well as technology rich activities meant to deepen students' understanding of the standards being taught.  iDevices are a simple way for students to show what they know.  ChatterPix Kids is an excellent creation app that allows students to make a drawing or photograph 'talk'.  They can create a drawing in another app  such as DoodleBuddy, and then import it into ChatterPix to make it speak.  Or they can import pictures that they have gathered from the internet or taken themselves using the Camera app.  Once the image is in ChatterPix, students have up to 30 seconds to narrate. Finished videos can be downloaded to a computer for later display or posting to a website.

ChatterPix Kids fits nicely in multiple content areas.  Lisa Holder, 2nd grade teacher at Foster Village, had her students use the app to explain what plants needed to survive.  Students used DoodleBuddy to draw a plant, then imported the drawing into ChatterPix.  Once there students made their plant 'tell' what it needed to survive.  The videos were then shared with the rest of the class and the students' parents.

If you would like to know more about ChatterPix Kids, please contact your DLS. We would love to show you this app and many more that can be incorporated in workstations!

Google Apps For Education (GAFE) is Here!

BISD has gone Google!  We are a Google Apps for Education, or GAFE, district.  This means all BISD staff members have special Google accounts that can be used to access Google Drive, Google Classroom, and even YouTube! In addition, our 3rd-5th grade students have GAFE accounts to access Google Drive, Google Classroom, and even Gmail!  Please explore the information and resources in this blogpost to learn more about GAFE and how you can begin using it with your campus, team, and students!

Staff Google Account Information

Staff Google accounts are created at the time their district login account is created. You can log on to your GAFE account by visiting http://drive.google.com. The username for staff is firstname.lastname@g.birdvilleschools.net. Your password may be bisd1234 or it may be your district password. After the initial login, staff can reset their Google password by simply resetting their network login password as our automated system is designed to sync staff accounts across the system. Staff can access more information about using Google by visiting the BISD Knowledge Base.

Student Google Account Information

Grade 3-12 Student Google accounts are created at the time their district login account is created.  Students can log on to their GAFE account by visiting http://drive.google.com. Students use their birthday as their password: mmddyyyy (no spaces, no slashes, no dashes. The usernames for students can be seen here:

GAFE Account Benefits

• Use Google Drive to store all of your important documents and access them anywhere you have internet on any device!
• Create shared folders in Google Drive to save and share documents with your students, team, or campus!
• Use Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides (inside Google Drive) to create collaborative documents where everyone can edit at the same time and the work is saved automatically!
• Exclusive access to Google Classroom (a digital classroom for you and your students).  Google Classroom is only available through our @g.birdvilleschools.net GAFE accounts.

Resources

• Google on the BISD Helpdesk Knowledgebase
• Digital Learning News Brief September 1, 2015
• Digital Learning News Brief September 8, 2015
• Shake Up Learning Google Resources

If you would like help getting started with Google, please email your Digital Learning Specialist!

A Twitter Testimony - Toni Dowdy

Twitter is an amazing tool for building a Personal Learning Network (PLN).   This week we interviewed the Elementary Digital Learning Team to see how they've been using Twitter as a PLN.

Q1: When did you first hear about Twitter?
A1: I first heard about Twitter when a (very nerdy) friend of mine told me about it in 2007.  He described it to me as a way to communicate quickly with a group of people.  This was before the days of group texting, so I was mildly intrigued by the idea.

Q2: What did you think of Twitter when you first heard about it?
A2: Mostly it seemed like a way for people to say where they were going, where they had been, or what they ate for lunch.  I didn't see much value in it at first.

Q3: How long have you been using Twitter as a PLN?
A3: In 2010, I left the classroom to become a Digital Learning Specialist.  My team encouraged me to begin building a PLN on Twitter.  I was very resistant to the idea at first.  I had no interest in hearing what people at for lunch, nor did I want to share that type of information.  I created my @TechnologyToni Twitter account on November 28, 2010, and sent my first Tweet!

What was your First Tweet?  Click here to find out!

Q4: Who are your top 3 Twitter accounts to follow and why?
A4: There are so many great accounts to follow, it is hard to narrow it down to just 3!  If I had to pick I would say:

• @TCEA - They Tweet out when apps are free and other great resources!
• @mattBgomez - He is a wonderful techy educator and former kindergarten teacher.  He shares lots of great ideas for using tech with young children.
• @sylviaduckworth - She is a french teacher who makes amazing sketchnotes of all kinds of great ideas.

Q5: What was it like the first time you participated in a Twitter Chat?
A5: The first time I participated in a Twitter Chat was pretty chaotic.  There were tons of teachers using the chat hashtag, and I had a hard time keeping up.  I finally figured out who the moderator was, and was able to see the questions by going to that account page on Twitter.  I like how many moderators use the Q1, Q2, Q3, labels to help identify the questions.  That makes it a lot easier!  Then the participants can respond with A1, A2, A3, etc.

Q6: What advice do you have for teachers new to Twitter?
A5: Advice for teachers new to Twitter (in no particular order):

• Choose a Twitter name that tells who you are.
• Add a photo, avatar, or icon to your profile so you will not appear as an unhatched egg.
• Include more about yourself in your profile description so others will know what to expect from your account.
• Contribute! Even if you think you have nothing to say, follow smart people and retweet what they are saying.  Share your favorite website or blog links.  Tell everyone how you are using technology in your classroom.
• Participate in our weekly Twitter Chats!  Be sure to join us each Tuesday 8:00-8:30pm for our #BISDdlp Twitter Chat!

Getting Started with Twitter - Jeff Samuelson

When did you first hear about Twitter?

Twitter has been around for several years.  I guess I first heard about it while attending tech conferences and meetings with other Digital Learning folks.

What did you think of Twitter at that time?

I thought Twitter was mainly for business folks and that we were trying to make it fit in the education world.  I knew it was a way to share ideas, information and links.  But I did not see much of a connection to my job or for teachers.  How wrong I was!  It's an amazing tool for everyone!

How long have you been using Twitter as a PLN?

Honestly, I have used it as a PLN for the last two years or so.  So many educators across the nation have taken to Twitter to share what they are doing in their rooms...what works, what does not work.  They ask questions about lessons, tools, and resources.  They even share what is happening in their PLCs. It's a great, fast way to learn something new or get answers quickly!

Who are the top 3 people I follow?

My top three would be Eric Sheninger, George Couros, SMART Technologies.  Eric and George are national leaders in the education world providing current, insightful, and practical ideas that apply to teachers and administrators.  Best of all, what they Tweet usually challenges our current thinking and pushes us to stretch for what is next in our profession.  SMART Technologies does an amazing job of Tweeting about their products and then backs it up by Tweeting what others around the world are doing in their classrooms.  Amazing ideas and examples are shared daily.

What was my like during my first Twitter chat?

I was really nervous during my first Twitter chat.  Who would be seeing my Tweets?  Would I have anything important to say?  Will someone challenge my Tweet?  All those questions and more ran through my mind.  It was almost worse than being in front of a room full of teachers!  Guess what?  The chat was awesome and I was able to add to the discussion just as if we were all sitting in the same room.

What advice do I have for those new to Twitter/Twitter chats?

Just dive in!  Create your account and search for people you have seen speak at conferences.  Search for folks your colleagues follow.  Best of all, start following your Digital Learning Specialists and the Digital Learning department!  We share pretty fun stuff all the time!  As for Twitter chats, please join our department each Tuesday evening from 8-8:30.  We will post the questions for the evening in our Digital Learning Newsletter that we send out through Mark Thomas.  There is always lots of great information and resources shared in the newsletter.  If you are not ready to Tweet during the chat, just lurk and see how others are responding to the questions.  Soon you will be joining in and sharing your thoughts!  If you need help getting started, let your DLS know.  We are glad to help!

Twitter is Awesome!

Twitter Chats are starting up tonight and I wanted to share the great things I have learned about Twitter.  Be sure to join us tonight at 8:00, #bisddlp.

Q1. When did you first hear about Twitter?  
A1: I first started using Twitter personally to follow news and sports teams.

Q2. What did you think of it then? 
A2: I liked the real time information and getting notifications on my phone when something was happening in my area.

Q3. How long have you been using Twitter as a PLN?
A3: I started using Twitter as a PLN a couple of years ago after attending a conference.  Several of the presenters shared their Twitter handle and I started following them.  I quickly learned that the information they shared on Twitter was great and relevant to teaching.  It has become my go to resource for new ideas.

Q4. Who are your top 3 people to follow and why?
A4: @ShakeUpLearning  An excellent resource for all things Google

@TechChef4u A great resource for using iPads in the classroom 

@gcouros A resource for inspiration in trying new things

Q5. What was it like the first time you participated in a Twitter chat? 
A5: It was fast and furious but fun to watch the tweets coming in and being able to see everyone's ideas.

Q6. What advice do you have for teachers new to Twitter?  
A6: There are some great things going on in classrooms and don't be afraid to share those great ideas with others.