Student study groups with Thinkbinder

Thinking back to the 90s when I was a college student, I remember numerous visits to the library.  I attended Ball State in Indiana and recall meeting at the "naked lady" statue with collaborative groups to do projects and papers with classmates.  We had a lot of study sessions that way.  Nowadays, our kids are not the same when it comes to collaboration.  They don't head to the library to work on projects, they tend to do more at home, or online.

As a foreign language teacher, I find it incredibly important to have collaboration between students.  Sometimes with me, sometimes together.  Regardless of the topic, I want them to be able to work together.

I found Thinkbinder, a free tool where kids can "meet" virtually and review materials, collaborate, do projects, etc. as a group.   It is an easy to use tool as well.

Start off by creating an account and generating a group.   Once you are in, you invite members to the group and they login and join.  It is a little like Edmodo in the aspect of group codes and moderation by a teacher.  Once the kids are in, they can add files, collaborate, work together.  It could be used for many different things:  project planning, review for tests, small group meetings to do a task, the list goes on and on.

Check out this site.  It's free and easy.

Google Hangouts to collaborate

I think I have mentioned in one or two posts google+ hangouts, but I decided to go back and talk about the many possibilities of it again. I think the idea of using google+ hangouts is a great way to get kids to collaborate, to get other schools to meet up with students and share similar ideas, learn new cultures or learn new things.

I tried to use hangouts last year in my French 2 class, I tried to have the kids use it together to insert things, watch videos together, etc.  For some reason, the bandwidth didn't work well with the same room streaming all at once, so I had to stop.   I think, however, if I were to try it again, I would do a few things differently.   First of all, I would find a school in France, Quebec or somewhere Francophone, invite them to join us.  I would include some different things we could talk about.  (There are a lot of stereotypical videos out there about the Francophones and the Americans, why not watch them via hangouts and do a discussion about them with other nations?)

In a Social Studies class, why not find a veteran or someone who works in government and invite them to a hangout.  Use it as a question/ answer session with someone to learn more about their job, their experience or their story.

Hangouts can be used to collaborate with classrooms in different places too, like sister cities.  What a great way to learn about a different place.  Students could ask questions, see videos and images.

Hangouts does a lot like Skype, but, it allows for more interaction.  The collaboration comes in the ability to type, insert, embed and talk.  It is more intense and open. There is more interaction with each other.

Hangouts has to be downloaded for an android or a IOS device, if you use chrome, it adds an extension. I can't wait to try it out!

The Learning Commons: What? How?

I was at a conference a few weeks back and Vicki Davis (AKA Coolcatteacher) was a guest speaker and I was fortunate and honored to spend a little bit of time talking to her.  I have followed her blog for awhile and I have admired what she is doing with her flattened classroom projects.  As we talked, we started talking about the changes I have made to my media center.  She told me maybe someday I would have a learning commons.  Come to find out, I already do and I didn't even know it!

What is a learning commons?  It's a way to integrate many disciplines into the library.  It provides spaces (almost like centers in elementary) where students can socialize, explore and do more hands on things.  Often, there is a lax regulation about cell phones, drinks and food and a more cozy sitting space.  I HAVE ALL OF THOSE THINGS! (Sorry for the all caps, I am not yelling, but I am excited that I integrated something this amazing with no knowledge of what I was doing.  I just did it for the kids!)  I have spent the last three years as the media specialist integrating seating, shelving changes, a genre specific fiction section, a categorized non-fiction section, implementation of more databases and websites, everything that happens with a library commons.  I even have the coffee shop!

Now, part of the niche of this is integrating the technology.  My school is 1:1, but, I still have a few self standing stations where I encourage kids to do different things.  My goal is to hand a few of my frequent flyers a video camera and challenge them to build book trailers for the website.  What a better way to promote reading than to build a book trailer!

I also want them to be able to expand their information about other places, other disciplines and other genres.  What a better way to get kids interested in reading than to offer them a space where they can collaborate. A lot of my kids have been force fed AR since they were very young, so many of them don't find the pleasure I do in reading a book for fun.  Our Junior High teachers have done a great job encouraging reading by offering in class books clubs, weekly visits and book reports, and stepping up to my challenge to read state award nominees and voting. This has helped build some pleasure in the book.

My hope is that offering a library commons with spaces to socialize, collaborate and explore will lead my students to enjoy reading and embrace the many things a library (or learning commons) have to offer.

Collaboration Tools pt. 4; Realtime Board

I am all about students collaborating.  I think it's one of the most important parts of education.  Kids need to be able to learn to work together and share ideas, as it's part of their future when they graduate and move into their adult life.

Realtimeboard is another tool that provides collaboration options. It is free and can link to google. You, as the teacher creates a board and invite kids to access it.  They also upgrade teachers to PRO for free. (Follow this link)

This site is set up a lot like ConceptBoard, which I showed in a previous post.  It's collaborative, uses invitations to access boards and is easy.

I can see this working in a project based learning setting.  Students can conduct their research and use the site for a final project.  Maybe a history related search or a biography project.  It is also a way to organize yourself.  There are several mind mapping methods and organzining tools. When you create a new board, you see several templates that can be used for different things.

It could also be used for a foreign language classroom to make vocabulary boards.  Kids can locate images of vocabulary and the shared boards can be used by the teacher as a review tool.

The possibilities for this program are endless.  There are a lot of things that can be used in the classroom.

Collaboration Tools (and a little bit more) Part 3: One Note

I have talked about One Note in the past, but I feel despite the number of times I mention it, I come up with even more rationale for it's brilliance.  I love this program.  I love it's simplicity.  I love how many things it can do, so I am adding it as one of my collaboration tools for the classroom.

Why?  It does more than collaborate but, if you are using the live, online version, the opportunity to work with others is an awesome tool.  I have used it a lot in my classes and I have shared it with some of my colleagues and some of them have started using it in class.

I was in a training session about one note and the presenter was telling us about her daughter, a pharmacy student in college.  She uses One Note for all of her notes and classes.  She inserts audio of the lecture and takes notes as well.  COOL!  The software on the computer allows for tablet note taking and doodling. You can insert math notes and questions and complete the problems directly on the program.

The online version, mind you allows for a lot less in the insert, add, edit component.  You have to download the program and open it on the computer to add all the bells and whistles, but, as a teacher, there are a lot of great ideas that can be done with the online tool that makes students working together work.

With the online tool, you can track changes and edits.  You can see who did what at all times. You, as the teacher can create the actual notebooks for the groups, invite them and then monitor them as the kids work.  It's a great way to get kids to work together to accomplish a great outcome.

Do you teach History and have a student who is special needs?  Allow them to record the notes on their device or, you upload the notes to the notebook and then have a student who takes good notes edit it on the online platform.

What about Science?  Create an experiment notebook.  Have questions and logs students need to complete about the dissection they are doing or the experiment they are completing.

Foreign Language?  Flip that class...  embed videos or links to them and include the vocabulary.  Make your own text.  Why rely on the book the companies want us to buy for $60 each when you can make each tab a chapter and build your own tools.

Math Teachers:  Create a chapter by chapter notebook and include links to videos, activities and problems.  The students can work together or alone to master the techniques.

The list goes on and on....  Look at one note, it is a challenge to come across as you have to access the Skydrive via Microsoft, but once you are in... you are in.

Collaboration Tools Part 2: Google Docs

If you are in a district where google products are open sources for everyone, like I am, you will be pleased to find how easy it is to use Google Documents as a way to encourage student (and staff ) collaboration.

In an all staff PD last year, our trainer showed us how easy it is to collaborate with Google, I was already aware of the components and the ease, but I was trying to get some ideas of ways to make it work in my class.

For the library, I was thinking of having google docs be a component for a group chat about books.  We can have a doc for each title that is being read as a team and then the kids and perhaps myself can go online and discuss the book on the site.

For class, the options are endless.   Since google docs lets you track the collaborators, it's a great way to do PBL.  Students can be assigned projects with collaboration and as a teacher, I track the collaboration and who does what.  The students can peer edit, collaborate, do individual parts, plan, write, do it all. The kids could do partner papers, research projects (since presentatiion is also a part of google docs and it can collaborated as well). There is also a chance to integrate other tools into the docs program and use them for projects. There are a lot of options.

The spreadsheet could very easily be used for developing group data collection.  A series of questions could be asked and each student could be assigned a column.  They can go in and add their data and at the end, the information can be mingled together into graphs and charts.

I think with a little experimenting, every teacher out there could find at least one use for google docs.

From the Archives: CLEAR RIA tools

Since it is the end of the year and crazier than ever, my next three posts will be about CLEAR RIA tools...

As a foreign language teacher, I am often introduced to tools and techniques at conferences that are not normally shared with teachers outside of the foreign language realm.  Some of the tools available are really fantastic for the language teacher, but, those outside the language box can also benefit from the tools.  Michigan State University's CLEAR (Center for Language Education and Research) is one such place.  CLEAR has a large assortment of what they cal RIA tools which are awesome ways to have students complete oral and video tasks.  I am going to take the next few blog posts to talk about the tools I use in my classroom and some of the advantages of them.  Check out the site, especially if you teach classes that require students to interact, respond and do speaking or video tasks.  The site also allows you to link to YouTube, TeacherTube and SchoolTube videos or upload your own.  They can be modified to meet your needs in the classroom.

The first thing to do, is take a look at the CLEAR site and look at some of the options available.   The site to check, is the RIA site.  These are Rich Internet Activities.  I use them at least twice a week, especially the audio dropbox.  The tools can be embedded into a website, including Edmodo.

There are also webinars and white papers.  Some of them are not for everyone, a majority are geared primarily for the language teacher, but something there might be of interest to a different content area. There are assessment tools, a quiz break, just to name a few.  Look around the site, I will be posting about some of the cool RIA tools in the next few posts.

From the Archives: Using SimpleMeet in the Classroom

I recently came across a website called SimpleMeet where a chat room is created and users can invite others to chat in the room.  I immediately felt the wheels turning and light bulbs going off.  There are so many wonderful things that can be done with this site!

When one arrives, it opens a box that has either a code or a blank space.  Take the code, share it with others and voila, you have a chat room open and ready to use.  The wonderful thing about it-  you can send a transcript out after the chat is complete so it can be graded or utilized later for another component of whatever it is you are doing.

I posted an invite on twitter and someone who followed me joined the chat and we conversed anonymously.  It made me start developing some ideas and ways to use it in a classroom setting to encourage collaboration amongst students or also among colleagues.

So often, teachers are even afraid to speak up at a meeting with peers.  Wouldn't this be a great way to collaborate without feeling intimidated?

As a teacher, I can immediately see this being used for all sorts of interaction.  It can be done anonymously or by using a name.   Let's look at some of the ways we can use it.

1.  Quick warmup-  Students come in to a question on board and are asked to discuss it.  It could be based on something that was supposed to be read the previous day or could be a review item.

2.  Q/A at end of class-  Students could anonymously ask the teacher questions about something.  So often, a student is afraid to ask a question because he gets embarrassed.  If no one knows who is asking, the questions will pour out.

3. Project collaboration-  Assign each group a different chat room, monitor the student devices to see who the different users are, keep a log.  You could even have students punch in their ID numbers as their identifiers. Students can contribute their ideas to the group and do so without feeling intimidated.  If you notice user 1 has said nothing and logged that as Johnny, he gets a 0.

4.  Global chats-  Setup a collaboration with a school in another country or another state and have a Q/A session with them.  It can lead to a more detailed meeting later on skype or via epals.

These are just a few things I can think of to do with SimpleMeet. I am certain there are many more out there.

PBWorks for class collaboration

For one of our PDs last year, I asked our trainer to share with us a site called PBWorks.  He did and now, I am in the process of using it for the media center to establish a collaborative site where we could do something with book clubs.   I have been too busy to do a lot with it, but the time has come to start looking at it again.

The site is set up almost like a moodle but not needing a host server to use.  It's a free site as well. You create a workspace in your account and from there you can add a lot of different tools:  syllabi, files, pages, etc.   The site has a lot of potential for the classroom as well as for the media center.   I can see it being used as a group wiki space for PBL projects.  

Since my focus next year is going to be more PBL based, I am thinking I will rely on PBWorks a lot next year to get my students communicating with each other and doing more useful tasks.  

I am also going to set up a workspace for the Media Center. I would love to start doing some online book chats, some informative tip sheets and maybe even a place for recommendations.   I can't wait to get started.  I think this will be a very useful tool for my students. 

Collaborate, Note Taking with Titanpad

I have spent several days this summer doing webinars via SimpleK12 and learned they subscribe to a site that they use for the backchannel of the webinar.  I immediately started asking them questions about the site and learned it is free to use.  That was the key to me.  So, I created an account at titanpad and have already started generating ideas to using it in my classroom or my school library.

Titan pad is a platform that has a note-taking component on one side and a chat option on the other.  The note-taking side syncs constantly so multiple users can add their information.  It reminded me a little of one-note but with the ability to chat.  The owner of the "pads" as the program calls them can keep them in an archive to refer to later.   The pads have security options, the ability to import and export the notes and the capability to save revisions.

As a classroom teacher planning to flip the class and also thinking heavily of devoting a portion of my time to PBL, I started seeing the lightbulbs going off with this program.

First of all, think of all the special ed students you have in class.  Often, they can't keep up with notes or need to have an assistant there to take good notes for them.  Occasionally, a student helper is used to jot notes down and then have them copied for the student.  With Titanpad, the notes are input directly on the site.

With the chat component, the students can type questions directly to the teacher and the teacher can use that information to see immediate feedback of comprehension.  The pad is exported to a PDF or a Word file and voila, instant access to all the notes.  If you have a school that is 1:1, this is a fantastic way to collaborate in your classroom.  I was saving my notes and copying and pasting them into OneNote so I could refer to them later. 

I am thinking this could be a great way for partners and groups to collaborate.  Often, in my French class, I have the kids write skits.  If you use this, the kids can work on their skit in groups and I can be involved with it.  

If you teach a class and have kids absent, you do the notes here and make them available later. No excuses for missing class.  Kids are at home sick but not really that bad? They can join the class and see what is happening and ask questions.

I can see this working for a class that involves collaboration or a class using PBL.  It's worth a shot, right?

Lino.it for collaboration

If you are a teacher and are looking for some tools to use to collaborate in the classroom, investigate Lino.it.  I was told about the site last semester because I was using Wallwisher and had some problems with the overall site. Upgrades or something were frustrating me and I needed a quick way for the students to share what they know. I tried it and the concept went very well.

First of all,  lino is a site that allows you and collaborators to insert sticky notes onto a wall, or a canvas as lino calls them.  You can custom design the canvas you want to use (special images for backgrounds, etc.) and you can customize your sticky notes.  What is fantastic about this site, you can create private groups and invite people to join them.  I did that for my classes and each class had a canvas to use and work with.  

Here's how I did it.  Each of my students set up twitter accounts on the first day of school.  We do use it sometimes in class so I found that was the easiest way to create a lino account- via twitter.  After the kids created an account, I invited them to join the group, made a canvas within the group and off we went. 

I teach French so I used the canvases to review grammar with the kids.  I asked them questions and allowed them to answer the questions.  To the left, you see a sample canvas.  This is one we did to review the reflexive verbs.  My stickies were larger, I started the collaboration.  I had the kids color code to match the question so it was easier for them to see what they had done so far.  Each sticky labels the collaborator so you can see who posted.  I also went to the student's stickies and made corrections.   The one thing I dislike is not being able to use more than one color for the font.  If I made corrections, it had to be in black.

So, what can you do with this?

1. Exit slip/ warmup  Use it to see what the kids learned and picked up that day or the day prior.  Have them login and go as soon as class starts or a few minutes before end.

2. Review games.  Make a whole bunch of stickies that need to be matched up.  Kids can work in groups and line up the notes to make them work. You would have to have several canvases, however since the collaborators can move things around and everyone working on it sees it move.

3. Task management. Train students to create a daily lino canvas that has tasks and such.  Kids can keep it as a means of organizing their day.

4. Research paper organization. As students work on a paper, have them use the sticky notes as their note cards where they detail the paper.  They could do the first note as the MLA/ APA entry for a works cited page and then each note of that color could be the information for the paper.

5. Vocabulary Review.  Have students create a canvas for each chapter you study and require them to document the words being studied.  The cool thing, for the visual learner, is that you can insert an image to the sticky.  Color code again> First sticky is the word, maybe the origin.  Second sticky is a photo of the word, third is definition, last maybe using it in a sentence.  If you are reading a novel in a lit class, this would be a great way to organize notes.

How many ways could you see this being used?

Popplet- A different approach to organizing

At a conference a few months back, I saw someone use a Popplet to share information, so I had to try it in my classroom.  The kids enjoyed it, and it was easy to teach and use.

A popplet works exactly like a graphic organizer but you are able to insert more dynamic media into it.  You link the topics together to assemble a detailed visual presentation.  I had my students use them to do projects about African Francophone Countries.  I informed the students what I wanted them to include in each branch of the popplet and they gave detailed information about what they found.  It is a free service with an additional amount for a paid service.

The neat thing about a popplet, it can be shared after it is done and other people can see it. You can use it for some different kinds of things:

1.  Research-  That's a no brainer.  Kids do research about a topic and treat it as a traditional graphic organizer.  Maybe include it with the paper they write as a secondary component.  It can assemble all of the student's notes and include documentation.  If students view a video clip, that can also be linked.  I can also see a teacher adding input and commentary to a student's information to assure it is being done accurately.

2. Collaboration-  The share tool allows you to send invites to different attendees and collaborators.  A teacher could establish the groups, create the original popplet and send an invite to each student int he group. The collaborators are identified next to the information they input. A teacher can login and see who does what.




3. Short story writing-  In the Foreign Language classroom, we do these story developments where students start with a topic and branch out to build a story.  A popplet could be a way to do that digitally.  Students start the central popplet with a starting statement.  Each branch can be a portion of the story.  I can see it used in the elementary grades as well.  Students could develop their own images on paint software on their computer and upload it to the popplet.  The sentences could be added under the image.   In the end, the student assemble their popplets into a book format on Publisher or an online book assembling program.  If your school is 1:1, you could spend a few days on a project such as this. This could help develop simple sentences into more complex ones as students build their skills.  Perhaps it is a tool that is started on day one and is used as a digital portfolio that builds as the year goes.

I know I only added three ideas for a popplet, but I am sure as you delve into it, you will find some other things that may work.