Google Sites

I used Google Sites to create a Classroom Web page.  It was pretty easy to use, once I watched the tutorials on how to perform various tasks on the site.  I enjoyed using it and would see myself using something like this for my future students and parents.  I see how it would be a very useful tool in communicating with them.  It was a lot of fun to create the pages and insert images and things.  I like the various options for themes and formats.  I still need to work on Linking things and will work on that.


Here is the sites page I created:

https://sites.google.com/site/msgavinsclassroom/

Google Forms

I watched the tutorial on using Google Docs Forms that Dr. Krug gave us and tried to understand the process. I was able to access the new Forms folder and create an exam and got it to transfer to a spreadsheet. I also read the blog RPollack wrote on "How to self grade test with Google Docs Spreadsheets."  I have not been able to get the functions to work that Dr. Krug gave us for the self grading portion.  I tried changing the functions portion to work with my form and got an Error in the cell when I applied the function. I think I could get it if I had someone show me personally why we use some of the numbers in the formulas.  I promise I'm not totally inept when it comes to math, but just need practice with this concept.  I will continue to try it, maybe I'll get it soon!!
     According to the Common Core State Standards, students will " present information, findings ans supporting evidence." They can gather information from peers, family, friends, etc. and use that information to make decisions and form conclusions about chosen topics. They will make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to help them and those viewing their work understand the data presented. They need to accomplish these tasks to get them ready for their futures in college and with a career. Completion of small projects using the Google Forms with Spreadsheets, will help them to utilize many disciplines.



Link to my Form:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1cBxPcyeAfD9H-9GmlamNIvKTw5cW67NmrwoA3jKyU7M/edit?usp=sharing

Literacy for Education

     The first app I will discuss in the Presentations section, is the Merriam-Webster Dictionary App for I-pad and I-phone. It is very easy to use and has some nice features.  You can start typing in the word you are searching and a list of several words with the first letters the same.  You click on your word and a definition of the word pops up as well as correct spelling and annunciation is shown.  This dictionary app has a play back mode and when wanted will have a voice that will pronounce the word properly.  This is a great feature, especially for students still learning the English Language. Not every word has the play back mode feature however.  Synonyms and antonyms are displayed for each word and examples of how the word is used in a sentence is provided. Another great feature is Voice Search.  This feature allows you to say the word out loud that you are searching for and it will find it and display it.  There is also a list of the most recent words you have searched that is stored here as well.  You can also touch another word on the page you are on and it will search that word as well.  This app will also work offline.  I felt that this app had a lot to offer and it is free.  This would be handy in the classroom for children, when they don't know what a word means and if for example they have to do a report, they can look up how to spell words, their definitions, pronunciations, etc.

     In the Visual category, I chose to discuss the Drawing Pad App for I-pad.  This is also a free app and is very fun and easy to use for any age student.  It has the choice of using pencils, crayons and markers to draw anything you want. There is an erase feature that allows students to be able to erase the whole picture or just specific things on their picture. It has backgrounds to choose from and then students can draw on that.  Students can save an image and e-mail their picture with a message to someone. I feel this app is geared more toward young children, K-1.  

     I really liked the Educreations app.  I know this is also an app in the Visual category, but I wanted to discuss it also.  It is primarily a white board app that is very useful for teaching.  You can have lessons already recorded into this program and show steps to problem solving.  It has an undo and redo app that is helpful in showing these step type problems for Math as one example.  You can also save pages that are kept in order and can easily be clicked on to explain problems.  It also has a record feature that you can use to go along with your lessons.  Children could go back and listen to it to help them learn how to work through problems on their own. You could also download a teacher's study guide for a class and would then be able to highlight parts of it or underline on it, etc. for older children.  Recording video onto a concept is also available. This is a free app and I thought it would be very easy to use in the classroom for any age. 

     In the Stories category, I will review the Puppet Pals app for I-Pad.  This is also a free app that comes with a western theme.  If you want other themes you do have to pay for them.  There are several western  backgrounds to choose from, once chosen you pick you actors form several provided.  You can place them into the backdrop you chose and make a recording, which is a good first movie creation experience for a young student.  There is also a section where custom actors can be created by students themselves and also has the capability of downloading a picture from your own files and using them as backdrops and actors in your show.  Also a child could take a picture right then and upload to your program to use as well.  This seems to be a fun app for young students.  It makes them use their imagination and creativity.  Some of the features would probably not be used in the classroom, such as downloading their own pictures, but could be used to some degree. 

Disciplines in Education

     Since I am concentrating on K-6, I chose apps that I felt would be useful for this age group in a classroom setting.  

     The first app I chose to review is the Stack the States Game App. for the i-pad.  It is an interactive game, that helps students learn the states, their shapes and placement on the map.  It allows you to study the states first, if wanted on flashcards.  You can then concentrate on game play.  You basically answer questions about the states, and if you get the answer correctly, you begin a "pile of states." You continue to stack your states to a certain point to win. The more you win, it unlocks more games to play with states.  You can also click on states for some brief information about that state.  This app also allows younger students to learn the shapes of each state and where they belong on the map.  The app is very colorful and the states are given faces which makes it attractive to younger children. I felt this app would be very useful for students in the classroom, for probably 4th grade and under.  It helps students learn social studies and uses thinking and reasoning skills. This is a free app.

     The second app I chose to review is the Sketch Pad Explorer app for i-pad. It is rated as one of the best educational software programs.  It can be used for most all grade levels 1st grade and up.  It uses activities and workbooks and has the ability for students to create and share with others.  It is very easy to use, you can drag shapes to explore math.  Teachers can create lessons and then the students can bring it up on the i-pad and perform actions by using the action buttons and hot text links. It helps with understanding of fundamental concepts of math.  Students can explore and interact and investigate concepts.  The touchscreen aspect makes this fun for the students.  It also has a tool for interactive whiteboard use.  It meets the CCSS for chart and graph use.  I felt this would be very useful in the classroom for many age groups and it seems it can be utilized to fit the lessons the teacher is focusing on. 

     The third app in disciplines for education I chose to explore is the Globe app for i-pad.  This is an app that contains a 3-D globe that students can explore.  It can be rotated with your fingers by touch or drag motions.  It shows all the countries of the world.  By pinching the screen you can zoom in or out to look more closely at details.  There is a search button to tap on that tells some brief information and flags of the different countries. I'm not sure if I would use this app in the classroom.  Although it is a free app, I'm sort of old school in that I think an actual hands-on globe is more interesting and fun for younger children.  They could always research the countries on the computer if detailed information is needed.  I guess the advantage would be that more than a few students could be learning the globe at the same time.  

Rover vs. Safari

4.  Rover is a very safe browser for children.  It uses flash content by streaming.  It does meet school accreditation so it is safe to use in the classroom.  The app keeps a list of sites inappropriate for the classroom.  It does not support multitasking, so that students could go to a page and back again.  They would have to bookmark their pages. Rover does have a free version but it is very limited and only provides access to view filtered websites. The most popular version is $9.99 and opens the door to a wider range of web content.
  Safari is a free browser.  It is much faster than Rover and has the ability to sync between all apple devices by using cloud capabilities.   It offers private browsing if wanted.  It does have multitasking capabilities and is easy to use.  It is not as kid-friendly, meaning not as "safe" by filtering out inappropriate websites.

Spreadsheets

While learning to use the Spreadsheets portion of Google Docs, I have to be honest, I had a hard time.  I have never used a spreadsheet app. before.  It was easy to figure out how to add information into the sheet and how to change the color and type of font.   I had a hard time figuring out the math functions and am still a bit confused about this.  The tutorials did not help me very well, they were hard for me to see and follow, since I had never seen a spreadsheet program before.  I did go to undergrad in the "ancient" days as most of my classmates would probably feel to be true!  I have never had to use one in my health field career.  I will keep trying to learn how to use this portion of Google Docs as I see how useful it is in preparing and keeping track of student grades.  It will make things much easier, when I figure it out!

In Chapter 6 of the Graham text on Spreadsheets, it discusses that spreadsheets can be used to help meet the Common Core State Standards, particularly with Math. Using Google Spreadsheets to incorporate math into other subjects, such as history and science can teach a child about decision making and reasoning. It is a way children can share what information they have collected with others and therefore give themselves a voice.    As far as the CCSS for Math, students develop critical thinking.  They are to learn the "processes and proficiencies" of math.  They can show how they use the math they have learned.

Link to spreadsheet I created:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NkLsNA4BVJTVWobPv0WZLPKaxa-I_-sEHsEYzGzLjuw/edit#gid=0

iThought

3.  I have never used a mind-mapping app. before, until I tried iThought.  It was fairly easy to use and I liked the click and drag features that made it easy to "change your mind" which I often do. If you want 2 thoughts to be linked into one bubble for example, it is simple to hover a topic over another and then insert it.

 When thinking about how this app could be useful in a classroom, in my opinion it would be best used as a teaching tool.  The teacher can present the main idea in the center and get students to help add in all the links for a particular topic. The teacher could write as the students offer their ideas and information.  The students could even take turns typing  their ideas on a collaborative map the teacher has created and has showing on the screen in front of the room. It gets the children to think and participate while they are learning. If they are involved, they will learn and hopefully remember the topic of information better. Also, the color features help to make the map more appealing and help keep the students attention and make it more fun.  The teacher could also use this app as a way to organize ideas and thoughts to teach a particular topic.