Apps in the Classroom

As we progress in allowing students to express their voices and choices, we have to think of new ways to engage students in learning.  One way that many teachers are combining voice, choice, learning, and technology is through the use of apps. 
 Not all apps are used for demolishing delicious, sugary confections.  While some apps are game based, many apps are now geared for education and advancing how people understand topics.  In the classroom, apps serve a variety of purposes.
The links provided will lead to different app recommendations.  By no means are these all the apps that educators are using or the only types of apps available.  I limited this list to discuss a few that I’ve used or that have been personally recommended to me




Communication Apps

• Remind (free) - This is by far one of my favorite communication apps.  Anyone can download the program.  In this case, I sign up to be the owner of an account and Remind acts as my personal messaging system.  I can send class reminders or individual reminders.  In addition, those that sign-up as users of my account can message me, reply to my messages, or react to my memos.  My most favorite part of this app is that it comes across my phone like a text message.  I do not have to go into the app to access my messages. The downfall, Remind limits how many characters you can use in a group message and does not include a behavior component.

• Hallr (free) - If Facebook and Remind had a baby, Hallr would be it.  Hallr is very similar to Remind in that it is a messaging system and allows you to communicate with different people within an organization.  With Hallr, you can sign up for different groups within a school.  If I were a parent with a 6th grade student, I could sign up to receive messages from all of my child's teachers, the volleyball coach, the PTA, and even the drama club sponsor.  On top of that, Hallr has a schedule (calendar) feature and news feed. The downfall, you must have the app to access 

Reading Apps

• Epic!   (free for educators)

Assessment Apps

• Popplet ($$) -  Popplet is an app that helps users produce a mind map (bubble map).  The app does come with a fee, however you can do a trial run on their website.  Essentially, a user starts with a topic and branches out from there.  Popplet allows you to customize your mind map using different colors, images, videos, and text.  The app does provide some previously created material, but also allows you to create your own.  In this instance, the possibilities of this app are endless.   The downfall, features of the mind maps are generated by clicks.  It takes a minute to get the hang of creating and editing material. 
• Kahoot (free) - Kahoot is an interactive learning tool that allows educators to find or make quizzes on any topic.  Students then use devices to respond to the questions.  After students respond to the questions, a graph of answers pulls up and allows you to analyze results.  Kids love this app, but the biggest downfall is that questions only represent multiple choice answers.

Google Apps & Tools

•  Google Hangouts (free) - Google Hangouts combines discussion boards, chat rooms, and video messaging.  Essentially, GH is a video conference call that allows you to communicate with others.  You can join an existing conversation or start your own.  The downfall, GH limits free video chatting to 10 people, but you can include up to 150 people in a chat.

STEAM Apps & STEAM Apps

• STEAM is taking over many classrooms.  I personally haven't used any of these apps.  However, if you're still looking for a way to integrate STEAM into your classroom, an app may be your starting point!

Hands On Learning

Project Based Learning and STEAM

I've been teaching for quite a while, but I still remember sitting in a child development course, in college, learning about how the brain works.  No where in the course, did we learn about how children are made to sit still, listen without questioning, remember everything they're told, and take tests like it's their job.  This is not how children develop.  So then, why is this the practice so many schools apply?

As someone who has learned to embrace change in the classroom, it is very frustrating to attend professional developments that still promote this method or to talk to teachers that swear this is how students learn best.  If I'm bored as an adult that understands the "why," "who," and "how," then what are children feeling?

Luckily, there are more and more administrators, educators, and families that see a need for change.  Some changes occur in small doses, while some are on a much larger scale.

An Updated Way of Thinking

 STEAM (Science - Technology - Engineering - Art - Math) is one way that educational institutes are embracing change.  Students work on problem solving, in a hands-on manner.  They are being challenged to design, create, test, and evaluate their ideas.  While there is debate on if art should be included in STEAM, it is clear that critical thinking and problem solving are the focus.  

What does STEAM look like?  It looks different in different settings.  In my elementary classroom, students work to solve a small scale problem.  While we've done many different activities, the students most enjoyed our NASA Moon Landing activities.  We researched how the sun, moon, and earth work together.  We watched videos of moon landings, explored simple machines, and eventually built our own rovers and cranes.  While these activities were more structured and guided, STEAM with older students may be extended experiences and include more student voice and choice.

Project Based Learning has many similarities to STEAM.  My opinion is that PBL is an extension of STEAM; it is the next step.  PBL however does not focus on only science or math, it is an all inclusive strategy.  It is inquiry based, real-world applicable, authentic, reflective, engaging, and student centered. 

Also like STEAM, PBL looks different in different settings.  As I grew more comfortable in facilitating learning and letting students take charge, we began to integrate projects into our reading curriculum.  Students read about communities around the world and how they access literature, explored the geography of these locations, compared these cultures to our own city.  Students then began to question how they could impact literacy in our community, designed a system for helping people access literature, built their system, and shared it with community members. 

The point is this - in either of these situations, it wasn't the content that we focused on. Students weren't sitting still and quiet.  Rather, they were moving, talking, thinking, learning, challenging others' ideas, producing, and collaborating.  We used technology and engineering as the catalyst through which students explored topics related to content.

 

 

 

 

 

Classroom Blogs

A classroom is essentially a living organism.  Everyday there is change- change in what is being learned, change in how we are showing learning, change in the tools that we are using.   With all the change and progress, it is important that we take time to connect with others, reflect, and get feedback.

One of the changes that we are seeing is that students are more in control of their learning and are exploring areas that interest them.  They are able to express their thoughts, research, and preferences on any number of topics.  Teachers are now helping to guide students on a path of learning, assess students understanding throughout the learning process, and then evaluate parts of learning as a cumulative experience. 

One of the more recent developments in how students can express themselves and how they can demonstrate their understanding is through apps and websites.  In particular, the world of education is embracing BLOGS and VLOGS.  Teachers create blogs, administrators have blogs, and now, students have blogs.

TEACHER BLOGS

As a teacher, things can be overwhelming.  There are lessons to plan and execute, papers to grade, data to analyze, assessments to create, and so much more.  Teacher blogs are a way for educators to share what is happening in their classes (ideas for set up/organization, innovative lessons, etc) and to get feedback.  These blogs help educators connect with other educators and with parents.  While these journals can be a great way to share resources, they do take time and energy. 

STUDENT BLOGS 

Student blogs allow for students to document their experiences as they learn and grow.  The blog becomes a portfolio of sorts, where the students makes a choice on what to share.  It tracks the students' learning as they progress and grow.  It is a way for students to express their voice.  Blogs can be used as a formative (ongoing) assessment or as a summative (overall) evaluation of learning.  Blogs provide the opportunity for structured responses, such as answering a question.  They also allow for free form responses, documenting your week of learning.  Blogging connects our students and allows them to start seeing the bigger picture.  However, these too take time and dedication.  In the same way that a teacher blog must be kept up to date, student blogs must be maintained to be effective.

Classroom blogs work on many different levels.  Teachers and students can access blogs as an effective tool.  http://popplet.com/

So why talk about blogging?  A technology becomes more available to people of all ages, abilities, and economic statuses we have to start thinking of how we connect with others in a safe way.  Several websites that cater to safe student blogging are https://kidblog.org/home/ and https://edublogs.org/. 

Inquiring Minds Want to Know

Why? - That is the question that students are always asking and that we are always trying to answer.

Traditionally, students sat in desks and listened to a lecture.  As technology has progressed, our teaching has remained relatively similar.  Due to regulations on what needs to be taught, timelines on when content should be taught, and the pressure to achieve accreditation, many teachers have been stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Traditional Teaching: YouTube

How can we make learning more engaging for students and still meet all of the stipulations placed upon us?

The answer is voice and choice.  By allowing students to take ownership of their own learning, they are more engaged and the experience becomes authentic. I'm not saying throw standards out of the window and doodle on paper all day. NO! Teachers need to create quality lessons that allow for students to inject their own experiences, interests, and goals into what is being done. 


This year, I had a student who liked LOVED sharks.  Jaws, Jaws 2, the Titanic, Sharknado (all of them), and Megalodons were all parts of our daily conversations.   When it came time to explore life cycles and animal habitats, the student of course chose to look at sharks.  I provided the checkpoints and we made learning goals clear, but in this instance limiting this boy to a butterfly or frog lifecycle would have been a disservice to him.  Did I encourage him to look into other animals? Yes, and he did by integrating a shark's food chain.  After setting expectations and listening to what the students wanted, we began.  We started with articles that I provided and then students took ownership of researching their animal and putting together a presentation.


The point is, by letting our young learner choose what interests them, we stand a better chance of them remembering their learning.  By asking them to present their findings to classmates, we can assess that they understand information and expose other students to that as well.


In today's world, there are many opportunities for student voice and choice.  We must also acknowledge that some things have to be done or need to be done in a certain way.  Letting students choose to complete their final exam is not an option.  Letting students express what groups they want to work in is perfectly fine.


Changing our way of thinking can be hard.   Try looking at Edutopia's articles, "Voice and Choice: More than What" or "5 Ways to Give Students Voice & Choice."  Be informed and be confident!

Next, I'll share how students (and teachers) can use technology and other resources to express their voices & choices.