Fall 2012

It has been one busy fall with technology at Bigelow!  Classes are becoming more and more creative with their use of technology, which has been fun for me and for the kids, but it has left little time for blogging!  Here is a sampling of some of our projects:

Streamlining the research process:

I have been working with Ms. Summa, our librarian, to streamline the research process for grades 6, 7, and 8.  In the past, students would be introduced to different stages of the research process in different classes.  Different teachers would teach different steps, so students may not have a clear vision of what research entails.  Ms. Summa and I are working together to create 6 steps for students to follow for any research project.  These steps will start out as basic in grade 6, and expand in grades 7 and 8, so students will enter high school with a solid set of research skills.

This year, we are starting by teaching the research process to all grade 6 students, and will expand to grade 7 next year.  We have already reached out to the grade 6 social studies teachers, who are willing to incorporate the steps into their research projects.  In addition to in-class lessons and guidance, we will be putting together a reference site for students to use when tackling projects independently.  Keep your eyes peeled for a link on the library site!

http://www.sessions.edu/images/admissions/distance-learning-degree.jpg

Collaborative research and presentation with Mr. Hayes:

Mr. Hayes brought his grade 8 science classes to the library and the lab to work on collaborative research projects and presentations.  First he split the class into 4 groups: atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere.  Each group needed to work together to research the impact of volcanos on their respective spheres.  Students were responsible for splitting up the work, so that all of their research would be completed thoroughly, and on time.

When they came into the lab, we reviewed how they could create a collaborative power point using Google presentation.  We also discussed that the power point is not a place for them to put all of their information, but rather a place where they can highlight their main points.  They should not read directly from the power point during their presentations.  Narrowing their information proved to be the most difficult challenge for the students, but it helped that they could work in groups to create and edit their work.

Research and glogging in grade 6:

Students in grade 6 tackled their first research project on the continent of Europe.  Students used library time to research the culture and physical features of a particular country, after receiving specific lessons in note taking and proper citation from myself and Ms. Summa.

Then students came into the lab and used their information to create online posters using glogster.  Students were able to include text, images, video, audio, and more.  Each student's glog was unique, and reflected the country studied, as well as the student that made it.

Xtranormal - an alternative presentation:

Students in Ms. Krauss' science class experimented with alternative presentations, using xtranormal.com.  In xtranormal, students can create characters and a scene.  The two characters have a conversation about the content researched, and students must type in the information, using proper punctuation.  They can also insert emotions and reactions.  I can't wait to see the finished products!!

Collaborative data collection, graphing, and interpreting in grade 8 science:

Mr. Swift's classes spent a few days in the lab working in partners to explore precipitation and temperature trends throughout the world.  Students chose different locations throughout the world and collected their data.  They entered their data into shared Google spreadsheets, and then graphed and analyzed the data.  In the end, students drew conclusions based on their graphs.  This activity worked well in partners because the students were able to discuss their findings, and drew deeper conclusions based on their discussions.

Design and architecture in grade 8 Spanish:

Ms. Martin's 8th grade students explored the different rooms in a home, and the Spanish words for the rooms, parts of rooms, and furniture.  Students were encouraged to use their creativity to design their dream home, using a combination of Google images, and their own drawings in Google sketch-up.  Using Google drawing, they annotated all of their images using the correct Spanish terms, and uploaded them onto a glog.  Lastly, they included both written and audio descriptions of their designs.  When the finish, I will post some examples of their glogs.  They are looking pretty great!!

http://www.gameanim.com/images/posts/Appartment2.jpg

Cluster B rolls out a one to one pilot:

Last, but not least, we have rolled out one to one iPads on cluster 6B as a pilot for the district.  After training for both the teachers and students, they are using the iPads as tools for organization, collaboration, creating, and problem-based thinking activities.  The cluster 6B teachers, who have been piloting one to one netbooks for the past three years, hope to measure the pros and cons of these devices in the classroom.  We hope to see the classroom become more student centered as a result.

http://uthousing.utk.edu/tnliving/images/ipad-student.jpg 

9/17/12 - 10/12/12

WEEKS 3-6

We have had a busy few weeks with our technology at Bigelow, and it seems that all grades and classes have been off to a great start.  Here is a sampling of what has been going on:

Ms. Gao's Chinese Classes Use Voicethread and Jing to Enhance Their Learning:

Students in Ms. Gao's class use Voicethread and Jing to practice their listening, speaking, and writing skills.  As part of the programs, students listen to and read questions from Ms. Gao and reply to her by recording their answers.  Once they mastered this skill, she has them creating their own recordings and interacting in partners and small groups.  These tools have really helped her to make her class much more student centered and has increased participation.  I'm looking forward to how her uses for the programs develop throughout the year.

http://b.vimeocdn.com/ts/222/566/222566349_640.jpg

Clusters 6B and 6AB Use Google Drawing to Demonstrate Their Understanding of Character Traits:

6th graders have started the year by learning about what makes a character, and the difference between character traits and physical traits.  6AB targeted summer reading to create a character wheel illustrating the character traits of a main character, and 6B chose short stories from the library and illustrated character traits of their main characters.  Overall the lesson was a success!  Students became more familiar with Google docs, while identifying character traits and backing up their findings with evidence from the text!

All 3 Grades Use ELMO Document Cameras to Make Thinking Visible:

Thanks to Title I and Newton Public Schools, nearly all of our classrooms are now equipped with LCD projects and ELMO document cameras.  Teachers have already started to use the document cameras to project student work and examples, increasing students participation and leadership.  The cameras also have a wonderful feature where teachers can take pictures of the projections, and post these shots to their websites to demonstrate student work, or share class notes.  We should see more and more use of theses cameras as the year goes on!

http://www.elmo.co.jp/doc-cam/aynsley%20school%20literacy%20a.jpg

Grade 6 Sets the Bar with the Learning.com Assessment:

This year is year 2 of the Learning.com baseline assessment.  Students came in during their science classes to take this baseline assessment which measures students' technology and library skills.  This baseline provides us with information on what they have mastered from elementary school, and where we should focus our energy in middle school.  They will take an exit exam at the end of 8th grade, as well, which will measure what they have mastered during middle school.  These assessments will help us to shape our curriculum moving forward.

http://techandlearning.newbay-media.com/resource_center/sites/default/files/images/Learning_com%20logo-RGB.preview.jpg

Grade 7 Set Up Their Google docs and Get Started with a Book Review:

Both cluster C and D came to the lab with their English classes to organize their Google docs.  They consolidated their folders from last year into a grade 6 folder, and created new folders for this year, sharing their folders with their teachers.  Once their folders were created, the students used their note taking sheets to begin writing their book reviews, following the specific formatting guidelines handed out by the teachers.  It was nice to have all of the students in the lab to begin their word processing, as many had questions about formatting.

Grade 8 Use Their Google Docs to Draft Memoirs:

Cluster 8E introduced themselves to their English teacher by coming to the lab and drafting memoirs.  Ms. Papazian used the commenting feature to draft and conference with students both in class and at home, and students felt the feedback was a critical piece of the project.  The students loved writing about themselves!  If you have an 8th grader on 8E, ask to see his or her personal memoir.  They were terrific!

http://www.port.ac.uk/uopnews/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/hands-typing-at-Mac-keyboard.jpg

Spanish Classes Use Quia to Practice Their Skills:

Quia is a great program that students can use to practice their skills, and teachers can use to create assessments that meet students individual needs.  In Spanish, students have been using this program a lot already, learning their log-ins and getting started.  See Ms. Martin's and Ms. Calabria's websites for more information on Quia.

http://costechnology.pbworks.com/f/1268674750/11-03.gif

Netbook Computers will Soon be Available to all Grades:

We have spent a good amount of time reimaging, updating, and organizing the netbook computers for use by the whole school.  There are 3 carts of 12 computers, so teachers can borrow one cart if students are doing partner work, or 2 carts if they want students to work independently.  We hope that the netbooks will be used for student group work, Quia, and writer's workshop.  They will be available for classroom use next week.

http://www.isuppli.com/PublishingImages/Teardowns/2010-03-16_Dell_2100.jpg

9/4/2012 - 9/14/2012

WEEKS 1 and 2:

Welcome back, Bigelow!  I am excited to start the new school year with new equipment, new ideas, and more!  We have been very busy getting classrooms up and running.  Here are some new things to look for this year.

Classroom Updates:  All English, math, science, social studies, world language, health, art, and tech classrooms have been updated to include an LCD projector or Smart board, AND an ELMO document camera.  We are thankful to Newton Public Schools for making this happen for the start of this year.  These tools will facilitate interactive and hands on learning, and we hope that you ask your students how they are being used in the classroom!!

Lab Updates:  NPS helped us by adding 7 new computers to finish updating our labs!  We now have two full labs of newer iMac computers.  There are 26 computers per lab to accommodate larger classes, and to be used by classes for projects!  We are very excited about our new computers, and are opening the labs up for student use this week!

Library Updates:  We have started to update the computers in the library as well.  We now have 13 newer iMac computers for students to use to complete research with their classes, for projects with support classes, and in the Bigelow Academic Center after school.  With the help of the PTO, we hope to complete the library's update with a cart of 15 Macbook Airs.  Please check out the attached video to see our plans for bringing our library into the 21st century.

Click HERE to see the attached video for the Bigelow Technology Plan 2012-2015.

Lab Orientations: In addition to setting up our new equipment and getting new teachers situated, we have also had orientation all grade 6 students.  They have all reviewed our acceptable use policy, created new passwords, and logged into both the computers and Google docs.  Within Google docs, they have created a folder for each class, sharing with teachers to make work easy to turn in.

Click HERE to see the lab orientation power point (all apostrophes did not convert from uploading - I'm sorry for the confusion they may cause.)

6AB and Google Earth / Google Docs:  Cluster 6AB has jumped right in to using both Google Earth and Google Docs.  They have already used forms in Google docs for homework, and had a two day Google Earth orientation in the lab.  Google Earth is a free download for your computer at home.  Download it, and ask your children to show you what they have already learned.

Click HERE to download Google Earth on your home computer.

Technology at Bigelow is just getting up and running, and there are many more updates to come!  Check back every two - three weeks to check out what your children have been doing with technology at Bigelow!!

4/9/2012 - 5/4/2012

WEEKS 29-31

Ms. Levy's Students Demonstrate Learning Through Choice:

Now that Cluster A has finished reading Beowulf - A New Telling, they are completing glogs based on areas of interest from the book.  The directions for the different projects, as well as organizers and timelines, can be found on this webpage that we linked to Ms. Levy's homework site.  Check out a sample project:

Grade 7 Begins Poetry Anthologies:

Every year the 7th grade completes a poetry anthology.  They choose a theme, and reflect on poems and well as write their own poems that reflect the theme.  This year we decided to save paper, and use Google docs to complete the poetry anthologies.  We created a packet on Google docs that the students will be using to guide them in their anthology creation.  When they finish, they will be using a program called magic scroll to publish their anthologies.  We will see how they come out in the upcoming weeks!

Ms. Rice and Mr. LaBrache's Students Use Voicethread to Teach About Emperors: 

Students in Mr. LaBrache's and Ms. Rice's classes worked in partners to research different emperors throughout history.  Some had a positive impact, others had a more negative impact, but all had interesting stories.  Students then came into the lab to use Voicethread to create interesting presentations to teach their emperor to the other students.  Here is an example:

Anna and Katie's Voicethread

Grade 7 Participates in Harvard Study:

Mr. Souza collaborated with Harvard University to pilot a program in the computer lab.  This program takes advantage of virtual reality to teach students difficult scientific concepts.  First, the students came into the lab to take a pre-assessment.  They worked on the computers to read about information and answer a series of questions.  A week later, they were back in the lab to enter a world of virtual reality, answering questions about equally difficult concepts.  It will be interesting to see the results when they are published!

3/12/2012-4/6/2012

WEEKS 25-28

6th Grade Math Students Graph with Excel:


Ms. Mortimer's and Mr. Smalley's classes came into the lab after gathering data on various topics.  After an introductory lesson on Excel, students entered and graphed their data, and then compared the graphs Excel produced to the graphs they drew the day before.

Ms. Richardson's Students Blog About the Declaration of Independence:

Ms. Richardson created a blog for her students that broke up the Declaration of Independence into five sections.  Each day, they discussed each section, first online, then as a class, so that the students were all able to fully participate, and gained a deeper understanding of the document.

http://ellrichardson.weebly.com/

Grade 7 Boot Camp:

Both clusters in the 7th grade made it into the lab the day before the ELA long composition to do some last minute study island prep.  Students chose the area in which they felt that they needed to work.  Students left feeling more prepared for the big test!



8th Grade Socials Studies Uses Voicethread to Learn About Famous Inventors:

Ms. Summa's students used Voicethread, an interactive presentation tool, to share the information they research on different inventors.  First they spent several days in the library, compiling their research, and then they created voicethreads for the class, in which they included images, text, drawings, and dialogue.  When they finished, they shared their voicethreads with each other, and were able to give each other positive feedback.  Here is an example:

http://voicethread.com/share/2925809/

7th Grade English Uses Glogster to Present About Non-Fiction:

Over the past month, students have been reading science-fiction books and recording their information in packets that Ms. Cortese created.  When they entered the lab, they learned how to use Glogster, and then presented their information in a Glog, using text, images, audio, video, and more.

http://1682913.edu.glogster.com/bastepe-english/

February 13th - March 9th

WEEKS 22, 23, 24:

Citywide Grade 6 Assessment to Help Guide the Curriculum:

During week 23, all 6th graders across the city took a technology assessment using a software on learning.com.  Students were electronically grouped by feeder school, and spent a class period in the lab being tested on their word processing, research, and general internet skills.  This data will be compiled and analyzed at the Ed. Center, and will help to shape both the elementary and middle school curriculums.  I can't wait to discuss the results!


Title I Math Grant to Benefit All Students:

The math department pushed for a Title I grant, and received 3 new ELMO document cameras for the math department.  Teachers can use the cameras to project their own notes, as well as let students project and alter their own work in real time.  The cameras will live in Ms. Mercado, Ms. Lequire, and Ms. Mortimer's rooms, but they will be shared with all Bigelow math teachers.



8th Grade Italien Uses Blabberize to Present Biographies:
The 8th grade Italien class researched inspiring people in the library.  Using Google docs, they wrote and edited scripts for their person's perspective, and used the website "Blabberize" to record and present their scripts.  Her are some examples:

Jen G.: http://blabberize.com/view/id/713812
Liam C.: http://blabberize.com/view/id/715739


7C Use Google Docs to Present Biography Brochures:
Ms. Robles' students researched people who have made a difference in the world for their English class, and then created brochures using their Google docs accounts.  Their brochures not only included facts and timelines, but they also included a poem, brainframe, and bibliography.  Check out some examples:

Anna Z.:

 

 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1mgmixBClhwhvcQuIghW1KKG5sJ4E3n7KaAhuVFN-Rxs/edit

Kayla H.:

 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yj34e3_kWbsgfyKo6m1Fsaz04p5GH54O06TQvGCt15A/edit


Mr. Spiegel's Students Use Google Earth to Explore Latin America:

In Mr. Spiegel's class, students worked in groups of 3 to create tours of different Latin American countries, beginning and ending in Newton.  They used the path and polygon features of Google Earth, as well as inserted videos and images.  We should be seeing some final products in the weeks to come!

Mr. Hayes' Students Use Google Presentations to Collaborate on Volcano Research:
8th grade science students worked in groups of 3 to research various volcanoes in the library.  Each group collaborated on a presentation in Google docs, focusing on one particular volcano, its location, and its characteristics.  Students presented on their volcanoes in class, teaching the other students about their volcanoes.  The presentations helped the students to work together to learn the material.

January 23th - February 10th

WEEKS 19, 20, 21:

These weeks seemed to be the weeks of powerpoints and oral presentations.  I introduced the new features of Google presentation, and students collaborated to create interactive presentations, complete with buttons, animations and transitions.  Here are some of their lessons:

8th Graders Learn About the Solar System:
Mr. Swift's students spent some time in both the library and the lab researching different parts of the solar system.  Then in partners, they created elaborate Google presentations to teach the rest of the class about their parts of the solar system.  Mr. Swift worked with the students using the writer's workshop method to edit and revise until they created incredibly polished finished products.  Check out some of their presentations:

Sample Project

7th Grade French Study the Regions of the Nation:
Students in Ms. Hanley's French class studied the different regions of France with Ms. Montville in the library, and then came into the lab to use the new version of Google presentations.  They created presentations to aid their oral presentations.  Check out some of their finished products:

7th Grade Spanish Present on Food and Culture:
Students in Ms. Verdaguer's Spanish class are learning about the different foods and courses in a traditional Spanish meal.  Students are researching and presenting their findings using a powerpoint, and will culminate the project with a meal!  Muy bien!!

Click HERE to view a student example.

Ms. Richardson's Students Present Biographies:

Each student used the library to research a person who made an impact on society.  They took their research, and created Google presentations that supported their oral presentations.  The goal was to teach the class about their person and that person's impact on society.  Check out some of their finished products!

Ms. Buttiglieri's Students Take a Tour of the Cell:

Students pretended that they were shrunken to microscopic proportions, and travelled through the cell, visiting each part.  They needed to include visuals and descriptions, and the focus was creativity!  Students created their brochures in their Google docs, and shared them with me to print.  Check out some of the finished products!

Example 1

Example 2 

7th Grade Math Learns About Graphing Using Green Globs and Geometer's Sketchpad:

Both Mr. Leone's and Ms. Hall's classes used a program called "Green Globs" to learn about the direction of positive and negative graphs.  Then they applied their knowledge using a program called "Geometer's Sketchpad."

The accelerated classes also used Green Globs, but they used the program to graph linear equations.  Both groups had a lot of fun, and felt that they learned a lot!