QR Codes Are More Than Just Black & White!

   
   

Image Source: https://pixabay.com/en/qr-code-scanner-bar-code-156717/

    QR codes are a valuable tool.  They can be used in so many ways.  I had learn about a tech tool when I was in a Discovering Technology for Learning online course.  I chose to review a video by Dan Spencer on QR codes provided through REMC(http://mistreamnet.org/videos/910/qr-codes or scan the code below:-)).

Here is my review of what I learned and how I would apply it in the classroom:

   I chose to learn about QR Codes because the kids like to use tech and I figured it would be a fun way for students to use tech and to check their answer by scanning a QR code.  (Thanks Dan for hosting the video! :))

Here are a list of things I learned that will be helpful for me create lessons for my students:

1. QR codes can used to link to maps, pictures, websites and documents.
2. The 3 boxes in the corner need to be visible when scanning QR codes.
3. A smart device is needed when scanning QR codes.  If one is not provided, you can take a picture of the QR code and upload that picture to snapmyinfo.com and it will read the QR code for you.  There are even some websites that allow you to scan the QR code with the camera on your computer.  
4. To make a QR code, go to a QR creator website like qrstuff.com and follow the directions on the website.
5. You need a QR code reader on your smart product to scan QR codes.
6. QR codes give students support when you are not in the classroom.  Attach answers and help on a project or worksheet to the QR codes!
7. Use for Scavenger Hunts or Stations to give students information of where they found it or what they need to do next.
8. Create a more interactive experience when learning.
9. Use QR codes to check answers when they are done with the assignment.  You won't lose the answers.  GREAT!
10. Use QR codes to link to google forms to collect data.

    Wow, so much information.  I haven't used QR codes in the classroom a lot yet but I really liked the idea of using QR codes for scavenger hunts.  I am going to create a lesson for some of my students using QR codes in a scavenger hunt.  On a side note, QR codes are GREAT for conferences when you are presenting.  Attendees can easily access your presentation by scanning the QR codes you provided.

    

Building Confident Readers Through Reading to Others

Image Source: https://c4.staticflickr.com/4/3882/14565539740_2f1cfec1ee_b.jpg

    Reading is a struggle for many students.  Some students do not feel confident in reading a book to others, or even by themselves.  It is crucial that students read a variety of text often to become a better reader.  Sometimes it is hard to motivate students to read.  This is when teachers have to identify creative ways to get students engaged and excited about reading.
    This year in my resource room, I decided I would take a chance with my students by offering them to read to a class of kindergarten students.  I was not sure if they would be motivated by this but I was wrong.  My students found it very encouraging to have a chance to read a book to a class of younger students.
    They look their time picking out the perfect book they wanted to master.  Most of my students picked a book at their level, that they felt comfortable reading on their own or that they needed to practice a little more.  My students spent time every day reading the book they chose for 2 weeks before they were scheduled to read to the kindergarteners.  The boys and girls loved reading their books.  Some even asked to take the book back to class to read on their own time.  One of my students picked a book that was 5 reading levels, or about 1 grade level, more difficult than what his reading level was at.  He liked text with humor and Don't let the Pigeon Drive the Bus By Mo Willems was the perfect pick.  He practiced the book a lot.  He knew it was important to master everything the pigeon and the bus driver said.  He read the book in my class, his class, and even asked to take it home for a while to practice at home.
    As the kids practiced their books, I met with them individually to practiced adding voice and emotion to our stories.  We also discussed why it is important and how to engage your audience when reading to them.  My students were nervous practicing these skills but the more I modeled adding voice and emotion with the students, the more comfortable they were with adding voice to their story.  We also practiced how to engage an audience when reading a book.

Time to read to the class!

    Once the day arrived to read the book they chose to the younger students, a couple of the girls were a little nervous but all the students were ready to read the book they mastered.  As I watched, wide-eyed with a smile from ear to ear, I could see the confidence grow in my students as they were reading.  They did it!  Some of the students that struggled the most with reading achieved reading a book in front of others.  All the practice and hard work they did to read their book to the class really paid off.  I think my students saw themselves differently from having that experience.  When I asked for someone or appointed someone to read in our classroom, I didn't get "do I have to?" or the deer in the headlights looks anymore.   I saw more excited students wanting to read because they knew they could do it since they have read in front of a class of students before.
 

Organizing New Things Learned on Social Media

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mcfarlandmo/3275420128

   There are many ways that you can organize all the information that you learn from your PLN on different social media websites.  My favorite ways to organize what I learn are through the use of Diigo, Pinterest, Symbaloo, and Google Docs.  Here is what I do:

•     Diigo- I use this tool to help me organize articles from websites that I have read or would find useful in the future.  Diigo is a great tool because it allows you to tag keywords about the article to link on your Diigo site.  Once you tag an item, it is easy to look up different articles under that specific tag.  I also love Diigo because you can download an extension for your browser to easily add any site, PDF, or image to your Diigo page.  Check out my Diigo page at: https://www.diigo.com/user/abrenem2
•     Pinterest-  Pinterest provides you with a lot of the same features as Diigo but it has a more visual aspect to it.  Instead of having short explanations of a link you have pictures with a brief sentence to explain what that site is.  You can easily organize or "pin" websites to different boards.  Once you pin something to a board it is simple to access.  My favorite feature is the ability to search for resources within or outside your own boards.  Check out my Pinterest page at: https://www.pinterest.com/angelab35/
•     Google Docs-  There are so many possibilities with Google tools.  I like to create a Google doc to save and categorize all my favorite websites to use in the classroom.  I hyperlink a website on the document and write a short paragraph about the use of that website.  
•     Symbaloo-  Do you ever want a place for your students to have access to outstanding resources on one site?  Symbaloo would be a nice tool to use.  Symbaloo offers you the ability to add resources to one page.  Students will not see a link to a website because each website only has an image to link to the website.  This is a great tool for younger students that can't read.  

    I love to share what I learn and I value learning about new tools and strategies for others.  I thought the topic of organizing new things that are learned on social media was so important that I wanted to talk to others about it at a #BFC530 chat.  In turn, I decided to moderate one of their chats.  Once I was done, I used Storify to save the discussion that we had.  Please, feel free to take a look at it and leave a message if you have any questions or comment.  

You can look at the Storify at https://storify.com/teachlove4SpEd/bfc530

Differentiating with Technology for Learning Post: Google- My Map Activity

Source: Wiki Images from http://pixabay.com/en/earth-map-summer-july-continents-11048/

    My 3rd grade students recently completed brochures with our Maymester student from Albion College.  The map that I created is a map that shows all the locations students wrote about.  Each point on the map represents a location that one of the students completed research on.
    This is a great way for students to wrap up the activity and get a quick synopsis of what each student did.  Students could summarize their brochure on each location that is pinned.

Link to the map is provided below:

Map of Students Brochures

21TT Differentiated Learning for Technology- Infographic Response

I decided to create Silent Final E Rule inforgraphic because my students struggle with the rules of the silent e often.  I figured this would be a great tool to hang in my classroom for students to refer whenever they would like a reminder on the rules when reading and writing.

Differentiated Learning with Technology Response # .5 Portfolio Blog

1. I am taking this course because I love using technology and I know it is important to be able to differentiate learning for students by using technology.  I enjoy incorporating technology into the classroom and would like to learn about other tools to support my students with and without learning disabilities in the classroom.  
2. I would like to learn about ways I can differentiate in the classroom for my students.
3. No fears.  I love technology and I am willing to learn new things.

The Journey of Presenting at a Conference(for the First Time!)

Source: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center at http://goo.gl/mN130I

    Before I even started teaching almost three years ago,  I attended conferences about education, technology, working with students with special needs, and bullying.  I have always enjoyed learning and applying what I have learned at conferences in the classroom.  I never feel like I leave a session at a conference feeling like I learned nothing.  I even idolized many of people that I have seen present and it inspired me to step outside of my original thinking of "I will never be one of those people talking in front of others."  I always told myself that I was too shy to present in front of groups of people or I was afraid that I would make a big mistake and look silly presenting.

    This year I decided that I would attempt to present at a conference.  I originally was thinking about presenting at MACUL(Michigan Association for Computer Users in Learning) Conference in Detroit in one of their Spark Session but I wasn't sure what I was going to present on at that time.  There is so much I wanted to share, I didn't know where to start.  That is when I thought about MACUL's Mobile Learning Conference that I attended last year.  They had smaller sessions compared to the large groups at MACUL Conference.  I thought it would be a great place to start.
    It was hard to decide what topic to talk about at a conference but then I remembered...Co-Teaching with Technology is not talked about much.  Co-Teaching and technology is something I do an a daily basis at Albion Community School in several different classes.  I am passionate about keeping my students in the least restrictive environment and using a variety of tools to help them succeed.  I knew this is something I would love to share with others.  I also thought it would be amazing if I could get one of my co-teachers to co-teach this session with me.  That is when I submitted a session to talk about co-teaching and technology.

Source: https://mobilelearningconference2015.sched.org/
Screenshot of the description of our session

    A couple of weeks later, I received an e-mail stating that my proposal for a session has been accepted.  I was more than excited.  I told everyone I knew that I would be presenting at a conference with some great co-teachers.  I had a lot to do.  I had to decided with my co-teachers how to present the information we wanted to share.  I spent many days over Spring Break pulling together pictures and screenshots of our students works.  The co-teachers and I also collaborated several times over Facebook.  We then decided to set up a meeting at Panera Bread to discuss the slides and other tools that we wanted to add to our slides.
    Once we came back from Spring Break, we had 4 days to make sure we were ready to present at the Mobile Learning Conference.  I have always thought it was important for students to teach others about what they are learning and doing in the classroom.  The 4th grade co-teacher and I decided that we would select a couple of students to explain how to use some of the tools we use in math on a daily basis.  When word got out that the students were going to be recorded and it would be posted on the internet, everyone in her class wanted to make a video.

Student Explains Front Row Education- Frontrowed.com 

A Student Explains IXL- IXL.com

     Once Friday came we were ready to go.  I felt a little nervous but I went through my presentation enough times that I knew I could do it.  When we arrived to Kalamazoo RESA, Donna, the co-teacher that was presenting with me, and I checked out the room that we were going to present in.  It all felt real at that moment.  This was going to be my first time talking in front of a group of people I didn't know.  Yes, I have presented at PDs at my school but this felt like a different world.  I was ready and I knew that I could do this.  I knew what I was going to talk about and I had a desire to let others know what cool things my students were doing.

Donna and I right before we presented

    9:45 rolled around and the presentation began.  Donna and I ready to go.  We had QR codes posted around the room for access to our presentation and I tweeted the Google Slides out on Twitter.  We team taught during this presentation.  We took turns talking about things we were doing in our classrooms.  Once and a while we would add on to what each other was saying about the presentation.  It was a great demonstration of what co-teaching looks like in the classroom.  People asked questions and gave comments about what they are doing in their classroom, and also gave suggestions for what else we could be doing.  It felt like we were having a discussion with the people that came to our presentation.

Small but very involved group!

    When our session was over I knew I wanted to present again.  I enjoyed sharing what we were doing in our classroom and talking with others about what they were doing or could be doing in their classroom.  Some people even told me if I present once, I am going to want to do it again.  They all are right.  I will be presenting again in Chelsea at the Chelsea School District Early Childhood Technology Conference.
Check out our presentation on Co-Teaching and Technology here: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1WLHyI73hZOPCLLC3enY1koPBmBqwe5uXF6slQDiFwjc/edit?usp=sharing