iPads for Learning

At the start of our first year with a 1:1 iPad program in Grade 4, Jon Van de Raadt made a comment that resonated and has set the tone for our year. "I think you'll find that iPads are not a junior version of the MacBook and should not be used as such. The iPad is a significantly different tool, and if you are prepared to embrace it, you might even find it more useful than the laptop has been." Two thirds of the way through our grade four pilot year with iPad 3's, I can say with certainty that I agree wholeheartedly. iPads belong in the classroom. I cannot imagine a more useful tool for representing, consolidating, expanding or creating understanding on the fly. I have no doubt that the rapidity with which app and software developers react to user feedback and update accordingly makes it one of the few technological tools out there that can effectively react to the ever-changing needs of youth in education and the evolving 21st century classroom. 

What follows is by no means a comprehensive or complete overview of what the iPad might be used for in the grade four classroom, but just a few brief exemplars from some of the artifacts we have had students create and present with the use of their devices. All apps (with the exception of the iWork apps) were free purchases. All investigations were co-developed with Amy Park and have been posted and archived in Edmodo and Google Apps. 

Crowd Sourcing the Fourth Graders

I've got a novel on iPads in the grade four classroom waiting to be written. Lots of discoveries, ideas, struggles and triumphs. I just need to find the time to document it all properly. This brief gem, however, is too awesome not to share.

Earlier this year, our teaching team's excited discovery of the Edmodo app as an excellent resource for collecting and organizing student work digitally and providing an avenue for ongoing feedback was stinted by the limitation of only being able to upload images or links from the iPads. Our optimism was recently renewed by updates to the iWork apps which made it possible to upload pages, numbers and keynote documents directly to Edmodo. The latest struggle has been with how we might be able to have students download iWork templates we post to Edmodo and open them using the associated app. It seemed that the only way to open a doc from Edmodo was as a preview and frankly, I was beginning to think it wasn't possible any other way.

Nevertheless, while driving home from the mountains yesterday I posted a sample template for students to track their mousetrap car results to Edmodo via the numbers app with the comment "let me know if any of you figure out how to open this document as a numbers template!" Honestly, I didn't expect much. This morning I woke up to 17 replies...

Problem solved, instructions posted. Clearly I wasted way too much time trying to solve this problem myself. I should have asked the fourth graders in the first place.

I love my job.

Google just keeps killing it...

Deirdre Bailey

I had a conversation with a teacher today which prompted this post. It was similar to conversations I'd had in the past about twitter, its advantages and how it has been one of the most valuable learning tools for me as I continue to inquire into teaching and learning. I find it impossible to contain my enthusiasm for how twitter has revolutionized my information consumption as I tailor it to my interests and engage in dialogue deepening my understanding. My enthusiasm for twitter might be eclipsed only by my enthusiasm for google docs. I continue to be overwhelmingly excited by the facility with which google docs allows me to  guide student collaboration, research and writing while tracking their progress, providing feedback and involving parents. It has also made assessment a total breeze.

I work at an innovative and creative institution. Perhaps it is because of the freedom we have to explore possibilities that we are often unaware of the depth to many of the simplest resources that are available. It is also without a doubt hard to be constantly adapting one's practice to ever-updating technology applications. Certainly, in this day and age, the sheer volume of resources available in education can be overwhelming. Navigating options and rating their relative value is always intimidating, particularly on the heels of a full 7 hours in front of students. But google docs is so worth it and I really am that sure. And while my presence on twitter often gives me the impression that all educators are connected, deeply familiar with technological resources and employing them in their every day practice; it occurred to me today that this might not be representative of all cases. As I continue to stumble upon features in google docs that make my job incredibly easier, I thought it might be valuable to share the simple features I have discovered and am so thankful for. This is either a biased and likely limited overview of how GDocs has been used in our classroom this year, for those who have not had the time or opportunity to explore, or it is a simple plug for the brilliance of google documents and their value in the classroom.

                                                                                                    

For our most recent science lab data collection. We used GDocs to create spreadsheets...

...which we linked to our google site 

and shared these with student groups who edited in their own colours, uploaded photos, and separated their qualitative data from their quantitative data by inserting additional sheets

Qualitative Sample

Quantitative Sample

Students used the functions feature in google spreadsheets to verify their calculations:

 They were able to graph various data using the insert chart function

We used google forms to create a survey allowing students to provide feedback on others' work...

...which transferred their feedback to a sortable spreadsheet which we were able to cut and paste into their original Science Lab spreadsheets.

The second time around, we have had students create and share their own google documents to design plant growth experiments.

We had them insert a link from this google doc to a spreadsheet in which they would track their data...

We have been able to provide feedback on particular sections of their work using the new comments feature which allows us to send them notifications and which allows them to reply and/or resolve* the comment.
*Resolving a comment removes it from the document but does not remove it from the discussion stream.

We have also been SO grateful for the revision history function which allows us to see every edit that has been made to the document since creation including accidental deletions and who has made each change and when... Furthermore, previous revisions can be restored!! Pure genius.

Google docs can be edited from any computer which makes working from home simple. It is so easy to hold kids accountable for the work they do. It takes collaboration to a whole new level and it is only getting better. I should mention that our students are only 9 and 10 years old and they have had no trouble navigating these features through their own google accounts. I can't even imagine what the future might hold for a creative mind provided with these tools. Please comment if I've missed anything particularly useful or obvious. It would make my day.

Waste and Our World Movie Project

Deirdre Bailey and Amy Park
Cross-posted on Calgary Science School's Connect!

Our Grade 4 classes have spent the past three months inquiring into the topic of "Waste and Our World" with the goal of developing an appreciation and understanding of their roles and responsibilities as global citizens of this environmentally fragile and increasingly endangered planet. We had hoped that our inquiry would help students feel empowered to sustain environmentally conscious action as part of their everyday lives. 

Our first mission was to collect garbage from the school ground. Students were shocked to discover that we had collected over 4lbs of lunch-related waste in one day and that this amount was repeated by the following class the next day! This activity made it clear that action for the environment was needed and could have a very real effect in our immediate community. As a group, we concluded that one minute public service announcements highlighting a need for change in our daily practices would be the best way to inform our school peers and inspire action. 

In order to build understanding and knowledge prior to designing their PSA's, students worked through a variety of tasks which included:

• creating a decomposition timeline using human waste collected in the immediate area
• discussing the composition of various human waste items and the factors affecting their breakdown
• digitally documenting human waste samples from our school grounds
• completing a retrieval chart with hypotheses on their specimen's origin and ultimate destination

Once students had a good understanding of the impact our human waste can have on the environment, we turned our attention to natural waste and consideration of how our natural world discards, reuses and recycles. As part of our exploration we:

• explored the Weaselhead Natural Area digitally documenting natural waste samples 
• completed a retrieval chart with hypotheses on their origin and ultimate destination
• connected with two expert speakers, one from the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology, and Pat Allen, from Worms@Work

Armed with a new understanding of how human and natural waste fit in our world, students watched some exemplar PSAs and advertisements aimed at communicating powerful environmental messages. We then worked together to build a rubric outlining what exemplary work might look like!

CATEGORIES	Lots to improve, keep working/trying.  (Kindergarten-ish)	You’re okay but...	Good job, met expectations	Excellent!  THIS IS YOUR TARGET!!!
Content Research	Boring and meaningless facts! Used only a single source. Copied!	Partially researched, lacking information,  “is that it?” incomplete	Well researched, descriptive, relevant.	Interesting and helpful facts! Engaging! Has obviously used multiple sources. Original and in own words.
Content Script	Uses “tired” words. Lacks description. Information is unclear. Off topic and confusing. Unconvincing. Audience is bored...	Unconvincing, “I’m confused”	Sufficient, concise, competent, clear message.	Uses juicy words. Descriptive. Is clear on the facts. On topic and makes sense. Persuasive. Exciting - captivates the audience’s attention.
Images	Inappropriate, fuzzy, irrelevant, unrealistic,  doesn’t go with the subject/script/topic	Unpleasant, may not be appropriate to message	Appropriate, pleasing, satisfying	Realistic! Relevant! Memorable! Detailed! Appropriate! Clear! Interesting!
Voice	Lacks expression, boring, mumbly, too quiet or too loud, “notalkinglikethis” and “no.... talking.... like.... this.....”	A little mumbly, a hard time following, muddly, needs practice	Clear, nice, good expression.	Lots of expression, enthusiastic, good volume, enunciated well, speaks at a great pace
Groupwork	Making one person do all the work, “me first”, hoarding, arguing, fighting, using only one person’s idea, nobody is cooperating, bossing, poor communication, all talking at once, “my idea is better”, not sharing, off task	Inefficient, needs help and support, argumentative,	Nice to people, shares, demonstrates positive body language	Cooperative, inclusive, everybody has a voice, communicative, compromising, taking turns, no arguing, incorporating everyone’s ideas, on task, “you first” mentality

FInally, students supplemented what they had learned with the info on their retrieval sheets and internet resources to create one-page storyboards communicating their ideas effectively and concisely. Once their storyboards had been approved, they worked in collaborative groups to add voice to their own images creating short movies highlighting differences between human and natural waste and the impact they both have on our world. 

Students had the opportunity to showcase their first products in front of their classmates, after which they were provided with constructive feedback that was related to the rubric and based on the work. Throughout this process, students learned how to give feedback as well as how to receive it, and use it to improve. They were able to learn by reflecting on the work they and their classmates had created, and were then given an opportunity to use what they'd learned to refine their final movie project.

Here's an overview of the process:

Of the 22 projects, our group selected the best of the best to represent our learning and the message we hope to convey. Please help us get the word out by commenting below, sharing your feedback and your ideas on how we might be able to share these with a broader audience. Thanks for listening!

Student Exemplar 1: Nature Killers!

Student Exemplar 2: Think About the Future

See more examples of student PSA's here.

The Candy Problem

I mentioned the Candy Problem in a previous post in which I alluded to having provided the kids with a challenging math problem that even teachers had been taking a significant chunk of time to solve. We presented the problem as part of an end-of-semester formative assessment. We had had many conversations previous to presenting them with this problem about multiples, factors, common factors, number patterns and multiplicative relationships. Our goal was not to evaluate the kids based on whether or not they could complete the problem but to provide them with a means of generating conjectures and demonstrating their thinking process.

Having started the year with a diverse group from very different mathematical backgrounds, we were inspired by their concentration, perseverance, and the unique strategies they developed in order to solve the problem. What most impressed us was the number of students that approached us to share tentative solutions at the end of the period. They each had individual interpretations of how the problem should be solved and were eager to share the conjectures that had led them to their solutions. Since first introducing the problem, we have taken it up more in depth as a larger group. Kids have been working in teams based on original ideas they had in common for how a solution might be reached. They are excited, motivated, and eager for our next math class so that they can continue to develop and connect their understanding. Our Grade 7 and Grade 9 students have also since taken up the problem, inspired by the mathematical reasoning skills of their younger peers. If there was ever any doubt about the power of inquiry in a math classroom, these last few weeks have put it to rest for our team. Check out our video!! We'd love your feedback...

Why Math?

To recognize the crucial features of a problem, uncover latent assumptions at play, think carefully, devise symbols/diagrams that aid such thinking, and to communicate clearly and precisely...        Sam Otten

by Dan Meyer

Documenting Powerful Learning

Amy Park

The process of inquiry can seem "undefinable" at times, however, through the process of documentation, it becomes clearer and more tangible - for students, teachers, and parents. This week, we spent a significant amount of time producing a documentary showing the journey students went on in developing deeper mathematical understanding. Although hours have been spent creating this, the process has deepened our own understanding of teaching and learning. Through reflection and conversation, we as teachers, are able to determine next steps in our practice and how to enrich the learning for all of our students - regardless of ability.

By posting our work to the greater community, we are hopeful that parents will continue the learning at home with their children. We are also hopeful to give evidence of powerful learning and teaching using inquiry, to the education community at large.