Blog Review #5: The Education of an Elementary Principal

http://timslack.blogspot.ca/

My final edublog review is about an elementary principal in Ottawa.  Tim Slack's thoughts and experiences provide a different insight to the challenges of integrating technology from a school wide perspective. His blog demonstrates how technology in education can expand beyond some classroom lesson plans.  He does a great job communicating with parents, fostering school involvement and showing leadership.

Tim Slack connects with parents through a school website, a Twitter account and other media such as screenr where he created a video with school information for parents.  He created a "flipped parent announcement", adapting and explaining the flipped classroom concept through the video.  Parents can see that this school is actively involved in creating an environment for the 21st century learner, while helping parents understand some of the new technology.

I also liked his efforts to implement school wide activities using technology.  He created an online survey where students could vote for a name for his fish in the office.  He was pleasantly surprised how the whole school became engaged in the activity.  One of the learning implications he noted was that students and teachers were exposed to google forms and were able to try something new.  Another activity I liked was a school wide pumpkin challenge where each class created a "wordle" using words to describe their carved pumpkin.  He includes the related expectations for teachers and is able to differentiate the activity for each grade in his school, JK - 6.  The wordles were all shown at a school assembly and he provided a prize for the winning class.  What an awesome way to introduce both students and staff to educational applications of technology!

In my opinion, he demonstrates leadership through risk taking.  He is willing to try new things, adapt and learn from mistakes and reach out to others, through his blog, for feedback on trying new ideas, such as a flipped staff meeting.  Some of his posts discuss issues such as "The role of homework in an elementary school", and "Reflecting on school use of technology".  He acknowledges the need for change and that there will be a great learning curve getting everyone involved.  Take some time to read through this interesting blog!

Blog # 4: Mr. Salsich's Class

http://jmsalsich.edublogs.org/

Although it is not Canadian, Mr. Salsich's Class in Connecticut is one of the best blogs I have come across.  Mr. Salsich models how to truly integrate technology into his lessons.  There is so much information on the blog, it does takes some time to look around, however. His grade 3 students are involved in global projects such as "Our World, Our Numbers", Readers Theatre, using audio and video to highlight reading fluently and using apps to learn how to write informational paragraphs.  Clearly the students enjoy it and are very engaged in their learning!

I was wondering what makes a good blog and searched for "best edublogs".  Mr. Salsich's Class was nominated for Best Class Blog 2012 from Edublog Awards.  His blog did not win but I liked it and found it very useful as a new blogger.  There is a wealth of information and resources that really shows how a good blog can be set up and organized.  His work demonstrates the potential and global reach of a good blog. The global project, participating in lessons with classes around the world, looks fantastic, clearly a lot of work, but rewarding for the students and teachers.  Parents must also be impressed with the type of learning happening at school, as well as links such as blogging guidelines and parent resources.

He creates great videos and visuals with his students to teach concepts.  I like his blog entry on January 28 using apps such as Skitch to teach informational paragraphs, and would like to adapt the idea for grade 1. The use of visuals that are labeled with information in this way is ideal for helping primary students learn.  He also creates a video with his students to learn how to answer comprehension questions.  The students dramatize and narrate the video, called "Red Roosters Don't Drink Root Beer" (see Jan. 27 blog entry).  He creates a funny sentence to help students memorize the important information.  It is a fun way for students to remember the elements of a good answer:  Read the question..., Repeat back part of the question..., Detail..., Detail..., Reread your answer...  It is very clearly explained and turned into a great way to learn the concept.  The participation in creating these types of activities is key to using technology to engage in learning that is meaningful for the 21st century learner.  A lot of time and commitment goes into this blog, it might take time for my blog to develop this amount of detail!

Blog # 3 Looking Up

http://acampbell99.wordpress.com/

Andrew Campbell is an elementary teacher in Brantford, Ontario.  I find his blog to be provocative and passionate.   His background includes co-hosting Staff Room Radio, a bi-weekly podcast about educational issues in Ontario and Canada.  He has also been interviewed by the National Post, Toronto Star and Globe and Mail, with several articles related to education and technology.

His views challenge many current educational practices, demonstrating his commitment to contribute to the online discussion of education in Ontario.  One of his posts states reasons he feels that "teaching digital citizenship doesn't work".  While he regularly integrates technology in his classroom, he argues that there is no need for a new list of rules for internet use.  The classroom rules we establish should cover behaviour in all aspects of students' lives.  Teaching students this concept should be the main focus.  Another interesting post states what he feels are "the 5 most over-hyped trends in education".  In his opinion, the flipped classroom and BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) will ultimately not be successful strategies in schools.  While I may not agree with all of his views, he does stimulate further thought and discussion on the issues facing today's classroom.

This blog is most useful as a resource to read and comment on current issues in education in Ontario.  There are fewer Ontario edublogs than I expected to find while searching the internet.  Many of the blogs and/or teacher sites that I research focus on resources and practical applications in the elementary classroom.  Reading Andrew Campbell's blog, however, is an excellent way to gain insight into another teacher's views on issues affecting all Ontario teachers.  Comments from others add to the conversation.  His point of view is clearly articulated and I appreciate his candid opinions.  His blog definitely adds to the discussions we all should be having with colleagues, parents and others.  I definitely recommend you check out Andrew's blog.

Blog Review # 2: The Griffin http://jpreshaw.edublogs.org/

Blog Review # 2:

I came across an edublog that exemplifies how blogs can be effectively used with primary students.  J. Preshaw is a Grade 2/3 teacher in British Columbia with an interactive classroom blog.  His blog is a very good example of how to integrate technology into daily teaching practice.  I am particularly impressed with the design, content and privacy in his class blog.

The design is very clean, clear and simple, with the title, links and a graphic of the B.C. mountains as a header.  These primary students are involved in hands on learning of the global nature of blogs and the internet.  There is an interactive world map, a flag counter showing where visitors are located and Google translator.  He also lists books the class enjoys.  On the main page, each student has a link to their own section of the blog where they respond to class assignments.  They personalize their own blog in very creative ways!   Mr. Preshaw, parents and others who read their entries are able to leave individualized comments for each student. 

Students respond to assigned activities in their blog.  Assignments range from writing tasks such as poetry, to math concepts like bar graphs.  Students can also insert relevant photos as part of their response.  There are also links to weekly spelling lists for each grade level.  My favourite part of this edublog is the “Wonderwall” on the home page. The teacher posts an interesting and thought-provoking image and students comment on the main page for all to see.  He then responds to many of their comments.  The pictures are designed to develop critical thinking skills, often reflecting current events.  Examples of pictures used include a large rock seemingly balanced on a smaller rock, cars submerged in water from Hurricane Sandy and a ship in the middle of a street in a big city.  One boy commented “I wonder how that boat got there. I wonder what they do on that boat. Is it a cruise ship for people that are afraid of the water?” What a great way to encourage self-expression, and stimulate conversations!

Finally, his commitment to privacy on the internet is very evident.  There is not one picture of the teacher, students or his classroom anywhere on the blog.  On the “About” link there is a graphic / clip art of a man, presumably resembling Mr. Preshaw.  Or not.  He does not list the name of the school or location in British Columbia.  Safety guidelines for commenting are clearly listed and students use their first name only. Internet safety is a concern, especially with younger students and he has done an excellent job creating a safe and interesting classroom blog.  As a parent, I would appreciate all of his efforts to integrate technology and internet safety.  These students are learning at a young age how to think critically, respond appropriately to others and creatively design their own space.

 

As a Grade 1 teacher, I can see aspects of this blog that could be adapted for the emerging skills of first grade.  I would definitely adapt the Wonderwall feature, include weekly spelling lists, include maps and flags of visitors and favourite class books.  By mid-grade 1, I feel students could begin to develop their own blog space after many lessons on internet safety and a general knowledge of basic computer skills.  Check out this great blog!

http://jpreshaw.edublogs.org/

Blog Review # 1: www.joebower.org

"For the love of learning" is an edublog with a ton of great insight into the author's opinions and point of view. Joe Bower, a teacher in Alberta, blogs and writes articles that challenge current ideologies and teaching practices in a very compelling manner.  The blog focuses on rethinking many of the traditional teaching methods including grading, discipline, lesson planning and much more.
David Huffaker’s article from our readings (The Educated Blogger: Using Weblogs to Promote Literacy in the Classroom) states that “Blogs are both individualistic and collaborative. Blogs promote self-expression, a place where the author can develop highly personalized content. Yet blogs connect with an online community - bloggers can comment and give feedback to other bloggers, and they can link to fellow bloggers, creating an interwoven, dynamic organization”.   Joe Bower’s blog is a great find for a new blogger like myself, with a wealth of information and enlightening reading.  He effectively shares his point of view with the world, a point that continues to amaze me.

I enjoyed his post entitled "Changing School" (Monday, January 7, 2013).  He gives examples of how decades passed before anything was done to address the problem of scurvy as well as childhood cancer from giving pregnant women x-rays, although people were aware that change needed to be implemented.  He provides these illustrations as a way to think about the gap in educational approaches that match the rapidly changing world we live in today.  He continues with a list of ideas for engaging others in persuasive discussions on the topic.  It is a thoughtful post that demonstrates his passion to share his views in an effort to improve education for students. 

In his post "My three years of blogging and tweeting", (Friday, December 21, 2012), he reflects on how blogging and tweeting have become “the heart and soul of my professional development”.  Some of the benefits to his professional development include interacting with people around the world who also share a passion for teaching and learning, and reading and writing more about education in the past three years than in all of his previous ten years of teaching.  He also reflects that while others have influenced his learning, he understands that his blog also impacts others, in ways he will “never really know”. 

It is impressive that he maintains a very thorough daily blog, is available as a presenter for both school and community audiences, and offers to do video presentations using Skype.  His blog is mainly directed at sharing with other teachers.  However, he does post examples of how he uses technology with students.  He explains how he used Angry Birds and an i-Pad to engage an unmotivated student to continue learning (see May 28, 2011).
 
I am very excited to find such an interesting blog by a Canadian teacher.   It is a fine example of the power of blogging: I will be signing up to follow his blog and am definitely inspired to further develop my own blog.
www.joebower.org

Favourite Educational Websites

Favourite Educational Websites

There are countless educational websites out there, some better than others.  To help you sift through them all, here is a list of ones I have found very useful.  Most are designed for primary students, but some cover a wide variety of levels.

Top 10, in no particular order:

literactive.com

abcya.com

theschoolbell.com

kizclub.com

sparklebox.co.uk

freerice.com


illuminations.nctm.org/


jmeacham.com

espressoeducation.ca/


mathwire.com/index.html

Send me your feedback and some of your favourites!

Welcome!

Welcome to my first blog! The pear tree is simply a play on the French "Poirier" name, relating to pears. Fortunately, I like pears.... This blog is for and about teachers, teaching and discussing ways to use some of the great technology out there to enhance student learning. Stay tuned for posts coming soon!