TinkeringBy

Aaron

Hello, um…What are we doing here?

Oh, well. That explains it. Could definitely use a better background though.

Sure. This works. Won’t see much of it anyway.

Technology and the Use of it by Humans(me, specifically)

• Through recent inspirations, I’ve begun implementing a few new tech tools.

– Google Classroom

– Kahn Academy

– Newsela

• And I’d like to share them with you.

To keep in line with the spirit of the all hallowed eve, I think…

This is my Google Classroom.

I’m someone completely different, and I talk all raspy. *Cough*And the raspy voice doesn’t hurt to do at all.

First step, sign up. You could use your Gmail account. Create a class, name it, choose a theme, and then use the Students tab above to invite your class. Each student is sent an email with a unique code, see mine out of frame on the left – just like that, class is in session!

This is my Google Classroom.Then you’re ready for making assignments. Assignments are as creative as you’d like them to be. Here you can see an assignment for a journal entry. There is a location for directions and an uploaded document that provides students with an exemplar and deeper instructions, this is where they type their response. Below you’ll notice comments. Students can write comments to each other, the first few will probably be simply emoji’s and people just saying “hi.” I think it means more when it’s a digital greeting.

This is my Google Classroom.

You can see there is an assignment date, a due date, and a tracker of who has turned in the assignment. Within the assignment is a type of highlighter and comment boxes. It makes feedback for students quicker, for me at least since I type faster than I write free hand… and it’s legible finally.

If you’d like, you can also upload videos, hyperlink other content, make individual copies for individual students or a group copy anyone could edit.

With a little more experimentation, I’ve found a way to make small groups for students to communicate with each other, through the comments section, and transform the classroom into a blog.

This is my Google Classroom.

But you’ll have to wait to hear more about the blog in my final project.

For now, WE’RE OFF!

This is my us of Kahn Academy.Again, I’ve signed up using my Gmail. Those scientists and their Googley-biz, I don’t know how they do it. Similarly, a class can be created and various content can be assigned.

This is my us of Kahn Academy.The content you assign is usually in the form of a video. Kahn goes through certain skills and explains how to do the work. It’s the same thing I’m doing at the board, but now students are wearing headphones, can pause the lesson, and rewind without having to ask questions.

Once a set of skills are viewed and practiced, I like to have them write practice work into a notebook (Although there is the scratch function that allows them to write on the page when clicked), they are given a practice problem the program checks for them. And if students don’t really know what’s going on in a problem, the video is linked in the bottom right corner and can be watched again.

If you’ve created a class, the site will keep track of what students have done and how well. The site is aligned to the CCSS and contains everything standardized testing covers, so….that’s good.

This is my us of Kahn Academy.Kahn academy began as a math tool, but has now expanded to other fields. There are some really cool videos throughout each subject that could benefit many learners. I’m excited to start using The Big History project info – interconnecting tons of aspects of history seamlessly, radical!

Take a second and look around while I remove this confounded device upon my extraterrestrial mind compartment.

That thing was like a sauna. I don’t know how the little green guys do it.

I wish I could give you the rest of the tour, but I must be on my way. I have… other… things to do. Yes...

This is my use of NEWSELA.

I actually don’t know how I did that. I just like materialized. I mean… OoOOOOOOOooooob

That doesn’t seem right. Oob, oooob. Hmmm, I’ll get it, give me a minute.

This is my use of NEWSELA.

I signed up to this site the same way I did for the others, blah blahblah Gmail. But, same as before, you can sign up other ways.

This site is based on providing learners with global news in a way they’ll understand. A class can be created, articles can be tracked, and, most notably, the lexile level can be changed if needed. The information is basically the same, but the difficulty of the article can be changed with a simple click.

This is a great way to foster informed students as they learn to base opinions on worldly happenings. There are 8 main categories, which can be seen above the adorable looking shark, but also a nice little search features is thrown in for good measure.

I’d point to stuff but I only have these ghostly flaps.

NEWSELA lends itself to supplemental reading materials that fit into any curriculum. Teachers can create binders of articles they want for the future and can join the online community for lesson plan ideas.

Some articles even come with a short multiple choice quiz. Something like “Who dunnit? Me, Him, or Her.” Wrong, the answer is none of the above, because it’s all of our fault these simple recall questions still pervade aspects of the education setting.

Sorry, I think that must be part of my unfinished business.

Which is why I think these articles best lend themselves to comparing/contrasting, debating, sharing information, writing, etc. Informed adults digest news from all over, if we can get young learners engaged in this we could encourage a more critical thinking society.

This is my use of NEWSELA.

Hmmm, this is peculiar. My outfi… I mean ghost skin is stuck. And why shouldn’t it be. Maybe if I give it….one……..big………….Heave-..........HO!

These three sites are free, and they only send you emails when someone in your class is doing something within some criteria they’ve predetermined. Except NEWELA, they’ll send you their new articles but it’s nice to just read their subject title and see what new articles have been written (At five or six different lexilelevels, huzzah!).

My ultimate goal is to create a safe online environment where students have the tools to continue learning beyond the classroom. These three sites are a stepping stone toward independent critical thinking, I’m just excited to see where we go from here.

But…

I’m afraid I’m out of time.

Unless, I go back….

Back where?