Over the length of this semester I was able to interview many different individuals that work at schools and how they incorporate technology into their teaching.  I met with classroom teachers, a band teacher, an inclusive facilitator, and an E.A.  I spoke with multiple districts within British Columbia, as well as one in Melbourne, Australia.

I feel as though I have learned a lot from this process, and will incorporate some of the tech I have learned about in my future classroom.

I know that technology is always changing, and I am sure by the time I graduate there will be some serious advances.  At this point, I have my top devices and top programs/apps that I will be looking to use some day.

Rosie’s Top Programs/Apps:

• Google Classroom It seems as though most teachers I spoke with use google classroom.  I believe this will be a great way to keep students on track, and keep things clear with parents as well if they are unsure of when an assignment is due or with any upcoming dates etc.
• Fresh Grade Again, this is great for keeping parents updated, but I think the most valuable part of Fresh Grade is the communication between student and teacher.  I like the self-reflection part of this as well, which makes students accountable and really think back about the work they have done.
• Calm.com I have observed this being used in a classroom and it is immediately calming.  I would love to start my days with this on in the classroom while students are putting their bags away and make their way to their desks.  I would also like to use the mindfulness feature with my students.

Rosie’s Top Devices:

• iPads/Chromebooks I know that many teachers have both of these devices readily available for their students, as many (fortunate) schools have enough for teachers to share them between classes.  There are many wonderful educational apps and programs out there that can be used for a variety of subjects.  It would be great to be able to integrate these programs and engage the students along with assist them with their educational needs.
• Projector Being able to display images that are featured on the main classroom computer to the whole class would be very helpful.  This may be a youtube video or even just a photo that has been uploaded or searched online.  Even having them for the occasional body break dance parties would be amazing!

This week I interviewed a middle school band/music teacher for what technology they use in their classroom.

Technology used:

• Apps (with iPad)
• Google classroom
• Projector

Apps:

• There are multiple apps that get used in this class for tuning, recording, intonation games, and metronome.

Google Classroom:

• Used for students to submit video playing tests and listening assignments.

Projector:

• This is used to show interesting musical videos and performances to the students (usually something available from youtube).

Their wish?

• If more money was available, this teacher would love it if their students could use the program called “Smart Music” which would help with practicing.  It can also be used for assessment as well with playing tests and sight reading.  The students would also have access to music they could play from the method book used in class to different levels of music for their instrument from movie music, pop music, jazz, etc.

For more information on Smart Music, click on the link below:

• https://www.smartmusic.com/

 

This week I interviewed an E.A. who has been with the district for many years.  I asked them what tech devices and tools they found to be most helpful when it comes to assisting different children’s learning needs?

The two main things?  Chromebooks and GAFE.

Chromebooks:

• The number one reason this E.A. found Chromebooks useful is mainly because of how they keep the students organized.  Whether the student needs a scribe (someone to take notes for them), or they can do it on their own, the notes are no longer on pieces of paper that can get lost in the classroom.  They are now saved in a google doc.  Chromebooks are made accessible for all students in SD61 and some students will be given their own to use for the year if they have an IEP that requires they do so.

GAFE:

• The main tool on GAFE this E.A. finds resourceful is speech to text.  They work with multiple students that have difficulty with fine motor skills, and typing is an issue.  Creating a written document can now be done as simply as the student talking to the computer and the words appearing on the screen!

This week I interviewed a grade 7 teacher from a middle school in Greater Victoria.

Below is a list of some of the technology they use in their classroom.

Apps:

• Explain Everything 
• iMovie

Devices:

• Chromebooks
• iPads

A little about Explain Everything…

This is an app which features an interactive whiteboard used online that can be viewed throughout the classroom.  There is a record function that is used when students are presenting to the class.  Group activities and tutorials make this app interactive between classmates.  Follow this link for more information on Explain Everything, https://explaineverything.com/.

This week I interviewed a teacher from an elementary school in Australia.  They spent eight years teaching in SD36 (Surrey) before moving to Melbourne.

Technology Used:

• Google Classroom
• Google Drive
• Seesaw
• Short Throw Projector
• iPads/Chromebooks

Google Drive:

• Google Drive is used when students are saving work on their Chromebooks.  This allows the students to store files on their servers, which is accessible form other Chromebooks, as well as synchronize files and share files across other devices.

Seesaw:

• Seesaw is an app that is used on the school iPads.  This is a very versatile app that allows students to create and share, not only to classmates and the teacher, but to parents as well.  It can be used from things such a word problems, to mini movies.  See the link below for more information on this creative educational app.
• More information:  https://www.teachstarter.com/blog/how-to-use-the-seesaw-app-in-the-classroom/  

Short Throw Projector:

• This device is used often in this particular classroom to display images, assignments, and tasks.  A short throw projector is a projector that can display images from a short distance to the screen, and doesn’t have a blinding light when you stand in front, as well as no shadow is cast in front.

iPads/Chromebooks: 

• The students at this school have a 1 – 1 Chromebook program for grade 4 – 6.  This allows them to have their own laptop essentially.  This proves very useful as the class relies on Google Classroom and Google Drive.
• The iPads are shared throughout the school and are booked out by the teacher when an educational app is being used for a lesson/assignment.  The main app used in this classroom is Seesaw.

 

 

 

This week I interviewed a teacher form a high school in West Vancouver.  They teach English to students from grade 9 – 12.

Technology used:

• Epson projector, youtube videos/current events
• Library databases
• Google classroom, assignments and due dates
• iPads/Chromebooks

Epson Projector:

• This teacher uses the classroom projector which is linked to their computer to show youtube videos and display current events.  This is used in a way to get the students’ creative juices flowing.

Library Databases:

• The students use their available Chromebooks to search library databases when researching for their writing.

Google Classroom:

• This teacher has found google classroom to be very useful with the students, especially if someone misses a class.  All of the assignments are posted, with details and due dates.  In the beginning of term the students supplied the teacher with their gmail address and they became linked to the online classrom.

iPads/Chromebooks: 

• Podcasts are created in this classroom as an option for assignments.  It is a creative way to display their literacy skills that involves their voice.  They use the available iPads to record themselves and share their podcasts.  Chromebooks are used for research and typing.  There are enough iPads and Chromebooks for each student to use when this teacher has them signed out during the required blocks.

This week I interviewed a teacher from a high school with SD61.  They work in a low incidence classroom as an inclusion facilitator.  A lot of the work done when the students are in this classroom is without technology.  All of the students have one-on-one support through an educational assistant, and although tech is only used as a tool, it is kept to a very minimal amount as the students work on their skills.

Technology used:

• Read & Write for Google Chrome
• Mathletics, a website for math support
• Osmo Words/Osmo Numbers, number and word recognition that pairs an iPad app with number and letter tiles
• iPads and Chromebooks

Read & Write for Google Chrome:

• This is an assistive program that individualizes support for the user, whether it be for a word document or a web page.  Text to speech is the most commonly used aspect of this program in this class, as it allows the children that have difficult writing/typing due to their fine motor movement put their words together on a screen by talking into a mic.  There are also picture dictionaries to see the meaning of a word being explained through text.  In this classroom it is used solely for the purpose of having the students writing at some what of an independent level.

Mathletics:

• This is an online math program that is used with a subscription.  Each student in the class has their own login name and when they sign on, their information from previous days has been saved.  This program is available for students from K-12, which means it is very individualized per student.  The way the website is laid out allows for students to remain engaged while solving math problems.  There is also support for each question if the student is struggling.  Because each students’ progress is saved through their login, the classroom teacher can check and see how far they have come throughout the course of the semester, making note of what they are confident in and what still needs work.

Osmo Words/Osmo Letters:

• This is an online device that pairs an iPad app with letter and number tiles.  It allows the students to not only use the technology device but have something tactile in their hand, which helps give a further understanding of what they are learning.  Some students make a better connection to a concept when they can hold onto something physically.  When a student is mirroring letters or numbers from the screen, they place their tiles on a stand and the iPad’s front facing camera is able to track tiles in front of the device.  The Osmo package comes with the app, tiles (numbers and letters sold separately), a stand, and a clip-on mirror for the front facing camera.

iPads/Chromebooks:

• As stated above, technology isn’t used often in this low incidence classroom because the students have a lot of hands on support.  When technology is used, iPads and Chromebooks are the devices on which it is used through.

Check out the link below for more details on Mathletics:

• http://ca.mathletics.com/