Story Marathons... Here it comes again!!!

This is one of the few activities that I like... and I hope the same applies to the students who have participated in such activities!

Started introducing this to the Y2010 batch of Sec 1 (S1-01), which was my very first attempt. The initial idea was really more for fun, and definitely, I believe it's a platform for the students to exercise their creativity and to think out of the box, which many of us are comfortable with the status quo. Well, the Red Riding Hood story with a Twist generated some pretty interesting story line. This was continued in the 2nd year with Y2011 Sec 1 again (S1-01 & S1-02).

While imagination comes in, one of the intent is to get one to think more explicitly that numbers (or mathematics) is 'everywhere', and we take for granted sometimes, to ignore its existence!

This year, decided to make a further twist to introduce 4 different adapted stories:
1. The Princess and the Pea - The princess might ended up nowhere near the bed with the pea
2. Snow White and Seven Dwarfs - which I wonder would the dwarfs be introduced to the story at all???
3. Little Mermaid - who might forget about the Prince and possibly visit the Universal Studio?
4. Jack and the Beanstalk - which I'm not sure if he would ever meet the Giant?

Effective Teachers... what it means...

What defines an effective classroom?
What behaviours do we observe in such a classroom?

Some thoughts... 
How students behave?

• Students are able to demonstrate their understanding through various means...
  

How teachers behave?

• 
  

Effective teachers are ones who

• possess strong subject mastery
• which enables the teachers to see identify what the essence of the subject discipline, pitching the delivery at a level that learners are able to understand and make connections, hence making pathways for learners to move beyond the defined parameters (baseline) or to deepen their understanding.
• sound pedagogy
• adopt approaches and strategies to develop and level up students' cognitive intellectual abilities. 
• Questioning is one of the key 'avenues' - several means include Paul's Wheel, Bloom's Taxonomy, Socratic Questioning. 
• Curriculum Differentiation is another approach.

Distilling... 3 key elements that are effective ingredients...

• Students demonstrated understanding of the intended learning outcomes; hence teachers have to design activities to bring out the understanding - in terms of the content, knowledge, skills, competencies
• There exists clear alignment/ coherence in the learning activities and learning outcomes
• Inquiry - to provide opportunities to learners to ask and find out more

Intellectual Standards

Some useful links...

• http://www.criticalthinking.org/articles/universal-intellectual-standards.cfm

Google Teacher Academy (Day 1) - Notes

Resource Link (login required): https://sites.google.com/site/gtaresources/

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Part 1: SLAM session
The academy started with the SLAM  session presented by the Google Certified Teachers.
One of the highlights is definitely the SLAM session, as I would have expected (based on the Google Summit's experience). Interesting stuff shared and here are some (or most) of them:

Demo Slam 1:
You don't know what you don't know - tie your shoe lace

Demo Slam 2: ChromeVox

Slam 2a: Google Box

Slam 2b: Talk to the phone to open the Google Doc & record notes

(consider "Siri")

Demo Slam 3:

Google Voice Demo Slam by Amy Mayer 

- create a Google Voice account http://goo.gl/JaALv

https://sites.google.com/a/somebodyshero.org/home/home/voice

Demo Slam 4: 

en2zh,me (bot.talk Google Chat bot - add them)

Chat that translates language directly

Demo Slam 5: 

Youtube - to streamline the video clips

e.g.  "puppies, HD, , short, partners, new" (to include new parameters)

Demo Slam 6:

e.g. ziessslertours.blogspot.com/2010/08

Googlelitterips.com

Google Earth

- (Pre-requisite) need to know HTML

- embedding blog post into Google Map/ Earth

<<- Scavenger Hunt>>

Are you ready to change the World?

(I) Digital Literacy and Your World (Wendy)

- www.edutopia.org (/digital-literacy-technology-parent...)

- brainpop

- www.thinkb4u.com (e.g. Top 3 ways to smartly share)

- Good to Know (Google) http://www.google.com/goodtoknow/

- www.teachparentstech.org

- Youtube (YT Curriculum): Curriculum: Understanding Youtube

- www.google.com/educators/digitalliteracy.html

- Google Family Safety Center - Tips and advice for keeping your family safe online (www.google.com/goodtoknow/familysafety)

-  A platform for Good... for Teachers: aplatformforgood.org/teachers

Working Document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Iuj0Ci-tRerDwzLPczcRzCEmLSA9vi5zZCHDCkqAwow/edit

(II) Google Apps for Education (Kern Kelly)

- kernkelley.com

thetechcurve.com

The Cloud

The iSync

- Google Cloud Connect for Microsoft Office

- Dropbox

- iCloud

- Microsoft

Data Silo - 

- www.dataliberation.org (walk us through how to retrieve/ take out the data from the platform)

- google.com/takeout

Apps: Inside a Domain

apps: Outside a domain

The account - use different browsers for different accounts

In Maine - one-to-one state

Note: Email archiving is an additional cost. Educational instituions receive a 66% discount

One login for many services

Cross platforms

Modern Browser Agnostic (e.g. internet explorer, Firefox 12, Safari 4, Chrome)

Automatic Backup

Collaboration

- keep your work private

- collaborate with friends

- publish for the world

Typical Student Filing System

- Circular File

Blackholepack

Homework Heaven

Examples

- using Blog, GoogleForm, Take photos - submit work in GoogleDoc (share doc with teachers), submit link via GoogleForm 

>>> Same as what's done in my Maths class

Work Flow: 

(1) Students store assignments in GoogleDocs

(2) Teachers collect assignments digitally

Idea of a portfolio - students use the GoogleSpreadsheet to consolidate/ collate the links of their work (to build a portfolio)

(3) Students showcase selected work on their website (Use GoogleSite)

e.g. kristopherredman.com

CIPA, COPPA, and FERPA

http://principals.wikispaces.com/legal

GAfE can't be used without the Internet (Drive; Mi-Fi)

Google Certified Trainer

"How can I keep up with Changes?"

http://whatsnew.googleapps.com

Minions

bit.ly/cuerocky

Youtube: Rocky Full Theme Tune

<< Hoover High School >> hs.northcantonschools.org

Parent Teacher Conference Scheduling

Appointment slots

Add Event 

Teacher to create a separate calendar for the conference

tinyurl.com/mileagetemplate

GoogleMap Session

Resource site:

https://sites.google.com/site/gtaresources/events/2012-10-03/apps

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Google Search : Connecting with Your World (presented by Lisa Thumann)

Use of Search
Google is a search index, not a search engine.
How come wikipedia appears first - because the basis is - no. of links link in and link out of the site (the more the higher)
> Search for RELATED SEARCHES

> Reading Level 

Note: Wikipedia is pegged to Immediate Level
Make use of the search engine to surface images that are copyright free.
It allows us to sieve out images that are copyright free

Power searching course.


Under Google  - Trainings for SEARCH

Web-Search online course that is self-paced

What do you love: www.wdyl.com
http://www.wdyl.com/#Singapore
Google Custom Search

www.thepoint.com

To create custom search engine: http://www.google.com/cse/
http://www.google.com/cse/manage/create

Google Dashboard: https://www.google.com/dashboard/

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(3) Youtube in the Classroom
Jim Sill & James Sanders

Create | Collaborate | Publish
Everyone can publish & everyone will (From the height of this place 2/16/2009)
Youtube's 7th Birthday: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLQDPH0ulCg

10 Ways to Use Youtube for lessons
1. Hooks and Discussion Starters
(e.g. Team Hot Wheels - the Yellow Driver's World Record Jump)
2. Save the Videos you find
- teachers to do the 'curation' (using Youtube playlist)- to surface the relevant titles for students to dive in deeper
3. Archive Your Work
(e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL_g0tyaIeE)
4. Personalise Your Classroo
5. Exam Review

7. Youtube Centre/ Station
8. Video Messages to Your Students
9. Create Interactive Videos
(Note: Can embed links in the video clip)
10. Flip Your Classroom

Using vs Consuming vs Creating
Edit & Create (beyond consuming)

Youtube.com/create
http://www.youtube.com/create
http://www.youtube.com/create_detail/Xtranormal

http://www.youtube.com/editor (can stitch clips together, something like the iMovie)

IDEAS:
Students can upload video and merge for showcase subsequently.

Youtube SAFE (turn on the SAVE button at the foot of the page - to disable the COMMENTS feature.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (by Daniel Gundrum)
GoogleSpreadsheet

Script: FLUBAROO
- automate report
Gather info from GoogleForm
Go to Script Gallery and click Install "Flubaroo"
Run the script
- can assign 'points' to the responses
Can submit a sample response to assign the Answer KEY
Assignment can be graded automatically.


Note: Can also email Grades :)
also generate charts

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Research inside GoogleDocs

select teh word in the paragraph, there's an option says "Research (text highlighted)". Then relevant info would appear at the side (right panel).Similarly, can just drag the image over. The website where the info (including images) pulled from will automatically appear at the end of the document.

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GoogleSpreadsheet
Charts, Comments, Protected Ranges
To edit the charts - to customise accordingly
Click at the points on the different parts of the chart and edit directly.

To protect the range (specific part of a spreadsheet)
Select the range of data, right click and select Name and Range"
A right panel will appear, to show that the range of cells that has been locked down.

Can also invite others to enter data into the cell in the spreadsheet by inserting the "request" via comments (can also consolidate).

Other amazing features saw:
1. GoogleForm adopting a Document look and feel
2. GoogleForm coming up with 3-column feature
3. GoogleSpreadsheet - Drag to autofill - Amazing feature - e.g. list of fruits
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Collaborating with the World - GoogleDoc & Drive
Check out this apps that can be added into Trello - add little tabs for individual students. also can drag document into it.

GoogleDoc - over 450 fonts, fonts & animations
Research tools
Google Presentation & Doc - can do a snapshot

Chrome extensions
- Docs Quickly
- Send to GoogleDocs - turns a blog page to a PDF file into DOCs
- Google
- Read and Write - can bring up a dictionary;
- Print friendly


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Hackathon
Scripts (not forms, gadgets)

Don't Hate... Automate

• Script.Google.Com
• Flubaroo
• FormEmailer (Mail Merge)
• FormMule (Booking Calendars/ Sending Emails)
• Doctopus 
• Webinar

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Google, Chrome and the Web

Chrome arts store: deviantArt muro - Chrome Apps

Desmos - Maths graphing calculator

Student Portfolios - students creating a positive online identity (chris history portfolio)

Fonts - over 400 web fonts

The Global Classroom - using Google Hangouts for discussion

Just how powerful is the web?

This is exquisite forest http://www.exquisiteforest.com/about/introduction

Re-imagine the world: Go on a Field Trip Today

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Sketch Bots

www.chromeweblab.com

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Example:

learning.blogs.nytimes.com

The Learning Network - Teaching and Learning with the New York Times

http://googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/Home.html

http://www.virtualclasstrip.com/urban-communities

https://sites.google.com/site/remainingyoung/

The chromebook classroom www.youtube.com/chromebookclassroom

GTAUK'12 Google

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Resource Site: https://sites.google.com/site/gtaresources/events/2012-10-03/youtube

Google Teacher Academy (Day 2) - Notes

(A) Productivity with GMail
Getting control of your inbox (Inbox 0)

(i) Tips: Filter emails by "cut off" dates 

• The use of "before" and "after"
• Example 1:

• Example 2:

(ii) Keyboard shortcuts

• http://r.evhead.com/hodgepodge/gmail-shortcuts.html

(iii) 4 Decisions when handling emails

1. Delete it (e for archive!)
2. Do it (r for reply!) - if you can do it in less than 2 minutes - usually one sentence reply
3. Delegate it (f for forward)
4. Defer it (shift+t for Tasks)

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(B) Google Art Project http://www.googleartproject.com/
Collaboration between Google & 151 art collections

• Interesting! It comes with a dynamic homepage that presents a different piece of art work each time we reload the page.

Art Project V1- Preview (from Youtube)

Impressive virtual tours :)

• Not only that, can even do a comparison between 2 pieces of art work!
• Indeed, apart from just looking at "Art", this site could be pretty useful and interesting for inter-disciplinary assignments, too!
• We can even have virtual tour guides!

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(C) Unconference 1: YouTube (by James) 1025-1105
Recommended Channels:

• PDS off book
• iOS: Show U - shows some the updates
• Channel: ASAP science
• Channel: Video of the Day (VOTD)
• Your Brain on Drugs: Marjuana
• Example:  Audri's Rube Goldberg Monster Trap

• TED Ed: http://ed.ted.com/

• Use of YouTube (Playlist): For Flipped Classroom - not just limited to students' classes, but also applicable to Professional Development

• An example of how Youtube playlist is created/ used in a high school library: https://www.youtube.com/user/pikesvillehslibrary?feature=results_main

About Copyrights...

• A Fair(y) Use Tale: 

• hapi berth dey

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(D) Unconference 2: Calendar (by Amy) 1120-1200

• Calendaring features: 
• Appointments (good for scheduling and addresses to conflict)
• Tasks
• "Find a Time"
• "Send Later" Boomerang
• "Canned Responses"
• "Send and archive"
• "Pin Tab" - Creates shortcut tabs in chrome browser

• awesome screenshots

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(E) Unconference 3: Productivity 101 (by Cory) 1215-1255

• New tool to manage tasks: Remember the MILK http://www.rememberthemilk.com/http://www.rememberthemilk.com/
• Use the TASK LIST: Send email to Task, followed by

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Note: Contact Tia L for visit to Google Mt View