Explain Everything For Connections In Algebra I Lab

Combined with our paper and pencil graphing results from a "bouncy ball lab", Explain Everything became the best tool for comparing and contrasting the connections between two events.  As educators we really saw how the students were forced to explain the graphs and the results from it.  There was no "hiding in their notebook", and students really enjoyed creating their results.

See how the students explained the experiment.

Today, students will record voices on each slide and upload/share it to their Google Drive.  They will also share it with their instructor.

Best Learning Experiences of 2011-2012

Taking an idea from @coolcatteacher as seen below...

I asked each of our students the following question,

"What was your best learning experience of the year?"

I created the entire movie on an iPad with iMovie and can't be more thrilled with the result.  Not only by their answers, but by the quality of the video.

Some students gave detailed answers, some shortened them up.  Either way, I am thankful I took the time to ask!  My advice would be Vicki's advice, "Take one day to LISTEN to your students talk about their best learning experience in your classroom this year."

Explain Everything Used After Direct Instruction

I have found the Explain Everything app to be a great resource for students to process immediately after they learn a skill.  If I would ask them to explain it in their notes, they wouldn't.  However, putting it on a digital medium boosts the interest and creativity level.

We upload them to our classroom Dropbox account, and I assess.



We've used Explain Everything for other things such as here, here, and here.

BYOD - Our District Allows This!

*** Our district's practices and policies are below the video!

I am so thankful for our district that allows students to bring their own digital device.  Even though we have iPads in our classroom, students still bring XOOMS, Kindle Fires, Kindles, Smartphones, and iPod touches.

What really impresses me is that students KNOW when to use them for educational purposes.  See how this student utilizes a Kindle Fire (which I mistakenly took for a XOOM, sorry about that!).



So many great people on Twitter ( @jcrawf04  @chadkafka  @g5changeagent21 @jbrogley  @robkmil   @eduvulture  @marmaladelibby  @KristinStrauman  @ryanorilio  @Taml17  @andrew_mcgovern )   retweeted, favorited, followed, asked questions and/or responded to the BYOD information from above, so I thought I would expand on our district's process and policies.

• ALL parents must register their students for each school year through a web-based program called SKYWARD  (no plug for them, just saying)
• During this process they must sign up for everything - we DO not handle any paper work for this process.
• In this process, parents accept a number of forms if they so choose.
• Personal Wireless Electronic Device Policy
• Acceptable Use Policy - Students
• Acceptable Use Policy - Community & Staff

After students and parents sign off on the Wireless Electronic Device Policy and Acceptable Use Policy, student users will be added to the PSD Mobile network.  The PSD Mobile is a "log in" network which students log in by using their GAFE log in as they would do on any wired computer that the district owns.   This allows for our district to monitor the internet traffic and ensure the filtering settings while students are using the district's network.

What a teacher (me) has found:

• For the most part, students use the internet educationally
• When they don't, they lose access during school
• Students hate when their classmates have access and they don't