Twas the Night Before eTech...

Twas the night before eTech
And all through the room
All the devices were charging
To avoid pending doom…

Okay, I’m no poet.  It took me far too long to write that one stanza with two dogs trying to climb onto my lap as I sit on the floor in front of my laptop trying to be witty.

Witty?  That’s not really how anyone would describe me, is it?

Interested in learning? That’s more like it.

In going through the schedules on the Guidebook app, I have picked out several really exciting sessions to attend while also knowing I will participate in the “unconference” portion of the conference.  You can follow all of our tweets by going to twitter and following #OETC13.  At this conference, I’m really looking forward to making f2f connections with my twitter friends, learning something way out of the box, and learning to use our iPads with even more effectiveness and efficiency.

Monday, Feb. 11th (Happy Birthday mom!)

On Monday morning, we’ll likely miss the 8am sessions, but really, who could leave Cleveland much earlier than 5:45am?  It’s just not going to happen.  We’ll get there and go see the first Key Note speaker Heather Clayton Staker, who will speak on “Facing a Future of K-12 Blended Learning.”

On Monday at 10:45, I have picked out 5 sessions go to:
1. 21st Century Information Literacy and Common Core Standards: Professional Development for Teachers
2. AT, Math and the Common Core Standards
3. Ohio’s Next Generation of Assessments
4. Pairing Evernote and iPods to Benefit Diverse Learners
5. You Will Rise Art Project

On Monday at 12pm, I have picked 2:
1. Getting Boys to Read with Technology
2. Unleashing the iPad’s Creativity by Looking Beyond Content-Specific Apps

On Monday at 1pm, I might go to Using Digital Images as Writing Prompts.

On Monday at 1:15pm, I picked 2:
1. Flocabulary: Hip-Hop in the Classroom
2. Teaching Simple Machines and Force and Motion using LEGO

On Monday at 2:30pm, I want to go to:
1. Adaptive Diagnostic and Differentiated Instruction Based on Common Core
2. “Show Me What You Know”: How Games- Based Thinking Shaped my Classroom
And on Monday at 3:45pm, I want to go see “Web Apps and iPad Apps for Struggling Readers and Writers.”
Wheeeeeew!  And that’s just Monday!  And that doesn’t include any evening activities.

Tuesday, Feb. 12th
I’m doing slightly better in choosing sessions on Tuesday…

Tuesday at 8am, I have picked 3 sessions:
1. Google Tools for Students with Disabilities
2. High Heels and High Tech: 10 Essentials for Women in Leadership
3. iPads and IEPs Apps that Transform Learning for All Learners

There’s a Key Note speaker at 9:30, Max Brooks, speaking on “Show & Tell: It’s Not Just for 2nd Grade.”

At 10:45am on Tuesday, I would go to these:
1. Bloomin’ iPads (Bloom’s Taxonomy)
2. Student Created Multimedia eBooks on the iPad in Grades K-3
3. O.D.O.T Distracted Driving Simulator

At 11:45-2pm, I will be helping out with the “unconference” in C224 and 225.  I hope to see you there at some point! You can follow the “unconference” at #OETCx on twitter.

At 2:30, I’d like to go see “Grant Writing Made Easy: Novice Grant Writers, Funding Sources and Writing Tips using GRANT SUCCESS.”

And at 3:45, I’ll go to “Technology Tools to Support and Engage All Learners.”
I haven’t heard much about Tuesday evening activities, so maybe this is when I will take a nap and process all this!

Wednesday, Feb. 13th
On Wednesday, I plan to pack in as much as possible before we hit the road…

On Wednesday at 8am, I’d like to see:
1. iBooks Author and The Power of Writing eBooks
2. Incorporating iPad Apps to Demonstrate Core Standards

At 9:30, there’s a Key Note speaker, Andrew Ng, on “The Online Revolution: Education for Everyone.”

At 10:45 on Wednesday, I’d like to see:
1. Digital Portfolios to Spotlight Student Accomplishments
2. Scaffolding iPad Apps to Support 2nd Grade Student Language Arts Learning: Toontastic!

At noon:
1. Differentiating for All Learners using Technology
2. iPads, iPod Touches and the Common Core

And at 1:15pm, “Uncommon Projects for the Common Core.”

I’d also like to visit the Scholastic table, OCALI, Brain Pop, and Learning A-Z!  Any free stuff for kids accepted here!

A huge THANK YOU to Carla Calevich and her office for sending me, along with my colleagues Todd Wasil (@wasilt1), Joe Butler (@jfbutler) and Cathy Roderick (@CathyBees10), to eTech Ohio 2013!

My EduBlog Noms 2012

While I'm not a fan of awards, in general, I do believe in recognition for good work. So, I will participate in this phenomenon called the EduBlog Awards to make sure that lots of deserving people get recognized.  Check out how you can also nominate others (by tomorrow) here on the Edublogs page. Good Luck!

Best individual blog - Teacher Tom - Teaching and Learning from Preschoolers 

Best new blog- Scott Kinkoph's Sync Tech  

Best teacher blog - Broxterman's Bugle Teaching with Technology by Melanie Broxterman

Best Individual Tweeter - @pernilleripp

Best Twitter Hashtag- #spedchat and #glread12

Best Educational Wiki- The Global Read Aloud Wiki

Best Mobile App- Proloquo2Go

Beginning my 10th Year...

Wow. Is 2012 over yet? This has been one of the most difficult years of my life and I am ready for it to be over. But, I wonder, is that fair to my students? I think not. So, in the next week, I'm trying with all my might to gain the strength and the energy to get excited about this school year...

A tentative agreement might help... I can only pray that it's on the way...

In the past several months, I've heard some difficult things about teachers. I've made some tough choices about my involvement in "fighting the good fight."  And I realized a great many things about myself in the process...

During these months, we've heard these kind of things...

"Teachers are greedy."

"Teachers are selfish."

"Teachers are self serving."

"Teachers work 177 days a year, 6 hours a day. It might as well be a part time job."

"Teachers are liars."

"The teachers should go on strike already, anybody would be happy to have their jobs."

"Anyone could do a teacher's job, how hard could it be?"

"Teachers coming out of college could make $30K, after a few years when they want to make more, they can go out and get real jobs."

"Teachers shouldn't make more than $75.000 a year."

"You should be happy you even have a job."

"You are caretakers of the unteachables."

And my personal fave... "The teachers are terrorists!"

Without telling the whole story of our Board of Education-Teacher- Support Staff Negotiations Saga this summer, I'm sure you can make your own assumptions about how well they are going judging by the QUOTES listed above.  Yes, those were actual quotes.

After a difficult school year last year, this was not the summer I anticipated. And after a summer full of stress and additional work, I don't feel rejuvenated for a new year. Not only that, I didn't spend the summer collaborating with other educators, reading teacher books, or LEARNING like I usually do. I didn't spend the summer honing my craft as I usually do. And now, I wonder, will I be letting my kiddos down?

So, I have to refocus.

I have to refocus on my kids and on my classroom and I have to set some goals for the year.

My own little IEP for the 2012-2013 School Year-

My Present Levels:
I have had my third grade students make e-portfolios for the past 2 years.
I have used iPads in our classroom for the past 1.5 years, mostly for drill and kill and motivational purposes.
I have participated on teams, typically as the leader, in our building, but tend to take on TOO much.
I have had my class participate in one Global Read Aloud with Flat Stanley.
I typically work 12-13 hours a day IN THE BUILDING.


Goal 1: By the end of the year, first and second graders will have created an e-portfolio in Weebly.com.
            A.  Second graders will create e-portfolios in the first week of September.
            B.  First graders will create e-portfolios in the 2-3 week of September.
            C.  Second graders will add to their e-portfolio weekly.
            D.  First graders will add to their e-portfolio every other week.

Goal 2: During the school year, students will use iPads for a creation tasks at least 3 times each.
           A. Try out Puppet Pals.
           B.  Try out I Can Animate.
           C. Find another great App for Creation for my students (Garage Band? Poplet? Type Drawing?
                Toontastic?)

Goal 3: During the school year, participate on school teams, as a valuable team member.

Goal 4: Participate in the Global Read Aloud with Charlotte's Web.
           A. Complete at least 3 Skype or Facetime sessions.
           B. Collaborate in at least 2 other ways with other classes.

Goal 5:  In any one day, leave the building after NO MORE than 10 hours of work.

I might be adding on in the upcoming days, but for now, if I can complete these tasks, I will feel that this is a great year.

What are your goals for your year?

Integrating iOS Apps with Standards Based Instruction for All Students

I’m a “special ed.” teacher.  I prefer to say that I teach kids with special needs.  I actually prefer to think that I just have some tricks to help ALL kids learn and that’s what makes me qualified to work with kids who are “exceptional.”  Whatever you call them, kids are kids.  And the new “Common Core State Standards Initiatives” is for ALL kids, no matter their exceptionalities. 

The CCSS webpage says that “The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers.”  To be clear, I do not understand how these standards achieve these goals where the “old standards” or the “Ohio Academic Content Standards” didn’t.  In reviewing the CCSS (for grades K-3) in the past several months, I see some holes.  I see some questionable areas.  I see that some of the Math Standards appear to be more developmentally appropriate while some of the English Language Arts Standards do not.  The more I keep reading about the CCSS (there’s also a Free App called Common Core Standards), they are actually quite controversial and a bit of a conversation piece.  No matter what my stance on the acceptance of these standards, one thing we can agree on, we need to keep standards high and consistent so that all kids can learn.

With the implementation of the CCSS, I have had to reexamine some lessons, redesign some practice activities, and rethink some of our strategies.  In doing so, I keep going back to one concept, all kids can learn.  And although I found the “Application to Students with Disabilities,” I feel that I can make the connections myself.  This document lacks something for me when connecting CCSS to my students.  My students have autism. They have cognitive disabilities.  My students have genetic disorders and speech and language disorders and hearing impairments.  My students are individuals and the generic modifications and accommodations become more meaningful when I think of them in context of my own students.

Here’s an example.  Student A is going to first grade.  He uses words, but only in 1-3 word phrases and typically only when he wants or needs something.  He is not conversational and although he enjoys listening to books read aloud, he prefers to listen to an animated, automated voice read the text rather than my teacher voice.  I believe he does this so that he can repeatedly return to his favorite pages and hear the same text time after time.  He has started to read this year, now expressively reading 10 sight words and attempting to sound out short a words like hat, cat, can, man and ant.  His typically developing peers are now reading over 30 sight words and have learned to read all short vowel words using a, e, i, o, and u.  They can read decodable text on their own and expressively tell what the story is about.  Student A can point to pictures and use one word utterances to label them.  Typically developing students can label objects in writing and have started to write complete sentences.  Although Student A is at a very different developmental level than his peers, grade level standards can he applied to both Student A and his same grade peers.

One of Student A’s IEP objectives is to choose the beginning sound of a word given four letter choices visually.  This ties directly to Phonemic Awareness Objectives like “Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.”  While Student A may be working on beginning sounds with visual choices as an accommodation, a typically developing peer may be working on medial or final sounds in short or long vowel words.

So, how can we use iOS Apps to support objectives such as these?  Well, think of the App Word Magic.  Word Magic ($.99) gives four letter choices as the beginning, medial, or ending sound of a word that is represented with a visual picture cue.  You can customize for 3 letter words or long words, as well as long or short vowel words. You might even get to work on letter blends and digraphs.  It even takes data to show those responses correct on the first try and those incorrect, but allows the user to continue “guessing” until he/she chooses the correct letter for errorless learning.

How about ABC Magnetic Alphabet ($1.99)? It provides picture cues as “magnets” then allows letters as “magnets” so that objects can be labeled in writing using manipulative letters.

How about using the Educreations Interactive Whiteboard (free) where we could produce a whole lesson, record it, and play it back for later review?  Perhaps review at home?  Or preview at home?  Have we just “flipped” the resource room?

There are thousands of Apps that can assist in any classroom, including inclusion classrooms and resource rooms.  Check out this great resource page called “APPvice: Using iOS Devices to Support Students with Special Needs” in which pages are provided for specific areas of concern, as well as recommendations for Apps and demonstrations of Apps.  Melanie Broxterman (a “special ed.” teacher from the greater Cincinnati area) and I created this page for a state presentation and have since shared it and used it in countless situations.

Another resource that I am currently working on that is applicable to ALL kids is titled “Connecting the Common Core to iOS Apps K-3.”  This is currently a work in progress and I am hoping to have it completed before the first day of school (Aug. 29th, 2012).  Please check in there, and, if you have suggestions, please email me ASAP.

While teaching students with special needs is both challenging and rewarding, we need to keep in mind that ALL kids deserve high expectations, quality instruction, appropriate support, AND grade level standards.

I can't find the right words...

Today is Wednesday, Dec. 28th, 2011. 

10 days ago, my dad died.

[no, that's not right. delete it.]

I am 30 years old.  My dad was 61 when he died last week.

[no, awful. delete.]

This blog is usually about education, but today's post will be something I just need to get out.

[no. delete.]

I can't find the words.  I can't find the right words to even begin this post.  It's about my dad.  My dad, who died 10 days ago, at the age of 61.  I can't find the right words to tell this story and so, if you don't already know the story, you may have no idea what I'm writing.  And that's okay. Because I am writing this one for me. 

My dad has been sick. He had two major strokes, liver damage, lung damage, heart disease, high blood pressure.  He mad some bad choices in his life.

And he also made some great ones.  He was a good man.

My dad was smart.  He was smarter than he knew and he taught me a lot of things, not by talking, talking, talking about them, but by showing us (my older sister and I) what was important.  I wonder what her list would look like... I am sure this list was different 11 days ago.  And it may even be different 11 days from now.

The Top 10 Things I Think My Dad Taught Me in somewhat random order... 

10. Pet the dog under his collar.  Everyone else forgets that the dog needs to be scratched there.  Rub his neck under his collar and he will be your dog. Forever.  (Dad, Pepper and Otis will always be your dogs.)

9. If you are holding the hand of someone you love, no matter who it is, squeeze their hand 3 times.  This means "I. Love. You."  (Dad, I even do this to my students. :) )

8. It's okay to cry. It's even okay for boys to cry. Or men.  Cry at commercials, cry at the movies, cry wherever you want. Just don't make a big scene and don't forget your hankie. (Dad, I'm crying now. Big surprise.)

7. Drink in moderation.  (Okay, let's be honest Dad, neither of us were very good at this.)

6. Do Your Best.  Every day.  In every thing.  DYB.  (Dad, I will. I promise.)

5.  Turn off the lights.  And recycle.  Funny, he wasn't all that eco-friendly, but these two things were so important to him.  I guess it was what he could do to help save the Earth. (Dad, I wonder if they ever made a building or a new book from all the aluminum and newspapers that you recycled.)

4. Be thoughtful.  Even this year, when my dad was ill and wearing pajamas 24/7, he managed to order us flowers and goodie baskets to be delivered for Sweetest Day.  And he always sent a card.  There's still a card on his night stand for his best friend/next door neighbor who would helped him.  I have to remember to send that card. (Dad, you didn't even know how thoughtful you could be, even if you told mom to buy all the cards and you just signed your name.)

3. Education comes first.  I really believe my dad's life goal included sending my sister and I to college and seeing us graduate.  Cool that he also got to see our diplomas when we each got a Master's Degree as well.  He never let us forget that school comes first. No wonder I'm a teacher and Sarah's a guidance counselor!  School comes first.  (Dad, Family comes first. Then School.)

2. Be generous.  There are a lot of people that don't have what we have.  Don't pity them.  Help them out.  My dad would take turkeys to St. Augustine.  He would take socks and new clothes there.  He would take school supplies to help "Stuff the Bus."  He helped my uncle start a business and my aunt buy a house.  He let his brother live in our house and gave him money even when he didn't deserve it.  He helped put the roof on our church.  He would give extra money, and time, to any one who needed it.  He loved my kids and wanted to hand me money or help every time I saw him. (Dad, this is one of the most important things in the world to me.  And so many people remember this about you and will never forget.)

1. Say "I love you."  Never stop saying it.  Say it 4 times in a half hour visit if you want to.  Call the answering machine just to say it. And show it.  But don't forget to say it. (Dad, now that you're gone, there is no question whether you loved us or not.  We know. And we love you.  A Lot.)

My dad died 10 days ago, and I didn't know it would feel this bad.

[This sucks.]

Our Experience with the Global Read Aloud!

So, 4 weeks ago, we started the Global Read Aloud Project for 2011.

Rewind.

During the summer months, I sent the parents of my students a lengthy "Summer Newsletter" to describe some things that would be going on in our classroom ("Room 5," a resource room for students with moderate-intensive special needs) this year.  The newsletter contained information on the Global Read Aloud Project aka "The Flat Stanley Project."

I was unsure about participating in this project, but wanted to continue to find ways to teach my students some 21st Century Skills like collaboration, making global connections, and increased communication.  I saw this project on twitter, created by Pernille Ripp (@pernilleripp) and thought, "we could give that a try."

In the weeks leading up to the project, I checked the participant list and map repeatedly.  Would there be other special education classes participating?  Who would we "make connections" with?  Would our projects look small, less, or not up to par with those learning in a general education classroom?  Would we be able to create these projects, and how would I modify all these things to meet the individual needs of my students?

I'm not sure why I felt these uncertainties.  I should know by now that my kids ALWAYS stretch AND reach all expectations placed on them.  Why not raise the bar to have them stretch and even leap to meet it?

So, we dove in with Flat Stanley.  I wasn't sure, originally, about the book choice.  Would we understand this book seeing as though my students are so "literal" and do not relate well to "fantasy" stories?  But instead, I collected all the "Stanley" books around the elementaries in the district that I could find to show that Stanley is really quite a popular guy.  Then, I decided that we would do what we could in the interest of making this a fun and interesting project.  If the kids didn't like it, we would stop.  No harm, no foul.

On day 1, I introduced Flat Stanley and the "Flat Stanley Bag."   The "Flat Stanley Bag" contained a hard laminated "Stanley," Flat Stanley the chapter book, directions for parents, a digital camera (I bought at Target for only $40 for fear of losing/breaking it), and "Stanley's Adventure Notebook."  On Stanley's first day with us, we took lots of photos around the classroom and wrote our piece in the Adventure Notebook as an example of what the kids would do at home with Stanley.  Also on day 1, we looked through Stanley's original picture book and the chapter book.  We made some predictions and did some talking about real vs. make believe books.

On day 2, we gave the "Flat Stanley Bag" to our first of seven "Room 5 Friends" to take home for the week.  We also began to read chapter 1. 

As the days passed on, we read and reread chapters to make sure that we understood the main events.  Vocabulary in the story was changed so that I could ensure my students would understand the story (example, I changed the word "parcel" to "package.").  We spent the entire first week on chapter one and made the class book "Flat Stanley is as Flat as..."  Some students needed visual choices for this activity and others needed verbal choices.  Some students were able to generate an idea on their own and some needed to see examples of other students' work.  By the end of that week, Flat Stanley was as flat as a pancake, a hamburger, a mirror, an iPad, and an envelope.

Third graders with e-portfolios were blogging every other day about Stanley and his adventures.  They made predictions based on pictures and chapter titles and posted them on their Weebly sites.

By week 2, we were ready to see what would happen to Stanley next!  We read chapters 2 and 3, modified ideas we found online, and came up with a few original ideas.  We made some "life-size" paintings of Stanley, each child able to make color choices and paint choices on his/her own.  One third grader made his own "Flat Jaguar Stanley" and laughed and laughed at his own idea.  We also worked on another class book, "If I was Flat like Flat Stanley, I would..."  We had students helping others, being flat like an iPad, hiding in the gym with Flat Martin (our principal has his own flat life sized cut out), taking care of roosters, and riding on the school bus. 

At the end of week 2, we planned to Skype with two different classes.  I was fearful about "skyping" with general education kids for fear that they would not understand... Another silly uncertainty!

Our two first graders and two kindergarten students "skyped" to Ms. Wilson's class in Atlanta, Georgia.  They shared our two class books and our life sized paintings.  Then, Ms. Wilson's small group of first graders asked some questions about our town and our weather.  We found out that it was "getting cold in Georiga.  It was almost 70 degrees!"  We laughed and shared that it would get to 38* that night in the Cleveland area!

Our 3 third grade students "skyped" to Mrs. Bond's third graders in Michigan!  Our third graders again shared the two class books and life sized paintings.  We also got to experience the joys of technology and practice our "waiting skills" while our Skype connection was a little shaky.

The last activity we did during week 2 was coloring our paper Stanley's and getting them ready to be mailed to our family and friends.  Some students mailed Stanley to siblings, aunts and uncles, and grandparents.  One student mailed his to our special education aide's son in the Marines is Missouri.  Another went to the home of our speech therapist, Miss K, and still another went to our friends in Ms. Dunsinger's Room in Cananda!

During week 3, we read a very long and detailed chapter 4.  We read this chapter up to 3 times depending on grade level to make sure we understood the main events.  We posted on blogs and created flat characters of ourselves!  Check out the flat versions of my students!

During week 4, we finished reading chapter 5 and our third grade friends created a Photo Story of the work we had completed.

Wait, the project was supposed to be over after week 4... But we didn't share our Flat Stanley Bag and Adventure Notebook yet!  And we didn't get our Flat Stanley's back from our family and friends yet!  And we didn't get to check out Ms. Dunsinger's kiddos blogs about our very own Flat Stanley!

Now, as I sit at home on this cold and windy Saturday night, I'm thinking, can we even finish this up in FIVE weeks?  Will we push it to SIX?  SEVEN?

And I thought this might not go well????  We LOVE Flat Stanley!!!

Another cool thing about this project is that I managed to convince another teacher in our school to participate.  I was hoping to convince more than one, but even getting one is such an accomplishment!  Mrs. Pagel and her second graders also participated in the Global Read Aloud project, posted projects on the Global Read Aloud wiki, created Photo Stories, created a Voice Thread, AND Skyped!!!  Oh, AND made a Wall Wisher, AND made life sized "flat" characters of some teachers around the building AND came to Buddy Read with us during week 3!  Thanks Mrs. Pagel!

WOW!

So, in essence, the point I am trying to get to with this blog- OUR KIDS CAN DO ANYTHING!

And, I'm still not sure if any other special education classes participated, but, next year, I am going to be sure to encourage them to!

We cannot wait until next year's GRA and look forward to making even more connections throughout the year!

(Note to skeptics: This project included reading comprehension, listening comprehension, reading fluency, problem solving, story elements, written expression, literary genres, making global connections, practicing social skills, addressing an envelope, writing a letter, blogging, fine motor skills, and communication!!!!)

Our 2011 Classroom Set Up!

Room 5 has a Pirate Theme this year!

Here is our classroom space as it was set up for the first day of school...

Although, we've already made some major changes...

This is the Circle time/ Play Area.

We've gotten rid of our ball chairs this year, for safety purposes.  We loaned them out to other classrooms until we can reintroduce them.  We have also covered the play area with chart paper and curtains.  This way, during circle time, students are not staring at toys.

 This is our computer area, where we have 4 desk tops that were purchased with grant money.

 This is the gross motor area.  We can change the platform swing into a net swing.

 This is the independent work station.

The Pirate House, used as a "safe space" for one of the students in Kindergarten.  It has since lost it's roof.  Also, the cute inflatable pirate next to the house has found a new home.  The little banner also has been removed as have the pictures of cartoon pirates that we Velcro'd to the door.

 SMART board and small group table.  Alphabet Chant above.  Visual schedule icon storage to the right.

Calendar and weather area.  iPad station in the right corner.