Netbooks+-+St.+Marguerite+-+January+2012


 * How do we know we have been successful? **


 * 1. Students are reporting on their experience - (2 - 3 students sharing - recorded on video) attach videos**

My students thoroughly enjoyed their experience with the netbooks. As mentioned in the video, a lot of students enjoyed the opportunity the netbooks provided to present their information. When an assignment was given, students would ask if they could use another program or format to present their work. I appreciated their creativity and desire to demonstrate their learning in a unique manner.

The students also reported that they prefer the size of the netbooks in comparison to laptops because it was easier for them to carry and fit on their desks especially when using textbooks and duotangs. The students also said that it made learning entertaining and engaging because the netbooks made them feel like their work was more valuable and presentable when in digital form. The students who struggle with messy penmanship felt proud of their work and said that it looks equal to fellow classmates.

Overall, the students were excited to have the netbooks in the classroom. They felt they were exceptional learning tools that they could use to demonstrate their learning. All of the students felt that netbooks are a great learning tool and should be in every classroom. Some of them also suggested that it would be beneficial if they could bring in their own devices because, “It already has all my stuff on it." media type="youtube" key="SPLlPYBRprQ" height="315" width="420"
 * 2. Students have acquired new technology skills that they had not had previously - please see the 21st century list below.**

Ø Basic, scientific, economic, and technological literacies Ø Visual and information literacies Ø Multicultural literacy and global awareness
 * //__Digital-Age Literacy__//**

The grade four students learned many digtal-age literacies. I think that sometimes educators assume students know how to use a piece of technology because they are “digital natives”. However, it has been proven that student needs guidance, exposure and modelling to learn and develop digital skills.

Examples of Digital-Age Literacies my students learned:

- Formatting Microsoft Office documents (Word, Power Point) - Connecting to Wifi and choosing the Wifi with a high signal strength - Attaching a document and submitting an assignment in Edmodo (This knowledge will transfer to email.) - Posting information on our Edmodo wall and navigating through a safe and secure “social networking” website.


 * //__Inventive Thinking__//**

Ø Adaptability/managing complexity Ø Self-direction Ø Curiosity, creativity, and risk-taking Ø Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning

My students did learn some inventive thinking skills. Often, my students would choose to complete a task in a way that they hadn’t tried before. Their curiosity to choose a new medium without a lesson on using the tool demonstrated a risk-taking skill and validated to me that their confidence in using technology has grown immensely.

For projects, the students were encouraged to be self-directive. I would help facilitate the class and assist students will technology issues or teach a skill that they class didn’t know yet. I found that through self-direction, the quality of student work was much more in-depth. It was as though they were trying to “one-up” each other with the quality of their work. In the same manner, I found that my class would share their knowledge with pride and have no qualms in assisting another student with their learning.

Examples of Inventive Thinking:

- Using Glogster as a tool to present information without much guidance - Inserting sound, pictures, and small animations or transitions into projects - Customizing paper or Power Point backgrounds. - Choosing various methods to demonstrate learning (Power Point, Word, SMART Notebook, Glogster, Song, Poem, Brochure, Poster) - Creating trivia games for their projects using SMART Notebook


 * //__Effective Communication__//**

Ø Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills Ø Personal, social, and civic responsibility Ø Interactive communication

The students definitely developed skills for Effective Communication using technology. Often, I would notice students asking peers for feedback and suggestions on projects. They took the suggestions and feedback and revised their work as needed. It was excellent to see students critically examining each other’s work. I noticed my students demonstrating more ownership of their work and using a USB stick to transfer files so that they were able to work at home.

The classroom developed a stronger culture of sharing as students took the time to assist others with the technology. On the Edmodo wall, students would post tips or tricks for a project. Some would share interesting websites they found and often, you would catch students planning projects during other class times. A project that really developed effective communication was when students were in groups to write a song. They needed to have a chorus and 3 versus. The students collaborated on beat, lyrics, some shared their playlist on their iPod, and they created a mini band.

My students also LOVED presenting their learning. The students would submit their assignment via Edmodo. They would then use the SMARTboard to share their project and learning to the class. The students were thrilled for the class where they could present their learning.

Examples of Effective Communication:

- Using wall posts and sharing documents via Edmodo - Using netbooks to produce a final group project (songs) - Critically examining peer work and providing constructive feedback - The development of a culture of sharing - Using USB sticks to transfer files and submit assignments in afterschool hours via Edmodo - Presenting their learning to the class


 * 3. Students have learned about digital citzenship - please see the digital citizenship list of skills below**

The grade four class learned a lot about digital citizenship. During Health, the students completed the 5 digital citizenship lessons created by the Digital Citizenship Group. Like the Digital Citizenship lessons, I tried to follow the cybersmart.org student curriculum. The cybersmart.org curriculum highlights these topics for grade 4-5 students: Private Information, Safe Talking in Cyberspace, The Power of Words, Group Think, Citizens in Cyberspace, Understand your Acceptable Use Policy, Speak Out

My students have a proficient understanding of what would be considered to be private information and know that to keep safe, this information should not be online. Unfortunately, some of the digital citizenship videos I wanted my students to watch could not be played by the netbooks. By practicing in Edmodo, my grade four class learned the skills to do safe talking in cyberspace and know the power of words. We also discussed the legal age to use Facebook and why it is important to practice social networking in a safe manner. This way, when they are old enough to have a Facebook account, they demonstrate responsible digital citizenship skills.

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The students were appreciative that they had the netbooks in the class. They understood the expectations for digital citizenship and didn’t want to miss out on any opportunity with the netbooks. I strongly feel that by teaching students about digital citizenship in elementary school, they will be fully equipped to be advocates for responsible use of technology and enjoy lifelong learning in a digital world. ======


 * 4. How has our teaching changed? What practices will you continue?**

The netbooks have given me an opportunity to refine my teaching practices in a way that was engaging for students and met my outcomes.

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I will definitely continue to use Edmodo in my classroom so that students have the ability to work on their assignments at home, contact their peers any time, ask for homework help, and practice digital citizenship skills.======

I will continue to teach my students digital citizenship as a way to keep safe in an online world and to develop ethical behavior when using the internet. I want to ensure my students become advocates for appropriate and responsible use of technology.

Our class will miss the netbooks because it was very convenient to have them in our room at all times. I will definitely continue to give opportunities for students to be creative with technology using the school lab. I will encourage self-directed learning.

I will also give more opportunities for students to share, collaborate, critically examine, and provide feedback to peers. With this, allowing for choice with outcome expectations will be beneficial for DI and inclusion.


 * 5. What are some best practices?**

1) Assign a netbook to the students. The students were very responsible and took excellent care of their netbook. This also made it easy when working on projects because the students would save to their own netbook.

2) Change your seating arrangement so that students have the opportunity to easily share their screen. This will help establish a culture of sharing in your classroom.

3) Encourage students to come to the front of the room and share tech tips. The students always wanted to learn and share more.

4) Teach digital citizenship skills. These skills are necessary beyond their school years.

5) Teach and re-teach how to login to the WIFI. Sometimes it would take up to 10X for a student to get onto the WIFI. However, because they were confident in how to login to WIFI, they would eventually experience success.

6) Teach the students how to care for the netbooks properly including: carrying them, plugging them in, not touching the screen, and to gently press the keys.

7) Use Edmodo. Spend one class teaching the students how to use Edmodo. This is an excellent tool for them to hand in their assignments. Also, because the netbooks cannot print, the student can use Edmodo to send you the document they want printed.

8) Take a step back and enjoy the students learning!


 * 6. Listing what I have learned and what were some of the challenges**

What I have Learned: - Technology is a way to engage students in their learning. - Give students the power of choice. - Students think about school at home and if they are engaged (Edmodo), they will want to continue working at home. - Students enjoy the challenge of learning a web tool on their own. - Students thrive on teaching their peers, collaborating, and sharing. - Allow for the students to direct their own learning – the outcome will amaze you.

Challenges: - Logging into WIFI was incredibly tedious and often wasted class time - Students could not watch Discovery Ed Videos, play educational online games, or use science gizmos - Sometimes the netbooks would require updates and would automatically shut down in the middle of a class. Students lost some work and class time was wasted. - Because of the location of the mouse, the students would accidently touch the pad with the palms of their hands. This would then move the cursor and sometimes throw off the formatting of a document. - The SMART notebook gallery was missing the interactive tools.


 * 7. Personal growth as a learner on an online collaborative environment.**

I’ve always wanted to have a one on one classroom environment. I have heard about projects that used a one on one approach but I have never had the opportunity to experience it myself. Frequently, I found myself checking the wiki to see if others have experienced the same difficulties that I was having with the technology and I wanted ideas! By sharing what was done, it enabled me to confidently plan projects for my students. I feel that by utilizing an online collaborative environment, a lot of time was saved because others shared their best practices and what they learned. Using an online collaborative environment makes it ok to take chances, ask questions, and learn from mistakes.


 * 8. What are some tips for next time users?**

- Make sure you teach digital citizenship skills. You will have no behavior issues if you do this. - Be sure to assign a netbook to a student. It will make everyone’s life easier. - Be willing to take risks to challenge yourself and students. - Spend time to make sure the students know basic computer skills and how to navigate through the software you will use. - Be really good friends with your IT department. They are always willing to assist you with any technological issues. - Try and use the netbooks as much as possible. The more you use them the more proficient you and the students become. - Try and find unique web tools and websites that will keep your students engaged in all subject areas. - Facilitate. Encourage student – directed learning. - Change your classroom arrangement so that students can share screens. - Take a step back and watch the learning.


 * 9. What is your legacy piece? How have you left a digital footprint to let other know about your important work with kids? (Video, digital storytelling, celebrations with parents, inviting senior administration, manual, collaborative place for yourself and your students)**

There will be a few legacy pieces left from this project. The video I created about our experience with the netbooks will hopefully be viewed as a reference piece for the ups and downs of using netbooks in the classroom. It will also provide some ideas on best practices for using netbooks and challenge educators to refine their teaching practices to integrate technology more.

Our classroom Edmodo page will remain as a collaborative area for my students to meet in a digital world. I will still post assignments on the Edmodo page in hopes that my students will maintain their interest in our projects at home.

Some of my students have published their research posters on Glogster.edu. They will have the ability to look back on their work and share it with others.


 * 10. Sample lessons - share 2 lessons that you taught using the equipment**

My students used the equipment a lot.

In our novel study, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the students completed a few assignments using the technology.

1) Candy Advertisements: Like Willy Wonka, the students needed to invent their own candy. As a successful business, the students needed to create an advertisement and commercial for their candy. Their advertisements needed to persuade buyers to think that their candy was the ultimate candy that they couldn’t live without. The students created a slogan for their candy and filmed the commercial using an iPod. 2) Oompa Loompa Letter: The students needed to pretend that they were an oompa loompa writing a letter to the golden ticket winners giving them an idea of what life was like in the chocolate factory. They also needed to include details on life as an Oompa Loompa. 3) Oompa Loompa Songs: Everyone who has watched the movies, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, are aware that oompa loompas are musical people! In groups, the students needed to write a new version of an oompa loompa song and present it to the class. They were required to include 1 chorus and 3 versus in their song. This was a huge lesson on group work and collaboration for the majority of my students.

Science:

1) Light Emitting Objects: The students are required to identify objects that emit light. Using the internet and google images, the students created a poster of light emitting objects. The students learned that if an object does not emit light, we see it because it reflects light.

Social:

1) Alberta’s Explorers: The students were required to choose a famous Albertan explorer and find out more about his life and contributions to our province. The students used the internet to search for information about the explorer. They then chose their method to present this information to the class. Some students chose a Power Point, poster, SMART Notebook file, or brochure. 2) Francophone Communities: The students learned that many of our towns and cities in Alberta were established because of Francophones and our rich history. The students chose what Francophone community they wanted to research. They discovered how this community was formed and any other unique information about the community. They then had a chance to present their findings to the class in the form of a poster, poem, song, brochure, power point, newscast or commercial.

Language Arts:

1) Animal Research Report: The students used the netbooks to research an animal of their choice. They were given a guide to assist them with their research which included all the information they needed in their report. They were given the opportunity to present their research as a poster, Glogster, brochure, power point, old fashion report, or SMART Notebook file.



See the attachments for more detailed lesson plans:


 * 11. Websites, tools, or apps that you used with your students**

My students used Edmodo, the Internet, Microsoft Word, Power Point, SMART Notebook, Glogster.edu, and iPods to create and present projects.


 * 12. Other unexpected findings from your project**

I have to admit that when I applied to use the netbooks, I thought they had similar capabilities to a laptop. When I figured out that their capabilities weren’t what I expected, I had to change my planning a bit. I knew that my students had the capabilities to do amazing things. When I saw how they were completing projects to the best of their ability and asking for more – I was thrilled. I didn’t expect that my students would ask for more projects to complete on the netbooks or to write letters on the netbooks during inside recess. The technology was embraced in my classroom and the students will be sad to let them go!


 * 13. Final thoughts about your project.**

My students and I are thankful for having the opportunity to use the netbooks in our classroom. Both the students and I learned a lot about integrating technology and utilizing various tools to meet curricular outcomes. Student engagement was very high and my students were always excited when they could use the netbooks. Sometimes we encountered frustration due to technical issues but when they were resolved, there was a sense of satisfaction because again, we learned something new. I think that every teacher should take on a project such as this to refine their teaching and see what else the students can accomplish and what they enjoy doing.


 * 14. Would you recommend to use this equipment?**

I would recommend this equipment to be used in the classroom. They are easy to use and the size is perfect for younger students. However, the user needs to be aware of the limited capabilities of the netbooks. Essentially, they are good for word processing and other Microsoft Office tools, research, internet access, Edmodo, and some basic web tools. If you require video abilities or want to play online educational games or gizmos, this is not the tool for you. It is a great tool for teaching students the very basic skills of digital-age literacy and for that I would recommend the use of netbooks.


 * __Digital Citizenship – ISTE Standard #5__**

Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behaviour. Students: a. advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology b. exhibit a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity c. demonstrate personal responsibility for lifelong learning d. exhibit leadership for digital citizenship Ø Basic, scientific, economic, and technological literacies Ø Visual and information literacies Ø Multicultural literacy and global awareness
 * //Demonstrate what you did to accomplish the digital citizenship portion of the project. Were you able to integrate any of the above into your lesson?//**
 * __21st Century Skills__**
 * This is a list of 21st Century Skills. Did you witness any of these skills in your students and in the learning activities you provided in the project? Give some examples.**
 * //__Digital-Age Literacy__//**

Ø Adaptability/managing complexity Ø Self-direction Ø Curiosity, creativity, and risk-taking Ø Higher-order thinking and sound reasoning
 * //__Inventive Thinking__//**

Ø Teaming, collaboration, and interpersonal skills Ø Personal, social, and civic responsibility Ø Interactive communication
 * //__Effective Communication__//**

Ø Ability to prioritize, plan, and manage for results Ø Effective use of real-world tools Ø The ability to create relevant, high-quality products
 * //__High Productivity & Quality, State-of-the-Art Results__//**