MSHS Tech Facilitator

Last week the entire UNIS staff took part in our second SpeedGeeking event. This is the first time, however, that we involved all teachers from the ES and MSHS and had an opportunity to share and celebrate some great examples of student work and teacher creativity and innovation.

Here’s a list and some links from the 24 presentations on the day (some resources are still missing; I’ll update them as they come in):

Q&A with the Tech Director – Ed Gilbreath

SAM Animation in ES Art – Patrica Dinglestead

OneNote in ES – Beth Murray

Google Sketchup in MS Math – Rob DeAbreu
For a Decimals & Measurement unit in Grade 6, students were challenged to design a MS space as a way of providing a challenging exercise to get them to use their knowledge of decimals from ES, and free up the teacher from teaching lessons so he could help those struggling with content and extend those students excelling with the content.  Students could present their design on paper, or with Google SketchUp, a free and fairly intuitive design program, and conducted extensive reflection on their design process and the use and importance of mathematics in real world design projects.

MS PE Throwing Journals – Mel Hamada
PE Athletics unit looking at using video to analyse and offer feedback on throwing technique.  Supporting documents were offered to students giving exemplars as films and as still snipped shots dissecting the relevant parts of each shot; students had to then film and snip their own films and discuss their technique in these events.  We used OneNote so that students could write over the still images or show angles of release etc.  Technology used: OneNote; Snipping tool; Kodak cameras (1 per group); Flip Camera (teachers’); Movie making program; Wiki’s; Youtube.

Video Advertisements in G7 English – Chris Mills
Grade 7 English students completed a unit on the power of the media. They studied a film, various print and video advertisements and then produced their own video advertisements. One class advertised new products of their own invention and the other classes produced videos promoting causes close to their hearts.

Discussion Boards in G6 – Phil Sanchez

Diigo in G1 – Tracy Smith
Highlight, add a post-it note, share and save those great sites. Then access them again and again, anytime anywhere. Create personal and class accounts. It’s free. It’s easy…just ask Grade 1.”

Global Partnerships in ES PE – Cam McHale
I did  flat collaborative peer assessment with Nanjing International school. We both did our movement composition units concurrently and used skype to peer assess each other’s progress and then share our final performance at the end of six weeks work. The guy I did it with Andy Vasily, is a PYP PE guru and you can follow our progress on his blogsite http://www.pyppewithandy.com/2/previous/5.html

Ba Vi Soundscapes – Kelsey Giroux
The Ba Vi Soundscapes assignment in Humanities 8 challenged students to identify elements of Vietnamese culture that are unique and are representative of a variety of cultural layers while on their grade level trip.  Students represented those ideas by creating a one minute soundscape in which they blended and layered various sounds and images to create a product that was evocative of Vietnam.

ISIS Curriculum – Meagan Enticknap-Smith

Khan Academy – Melissa Griffin
There are hundreds of video tutorials on maths, sciences, history, MIT stuff (including indoor robotics). For maths there are also SAT and Singapore Maths tutorials for our kids with mathematical demands beyond the IB. Examples of projects that aren’t just maths: Google Art Project  and Smart History are the latest ventures. A wonderful resource for a growing number of disciplines. Check it out online and watch the TEDTalk. Want a crash course on Indoor Flying Robotics by MIT? The resources just keep growing.

Google Docs – Jan Humpleby
Google Spreadsheets, Wordle and STW for Assessment

Collaborative Story Writing – Dave Carter
This collaborative story writing activity is anti-technology in a way because it means limiting the use of it to one laptop between three students and one teacher in order to maximize conversation and opportunity for needs-based grammatical work responding to text generated through speech. It’s not about technology: the same activity (collaborative story writing) could be done with paper and pens; it’s about creativity, talk and language structure and a computer is used simply because it aids collaboration.

The Grade 3 Blog – Andrea Limon

Dance and Video – Sara Quigley
I explained how I was integrating technology into class, using video, (as well as tablets, flipcams and software) in my dance classes to enhance the learning process.

Media Appropriations in Photoshop – Michelle Wise
I presented a grade 9 unit to staff that asked students appropriate iconic works of art in a transformative way in order to create new works of art using Adobe Photoshop. I also discussed copyright law and ‘fair use’ and how this is incorporated into the unit.

Fair Use – copyright law

Swim Analysis – Adrian Hubbard

ISIS - Dave Porter

Proscope Microscopes in Discovery/Pre-K – Heidi Sayers-Sanchez
Digital microscopes can be introduced with young children to assist them in gaining a different perspective, looking at objects more closely and recognising and comparing patterns. Tools such as the Proscope enable students to independently explore and photograph different objects up to 50 X zoom. It can be integrated well with units exploring patterns, materials, perspective, plants, living things and hygiene!

Online Story Writing – John Cushing

Google Forms – Yo-Jin Chung

Music Creation – Brendan McGibbon

The Laser Cutter in DT – Chris Gill
A short presentation on how we use this new 2D software and hardware technology in the Design/Technology Curriculum. With examples of students work from Grades 6 to 10. Also previewing next years new 3D software and hardware.

Ergonomics is the science of making work spaces as safe, comfortable, and productive as possible. Proper ergonomic design can help prevent repetitive strain injuries. Many of the common ailments associated with computer use – eye strain, neck and shoulder pain, wrist pain, back pain – can often be attributed to poor ergonomics principles in the user’s workspace.

We are extremely lucky to have an active parent with in our community who also happens to be a certified massage therapist and a consultant on ergonomics. On March 10, Mishka Cira provided a Saturday workshop through the Community Education program that focused on helping the UNIS community understand some of the principles of ergonomics. Two of our MSHS students, Sam and Jonathan, attended the session and this is what they had to say about it:

 On Saturday we had an Ergonomics class; it was very interesting in terms of what to do and on what not to do. Ergonomics taught us how to sit, position arms, legs and head. This class had lots of information and the Director of the class was very knowledgeable, kind, and brief. Ergonomics class taught me so many positions that I can improve when I am in school, home or anywhere. My brother and I have listened and have taken notes on everything she has told us to do because the way you do work on your computer physically can permanently damage your body. Our class was very fun and enjoyable because you take a fun quiz on what you already know on Ergonomics. Everyone should be in this program because of these reasons; Ergonomics is one thing that you must learn because every year Middle schoolers and High schoolers are working on their tablets day and evening. If they do not consistently have proper positioning then there are going to be consequences inside or outside of your body. Ergonomics helps you focus on what routine is best for you when you are working on your tablet. Jonathon T. (Grade 7)

Ergonomics class was a really good benefit for me to work on my computer with safety. Our director taught us many ways to position yourself straight while working on your computer. For example, you have to have arms, elbows, legs and ankles bent at 90 degrees. Furthermore, you have to adjust the height of your computer to make your eyes look straight at the screen in order for you to not get eye or neck pain. She even quizzed us at the beginning of class on the facts of the human body and the effect it could have. I took notes on the benefits/information Ms. Mishka Cira told us about so I could use them in the future. I recommend people who have problems with their eyes or a certain body pain to attend this class for their own benefit in their future lives. Ergonomics is a great way for people to focus on how you should properly sit when working on your tablet.  Sam T. (Grade 9)

One of the easiest ways to help prevent injuries due to tablet use is to take frequent breaks and to do some basic exercises while working.

• Eye breaks: The 20/20/20 Rule. Every 20 minutes focus on something about 20 feet (7 meters) away for about 20 seconds.
• Rest breaks: Take a break every 30 – 60 minutes and get up from your chair to move around.
• Stretch breaks: Take a break every 1 – 2 hours and do some quick stretching or gentle exercises to relieve muscle fatigue. Some examples include:
• deep breathing exercises
• head and neck turns
• back stretches
• shoulder rolls
• wrist and finger/hand stretches

If you have an existing repetitive strain injury you should seek medical care and/or referrals to other practitioners from your doctor or physical therapist.

There are many products on the market that claim to improve ergonomics and to reduce the risk of injury. As with anything else on the internet, do not believe everything that you read! Commercial claims may be used as a form of advertising whereas educational websites/institutions tend to be less biased.

To learn more about ergonomics, you can read an article previously published in Tin Tuc by Mishka.

Common Sense Media is an non-profit organization “dedicated to improving the lives of kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in a world of media and technology.” As part of their website, they offer reviews of over 14000 games, movies, websites and apps, as well as advice on some areas of concern for parents. By choosing to register to their site, you can subscribe to their newsletter via email and get the updates delivered directly to your inbox!

In the latest newsletter there were two articles that stood out to me. The first is 5 Ways to Help Kids Find Balance and list some strategies that might be a good starting point for helping your child have a healthy “media diet”. The second is Breaking Your Mom’s Rules and gives some examples from other parents about how they have interpreted their own childhood rules for their children.

There is plenty more on the site to read and explore. It’s a great opportunity to interact with other parents via the comments section on each article. If you know of any other good resources to help parents navigate the digital world, be sure to share them in the comments below!

At the most recent set of 3-way conferences in the Middle/High School, I invited students to lead their parents through the UNIS Portal and through some of the files and programs on their school tablet. It was very great to see, once again, students taking the lead and acting confidently as they showed their parents how to access some of the important information regarding courses, units and assessment. Parents asked some wonderful questions about their child’s organization and how they learn, and about how they access information at school. The most exciting thing was the quality of the conversations that took place between parents and students!

If you weren’t able to make it to any of the sessions, you can still take part. Take a few moments and, as a starting point, ask your child to show you the following on his/her tablet:

• course information for each of his/her classes.
• information on some of the units that he/she is currently studying.
• the grade level deadlines calendar.
• his/her portfolio of assessed work.
• the MSHS school calendar.
• the MSHS homeroom announcements.
• his/her digital notebooks and textbooks.
• how he/she keeps track of homework assignments.

Don’t be afraid to let the conversation wander and don’t feel restricted to the points listed above! Tap into the experts that are living under the same roof as you and have them answer your questions!

Also, don’t forget that parents have the ability to log in to the UNIS Portal using their username and password. This will give you access to all the course information pages, calendars and your child’s portfolio of digital work assessed and returned by teachers.

If you were at any of the sessions, I would love to hear your feedback. If you couldn’t make it, feel free to use the comments section to ask any questions that you might have!

Photo Credits:
3Way Conference Session 1 by Clint Hamada licensed under CC BY NC SA
3Way Conference Session 2 by Clint Hamada licensed under CC BY NC SA

Thank you to the parents who spent their Wednesday morning in the UNIS library engaged in discussion with and learning from students in grades 8 and 10.

Thao , Tommy and Max did a fantastic job of presenting a student perspective and discussing their own personal use of social networks and other aspects of technology use, both in school and at home. It was great to hear them address the concerns raised by parents as well as share their experiences. According to one of the students, “It was helpful to listen to the questions from parents, and it helped me understand what kind of concerns parents have about the integration of technology into a student’s life.” Another added: “It was good for the students to see the point of view of the parent, so they would understand what the parent is seeing. It good to tell the parent about what we as student are doing on our tablet.”

The parents were also appreciative of the chance to speak to young adults and about the challenges and opportunities that are faced in an increasingly digital environment from their different perspectives. There was also a great roundtable discussion among the parents once the students had returned to class about some of the questions and concerns they have as parents.

An impact poster is one that uses a powerful image combined with a meaningful quote or phrase to create something memorable.

When creating an impact poster, there are a things to keep in mind.

• Creative Commons is your friend. Use CC-licensed images as a way of practicing good digital citizenship. There is no need to ask the creator of a CC-licensed work so long as you follow the conditions that s/he has put forth. As the site CCMixter likes to say, “You already have permission…”
• Be sure that you are using images that are licensed for your purpose. If changing the original image in any way (adding text, cropping, etc.) you must be sure to use an image that is NOT licensed as “No Derivatives”.
• One thing that ALL Creative Commons licenses have is the idea of attribution. This is not to be confused with citation! Attribution is about being respectful of the original creator and acknowledging that person as such.

Making an Impact Poster

1. After thinking about your quotation or statement, use FlickrCC or the Flickr Advanced Search to find an appropriate image. Your image can be literal or metaphorical and you may need to try a few different search terms to find ones that fit with your message. Again, make sure that you are searching only for images that you can edit or modify/adapt!
2. Once you find the image you want to use, be sure to check the license information and to bookmark the Flickr page as you will need this information for your attribution.
3. Download the image that you would like to use to your computer. First, view all available sizes of the image.
   Select the image size that you would like to use (Large or bigger if possible!) and select Download.
4. Open PowerPoint and insert the image. You will probably need to resize the image so that it fits the slide perfectly. The width of the slide is 10″ so set the width of the image to be 10″ as well.
5. Add a textbox to your image for your quotation. Think about the size of the font, the location of the textbox and the background color of the textbox. The whole point is to make your quotation readable and memorable!
6. There is no one specific way that you must attribute the original work. However, for impact posters it is important that you include the license information and the url of the original image. Your attribution might look like this:
   “Licensed under CC BY NC SA
   http://www.flickr.com/photos/35375520@N07/3856135712″
   Attribution should be small and out of the way but still readable.
7. Once your image is finished in PowerPoint, you will need to use File -> Save as… to save your Impact Poster as a .jpg file.

Discussion on the UNIS Responsible Use Agreement

A huge thank you to the parents of ES, MS and HS students who came to the session run by Michelle Matias and myself to discuss the UNIS Responsible Use Agreement (RUA) for the Elementary School and the Middle School/High School. I thought it was a fantastic discussion and I thank you for all of your input and suggestions.

For those of you who missed it, Michelle and I spent a lot of time discussing the rationale behind this agreement. It is very important to us that these documents are progressive and positive; the focus is on responsible decisions, behaviors and attitudes rather than a just a list of “Do Not’s”! It is important that we provide an age-appropriate safety net as well as appropriate guidance and oversight to help students learn to act responsibly. We feel that this RUA can be used to empower all members of the UNIS community to integrate technology into their lives responsibly and ethically, and that they can be used to help create a common language at school and at home so that we can discuss this increasingly-important aspect of all our lives within our community.

Two related notes:

• In October, cybersafety expert Robyn Treyvaud will be at UNIS to help us celebrate Digital Citizenship Awareness Week. Her visit will include the opportunity to work with all segments of the UNIS community: students, parents and teachers.
• I have come across two articles online recently that are a great starting point for discussions regarding parents, students and technology. The first is Kids & Technology: The Developmental Health Debate. The second is 5 Lessons for Parenting in the Digital Age.

Backing Up Data for Middle School and High School Students

It is important that students (and parents!) be reminded that they are responsible for backing up their own data on their computer. One way to do this is to use the SyncToy program that is installed. Depending on what kind of data you are trying to back up (i.e. pictures, movies and music v. documents and other school work), you will need either an external hard drive or a large (4, 8, or 16 GB) USB flash drive.

Here is some advice that I give to students on backing up:

• Think about where you will keep your important data before you actually start backing up! I suggest that all important documents be stored in “My Documents”. You can make folders inside of “My Documents” for each of your subjects (or anything else important) to help keep you organized.
• Move all of your important data files (“My Documents”, “Desktop”, “My Pictures”, etc) to the D: drive. By doing this, all of your important data is in one place and it makes it easier to back up. Be very careful though: this must be done slowly, carefully and correctly!
• Only back up what you absolutely need. Most music and videos are already on multiple computers, so there isn’t really a need to back those up! The same goes for digital textbooks that you get from teachers. School work, however, is absolutely essential! If you are limited by space, school work must be backed up first!

If you have any comments or questions, I would love to hear them in the comments below!

As I explain over on my ‘other’ blog, I’ve never been very happy with how electronic gradebooks deal with criterion-based assessment, particularly as it relates to the MYP. So over the years I gradually developed my own for my math classroom using Excel and a few macros. Since then I’ve created versions for most if not all of the MYP subject groups. (Downloads below as .xlsm files (Excel 2007/2010 macro enabled))

Each gradebook should use the correct criteria and attainment levels for your subject so make sure you download the right one. If there is a mistake, or if there isn’t one for your subject, let me know and I’ll try and fix it ASAP.

I’ve also created a few short screencasts using Screenr on how I envision the gradebooks being used. (If you click on the full screen icon, it’s much easier to see!) Because I believe sharing makes things better, feel free to hack away at these and adjust them for your own use. Because I see these as being covered by a Creative Commons license (Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share-Alike) all I ask for in return is that you attribute me, you don’t make any money off of them and you share what you create as well!

Adding Assessments to the Gradebook

Determining Quarter Scores

Collecting Formative and ATL Data

Gradebook Downloads

MYP Arts

MYP English

MYP Language A

MYP Language B

MYP Mathematics

MYP Humanities

MYP Science

MYP PE

MYP Technology

Click for full screen