Category: GAFE

Science Journal (Google)

On By michellecherylshieldsIn blogging, classroom observations, edtech, GAFE, image editing, open pedagogy, social media, tech toolsLeave a comment

Today in my tech class we downloaded Google Science Journal from the app store and experimented with some of its activities. One particular activity that I partook in was “getting started with light.”

For some unknown reason whenever something Google related comes up in this class I cringe. I find Google applications to be confusing and try to stay away from them whenever possible. Unfortunately/ fortunately, I had to participate in this lecture and I found the app for the Science Journal to be okay to use. I feel like after I  watch a few more tutorials on it I could become a pro. #Growthmindset

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After some playing around on the app I began to really like the light experiment because you could physically see how your sensor card is measuring lux, something that I had literally never thought of before. I can see how this Google application could be implemented into the classroom with iPads as it is a fun experiment for students to do themselves and it provides helpful explanations of what is going. I can see this being utilized in more of a grade four or five classroom at the start of a science unit on light. Unfortunately, I don’t think that it would be very useful for k-3 as the language used on this application is quite complex. Overall, I do think that it is a fun way to get older students interested in a subject area that they might not know much about.

 

 

Webinar: Introduction to FreshGrade for Students

On By michellecherylshieldsIn assessment, blogging, GAFE, image editing, social media, tech inquiry, video conferencing, video editingLeave a comment

The webinar “Introduction to FreshGrade for Students” is exactly what you would expect, “an introduction to FreshGrade for students.” Here is a quick summary of what the webinar discussed. Because this webinar is only twenty minutes long I am going to summarize it perfectly for you.

So here are the key points from the webinar:

  • FreshGrade allows you to share your accomplishments or something that you are proud of with your parents while also being able to reflect on your learning.
  • Students can download FreshGrade on any IOS or android device as well as have access on a web browser to add or comment on their work.
  • An interview from a student using FreshGrade took place. This student discussed how FreshGrade makes her feel more confident in her work and allows her to talk with her teachers and parents about her work more easily. She also stated that she likes comments that tell her how to improve her work.
  • Each student will receive their own digital profile where teachers and students can share examples of their work. Teachers, students, and parents can comment on portfolio artifacts to encourage progress, celebrate success, and deepen learning.
  • Notifications and emails will let you know when your portfolio is updated.
  • When creating an account you can download FreshGrade from student.freshgrade.com, from the iTunes App Store, or from Google play.
  • Once you go to create your account you will need an access code that your teacher should provide for you. Once you have this code you can log into FreshGrade and then create your own login information that will replace your access code.
  • Once you have your student account set up you can see all FreshGrade elements on your portfolio. These include any comments that have been made, previous report cards, and classroom announcements. On the student portfolio page you can email teachers directly, upload work and/or make comments, add different classes into different portfolios, and view your portfolio history which allows you to see any previous years portfolios.
  • Voice to text was briefly mentioned as a tool for younger students to use to quickly upload comments to FreshGrade.

This webinar would be good for new students or parents to utilize as it briefly describes  FreshGrade and shows what the application looks like. This webinar probably isn’t the most informative for someone who has already used FreshGrade or knows a bit about it.

Here is the link if you wish to watch it for yourself:

https://learning.freshgrade.com/courses/369157/lectures/5634829

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Class Activities: Google Classroom + Twine

On By michellecherylshieldsIn blogging, classroom observations, edtech, GAFE, leadership, social media, tech tools, video editingLeave a comment

Hello,

If you cant guess by the title, today in class we discussed Twine and Google Classroom. In formal terms, Twine is an open-source tool for telling interactive, nonlinear stories.

I had never heard of Twine before today but after trying it I am amazed.. Twine is extremely fun to use! To me, it is an online story version of the game would you rather. You can create different scenarios in your story that readers can explore. Unfortunately, the stories that you create are hard to publish. Overall, it is a fun activity to do that can tap into your creativity and humor quite quickly. To me, Twine is an A+ downtime activity to partake in.

Take a look for yourself below

screen-shot-2017-06-03-at-4-39-49-pm

Here is a link if you want to start creating your own stories: http://twinery.org/2/#!/stories

We also created our own Google Classrooms

Personally, I have always had an intense & passionate dislike for anything Google Doc related. I find Google Accounts to be confusing and always end up doing the wrong things when editing a Google Doc. But… creating a Google Classroom was extremely easy! Our teacher gave us a Google Classroom Workshop and then we played around with the program for awhile. I can definitely see myself creating a Google Classroom at some point in my career, although I am partial to FreshGrade now. Below is a video of me playing around on the site. Enjoy!