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Why?

I can’t help it

nancy
Why?
Why? by BuzzFarmers via Flickr, CC-BY-2.0

This week’s Share #YourEduStory prompt: People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it – Simon Sinek. Why do you do what you do?

My friends and family know that where I’m concerned, the answer to the question, “Why?” is usually “Why not?” Not today. When I saw this week’s question, I knew the answer immediately. Why do I teach? I can’t help it. I have to.

I have never been able to stand by and watch someone struggle when it was within my power to help. I believe that, as humans, we have the obligation to do what we can to make the world a better place. Depending on who you are, and what your talents and resources are, the way you contribute to the improvement of this planet will take a different form. For me, it takes the form of teaching, and it always has.

I have been a teacher since I was a kid. (See next week’s post for a fuller explanation.) I strive to guide my students, both children and adults, and ignite their desire to learn. I scaffold, support, provide the resources, and then let them do the heavy lifting. Why? So they will be empowered, resilient, self-sufficient, successful, and happy human beings who will make a difference in the world, and by so doing, will allow me to make a difference as well. That’s why.

people watching fireworks

The Spark of Connection

nancy 4 Comments
people watching fireworks
Image by matt_saywers, via Pixabay.com, Public Domain

Bruce Springsteen wrote, “You can’t start a fire without a spark.” As I considered this week’s #youredustory prompt, “What is connected learning and WIIFM (What’s in it for me)?,”  that quote kept coming back to me. To me, being connected means having people to provide the spark if it’s lacking for me, or to fan my spark, help me kindle the flame, and keep my fire going.

Connected learning takes many forms, and they are all based on personal relationships, which I cultivate with care. I make sure people know I am open and willing to share. Thanks to these relationships, I can go in person, text, or call other teachers at my school or  in my district if I have questions or want to bounce ideas off someone. I can also turn to my PLN (personal learning network) on Twitter or Google+.

These connections did not happen accidentally. I participated in Twitter chats, shared on Google+, commented on blog posts, and generally reached out to those I thought could help me light my professional fire. Most people responded very positively. I also went and continue to go to as many conferences and unconferences as I can manage because, although I love the online connectedness, I especially love meeting those people in person. It adds another invaluable dimension to the relationship. I found, too, that as I made more connections, I connected with their connections, and their connections’ connections, and my learning fire grew bigger and brighter.

So, what’s in it for me? Everything. I may have a great idea. By discussing it with others, it can become greater. I may need a great idea. By reaching out, I can find one. People I know may want to bounce an idea off others. By helping them, I am rewarded as they develop their idea and/or I might come up with something of my own. Not to mention that I have lots of new friends whose professional opinions I respect and whose personal company I enjoy. I truly believe that we are all #bettertogether.

Embed PDF in Google Sites

nancy

One of the things I have been struggling with lately is how to embed a PDF in a Google Site. It turns out if you have the PDF saved in your Google Drive, it’s not that difficult. All you have to do is click on the PDF in your Drive, pop it out into a new window, and copy the embed code. Then you head over to your site, click to edit, choose HTML, and paste in the code. Update and save, then sit back and congratulate yourself on a job well done!

See the step by step instructions and animated GIFs of the process below.

Step 1: Open PDF in your Drive and click on the Pop Out window icon. This step is the key; you can’t get the embed code unless you pop out the window.

Pop-out window location

Step 2: In the new window, click the 3 vertical dots (more options) and choose Embed item…

Get embed code

Step 3: Copy the embed code.

Copy embed code

Step 4: Go to the page on your Google Site where you want to embed the PDF. Click the pencil icon to edit, then click HTML.

Open HTML editor

Step 5: Paste the embed code into the HTML editor. Click Update at the bottom.

Paste code and update

Step 6: Don’t forget to save!

Don't forget to save!

 

Animated GIFs of the process:

Getting the embed code
animated GIF of part 1 of embed process

Pasting the embed code
animated GIF of part 2 of embed process

 

 

Learning Defined

nancy

The prompt for  this week’s #YourEduStory post was particularly challenging for me. Suggested by Shawn White, it directs us to define learning in 100 words or less. Limiting myself to 100 words on any subject difficult, so I decided to go the image route using Tagul.com, one of my favorite word cloud generators. In an ideal world, the words would all be the same size. Still, in a way I like the messy, somewhat random nature of my word cloud. Perhaps it represents learning better that way.

Learning is…

Sharing is Caring

nancy 1 Comment
Two children sharing a milkshake
Image by krzyboy2o via Flickr, CC BY 2.o

The best thing I do in my job is share. I love sharing. It makes me happy and I like to think it makes those I share with happy, too. I don’t understand teachers who want to keep everything great they do to themselves. Not that I believe that what I am doing is great, but if you want to use it or adapt it, be my guest. Do you need to know something that I know? Just ask me to help you. I share wantonly and with abandon.

Teachers are some of the hardest working professionals around. If I can make the life of my fellow educators easier by giving them something I have done, I will happily do so. Do they want to change or adapt it so it better suits their needs? Excellent! I hope they will share it again when they have finished.

I am very lucky to have a job that gives me the opportunity to share generously. I get to meet with teachers and share my knowledge by providing training and assistance in technology use. In addition, I can share ideas on how they can incorporate that technology into their classrooms and even share lessons or unit plans.

My sharing isn’t limited to what I do on the job. I also share on Twitter, Google+, at conferences, at CUE Rockstar, and at edcamps. When I present, I share all my resources. Why would I want to keep them all private and under lock and key? My ultimate goal as a teacher is to ensure that students learn, and if I can help more students learn by sharing resources and information with their teachers, then how could I refuse?

QR Code Generators

nancy

A number of people have asked me recently about QR (Quick Response) codes. QR codes are those square, blocky looking barcodes that are seemingly everywhere these days. They can be read by mobile phones and tablets and can store website URLs, wifi network credentials, email addresses, calendar event information, preset text messages, and more.

They have many applications in education. You can have students scan a QR code using an iPad to visit a website instead of asking them to type in the URL. When giving an assignment, you can link to examples of quality student work. During Open House, you can use QR codes to identify the student creator of a “Who Am I” project? Add QR codes to book covers that link to student audio or video reviews of the book. Make scavenger hunts for your students or, even better, have them make scavenger hunts for each other or other classrooms. Create a QR code that brings up a text message for parents/students to use when subscribing to services like Remind (Thanks, David Bayne, for that idea). You are limited only by your imagination.

QR codes are easy to make. You can create them for free on many different websites. Whichever generator you choose, you will need to download and save or copy your QR code in order to use it. The QR codes below link back to this website and were generated by some of my favorite sites. I think it is interesting that they all look different, yet link to the same place.

  • goo.gl

    Goo.gl Google’s short URL creator also gives you QR codes that link to websites. Simply visit goo.gl, paste in the link to the webpage and click Shorten URL. The shortened URL appears on the right of your screen. Click the Details link underneath and you will see your QR code. If you use Chrome, you can install ShortenMe or another extension to generate a QR code through goo.gl for any webpage without leaving that webpage.
    Pros: Google Analytics, Chrome extensions
    Cons: Can only be used with webpages

  • Via QRstuff.com
    QRstuff.com

    QRstuff.com This site is very easy to use and allows you to create codes for a huge variety of uses. Just select the type of content the QR will link to, then fill in the blanks, set your color (yes, you can make colored QR codes!), and preview your code. When you are satisfied with the color, download the code by clicking the download button. The site is a little more cluttered than the others mentioned here, but it is still easy to use.
    Pros: Colored QR codes, ease of use, one click download
    Cons: Students may choose colors that do not provide enough contrast and the resulting QR code will not work

  • QR Code
    QR Code Generator

    QR Code Generator: This site provides a limited number of options for the contents of the QR code (text, URL, contact, phone number, or SMS), but it offers several choices for the resulting image. You can set the size you want, and you also have option of copying embed code or a direct link to the image instead of downloading and saving if you prefer. Students like seeing the code change as each character of the input is typed.
    Pros: Ease of use, choice of output
    Cons: Limited input sources

  • qr code
    GoQR.me

    GoQR.me: This is another site that allows you to make colored QR codes and see the barcode change as you enter information. The layout of the page is very clean and straightforward, so it simple to use. It works with a wide variety of input types and the generated code can be downloaded in a number of formats, or you can copy and paste the direct link or embed code for the image.
    Pro: Colored QR codes, ease of use, adjustable size
    Con: Possibility of QR codes not working due to low contrast color choice

Thank you to Lisa Nowakowski for recommending GoQR.me.

If you have a great way of using QR codes with students, please share in the comments.

 

My favorite teachers

nancy 2 Comments

apple-256261_1280Image by jarmoluk via Pixabay.com

This week’s #YourEduStory prompt asks, “How are you, or is your approach, different than your favorite teacher?” I have been through lots of schooling and I have had lots of teachers. I remember many of them fondly. I don’t remember all their names. What I do remember is that I enjoyed being in their classes because they showed me they cared about me and my learning. They made me want to come to school to see them and to make them proud.

Considering how I am different from these wonderful educators was challenging for me. I struggled to think what distinguished me and my teaching from theirs. Even though I came to teaching after several years as a stay-at-home mom, I know that my teaching style was influenced by all those teachers and professors I loved. I made a conscious effort to emulate them; I didn’t want to do otherwise. I aimed for an approach that took what was best from those teachers and put it into practice.

So, how am I different? What sets me apart? I suppose I would have to say the fact that I believe in flattening the walls of the classroom to have students connect with others as much as I can. Being a media specialist, I don’t have the final say in how lessons are delivered, but I try to help my teachers come up with plans and activities where their students can share, interact, and collaborate with people in other cities, states, or countries, be it through Mystery Skype, writing and commenting on blogs, publishing work online, or something else.

Far be it from me to criticize my teachers for not doing this when I was in school. We had pen pals in one class, but it wasn’t nearly the same. The technology to do what I do didn’t exist back then. (I know, I’m old. At least I got to use paper and pencil instead of a stone tablet and chisel.) They did fabulous things with what they had available, and they certainly went above and beyond what was expected. For example, one of my teachers, Mr. Augenblick, used to take his classes camping for a week every year. He was wonderful, and we stayed in contact long after I left 6th grade. He was even invited to my wedding. He passed away in 2013 (you can read all about him on page 8 of this issue of United Teacher), but I am sure he would be proud of me and what I have accomplished. I hope all my favorite teachers would be.

Teach Image Citation with Padlet

nancy 2 Comments

Our students need to be able to find, use, and cite copyright-friendly images in their projects. You can use Padlet, a free, online bulletin board, to help them learn how to do this.

Depending on the age of the students, you can modify the requirements for citing the images you find. Ideally, you should include the following (or as many of them as you can find for your image):

  • Title of the image
  • Author
  • Source
  • License (Creative Commons type, note that the image is public domain, or a statement that the image is used with permission)
The example below was created by 3rd grade students. They were only instructed to include the photographer’s name below their own. Older students would of course be asked to include more complete information and follow a stricter format.

Lesson steps:

  1. Before the lesson, create a Padlet wall where the information will be posted.
  2. Discuss the importance of citing sources for anything students have not created themselves. Explain the citation format you want students to use.
  3. Instruct students to find an image by using search.creativecommons.org. This will ensure that any media they find should be licensed for reuse. The students doing the project above looked for landforms and the natural environment.
  4. Students copy the image url.
  5. On the Padlet wall, students double click to add a note. They paste in the url and add the citation information.

Although it seems fairly basic, this lesson packs in many skills.

  • Digital literacy and digital citizenship
    • How to find and cite images licensed for reuse and why it it important to cite your sources; while we didn’t do a full citation, we did lay the groundwork for future lessons
    • Identifying the author, title, and license information for an online image
    • Safeguarding personal privacy by only including their first name on the image
  • Technology skills
    • Copying and pasting (new to most of the 3rd graders)
    • Control+click to find the image url
    • Sharing work using an online tool like Padlet
  • Collaboration
    • Early finishers helped peers to find and post their images on the wall

The students participating in this lesson enjoyed it so much they asked if they could do it again next time they were in the lab. If their teacher agrees, I am up for it.

For more specific information about image citation, see this page on the Creative Commons wiki.

This post originally appeared in a shorter form on the LVUSD Forward Learning Resources blog.

Making the world a better place

nancy

MLK quote

Martin Luther King, Jr.. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved January 13, 2015, from BrainyQuote.com

Martin Luther King, Jr.’s,  birthday is approaching, and this week’s #YourEduStory prompt, suggested by yours truly, asks us to consider how we will make the world a better place. Of course, there are lots of ways to do this, and I practice many of them. I donate to charity. I recycle. I take short showers to save water. I vote. I don’t drive if I can walk (rare in the L.A area, but I try). You get the picture.

All of these are great habits, and I plan to continue practicing them, but they are not much compared to what I can do inside the classroom. As a teacher, I have the opportunity to change the future every single day. Some may believe this statement to be an exaggeration. I don’t think it is.

When we interact with another individual, our words, our attitude, and our behavior convey a great deal of meaning. They reveal our thoughts and attitudes, and their emotional impact can be significant. That impact is magnified when teachers are working with students. What we say and do affects them deeply and, naturally, depending on what our words and actions are, those effects may be positive or negative.

As a media specialist, I am lucky to work not only with students, but with their teachers. I am working to make the world a better place by trying to ensure all my interactions with both students and teachers are positive and empowering. It is my goal to help them realize their own potential, whether I am working with second graders struggling to complete a project on an iPad or teachers learning to use a technology tool to engage their students. When teachers are self-assured and empowered, students benefit. When students know they can succeed, they are more willing to take risks and persevere until they meet their goals. They will grow up to be better, happier, more confident people. That is what I want for them. And for the world.