Putting Ed-Tech Into Practice - Hindsight is 20-20

Entering the 3rd month of being back in the classroom has opened my eyes to a lot about how I could have done things differently in years past and even this school year.  In all my administration classes, they talk a lot about reflecting on your teaching, so allow this post to be one where I do that.

When it comes to technology, I realized that I probably over thought the fact that kids do have easy access to computers and the Internet, or at least ways to get to one.  I am realizing that is not necessarily the case.  I do my best to make the computers in my classroom available, but with coaching a sport, I can't be available in the afternoons for the first few months and that has made it tough to "require" use by the students.

When it comes to keeping a classroom blog, I should have started out requiring kids to reply to a post for credit on a test, or something a long those lines.  I also should have done the same about getting the word out about my Facebook and Twitter pages to the parents.  I have realized that I am not getting the usage from students out of my blog, Facebook, and Twitter that I had hoped for, and that all falls back on me for how I approached it.

I am using the blog to update what we are doing in class, but not as an engaging tool with parents and students as I hoped it would be.  I know that next trimester I will need to do a better job of communicating this to parents.  I have also had a recheck on reality of what it means to teach 120 kids each day.  Communication takes a lot of work, even in the electronic age when it is supposed to be faster.

The good thing is that our district is on Trimester schedule, so in November I will have a whole new subject and classes of students.  This will allow me the opportunity to adjust my approach to utilizing the social media I have created in my classroom.  I will make it more of a focus during class time and share more of what is being done and what students are saying.  It will also be more applicable as I get into Government and Economics.  Sometimes, subject matter can play a huge role in how technology is used effectively.

A couple weeks ago I did take my students to the computer lab to work on a project.  The past two years I have read and read about how this generation knows how to use the Internet and a computer and type in Word successfully.  I am learning that is not really the case.  Technology is not as "natural" to them as we think it might be.  Certain aspects, yes, but as a whole, no.  It will be interesting to see if this changes in the coming years.


What have I had success in though?
- Students were able to easily navigate the CIA World Fact Book site for a geography project.
- Several students have signed up for the Remind 101 account that I have created.


With next trimester also comes the possibility of video conferencing with a 5th grade teacher who is a friend of mine and having our own "Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader" game; as we both study government.  I am looking forward to that, and hope to blog about the experience when we get to that point. 

How have you reflected on your teaching recently?

Remind101 - Text Messaging Service

Remind101 is a Text Messaging service that allows teachers to easily setup classrooms to text message students and parents and remind them of events, homework, and/or to study for an important test.  Using the service is simple because is allows you to provide students a code for each class that you set up.  They can then text that code and will be added to your list. 

Based on my previous post this seems like the best way to use cell phone technology outside the classroom.  I have the information of my students who get text messages, but have not had time to do anything with it.  With this service, it takes out the step of logging the information into an excel spreadsheet and then into my email when I would use something like TextServ.

Give Remind101 a try, and to learn more, watch the videos below.  And as always, read the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Remind101 from remind101 on Vimeo.


remind101 tutorial from remind101 on Vimeo.

My Student's Used Their Cell Phones in Class....GASP!

Yesterday it finally happened....I allowed students to use their cell phones as part of a lesson I was doing in class.  Something frowned upon in several schools across the country.  The use of the cell phones was minimal, as I will explain below, but it was a freeing experience trying something that last time I was in the classroom I never would have thought about doing.

The lesson was on Population Density.  I was explaining to the students how density can be vital in understanding various aspects of human geography.  High density can help explain crime rates, pollution, innovation, etc.  The opposite COULD be true about low density countries.  Within the lesson was an activity where students were to calculate the population density of several countries.

As I was explaining the assignment and doing a sample, it happened...

"Mr. Zimmer, can we use the calculators on our phones?" 

Without a thought, I replied with a resounding, "Sure." 

I had some calculators that I borrowed from the math department, but not enough that could type in digits for statistics that were in the hundreds of millions and even billions.  In previous years, I would have said no, but at the same time, phones and iPods with good calculators did not exist a few years ago, and not nearly as numerous.  So I found myself adapting to the generation of students I had.  Of course at the same time, the pressure was on me now to monitor the students and ensure that the phones were being used in a proper manner. 

I have to say that it was a great first experience.  I was always worried about students getting off task with them, but like all classrooms, if you just walk around the room and keep students guessing where you will step next, they will stay on the task you require to avoid getting in trouble.

No issues, no problems, and a successful experience using a technology that is readily available to so many students of this generation, yet banned in so many classrooms.

Putting EdTech into Practice - Document Camera

After two years of helping teachers utilize a document camera and providing ideas for how they could use them, it became my turn when I got back into the classroom.  Unfortunately the classroom setup is a little odd, but utilizing other tools, I am able to use the camera in an effective manner with my students.

I am a fan of my document camera and you can learn more about the model I use and ways to use one by reading some blog posts about it. Granted I have not completely reached full potential with its use in the classroom, but I am getting to the point where I or my students use one everyday.

Below are some of the ways that I have been using the Document Camera in the classroom:
1.) I had students graph data related to population growth in the United States.  I was able to easily go through the procedures on how to label the graph by placing it under the document camera.  I also was able to take graphs from previous classes and showcase them so that students had a good idea of what I was looking for.  Using the image capture I took pictures of them so that I have them for later.

2.) Students are always asking "What page is that on?"  Using the document camera I am able to easily show the page to the students, and highlight the area they should be looking.  It has been great when discussing images and charts that are in the book...something that was much more difficult when I did not have one.

3.) I gave a test and when I was done grading the test I was able to share the various levels of responses with the classes and obscure the name of whose test it was.  Students were then able to see what I was and was not looking for in their answers.  With transparencies that was possible to do, but it was time consuming.

4.) Every handout that I use I could easily display a copy on the board for my students to utilize.

5.) Instead of having students answer questions aloud, I have students come to the board as they are working and "write" responses to questions that they have completed and then as a class we can discuss them.

I have realized that the best aspect of a Document Camera is the ability to view larger what my students are also looking at.  It makes discussing topics much easier and more beneficial in engaging my students.

How are you using a Document Camera?

I Will Still Use Power Point

If you follow this blog regularly, then you know that I am adamant about the misuse of Power Point in the classroom.  We have used and abused it beyond how it was intended and we are using it in a manner that hinders the educational process.  I prefer to use other methods and in a previous post I shared several other options.

This year though, I will be using Power Point....but for a completely different reason.  This year I am using Power Point as a method of sharing my daily agenda, homework, and "I Can" statements that are required.  I have realized this is so much easier then writing everything on the board each morning or afternoon.  I can do it in advance and have it ready for when students enter the room.  Students know exactly where to look and know exactly what they will be learning in my classroom each day.  I can then save them and post them to my website each week if necessary so that students know what we did if they missed school.

I suggest you try this if you have access to a projector or your computer is hooked to the TV and see if it is something that helps you in your classroom.