Let me Google that for you

This post has been in the works for quote some time.  In fact it started with a conversation with my good friend Michelle Cordy in China on a high speed train.

We were joking about a tweet on downloading youtube clips on chrome and I tweeted that I found this on google. This was then replied with: did you just let me Google that. My reply was yes.

This is a conversation that we are having more and more as the power of technology grows. Our students have in their hands a whole universe of knowledge and this is just what they are doing. Can you blame them?

However, just googling it is so much more and this was were Michelle ' s and I conversation went. When I google I don't just let the first response dictate the information I use, I don't just keyword something and believe the information, I curate.

The funny thing is curate means to be a priest in charge (a fact I didn't know till today and yes google told me this); however, to:

curate something (especially on the Internet) to collect, select and present information or items such as pictures, video, music, etc. for people to use or enjoy, using your professional or expert knowledge.

When I search for information for friends or myself I use Google but I collect and select carefully. It isn't just any information that I use but ones that I feel are important for my research.

So how does this relate to today's classroom. Lately I have heard a lot of fear that we are raising a society that jusy google and that is not good enough. My fear isn't that I am raising kids who google but that we are raisin kids to memorize and not critically think about the facts they consume.

Information isn't like it was when we were kids, even when our parents were kids. Information is rapidly changing. In my lifetime I have used encyclopedias (book form), to digital Cds, to having it at my finger tips. Information changes so quickly that we have new phones every Six months. The information we are giving our kids will not serve them when they head into the work force. What will is being able to critically think and search for that information.

So I am fine that my students are googling, in fact they should be because my assessment and learning doesn't depend on the facts they find but how they use those facts. Googling is a tool that our kids should learn how to use. They should be curators of data and learn how to search, find, and use the data that is at their finger tips.

What do you think? Love to hear your thoughts.

Making Global Connections

I have started a cool new school project with a colleague who I have never met.  It is quite an interesting experience. But one that I would do any time I was asked.

The project is all about global connections and though we are in the same province and to be honest quite close it still is a rich experience for our students.  The project started when I was contacted through twitter by Sharon Moskovitz.  She told me that I was recommended by others who I have made good connections with for some help.  This then turned into a great conversation about our classrooms and global connections. Now our two classrooms are doing various projects together.  The funny thing is that we still haven't met face to face. And even though all we have had is conversations over the phone and through google docs she is a colleague and connections that I cherish and love having.

This is what we have been doing: 

1) Planning through Google Docs: 

Through conversations over the phone, and google docs we have been able to plan this whole project. It has been quite an amazing experience. And yes we realize that we can use hangout but just haven't had time to set it up.

2) Introduced ourselves through Google Draw: 

our introduction to our Global Connection Classroom @s_m077. Lot of fun using #GAFE and google draw pic.twitter.com/Xr9epAiBR1
— Jonathan So (@MrSoclassroom) October 27, 2014

3) Global Read aloud of "the Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane": 

             For this project the students have written each other letters to talk about their predictions and their questions.  The classes have also written the next chapter in the book. Our next steps is to take what we predicted and see if that will be correct. We are going to read the next chapter in the story and then compare it to the document.  We also plan on connecting each student with someone else and then have them write the next chapter, just like we did.

4) Global Math Projects:

        We also started a global math project. The students will be learning about "Right to Play". This is a great organization who is investing time into making sure all children have the right to play sports.  We also are exploring what sports various countries and cities like to play. We have a google form that we sent out to the world. The students will be comparing this data and drawing conclusions and hopefully making an action plan from it.

These are just some small ideas that we are working on. I know there are a lot more, so please if you have any let me or Sharon know. We would honestly love to hear from you. 

Global connections allow you to teach your students using real life situations and allow you to work with other classrooms across the world. It not only gives you really cool projects but it is such a rich learning environment for both the students and teachers.  As teachers our lives can get pretty busy and we can often isolate ourselves within our four walls but in my opinion when we open those walls up the learning and growth is so much richer.  Our students often do not get experiences to see outside of their community let alone be a part of other communities in their own country and around the world. We often talk about broadening the experiences of our students, there is no better way then connecting to various classrooms around the world.

Through this project our students are learning about each others lives and the lives of the world. They are seeing other peoples opinions and viewpoints and learning to collaborate with others who they have never met.

Our hopes is that they will become better at understanding the world around them and have a better appreciation for those close by.

Global Connections are lot of fun because they produce such amazing expereinces for teaches and students. I know that many of you do these types of projects would love to hear your ideas? What Global connections have you made? How do you plan for them? Any advice for me as a rookie? Any cool projects you would suggest next? Love to hear your thoughts.

Google for education, doctopus and goobrics

So I am absolutely in love with google for education, let me tell you why.  I know this may not be new for many of you but I have just found one of the easiest ways to keep track of my students documents, give feedback and mark them all in the same time. 

So what has gotten me so excited? I have been using google apps for the past month. My students have access to their own Gdrive (I have eliminated their email). You might not think this is anything special but within google apps there is an amazing scripted called doctopus.

Now a script is a computer code that is embedded into your program to allow you to other functions. Doctopus works with spread sheets to create lists for your class and "push" documents to your students without having to click on every single name and share.  It also allows you to give the ability for students to edit their own document and then have it there for you to mark; all in one easy area.  The nice thing is I can send all students one document, I can have certain groups have a document or I can have every single kid have a different document all in one click of the button.

Take a look at this YouTube video from Jay Atwood:

This is how I have been using it.  Because of apps I have been able to hand out documents that I want my students to work with. In this case I wanted them to be able to collect their research on communities and write a comparison paragraph. I gave most of the students a copy of a template I wanted them to follow. The template included success criteria, and a check list for them. I also created another one for my ESL students which had a chart and sentence starters.  If I wasn't using google apps this would have had to be photocopied for certain students or each student would have had to copy out the success criteria on their own. Part way through the writing process I shared a doc with them all as we talked about paragraph writing, students found my doc and then copied it to their drive so they had access to the exemplar. Yet again without google drive they would have had to photocopy or hand write.  Students just finished the work today, so back to my spreadsheet. Through doctopus I was able to add a "goobrics" a fancy name for a rubric.  See this video for more help:  

I then embargoed the work, which means they no longer have access to the document until I am done marking.

When I mark the rubric is right next, so I can highlight. I can also leave comments, do track changes in their work and then send it back for them to reflect, revise (if they want) and send back.  Not only this but students have this in their drive and can access it for an online portfolio.  This has been mind blowing and I can't believe I didn't start earlier.  If you haven't used doctopus yet I highly recommend trying it.