Field Trips

Field trips can involve four stages of learning for our students. ICL can support all the stages. In Stage 1, we can provide books, articles from databases, Web sites, videos and when visiting museums, a review of its Web site. Carefully crafted questions help students use research skills to begin their understanding of what they will experience during the field trip. By building their foundation knowledge, they are able to make the most of their time on the excursion. 

During Stage 2, the students take their trip. This is when they can experience the roles of photographer, videographer, reporter, and/or subject matter expert who gathers information. Student learning can be amplified when they work individually or in teams to use cameras and/or iPads to take photos and videos. They can play the role of reporter being video recorded to explain museum exhibits, give details on a site they are visiting, etc. Internet connected mobile devices provide students instant access to further information as questions come up during the visit. Stage 3 of the learning occurs when students return from the trip to begin processing the information they gathered. Technology supports collaboration when using information storage and storyboarding resources like Google Docs, Mindmeister, and Padlet. Stage 4 engages the students to report their learning depending on the teacher assigned assessment. 

Connecting students to other societies through geography can be supported through tools like Google Maps and Google Earth so check the next section on "Geography Connections". 

There are so many museum Web sites that offer rich student learning opportunities. Here are a few resources:

• Project Mash to Connect Museums and Other After School Learning Opportunities
• 77 Online Museums
• SmartHistory of Art thought the Ages
• Smithsonian Quests Inspiring Students to Explore, Connect and Learn

A few possible projects and tools to support field trips:

• Connected Classroom which provide virtual field trips via Google+
• Creation of a Virtual Exhibit using student recorded images and video to display them with tools such as Google Earth and Sites. Take a look at several examples using a variety of presentation tools. 
• Documentary using student recorded images and video of their in person visit or online visit
• Newscast using student recorded images and video of their in person visit or online visit
• Online or In Person Presentation of a field trip using Tool from our Presentation Technology Matrix
• Take Google Photo Sphere photos with Bubbli app on iPad/iPhone or Google Camera app on Android to contribute toGoogle Views
• Pull image of art from the museum collections in Google Cultural Institute for virtual tours that students can create within the Web site

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Web Learning Tool for Reading

We are making strides to support blended to virtual learning with the use of Xtramath and Dreambox. One option for reading that follows the same model of students having individual accounts is the Raz Kids online reading tool. It uses adaptive technology so that students can hear stories read to them or read them while selecting keywords to hear them. Student progress is measured via reading comprehension quizzes. Teachers and parents have access to the records. 

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Terrific Podcast Network

I mentioned in previous posts that podcasts can provide excellent material for professional learning. A one stop shop is the Edreach Network of podcasters. They cover a wide range of categories including the arts but their main focus is on technology and education.


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A Few Resources to Support Virtual Learning for Emergency Closure

There are many places online to find lessons, interactive Web sites, simulations, etc. to pull from to design learning activities for students to do in case of school closure. Here are a few.

WIS PS Library Web site: Online Resources  |  Websites for Communication, Creating, French, etc.

Web Resources for Learning: PD & ICL - go to the Digital Resources section for media, lessons, interactive sites, etc. iTunes U has resources for primary students. Also take a look for podcasts in iTunes that your students could listen to.  Thinking Routines: Look for ways to do the routines virtually using a variety of tools.

Pinterest: You can find all sorts of resources “pinned” by teachers from around the world.

Twitter Hashtags: One can search for hashtags to find resources. Examples are #ELL, #edtech, #french, etc.

Three gurus for sharing online resources: Kathy Schrock  |  Richard Byrne  | Larry Ferlazzo

WebQuests: WebQuests are terrific structures to support inquiry using online resources. You can find ones posted to the Web and/or create your own. They are project-based and collaborative which helps build community while students are stuck at home. 

Best Practice Videos

Looking for new instructional and assessment strategies from innovative teachers? Maybe you are thinking about digital portfolios, using the iPad as a creativity device or maybe using stories to teach math. All of these topics are covered in an excellent Web site created for teachers. The EduSlam best practices video site is a terrific place to learn from other teachers. The curators of the site interview teachers who share their best ideas in less than five minute videos. 

Personalized Learning

Professional development is increasingly being described in terms of "personalized learning" with individuals having control over how they spend their learning time not just for work but also for personal growth. This practice connects educators to a larger network of co-learners and resources. Just as we work to individualize and personalize learning for students, we do the same for teachers who are empowered to design their own "PD" with the "P" representing personal and professional. Learning has no boundaries as we pull in and share information in our network feeding our curiosity whether it be for Thai cooking, core strength training, differentiated instruction or using multimedia in assessments.  

A couple places to get a feel for this shift in professional learning are the EdSurge blog for field reports on how various schools and districts are "remixing" their PD and a white paper entitled "Solving the Professional Learning Crisis".

The familiar approach to professional development is to attend workshops in-school and travel to conferences. A shift has occurred which now puts the individual educator at the center of the professional learning process. Instead of relying on in-person, infrequent sources for development, educators now create Personal Learning Networks (PLN) made up of digital learning resources and people. PLNs not only provide learning opportunities, but build community by offering a forum for sharing ideas and collaborating with others. Speak with an ICL team member to learn more about using educator blogs, Twitter,podcasts, Nings and other digital resources to construct a PLN to meet your personal learning needs. 

For resources to support your personalized learning, look to check out the PD & ICL section of the Web Resources for Learning Web site. 

Blogging

Writing is a key component of our PYP curriculum, especially as our students learn in two languages. One location in which to give students easy access to their writing (i.e., no lost papers) is our school-wide system of Google Docs. The 24/7 access to one's work and ability to collaborate on projects and/or peer editing definitely enhances our writing program. A second tool to support student writing is blogging. Google provides a blogging system called Blogger.

Blogging is both rewarding and motivating for students as it is an authentic task of writing for an audience other than just their teacher. With a click of a hyperlink, bloggers can gather high quality information from our library Online Resources page to further leverage the connectivity that Blogger provides. They can then include links to Web sites as well as embed images and video into their blogs to further make connections in their thinking. Settings can be applied to limit the audience to parents of individual students, your classroom or the whole grade level. Blogs also can be set to be public on the Web. Blogging is about providing a continuously updated stream of communications, and clearly puts students into the position of constantly going through the writing process to publish their work. The comment feature in blogs enables a focus on analysis skills as students react to one another's posts. The conversation and learning go on outside the regular school day thus supporting blended learning.

Take a look at an excellent blog post about implementing blogging in your classroom. Notice the expansive conversation that develops in the commenting strands. Consider how students' blogs might encourage ongoing discussions about books, science activities, current events, and students' individual interests in the classroom. Here are two more helpful blog posts.

• 6th Graders Have Their Say: Why Students Value Blogging
• Why Blogging is So Valuable in the Elementary Classroom (Check the references section for links to other excellent resources)