Evaluation for the First Semester Thus Far

     So far this semester has been a trivial time of adapting lessons to meet Common Core/Essential Standards demands, while also making engaging lessons for students using technology in a way that lets them learn twenty-first century skills (technological ones as well as social) and lets them delve deeper into the curriculum.  

 

     World History is an intense class already - we cover over 6,000 years of history in one semester.  So I need a way to cover the main points, themes, and concepts while also not staying in one section for too long.  Here are some of the things I've done with my students that have been successful and some that haven't been AS successful as they could have been.

- Webquests - my standard go to at the moment, almost every unit I teach has students going and completing a webquest on the iPads.  This really allows me to have students go research and delve into specific topics, while not spending hours on it at the front of the room in straight lecture.

- Quizlet  - Students who have not been studying well have seen drastic improvements using the Quizlet app on the iPads (please note Quizlet is a Web 2.0 application on a website and the app came later).  Students can access Quizlet not only on their computer at home, or the iPads in the classroom, but on their smart phones as well.  Students have seen fluctuations as big as 30's turning into 100's using Quizlet.

- Fodey.com - I did a previous post about Fodey.com; Fodey.com is another web-based application that does not use Flash so it is perfect for the iPads.  It allows students to create secondary resources for an event, that look like an actual newspaper, and provide not only an activity where they need to research, develop, and create their story to be historically accurate, but it gives them a finished product that looks quite marvy.

- iMovie - I must say my students love iMovie.  We have done two major projects with iMovie.  The first was Greek Gods and Goddesses.  Students had to create an iMovie trailer that showed their God/Goddess without actually saying the name of their God or Goddess.  The videos were then used as a review in class the day before the Gods and Goddesses quiz.  The second and most recent was the Enlightenment Interview making an iMovie Project in which one member was the host of the news program, one was the camera person and the third was the person the group was assigned.  Students then had to conduct an interview about the person's life from childhood to adulthood as well as why they were famous.  This one in the future is going to have a different set up.  They are going to have a generalized fill-in for the interview and storyboarding for their camera shots.  The videos ended up coming in with highly diverse levels of performance.  So it will be edited before next semester.

- Keynote - Keynote (iMovie and Keynote were two apps that I purchased this semester) is like Power Point in certain regards and nothing like Power Point in others.  Students who watched the tutorial were more at ease with the transition into Keynote than those who just jumped in trying to work on their presentations.  We have done Keynote Presentations on World Religions and Renaissance people.  So far I have been impressed with their outcomes.  

     Some random things, students can easily get frustrated in using the iPads when a program isn't immediately working.  If it isn't working just close the program completely and reopen it and 9 times out of 10 it is working again.   When students are doing collaboration projects I have them fill out evaluation forms that simply state... "I Did" with lines available to fill in and "My Group Mates Did" with lines available and students are supposed to write about each member of the group independently.  I don't allow them to talk or exchange papers during the evaluation to see what each person wrote down and see if they match.  If a student didn't participate to the full extent of other group members they do not get the same grade as everyone else.

So far I would say that overall I'm quite happy with where I am thus far and look forward to coming up with more ideas and finding more apps that assist my students in learning more about World History (and hopefully next semester more African American Studies projects as well!).

Fodey.com... I'm in LOVE

     While perusing my usual PLN locations, I had answered someone's post about things I do in my classroom to make innovative lessons.  The next person that posted truly sent an EXCELLENT Web 2.0 application.  Fodey.com allows you to create  newspaper article clippings about events/themes/etc. and make it look realistic!  It only does the one little corner of an article and if your title is too long for your article is will cut it off.  However, it will include anything you typed into the article.  

     My African American Studies class used fodey.com to create Newspaper Articles for the different events in the Scottsboro Boys cases.  We had articles covering from their initial arrest to their initial court case to their retrials and finally the government stepping in to release the boys.

     My World History class will be using fodey.com for World War II and creating articles for main events during World War II which will be upload into a Google Doc to put them all chronologically.  

     This application is quick and easy.  Students can change the name of the Newspaper, the date, the name of the article, and then write the article itself.  Once they are done they click "Generate" and voila they have their article appear at the top of the screen.  They can save it (it is a picture file) by downloading it and then they can either send you the file they sent or they can upload them to google docs and create a newspaper clipping timeline.   

Google Translate... Saves the Day

     Google Translate is not always faithful in its translations of foreign languages, but did you know that it reads English really well?  I have been using Google Translate for my read aloud students who only occasionally want certain words read to them.  Rather than them having to go ask an adult in the library or in another classroom I arm them with an iPad that is restricted from Safari and other programs that might be used to help cheat and allow them to type in what they want read and then they hit the speaker and it reads the words to them.  They no longer need to feel self-conscious about asking, because they don't need to ask anyone, so at least my students, have been more likely to use the program.
   
    Google Translate also came in handy when I was sick with a sinus infection.  My sinus infections come quickly and out of no where.  I went from being completely fine to not having a voice in less than twelve hours.  I had an important meeting on the day I lost my voice though (one I had been attempting to set up for WEEKS) and was not about to miss my parent conference because I had no voice.  Google Translate allowed me to talk to my students during the day without talking, as well as communicating with the parent without saying a word.  It truly saved the day!  Google Translate helps in multiple areas, not just translating :)