Back To School: Tech Tuesday

What is up with all of these back to school posts?! I know we hate to see out summers shrivel away, but the truth is, I am already back in the classroom. This week is just orientations and meetings, but my summer is pretty much gone.

This post is about some of the technological bits and ends that I use in my class. It isn't about everything (I don't want to bore you to death). I stray away from obvious things like my laptop, and try to focus on smaller more random tech tidbits.

Disclaimer: The factory pictures of the product  below (not the ones of the products in my class) will take you to the Amazon page where you can purchase them. They are affiliate links, so I do make a small percentage off your purchase. I am sure there are other amazing versions of the products I mention, and if you know of one you like better feel free to leave a comment. I was also lucky enough to receive some of these products for free or at a discounted price to evaluate. However, I would NOT include them in my blog if I didn't think they were awesome products)


1. Bluetooth Speaker
I got the blue speaker to match my school colors, but it barely matters because this thing is so small it is really not a distraction.

I have a reward where students can create their own YouTube playlist and I'll play it the next class. I call it "DJ for a day."  They love it! I used to have it playing from my computer (which hooks up to the class speakers) but I moved it to my iPad for convenience. I can still get a powerful sound out of it with this speaker. Awesome.


2. PowerPoint Remote


My students LOVE PowerPoint, as for more, it isn't my favorite presentation platform, but it can still add some great visuals to student presentations. The problem? Moving from slide to slide. Students who try to navigate the PowerPoint themselves end up stick on the computer, and those who try to get a friend to click through slide spend most of the time saying, "The other slide, no before... I wasn't done!" UGH! Then I discovered the PowerPoint remote! Ridiculously easy to use. There is no software and less than five buttons on the whole thing! It even comes with batteries. You attach the USB to the computer being used, switch the remote on and that's IT! This lets students focus on their presentation and allows the technology to help rather than hurt them. Plus, it has a laser pointer. Despite all of the advances in technology, students are still amused with a laser pointer.


3.Kitchen Timer

Sometimes lo-tech is the best tech!

I do use an online stopwatch most of the time, but this is great for small groups, individual work, or just a change of pace for the whole class.

My favorite part about this timer is that it is magnetic. My classroom has magnetic whiteboards, window frames, and doors. I have lots of places to stick this fella without worrying about him going away.



 4. Multi USB charging station.
Do you Kahoot? Students use their cell phones during break, and (for educational purposes) during class! The batteries can drain rather quickly. My students will have their own laptops next year, but our desks are so tiny that I just know I'll have this conversation

Me: Put your cell phone away please.
Student: Its just charging
Me: Well...put it.... more away!

To avoid this I got a five port charging station I set up on my desk. Students are welcome to use it to get their battery where it belongs, their cell phone stays where I can see it and out of sight out of mind their cell phone proves less of a temptation.

5. Humidifier / Air Freshener

 I teach high school. During lunch (and sometimes at break) the boys play soccer. After lunch they have my class. Do you get where I am going with this? I teach sweaty high school boys. I've already added a welcome mat to help them de-grass their shoes, but I quickly went out and bought an air freshener.

I like the plug in ones because I can boost the scent right before they come in and turn it off over the weekends and at night. Being able to adjust how strong I want it really makes it last longer AND be more effective against my soccer players.

Plus, I like teaching them about studying with associations. Since my class smells like lavender, they should study at home with something that smells like lavender. Then, when they come back to my class the scent will trigger their memories. Cool, right?

If you, or your students, are particularly sensitive to scents, you may want to consider a humidifier.

BONUS Cord Organizers!

While not strictly technical, these make my technological life more organized. With all of the laptops, tablets, and other random devices I have in my class, cords can get a bit cluttered. These cord organizers are awesome. I can stick them anywhere to make my cords easily accessible. I use the black ones for my desk, and the colored ones for the students' station.



So there we are! My favorite (random) technology in my class. What about you? What's the tech item you use the most? Or the one you're surprised you love? Going the other way, what technology disappointed you?

In Depth Viral Challeneges Project

Ice Bucket Challenge Photographer: Kim Quintano cc-by-2.0 

This assignment can be done entirely in your classroom, but I really feel students do better if you let them have an assignment that transfers to the real world. For me, I'd consider Steps 1-5 practice, but the big event is the Homework / Project!

The ice bucket challenge, Angry Legs, Kylie Jenner Challenge. How do things go viral online and what can we do about it?

Here's a quick lesson students are sure to love that will help them work in groups, research, read, write, and present information to the class.

Step 1: Get together a bunch of "viral" challenges or just concepts which went viral (Harlem Shake for example). This really works best if the students select their own, but I'd suggest you have some for backup. Then start class. Ask them what the word viral means. Have them start brainstorming viral challenges. Have they done any of these? Do they know people who have? What do they think of most of them. At this point students may sign up for their own challenge. Note: They do not need to do the challenge to sign up. They can pick a challenge they disagree with and discuss why.

Example: I want to write about #AngryLegs where people take leg selfies.

Step 2: Have students select a concept and look  up exactly what it is. Not just, "People dance" but what exactly it is. How long should it be. Do they need to mention anything? Does it have a set hashtag? Once they know the basics move on to step 3.

Example:  If you read my earlier blog post about hemlines in education After a girl in Algeria was told her skirt was too short she created a Facebook page that encouraged people to take #LegSelfies where they could show off their bare legs to prove she wasn't the only one angry about this situation.  

Step 3: What were the results of the challenge? ALS earned record amounts of money once the ice bucket challenge went viral. The Kylie Jenner challenge resulted in some teenagers going to the hospital.

Example: As of this point the school had stood by the fact that she was not dressed appropriately. No changes or statements other than the standard have been made. However, at least her story has been heard.

Step 4: Do they agree or disagree with the challenge? Should other people do it? Why or why not?

Example: If the people participate in this challenge because they feel that anyone should be able to show their calves without recourse, then great! However, if people are taking part only because they want to have a sexy picture of their legs, they should probably pass.

Step 5: Combine all of the information that you have on your challenge and create something to show the class. This can be a news report, a commercial, a warning, or anything you feel best shows what you collected.


Now for the fun part! :) :) :)

Homework/Project
 Think of a problem that bothers you: pollution, bullying, fake sugar in soda: anything goes! In your group create a challenge that you feel could help this problem. Consider a specific task that would suit itself to being recorded or photographed. You can also create a hashtag. If you have the technological means consider creating accounts on We365.com. This is a site where every day has a challenge to help people change the world! Submit your challenge and see if it spreads!

How great would it be if your students could not only learn a bit more about the viral sensations they've seen, but also create something that makes the world a better place!

Infographic Project - Charity Based Research

My students have done infographics before to practice argumentation and essay structure. This project uses infographics again, but this is a different project that is much more non-fiction and research based.

This project has tons of technology and websites.

I am really excited about it, and about being able to post about it. In total the charity infographic project took three classes, but there was very little homework. I am listing all the steps together here and you can divide them as needed, take steps out if wanted, or add to it. I actually did a bit more (e.g. I worked on using notecards) but here are all of the infographic based steps:

1. To start, I pass around a sheet of statistics on a topic we are covering: in this case GMOs.We quickly review the statistics and go over whether they are for or against GMOs. Then, I ask students how interesting that was. Most of them say not very.
2. Using infographics I found online earlier, I show them 10 different GMO statistics we go over each infographic and decide: how does it look, how are the facts, and is it for or against GMOs.
3. Students on their own think about what they liked about infographics, and what they didn't. What seemed to work, and what fell flat. After some individual work I let them share with a small group, and then we discuss it as a class.
4. In small groups (2-3) students are assigned to select an infographic about anything they want. They need to know 1. Why they picked the topic 2. Why  they liked it
5. Students made short presentations on their infographics.
1. The goal of 1-5 is to introduce students to the topic of infographics and have them get a feel for what they like and don't like. What colors don't work well. When is too much on an infographic too much? Is white space good or bad? etc.  For me, 1-5 took one 90 minute class.
6. Finally, I let the students know that they will be creating their own infographic on a charity. 
7. I gave them an approved (they had to be within the guidelines of the school) list of charities and told them to pick whatever one they wanted. They could also pick a different charity, but the school administrators would need to approve it. In groups of two-three students selected a charity.
8. We went over good sources vs bad sources (we covered this before) and I let them research away. If a student started researching and realized they didn't like their charity, they were allowed to switch.
• My students spent an entire class researching. While some finished early, most were really working the whole class period. For fast finishers however go to step 9.
9. After I noticed some students had quite a bit of reliable research ready, I showed them http://piktochart.com/. There are other infographic sites out there, but (for reasons I will discuss in #15) I prefer to use this one. If done researching, students could create an account and begin playing on the site.
10. I show them an infographic that I made on a charity (I selected one they didn't choose as an example). We go over what we like and what we don't like. We look at the organization pattern, the charts, the visuals, the colors etc.
11. Examine and review infographic assignment.  Be sure that students understand everything they are expected to do.
• Using the rubric on the assignment have students grade my infographic.
• I usually make a few typos, or choose a hard to read font to make sure they give constructive criticism.
12. Give a quick tour of Piktochart. I like having students learn on their own, but giving them a good start is usually a solid idea.
• How to sign up
• Where to start
• Free vs Paid
• How to undo
• Where to find pictures
• etc.
13. Allow students to work on Piktochart
14. Have students submit their Piktochart to me. I make corrections and give it back to them. 
15. Model Presentation (This is why I like Piktochart! Some other sites have this option as well though.)
• Using Piktochart's presentation mode I give a presentation justifying why I selected my charity. 
• I am always sure to make a few easy to spot mistakes so students can correct me
16. Have students grade my presentation
17. Let students create their own presentations
18. Students present their infographics to the class
19. While presenting, students evaluate the infographic and the quotes
20. Finally, my students evaluate themselves.

DONE...for now. There's actually a final part, where my students raise money for the charity, but I'll save that for another post.

For now, I'll show you some of my favorite infographics my students created. Click on the charity name to see the whole infographic.

• San Diego Hunger Coalition was a group that really took advantage of all piktochart had to offer. They had fun picking different backgrounds, and they stuck to small chunks of text (rather than writing everything down). This group was a clear division of labor. One person researched cool facts and statistics, and the other person played on Piktochart until they found the perfect look. Normally I am more a fan of collaboration (rather than divide and conquer), but this group was persistently communicating, so it seemed to work well for them.  
• L'Arche This student really had fun with the graphics. Every block in her presentation has the same theme, and all of the visuals go with one another. She also added little details where possible. For example, one of the graphics was of a person and it didn't include eyes, so using the shape tools she added them. Her partner missed a few days of school, so she did most of the work on her own, and I was really proud of the final product.
• Build a Miracle Group was big into incorporating the graphics into the block. That is, nothing was ever stand alone, it was almost one big picture. They also found really great facts to support donating. This group was also one of the most prepared groups when it came to donating. They really worked hard to know their stuff and came across as quite knowledgeable.
• Finally, Las Hermanas San Diego was a really fun group! They went outside the box a bit, and used the graphics in ways that weren't normal. For example, they used rectangles as surfboards, and put people in normal clothes standing on them to make surfers! Adorable!

Thanks so much for sticking around for the whole post! This really is a fun project it helps teach students about:

• the good charities do
• research skills
• visuals
• learning how to use new computer programs
• working in a team
• organizing their thoughts
• evaluating one another
• self evaluating

And of course, the writing and speak skills I am focusing on in my speech class were there (grammar, intonation, transition words, volume, etc.)

I have the worksheets I used available for purchase at TeachersPayTeachers  if you are interested. You can also download the preview for free to see part of it.