Making a Teacher's Life Easy: Digital Assessment Tools

Stuff this week - Making a Teacher's Life Easy: Digital Assessment Tools Two weeks ago I introduced a concept which has been shown to increase the time a teacher has available on the classroom to work directly with the students, flipped learning. This week I want to mention another time saving use of technology. Teachers regularly conduct quick assessments of student progress during a block of teaching a topic. Typically this will be a short exam such as a spelling test. After the test is completed the teacher has to spend time marking the twenty or so papers which takes time. This method enables the teacher to know where every student is at with the subject material but the time taken up is large. An alternative is a short quiz where the teacher asks individual students for their response. This doesn't take much time but doesn't capture every child’s level of understanding. What is needed is something which every child answers but doesn't need to be marked individually by the teacher. As it turns out there are a multitude of software options that do just this. They can be used as conversation starters, competitions or plain individual tests. All of the software I mention below is free for school or small class use. If all the teacher has access to is a phone or tablet they could use Plickers. Each student is given a piece of paper with a unique shape on it. Depending on which way up the paper is held the students can answer A,B,C or D. The teacher scans across the room with their phone, the app recognises each student's answer and records it for immediate display or later analysis. Once all students have a device then the teacher could use Kahoot. Kahoot is best known for its quiz show style mode where the fastest to give the correct answer gets a higher score than other correct students. This adds an element of fun (gamification) to the assessment. It also has an untimed quiz mode. In all cases data can be downloaded for later review. Some teachers prefer Socrative which is similar. Gosoapbox is best known for its discussion mode. Students are presented with the multiple choice answers and after they choose they are then shown a graph of how many students chose each answer. This is great for checking opinions on a topic which can then lead into why the students have that view. It also has a quiz mode as well. If data gathering is the goal then Google Forms would likely be the perfect choice or for spelling tests the website Spelling Stars is a good solution. It is helpful to be across a number of these tools as they each have their strengths. Teachers just need to select the tool that saves them time and if it increases student engagement then that would be a bonus. If they were setting a multiple choice assessment anyway then why would you not use one? Has your school trialed any of these tools? Was it successful? If not then please let me know why. P.S. The are many other applications available. Just google “kahoot alternative” and filter for the last year.

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Stuff in the news Teaching teachers digital literacy - Dr Jane Hunter speaks with Wendy Harmer on ABC radio about teacher training, school Internet connectivity and SMART planning. Man versus machine: Evidence that robots are winning the race for jobs - An article from the Brisbane Times 28 March 2017 Corporate Brings STEM Program to Disadvantaged Students - Disadvantaged students in low-socioeconomic communities will have access to evidence-based STEM education resources through a new corporate partnership A 'dire' lack of interest in students wanting to pursue maths careers - An article from the Sydney Morning Herald 30 March 2017

Stuff to buy micro:bit - The UK lead with way with computing for kids. First the Raspberry Pi and now the micro:bit. Designed by the BBC it is a tiny computer made for education. *At this point in time I earn no money from any product I list and I am not affiliated with any other company.

Stuff in education It has been a big few weeks for STEM conferences. The World Science Festival in Brisbane wrapped up a week of science on Sunday the 26th. The Street Science weekend was fantastic with big crowds but plenty to see and do. It is an excellent event made even more awesome by the fact that much of it was free!  In the same week the Future Schools Expo was held in Melbourne. Anybody serious about reshaping education was there. This is organised by the same people who are organising EduTech which is on in Sydney starting on May 30. Also in Sydney; this week was the 2017 STEM Symposium and later the 4th Annual STEM Education Conference is on 26-27 July. For those in Brisbane there are two conferences coming up which may be of interest. The "Leading A Digital School Conference" is on 17-19 August at Surfers Paradise and just after that the "Adolescent Success Teaching and Learning Conference" is on in Brisbane from 24-26 August. Hopefully your school is sending representatives to some or all of these.

Stuff to do Australia Wide Young ICT Explorers -  A non-profit competition, which has been created by SAP to encourage school students to create their best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related projects. Registrations are OPEN. See the YouTube video here! Edutech 2017 - EduTECH is the LARGEST education event in Asia-Pac and the Southern Hemisphere. 7-9 June 2017 in Sydney. - - - Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks  Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club

Stuff to do in Brisbane It's Rocket Science School Incursions - Educational and fully interactive project based rocket science incursions for primary and secondary schools in a safe and empowering learning environment. Robotronica 2017 - Robotronica is a groundbreaking one-day event showcasing the latest developments in robotics and interactive design. QUT's The Cube 20 August 2017  - - - Brisbane Library Service has purchased the very flash NAO Robot and is showing it off in various libraries. The Cube at QUT has a number of changing programs.  Brisbane Planetarium - Features entertaining and informative shows for adults and children STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane Flying Fox Studios - A studio offering programs in the arts, music and construction areas from babies to teenagers in Brisbane Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre in Brisbane For Budding Coders And Engineers Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what they can't at school

Flipped Learning

Stuff this week - Flipped Learning There are a number of new methods and tools available to teachers in the 21st century classroom. Over the next few weeks I will introduce a number of them to provide a glimpse of how teaching could be done (and is being done around the world). The primary goal of introducing anything into the classroom should be to improve the outcomes for the students. This could be through direct impact by increased engagement or better, more understandable, ways of presenting the material. It could also be through freeing up the teacher’s time so they can spend more one on one time with the students that need it. This weeks post is an example of the latter. In last week’s post I mentioned at the end the term “flipped learning”. So what is this? In the traditional classroom the teacher stands at the front and delivers the lesson then sets tasks to be completed and moves around assisting the students, further practice is done as homework. Typically though during the lesson delivery due to the “bell curve” there are a group of students who get it straight away, a group who are concentrating hard and just getting it and a group who are thinking “I have no idea what the teacher is talking about.” The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions. First mentioned in 2006 Flipped Learning gained popularity when Salman Khan mentioned it in his Ted Talk "Let's Use Video to Reinvent Education" in 2014.There are many advantages to the flipped learning model: Time in class is freed up for the teacher to provide direct 1:1 instruction Video instruction allows teachers to implement demonstrations that would be hard to do live in every class (e.g., animation, experiments or visualization techniques). Students can watch the lesson at their own pace. Pause or rewind if desired Students can think about questions they have about the topic and write them down for the next day Students can work at their own pace in class There are a number of websites devoted to helping teachers introduce flipped learning into their classroom. There is the Flipped Institute and also flippedlearning.org. It is important to emphasise that the concept is not a fringe idea. The University of QLD Institute for Teaching and Learning Innovation have a page devoted to it. There has been research devoted to exploring the effectiveness of the technique which finds that it generally leads to positive gains. This is brought home by Jon Bergman who is a high school science teacher in Brisbane who writes an article "Grades & Satisfaction Up in New Flipped Learning Research". In terms of making the videos teachers can record their own (iPads are great for this) or they could use videos they find online that meet their requirements. For maths the Khan Academy is a great resource and the blog post from Massachusetts University provides ideas about how to go about using this.  I hope that a common theme I have been presenting is that planning is essential. Flipped learning is a great tool to use amongst many other tools in a teacher's bag. I will finish by pointing you to a great article titled "Flipping the Classroom Requires more than Video" which provides some more food for thought before embracing this method of teaching and also "7 Things You Should Know About Flipped Classrooms".

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Stuff in the news The Gold Coast school where boys become drone pilots - The elite Gold Coast school has introduced a Civil Aviation Safety Authority-approved drone piloting course, in what was claimed to be a Queensland-first.  Transcend the Classroom with Virtual Place-Based Learning - Simulation-based learning allows us to play in a highly immersive environment that reflects aspects of the real world.

Stuff to buy A recap on projects I have backed on Kickstarter! Makeblock Neuron - Like LittleBits on steroids. It has some unique modules and what sets it apart is that many are programmable. I think it is a fantastic product! Orboot: The Educational, Augmented Reality Globe - A smart AR globe that teaches children about countries and cultures from around the world. Inexpensive but awesome! *At this point in time I earn no money from any product I list and I am not affiliated with any other company.

Stuff in education Science curriculum needs to do more to engage primary school students - A new report around science literacy in primary school shows that while most students appear to be interested in learning new things in science – which includes learning about science and doing science-based activities – many students do not relate science to their own lives. An article from The Conversation 15 March 2017 Continuing the STEM conversation in primary schools - It is the quality of teachers and their classroom practices that are key factors in engaging students in STEM. An article from the High Possibility Classrooms Blog Modifying the Flipped Classroom: The "In-Class" Version - If flipping the classroom failed the first time perhaps with a slight twist, flipping might be possible after all. An article from Edutopia 24 March 2014.

Stuff to do Australia Wide Young ICT Explorers -  A non-profit competition, which has been created by SAP to encourage school students to create their best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related projects. Registrations are OPEN. See the YouTube video here! - - - Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks  Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club

Stuff to do in Brisbane QLD Association for Gifted and Talented Children Debating Competition - Love to see both sides of an argument, or simply looking for a chance to think critically and hear the ideas of others?  Look no further! Kenmore Library 26 March 2017 World Science Festival Brisbane - 22 - 26 March 2017. Dr Karl for Kids is sold out. Whats happening at the Queensland Museum during World Science Week - Loggerhead turtle hatching! Taxidermy and Street Science! STEMies - This event is open to all girls in years 4 to 6, offering the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops with STEM topics. To register visit the flexischools website and search for St Aidan's then select GUEST in the top right class list. Stuartholme STEAM Residential - A STEAM Residential program for gifted girls in Years 5 – 6, which will be held from the 2nd – 5th April during the school holidays Robotronica 2017 - Robotronica is a groundbreaking one-day event showcasing the latest developments in robotics and interactive design. QUT's The Cube 20 August 2017  - - - Brisbane Library Service has purchased the very flash NAO Robot and is showing it off in various libraries. The Cube at QUT has a number of changing programs.  Brisbane Planetarium - Features entertaining and informative shows for adults and children STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane Flying Fox Studios - A studio offering programs in the arts, music and construction areas from babies to teenagers in Brisbane Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre in Brisbane For Budding Coders And Engineers Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what they can't at school

How to do STEM at home

Stuff this week - How to do STEM at home? Some might think it would be great if we could send our kids off to school and they would learn everything they need to. However parents know this is not the case and parental involvement is essential. Indeed, experts agree that parent involvement in education is one of the biggest predictors of student success. The Australian Government even has a couple of webpages devoted to this. Firstly, Engaging Parents in Education and secondly Parent Engagement in Children’s Learning. In terms of STEM though what practically can you do. I list a number of organised activities in this blog but there is plenty that you can do at home. Starting off there are great YouTube channels. From my youth The Curiosity Show and Professor Julius Sumner Miller. Then Jiwi's Machines, Crash Course Kids, Fun Science Demos and Physics Girl are some of my favourites! Science For a fun science afternoon I recommend breaking out the Vinegar and Baking Soda and doing a bunch of experiments with that. Milk, Food Colouring and detergent is also an interesting activity. My girls are also slowly working their way through the book: The Curious Kid's Science Book. Technology Whilst on the subject of books a great intro to coding can be had by reading Hello Ruby. It gets some mixed reviews but my girls liked it. My older daughter liked Lauren Ipsum which is an Alice Through the Looking Glass style of story. Eventually though you probably want to get coding so I refer you back to my earlier blog post Resources to teach kids to code. The main thing that you want is to shift the kids towards activities which are creative rather than just consuming someone else's work. Engineering You don't get much more creative than engineering activities. You probably have Lego so this is the first stop and open ended tasks (ie. not just following the instructions) should be encouraged. Constructing a Rube Goldberg Machine is a great activity although you could probably start a bit smaller than the video in that link! Paddle Pop Stick Bridges are also a great task and make a good competition between kids! Maths So much of life revolves around maths yet we often don't notice it.  Whilst I do some overt maths with the kids as part of their school work there is so much more that can be done covertly! The article Math Education Needs to Start Early provides some excellent examples of how you can increase exposure to mathematical concepts just in your everyday conversations. If you would like to extend your kids overtly you might like to try Khan Academy. A free site used by millions of students everyday. It personalises learning through its software and uses gamification to motivate. If you create a parent account you get weekly updates of progress and can see the topics that they are stuck on. The software adapts to focus on weaker areas and doesn't bore them with exercises they have mastered. Salman Khan who started it has a great Ted Talk where he goes through the site's history and ongoing vision. He has popularised the idea of flipped learning. I will finish by directing you to an article from the Edutopia website Parent Partnership in Education: Resource Roundup which has some more food for thought and practical ideas. If you want more ideas then let me know!

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Stuff in the news Thales and CSIRO team up for STEM education - Thales has partnered with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) to promote vital Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education in Australian schools 'It's 2017': Male-dominated STEM degrees continue to pose challenge - An article from the SMH regarding the continued under participation by women in STEM courses at university. 5 March 2017. True appreciation of digital creates the haves - Teachers must be provided with the appropriate skills and they must be empowered to deliver the new digital and technology curriculum in a way that engages and inspires our young people. An article from The Australian 7 March 2017.

Stuff to buy Makeblock Neuron - Currently on Kickstarter this is sort of LittleBits on steroids. It has some unique modules and what sets it apart is that many are programmable. I think it is a fantastic product and I have ordered some for my girls! LittleBits Rule Your Room Kit - The littleBits Rule Your Room Kit gives kids the magic touch. With a handful of Bits and the brains in your head, you can now transform any boring old object into an awesome, interactive invention.  *At this point in time I earn no money from any product I list and I am not affiliated with any other company.

Stuff in education Tech Literacy: Making It Relevant Through Content Learning - Teaching technology at Meyer Elementary School goes beyond showing kids how to use email and apps. It gives students a context for learning technology through subject areas, making all learning more relevant. An article from Edutopia 5 January 2016 Parents may hold the key to teens' embrace of STEM education - Researchers from the University of Virginia have found a promising way to pique adolescents’ interest in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics: their parents.

Stuff to do Australia Wide Young ICT Explorers -  A non-profit competition, which has been created by SAP to encourage school students to create their best Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related projects. Registrations open in February. See the YouTube video here! - - - Bricks 4 Kidz® | Awesome Fun With LEGO® Bricks  Young Engineers Australia - Provides an engaging, hands-on learning platform using LEGO® and K’nex® assembly kits CoderDojo - A volunteer run programming club

Stuff to do in Brisbane Gifted Awareness Week - Science Party with Street Science - Street Science with Bath Bombs & Beautiful Science. Robertson State School 18 March 2017. QLD Association for Gifted and Talented Children Debating Competition - Love to see both sides of an argument, or simply looking for a chance to think critically and hear the ideas of others?  Look no further! Kenmore Library 26 March 2017 World Science Festival Brisbane - 22 - 26 March 2017. Dr Karl for Kids is sold out. Whats happening at the Queensland Museum during World Science Week - Loggerhead turtle hatching! Taxidermy and Street Science! STEMies - This event is open to all girls in years 4 to 6, offering the opportunity to participate in a series of workshops with STEM topics. To register visit the flexischools website and search for St Aidan's then select GUEST in the top right class list. Stuartholme STEAM Residential - A STEAM Residential program for gifted girls in Years 5 – 6, which will be held from the 2nd – 5th April during the school holidays Robotronica 2017 - Robotronica is a groundbreaking one-day event showcasing the latest developments in robotics and interactive design. QUT's The Cube 20 August 2017  - - - Brisbane Library Service has purchased the very flash NAO Robot and is showing it off in various libraries. The Cube at QUT has a number of changing programs.  Brisbane Planetarium - Features entertaining and informative shows for adults and children STEMPUNKS STEM classes for kids in Brisbane Flying Fox Studios - A studio offering programs in the arts, music and construction areas from babies to teenagers in Brisbane Building Block Studio | Learning Activity Centre in Brisbane For Budding Coders And Engineers Fun Chess Classes For Kids in Brisbane | Chess Mates Red Cat Science | Kids get to do what they can't at school