It's Elementary #25 - The Primary Perspective

This week our guests were Kathy Cassidy from Moose Jaw SK , a grade 1 teacher, Leah Welch from Hamden Maine, a grade 1 teacher and formerly a kindergarten teacher, and Amanda Marrinan from Brisbane Australia who teaches 6 and 7 year olds. These teachers do amazing things with their students - blogging, video, moodle, google docs, and more. Kathy, Leah and Amanda sharedtheir practice and talked about the details in how they make things work. The time flew as we all listened to the stories of their work with young children.

Amanda's class blog
http://2mgems.blogspot.com/

Kathy' class blog
http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337

Leah's class moodle
http://www.sad22.us/moodle/login/index.php login in as guest

18:53:42 Durff : take a cab
18:54:16 Durff : hi leah
18:54:28 leahlubelle : hello
18:54:30 leahlubelle : how are you
18:57:37 PeggyG : Hi all
18:57:47 k1looper : hi!
18:57:48 Durff : hi
18:58:20 PeggyG : stream is coming through now :-)
18:58:33 misst : hello
18:59:07 Durff : sound should be on ETT A
18:59:24 Durff : i believe Peggy confirmed the stream
18:59:34 rjacklin : Stream A is good
18:59:49 rjacklin : a little echoe!
19:03:31 Durff : welcome!
19:03:40 PeggyG : anticipation is building... :-) love hearing the behind the scenes prep :-)
19:04:08 Durff : :)
19:05:07 Alice Mercer : Hi all!
19:06:08 Cathy E : @KathyC I just listened to your K12Online presentation - Awesome!
19:06:09 Durff : hi maureen
19:06:22 Maureen/bcdtech : Hi Lisa
19:06:24 glovely : what a ROCK STAR lineup!
19:06:25 Cathy E : I am getting the stream
19:06:54 kathycassidy : @CathyE Thanks. I really can't take the credit. My co-presenter is the one with the video skills.
19:06:55 PeggyG : recent adventure--Moodle?
19:07:21 PeggyG : what an awesome panel of experts!
19:07:29 Durff : i am only a rock star groupie
19:07:32 Cathy E : Moodle for 1st grade?/ Can't wait to hear
19:07:48 MariaK : you will love it Cathy
19:08:03 MariaK : http://classblogmeister.com/blog.php?blogger_id=1337
19:08:06 glovely : please post the links to their sites when you can
19:08:09 MariaK : kathy Cassidy blog
19:08:35 MariaK : http://2mgems.blogspot.com/
19:08:43 MariaK : Amanda's blog
19:10:05 Alice Mercer : Hmm, is it better to loop when you are doing deep tech like blogging?
19:10:08 PeggyG : the photos and slide you add to your blog are so wonderful, Kathy!
19:10:22 kathycassidy : Amanda and I connected through one of her students. Her student started commenting on my blog.
19:10:27 k1looper : I will be looping with this class, so we'll see :)
19:11:06 PeggyG : I'm sure the looping helps a lot at the beginning of the year
19:11:15 Durff : looping?
19:11:30 glovely : blogfolios - love that word and idea
19:11:37 kathycassidy : @PeggyG The kids love that part. They all want to be stars.
19:11:44 MariaK : http://www.sad22.us/moodle/course/view.php?id=3
19:11:55 PeggyG : Amanda-did you start on blogmeister and move to blogger or just using blogger from the beginning?
19:11:56 MariaK : leah's moodle
19:12:15 MariaK : log in as guest
19:12:18 kathycassidy : Amanda isn't in this chat. She has always used blogger.
19:12:23 PeggyG : @Kath-they ARE all stars :-)
19:12:30 kathycassidy : So true.
19:12:39 PeggyG : thanks for clarification
19:12:41 kathycassidy : They feel like stars when they see themselves online.
19:13:45 PeggyG : I love hearing people say that blogging is embedded in their classroom--very different than thinking of it as an "add-on"
19:13:55 Durff : :) kathy
19:14:11 Durff : hi sujokat
19:14:21 Durff : sound on ETT A
19:14:41 sujokat : thanks durff
19:15:53 MariaK : http://www.sad22.us/moodle/course/view.php?id=3
19:16:00 MariaK : moodle link again
19:17:22 MariaK : http://alphabetantics.wetpaint.com/?t=anon
19:17:50 Durff : WOW-moodle looks great!
19:17:51 glovely : I was able to get on the moodle, just slow to load
19:17:53 k1looper : still won't play in itunes
19:18:05 Durff : try realplayer
19:18:08 leahlubelle : thanks!
19:18:09 leahlubelle : :)
19:18:09 Durff : blue icon
19:18:23 Maureen/bcdtech : Leah- do your kids log on to moodle as participants and do they use the blogging piece?
19:18:28 Cathy E : Why did you decide on moodle vs wiki?
19:18:53 leahlubelle : I like moodle because I can keep all my info/work in one place
19:19:20 leahlubelle : Moodle is something my district uses and ties me to the school rather than being completely independent
19:19:48 Durff : are all the moodles connected then?
19:20:01 rjacklin : Wiki is awesome!
19:20:04 leahlubelle : currently my students work together with me rather than independently
19:20:10 rjacklin : Any other collaborating schools?
19:20:20 Cathy E : I like that "capture learning"
19:20:29 leahlubelle : moodle is being used by other teachers in my building
19:20:30 Durff : flip video by expert videographers in primary school
19:20:47 Durff : stay tuned - you heard it hear first
19:20:50 leahlubelle : its becoming contageous!
19:21:07 Durff : a good contagion
19:21:25 Durff : welcome back looper
19:21:45 k1looper : media player is working
19:21:48 k1looper : yay!
19:21:51 kathycassidy : @k1looper Do you always loop with your kids? Is that the reason for your name?
19:21:52 Durff : yeah!
19:22:02 k1looper : yep :) it's amanda
19:22:39 k1looper : starting the beginning of my second loop
19:23:15 PeggyG : This is such exciting information about all of the young bloggers! I'm so happy to know about these new blogs (for me). Thanks!
19:23:26 kathycassidy : @k1looper Do you have to change classrooms when you change grade?
19:23:55 MariaK : these ladies are m heros and i'm so glad to introduce them to you all.
19:24:15 k1looper : don't have to, but another teacher and I work well together and we do go back and forth, we are getting it down to a science
19:24:31 Maureen/bcdtech : Can you help explain how to get other teachers involved in doing this sort of thing with their classes? I show your examples, but the response I get is that they dont want the little ones on computers vs hands-on f2f.
19:24:59 PeggyG : that is so true about the ability of young kids to learn this--just like learning a second language!
19:25:08 glovely : when teachers see little learners DOing it, they get that it IS active learning
19:25:16 Durff : i so agree! i am a learner - we are all learners in my classes
19:25:27 k1looper : i've just started blogging with my class, please come visit us!
19:25:33 k1looper : tinyurl.com/shepblog
19:25:58 misst : My biggest frustration is only have 1 computer in my class. Hard to get all the kids on the computer.
19:26:18 Durff : this link? http://www.sad22.us/moodle/
19:26:48 Durff : i had that misst first year blogging
19:26:52 PeggyG : yes it really is active learning! some think computers are passive but they aren't--or don't have to be!
19:26:53 leahlubelle : you can get ther from there, choose McGraw then The SHining Stars
19:26:55 Durff : we did it anyway
19:27:11 leahlubelle : computers can be passive
19:27:29 leahlubelle : its how you deal with it that makes it interactive
19:27:42 PeggyG : absolutely, leah!
19:27:43 Durff : so this link is better? http://www.sad22.us/moodle/course/view.php?id=3
19:27:48 leahlubelle : yes
19:27:50 leahlubelle : thanks!
19:27:55 glovely : computers ARE passive, how we use them is the trick
19:28:08 Durff : all tools are passive
19:28:18 glovely : one of the great things about "little learners' is they CAN'T be passive :)
19:28:22 Durff : it is in how one uses the tools....
19:28:40 Durff : @glovely so true!
19:28:50 Alice Mercer : Hi GAIL!
19:28:54 Durff : middle school learners are much the same
19:29:11 k1looper : its frustrating this year in my building. curriculum director convinced principal to use computer lab supervised by aide with no tech training as special. almost no time in lab with any instruction
19:29:30 Alice Mercer : UGH, @k1looper
19:29:30 glovely : Hi Alice! What an amazing colelciton of people here tonight!
19:29:36 Alice Mercer : Yes!
19:29:43 Durff : oh my - well at least you have a prinicipal
19:30:00 Alice Mercer : Useless having lab with no pedagogy or plan
19:30:18 Maureen/bcdtech : @durff you don't have one?
19:30:38 Durff : nope
19:30:43 k1looper : yes, she wants us just to drop them off and she'll set them up on lexia or another intervention software
19:30:44 glovely : @k1looper can't you go with the students to the lab?
19:30:51 Maureen/bcdtech : @durff- lucky
19:30:59 Alice Mercer : ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! The HORROR!
19:31:01 Durff : @maureen not
19:31:18 k1looper : there is very little time because it's taken up with this new schedule
19:31:32 k1looper : also aide is
19:31:38 Durff : what is lexia?
19:32:10 k1looper : aide is somewhat frightening to young kindies whove never used computer before....made one of mine cry now she hates the computer
19:32:27 k1looper : lexia is some software for visual discrim i guess...haven't seen it yet
19:32:32 Durff : related to d. cormier?
19:32:33 Alice Mercer : Hate those system @k1looper. They ask if I use it in lab. It broke, and I haven't nagged them to fix it.
19:32:42 Maureen/bcdtech : @ALice Some of the resistance to using computers in younger grades is really my fault- when I taught K I was appalled when the gr 1-3 just went to lab and did diddly squat- thought it was a waste of time. Now that I knowwhat could be done- I'm paying the price
19:32:42 glovely : can you use the time and not the aide?
19:33:40 k1looper : yes, and i do many times, then union cronies get mad that I'm not taking my "planning time"
19:33:42 PeggyG : it's so sad to me when computer labs are considered prep periods for teachers--teachers need to be in the lab with their kids learning together
19:33:53 glovely : the interesting thing is these speakers are all excellent teachers - we know about them due to their tech use...
19:34:13 Durff : i wish we would integrate more than have computer specials in my school
19:34:25 Cathy E : I am the only school in my district that requires classroom teachers to say in the lab
19:34:25 glovely : they are excellent examples of tech teachers and of "just plain ol teachers"
19:34:37 Maureen/bcdtech : Some local schools used to offer pdps to teachers who would come in to the lab with kids and learn beside them... wish they still would
19:34:38 Durff : planning time? you get planning time?
19:34:40 leahlubelle : lexia is a literacy computer program designed for differenet levels of literacy develemepent
19:34:44 Alice Mercer : @peggyG the good news with prep (what I teach) is that the funding is "guarenteed" by contract
19:35:08 Alice Mercer : BUT in Calif, they have to have a credentialed teacher with kids
19:35:14 Alice Mercer : not a para
19:35:22 k1looper : yes, we are going through that discussion about teacher in the lab
19:35:24 rjacklin : ??--Could you make these same tech recommendations for preschool teachers??
19:35:35 MariaK : Questions f chatroom for the guests
19:35:39 Durff : amanda's curriculum sounds like a dream
19:35:50 Durff : i can only wish
19:35:50 glovely : @rjacklin what is your question?
19:35:50 misst : We don't have a computer teacher. We have to take our class to the lab and plan what we will do with them in the lab.
19:36:10 glovely : @misst I think that is a GOOD thing!
19:36:15 Cathy E : I creating voki's with 100 1st graders this week - any advice?
19:36:30 Maureen/bcdtech : I teach computer and would love to have both- learn skills and integrate, embed them in curriculum.
19:36:33 Alice Mercer : @misst: that is a good thing, many just put 'em on the internet, and let it go
19:36:35 rjacklin : Does blogging or web tool use change much from K-2?? besides the obvious scaffolding issues. Development issues?
19:37:03 glovely : as children become better readers they have more options for independent use
19:37:08 k1looper : i saw big diff between end of 1st grade last year and beginning of k this year
19:37:12 misst : It is at times. We just have alot of teachers who won't put in the time to plan. They just want to have a game their kids can sit down and play.
19:37:44 rjacklin : @glovely so iis it appropriate to talk more about "modeling" with preschoolers as apposed to direct contact?
19:37:46 k1looper : took kindies to lab this year and it took 20 min to get url typed in...oops!
19:37:48 Durff : so which is better, aussie model or american model?
19:37:59 misst : I just wish i could get my kids in the lab more than once a week.
19:38:10 susanvg : Quebec curriculum is quite child-centred
19:38:11 Alice Mercer : I have them do games, but I have them right, show them stuff from discovery streaming, and make voicethreads, recordings and videos.
19:38:19 glovely : @rjacklin hmmm not what I meant to say.
19:38:20 Maureen/bcdtech : @misst that's why it would be good to have someone who knows what's out there, and then helps frame the learning taking the development of the kids in mind.
19:38:32 Durff : i wish the kids had longer than 20-30 minutes/week
19:38:35 rjacklin : :)
19:38:51 Durff : today 4th grade came late and left early again
19:39:01 misst : I'm qlways trying to share new sites and tools with the teachers, but no one is interested.
19:39:04 glovely : I think children can have learning experiences with technologies before they can read.
19:39:07 Maureen/bcdtech : @durff- beats the zero that our kids have up thru 3rd grade
19:39:09 Durff : they want longer and i can do nothing
19:39:26 Durff : we start at 3rd grade
19:39:35 glovely : WE have to learn to structure the experiences in ways we can encourage
19:39:35 Durff : 2nd and down get zero
19:39:58 glovely : the learners to explore and learn and share what they know
19:40:01 Durff : but 1st grade teacher set up her own lab in here classroom
19:40:23 Maureen/bcdtech : I used to get 1-3.... then they cut it to 6-8, now I have it back to 4-9.... perhaps I'll get it back lower, but it's a fight.
19:40:25 glovely : @durff no technology for under 8 year olds?
19:40:37 Durff : i podcast with them too during planning time (which is why I don't have any planning time)
19:40:46 rjacklin : @glovely--great point.. was just thinking about doing prof. Dev. for EC staff. Trying to determine focus on personal learning v. utilizing for student learning at the preschool age.
19:40:59 misst : I have started using classblogmeister with my kids last week. Hopefully we will add to it reach week.
19:41:05 Durff : @glovely exactly
19:41:10 rjacklin : @glovely--I know they aren't mutually exclusive :-)
19:41:11 misst : They each setup their page last week.
19:41:13 Cathy E : I fight all the time to keep my schedule - computer is NOT a "special"
19:41:13 glovely : there are MANY exciting powerful tools pre-schoolers can do/use
19:41:29 glovely : drawing, videotaping, audiotaping
19:41:42 glovely : these are good tools with littlest learners
19:41:46 Durff : I am a special
19:42:07 Cathy E : it is integrated into all classes- some weeks teachers come for math, the next week might be Lang. Arts
19:42:08 Maureen/bcdtech : Voice Thread is such a nice tool for the little ones- they can talk about the pictures/stories they draw.
19:42:16 glovely : remember that preschoolers are still learning simple things like cause and effect, etc
19:42:40 MariaK : Gail - so glad you are here tonight
19:42:55 Durff : @cathy e integrated - you are so lucky!!
19:43:05 glovely : thanks, Maria - I am thrilled to be listening to these ladies I SO admire!
19:43:21 misst : Another big problem we have is our lab is not set up where we can save on the network. All work is saved on the individual computer. If we saved on the network we could at least pull up our work in the classroom.
19:43:51 Alice Mercer : google docs?
19:43:55 glovely : confidence is a gift teachers give to students!
19:44:06 Alice Mercer : I find it easier to have them use google docs even WITH a network.
19:44:07 Maureen/bcdtech : @glovely- they can talk about things, they can listen to sounds and say what they are or repeat sound patterns, etc. There is so much auditory stuff they can do
19:44:13 PeggyG : boo hoo! my chat froze and I missed some stuff! at least the audio didn't freeze for me :-)
19:44:17 Alice Mercer : Because the network is so segmented
19:44:58 glovely : YES, Maureen I agree!
19:45:09 PeggyG : what an awesome conversation!!! thanks!
19:45:09 Durff : i agree
19:45:24 Durff : special ed kids can really surprise one
19:45:31 Maureen/bcdtech : Can any of youtalk about blogging buddies and how you got that started if you do it?
19:45:43 misst : How do you set up Google Docs for your students to use? Do they have to have their own accounts?
19:45:55 Alice Mercer : Grade level account for all 60 kids
19:46:32 Alice Mercer : But since docs are each seperate, so they can "share" and still have own docs
19:46:43 glovely : at any age it is validating to think someone took the time to read what we have written... look at the explosion of adult blogging
19:46:58 Maureen/bcdtech : I had my 2nd graders in science do the recipe for borax snowflakes on Voice thread. They loved it as did their parents. It's a great medium for how tos as well as stories, etc.
19:47:36 Alice Mercer : I've used VoiceThread rather than blogging with primary kiddos
19:47:41 Durff : amazing! Kathy started blogging with Amanda's thru a student
19:48:11 MariaK : amanda has her students comment from home
19:48:17 glovely : perhaps VT IS blogging... communicating through online media with room for comments....???
19:48:24 Maureen/bcdtech : Is blogmeister the best place to start for blogging with other classes?
19:48:39 Durff : have to show bloggers how to leave their urls
19:48:56 Durff : then people can find them when they leave comments
19:49:04 Alice Mercer : It can be?
19:50:07 glovely : blogger groupies?
19:50:15 Durff : groupies?
19:50:20 PeggyG : many schools and teachers prefer starting with blogmeister because they feel it is more of a "walled garden" for the kids
19:50:26 Durff : i'm a rock star groupie
19:51:08 glovely : yes, Peggy, I think the safety issue looms great as teachers get started.
19:51:13 Durff : i do that too with VTs
19:51:15 Cathy E : @misst -you need to ask Santa for 25 flash drives
19:51:34 Durff : my grade 6s did Voki on their own
19:51:35 kathycassidy : @Maureen/bcdtech I really like Classblogmeister because it is very safe. Every comment and article has to be approved by me before it goes online.
19:51:42 Maureen/bcdtech : @Maria How many computers do you have in your room?
19:52:16 Cathy E : My first grade teachers have 4 student computers (in their class) and 1 teacher laptop
19:52:24 PeggyG : the pacing and expectations over the course of the year are very helpful-thanks
19:52:39 Durff : ours have zero on the internet
19:52:58 glovely : @durff no internet connections for primary?
19:53:13 Durff : nope
19:53:28 Cathy E : @Druff - that is terribel
19:53:34 glovely : @durff so sorry to hear that - so are you/they using software?
19:53:44 Durff : the campuswide wireless isn't
19:54:01 Durff : either computers collect dust or
19:54:20 Durff : as in 3rd grade they use programs
19:54:37 glovely : @durff there is some decent software out there for little ones which work without Internet
19:54:45 Durff : only in 3rd grade actually
19:55:00 Durff : yes there is if one uses it
19:55:22 PeggyG : how exciting! a video chat with another class!
19:55:23 glovely : @durff hmmm wish I could help them "see the light"
19:55:38 Alice Mercer : I had grade one typing in powerpoint today
19:55:43 Alice Mercer : not fancy?
19:55:43 Durff : you must be Quaker
19:56:11 PeggyG : the kids must be so excited about it!
19:56:14 Durff : we did Netzsmarts
19:56:19 Maureen/bcdtech : Do you ever use mapskips to share photos or stories?
19:56:36 Durff : mapskips?
19:56:59 glovely : nooooo, don't end it!
19:57:12 Maureen/bcdtech : It's a liitle mapping type program- uses google earth maps/satellites and you can leave photos and stories on it
19:57:24 Cathy E : My first grade teachers just got webcams - so if you wanna video chat?
19:57:35 PeggyG : your excitement and passion is very contagious!!! Thanks to all of you!
19:57:56 Maureen/bcdtech : I want you guys to come to my school and convince my teachers to try it!!
19:58:06 Cathy E : Kathy C I use your blog all the time to share with teachers :)
19:58:19 Cathy E : Now I have other resources - thank you
19:58:23 kathycassidy : Good to hear.
19:58:58 glovely : thanks for a great night!
19:58:59 PeggyG : @Maureen--show them Kathy's k12online video :-) last year and this year :-)
19:59:51 MariaK : thanks for joining us tonight
20:00:20 PeggyG : Thank you Maria for sharing your awesome blogging friends!
20:00:41 Maureen/bcdtech : You can use blogs right in moodle. if kids log in as participants they each have a built in blog...
20:02:16 Cathy E : That running Ok Alice?
20:02:28 Cathy E : When I used it last year- it was so slow.
20:02:45 Alice Mercer : no slower than anything else on our network
20:03:55 Cathy E : We are using educationcity.com as assessment - I have a free 30 day trial
20:04:12 Alice Mercer : I HATE ILS
20:05:05 Alice Mercer : Sorry
20:07:36 leahlubelle : goodnight all!
20:07:50 Durff : nite!
20:08:02 MariaK : good night and thanks!
20:08:07 k1looper : thanks so much! It was great!
20:08:09 Durff : thank you all for coming!