Mobile Computing in the Classroom

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I spoke at UBC to 3 groups of student teachers on the topic of mobile devices in the classroom. The session description was as follows: 

"While some jurisdictions are investing heavily in one-to-one computing, educators are beginning to realize that many students are already arriving in the classroom with a powerful computer in their pocket: their cellphone. How can teachers leverage this trend? Come hear about apps, ideas and strategies you can use to capitalize on mobile computing in your practice." 
We looked at availability, accessibility, policies, management issues, reference links, reading sites and formats,  to name a few. My speaking notes are HERE.

Using eReaders in the Classroom

At a recent Pro-D day, I was asked to speak about current trends in eReaders and eTexts. I reviewed for the staff what kinds of devices schools in a number of jurisdictions are using and then talked about some of the different formats of eTexts students can access. Links from my presentation are available HERE.

Social Media - ESL parents

I was asked to speak at Richmond Public Library to ESL parents about Social Media and students. The SWIS personnel we have in schools are often called on to speak to parents about computer use, Social Media and internet habits. I was asked to address the topic for a mostly non-English speaking audience.  (Here are my speaking notes.) One of the most useful resources I came across is the fbparents.org site. It has a great primer for parents (and anyone else for that matter).

I also came across a teacher's guide to facebook.

How to make good inferences - Reading strategy workshop

I was asked to present to the Whiteside staff on the topic of making inferences. This is a hard skill for students to master, and often teachers resort to advice such as "read between the lines" or "look for what the writer is NOT saying" without providing enough specific direction.  In this workshop, we look at a definition of inferring, discuss how images, realia and short text scenarios can help students practice this strategy.

Here are my presentation notes.

Differentiated Instruction

"Differentiation doesn't suggest that a teacher can be all things to all individuals all the time. It does, however, mandate that a teacher create a reasonable range of approaches to learning much of the time, so that most students find learning a fit much of the time." (Cindy Strickland)


Our district mentoring team met with mentors and their 1st and 2nd year mentees to talk about Differentiated Instruction. While this is a topic with great depth and complexity, we limited ourselves to a quick overview and spent some time exploring the Scholastic "differentiated instruction plan book."


The following Scribd Slideshow gives a quick overview of the principles underlying a "DI" way of thinking, based on Carol Ann Tomlinson's work.
(See here for more detailed explanation.)


                                                                                                                           






Some Links to explore:

What is Differentiated Instruction? By: Carol Ann Tomlinson (2000)

Tomlinson's DI Site (additional articles)

Differentiation Central
"We’ve designed this website as your 'go to' place for reliable information and resources that will help deepen your understanding and enhance your practice of Differentiated Instruction."

Paula Kluth
Dr. Paula Kluth is a consultant, teacher, author, advocate, and independent scholar who works with teachers and families to provide inclusive opportunities for students with disabilities and to create more responsive and engaging schooling experiences for all learners.

Differentiated Instruction Video Clip (via Youtube) Humourous

Bibliography of materials available at DRC (as of Dec 2010)

The DRC tour

A number of schools have asked to come in and get a tour of DRC. I usually begin by outlining the electronic resources (EBSCO, Gale, Worldbook, etc) and then talk about our professional ISL collection as well as our magazines, AV resources and hands-on kits. Participants then get a review of how to search and book materials from our online catalog. (LINK here) We wrap up with introductions to the DRC staff and a chance to browse the stacks. Feedback is always very positive!

IWB substitute: Wiimote

McRoberts invited me to their Pro-D day to speak to the Science department about using "Wiimote" IWB bundles. High schools often find it difficult to find the funding to purchase enough of the standard Interactive Whiteboards (ie SMARTBoards) to make a difference to  how they integrate technology into instruction. One or two boards a year is not enough to be transformative. However, with a Wiimote bundle (costing perhaps $150), teachers can try out the IWB experience and begin integrating this exciting technology into their classes. DRC purchased 2 Wiimote bundles (each includes a Wiimote, charger, bluetooth dongle, 2 IR pens and a tripod, along with a flash drive preloaded with software.) so schools could experiment at no initial cost.

See my presentation notes here.

More ESL resources to explore

Diane T asked me to present some ESL resources to this year's September gathering. I updated a previous presentation and added some newer links. (LINK here.)

I divided my session into : video resources, audio links and text sites. In particular, manythings.org is a treasure trove of material.

September 2010 Teacher-Librarian mini-conference

What will tomorrow's library look like? How different will it be from the facility of yesteryear? And how is the role of the Teacher-Librarian changing? The RTLA Fall conference sought to address some of these issues.

This year, instead of a live keynote, I put together a series of video clips with pauses for discussion. This was a great way to kick off the conference.

We then spent time looking at the world of eReaders, models, formats and features. And the third session featured 5 "biblioapps" TLs can use with their staff. There was time for networking, and browsing the ULS display (Thanks Ren). The afternoon was spent sharing ideas for the upcoming year. Follow this link to the conference webpage.

More Smartboard

I have recently done another couple of sessions on using the Smartboard. (Bridge, Thrift, DRC)  I revamped my previous presentation and created an updated webpage with links and resources. (LINK here). One of the things I've tried to do in this latest series is to demystify the equipment ("it's just a big trackpad") and give a few troubleshooting tips that everyone can use ("little kids having trouble can try using a tennis ball.")
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