Technology and ELA

Technology and ELATechnology in the English/Language Arts ClassroomAyo JonesParticipants:Log On To ComputerAccess www.tinyurl.com/Tech-N-ELAOpen a new browser window. Access www.Socrative.com and enter classroom number ______

Background InformationThis training will take place during the professional development week in August, one week prior to the first day of school. The training will be embedded in a larger Curriculum Conference with sessions happening simultaneously on other core subjects. Attendees will self-select courses as deemed necessary. There will be four rotations throughout the day, each made up of 90 minutes. Pre-registration is required, but there are no prerequisite courses necessary for attendance. Some attendees will have been required to attend certain sessions as needed based on prior year evaluations. 1ELA Curriculum and YouIn this training, participants will learn new ways to use the curriculum, integrate technology, and differentiate for multi-abled learners.Terminal Objective:When presented with a piece of the curriculum unit, training participants will generate an activity, critique the activities of others, and plan one activity to use in the classroom.

2Learning Objective1) When presented with a sample writing activity, participants will use a Forum accurately by posting a question. 2) When presented with reading strategies videos, training participants will summarize specific strategies, explain a way to use strategies in the classroom, and create a video using Screenr.3) When presented with a peer questions about ELA in the classroom, training participants will respond to at least one and provide feedback.

Enabling objectives necessary to achieve the terminal course objective.3WelcomeParticipants:Log On To ComputerAccess www.tinyurl.com/Tech-N-ELAOpen a new browser window. Access www.Socrative.com and enter classroom number ______

Trainer IntroductionAyo JonesTeacher and TrainerCFISDSet-up InformationMATERIALS: All attendees of this training session must have access to 1) a laptop computer, 2) Wi-Fi, and 3) Project Share-Texas. SETUP STEPS: 1) All attendees will log into the computer or use the work station only option if needed. 2) Every participant will access the course at www.tinyurl.com/Tech-N-ELA. 3) Each participant will open up a separate Socrative page to remain accessible in their browser. Trainer will need to provide classroom number at start of course once teacher logs in.4Warm UpParticipants:1. Access the Project Share Page and click on Forums tab.2. Post one question youd like answered from this session. (In the title section, place a generic title like curriculum, planning, abilities, or help.)

All the participants will complete a warm up activity. Trainer SAY: There are lots of different ways a FORUM like this could be used in the classroom including journaling, social interactions, and assessments.Can anyone else share a way that this activity could be used in their classroom? TRAINER: Facilitate discussion. Provide positive praise.5Warm UpDifferentiation:LEVEL 1- Will work on typing their name (hand over hand help). If your level 1 student cannot access computers for behavioral or accessibility reasons, students can use paper & pencil, assistive, or augmentive tools. LEVEL 2- Will type their name, the date, and the prompt. (Letter recognition, keyboard practice, and simple sentence. )If your level 2 student cannot write a simple sentence, do so with assistive tools (like word lists, vocabulary communication boards, or dictation tools).LEVEL 3- Will type their name, the date, and the prompt. (Expected to write 3-5 on topic sentences.) If your level 3 student is able to, write a paragraph with topic sentence, supporting details, and closing sentence (may need graphic organizer).ALL STUDENTS should check for periods and capital letters & read what they wrote before time is up.When time is up, each student will read their prompt aloud to share. Those that were unable to compose sentences will respond with a communication board, voice output device, or verbally stating the answer to the question. This can be done as with the Cooperative Learning rally structure.

Trainer SAY: It is an expectation that students back in the classroom write daily. This can be completed in a variety of ways. I would suggest that you do a daily prompt that students will respond to. Those prompts can be static or content related. In the classroom, students should be permitted no more than about 10-15 minutes per day for this activity. Remember, this activity does differentiate itself. Students on level 1 will work on typing their name (with or without hand over hand assistance). If your level 1 student cannot access computers for behavioral or accessibility reasons, students can use paper & pencil, assistive, or augmentive tools. Students on level 2 will be expected to type their name, the date, and the prompt. This will allow for letter recognition, keyboard practice, and an opportunity to type a simple sentence. If your level 2 student is able to write a simple sentence, expect them to do so with assistive tools (like word lists, vocabulary communication boards, or dictation tools).Students on level 3 will be expected to type their name, the date, and the prompt. They will also be expected to respond with 3-5 on topic sentences. If your level 3 student is able to, expect them to write a paragraph with a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a closing sentence (may need a graphic organizer).ALL STUDENTS should be reminded to check for periods and capital letters as well as to read what they wrote before time is up.When time is up, each student will read their prompt aloud to share. Those that were unable to compose sentences will respond with a communication board, voice output device, or verbally stating the answer to the question. This can be done as with the Cooperative Learning rally structure. 6Quick CheckParticipants:Click over to your Socrative Page. How comfortable do you feel using a forum on a scale of 1-5? (5 is no idea and 1 is Ive got this)

2. Second Question:Do you plan on using this tool back in the classroom? (Yes or no)

Open Socrative Teacher page to start assessment.Trainer SAY: We are going to do a quick check to see how things are going. Click over to your Socrative page and lets answer a quick question: How comfortable do you feel using a forum on a scale of 1-5? (5 is no idea and 1 is I got this).

TRAINER: Provide a few moments to allow response. Transition to second question.

Trainer SAY: Second quick check: Do you plan on using this tool back in the classroom? Yes or no.7Communication BoardsLow Tech: Non-WritersImage matchingCut one board into squares, Put second board in a sleeve. Student will match image to mat board in sleeve.Letter MatchingCut one board into squares. Have alphabet cards, letters, or manipulative.Student will match letters to build word on card Can write/type word once spelled.SortingCut one board into squares. Pull squares as needed. Student will sort by letter, noun/verb, or related grouping.

The next section in the training involves low and high tech ways to use communication boards in the classroom. MATERIALS: Communication boards for the summer band printed. 5 sets of the comm boards cut into squares.TRAINER: Pass out communication boards from the first unit of the summer curriculum band. Remind participants that they will also have access to the this unit of the curriculum in the classroom (through the PST web site). TRAINER SAY: Lets talk about some low tech ways to use comm boards with students at the emergent level who are still working on pre-requisite skills. All the adapted texts youll receive through the curriculum program this year will include a comm board for each chapter. I suggest that you go through a chapter a week- so one comm board a week. So, low tech ideas: (refer to slide).TRAINER: (Have your Oprah moment) SAY: All of you guys are getting a set of plastic sleeves as part of attending this session (jump up and down celebrating). So how do we put all of this together in the classroom?

8Communication BoardsLow Tech: WritersSentence WritingStudents will write sentences using the vocabulary words.Story BuildingStudents will write a story using the spelling words.If able, students can write a story or recap the chapter.SortingCut one board into squares. Pull squares as needed. Student will sort by noun/verb or alphabetize the words.Students can also use letters to spell the words to solidify spelling skills.

TRAINER SAY: Now lets talk about some low tech ways to use comm boards with upper level 2 and level 3 students. (refer to slide). You will have to think about how these activities relate to the students IEP goals. Most students will be working on a writing activity on some level. This type of activity allows for minimal preparation and lots of differentiation. You should NOT need to laminate these (after all it is just a piece of paper). Let it get crumpled or destroyed. Its okay. Focus on the goal. If a student is low functioning and eats paper, we can show them the comm board and use a more durable manipulative (like plastic letters) to work with. If a student is visually disabled, try to give a tactile demonstration of the words to relate to or, if high functioning, present the words with their braille representation. Hearing impaired students can work on signing the letters or words. We can all differentiate these activities to be appropriate for our students- but try to keep it easy and focus on low prep. 9Smartboard IntegrationWord GeneratorStudents can read words spit out.Students can spell the words as they appear.Students can write or say a sentence with the word.Students can give a meaning to the word.Teacher can discuss the word and what it means.Students can spell out the words with manipulative pieces.Students can locate the word on the Comm Board.Students can find the picture card to match the word (cut the comm board into squares, but cut OFF the word).

TRAINER SAY: The adapted text materials being delivered to you will come with a teacher Smartboard file for each chapter. They are all identical. They will all follow the same format. We are going to go through the pages and watch a few videos in the classroom of students using the different pages. Lets start with the first page: the Word Generator. (read slide, demonstrate as needed, address any questions raised.TRAINER: Have training Smartboard file open and visible- When possible, show real page and allow participants to access it on a IWB.10Smartboard IntegrationImage SelectStudents come up and stop the images.Student can read all the choices.Student can play the teacher and call on a student to select the answer.Teacher can ask student to find all the comm board squares that match the choices to participate from their seat.Student can read all the choices before picking their answer.Student can use the word in a sentence before selecting answer..

TRAINER: Have training Smartboard file open and visible- When possible, show real page and allow participants to access it on a IWB.11Smartboard IntegrationRandom Word ChooserStudents come up and spin.Student can read the word.Students can spell the word.Student can use it in a sentence.Student can play the teacher and call on a student to spell or read.Teacher can ask student to find all the comm board squares that match the choices to participate from their seat.Teacher can ask student to make a sentence and spin more than once to select words.

TRAINER: Have training Smartboard file open and visible- When possible, show real page and allow participants to access it on a IWB.12Smartboard IntegrationFridge MagnetsStudents come up and spell words.Students can work with letter id.Student can work with phonic sounds.Teacher can demonstrate word endings and practice blending.Teacher can use this as a hands on practice spelling test.

Upper Level 2 or 3 students: can take a spelling test on Spelling City.

TRAINER: Have training Smartboard file open and visible- When possible, show real page and allow participants to access it on a IWB.13COWs & SpellingSpelling CityStudents can log into the spelling city page found at www.spellingcity.com/ajones1509 Upper Level 2 and Level 3 students can take the spelling test online.Students can also play the spelling games before or after the test.Struggling students can use the Comm Board while they take the test (this can reinforce the students word identification skills).TRAINER: Have training Spelling City page open and visible can click on the summer unit test- When possible allow participants to access it on a IWB.14Creating Comm Boards

TRAINER Say: You may need to make a communication board to use books outside of the prescribed curriculum or to add to your classroom library. In that case, use News 2 You to make boards. This tutorial will be available online so that you can access it when you need it in the classroom.

15Quick CheckAccess www.tinyurl.com/Tech-N-ELA

Click on Chat

TRAINER: After the video, ask participants to go to the Chat section of the PST course page. Participants will be asked to read the Question #1 post and chat a reply. The questions reads:After seeing another teacher using News 2 You, how do you think you could implement this in your classroom?

16Reading StrategiesReading & TechAllowing students to read in the classroom is essential. Including students who are unable to read is also important.TRAINER Say: The tutorial you just watched was a Screenr. Screenr is a screencasting tool that allows for anything on the screen to be made into a video. TRAINER: Have participants take a few moments to log into Screenr and look around. Then have participants open the Summer Curriculum story in PDF from the PST site and have participants record themselves reading a book for their students using Screenr.After 6-8 minutes, open a discussion about the ways a recorded book could be helpful for students in the classroom. Also open the discussion for ways to use Screenr in other capacities (like video modeling, tutorials on using computers, reminder videos for those who need repeated instructions, etc).

17Wrap-UpTechnology:*Forums and Chats through the PST site*Socrative classroom response technology, *Screenr a screencast tool, *Spelling City through the web, *Building and using Comm Boards with News2You, *Ideas on using the Smartboard Files you will be receiving with the new curriculum information.

TRAINER Say: Alright everyone. We have seen a lot of technology in action. We have looked at *Forums and Chats through the PST site, *Socrative classroom response technology, *Screenr to make screencast videos, Spelling City through the web, Building and using Comm Boards with News2You, and using the Smartboard Files you will be receiving with the new curriculum information. 18Wrap-UpThink of an activity based on these technology tools.Post on www.tinyurl.com/Tech-N-ELA under Blog

Include title, activity details, and description of the technology to be used.

THEN*Reply to a post on how you could use their activity in your class. *Finally, reply to one other post with a suggestions or comment.

TRAINER Say: Before we break for the day, lets all take a minute to think about how to use all these tools in the classroom. Id like all of you to create a simple classroom activity based on the materials learned today (it does not have to be one you will use specifically, but an idea for the entire group). Please post the activity on the course Blog on PST which should include a title, activity details, and description of the technology to be used with the activity. Then, reply to a post on how you will use this specific activity in the classroom. Finally, reply to one other post with a suggestions or comment .

19Course EvaluationQ1: Rank this course on a scale of 1-5(1 being best and 5 being worst)

Q2: Please Post Any Additional Comments.TRAINER: Conduct an evaluation of the course as participants leave by asking them to rate the training using the test mode of Socrative rating on a scale of 1-5 (1 being best and 5 being worst). A short answer questions will also be available so participants can leave comments.20