EDUC+8Y24+–+Sec3Showcase

Place your cursor below the last entry on this page. Insert a line, then type your name, the title of the conference session you reviewed, and your review. Insert your picture by clicking on the IMAGE tool in the EDIT toolbar. **//BE CAREFUL//** not to type over another entry on the page—it’s easy to do. Click **Save**.

Amanda Rioux Assistive Technologies

One of the tools highlighted in the assistive technologies workshop was a computer program called Clicker 5. Clicker 5 is a talking word processor which speaks words and sentences back to students as they type. In addition, this particular talking word processor displays pictures or animations for each word a student types. Something I found really interesting about this program, was the fact that teachers can create their own activities for students because the program allows you to add your own content. For example, Mary Ann (the presenter) showed us a map of Canada she had created for one of her students. She designed this activity so that the name of each province or territory would appear on the screen and be announced by the program. I felt that this activity would be an excellent tool for grade 4 students, particularly for the social studies unit on Canada’s provinces and territories. As a result of being able to add content to Clicker 5, teachers have begun adding sound effects such as animal noises or music, depending on the interests and developmental stage of their students. Lastly, other teachers have begun to create activities in French and talking books with sound effects to help students develop their reading skills. I selected this presentation because I hope to teach alternative education when I finish school. I would definitely use this program in my classroom because it can be adapted to the needs and interests of my students. Lastly, I feel that there is a need to use this type of tool during instruction because a) its interactive b) students will develop better reading and writing skills because they can see the proper spelling of words and hear the proper pronunciation and c) teachers can adapt the program to the particular needs and interests of various students. In summary, I found this technology fascinating because it was interesting to see the progress over time, especially since I was in school. I don’t even think we had assistive technologies when I was in elementary school.

Alexandria Campbell Make your Lessons Pop with BrainPOP

The workshop “Make your Lessons Pop with BrainPOP!” was very informative. BrainPOP is a great tool that teachers can use to engage the students in all subject areas as well as ESL students. The website has activities, quizzes, word walls, lesson plans, KWL charts and free movies in each of the subject areas. The website also comes in French.

_

Kathy Peña Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom featuring the Document Camera

The tools highlighted in this workshop were whiteboards and the document camera. The presenter Anh Lee, spoke about how to incorporate the use of whiteboards and the document camera into daily lessons. She also modeled a science demonstration as well as a math problem that she has used in her class with the whiteboards and document camera. I found this workshop to be very useful, I have never been exposed to whiteboards or the document camera, it seems both these tools are user-friendly and would really help students become involved and engaged in daily lessons. In addition to that the use of the whiteboards can also help with the environment and cost savings - as you would not need to use as much paper. The use of whiteboards would also be great to use during formative assessment. The teacher could ask the students if they understand a concept, the students could write their answer down and quickly show the teacher. The teacher can then gauge what the students understand and can either move on or continue to review the concept. Another great thing that Anh suggested could be done with a document camera is taking pictures. For instance, if you were going through a math problem with the class, you can take pictures of each step and then save it as a slide show for review and also to show parents what how the document camera can function in the classroom. I think both whiteboards and document cameras would be great tools to use in the classroom. Great workshop!

**Sara Saxton**
 * Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom featuring the Document Camera** The workshop on “Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom featuring the Document Camera” was a very interactive and educational experience. It taught teachers how they can integrate technology into different subject matters, such as science, math and literacy. For example in math, the teacher can model questions on the whiteboard and then show the students via document camera. Using the whiteboards in the classroom, teachers can use this tool as a type of formative assessment, testing the students’ knowledge on a daily basis. Whiteboards are overall much more quick and efficient than using the traditional pen and paper method, its fun, and it allows students to take on the role of the teacher when working alongside the document camera. For many school as well that are “eco-schools” it is a great way to be more environmentally friendly since using whiteboards eliminates much of the paper that otherwise would have been used. For more information check out the presenters website at: www. rtms.ca Grade 8, Ms.Le

Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom featuring the Document Camera **  The workshop that I attended was the introduction to Whiteboards and Document Cameras with Anh Le. Ms. Le presented a wonderful overview of how we can use different classroom tools in collaboration to enhance the learning experience for students. She discussed that by using whiteboards, you are giving students the opportunity to solve problems in many different ways – one example that was discussed during the session was a simple math problem where many of us used a formula to solve while others drew pictures to find the solution. The students are less afraid to take risks when trying to solve a problem, knowing that if they start on the wrong path, they can simply erase their work and begin again. The document camera provides a great opportunity for classroom sharing. Students learn best from one another, and the camera allows students to come to the front of the class and easily display their work while explaining what they’ve done. Ms. Le also discussed a variety of ways in which she uses the document camera in her class. One example was taking step by step pictures of how to solve a math problem with manipulatives. This allows you to display on your class website, providing a resource for students, allowing parents to better understand how manipulatives are used in the math classroom, or even to print out for a student who may require extra help. Overall, Ms. Le’s presentation was a rewarding experience, and I am looking forward to using whiteboards with my students in the future.
 * Sarah Hammerton

Jordan Packham Learning with the World – Connecting Globally Using 21st Century Technology Presented by Mali Bickley, FrontRow

The first part of the seminar focused on audio amplification technology that teachers use. Apparently it increases attention rates and comprehension. It also saves the teacher’s voice. I don’t think it was that practical though, since most classrooms are not equipped with audio amplification devices. I also think that it could cause a very teacher focused and non-intimate classroom atmosphere. The second part of the seminar was about technology that connects the world. This was an inspirational segment. It was powerful to see students in Canada connect with students in Afghanistan, and students interacting with writers and authors that they’re reading about. Through this technology students are able to personally connect with their studies. There were collaborative projects of peace between multiple classrooms all around the world. A music project that went all around the world with different classrooms adding tracks was also presented.

Machinto.org Rockourworld.org www.jcarleton.net/ict

__ Katelyn Walker
 * Workshop:** Using Interactive Whiteboards to Support Literacy Expectations
 * Presenter:** John Migliore

The workshop I attended introduced how to use a SMARTboard, in particular for creating a read-aloud as part of a comprehensive literacy program. I found this workshop to be very helpful and it gave me some great ideas for using theSMARTboard in the classroom. I thought it was really neat to see the diversity of people in the workshop. Some attendees were full time teachers, there were pre-service teacher candidates, as well as Brock professors in attendance. I liked how we were able to explore along with John on our own laptops to get a feel for how the software works and the many things that can be accomplished with SMART software. One idea that really resonated with me was the importance of considering copyright laws when creating SMART lesson plans. It would be very easy to scan the text and pictures from your book of choice, but it is important to consider the laws and rules that go along with this. I also found it useful to learn that there are websites where teachers can post sample SMART lessons online (called SMART exchange). This will make it much easier to get ideas, and examples of templates. Overall, I am excited to try using SMART technology in the classroom.__ _

Veronica Marck Workshop: Intro to Comic Life and Bitstrips Presenter: Marilyn Legault This workshop showcased both Comic Life (software) and Bitstrips (online). Both programs allow you to create comics for any subjects. Comic life allows you to upload pictures and fit them into a variety of comic templates. Bitstrips is a tool where students can create their own avitar and input them into comics. Both are very useful and students will find them fun and interesting. I thought a great activity for students in social studies would be to create a comic about what the students are studying and then it coule be printed off and all students could have one. I would recommend both programs but was informed that Comic LIfe is better for printing than Bitstrips.



Melissa Anderson Workshop: SMART Education Solutions Presenter: Giancarlo Brotto

During this workshop I discovered the overwhelming number of benefits there are to using a SMART board in the classroom, on top of what I already knew. For instance, SMART boards can be great to use with students with special needs. For example, students who have difficulty grasping the "SMART pen" can use their fingers, a pointer or even a tennis ball to write on the board. Another great feature of the SMART board is the multiple choice function. A teacher can use this feature to assess where the class is at, at any given time during a lesson. Using response clickers, the students can answer any question the teacher has posted on the board, and it will track what each student has answered. Also, teachers have the ability to take the notes created on the SMART board and post them on a website for their students to access at home, which is a great way to open communication with both students and their parents.

Andreas Waglechner Workshops: SMART Education Solutions, ComicLife, and Brainpop

Each of the above-mentioned Workshops were valuable. I'm happy to announce I've finally learned how to integrate Smartboard technology into a classroom from the software perspective. Up until this point, I had seen Smartboards being used but wasn't fully sure on how flexible the software is in terms of taking snapshots of teacher/class notes that could then be uploaded for the entire class online.

ComicLife showed that technology could be used by individual students in endlessly creative approach -- Students could make their own comic books using the software using clipart or images taken themselves with a digital camera. I really believe this would attract interest from boys who could create comic books for their peers in an easy manner.

Rob Fraser Workshop: SMART Education Solutions Presenter: Giancarlo Brotto

During the workshop, I learned that Smartboards head office is Calgary, but that they manufacture in Ottawa. I also learned that the best smartboard to have is the one that is mounted on the mall, because it will encourage one to use it more often, rather than signing one out. Also that you can use almost any tool to write on the board and the markers do not have to be placed in the slots, chalk or erasers could also function. __ Katherine Paterno Workshop: SMART Education Solutions Presenter: Giancarlo Brotto

I have used a smart board in my previous placement, but was at time overwhelmed by all the possibilities. This workshop gave me a better understanding of how to make our lessons more interactive for my students. I was surprised at all the subjects areas it offers teachers to teach with. I was made aware of the online tutorials to further my smart board knowledge or if I have any questions. I also didn't know there were so many lessons within the smart board itself to go along with the application it offers. The smart board is a great resource to use whether you, as a teacher, are using lessons from the smart board or using the smart to enhance your own lesson. All in all, it is important to primary adapt your lesson to the needs of your students and not to suit your needs as a teacher even though it may be convenient.

Jocelyne Lelievre-Rienas Workshop: Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom featuring the Document Camera

I attended the “Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom” workshop featuring the document camera. The presenter, Anh Le, shared many different ideas of how to use both whiteboards and the document camera (and sometimes a combination of both) to enhance the learning of our students. She is a current Grade 8 teacher and gave many examples of how she uses both tools everyday in her classroom. One of my favourite features of the document camera is that you can take actual still photos of whatever is underneath the camera at any point in time and save them for future reference. This would be especially useful if you were showing material under the camera that could not be photocopied and distributed for the class. For example, if you were conducting a science experiment under the camera, you could take pictures of each step of the experiment and then post them to your class website to help the students remember what occurred when they write their lab reports. This was a great workshop and I can only hope that I will get the chance to work with the document camera in my own teaching career!

Kathy Boynton Workshop: Using Web 2.0 Resources in the Classroom Presenters: Zoe Branigan-Pipe & Aviva Dunsiger

I attended the Web 2.0 tools workshop. The presenter explained a number of different Web 2.0 tools during the session. The most interesting tool and use was Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). In this case, the presenter uses Skype to contact classes around the world. I found it fascinating in how she used this tool with her Grade 1 class. She informed us that on Halloween this past October, her class Skyped two other classes from around the world (one in the US and one in Europe) and they discussed each other’s Halloween costumes and played trivia games with one another. This is an excellent way for students to get a picture of how others around the world celebrate different holidays.

My reason for selecting the presentation was that I wanted to learn more about how the different Web 2.0 tools can be incorporated into the classroom. I’ve learned a lot of new information about these tools in my Teaching with Technology class. I thought this presentation would be a great opportunity to see how actual teachers were using the tools in their classrooms. It was interesting to see how a Grade 6 teacher and a Grade 1 teacher (the two presenters) used the same tools in their classes.

Although I still believe in having Grade 1 students use Twitter and other social networking sites online, I do get excited about using Skype or VOIP in the future with my classes. As a FSL teacher, I can see the endless possibilities with this—speaking French with students in different places around the world (Quebec, New Orleans, Paris, South Africa). The different dialects would be so interesting to hear and interact with. When looking at different languages and cultures, having VOIP access in the classroom is invaluable. Having videos and CDs of people speaking a different language is one thing. Actually seeing them in real time and conversing with them is so much more engaging for students.

My only concern would be to have parent signoff for having my students visible to the outside individuals we would be speaking with. This is an issue that should not be overlooked because of privacy reasons.

This session was of particular interest to me because of the fact that I am so behind the technological times! I am not versed with the lingo of blogs, Tweets and other Web 2.0 tools. It was very informative to have the opportunity to see how some of the tools were actually being used.

-

-

Student: Renata Hornich Workshop: Support and Enhance the Learning Process with Inspiration, Word Q and Speak Q



This workshop was one of many presenting assistive technologies in the classroom. At this workshop in particular, we spent the majority of our time learning about and learning how to work with Word Q and Speak Q. These technologies are particularly helpful for students who have difficulty writing. For instance, as the student is typing, Word Q will appear next to the word the student is typing. It is reminiscent of predictive text. Therefore, if the student thinks they are typing the word correctly, they can check the Word Q box to see if their spelling is correct or incorrect. Oftentimes, the student simply needs extra support in recognizing the correct spelling of the word. Speak Q works similarly in its support system. After a student has written a word, a sentence, or a paragraph, the student can choose to have Speak Q read it back to them in order to hear whether or not what they have written is in fact what they wanted to write. This is helpful because it provides an outlet for students who may normally not write because they feel as thought they get 'stuck' and are discouraged to attempt to write their thoughts and ideas. In addition, it could also help more specific needs such as helping ESL or ELL learners. This was a beneficial workshop because it provided me with another feather in my cap for accomodations and modifications.

Jimmy Siavelis QECO presentation

Unfortunately I could not attend the Tech showcase because of a appointment, so I had to report on the QECO presentation. We learned of the process in which to apply for our wages and salaries. I didn't realize teacher's make that sort of money. The good thing was the presenter spoke about AQ courses and developing our continuing learning and how it'll benefit us in the years to come. It's too bad I could not make the Tech showcase, just from reading the comments I would hvae had so much fun!

_ Meaghan Cullen The first session of the day that I attended was dealing with Student Response Technology. I found the presenter to be very engaging and enthusiastic about his presentation. Using this technology in the classroom allows a teacher to have automatic feedback of students’ understanding of a topic. Another thing that I really liked about this technology was that it allows the teacher to assign a controller number to specific students and then track their progress as the input answers. This is one way of creating an ongoing record of assessment for students. This hands-on integration of technology into the classroom provides a unique assessment opportunity as well as an engaging learner environment for 21st century learners.
 * Engaging the Millennial Learner with Classroom Response Technology **

David Philip Workshop: SMART Education Solutions Presenter: Giancarlo Brotto

During the Workshop I was introduced to the idea that one of the SMART board may be better than the other. It really hadn't occurred to me. If you have one in your class (one the wall say, then you are far more likely to use it. Not only that, but if you have a stationary one then other people won't be tempted to monkey with your settings. We were also introduced to many of the different introductory/built-in settings in the SMART board to help you get started with your class. Many of the programs already have activities set up in them which can allow you to start up without too much fuss, and you expand on them later on your own. It is also convenient that they have developed the technology in such a way that it does not require a specific stylus, because they seem easy to use. You can use almost any tool write on it. The writing programs themselves seem to be very well developed, but a bit childish. One wonders if there are more... age appropriate ones for older children.

Gaiyathry Nadarajah Brain POP The tech showcase was very beneficial. I really enjoyed the Brain POP session. This session was very informative and resourceful. There were several lesson ideas, experiments, videos, word walls etc. which will be of great use for me in the future. I definitely learned that this resource can be used to assist with teaching and enhance and provide an engaging learning environment for the students. The material on the website is all appropriate and at grade level. I am definitely going to try to use this site while on Block!

Jason Adams Apple Presentation - Garageband and iMovie I found this presentation to be extremely helpful. The presenter clearly had a wealth of experience using this program with her class, and she showed us a fantastic project from a former student to demonstrate the types of things students can do with Garageband and iMovie. I think the ability to record is a great teaching tool, particularly for older students. They can listen back to the way they read and present different pieces of work, and there is also a tremendous amount of potential for experimentation with sound and dramatic reading techniques. One piece of student work that the presenter showed that was particularly effective was the reading of song lyrics as a horror story. The students had used different digital effects and voice techniques to turn song lyrics into a vivid horror story, and I thought the final result showed creativity, technical skill and originality on the part of the students - very well done overall! The only considerations I thought of as I was watching this presentation is the amount of materials and pre-requisite training that have to be in place. First and foremost, Macbooks and Garageband are expensive resources, and as a result there would have to be a sufficient amount of funding in place to provide these resources to a large group of students. The other consideration is the amount of technological training that would have to happen before students could competently create a media project. The teacher would have to make sure that their knowledge of Macs and Garageband was first rate, and I could certainly see areas where students could become distracted or lost. Overall, however, I thought this was an excellent presentation. The speaker showed a wide variety of uses for media and recording technology in the classroom, and as a Macbook user I was fortunate to pick up several new and exciting activities and teaching techniques that I plan to use in my second block and beyond. A great experience overall!

Steph Mahncke Apple Presentation - GarageBand and iMovie Workshop

This workshop introduced us to the some of the educational uses for the Apple software programs, GarageBand and iMovie. Predominantly this workshop focused on showing us some of the uses and possible project assignments in a classroom setting, and specifically student work exemplars. They were extremely well done and very engaging, especially the video advertisement for a "This" - why would you want to buy a "That"? At the end of the workshop we had about 5 minutes to play around with the programs, but there were not enough macbooks to go around, so I did not have a chance to try it out. However, I have an iMac at home, so I experimented with the programs at home. Overall, I think a longer workshop time would have been useful, to allow more time for experimentation and learning of some skills in using the programs.

Student: Amy Ross (see Meaghan Cullen’s picture – taken together) Workshop: ** Engaging the Millennial Learner with Classroom Response Technology **
 * Presenter: Patrick Abram, Turning Technologies **
 * This was the first workshop I attended on Jan. 29th and it was regarding student response technology, aka clickers. I found this workshop to be very beneficial and engaging. Before attending this workshop I had never heard of student response technology and did not know that such a thing existed. Patrick was very knowledgeable on the topic and informed us of a number of different uses for the clickers, including tests, anonymous feedback, assessment tools, etc. **
 * This workshop was very interactive as well which made it more engaging. We were constantly answering questions throughout the power point presentation which was far more interesting than simply being told about the technology without experiencing it. While concluding his presentation, Patrick showed us the many ways that the data collected from the response technology could be used or viewed. There are endless ways to graph and organize the data which is great for students and teachers alike! Overall, this was a wonderful workshop and I would love to have the opportunity to use student response technology in my future classroom. **

** Whiteboards in an Interactive Classroom featuring the Document Camera **
The first presentation I attended was highlighting both the document camera and individual student whiteboards. I found the document camera to be surprisingly versatile. Its primary function was as a replacement for an overhead projector, eliminating the need for transparencies. This allows teachers to quickly display anything from textbooks, storybooks and newspaper articles to student work – Anything you might suddenly want to display or enlarge for class viewing. Especially impressive was the use of the camera to enlarge and project math manipulatives (like a chocolate bar for fractions) and science experiments. When anything that is brought in can be quickly displayed to the class, it allows for spontaneity and ‘teachable moments’. On top of the obvious advantage of displaying anything you can fit under or in front of it, the document camera can also read SD memory cards. This allows it to display saved, digital images and take and save its own slides and present them as a slide show. We were all impressed by how this could be used to document student demonstrated solutions to problems. My current placement school does not have document cameras, but if one was ever available, I would absolutely make use of it in my classroom.



Peter Weaver Support and Enhance the Writing Process Using WordQ and Inspiration Presented by: John Deluca

During this presentation we spent the first part of the class learning about how to use WordQ and SpeakQ. These are excellent technologies for any student, but for students with particular LDs or central auditory processing problems. The WordQ will give a student options of words to choose from when they are writing. SpeakQ will read the student's work back to them once they have written it down so that they can check their work more efficiently. The tools were not overly difficult to learn, and I feel that they would be an excellent way to offer accommodations or modifications for particular students. I feel that if it were possible financially, these should be offered to classrooms. All students could use them, but particular students could use them more often. That way, it will not be seen as just for certain students.