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Connected Classrooms Connected Learners

Breaking down the walls of the classroom

Tyler Abernathy

Blythewood Middle School

6th Grade Social Studies/Technology and Learning Coach

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How To Connect

Blog: www.scproudabernathy.blogspot.com

Twitter: @TylerAbernathy1

Google Plus: tabernathy@richland2.org

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The Environment

Classroom/School is a 1:1 environment
Students have Google Chromebooks
Students take home devices

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Goals

Enhance learning and engagement through digital and non-digital strategies
Augmented Reality with Aurasma/Videolicious
Know the purpose and benefit of blogs and working with other classes
Connect students to experts in the field or related to content studied
Strategies for close readings

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Tech in Classroom

Aurasma/Videolicious
Blogging/Quad-Blogging
Skype Visits

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Augmented Reality

Why? Creates opportunity to create layers to learning.

Allows students to work with content and then share with others. Great extension!

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Augmented Reality

TOOLS USED:

iPod Touches with Videolicious App (free)
Use app to make video of students voice and pictures - Richard Byrne has great info.
Upload this video into Aurasma
On next slide use tutorial to make your aura

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Examples

Download Aurasma app
Follow bmhistory Channel &
bmhistory’s Public auras
Create Aura Tutorial

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Technology in the Classroom

Blogging - Biggest change in my classroom this year
Goal of blogging for me is to create dialogue of our content, shared reflection, and purposeful sharing of learning with others.

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Why Blog?

Blogging creates conversations
Allows learning to be chronicled
Students take more ownership of learning
Takes learning out of classroom by sharing and discussing with others

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Examples

Topics we’ve discussed:

Modern Issues - Ashton Kutcher Award Speech, Nelson Mandela’s Death, Free Write
Content - Columbian Exchange, River Valleys, City Designs, Hindu Caste System, Education

Links: http://kidblog.org/CoachAbernathysHistoryClass/

http://kidblog.org/CoachAbernathysHistoryClass2/

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Setting up Blogging

Resource - www.kidblog.org

Search my classes “AbernathySS”

Why Kidblog?

- Free resource

- Can set up multiple classes (50/class)

- Can connect classes to each other or make for public view (Twitter - #comments4kids #sced)

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Quad Blogging

Purpose: Takes blogging to NEXT LEVEL by connecting classrooms from around nation or globe to discuss, compare/contrast, or present ideas and content.

USE TWITTER TO FIND OTHER CLASSROOMS

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Quad Blogging

Set-up: Find 3 other classes to connect with. Create rotation for 4 weeks where each class is the “featured class.”

- That class will write a specific blog for the endeavor.

- The other 3 classes will write comments and give feedback on blogs.

- This will create a digital conversation among students.

- After week is complete, rotate to next class.

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Skype Visits

Blog Research with another school
Culminate interaction with Skype visit between classes
Author Skype Visit - Linda Sue Park A Long Walk to Water

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Skype Visits

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Connecting with other Classes

Middle Ages Blog Collaboration:

- Objective: Students will work with students from another school to research key content and information from the Middle Ages. Students will share work through Google Docs and Kidblog.

- Close Unit Collaboration with a Class Skype Chat to share

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Experts in the Field

Uhuru Child

Columbia City Planners

USC Thinking Globally Int’l Students Share

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Experts in the Field

The next slides simply shows how I made a concerted effort to connect experts in different fields with my classroom.

Many of these connections were free. The only grunt work came from taking the TIME to call and set up these endeavors. WOW, were they worth it for learning.

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City Designs

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City Design

Connected with Columbia City Planners to discuss how cities are organized/designed
Use face-to-face interaction with City Planners and blogging to open project
From this students worked in groups to design a city of their own

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City Design

Cross-curricular activity using ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies
Could be Ancient, Modern, or Future city
Throughout process had City Planners visit to give EXPERT FEEDBACK to students

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Close Reading

Close analysis of a text of multiple texts
Challenge Students to make summations and evaluations based on the text

Example Text: Assyrians Attack of Jerusalem;

Jewish Viewpoint

Ways to Complete: Page protectors and Markers; Google Docs

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Close Reading

Digital and non-digital example

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Key Questions

What are they?

- Weekly HW assignment that reflects on learning done in class that week

Why I do them?

- Students choose to answer 1 of the 4 questions posed to them

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