Gamification: Classroom Game Design

Inspiring talk on using technology and gamification for learning and engagement.

Screencast Tools for Me

These are the tools that I found most useful (and free or cheap) for my needs.  I've created a pack on Zootool to store these favorites and to add to as I come across more.

Zootool website

Time to clean the messy desk

I truly LOVE exploring new tools, websites, blog, articles, etc. on the web for ideas and inspiration.  But I find myself in need of one dedicated place to store everything.  I've used Delicious for tagging, but I don't care for the layout and organization. My must-haves for a visual bookmarking tool to organize my content are:

• it has to look pretty :)  i.e. clean, clutter-free
• free
• shareable
• easy to add/edit (browser extensions)

I came across an article about "edu-pinning" using Pinterest, but I have to stay away from Pinterest because it's a black hole.  Don't get me wrong, I love it, but I find myself wandering far off topic in a hurry.

I came across this list of tools.  

Access article here

Zootool looks pretty cool.  I'm also checking out Scoop.it! 

Making Screencasts -- Where to Begin?

I've spent the better part of the last 6 weeks researching, exploring and creating screencasts as part of my Master's project and to begin the transformation of my classroom to a blended teaching and learning model.
One of my "go to" sites for tech resources is through Edina Public Schools.  Molly Shroeder is a true ninja.  She is Edina's tech integration specialist, and she's also a certified Google Apps trainer and teacher.
Here's a great place to begin learning about screencasting.

Edina Screencasting Ecademy

Mentormob--a new favorite!

In the pen.io post below you might have noticed the extra practice portion of the mathcast was accessed through mentormob.
This is an awesome way to organize articles, videos, images, anything into a single "playlist."  Perfect for the flipped classroom and to organize personal and professional resources.  I'm thinking of creating playlists for links I would normally keep in Delicious.
After creating the pen.io page for the mathcast, it dawned on me that I could also include the screencast and quiz in the mentormob playlist too.  Then students could access everything at mentormob instead of pen.io.
However, I still like the clean look of pen.io.  

Access to screencasts with pen.io

I want my students to have fast and easy access to the screencasts, along with the companion quiz and extra practice links.  I've put them on a page of my website.
Here's the look of the table on the Matchcasts webpage within my classroom website.  Students click on the mathcast, then come back and click on the quiz, then come back and click on the links for extra practice.  

Pen.io creates a micro webpage for one stop access in a visually pleasing way.  Here is the new link on my classroom webpage.

A lot less distracting for 2nd graders!  My thought is to create a separate page for each mathcast module.  Here's my first attempt.  Pen.io is incredibly easy to create.  You plop the embed code and url's right in the body of the text.  The result is a crisp, clean look that is ad- and distraction-free.

My Mathcasts for 2nd Grade

I created the mathcasts (math screencasts) primarily for my Master's project.  But I was committed only to doing a project that I would find immediately useful in my classroom.  


Here is how I envision their use in my classroom:

• They will primarily be viewed at school and not at the students' homes.  WHY?  It's about equity and access.  Many of my families don't have home computers and internet access.
• Students that are at or above proficiency will watch the videos before meeting with  me in a small group.  That way, they'll have a head start on the vocabulary and the basics of the lesson.  This will give us more time to go deeper into the content and give the students more time for active, self-directed learning activities.
• If a student is sick, they can watch the video at home or before/after school to get caught up on what was missed.
• Sometimes it doesn't sink in the first time.  These students can watch the videos for further reinforcement and for more practice.

Here is one of my videos.  

The flipped classroom is not just video

I'm trying to wrap my head around what I want to call this flipped classroom for my particular needs.  


I believe in more of a blended approach to delivering content that combines some flipped instruction along with learning centers and, yes, some direct instruction.  


In preparing the math videos, I keep recalling the rich conversations I had with my students as they explain to me and to their classmates how they solved a math problem, what strategies they used.  That doesn't happen if I only teach via video.

Here is a video done with a kick-butt ninja tool called  

Jackie Gerstein makes a valid point that it's "not all about watching videos as homework."

Why do my own screencasts?

Katie Gimbar's take on making my own screencasts rather than using those by others (such as Khan Academy) really resonated with me.  She says that using videos from others "doesn't result in any change in how you teach within your classroom."  The endgame for me is to TRANSFORM the way I teach that will result in personalized, active learning for my students.

First Post!

Welcome to my new blog!  


Why did I start this blog?


I am wrapping up my Master's of Education project on flipped math for second grade.  I would not have been able to accomplish this task without the public sharing of resources, tips and tricks from others who have already been in the trenches with this innovative teaching style.


To that end, I want to pay it forward.  My hope is that other teachers will learn from my experiences, borrow ideas, and find some inspiration in what I've done and what I'm doing.