How do you Solve a Problem like Maria?

Maria Maini teaches French as a Second Language (FSL) at L.A. Desmarais Catholic Elementary School in Windsor. She does not have to teach the von Trapp family children about the journey of life, but she is entrusted with helping over 150 young people learn a new language. In September of 2012, Maria noticed the students were having trouble making and saving documents and then being able to submit them to her. LAD is a school that has embraced TOOLS2GO, or Google Apps for Education. It is great to witness students sitting down to a computer to create a document or presentation. They do not have to access any software or use a flash drive to find their work... they simply login to their Tools2Go account and start creating. All of their work is saved in the cloud in a safe, secure environment, moderated by the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, WECDSB. With the direction of Maria and other teachers at LAD, most of the students have organized their files like the ones below.

This is a screenshot of the folders created by Connor from Mrs. Barnes' class at
St. John de Brebeuf Elementary in Kinsville

One of the nice features of TOOLS2GO that Maria, as an FSL teacher, really appreciates is the ability to make documents with appropriate accents and formatting. 

This is a Google Document created by Samantha, a Grade 6 student in Mrs. Laporte's at LAD

Maria and her students have reaped the benefit of a staff that has embraced Tools2Go and the use of technology. Students are creating mindmaps, documents, presentations, prezis, and more, all in the cloud, accessible from any computer! Further, they are collaborating in real time as all of their creations in Tools2Go and prezi can be shared and accessed by more than 1 person at a time. L.A. Desmarais has truly integrated technology into the daily learning at school and at home.

AN EXCELLENT OPEN-ENDED LEARNING OPPPORTUNITY

Ten by Ten is a website that defines itself as,

"an interactive exploration of the
words and pictures that define the time."

Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life.

One of the unique features that may inspire critical thinking in our students

is the access to the HISTORY of 10x10.

Users may access previous "10 by 10"s, by choosing the HISTORY link

below the grid and choose a previous date back to 2004.

Have students compare the events from...

and 

WARNING: THE INFORMATION HERE MAY INSPIRE STUDENTS

The use of multimedia is changing the landscape of education and the way our young people learn. Students are accessing video, audio, and images from their computers, smartphones, and tablets from anywhere they have an internet connection. Teachers and students are creating inspirational and engaging presentations, websites, blogs, and more, using all of this media in creative and unique ways.

The ability to embed multimedia allows their viewers to watch, listen, and interact without ever having to leave their website, blog, or Learning Management System.

Learn about how to embed all of the multimedia from the web by getting answers to the following questions:

• What is an embed code?
• Where can I get embed codes?
• How do I get these embed codes into my website, blog, or LMS?

Learn more here!

Putting your Google Docs online

Google Applications for Education allows users to create dynamic and engaging presentations, or slideshows. Further, Google supports learning and collaboration by offering the ability to share presentations. Once a presentation is published, it is easily embedded into a website, blog, or Learning Management System.

The presentation below was created as a Google Presentation and embedded into this blog. The beauty of embedding is that each time the owner of the presentation (in this case, me!) makes a change, it is automatically updated here.

  

This provides an excellent solution for teachers who wish to post class presentations, or slideshows, for students to access. Teachers may also embed documents, forms, and drawings, all updated in real time!

Below is a screenshot of a Google Presentation embedded on a class homepage in the Ontario Provincial Learning Management System.

Please note that many web tools (prezi, INFOGRAPHICS, YouTube videos, etc.)
offer embed codes for use in this way.

GOOGLE FORMS GETS AN UPDATE!

Google forms is a fantastic tool that will allow users to collect information using a web form.  This information can be used for data collection, quizzing, diagnostic testing, and more.

Google forms just got a makeover.  Some of the new features are:

1. Collaborative Forms- You can share a form and work on it together.
2. You can choose where your form info goes- many forms can point to the same spreadsheet
3. A whole new look - very clean interface that looks like a Google Doc
4. Easier Tools to build questions

Google Forms is available through your TOOLS2Go login.  http://bit.ly/tools2go

If you need an account email JOE SISCO on the BBS.

For a Brief overview you can check out the video below: 

How might a teacher use a google form? http://www.livebinders.com/play/play/116971

Busy B's Bringing Blended Learning to Brennan

Matt Bauer and Pam Burke, technology teachers in the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board, spend most of their day working with spreadsheets, presentations (Powerpoint), and pretty much anything in a digital format. 

Matt and Pam needed a way to manage all of the files that students were submitting. Like many teachers, they were carrying around a whole bunch of Flash drives, or having the kids email files to them, or even having the kids login to their 'school teacher space' and save it there... it's exhausting just thinking about it. 

The Learning Management System (LMS) 

has solved these problems.
As part of the Blended Learning program, Matt and Pam have created VIRTUAL DROPBOXES to receive all of these files from the students. 

Matt has received more than 100 files into virtual dropboxes.

Once the files are placed in the dropbox, Matt can download them,
or even just view them online and leave feedback for each of his students. 

Pam has received more than 250 files from students
and has assessed many of them right online.  

Matt and Pam have also used many of the other great features including:

• posting NEWS items and instructions
• posting CLASS ASSIGNMENTS
• embedding POWERPOINT presentations for the kids to view at any time

For more information, please contact Joe Sisco (e-Learning Contact) for the WECDSB.

WHY BLENDED LEARNING?

The Blended Learning model is happening in classrooms everywhere. Blended Learning combines face-to-face learning with all of the great features of e-Learning and the internet. Students are accessing course content, submitting work, collaborating with other students & their teacher, and building electronic portfolios... all online. Teachers are posting class work, lessons, and resources for access from anywhere, anytime.

e-Learning Ontario has provided access to the Learning Management System (LMS) for all teachers and students in Ontario from K-12.  
Learn more and get started today by contacting the e-Learning Contact (eLC) in your Board. 

20" x 60" Infographic

You may download a high-resolution version of this image and display in your school.