Hour of Code

On December 14th and December 16th, Underhill School first and second graders will have the opportunity to explore coding with the support of Mrs. Overmeyer, Mrs. Tremblay, 
Mrs. Landsman and Mrs. Heuer. 

We are excited to be joining the "Hour of Code" Community!

For more information, check out code.org   

The following is excerpted from code.org:

 What is the Hour of Code?

The Hour of Code is a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. 

Who is behind the Hour of Code?

The Hour of Code is organized by Code.org, a public 501c3 non-profit dedicated to expanding participation in computer science by making it available in more schools, and increasing participation by women and underrepresented students of color. An unprecedented coalition of partners have come together to support the Hour of Code, too — including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Boys and Girls Clubs of America and the College Board.

How much can one learn in an hour?

The goal of the Hour of Code is not to teach anybody to become an expert computer scientist in one hour. One hour is only enough to learn that computer science is fun and creative, that it is accessible at all ages, for all students, regardless of background. The measure of success of this campaign is not in how much CS students learn - the success is reflected in broad participation across gender and ethnic and socioeconomic groups, and the resulting increase in enrollment and participation we see in CS courses at all grade levels. Millions of the participating teachers and students have decided to go beyond one hour - to learn for a whole day or a whole week or longer, and many students have decided to enroll in a whole course (or even a college major) as a result.

Besides the students, another "learner" is the educator who gains the confidence after one hour that they can teach computer science even though they may not have a college degree as a computer scientist. Tens of thousands of teachers decide to pursue computer science further, either attending PD or offering follow-on online courses, or both. And this applies to school administrators too, who realize that computer science is something their students want and their teachers are capable of. 

Above all, what all participants can learn in an hour is that we can do this.

Kahoot!

Okay, so I have come across a great tech tool and I want to share it with EVERYONE! 

I could tell you about it, but Richard Byrne did a great job explaining KAHOOT in his most recent blogpost from Practical Ed Tech:

"Kahoot! is currently my favorite tool for creating and playing quiz games. I’ve yet to show it to a group of teachers who didn’t like it. And, more importantly, kids love playing Kahoot games! Kahoot provides a fun way to gather feedback from a group through their phones, iPads, Chromebooks, or any other device that has a web browser and an Internet connection. You can include pictures and or videos as part of each question that you create and share in a Kahoot activity. Players are awarded points for answering correctly and quickly. Kahoot makes it easy for teachers to create review games."

The best thing about Kahoot! is that it is easy for even our youngest students to use (color and shape coded answer buttons - see image above), and most importantly - it is fun and engaging (even for the grownups)! It is a quick way to assess learning, find out what students already know, or take a survey. Instant visual feedback makes responses immediately available, and students can see how graphs are a meaningful way to measure information.

Interested?  

Take a look at the screenshots below. 

When you are ready to learn more, go to the 

website and check it out - for FREE!

Kahoot! https://getkahoot.com

More information about Kahoot!

Why Kahoot is one of my favorite classroom tools

Basic Tutorial on using Kahoot! (Youtube)

Review of Kahoot! from Graphite (Commonsense Media)

I would welcome the opportunity to Kahoot! with your class! 
Let me know if you would like assistance.

All images are from kahoot.com

Why Kids Read

These kids were asked why they read...and their answers are
magical. 


Click here to watch:              Why Kids Read

"I like to read ENDLESSLY. I don't like to stop."

"I read whenever I can. I read in the car - I'm not supposed to because supposedly it affects your eyes. But I eat a lot of carrots, so that's my justification."

Summer Professional Reading

One of the perks of summertime is the chance to catch up on professional reading. I follow several people on their educational blogs, through twitter, and rss feeds. This reading recommendation came up recently via Edutopia on Facebook.  

Something Digital 

Ross Cooper

Supervisor of Instructional Practice K-12, Salisbury Township School District

I have to admit that I was hesitant to read Digital Leadership by Eric Sheninger, as the word "fluff" is what usually comes to mind when I think of books related to educational technology. To find the most current information, it would seem more practical to search blogs, website articles, Twitter, etc. Nevertheless, this book is anything but fluff, and it certainly is up to date. Sheninger, a former high school principal who has emerged as a thought leader in this age of digital leadership, has written a book that can serve as inspiration and an effective starting point for administrators and/or teachers who have realized that they must either infuse their practice with more progressive techniques, or entirely revamp their work to provide students with more contemporary and relevant learning experiences. Sheninger's work is valuable because he writes with a tone that is confident, passionate, and convincing. After reading this book, it would be difficult for anyone to argue, "He's completely wrong," or "This wouldn't work in our district.

Check out more professional reading recommendations from Edutopia.

Ross Cooper

Supervisor of Instructional Practice K-12, Salisbury Township School District

FOLLOW:

https://www.facebook.com/RossCoops31https://twitter.com/RossCoops31https://plus.google.com/+RossCooperEducation/postshttp://www.youtube.com/c/RossCooperEducationhttp://www.linkedin.com/in/rosscoops31

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Summertime...and the Reading is Easy

What does summertime reading look like for you?
Does it conjure up an image of reclining in a lounge chair with a stack of books just waiting to be enjoyed? Are you swinging gently in a hammock and falling into a doze with a book open to the last sentence read? Are you one of those lucky people who can read in a car for hours and not feel even slightly nauseous? Perhaps you plan to sit in a favorite chair with an ice cold drink, a snack and a book that you have time to read cover to cover.

Reading in the summertime is different than any other time of year. We give ourselves permission to read those "light" books (romance? zombies? the next in a series?) that we feel guilty spending time on during the school year. We have time to think about what we are reading, and some of us can't imagine sitting on the beach or next to a pool without a book ready to open.  Rereading a perennial favorite is always a nice way to slide back to a different time and place with an old friend.

Maybe some of us will choose to finally read a classic that has been on our list for years. If you are in a book club of any kind, summertime reading is when everyone shares their personal favorites and begin to think about next year's list. Some people take the opportunity to look at the "Top Ten" lists and choose something completely different.

Whatever summertime reading looks like for you, I hope you find the right place, enough time and a well-written book to take you away for a moment or two (or five).  We tell children to "read, read, read" all summer long; now is our chance to do the same. Here are some links that might help you along the way:

Gibson's Bookstore in Concord Staff Favorites List

NY Times Cool Books for Hot Days

Barnes and Noble Summer Reading List

Real Simple Summer Reading List

Oprah's (yes, Oprah) Book List

Let us know what YOU are planning to read in the COMMENTS section below!

Libraries in the Internet Age

I love the people at Common Craft. I follow their blog to keep up with what is new and trending in a variety of areas: economics, technology, social media and more. The best part is their "explainer videos" and despite the fact that they look simple, they really help you grasp big concepts. This one, of course, is near and dear to me. Please take a moment to check it out! Common Craft Blog Posted: 31 Mar 2015 10:10 AM PDT Click here to view our  New Video: Libraries in the Internet Age We’ve released a new video and it’s not an explanation of hot new technology. In fact, it’s easy to assume that this subject hasn't changed in 100 years. Our new video is about libraries, and specifically, how they have evolved in the Internet Age.  Many of our wonderful supporters are libraries and librarians. In talking with them, we discovered that one of the biggest challenges they face is one of perception.  To many, libraries are relics. In the age of Google, Amazon and Wikipedia it’s easy to think that libraries haven’t changed; that they are from a by-gone era. But the truth is, they have evolved and this video explains how and why. It teaches: Why information is the real focus of every library How the Internet has impacted libraries Why more information isn’t always better How libraries and librarians help us navigate information What you are likely to find in libraries today Did you watch it?  What do you think?   Post a comment and share your thoughts!

Generation Z to Generation Alpha

Following are excerpts from:  How Generation Z Works by Lance Looper

They are your sons and daughters. They populate your neighborhoods, their thumbs spastically banging out two-way conversations composed entirely of over-punctuated and under-constructed sentences. They may even work for you. Eventually, you will work for them.

This is Generation Z, and they have never known a world without the Internet, cell phones or iPods.

Experts disagree on when exactly Gen Z begins. Some argue that the inaugural members were born as early as 1991 and as late as 2001 [sources: Hawkins, Schmidt], while others contend that anyone born after 1995 is part of Gen Z [source: Walliker]. What is not in dispute, however, is what sets this generation apart from any that came before, and that's the unique era in which they are being raised. This group, which today ranges from 11 to 20 years old, has lived their entire life with instant access to mountains of data on any topic that flutters through their imaginations. They've never known the frustration or sheer physical effort of rifling through the M-O volume of the encyclopedia to find out about the Magna Carta. They're technologically savvy and just as likely to spend their time writing and programming video games as simply playing them.

But they're also coming up in a world shaped by 9/11, Columbine and the War on Terror. They have a sense of social justice, philanthropy and maturity that comes with growing up during one of the most severe economic recessions in history.

Things change faster than anyone realizes, and they rarely go back. Educators are on the front lines of the Gen Z migration into adolescence, and they recognize that this group is different. One of the challenges the constant flow of information presents is that when tasked with solving a problem, today's students look for the quick answer rather than work toward solving the problem on their own. Their instinct is to pursue speed instead of accuracy [source: Hawkins].

Maybe the biggest hurdle facing teachers is that they're not on their home turf. They've had to learn technology as it was developed, experiencing these advancements as they happen while their students are "digital natives," meaning they've been raised in an environment where every piece of technology is intuitive, logical and mature.

Kids today have little need to await direction. They can access whatever information they need relatively freely and that information is usually enough to base a decision on. Where previous generations had to rely on a parent or teacher or supervisor to explain something, Gen Z isn't bound by those constraints and can access the info they need when they need it and get to work.

In the workplace, they're going to expect flexibility. When baby boomers entered the workforce, working for the same company their entire career was a barometer of success. Gen Z is going to have little interest in being a desk jockey for 40 hours a week [source: Page]. Instead, they'll view themselves as professional, permanent freelancers. They will swoop in with their particular expertise (they'll all be an expert in something), collect their bones and be off to the next project. At least that's how they see themselves.

Finally, they're going to be smart -- smarter even than previous generations, argue some. Their ability to process massive amounts of information quickly is actually preparing them to perform more mentally demanding jobs. In effect, an entire generation is training itself to handle more complicated tasks [source:Trunk].

So take heart. While they may seem like self-centered prima donnas now, there is reason to believe that today's kids will have both the intelligence and sense of social responsibility to contribute in ways that will outlast their ridiculous haircuts.

*Today's K - 2 students: The Alpha Generation

According to social researcher Mark McCrindle, the name was selected because, just as in science, once the Latin alphabet was exhausted they moved on to Greek letters. “This generation is likely to be the most formally educated in history. They will begin schooling earlier and study for longer.” Brought up in an era of information overload, they are expected to be even more tech-savvy and materialistic than their predecessors, Gen Z. 

*Excerpt from:  http://www.readersdigest.co.nz/the-next-generation

Digital Citizenship

"It is our responsibility as educators to teach our students how to manage, maintain and highlight their digital integrity. Just blocking tools does not teach them anything."

Andrew Marcinek said this at the workshop on Digital Citizenship that I attended during the Christa McAuliffe Tech Conference last month.  He spoke eloquently about "empowerment" over "acceptable use" and how we are "preparing students for their future, not our past." Students are creating their digital reputation from the minute they pick up a device or log into a computer. He pointed out that students use their devices to stay connected, so they don't feel alone, fulfilling a basic human instinct to seek each other out and create personal links. He reminded us that tech devices began with family TVs and are now very personal.

Clay Shirky, a writer, consultant and teacher on the social and economic effects of Internet technologies, says we can and should embrace this because “this linking together in turn lets us tap our cognitive surplus, the trillion hours a year of free time the educated population of the planet has to spend doing things they care about. In the 20th century, the bulk of that time was spent watching television, but our cognitive surplus is so enormous that diverting even a tiny fraction of time from consumption to participation can create enormous positive effects.” 

Digital Citizenship skills are transferable; they work in the real world as well as the virtual world.  The digital citizenship rules our students have been learning include:

• Use good netiquette: never be mean, rude or unkind to others online. (Be polite to others)
• Never chat, email or text with someone you don't know. (Don't talk to strangers)
• Don't give out your personal information like your birthdate, phone number, address or password.
• If something or someone makes you feel uncomfortable, sad or unsafe, tell a trusted adult.

You can see how these rules translate to basic personal safety.  But it is imperative that our students learn that these rules are as important in the virtual world as they are in the real world. 

I have been teaching Digital Citizenship lessons to each of our first and second grade classes this year. What do YOU think?  I welcome your comments on Digital Citizenship. 

For more information, check out these websites:

Netsmartz and Commonsense Media

*

 "

Zero to Eight: Children’s Media Use in America 2013", 

Commonsense Media: A Common Sense Research Study, October 28, 2013, 

https://www.commonsensemedia.org/research/zero-to-eight-childrens-media-use-in-america-2013