Friday, October 5, 2018

Tynker, Coding for Grades 2-5


Tynker describes itself as a "pathway to coding confidence" that allows students to learn coding in a fun and engaging environment. The colorful, eye catching graphics are designed to capture and hold your student's attention while teaching them problem solving, coding strategies, and more—all within a game-like atmosphere.

The app offers content leveled by grade and expertise, from beginner to advanced. This allows for differentiated instruction and empowers students to work at their own pace and capability. The Tynker platform contains STEM courses that can be easily incorporated into existing curriculum. The program tracks student participation and skill level, and this information is conveniently collected in the grade book built into the app automatically.


Tynker will be available in Barrington 220 during the 2018–2019 school year for all students in Grades 2–5. District student and teacher accounts will be set up in mid-August, however; free educator accounts are available now. Click here to get started.

Parent Access to Groups in Schoology

If you are sharing important resources and information with parents and students in Schoology, please be sure that you add the parent as a member of the group or supply them with the group access code.

Parents are currently unable to access resources with their "view only" rights attached to their child's account.

Here's the workaround:





A New macOS is Available with Several Useful Features

A new macOS has been released, and anyone who wishes to download and install it is free to do so. The new version of the operating system is macOS Version 14 and the release is named “Mojave.” In my opinion, the two previous macOS updates (Sierra and High Sierra) have been a bit underwhelming from the day-to-day user perspective; however, Mojave has many new features that will be useful for most users while not disrupting the basics for those not as excited about major system upgrades.

Mac O S Mojave
As I have reported in the past, I am one of those people who downloads and installs a new macOS (or iOS) the moment it is available. I enjoy experiencing the new details built into software, and I’m OK with testing things for the first time knowing full well that something may not work perfectly. So far, all Barrington 220 systems I’ve tested have worked as expected in Mojave.

A comprehensive review about Mojave was released recently on the Ars Technica website that I highly recommend for any upgrader. The review is quite long, and there is no need to read the entire article—unless you enjoy this sort of thing—but a few minutes of perusal will give you a good idea about the new features of Mojave. Please take a look at Andrew Cunningham’s excellent review:

macOS 10.14 Mojave: The Ars Technica review (9-24-18)

I am in agreement with Cunningham when he states, “there are some serious productivity improvements here...Apple has done a good job of adding iOS-inspired features to the Mac without fundamentally changing what the Mac is or what it can do. Mojave continues to strike that careful balance...”

Some of the features that I believe may be particularly useful in the school environment include the following:
  • Quick Look—allows quick views of documents without fully opening an app, Mojave adds some basic editing abilities to many file types.
  • Stacks—A very quick new method to de-clutter even my Desktop.
  • Screenshots—Major enhancements and feature additions in Mojave, similar to iOS.
  • Voice Memos app—New in Mojave and similar to the iOS app. Great for easy audio recording.
If one of Barrington 220’s systems doesn’t work as expected in Mojave, PLEASE let me know in the comments below and/or call x.1500 while in the district to speak to our Tech Support team. We will begin troubleshooting ASAP.

Notability 8.0 Is Here!


Notability 8.0 offers several enhanced features that will change the way our students work, while streamlining the search process making it easier to find important notes.

Are your students into sketchnoting? This update allows students to search for handwritten terms in the notes library or in a specific note. Once the app has been updated, the program will "index" the student's Notability library allowing students to find any items that they have written by hand. Students can also easily convert any handwritten notes to text.

A few other new features include:
  • Multi-note: Allows students to work on two notes at the same time on the same screen. Students can view these notes "side-by-side".
  • Note-Switcher: Gives students the ability to switch among notes quickly and easily.
  • Recent Notes: The new recent notes tab in the Notability library displays up to ten recent notes for easy access to your current work.
The new Notability Help Center can be accessed by tapping the ? on the library page. Students and teachers can search for answers, read updated articles, and utilize instructional videos.

Notability 8.0 is available now in Self Service. Be sure to check out the full list of new features and a highlight video from Notability here.

Schoology is Launching a New Look


In October 2018, Schoology will be launching a new user interface that will improve the experience for teachers and students. The new experience includes a new top navigation and footer and removes the left navigation from the home page. The goal for the new design is to make it:
  • Easier to access all of your tools throughout Schoology.
  • Simpler for instructors to get things done with a more streamlined workflow.
  • Better for younger learners, with a visual card layout for courses and groups.
If you would like to get more details about the changes that are coming to Schoology, read the article "What’s Changing with Schoology’s New Site Navigation."

Although the changes alter the layout and navigation, the functions and features remain the same.

Barrington 220 will be enabling the new site navigation on October 18, 2018, at 8:00 a.m. We chose this date so you will have a few non-student attendance days to get used to the new navigation.





Welcome to Ty Gorman, Barrington 220 Director of Instructional Technology!

As many of you may be aware, Joe Robinson, Barrington 220’s Director of Instructional Technology from 2012–2018, left Barrington 220 during the summer to pursue a position at Apple as an Education Development Executive in the Portland area. We spent most of the summer in the process of finding a new leader in our Technology and Innovation Department.

Just after Labor Day, Ty Gorman began in his new role of Barrington 220’s next Director of Instructional Technology.

Ty has served as an educational leader and teacher at Barrington High School for the past seventeen years. For the past four years, he held the position of Associate Principal. Prior to that, he served as the Social Studies Department Chair. Ty began his career at BHS as a social studies teacher in 2001.

Ty holds two Master’s degrees in both Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Instruction from Northern Illinois University. He also holds two Bachelor’s degrees, one from Northern Illinois University in History Education, and another in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh.

As an Associate Principal at Barrington High School, Ty has overseen the design and implementation of curriculum and instruction and the implementation of the One to World initiative at the high school. Ty has facilitated professional development, has supervised STEM at BHS, and has overseen the science, math, and fine arts departments, librarians, and the blended learning program.

Ty’s experiences as a teacher and educational leader at BHS, including his leadership of technology, STEM, One to World, curriculum, instruction, and professional development—along with his strong communication and leadership skills—provide a solid foundation for the recommendation for Ty to serve as the next Director of Instructional Technology for Barrington 220.

Welcome, Ty!

If You're Asking 'How Can I Use More Technology My Class' You're Asking the Wrong Question!

Image Provided by Matt Fuller
I often find myself discussing instructional technology with teachers and leaders. Almost every time, in various forms, the question gets asked, "How can I use more technology in the classroom?" No matter their current level of technological acumen, teachers find themselves feeling pressure, real or imagined, to use digital devices more than they currently are.

After all, the District has allocated valuable resources for our One to World program. Visitors come to Barrington from all over the country to study our innovative programing. In 2016 our district was named an Apple Distinguished Program and selected to host an Apple Research Project. It's no wonder that many teachers feel that they are not doing enough with digital devices. This may leave teachers feeling inadequate if they feel that their tech skills don't measure up. I have observed many teachers taking their focus off student learning and directing their attention to technology.

But, what if "How do I use technology more?" isn't the right question to ask? John Hattie's Visible Learning research sheds some light on why we should be wary of this focus when it comes to digital devices in the classroom. According to the Visible Learning Institute, Hattie's research "synthesized the findings from 1400 meta-analyses of 80,000 studies involving 300 million students into what works best for education."

Basically, this research organized over 250 factors that influence education and determined what impact each factor has on student achievement. Some factors, like troubled home life, lack of sleep, and boredom, have a negative impact on student achievement. Other factors, like effort, teacher clarity, and feedback, have a strong positive impact. So what does Hattie say about technology? Here are his findings on digital devices in the classroom, when the focus is on how and when to use them:


Anything with an effect size of 0.4 or higher is the desired number to confidently say that a factor has a positive influence on student achievement. Technology, when viewed only as an implementation method, fares slightly better than typical teacher impact.

But now, let's look at the effect size of student learning strategies:






Just looking at the color differences in the two charts, it is clear to see that focusing on learning strategies, particularly strategies that emphasize student agency, will influence student achievement in more powerful ways than focusing on the implementation method alone.    

So, instead of asking how to use more technology as a question of implementation, we need to be asking how we can use technology effectively in high-impact teaching and learning strategies. For example:
  • How do I increase student agency and self-regulation?  
  • How do my students want to reflect their learning?
  • How do my students consume and process information?
In other words, we need to recognize that technology is part of the natural learning environment in which our students thrive and create. A digital device is not a tool to be awkwardly thrust into static teaching methods; nor is it an add-on to be layered into everything we do. Technology for our students is a ubiquitous aspect of our learning environment that affords comfortable and efficient choices for creativity, expression, organization, and collaboration.

When considering Hattie's Influences on Student Achievement, figuring out how and when to use digital devices becomes clear. After all, 40 years ago we weren't asking "How can I use more paper and pens in my class?" Paper and pens continue to be an assumed and obvious aspect of our learning environment; digital devices play a similar role for our students today.

Check out Hattie's most recent 250+ Influences on Student Achievement, now referred as Visible Learning plus: bit.ly/hattieeffectsize2017 

Great Twitter Follows for October 2018

Are you new to Twitter? Are you looking to get more out of it? Twitter is a great tool for staying connected with what is happening in Barrington 220. Many Barrington educators, clubs, groups, and teams have Twitter accounts.

Twitter can also be used to develop a customized, up-to-date, stream of rich professional development resources. By following great accounts on Twitter, you can stay informed, challenge your thinking, and get the latest research on what works in education.

Here are some great Twitter follows to consider this month:


edutopia
@edutopia

Profile:
"Information and inspiration about what works in education." (Adapted from Edutopia.)

Number of Followers:
1.5M

Why you should follow:
Edutopia Tweets articles, research, blogs, videos, quotes, and news stories about innovation and learning. Just about anything that is currently being talked about in education can be found here.

Some recent posts:
  1. Here's a treasure trove of our latest articles and videos on classroom management.
  2. 5 accommodations that can make class less stressful and more manageable for students with #dyslexia
  3. Children’s early experiences shape what they imagine to be possible.
MindShift
@MindShiftKQED

Profile:
"MindShift explores the future of learning, covering cultural and tech trends and innovations in education." (Adapted from Mindshift.)

Number of Followers:
308K

Why you should follow:
Mindshift offers a different perspective on education and often has practical feature stories with real examples. Often combining science with culture and opinion, this one will make you think. You'll probably learn something new about how the mind works along the way.

Some recent posts:
  1. How Decisions Architects Made a Century Ago Affect Learning Today
  2. Help students go beyond just learning about legitimate sources of information on the internet...
  3. How Listening to Podcasts Helps Students Read and Learn
Tom Murray
@thomascmurray

Profile:
Director of Innovation at Future Ready Schools; co-author of Learning Transformed: 8 Keys to Designing Tomorrow's Schools, Today; 2017 Thought Leader of the Year

Number of Followers:
42.5K

Why you should follow:
Tom Murray is one of the leading educational thinkers in the country today. He offers practical strategies and visionary thinking on how to reach and teach today's students. He often retweets solid articles from other sources, introducing you to even more great resources.

Some recent posts:
  1. Data science among top skills for 2018 employment
  2. 35 Resources for the STEAM Classroom: Putting the Arts in STEM
  3. 6 tips for teaching students how to research

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