Can I have an Extension?

Can I have an Extension Please???

How many times have you said that to a professor in college or grad school; or have you heard that from one of your students?  I have heard this many more times than I would like to admit.  However, these days, it means something so different.  Extensions are small programs that are a part of Google that add new features to your browsing experience.

I honestly had no idea that there was so much out there to help with life- LOL!  There are so many extensions on google that there needs to be a whole course designated to learning and using google extensions on a personal level as well as a professional level.  Unfortunately, we only had an hour to talk about today.

So far my favorite aspect of the extension is that they can found at the top of screen and so easily accessible on every tab and website that you visit.  They are so easy to use too!!!

You might be asking yourself how do I find these extensions?  Don't worry, it is so super easy!  So after you log on to your google account; open a new tab and search 'chrome web store.'  Then, click on the first link (or click this google chrome web store)

From here, you can scroll through and see some of the more popular ones. OR you can collaborate with other googlians (I made that up- LOL) to see what they use and how they use it.  Today, I added 'Bitmoji' to my extensions and it is so easy to add/drag them to your project or what you are working on.  

My Bitmoji- Hi There!

So, now I ask you: Can I have an extension?

Side Note:

- as previously stated by many of my colleagues, having a well-balanced classroom of both technology and non-technology strategies (I think) will encourage the students to become life-long learners...

-incorporating visible thinking routines is one way to connect 21st century thinking skills with technology and/or not...

One of my favorite non-technology 21st Century Thinking Routines is: CSI (Color Symbol Image)

  

FLIPGRID

For those of you who do not know what Flipgrid is; it is a way for students to ignite their voice and their thoughts.  There are so many ways to engage students in social learning.  Flipgrid is constantly revamping and releasing new capabilities based on teacher feedback.  If you would like to read more about what it is all about and how to use it, click on the image below.

Click Here to See Flipgrid

Ok, so I LOVE Flipgrid.  I started with using it with one of my small ENL groups last year just to see if it really was awesome! Oh man, my students LOVED it! They loved to record themselves and then see themselves on the computer.  I took it one step further and I had them respond to a flipgrid that their classmate created.  They really enjoyed that too!  Flipgrid was able to give each one of my students a voice and an ability to express themselves.  It truly was a fantastic tool that they were excited about using.

I then took it one more step further and I collaborated with two of my co-teachers from two separate buildings.  I set it up so that the students from each class could Flipgrid one another (we assigned partners to ensure that each student had someone to watch and respond to their grid.  The students worked very hard on their poems, both writing and illustrating them.  It truly was an effective way for students to learn something new and express themselves.  There were some students that feared recording themselves, but then when they saw others doing it and they saw other grids, they seemed to be more comfortable with it.  

I definitely recommend using Flipgrid in your classrooms!  

Ways to Use Flipgrid

   

See Think Wonder

So, last year when I first learned about this visible thinking routine, I was so excited.  I thought to myself, "WOW, this is a great way to help my students really think about things or introduce topics." The very next day, I spoke to my 2nd grade co-teacher and we planned to use it.  I got all of my resources together and my copies made and I was ready!  Well, it was an epic fail.  My second graders were very confused.  The 'see' section was fine- they were able to tell me what they were looking at.  However, the 'think' section and the 'wonder' section were very confusing to them and I was having a hard time explaining to 7 year olds the difference.

Well, needless to say that I got discouraged.  I did not want to try anything else because I felt like I just couldn't do it.  I couldn't possibly bring in these new routines and make them work effectively!

As in terms of 'A Growth Mindset', I did not give up and I was determined to learn how to do it. From there I went to different resources, via other teachers, google, and my director to try to figure out how to make this work for my students and my needs.  

HOORAY!!!! Two weeks later, after research and many conversations, I slowed the routine down and allowed the students to collaborate and work in pairs.  I also modified the worksheet and added sentence frames and question words to guide the students and aide in their thinking.  (not in a direction- just to get them started)  My second grade students really responded positively to this routine and we ended up to do this activity a few more times throughout the year.  My students really enjoyed doing this activity as well as other visible thinking routines!  This made me motivated to continue to practice this routine as well as try others. 

    

Visible Thinking...

    VS                 

Tasks VS Opportunities....

So what is the difference?  Everyday teachers assign homework, classwork, dittos, projects etc... What are we really doing?  Are the students really engaged?  Are they learning?  These are questions that are constantly asked by many teachers before, during, and after lessons.  We are taught to assign tasks and if the students complete them, then they have learned.  Have they?

I read an interesting excerpt from the book, Creating a Culture of Thinking by Ron Ritchhart, yesterday while I was taking a summer hybrid class.  He cited from a Singaporean theory about teaching less and learning more.   Sounds weird right?  This idea is aimed at reducing teacher talk and increasing learning and engagement.  This concept got me thinking.  Why aren't the tasks that I am assigning really teaching my students... why aren't they engaged in the lesson... ??? How can I change what I am doing to teach less, learn more???

Although there is not one right answer, and every year comes with its own obstacles;  I believe that I will start with some visible thinking routines.


                                     





Some examples of visible thinking routines:

CSI:                                                                      
                                                                                                                                     









See Think Wonder






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