Classroom Managment Tips with iPads - Black Screen Challenge

(The image above is of an anchor chart explaining the steps in the Black Screen Challenge.) 

 

When you hear "Black Screen Challenge!" follow these steps, as fast a possible!

1. Tap the power button to put your iPad to sleep.

2. Turn your iPad over so the screen is facing down.

3. Look at the person who said "Black Screen Challenge!"

(The images above are from a slide in the webinar I did for Wonder Workshop hosted by edWeb showing classroom managment strategies.)

I am working on a series for the Computer Science Teachers Association (CSTA) blog on Positive Technological Development (PTD) and learning in a hybrid environment with Amanda Strawhacker. Our current post is on Choices of Conduct and I want to share the Black Screen Challenge. The Black Screen Challenge is a classroom managment strategy that I have been using for years. I can't remember who shared it with me. If you are reading this and it was you, please reach out and let me know so that I can give you credit! 

I would introduce the Black Screen Challenge when first using iPads with my students, typically in the primary grades. We would talk about the challenge and practice doing it before going off and working on their own. 

A few of the questions I would ask as I introduced it include:

• Why do you think we want the screens to be shut off?
• Why do you think we turn the iPads over?
• Why do you think we do it quick?
• Why do you think a teacher would need everyone to give their attention at the same time?
• What do you think should happen if someone doesn't follow the steps in the challenge?

(The image above shows a classroom of young students using iPads in pairs sitting on the classroom carpet.)

If everything would go as planned, the Black Screen Challenge allowed me to get the attention of a the class in a matter of seconds!

I hope this helps! Let me know what other strategies you have! 

Posture

https://instagram.com/mobilitywod/

Does this look familiar to you?

I came across the photo at the top of the page while searching through Crossfit photos on Instagram. I know I am guilty of poor posture while using my mobile devices. My posture was something I did not think of when I first started using iPods in my classroom seven years ago. Now, it is something that is on my mind often!! We know that iPads, iPods, Smartphones, tablets, laptops, Chromebooks (and the list goes on) will not be going away anytime soon. Let's be proactive and teach our students the correct way to use the devices. 

A good friend of mine, Dr.Mark Roerick, has created some helpful tools for teachers to use in their classrooms. He is passionate about helping others understand how to have proper posture. You can find all of his materials at 

www.drmarkwellness.com

Here are a few quick videos you can start using with students right away:

Primary/Elementary Students

 Secondary Students


Are you doing anything special in your classroom to help your students?

When I first started using iPods, I had my students keep them flat on the desk in fear they would drop the device and break it. Now, I know if it can be propped up it will help their neck. Of they should sit on the floor and rest it on their legs, this will help with overall posture.

I am not the expert in this area. Luckily, I know one. If you have any questions you can reach out and ask him questions. I know he also likes to speak at schools, workshops, and events.
Here is his contact information:

• Twitter - https://twitter.com/DrMarkWellness 
• Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Advantage.Chiro
• Email -  drmark@advantagechiro.net 
• Google+ - https://plus.google.com/+AdvantageChiropracticSaintCloud/about 

23 Mobile Things #8 Social Media

I wrote a post about organizing my social media a few weeks back. I like to use HootSuite to organize everything. Take a look back at my blog post "Organized Chaos."

Reflecting on #iSummitMN

One week ago I had the privilege of attending and presenting at the iSummit in Minnesota presented by Flipped Education. I am always excited when a new learning opportunity comes my way, and even more excited when it is with this wonderful group of people.

Last year I attended and presented at the Minnesota Google Summit and hope to have that opportunity again this year, mark your calendars it is Mothers day weekend! I love that I can spend an entire day around people who have a common goal and are excited about teaching and learning.

Conversations typically carry on as I leave a session and continue throughout the rest of the day in person and pick up on Twitter when the day is over.

My top two take aways from the iSummit

1. Jennie Magiera's Keynote

Jennie used the three little pigs to help her connect using technology in education to transform the way to you teach. The picture above illustrates how if you use bricks ,just because everyone else is using bricks, and use them the same way you were using straw it won't work out like it was intended to. If you search for her in YouTube ,you can watch her present this keynote at a different conference. Totally worth your time if you have 20ish minutes. 

2. Meeting up with my peps in my PLN

Kayla and I met on Twitter via the #TIES13 hashtag a few months ago. We have connected a few times via Twitter and I was excited to see that she was attending the iSummit. We made it a point to meet up with each other in person and then to get a picture. During AppyHour, at the end of the day, we were exploring how she could use Chirp in her classroom.

I look forward to my next conference! If you want to read more about my the sessions I lead you can visit my other blog that I co-author The Techie Teachers.

What do you have there?

A few days ago I spent some time at Caribou Coffee, working on my graduate school application. A man around the same age as my dad, sat down next to me and said "What do you have there? Is that an Apple? I just bought a MacBook." This led into a conversation about my computer. I shared a few helpful time saving tips and tricks with him, which evolved into what I do and why I have an Apple computer. Which turned into sharing with him all of the tech gadgets I had in my backpack at the time

• iPad Mini
• iPhone
• Samsung Chromebook

He was curious about each device and why I had it. As a teacher, there are many devices that can and are used in classrooms and I am often asked "What is the best?" My answer is to pick the best tool for the job, it could be different for different lessons and different age levels. If you are in a 1:1 setting, then picking the right app or program is a starting place. If you are in a school with carts of different devices then understanding your options is where you can start. The district I work for is fortunate enough to have a Media Specialist in each building, and a Technology Integrationist (me) for the district. We are great resources for these types of situations. The district I work for has a combination of Chromebooks, iPads, and iPods in a cart based system with the exception of our STEM school that is building a 1:1 iPad program.

My Advice...

First, teachers should plan their lessons according to the curriculum of the district and standards being used. Then, think about how your students will show their understanding. The great thing about having access to mobile devices is that this can look very different for each student in your classroom, if you allow it to.

A Few Examples...

Educreations 

www.educreations.com is a tool that can be used on a variety of devices, however when used on an iPad more features are present.
There are two ways it can be used.

1. As a teacher, you can record videos for your students to watch.  
If you are thinking about flipping your classroom this is a great tool for you to use.

It is up to you how and when students watch these videos.

Here is an example of how teachers can use Educreations to help their students and families. 

2. As a student, you can record yourself and your videos are shared with your teacher as soon as you are
 done. They are kept private unless the link of the video is shared with others. 

The following example is built on the Common Core Standards which can be found here http://www.corestandards.org

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.K.1 Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose opinion pieces in which they tell a reader the topic or the name of the book they are writing about and state an opinion or preference about the topic or book (e.g., My favorite book is...).

Here is an example of how a student can use Educreations to share opinions. 

Google Forms

A Google Form is a tool that can be used on any device that can access the Internet, however when it is best
to create a Form on a device that has a supported browser.

1. As a teacher, there are many ways to use Forms. A popular use is to collect student work.

Here is an example of what your submission form could look like. 

All of the information submitted from students can be sorted and filtered on a spreadsheet to make it easy to manage and access.

2. As a student, Forms are a great tool to gather and analyze data. 

• CCSS.Math.Content.2.MD.D.10 Draw a picture graph and a bar graph (with single-unit scale) to represent a data set with up to four categories. Solve simple put-together, take-apart, and compare problems¹ using information presented in a bar graph.

I only mentioned a few ways different tools can be used on a few different devices. Are you doing the same things? Are you doing something different you would like to share? Do you have any tips to enhance my examples? I would love to continue the conversation on Twitter, you can find me @MrsKalthoff