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Mentors are teachers who have a specialized experience in a certain area and can pass on that knowledge to someone else. An effective mentor builds a level of trust by being authentic and understanding.
In my classroom, I invite all kinds of mentors from the students themselves to professional authors. One day we may watch a video of Naomi Shihab Nye, while the next I am projecting a student mentor text. It doesn’t matter where the mentor comes from as long as the writing is real, accessible, and pushes the level of my students foreword.
This week my students were working on end-of-the-nine-weeks (yes, it’s here already) book presentations. I allow the students to choose which technology platform to use. They will use Animoto, Emaze, Prezi, Powtoon, etc. My sixth graders love Powtoon. It’s my least favorite because I just can’t figure it out.
Emily was working on her project, and she was having a blast. She was taking screenshots of the Google doodle and making the computer automatically type the text in. The presentation looks like it is happening right before your eyes. At one point, she called out, “Kaiden, I need help.” Kaiden rushed over to show her how to do what it was she wanted to do. On the spot mentorship.
I do not have to be the expert in the room. I can call on expert authors, speakers, or colleagues. Most of all, I can call on my students. They are the experts for each other. And that is just the way I like it.
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Choice is very important in my classroom. By giving gifted students choice, I honor them as learners. When they make their own choices, they are more apt to move through the process willingly and motivated to create a good product.
This week was the final week of our first nine week grading period. Each quarter I require a book talk. My students are avid readers and enjoy the opportunity to share with their classmates about their reading. The rubric includes use of technology as well as basic book talk points, such as plot, characters, setting, and theme. Within the rubric is choice about the technology used.
Powtoon was the favorite this week. It’s not mine, but my students love all the animated characters. They even sing along with the ending, “Created using Powtoon!” I cannot tell you much about how to use Powtoon. My students figure it out, though. It is kid-friendly, especially those kids who spend a lot of time playing computer games.
Emily presents A Handful of Stars on Powtoon. Notice the hand with blueberries.
Powtoon is free. There is a premium version that I don’t pay for. My students adapt well. When Emily couldn’t find two girl figures for her characters, she used a boy and labeled his head with the character’s name. She also figured out how to layer images to create an image she wanted, a hand full of blueberries. I love how Powtoon allows for creativity of design and makes the students feel like animators. They were all proud of their Powtoons.
If you are writing about Digital Literacy, link up your post below.
In addition to joining the Slice of Life Challenge at the Two Writing Teachers blog, I have committed to hosting a DigiLit Sunday round up each week. If this is your first time here, consider joining us on Sundays. I love reading about all the new tools available for students and how teachers are using them. Use the button below on your site.
Please use this button on your site for DigiLit Sunday posts
This week was the last of our third nine weeks. How this year is flying! My students do a book talk presentation each quarter, so this was the week to get them done. I love how the room buzzes with computer activity and how talk revolves around books. I added a new requirement this quarter: found poems. These were their instructions:
1. Find a section of 50-100 words. This may be your favorite part or the climax or a part with a good description.
2. Copy words or phrases from the section.
3. Rewrite or type as a poem. Notice line breaks. You may change the order or add words only if necessary to add meaning.
4. Check your poem for tone. Does it reflect the tone of the book?
My students choose the technology they wanted to use for their presentations. Some used Emaze, Powtoon, Animoto, or PowerPoint. Some used the technology to guide their talks. Other used it as a hook or to enhance the presentation.
I want to share some of the found poems, a Powtoon, and an Animoto trailer.
Vannisa used chapter quotes from Counting by 7’s. Each phrase connects to the character in some way.
Tobie wrote this poem from the Halloween chapter in Wonder. He could relate to the black hole August wanted to go into.
Matthew’s Animoto book trailer for Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library.
Mission Impossible is a favorite background. Tobie used it to create this Powtoon presentation about Wonder.
Digital Learning Day is on March 13th. My plan is a Crazy Comment Challenge in which my students will try to write as many comments as possible on other SOL posts. Please consider joining us. More about Digital Learning Day can be found here. Use the hashtag #DLDay, #sol15, and #crazycomments in your Tweets.
If you have written a Digital Literacy post, please add your link in the comments. I will add them to this post. I am having some trouble with link up apps lately, so I’m just using the old fashioned way.
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This week my students continued to work on their PowToon presentations. Each one selected a topic from something they had learned on a field trip to Sci-Port a few weeks ago. I taught my students how to put a YouTube video into their Kidblog post. This way they are able to share their work with other students at other schools.
One thing I am struggling with is the varied amount of time each student takes to create their presentation. I have some stragglers who are working but aren’t finished. This keeps them glued to a computer, and I am not able to move on with the other students. I want everyone to feel successful and have the time he or she needs to complete their work, but it is also frustrating. Do any of you experience this problem? What works or helps?
I asked my students to write about their experience in creating the presentation in addition to sharing the video on Kidblogs. Tyler is making his presentation about lemurs into a fundraiser. Vannisa enjoyed sharing the video with her other teachers and their classes.
I am not big on giving a lot of instructions on creative projects. I like to see where my students will go with it. I watched as they researched their topics. They would get excited when they learned something new. Vannisa interviewed me and her classmates about what questions we had about gravity that she could research. Erin wants to learn about Newton’s laws of motion and is taking notes. Like a true scientist, she is the only one who could decipher her notes. Emily was fascinated by the many species of lemurs and wanted to show what each one looked like. Her video is very visual. Using a basic rubric, I was able to allow for freedom of expression. I am pleased that PowToon motivated my students. They were proud of their videos.
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Last week I read Holly Mueller’s Digital Literacy post about her students’ social justice PSA’s. Some of her students used an app called PowToon. I introduced it to my students on Monday while discussing presentation options. I wanted them to further research an area of interest sparked by our field trip to a science museum. After they watched the short PowToon introduction video, I could hear an echo in the classroom, “I’m using PowToon!”
My students are familiar with PowerPoint. PowToon uses a similar interface with an add slide button and graphics that are easily added with a drag and drop motion. My students were able to use this app independently. I watched over their heads as they created fun animated slides. Tyler ran into trouble when he tried to add music. He lost the whole presentation he had created, so we started the mantra of “Hit Save” after every added slide. Tyler was able to quickly recreate what he had done and even enjoyed trying new things, so it was not a huge loss.
After I viewed Tyler’s PowToon, I discussed ways he could raise money for lemurs. We found the World Wildlife Fund that has a lemur adoption kit. The cost is $55. I told him if he presents his PowToon to all the 5th and 6th grade classes and asks them to donate $1 for the cause, he is likely to raise the money. He agreed. I’m excited to watch this 6th grader move from an interest sparked to a social action.
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I live on the Bayou Teche in New Iberia, Louisiana. I love teaching, poetry, my dog Charlie, my three daughters, and dancing with my husband. This space is where I capture my thoughts, share my insights, and make connections with the world. Welcome! Walk in kindness.
Reflections on the Teche 