instagrok: A Pathway to Understanding Thoroughly and Intuitively

(Originally posted March 9, 2015 on Greenwood 50's Technology Leaders and Coaches in Action! blog at: http://kidblog.org/stls/823673c8-64ee-4e47-81b0-aca3e1d5b807/instagrok-a-pathway-to-understanding-thoroughly-and-intuitively/ )
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As the media specialist in an elementary school of inquiry, it shouldn't be shocking to learn that the question I am asked most by teachers is in regards to good, educational, kid-safe search engines and tools for web-based research projects.

Since promoting the integration of technology in classroom curriculum and easing that integration for teachers are both goals of mine as School Technology Leader, I have been searching for good research tools that are user-friendly, reliable, and authoritative in sourcing.  When I found one that met each of those criteria - plus was intuitive and interactive - I knew I was on to something that could really be of benefit to my students and teachers.



instaGrok is an interactive search engine for educational use that not only retrieves reliable information, but helps students to develop better searching skills by presenting the information in a visual, concept mind-mapping format that allows students to see a number of searching options and then narrow those options until they pinpoint the information they need from quality, educational websites - .edu and .org sites.  Results also include photo and video content from PBS, BBC, Discovery, etc.



instaGrok is free and can be used online or through iPad and Android apps.  Users can use the research tool without registering or they may register a free account to customize searches and share concept maps.  Teachers can also purchase classroom accounts that allow them to track student progress, make and collect assignments, journal, and much more.  So... students and teachers can use instaGrok as a quick research option from the web interface or iPad/Android apps without accounts, or they can take full advantage of it's capabilities and register student and/or classroom accounts for more intensive use.  The possibilities for it's use are numerous.



Because of its interactivity and concept mapping interface, instaGrok works well for both beginning researchers as well as middle and high school students.  The limits are set only by their searches.  For example: if you search instaGrok for information on WWII, your search results will return a concept map with the WWII heading in the center and all related subjects in surrounding connected concept circles.  If you narrow that search to "weaponry", the concept map will branch off into another circle group showing results specific to weaponry used in WWII.  Each colored tab can be clicked to reveal key facts, websites, videos, images, and concepts. Plus, there is an additional section for notes.



The depth of the search is controlled by the keyword relations as well as a sliding difficulty setting in the top left corner of the search engine.  Beginning researchers may only need the overview information returned in a single keyword search.  With the difficulty level set to the far left, the returned results will be more general and simple to understand information.  More advanced researchers can move the difficulty level as needed and also narrow more and contrast their original keyword search to another keyword search, creating multiple circular concept maps highlighting results containing information specific to the relation of those keywords.

As with most technology, the best way to understand instaGrok is to use it.  Give it a try by clicking here.  I think you'll easily understand how advantageous this search engine can be for both beginning and/or struggling researchers as well as those who are a little more advanced in their searching skills.  I personally love the interactivity and intuitiveness of it.

For more ideas on how you can use instaGrok in your classroom, see the video here:

Christmas With the Storybots

(Originally posted December 18, 2014 on Greenwood 50's Technology Leaders and Coaches In Action! blog at: http://kidblog.org/stls/823673c8-64ee-4e47-81b0-aca3e1d5b807/christmas-with-the-storybots/ )
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The week before winter break is always more than just a little hectic.  My strategy for containing some of that chaos in the library  was to provide a technology based activity that was creative, engaging, and most importantly, fun.  It is the holidays, after all!  When I found the StoryBots Christmas app, I knew I'd found the tool I needed to accomplish my goal and get in some extra technology practice while having a lot of holiday fun.  And fun, it was... (Think amusing kid selfies atop oddly animated cartoon bodies.)



StoryBots is a Web 2.0 tool and iPad app that allows the user to become part of a ready-made video or story.  I used the technology in a collaborative and cooperative lesson that had students working together in groups of 4-5 to create and cast their group videos.  Working as a group, they had to cooperatively take their own or each other's photo and then individually manipulate them into the space for the face on the app.  Then they had to collaboratively cast the video by choosing who would be which character.



I completed this lesson this week with every grade level, kindergarten through fifth grade, with the exception of first grade, which I did not have because of special activities.  The kindergartners required a bit more hands-on assistance at first, but quickly picked up the art of taking their own photo and placing it appropriately.  With the help of the kindergarten assistants, I walked them through the first round of videos, instructing them on using the app/iPad camera to take their photos and then using two fingers to pinch and manipulate their photo into the correct place.  I was thrilled to see that with the time they had left after finishing and viewing their first video, they were taking their own photos and casting a second video all by themselves.  Their ability to pick up technology is always so amazing to me.



The only drawback wasn't really a drawback at all, but actually a positive.  StoryBots is a KidSafe app/tool from JibJab Bros. and as so, requires an email login.  I simply set up my own account and then logged the iPads the students would be using on with my account.  We used no more than 8 iPads in each class, 4-5 students per iPad, so the process wasn't as daunting as it sounds.  The positive part was that because each group was using the same account (mine), every photo head synced to each iPad, which allowed students to see their classmates photos as well as their own.  It also allowed me to go in and pull faces from each class to create a video to share with each of their classroom teachers, introducing the app while showing them what their students had been doing in the media center this week.  Needless to say, the videos were a huge success with students and quite a hit with their teachers as well.  Overall, it was a very fun holiday activity that required students to work cooperatively in groups and practice and/or add to their technology skills.

Newsela: Read carefully. Think critically. Be worldly. ... Reading Comprehension + Current Events.

(Originally posted November 21, 2014 on Greenwood 50's Technology Leaders and Coaches In Action! blog at: http://kidblog.org/stls/823673c8-64ee-4e47-81b0-aca3e1d5b807/newsela-for-nonfiction-reading-comp-current-events/ )
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Each of my goals as School Technology Leader revolve around technology integration and helping teachers embed technology in their classrooms.  One strategy I've identified in accomplishing this goal is to lead by modeling technology in my library classroom.

In writing lesson plans this past week, I focused my 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade lessons around Newsela - the Web 2.0 tool I recently featured in a tech tips for classroom integration newsletter.  What I've learned is that, when you put technology in a student's hands, they will take it, run with it, and more often than not, find that they enjoy doing things and accomplishing skills they might not enjoy nearly as much (or at all) in a more traditional format.

The simple act of putting the technology in their hands is the best springboard to active learning. And Newsela is the perfect example to illustrate that theory.



Newsela and Newsela Elementary are free Web 2.0 tools that presents a current events/news platform with leveled nonfiction reading and assessment quizzes to meet all Common Core ELA reading standards.  As a teacher, you simply sign up for a free account (or a free Pro trial) and create your virtual classroom.  Since Newsela is geared towards students in grades 3-12, I decided to use it in my elementary library with grades 3-5 as a tool to gauge nonfiction reading skills as well as provide practice honing those skills.



One of the true beauties of Newsela is in it's search capabilities.  When you begin searching for articles to assign to your class, you not only have the traditional search parameters (category, keyword, grade level) but you also have the ability to filter those results to only include articles with quizzes attached.  Even further, you can choose the Common Core ELA Standard you want the quiz to test!  Quizzes are available that focus on what the text says; the central idea; people, events, and ideas; word meaning and choice; text structure; point of view and purpose; multimedia; and arguments and claims.

Basically, you can personalize Newsela to fit the needs of your students so that they gain purposeful practice on skills they need to improve while exploring current events and having meaningful conversation about global issues in the news.



What I found with my classes was that students not only completed the articles I had assigned, but many also used remaining class time to search for more articles that they were interested in reading for pleasure as well as for information.  Students also liked being able to instantly see their scores and track their progress in the "Binder" tab.  Newsela worked beautifully with each of the three grade levels and proved to be engaging and challenging.

One of the many advantages to classroom teachers is that Newsela is a Web 2.0 tool that can be used from desktops, laptops, iOS and Android devices, or any device with web browsing capabilities.

Once the virtual classroom is set up and articles are assigned, teachers can allow students to access the site on their classroom computers/laptops as time allows.  Just assigning one to two articles per week gives students meaningful, engaging, purposeful, and relevant educational activity for extra class time or center time, that is richly embedded in technology and offers reading comprehension practice and assessment as well as a platform for current events conversation and discussion.  It's a win/win for students and teachers.

To set-up/use Newsela go to Newsela at https://newsela.com or scan the QR code below:

Click "Sign Me Up" in the top left corner, choose "I'm a Teacher", complete the simple registration, and create your classes in the "Settings" tab on the top menu bar.  Newsela generates a "Sign Up Code" which students need in order to create an account and join the class.  The sign up code is all they need.  Registration DOES NOT require an email account.  To make things even easier for my students, I printed a brief sheet of instructions which included the QR code to get to Newsela and the class sign up code and placed a sheet on each table.


After your class is set up, simply use the search options to locate and assign articles.  After your students have registered with their specific class code, you are able to see each student and follow their progress, including the articles they have completed and their corresponding scores on those articles.  You can also access and review overall class progress.




I found Newsela to be a wonderful tool for incorporating current events, promoting nonfiction reading, and strengthening reading comprehension skills.  I hope you'll give it a try!

MLK, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Information Literacy

What do Martin Luther King, Jr., Old Crow Medicine Show, and information literacy have in common?  A lot, if you use a multidisciplinary approach to teach fact verification and information seeking skills through music and technology.

I have always been a huge music fan and I've always loved all kinds of music.  Most often I'm drawn to a song because of the lyrics.  The first time I heard Old Crow Medicine Show's song "Motel in Memphis" - a song about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. - I knew that I wanted to use it in a lesson someday, somehow. The song lyrics touched me in a way that made me see the assassination of this man in a way I had not before.  The mere words to the song brought a piece of history to life. I hoped it would do the same for my students - make them view the life and death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in a way that would provoke a new appreciation for his legacy and for the many reasons he is celebrated and recognized with a national holiday.

But I don't teach music and I don't teach history.  I am a media specialist.  I teach information literacy skills - how to locate information, how to evaluate information and authenticate sources, how to be responsible users of information, and how to learn from the information we find.  What could that possibly have in common with this song, the man, and the fact that we celebrate his life with a national holiday?  

Everything...if you go about it the right way.

I started with the song lyrics that had so moved me and thought about how, like myself, my students were not present when Martin Luther King was alive nor when he was so brutally murdered.  Like myself, those lyrics could bring new meaning to a part of history they had often heard about, but never experienced.  And so I did what I love to do and found a way to incorporate technology and music to teach a lesson about a great man using a thoughtful song with historically specific lyrics to engage my students in a information seeking/fact authentication and verification mission. 

I started by using "Motel in Memphis" as the background music for an Animoto photo montage video depicting Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s life, assassination, and funeral. The lyrics to the song were printed on a worksheet for students.  Third and fourth grade students were asked five questions specific to facts in the lyrics and instructed to use research and fact verification skills to answer and/or verify the answer to those questions.  

I allowed a little more autonomy with my fifth-graders, asking them to use information from the lyrics to learn more about specific details illustrated by the song.  For example, one line from the song reads, "Were you there with Mahalia wailing at the funeral?"  Students were to use the information in that lyric to learn by using their research skills that the "Mahalia" referred to was Mahalia Jackson, a gospel singer and friend of Dr. King, who sang at his funeral service.

Through both of these activities, students learned multiple cross-disciplinary lessons.

• They learned that music and music lyrics tell a story and that sometimes that story is a historically factual one.  
• They learned about a great man by starting from the day he was assassinated and working back through his life to discover detailed information about the equality and civil rights he fought for.

I used technology and music as tools to paint the picture for them and they used technology through online research to locate, verify, evaluate, and develop what I know was a greater understanding of the history and the man.

But most importantly, they used their own natural curiosity and inquisitive behavior as a catalyst for responsible information seeking and fact verification. 

What I learned was that I wasn't alone in being touched by the song, I wasn't the only one to see history from a different perspective because of it's lyrics, and that given the opportunity to interpret factual and artistic expression through music lyrics, students were led to not only find and verify the factual information, but also to dig even deeper to satisfy their personal curiosity about the facets of this particular history that most fascinated them.