Tuesday, December 29, 2015

Workflow in a 1:1 Elementary Classroom

In February, I will be going on my second year teaching in a 1:1 Classroom and it gets better each day. A question that I am often asked is what workflow system are you using in your classroom.  I am so thankful for my colleagues who shared Schoology and Seesaw during one of our iPad collaboration days. 


Delivery of Content and Curriculum - Schoology
I was using iTunesU to organize and share curriculum with my students, but quickly found Schoology is much easier and user friendly. Schoology is a Learning Management System (LMS), which I use to enhance my classroom instruction and create content to share with students. With Schoology, I post course content, assignments, embed videos and docs, as well as reviews.  Student are given an access code for each course. Students submit assignments to be graded or reviewed by the teacher, take quizzes and tests, as well as participate in classroom discussions online. In the past, my students submitted work using Google Drive. Schoology works on multiple platforms whether you are using a web browser of tablet.


I love that Schoology can be used to individualize classroom instruction. You can create specific courses to meet individual student needs.  






I also like that you can embed Youtube videos on the site so students aren't directed to Youtube to watch the video.  Thanks to my tech coach Ann Feldmann and colleague Lisa Keene I now have all my students take their individual Words their Ways spelling tests at the same time. Just another simple way to utilize Schoology in the classroom.

A Beginners Guide to Using Schoology

Successful 1:1 Implementation: Use Schoology as the Classroom Hub by Dave Eisenmann







Portfolio of Learning - Seesaw
It is important in a 1:1 classroom that students are able to share and catalogue their work in a portfolio and Seesaw is the answer. With Seesaw, students build a digital portfolio of work and projects they've been working on in class.  I have added folders for each subject area to help keep their work and projects organized.

It is a free iPad app and their work can be viewed not only by the teacher, but also their classmates and parents. Students can view each others projects and add written or verbal comments. It is a great way for students to collaborate with classmates and gives them a voice in what they are learning. 









Seesaw the Learning Journal



Lessons Learned
Compile a List of Go-To Apps
Give Students a Choice to Show their Learning/Thinking
Let Students be the Teacher
Having an authentic audience for students is a must!
Create an Environment Where Learning is Student Centered
Be Flexible because things will go Wrong

I would love to hear how others are developing workflow systems in 1:1 classrooms.