LMS – Learning Management Systems: A Must

Teachers are the kings and queens of “making do” with what they have. We buy notebooks, crayons, ink pens and more so our students have the supplies they need to do the job in our classrooms.  It wasn’t a far stretch, then, when our school went to 1:1 iPad computing that we learned to “make do” with the free apps that were available, or to “make do” with work-arounds that were far from easy.

Having been a 1:1 teacher in a classroom lab with desktop computers, I had become a proponent of Moodle.  In fact, I had officially been dubbed the “Moodle Queen” in our building.  As glamorous as that sounds, what it really meant was that everyone came to me to fix their Moodle issues, and that when the Moodle server crashed and our tech guy couldn’t be found, I was the lucky sap who got to reset it.

Anyway, as the Moodle Queen, I quickly discovered that Moodle did not play nicely with the iPads.  None of the things that I had been doing so seamlessly on desktop computers worked in the iPad environment.  Worse yet, two years ago when we started this iPad project, I couldn’t find anything that did. Well, I’ve never been one to give up without a fight.  I was determined to make the iPads work in my classroom, even if it killed me. And at times I thought it was going to.

Without a learning management system, I developed my own “system” for managing classes. I set up e-mail groups and e-mailed documents to my kids. They e-mailed their completed assignments to me.  It didn’t seem like a bad system until I actually tried to grade and 120+ e-mails were clogging my inbox.  I had to take each of those assignments out into a PDF annotator, mark them, e-mail them back to the kids, record them in a separate online gradebook, and then remember to delete the e-mail from my inbox. Wow, what a mess!

As each new LMS was released for iPad, I anxiously awaited one with true integration for uploading assignments. I tried them all.  Time after time, I was disappointed by the results. Finally, I heard word that a colleague had begun using Canvas – a web-based LMS that is free – with great success.  The first time I tried it, I was amazed at the ease with which students were able to upload assignments!

The iOS app from Canvas is very basic. It is a black and gray interface, with no graphics to speak of. I was initially disappointed by this lack of visual appeal, but have come to appreciate it.  Students aren’t distracted by the “bells and whistles”, but rather use Canvas as the workhorse it is proving to be. They log in and immediately receive updates on pending assignments or feedback on graded ones. They receive a reminder if they forget to turn something in, and uploading assignments takes 4 or 5 taps and they can submit from anywhere they have wifi.

The best part of Canvas by far though, is the Speedgrader. Speedgrader is an iOS app, or can also be accessed from the web.  It allows for rubric grading, comments, and annotation all without leaving the document. Moving from assignment to assignment is as simple as clicking or swiping. Even dealing with those pesky late assignments is easy.  Canvas always tells me how many assignments I have to grade in each class, and updates the number of papers in any set.  If I’ve already graded a set, but a student uploads the assignment late, Canvas tells me.  It’s not quite the secretary I’ve always hoped for, but it’s close.

For those of you who are looking for a LMS that will work with iOS devices, I would recommend giving Canvas a try.  I think they are still a small organization, because I’ve gotten the same guy for customer service every time I’ve needed help. Still, every time I’ve needed help, they have been great to respond. And before you ask – I am in no way affiliated with Canvas. I’m just a teacher who was looking for a way to teach my classes, instead of constantly having to teach them how to “work around” the difficulties we faced.  Check out Canvas yourself and let me know what you think!

A World Without Books?

Our administrators announced last week that there will be no further textbook purchases for our school.  None. No more books.

As you can imagine, the reactions were varied and none of them were good. Some reacted with disbelief, others with stunned silence, and still others were immediately outraged. How could we possibly do our jobs without books? Teachers were told that many quality e-textbooks are available for free and it would be fine to use those, or they were welcome to write their own.

I have mixed reactions to the announcement. On the one hand, I’ve already done away with most of my textbooks. I keep a classroom set and have the kids pull them out on occasion, but most of what we read comes from the iBookstore, Project Gutenberg, or other online sources. I’ve kept paperback copies of some of my favorites that are too expensive to download for everyone and drag them out as well.

Still, I can’t help wondering about the issues this raises. Writing our own textbooks? Really? I can’t even begin to think about how you might tackle this topic as a Science, Social Studies, or Spanish teacher, because the thought of tackling it as an English teacher is overwhelming enough. In our our small school I teach three different subjects. The science teacher across the hall teaches six. Where do you even begin?

More importantly though, the issue that really concerns me is one of plagiarism and copyright. I hammer it into my students’ heads on a daily basis that the work they submit absolutely MUST be their own. No exceptions. People deserve credit, and payment, for their hard work – their intellectual property. I believe that wholeheartedly.  But what will happen in this new world of no textbooks?

There seem to really only be two options. The first is to teach only works that are in the public domain. This is a possibility, mostly thanks to groups like Project Gutenberg, but isn’t very practical and frankly, students would hate it. They already cringe at having to read “those old dead guys” when the work is mixed in with more contemporary writers. Removing the contemporary writers would be a little like serving only liver and onions and never offering dessert.

The other option is plagiarism. I’m certain it is one many of our teachers will feel is their only option.  They will photocopy, scan, or retype the works of others and continue using what they’ve always used. Many may not even see this as a moral or ethical dilemma, but simply what is necessary.

Where do you weigh in on this topic? I would love to hear how others are responding (or would respond) when faced with this situation.

It’s about the kids…

Last night I sat with hundreds of other parents and watched our first and third graders share their Christmas cheer at the elementary Christmas program.  They sang and did the motions along with their wonderful music teacher. In twos and threes they traipsed across the stage and recited their lines beautifully. And when they messed up those lines, and when one group was ahead of the music while the other group was behind, no one cared.  Parents smiled, the mistakes as sweet and memorable as the songs themselves.

Somewhere in the midst of this performance though, I was gripped with overwhelming grief. I forced myself to count out 20 of the sweet little first-graders standing on the risers singing. Tears streamed down my face as I watched them dancing with sombreros on their heads to Feliz Navidad. 

I can’t imagine a world in which anyone could point a gun at these precious little children and pull the trigger. I can’t imagine doing it once, let alone over and over again twenty times. I can’t imagine what must exist inside a person to make them capable of this kind of horror, and I certainly can’t imagine how terrible it must be to be not only capable but desiring of such an act. And really, isn’t that the problem?

As parents, as teachers, as humans, we can’t imagine this horror that has just become a reality in our world. We can’t process it, and we certainly can’t fix it. Our only solution is to find a way to stop it from ever happening again. Simply doing nothing isn’t an option. Mourning these children isn’t enough. There must be a flaw in our systems that caused this to happen, and if we can just find that flaw we can keep our own children safe from ever facing a similar situation.

The problem is that there isn’t a solution that will prevent future events. This isn’t about school security. We lock doors and prohibit visitors, but it isn’t enough.  It isn’t about guns either. Maybe there isn’t a need for semi-automatic weapons, but even in a world without them, those with a desire to kill will find a way. It isn’t about God in schools. I know that the God I believe in was in that building that day with those frightened teachers and students, and with those who were dying. And as tempting as it would be to turn this into a political stance about the dedication of teachers, it isn’t about that either. 

It’s about the kids. And the adults who died trying to save them. It’s about the overwhelming sadness that is simply unbearable at the thought of twenty tiny chairs that are empty now. It’s about the Christmas presents that will go unopened. It’s about the little twin who will grow up without her brother. It’s about the families that are now and forever incomplete. It’s about a graduation class eleven years from now that will have twenty empty chairs. It’s about the loss of promise, of hope, of the future.

It’s simply too much to bear. But changing laws and changing education isn’t going to bring back those children, and if we are honest, it isn’t going to prevent it from happening again. We live in a world that has both good and evil. Many of us believe in an almighty God, but even that very belief means that we also believe there are evil forces in our world as well. But, if we believe, then we also believe with our whole hearts that those tiny babies are in a better place, a heavenly place. We don’t want them there – not yet – because we want them in our homes, in our schools, and in our arms.  We want them to live full lives. And the thought of anything else is just too much.

So how do we move on? How do we pay our proper respects? Today I plan to hug my kids a little tighter. I plan to hug my students and remember to appreciate them rather than get frustrated at their excessive holiday excitement. I plan to make every effort to take nothing for granted, and to be thankful for all of the gifts in my life. Most of all, I’m going to try to stay focused on the importance of this event, and to not get dragged in to all of the political debates on this topic. Because it isn’t about guns, or about school safety, about religion in schools, the fault of the media, or the performance of America’s education. It’s about the school staff at Sandy Hook Elementary School. And most of all it’s about the kids.

The paperless classroom in 2012

My desk today looks so much different from years past.  The mammoth computer tower is gone, as is the monitor I used to have to look over to see my students.  The stack trays of papers to be graded and the other stack tray of ones to return have disappeared.  My desk appears spartan and sparse. This physical change reflects something bigger though – a transformation of teaching as a whole.

As we near the end of 2012, I want to reflect on how my teaching really has changed as a result of technology.  Certainly, the strain of giant bookbags filled with papers is gone.  Transformation is much deeper than that though.  Many years ago (more than I care to admit), when I began teaching my days were filled with reading check quizzes at the beginning of each class period, class discussion over said material and then assigning the next section/chapter/story to be read for the next day. When the next day came, we repeated the cycle.

Today I look at my classes and I find them much different.  Students are still reading, but now their discussions are deeper and richer.  They analyze more and recall less.  They use the technology to look for answers instead of looking to me as their sole resource.  They are writing more. They are doing more projects. Frankly, I think they are learning more. Perhaps more importantly though, is that they are taking charge of their own learning.  They make decisions about how to share what they have learned, and the options are vast. Every day brings something new, both for them and for me.

Why Use iPads?

The lease on my car is almost up and I will be returning it to the dealer soon.  In preparation for that event, the manufacturer sent out an inspector today to examine my car for damages needing repair.  As I watched the inspector going over every inch of my car, I couldn’t help but notice that he recorded every detail on the tablet computer hung around his neck by a thick strap.  After photographing my car, he plugged the memory card into the tablet and uploaded the pictures to the report as well.  Finally, when he finished, he tapped the send button and printed out my final report to the wireless printer in his car.

Watching him in action took me back to a debate in our school about the selection of iPads. Admittedly there was not one hundred percent agreement that iPads should be the device of choice for our students.  Some felt laptops were more sensible; in fact, one argument was that iPads aren’t really used “in the real world.” There was much debate that laptops would be a better choice.  Students would do better work with a “real” keyboard. The programs on a laptop would be more aplicable to work students would do in the future.

Today’s encounter with the car inspector confirmed two things. First, my car is in good working order and ready to go back to the dealer. Second, and most importantly, the device that we teach students to use is irrelevant. We don’t need to teach students a machine; we need to teach students what to do with a machine.  We need to teach them when and how to use technology appropriately.  We need to teach them that technology is not just a toy, but is also a tool – a tool for learning.  Those skills are the important part.

In their futures, maybe not all of our students will be in professions where they walk around with an iPad tucked under one arm.  However, it is a virtual certainty that technology will be part of their professions.  Farmers are now using iPads to analyze the weed composition in their fields to determine the best herbicide. My doctor carries a laptop into the exam room to chart my health issues. My brother, a tool and die maker, programs his computer to create precise parts. Even the girl at the McDonalds drive through uses a touch screen computer to record my order.

I love the iPads in my classroom.  I love watching the iMovies my students create using their own writing, their own voices, and their own images.  I love using Socrative and getting instant feedback on my students’ learning. I love that they have virtual libraries accessible at their fingertips.  Most of all though, I love that they know how to use all of these tools to enhance their own learning.  In the end , it doesn’t matter which machine they use; it matters that they have learned how to use it.

Ahhh… books

It was destined that I would become an English teacher. From the time I was four years old I read everything. I read the cereal box at the breakfast table. I saved my allowance to buy books. I got books for Christmas, for my birthday, and even in my Easter basket. While I was a frequent visitor to the public library, my favorite books had to be added to my personal library to be read and read again.

Before I ever had my first classroom I was building my classroom library. Really, is there anything better than the Scholastic book order forms? As a kid I loved taking them home and picking out the books I hoped my parents would buy, but as a young teacher they were like manna. Free books! Ah, the smell, the feel of cracking open that brand new spine, the joy of reading that new book, and then sharing that new book with a student. There just isn’t anything better.

With this special connection to books, one of my first concerns about a paperless classroom was that I would have to part with books. How would I share them with students if I only had them electronically?

In preparation for this electronic shift, I started searching for materials that would be available to my students.  I was astounded at the quality literature available to my students for no cost.  If you don’t already know Project Gutenberg, check it out now.  Their collection is astounding. Pride & Prejudice, Great Expectations, Romeo & Juliet and thousands of other classics are available for download, completely free. Their site can be a little difficult to navigate sometimes, but they have shared their collections with Amazon, iBooks, and Nook, so you can download the same classics for the device of your choice, and they are much easier to access through those bookstores.

Once I knew the quality literature I want to share with my students was available, I felt a little better.  When I actually downloaded some of them from iBooks, I realized what potential they had in my classroom.  Students could highlight, make notes, look up definitions, and quickly access wikipedia articles right from the book.  They could share their notes with me, and with each other, easily.

Still, the classics are great, but there are so many contemporary works that kids enjoy reading and that make them better readers.  I didn’t want to leave those works behind simply because they were cost prohibitive.  One great solution has been our local libraries.  As more and more people are acquiring e-readers, the libraries have stepped up and added e-collections.  When I recommend a book now, a student can log on to the library website and download the book immediately, or join the waiting list to get the book when it becomes available.

Finally, I will admit that this is one of the areas that requires the caveat of almost paperless.  When I feel certain that a book is going to be loved by my students and get lots of reads, I still purchase paper copies. I can’t help myself.  The newest Jodi Picoult novel arrived at my door on the release day, thanks to preordering with Amazon.  Still, there are amazing options available at no cost, that make teaching literature with an e-reader an great option.  Best of all, I’m no longer breaking my back hauling around two or three (or four) books that I’m teaching and reading with my kids.  Instead, I’m currently carrying around 30 iBooks, 15 books in my Kindle for iPad, and 2 books in my Nook app.  It’s pretty amazing having that much literature available at my fingertips wherever I am.  It’s not a substitute for the smell of a new book or the joy of cracking open that spine, but it’s close.

In the beginning: how I have become a (nearly) paperless English teacher

Thinking back to my first years as an English teacher, I remember the giant green tote bag, a gift from a textbook publisher.  When I got it, it was filled to the brim with textbooks and “ancillary materials”.  Once I emptied that bag of the original contents, it became my constant companion, traveling with me to and from school every day for the next ten years. And while it no longer carried its original contents, still that bag continued to be filled to the brim with papers in need of grading and the correlating grade book, a lesson plan book, a textbook (or two, or three), and a novel or two that I would read “when I had time”. My shoulders ache just recalling the memory of that bag.

These days when I leave at the end of the day, my load is much different.  The green tote bag is long gone. Instead, I walk out unencumbered, with only my iPad in hand. Becoming a paperless English teacher hasn’t happened overnight.  It started with a grant for one-to-one classroom computers in a few classrooms, with little support and less idea what to do.  Now, every student, teacher, administrator, and secretary walks our halls with an iPad. The transformation is amazing, and it’s still happening.  We don’t have all of the answers. But we’re excited about the possibilities.