RILS Reflection

I really enjoyed the RILS project,and I am over-the-moon that I have a consolidated place to go find technology-filled lesson plans!  YAY!  

My Online Banking: For Kids! lesson kind of fell into place backwards . . . as I was meandering through the Web 2.0 Tools site, I found Zefty.com, and found that while it was meant for parents/kids at home (allowances), I could use it for managing money with my students.  With each new aspect of the assignment, the lesson grew.  It sure didn't start out as grand as it finished (and yes, I said grand, because really, this might be the best lesson plan I've written!).  As I'd add another idea, sometimes spontaneously, my students reacted SO favorably, which in turn encouraged me to keep adding on to the lesson.  The more we did with it, the more I wanted to do with it.  For this reason, I would have like to had even more time to spend on it!  The bottom line is that my students were begging to use the computer to get online to deposit/withdraw money from their Zefty account.  

After their reaction to the initial lesson, I found that I could expand the lesson.  It opened itself up to some very basic economic principles that my students really understood.  In the past year, I have gotten lackadaisical in writing new lesson plans, relying instead on the basal and core curriculum manuals.  Creating this lesson kind of woke me up and reminded me of the joy I had in creating meaningful lessons when I first starting teaching.  

So what does this mean?  I am returning to my roots, but I'm going to plant with new seeds of knowledge: technology-based lessons.  My students deserve the best I can give, and I am really thankful to be able to teach using the newest tools available for them to learn. 

BP8_Links to Comments

I really enjoyed seeing the RILS projects my cohorts did.  Check out these links to see some phenomenal ideas!  

http://jessica-isla.blogspot.com/2011/11/etcfinalproject.html

http://fullsailtobin.blogspot.com/

I know you'll be as impressed as I am with the varying projects and the creative ingenuity that these two EMDT cohort members have displayed. 

ETC_Final Project

Online Banking:  For Kids!

Overview:  Have you ever wondered how to teach money management skills to your students but didn’t have access to a bank (or money)?  This Web 2.0 tool allows teachers to create a hands-on banking experience to teach the process of deposits and withdrawals to your students. 

Target Audience:  This Web 2.0 site is geared toward a learner in the first through third grade (approximately 6 – 9 years old).

Materials: 

·      Zefty.com

·      Cash (play)

·      Items or Events for purchase

Objectives:

1.     The student will be able to solve word problems relating to real life banking scenarios by demonstrating the ability to do addition and subtraction.

2.     The student will be able to analyze a bank statement to compare how much income they are depositing and how much they are withdrawing to spend.

3.     The student will be able to create an e-mail or letter to send to their “financial advisor” (a volunteer from the staff at Bank of Tampa) who will respond with feedback on their budget plans and results. 

Procedures:

1.     Set up an account for each student at Zefty.com

2.     Assign each student a password.

3.     Open up site with students.

4.     Demonstrate how to make a deposit into their account.

5.     Demonstrate how to make a withdrawal from their account.

6.     Demonstrate how to write a check and the effect it has on their account.

7.     Discuss spending habits and the importance of saving versus spending.

8.     Provide cash for an initial deposit into their accounts.  

9.     Determine how students will earn additional cash.  Ideas include: walking quietly in hallway, completing homework, demonstrating exceptional kindness to students and/or staff, etc. 

10. If not already established, set up a classroom store or alternate school-wide reward system (http://flpbs.fmhi.usf.edu/index.asp) for students to spend their money.  If possible, arrange for some prizes to be significantly more money if no school events are currently available so that a saving goal is established.

Emerging Technology:

Zefty.com is a tool used to teach money management to children.  This site can be found at http://www.zefty.com.

Social Participation/Social Learning:

Students will meet in groups to role-play banker and customer (taking in cash for deposits and making withdrawals from accounts).  In addition, students will work in groups to develop a plan for a personal budget. 

Making Connections:

1.     Background knowledge is limited, so setting up a background is imperative for establishing a connection. 

2.     The learner will make a connection because they are saving and spending money that they have earned to make purchases that are either large or small in value.

3.     The learner will make a connection with a local audience because they are able to make purchases from a school store that ultimately yields an ability to attend an event or school-sponsored function because they saved enough money to purchase the ticket.  Local connections will also be established through e-mail correspondence with a volunteer from the Bank of Tampa, who will “advise” them on their saving and spending practices.  This correspondence will occur quarterly throughout the school year.

The Learner will Create a personal budget plan so that they can plan out how much they have to earn and save in order to purchase the high interest (and more expensive) event tickets.  Although no such budgeting plan currently exists on the Zefty.com site, students are still responsible to create one. Currently, teachers, peers and parents provide input on how much to spend and save in order to reach their “purchase” and savings goals.

Assessment: 

2 points      (Excellent)	1 point (Satisfactory)	0 point (Unsatisfactory)
At least 3 deposits per week	At least 1 deposit is made in a week	No deposits made during week
Personal budget created with 2 or more ideas for how to save money	Personal budget created with 1 idea planned for how to save money	No personal budget created

Reflection:

Learner – Students should reflect on the process of saving versus spending the money they’ve earned from positive behavior.  How did they feel when they were able to purchase an expensive item?  How did they feel if they were not able to spend on a big item?  Compare saving versus spending – what were the pros & cons of both?  They will use their correspondence with their financial advisor to provide answers to these questions.

Educator – Teachers should reflect on whether or not the students understood the value of saving versus impulsive or needless spending.  Did the students adhere to their personal budgets?  Did students understand the process of deposits and withdrawals?  Were students engaged?  Copies of their initial budgets will be used to compare their initial plans with the final results of their savings plans. 

PE5_Zefty!

We began by talking about the problems we were having trying to keep track of our Cougar Cash.  They recognized that keeping spare cash in their desk wasn't a "safe" plan, and carrying it around in their backpacks wasn't working (it was often MIA when they wanted to make a purchase from the school store), and many of them had too much to store it in the envelope I provided them at the beginning of the year.  It was fun to watch their frustration grow from not realizing that they had a problem to realizing how much of a problem they had!  We discussed the role of banks in our community.  Most seemed to have a vague idea that you got money from a bank, but most had NO idea that a bank only stored money you put in it.  That was very enlightening for them.  Living in a very economically deprived area, I have experienced the lack of banking "background knowledge" for most of my students.  

We discussed how Zefty worked and they were excited to have their own bank account from which they could make deposits and withdrawals.  I wasn't entirely sure that they understood the concept, but we were ready to give it a try.  Students began collecting their Cougar Cash.  I became the 'bank teller' in our scenario.  The first student gave me her money.  She entered her "deposit" and was quite happy to see $13 in her account.  She wasn't quite as happy to turn over her cash, but after showing her what she did, it seemed to be okay with her.  Many of the students had the same reaction when it came to handing over the cash.  I had one student absolutely refuse.  I was hoping it wasn't going to start a mutiny, but the overall response was positive.  That was Tuesday.  

On Wednesday, one of my more disorganized students had lost yet ANOTHER pencil and after I had warned her that I wasn't going to supply her with another for the remainder of the week, she asked if she could buy one from the classroom store.  It wasn't necessarily time for the store, but I agreed to let her "write a check" from her Zefty account.  She sat down and we went through the process of logging in and making a withdrawal.  

All was good while she printed out her check and handed it over to me.  I gave her her pencils.  Then she went back to the computer screen.  She noticed she had $11 in her account.  Not $13.  She wanted to know where her money went.  I felt like I was on Wall Street on Black Friday as every student near a computer began checking their accounts to see if any of their money had mysteriously disappeared.  I explained that when you write a check, it takes money OUT of your account . . . and wow . . . that was a HARD concept to explain to a bunch of money-grubbin' 3rd graders!  Ha!

The lessons didn't stop there!  On Thursday, the school store was opened and I had a group of students that wanted to buy a ticket for "lunch on the playground" which is an "expensive" item for them to purchase.  I had two students print out checks to take to the school store, and they returned with very dejected looks on their faces.  The store wouldn't accept the check.  Cash only.  My bad - I had forgotten to tell the Guidance Counselor about our new money system.  I took that time to explain to my students why some stores won't take checks - a quick lesson in Crime 101.  These are issues though, that needed to be addressed before the program could be fully implemented.  

Both my students and I are finding that Zefty.com has been great for teaching real-world banking concepts and is successful (so far) in keeping students financially organized.  Stay tuned for further adventures in banking down here in Tampa, Florida!

PE4_Zefty!

When I first discovered Zefty.com I immediately knew what purpose it would serve.  My school uses a "cash" reward system for all positive behavior, which is a great idea, but an organizing nightmare for 800+ students to keep track of their "cash" earnings (and for the teachers who have to deal with lost or stolen cash on a daily basis).  Students are able to spend their money in classroom stores or on a monthly basis to purchase items like Friday afternoon dance parties, lunch with the principal, or to give a "shout out" on the morning show (bigger ticket items that cost more than the classroom store trinkets). 

When I came across Zefty, an online site originally designed for managing children's allowance.  However, after reviewing it, I decided it would work perfectly for my situation.  I immediately began setting up the accounts for each of my students.  The teacher serves as the administrator with a login and password.  I created a bank account and individual password for each student.  Our assignment to create a Web 2.0 video coincided nicely with my introduction to Zefty.   I was set up and ready to go!  My enthusiasm however, was about to take a detour.

The site was blocked at school.  My luck. 

Hi John -

Dan Penoff gave me your name and told me you were the man-in-charge of unblocking websites!  I am requesting that the site, Zefty.com be unblocked so that I can use it in my classroom.  The purpose of the site is to teach kids money management (not using real money, of course!).  I am going to use it with our positive behavior system "cash" that my 3rd graders just can't seem to keep track of.  I found this site and it is perfect; teaching kids about deposits and withdrawals, etc.  I sure appreciate your help on this.   

I sent the first e-mail at 11:29am.  I had my answer at 11:31am.  It took less than two minutes to read the e-mail containing the description of the website and respond.  Seriously?

I'm sorry, Karen, but that site is considered a Social Networking site (like Facebook) and the district doesn't allow social networking by students.

Drawing some encouragement from a story Pete shared earlier in a Wimba session, I wrote back, ready to fight for my cause!

Not to be disrespectful, but how can Zefty.com be considered social networking?  It is set up for classrooms and "accounts" are teacher supervised.  There is no interaction between students or the "outside world" on this site.   Please take a moment and look it over!  Thanks.

Persistence paid off, though.  I received clearance and was back on track.

 While waiting to get clearance for using the site, we filmed our commercial for Zefty.  For not fully understanding what Zefty was, they did a great job filming the commercial.  But now, they were ready to start making deposits into their accounts. 

BP_7 One Minute Video

I hope you enjoy my video as much as my students enjoyed being a part of it!  They have enjoyed using Zefty.com to manage their Positive Behavior money (Cougar Cash) and learn basic money management skills in the process. Finally, what I'm learning is that no matter how skilled one is at iMovie, if the video isn't good, the movie won't be that great either!  I definitely need to hone my videotaping skills!

BP_6 Link to Dee's Blog

Follow my link to Coach Dee's Corner

Check out Coach Dee's Corner Blog . . . and then look at my comment!  You'll enjoy her blog and I'm sure you'll agree with what I added.  

BP_5 Link to Samantha's Blog

Samantha's Beautiful Grandbaby Movie

Follow the link to see what I wrote about Samantha's iMovie!  (Really, you'll just want to see this beautiful baby!)

BP4_StoryJumper

Teaching writing is a challenge for me.  I know from my colleagues that I am not alone in feeling helpless when it comes to creating writing assignments that are meaningful and exciting for my students.  However, there is a difference between most of me and the rest of my colleagues . . . I've discovered the Web 2.0 tool called Storyjumper.com

Storyjumper.com lets students (and teachers!) create their own books by telling their own stories and illustrating their own pictures.  Pictures can be uploaded from their personal collection, from Flckr or by using the art collection in the Storyjumper collection.  Students can access their stories from school or home.  In addition, stories created online can also be published as a hardcover book for a nominal fee (a great gift idea for parents).  Students could create individual books, or a class could work collaboratively to create a book.  The possibilities are endless with Storyjumper.com!  

I am really excited to use this Web 2.0 in my class, but I am even more excited to share this with teachers who do not currently use technology in their classrooms.  Most teachers I know would see the value in a program such as this.  Because they will see the value, I think it will be easier to entice them to try it.  The directions are very clear, and there are no fees necessary to access every tool this site offers.  (Publishing hardcover books is optional.)  

The age of the student is not an issue in this program.  Stories and illustrations can be as simple or complex as the student makes them.  This program certainly provides opportunities for differentiation to meet the needs of every writer in the classroom.

Stories, like the one I created, can be written using simple text or complex text.

Storyjumper.com just may be the exact tool I need to begin my Action Research project - to encourage teachers not using technology in their classroom to begin - one step at a time.  I think that this program will be a perfect "first step" for many of them.

PE3_iMovie

This training provided so many practical tips for making the most of iMovie.  I make every effort to produce work that is my very best.  That includes work I do for my 8 and 9 year old students.  I am pleased to be able to offer them my best in creating movies that help them become better learners.  My experience to date with iMovie is limited, however, I know that what we've done so far in class has my students enthralled.  This is one piece of technology that we could use everyday and they would not tire of it.  We've used it so far to create Math Movies (where students act out word problems) and for Reader's Theater.  I am certain that we will discover many more uses for it.  

While I wouldn't go so far as to say that I am now an iMovie expert, I would be very satisfied to say that I now know how to import video footage, use the editing tools, and publish a semi-professional video.  I was most excited to learn about how to put together the movie trailers.  So here it goes:  my first ever (and definitely not the last) iMovie trailer produced by auntiesiggy!

PE2_iMovie

So THAT'S how you do that!  That line pretty much sums up my experiences watching the Editing section of the iMovie tutorial.  Everything from titles to transitions to incorporating still photos into a video . . . I can't wait to experiment.  Even moreso, my mind is fast forwarding to all the great editing I will be able to do on past presentations and the ease of creating future video "productions."  

I always felt that my use of transitions were a little bit on the "cheesy" side, kind of like when Power Point first came out and every presentation had spinning letters and twirling entrances and flashing exits . . . after awhile you just wanted to scream STOP!  And after a few attempts at using transitions, I was beginning to feel the same way about iMovie (well, my use of that tool).  Now however, I know that by sticking with the cross dissolve, or the fade to black/white, my transitions will definitely have more of a professional quality to them.  

For the final OMG moment of this blog:  MOVIE TRAILERS!  Up to this point, I haven't taken time to learn how to make use of this feature, but have secretly been DYING to!  Now I know how!  Woo-Hoo!  I can't wait to really learn how to create these - I know my students will FLIP out!  (Seriously, can you sense my excitement here?) Oh my heavens - I am ready to GO!

The beginnings of my first movie trailer!  (We may have created a monster here . . .)

PE1_iMovie

Three hours and 28 minutes?  I wasn't so much concerned with the time requirement, but I was certainly concerned that there would be so much information I'd never be able to take it all in . . . I was initially impressed with the organization of the training video.  I like a good check-list and that was the first component I noticed.  It wasn't 3 hours and 28 minutes, it was 2 minutes here, 5 minutes there, with a check list to monitor what I'd already viewed and what was to come.  This will also be helpful when I need to go back and watch a clip that I've previously viewed; that will make me much more inclined to actually take the time to go back, knowing I won't have to fast forward through hours of footage to refresh my memory on 3.5 minutes of a particular topic.  

Footage is now imported into iMovie

Mr. Chow's voice was easy to listen to and steps for connecting and obtaining footage off of the video camera, and other options, was very clear and easy to follow.  My first ah-ha moment came when he was giving information about marking clips with favorite, unmarked, and discarded labels.  NOW I know why the red line appears above my little clips when I've hit the delete button, or why the orange line appears when I've used a segment of clip in my actual project!  Watching this AFTER toying around with the program for a few months actually makes more sense than I thought it would.  Procedures that I stumbled upon while trying to figure the program out now make sense, and I also learned more in-depth how to use them.  I am excited to begin learning how to do simple editing on iMovie.