Swivl and Handbrake

What is Swivl and Handbrake? 

Swivl is a robotic mount for an iPad, camera, or phone.  Swivl is designed to track the video of a moving person, as long as they are holding the marker, as they walk around during a presentation.  Swivl also has an app that saves your video to your account immediately.  Handbrake is a free video software that can convert videos to any format.  Handbrake can also compress video files, change the quality and formats, and add subtitles.   Handbrake is available for Windows and Mac computers.

How to use Swivl and Handbrake 
To use Swivl make sure the free app is downloaded onto the device you will be using.  Before you can begin recording you must log into your Swivl account.  After you log in it will take you to the recording area. To change the settings before you record you can press the X in the top left corner to go to your video library.  From there you can access your settings on the right side of the screen.  The settings menu is where you can turn on the option to be able to flip your camera.  This is an important feature because you will not want your students to be able to see the video and get distracted.  To begin recording a video click the record button.  Make sure the maker is clipped to your shirt, so the Swivl will follow you and pick up good sound.  After you are done recording you have the option to change the file name and trim the video before you save it to your library.  Once you click done in the top right corner you will be taken back to your library where you can upload the video to your Swivl website, that you can access on the computer.  To do this click the three dots and click upload.

To download Handbrake visit the official Handbrake website and click download. Once Handbrake
has been downloaded open the Finder icon on your Mac computer.  On the download menu you should see the Handbrake icon and then to open the app just double click the icon.  Once you open Handbrake it should automatically ask you what video you want to work with.  Once you have chosen your video all you need to do is change the preset on the left side of the menu to lowest fast option.  Then click start at the top of the page and your video will be compressed and saved to your desktop.

Advantages 
The advantages for using Swivl and Handbrake are that both of the apps are free and simple to use.  Using a Swivl makes recording presentations easy because it tracts the movement of the presenter. The recording will also have good sound quality if the marker is clipped onto the shirt.

Disadvantages 
The actual Swivl robotic mount is very expensive, around $1000 dollars.  The chances of a school being able to afford many of these devices is low. Another disadvantage is that the sound quality will not be good in the recording if you hold the marker because you will be covering up the microphone. Also, if you have a newer iPad you will need to have an adaptor to connect to the Swivl.

Personal Experience 
Unfortunately, I have not had any experience using a Swivl.  Since I did not do this blog before Spring Break I was not able to check out a Swivl to play around with. In my math class with Dr. Dissler, she gave us a quick tutorial of a Swivl, so I have seen one being used. I have however used Handbrake before to compress a video file.  I recorded myself teaching a small group language arts lesson that was around twenty minuets.  To submit the video to Blackboard I had to compress the file first.  So, I am familiar with compressing video files.

References
Store - Swivl - Video observations that strengthen and inform teachers. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.swivl.com/store/

HPU edTPA Video Tips - Tips for Video Recording. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sites.google.com/view/hpuedtparesourcesite/tips-for-video-recording

Epic!

What is Epic?
Epic is children's book app that provides its users access to over 40,000 high quality books for children ages 12 and under.  The books range from picture books to chapter books of every genre and topic.  Epic can be used on computers, mobile devices, and tablets.  Epic is free for teachers and librarians.  However, parents do have to purchase a monthly subscription of $7.99 if they want their kids to have access to it at home.  Epic was created from a single question: How do we make books more accessible to students. The cofounders had noticed that their kids had instant access to games and videos online, but the same could not been said for books, with that Epic was born.

How to use Epic
To begin using Epic you must first create an account.  You can either go to Epic's webpage or download the free app.  Click here to sign up for your Epic account. Setting up your account will be different depending whether or not you are a parent or a teacher.  If you are a parent you can get a free month trial before you start having to pay the monthly fee.  Teachers get Epic free.  To set up a teacher account you will click sign up as an educator.  You will then be asked for your school name, school zip code, name, email, and password. After this your account is created and you can customize your class library. You can customize your page by adding filters such as, the grade level you teach, student interest, and genres you would like to appear on your page.  You can add your students to your account by clicking my students at the top right of the page, and then clicking roaster, and then add students.  Once you have your students added to your page you can see how many books they have finished, and how long they have read for.   The search bar allows you to be able to search for any book and the explore tab allows you to scroll through multiple genres or authors.  To read a book, you simply just click on the one you want and then you can just swipe right with your finger to turn the page.  Epic even offers a read to me section of books, and a section of videos for students to watch.  Epic even offers badges kids can work towards to meet their year long reading goal.

Advantages 
The biggest advantage to using Epic is the thousands of books students gain access too. There are books on every subject in every genre. Epic is an engaging technology tool for students to read with. Epic is also available for Apple and Android users.  Another advantage is that paper is saved because the books are online.  Some children have really busy parents who may have to work a lot.  With the Epic app children can still have books read to them before they go to bed.

Disadvantages
The biggest disadvantage of Epic is that it is not free for parents.  Many families would not be able to afford this tool for their kids outside of school.  Having a computer or tablet for students may not be in the budget.  To use Epic you have to have access to technology devices and Wifi.

Personal Experience
I personally have never used Epic because it was not around when I was in elementary school.  I would have loved this tool though.  As a student, I read many, many books and often did not have room to store them all.  Since Epic is all ebooks I would have always had access to lots of books to read.  I have heard teachers in my placement classes talking about using Epic and they all seemed to have positive things to say about it.

References
An Epic! Reading App. (2015, May 31). Retrieved from http://thinkonline.smarttutor.com/epic-reading-app/

Creations Inc. (n.d.). Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids. Retrieved from
https://www.getepic.com/

Google Expeditions

What is Google Expeditions? 

Google Expeditions is a virtual reality app made for education.  This app allows teachers to take their class on amazing and far away virtual filed trips.  Without the use of this virtual app students otherwise would not get to visit these places around the world, such as, diving into the ocean to look at coral reef. Each expedition consist of several 360 degree images accompanied by descriptions and discussion questions.  This app can be downloaded for free on both Android and Apple software.

How Google Expeditions Works
The Google Expeditions app itself is very easy to use.  To begin you simply just need to download the app onto the technology device you are wanting to use.  For the experience to work best it is recommended that each student have a device to view the expedition on.  The virtual field trips are not meant for students to do alone and randomly wonder around an area.  Instead, teachers are supposed to lead whole class field trips.  To do this, the teacher will use their iPad to begin the expedition.  Students in the class can join the teachers expedition as long as they are on the same wifi network.  Teachers should launch the expedition and wait for their students to join.  Once the teacher sees the correct number of participants they can click start to being the field trip.  On the teachers screen there is talking points, discussion questions, and areas of interest to point out during the expedition. Teachers can choose from over 200 expeditions, so it is likely there will be something to relate to every unit.  If you need additional help setting up for your first expedition click here to watch a short video.

Advantages
There are many advantages for integrating Google Expeditions into your classroom lessons.  First, virtual reality is only going to become more commonly used in the classroom as technology continues to grow.  Second, this app allows students to see and learn about places they may otherwise never get to see in real life.  This type of hands on learning is far more beneficial than just reading a chapter in a text book.  At home, students use technology all the time on their iPads and video games.  Integrating that same technology in the classroom will help keep students more engaged during class.

Disadvantages 

The biggest disadvantage to using Google Expeditions is the cost.  To use the app as intended each student in the class needs a smart device.  Also for an enhanced expereince each student needs a VR headset.  The actual Google Expeditions kit cost anywhere from $4000 dollars and up.  Instead you could get Google Cardboard Googles for around $5 dollars per student that could work as well, but this is still costly when teachers and schools have tight budgets.

Personal Experience 
I personally have never used Google Expeditions before.  I have also never seen it used in any of the schools I have been placed in.  This is most likely because the cost is so high.  However, I have heard it mentioned by professors in the education department and other peers in my classes.  I would love to witness firsthand students getting to use this app and the excitement that crosses their faces when they are able to make connections with what they are learning and the real world.

References 
Bring your lessons to life with Expeditions | Google for Education. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://edu.google.com/products/vr-ar/expeditions/?modal_active=none

4 Easy Steps to Start Google Expeditions in the Classroom. (2019, January 22). Retrieved from https://www.edtechteam.com/blog/2016/07/4-easy-steps-to-start-google/

/home/runcloud/webapps/encounteredu-Production/modules/encounteredu. (n.d.). How to use Google Expeditions. Retrieved from https://encounteredu.com/cpd/subject-updates/how-to-use-google-expeditions

Google Drive

What is Google Drive?
Google Drive is a free file storage system created by Google. Google Drive saves various files to the cloud so you access them from your smartphone, tablet, or computer. You can store documents, images, or videos.  The program makes it easy to transfer files from one device to another without having to email them to yourself.  It also lets you share documents with others and will make sure your files are safe if your computer stops working.

How to use Google Drive
To start using Google Drive you will first need to create a Gmail account if you do not already have one.  To do this simply google Gmail and click on “sign up”. From there, you will pick a username and password to access your free account. Once you have your account, you can access all of the Google apps, such as Google Drive, by clicking on the icon that looks like a box of little squares in the upper right hand corner. When clicking this button you will be given a drop down menu of multpile apps that you can access with your account. The Google Drive app is in the last column third down and looks like a green, yellow, blue triangle. Clicking on the icon will take you to your Google Drive homepage. You are then able see your drive. On your homepage your most recently viewed files will be shown.  To see files shared with you navigate to the left side of the page and click "shared with me".  To create a new file click the drop down arrow beside of "My Drive" and a list of options will be given to you.

Google Drive in the Classroom
For teachers, it can be hard to keep all your files in one place between working on your school laptop and your personal one.  By using Google Drive you will always have instant access to your files no matter what computer you are on.  Students can also turn in their online work with you via Google Drive, which limits paper use.  Students working in group projects can use Google Drive to share their presentations, so they can collaborate outside of the classroom.  Another cool feature Google Drive offers is Google Forms.  Teachers can use Google Forms in the classroom to survey the classes confidence level on a topic, or to allow them to give feedback on teaching styles.  Google Forms can be anonymous or not.

Advantages of Google Drive
One of the biggest advantages of Google Drive is that it is free to use.  Google Drive is also available for use on all devices, Microsoft Windows, Android, or Mac.  With Google Drive being so universal and free everyone can have access to this program. Google Drive also makes sharing files with others simple and easy to do. Sharing your files with others can allow people to give you feedback on your work and leave comments if you turn that feature on.  This allows people to collaborate together from anywhere.

Disadvantages of Google Drive
Some disadvantages of Google Drive is that you must have internet connection in order to see real time updates or save your work.  You can also only upload files no larger than 5 TB.  Another disadvantage for some people is that once you share a file with someone it is not longer private.  The person you shared your file with can share it with whoever they want and there is nothing you can do to change that.

Personal Experiences with Google Drive
I personally have been using Google Drive since high school because every student had a Chromebook.  All of the teachers had a Google Classroom page where they posted announcements and assignments and we would turn in our work with Google Drive.  Whenever I was in a group project we would work on it together by sharing the presentation via Google Drive.  Now that I am in college I still participate in group projects by using Google Drive.  This program makes collaboration and sharing easy to do.  Outside of school I have used Google Drive to share large picture files from formals or proms.  Sharing large picture files through Google Drive is easier than trying to email or text the photos.  I would highly recommend this program to anyone.

References
Ciccarelli, D. (2019, January 1). Google Drive Review: Everything You Need to Know. Retrieved from https://www.goskills.com/Office-Productivity/Articles/Google-Drive-features-review

Create your Google Account. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://accounts.google.com/signup/v2/webcreateaccount?flowName=GlifWebSignIn&flowEntry=SignUp

Gildred, J., Andita, Ebbers, L., Daniel, Boss, F., J., … Canelo Forum. (2018, July 11). What Is Google Drive and How Does it Work? A 2020 Step-by-Step Guide. Retrieved from https://www.cloudwards.net/how-does-google-drive-work/

Hoong, A. L. (2019, December 12). Advantages and Disadvantages of Google Drive: Blogging WP. Retrieved from https://www.bloggingwp.com/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-google-drive/

Class Dojo

What is Class Dojo?

Class Dojo is an educational communication app that brings the school and home together and enforces positive behavior. Teachers can give students "Dojo Points" based on their classroom behavior which is intended to increase appropriate behavior. Many people think the main purpose of Class Dojo is to just manage behavior.  However, since the app launched in 2011 Class Dojo has also been a communication tool for teachers to share with families what is being learned in the classroom through photos and videos. Their mission is to connect teachers and families so that students get the support they need outside of the classroom to be successful. The app is free to download on any iOS or Android device or it can be used on the computer.

How to use Class Dojo in the Classroom
To start using Class Dojo a teacher would need to set up their classroom page. Signing up is simple and easy you just have to give your school email and your name.  Once you do that you can access your homepage which looks similar to a Facebook feed.  On this page, you can post comments and pictures to keep parents updated about what is happening daily in the classroom.  Class Dojo does not allow anyone to access your classroom page.  You have to be invited to join the class. The teacher should click the button that says "connect parents" and manually enter a phone number or email to send an invitation to join the page to each parent. Once parents can see the class page they can see any reminders you post, class updates, or receive public or private messages.  As the teacher, you also have to manually enter in the names of all your students to create their avatar.  The avatar is where you take or give points for behavior.  Class Dojo automatically gives you behaviors you can add or take away points for like helping others or not having homework.  However, you can also add your own behaviors you would like to award points for if it is not already listed. Class Dojo is an effective tool for keeping track of student behavior data.  This will help when you need data to support behavior strategies or IEP documents.  Lastly, Class Dojo can be used to track attendance.  Teachers can take attendance themselves or have students touch their avatar on a Smart Board when entering the class as part of the morning routine.

Advantages of Class Dojo
Many teachers agree that Class Dojo makes communicating with parents easy.  By sharing activities students did in class that day parents feel like they are part of their child's education.  Also, by being able to send parents quick reminders about forms or field trip money due will be able to create a community feel. Teachers also agree that signing up for class Dojo and setting up their page is quick. Any teacher with any level of technology background can work Class Dojo.

Disadvantages of Class Dojo
A disadvantage to using Class Dojo could be if you were a teacher in a Title 1 school if you knew parents did not have access to technological devices or frequent internet connect to be able to check the website.  If most of the parents in the class do not have consistent access to your Class Dojo page it might be the wrong tool for you to use.  Some teachers feel another disadvantage of Class Dojo is the behavior shame it gives students.  If you display the avatars on a Smart Board students can see who has how many points and when you take points away from a student.  This is essentially publically calling out that student for their behavior and can be psychologically damaging. Another disadvantage teachers see with Class Dojo is it creating extrinsic motivation.  If students are only behaving to get "Dojo Point" they are extrinsically motivated.  If you take that motivation away because the student is now in an older grade that does not use Class Dojo the student might not behave appropriately because they were not taught to do so intrinsically.

Personal Experience with Class Dojo
I personally have never used Class Dojo.  However, during my time in college I have being in multiple elementary school classes that do use it.  I have witnessed students excitement when they are awarded "Dojo Points" and see first hand how it motivates students to behave appropriately.  Students enjoy getting to create their own avatar and watch it grow as they earn points. I have never seen any of the negative problems occur while observing classes.  With that being said, if I were to use Class Dojo in my future classroom I would be cautious of letting students know who points were being taken from. I also would want to award less points as the year went on so students would have to display the appropriate behavior more to earn the same number of points.

References 
Buchanan, S. (2013, November 28). An apprehensive teacher's guide to... ClassDojo. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2013/nov/28/teacher-guide-classdojo-behaviour-management

ClassDojo. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved from https://www.classdojo.com/about/
ClassDojo - Product Reviews. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/product-reviews/classdojo

Twitter

What is Twitter?
Twitter is a relatively old social media site that has been around since 2006.  It can be used to share online news and for social networking. You communicate by posting short tweets for anyone that follows you to read. The size restriction on the number of characters that can be written in each tweet is what helped make Twitter so popular.  Twitter connects you to people around the world instantly by allowing you to see world news, trending topics, or areas of interest for you.  Many twitter users, especially students, tend to use Twitter for leisure purposes.  However, there are ways that you can integrate Twitter into the classroom as a professional tool.

How to Start using Twitter in the Classroom?
To being using Twitter in the classroom you will first need to create a professional account.  To do this go to twitter.com. Next you will be prompted to make an account by clicking sign up.  Making and navigating your account is easy to do.  Your profile is a place for people to get an idea of who you are and what you are interested in.  Twitter is a public site, so anyone can see your profile and tweets unless you go into settings manually and change your profile to private. By changing your profile to private only your followers will be able to see your tweets and they will not be able to share or retweet anything you post.  As an educator it would be a good idea to use the privacy setting to ensure the privacy of your students and parents are protected. For step by step instructions on how to make your account private click here.

One way to use Twitter in the classroom could be as a communication tool.  You could have your students, if they are old enough, and parents follow you so you can tweet reminders and upcoming events.  You could also tweet updates about what you have been learning that day in class.  This creates a community feeling within the class because it allows the outside family members to be involved.  This will also keep parents informed so they will able able to make sure their child is completing homework, studying for a test, or has any important papers.

Another way to use Twitter in your class would be as a networking tool.  Users can instantly connect with others in their profession to collaborate and find new ideas.  Teachers can tweet out successful innovative lessons so other teachers can try them.  Teachers can ask for help when planning a lesson, classroom management skills, or strategies to help a struggling student and receive feedback immediately.  You can search for any topic you are interested in and see what people are saying about it and engage in discussions with them.  In a field such as education that is always changing a tool that connects you to current ideas can keep your lessons up to date and exciting. When you tweet something it is helpful to add a hashtag at the end.  A hashtag sorts tweets into different categories making them easier to find.  For example, if you were to tweet about teaching stem you could add the hashtag #stem, so that when others go to search for stem related ideas they would be more likely to see your tweet.  As a teacher it can be a powerful learning experience to see other teachers in action.  However, leaving your own classroom to observe another teacher at a different school is not usually practical. Teachers can use twitter to give other teachers a glimpse in their class and see what they do differently.

Advantages of using Twitter
Since Twitter only allows a maximum of 280 characters per tweet it is easier to find the information you are looking for because it is concise and to the point. Twitter allows for you to be engaged in Professional Learning Communities with other teachers from all over the world. Twitter also provides  opportunities for real time discussions with live blogging.

Disadvantages of using Twitter
Since anyone can post on Twitter you have to be careful about where you are getting your ideas from because they may not be research based or thorough lesson plans. There are so many new ideas on Twitter that it can be overwhelming and if you do not ever use any of the ideas they will not help your students. Twitter is also a social media app, so it can be very easy to get distracted and end up reading about celebrities instead of researching new teaching strategies.

Personal Experience using Twitter
In my experience as a student many of my teachers and professors over the years have used twitter in their classrooms.  In high school I remember one of the best liked football coaches, and history teachers, having a professional Twitter page that everyone followed. From what I remember he mostly tweeted world sports related news, school information such as closings, and upcoming school events.  When I look back the main outcome of his page seems to be about building school spirit because he kept the students excited and informed about all the sports teams at school. In college my American Politics professor had a twitter page that he required everyone in the class to follow.  He retweeted lots of news articles from around the country and in High Point. He wanted us to read all of them, but the ones that were directly related to our class he would add a hashtag with our class section. I did not like this method of communication because he tweeted so much for all of his classes it was hard to keep track which ones were important for my class and sometimes I would miss seeing the articles I needed to read.  So, if you are going to use Twitter in your class it needs to be organized and one way to do that would be having a different page for each different class.

References
Gil, P. (2019, November 9). What Exactly Is Twitter? And What Is 'Tweeting'? Retrieved from https://www.lifewire.com/what-exactly-is-twitter-2483331Hyndman, B. (2020, February 13).

Why teachers are turning to Twitter. Retrieved from http://theconversation.com/why-teachers-are-turning-to-twitter-94582

Kahoot!

What is Kahoot!? 
Kahoot! is a game based learning program that teachers can use as a formative assessment.  Formative assessments are a way for the teacher to see where their students are at in their learning.  These actives are low stakes and are not graded.  Anyone can make a free account on Kahoot!.  All you have to do is click the sign in button in the top right corner.  You will be prompted to put in your email and then make a password and then you are ready to begin using Kahoot!. Kahoot! allows teachers to make multiple choice questions and invites students to respond electronically on their own devices.  Kahoot! tracks how each students answers each question and how quickly.  Together these two criteria is what determines how the students are ranked from first to last place.  The students are competing to win the game, but at the same time are getting a review on the content.  Teachers can make their own quizzes or pick from ones created by other teachers. To search quizzes already made on Kahoot! click here. The answer choices can be either two, three, or four options.

How Kahoot! is Used 

The Kahoot! game will be displayed on the interactive whiteboard at the front of the class.  The game pin will appear which students must type on their electronic device at khaoot.it . Once students have entered the game they must create a nickname.  Typically students should be asked to use their own names, so teachers can identify who needs additional help with the questions.  Once all the students are in, the teacher will start the game. The first question will appear on the board and will only give students a certain amount of time to answer it.  This requires that the students are quick with their responses because if they do not answer before the time is up they automatically get it wrong.  After every question, the top five students will be shown on the leaderboard. This tends to make the game competitive and engaging for the students.  After the game is complete teachers can even download the results into an excel file and have data about which questions students are struggling with.

Advantages of Kahoot!
There are many advantages to using Kahoot! in the classroom.  Kahoot! is very engaging for students.  It is presented in a game, so it will not feel like a typical quiz that students have anxiety about. Students enjoy using Kahoot! because it is visual and fast past and allows them to be on their electronic devoices. Kahoot! allows teachers to give a formative assessment as whole class that is automatically graded, which is another advantage. Also, if the teacher does not have time to create their own quiz there are thousands already made to choose from on multiple topics.

Disadvantages of Kahoot!
A major disadvantage to using Kahoot! is that it requires every student to have access to an electronic device.  In elementary school typically students do not have a cell phone yet, so this game would only work if there was a class set of laptops or iPads. Another disadvantage is that there is only a certain number of characters allowed to be written in the question and answer spots, so this limits what the teacher can ask.  Also, opened ended questions cannot be asked on the Kahoot! quizzes.
My Experience with Kahoot! Some students may get too excited while playing this game causing the classroom environment to become chaotic, which could be another disadvantage.

Personal Experience using Kahoot! 
I personally have been using Kahoot! since it first launched in 2013.  My high school teachers all began incorporating it into their classrooms as soon as they first heard about it.  I know as a student my friends and I all enjoyed playing Kahoot! as a way to review material.  Playing Kahoot was always my favorite activity to do in class as well because it was fun and allowed me to compete against my classmates.  I was the type of student that enjoyed competing and trying to win the game. Playing also allowed me to get immediate feedback about what I needed to study more for an upcoming test and what I already had mastered.

References
Hyett, A. (2018, September 13). What is a Kahoot Quiz and how does it work? Retrieved from https://www.hyetteducation.com/hyett-education-blog/what-is-a-kahoot-quiz-and-how-does-it-work

Pros & Cons. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://kahootinfo.weebly.com/pros--cons.html

2018 Agency In-service Game - Kahoot! (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.optionsforlearning.org/apps/video/watch.jsp?v=185575