2013-14+CSES+Residency+with+Box+of+Light-+4th+Grade

Documentation: Download document to see planning documentation:



 * 11/6/13**
 * "**What splendor, it all coheres." (Extra points to anyone that recognizes that obscure quote.)
 * I feel we're starting to shape the more streamlines activities that can still be used after we are gone**. In a recent story problem lesson, we demo'd a comic story problem (involving tattoos in the shape of various polygons) on the board. The kids solved the problem. We then gave them the task of creating a new page in their iBook. They were to make up a similar story problem, create one video that posed the problem and a second that demonstrated the problem on their iBook page. They worked on this for half an hour (not really, it took more time than that but I am convinced we could get the task into that time frame as we continue). Then, everyone came back. We showed and solved their problems. In that hour, the kids had a story problem demonstrated. They created a story problem themselves and helped to solve eight other problems as we watched everyone's. They also used a a book creation app and created two films. (I am taking liberties with the time here. It actually took part of two days. Still, the concept, I think, is solid.) I think, with some polishing, this could be a good, concise class activity.


 * We created a second, similar lesson/task for multiplication.** Diana Ferris said that the kids needed to work on their multiplication facts. So, we asked them to start a new iBook page and create five multiplication problems. They were then to solve the problems and record themselves stating the correct answer. Finally, they were to create a 'you got it right!" sound button and a 'sorry, you got it wrong" button. The kids were to have fun with the sound buttons. They could record a rimshot, themselves weeping or an explosion for the wrong answer and something similarly fun for the correct answer. When they were done, the kids were to take their iPad up to their classmates and ask them to solve one of the questions. If their friend got it right, the might hear a cheer or the hallaluiah chorus. If the missed the answer, they might hear, 'sorry dude but you really tanked on that one.' This worked well. The kids had to create and solve their own problems then multiple questions as they walked around the class. Even those who were showing their problems were hearing the math facts repeated again and again. This task was more concise than the story problem task and the kids could create and run their problems all within the class period. We did have to keep them on task. It seems that it was more fun recording raspberries than creating math problems.

media type="custom" key="24335962" We are winding up our first major project in the fourth grade residency and I have been thinking a lot about the art/education balance of our residency. Our project is intended to help teach math to fourth graders by creating iBook and video tutorials created by the students. The students research their topic, decide how to teach it, then create both a video and an iBook that will convey their knowledge to others. To do this, the students need to learn a technical process (the use of iPads to create iBooks and video), an artistic process (how do you create a good movie with proper framing/good performance/fun characters/an engaging storyline) and their math content. As the artists, Annie and I need to teach the first two processes and be sure that the project teaches the third in an efficient way. In each fourth grade classroom, we have eight or nine teams of 2-3 students creating a movie and iBook. This means we have eight or nine separate projects going on at any one time and two-three adult brains (artist(s) and teacher) available to answer questions and teach the concepts. This is great in terms of 'hands-on' involvement but grows chaotic when everyone is trying to film and get their questions answered. The teaching of art tolerates gentle chaos in a way that teaching math does not. Art is experiential and kids, as they make and then watch their films, have a built in feedback loop that helps them learn. The students are clearly learning several technical and artistic processes efficiently (even if it feels chaotic at times) in the iPad/film realms. They are more independent each day, more self-directed and their films improve. However, at this point, the kids have learned a lot more about film and media than math. We will definitely come out of this phase of the project with some wonderful student created videos that convey mathematical concepts to others. No question. And the films we create will help these students learn, revisit and review the math concepts we are including. The question, in my mind, as we work on the art infused math activities is, how do we make the activity more math directed, simpler and more useful to the teachers. There is no way the teachers can create the videos we are creating by themselves. It takes too much focus on one small group of students at a time.
 * 11/3/13**
 * This is a fun, colorful Polygon tutorial from Ms. Bodga's class.** We're finding that the iPads allow kids to create stop action videos fast enough to actually be used to illustrate math concepts. We're working on the balance of math/art and want to be sure that the art activities are still imbued with math. We're getting there, bit by bit.
 * Thoughts about our project from Rand (as of 11/2/13): Art/Education balance and the use of film/iBooks to teach math. (in process)**

The part that, I think, is working well at reinforcing math concepts is the iBook project. This process is very simple and straight forward. The kids learn the process in a few minutes. Then, they just need to fill their book with their growing knowledge, taught in large group by the teacher. The film they add to their iBook in this simplified project, is unedited. They simply point the camera and speak. Now we need to make our projects more simple and math directed. We need to find a task/process that a teacher would use themselves, a task involving video, sound and text on an iPad that is a simple and elegant as writing words on a page with a pencil.

The fourth graders will be creating math tutorial iBooks using iPads during our residency.

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This is their introduction to the Book Creator app. Notice the focus of the children in the class. Everyone is involved and active. This is going to be fun. media type="custom" key="24335988"
 * Day 1 in the Fourth Grade, it's Intro time**.

media type="custom" key="24337136" Click [|here]to view more documentation from the residency!