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Mr. Dulberger's Digital Digest
A Blog for the Progressive Educator

In a world where a textbooks are prehistoric and Elementary students are writing HTML codes to design their own video games, educators must keep up! Students know better than to show up to class with a pencil and notepad ready to record a lecture. Green screen recording, podcasting and real-time collaborative documents have all replaced the multiple choice assessment. Educators who are willing to take risks will help pave the way for the world's brightest problem solvers. Use this blog to help you keep pace with your tech-savvy students and use digital learning to create a risk-taking classroom environment.

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A New Science Project from Education.com

3/1/2018

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Looking for a science project that combines history, geography, and earth space science? Check out this project from Education.com! 

Title: Flat Earth? Not Really!
Difficulty of Project: Easy, with a partner. (The project can also be done using known information and merely working the calculations.)

Cost: Virtually none

Safety Issues: 
None

Material Availability: 
Common

Approximate Time Required To Complete: 
A few minutes per object measured, plus calculations.

Objective: 
A common misconception is that explorers like Columbus sailed to sea to prove that the earth is not flat. It has been known for thousands of years that not only is the earth NOT flat, but its circumference (the distance around) was well known. This simple experiment will repeat what was done more than 2,000 years ago by Eratosthenes and Posidonius.

Materials and Equipment: 
Protractor and a Straight edge

Background Information:
Eratothenes noticed that at exactly noon on summer solstice, the sun was directly overhead so that the sunlight went to the bottom of a well. He sent someone to a city 500 miles directly north to measure the angle of the sun. It was 7 degrees 12 minutes different. Since a circle has 360 degrees, and the world is round, this difference is 1/50th of the total. He reasoned that if 500 miles is 1/50th of the total distance around the earth, the total distance must be 50 x 500 or 25,000 miles. (Note that these numbers are crude approximations for illustration. The student should do more precise math.)

Photos:
The student can do drawings to show how the angle of the sun differs from various places on earth, and how people like Eratosthenes made the measurements. A second display can show the actual math.

Research Questions:
Who was Eratosthenes?
Who was Posidonius?
What is geodesy?
Why did Eratosthenes use the summer solstice as the date for his experiment?

Experimental Procedure:
Note: There are two methods to complete this project. One involves the use of a partner in a place several hundred miles directly north or south. Both will take exactly readings of the angle of the sun and compare them. The other method uses the measurement made by Eratosthenes, assumes it to be correct (it is), and shows the mathematical calculations.

Find a partner directly north or south.
Pick an exact time (such as noon) for both partners.
Use a protractor, and with a straight edge, have each partner measure the angle of the sun at exactly the same time.
Subtract to find the difference.
Calculate what part of a circle (360 degrees) this is.
Multiply by the distance between the two locations.
Bibliography
http://rainbow.ldeo.columbia.edu/courses/v1001/fermi.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_geodesy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eratosthenes

​Enjoy! 

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Wonder - One Book: Many Stories - A Collaborative SMART Amp Project

2/7/2018

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From Dream to Reality...

Since about 2014 I've been using a collaborative learning software called SMART Amp. I have referenced SMART Amp in some previous blog posts and often refer to it as "Google Docs on Steroids." For years I have aspired to use this web based platform to connect my students with other classrooms who use SMART Amp as regularly as my class does. When Kimberly Ball, a former Gifted and Talented teacher now working for SMART Technology, approached me in September 2017 about a collaborative book study that would utilize Amp I was all ears. 

My 5th grade magnet classes have done several collaborative projects with students in other schools prior to this one. From Mystery Skypes, to ePen Pals, and multiple in person collaborations, we are certainly familiar with small or large group learning experiences. This was however, the first time getting a chance to collaborate with some fellow 5th grade students who were also enrolled in a gifted and talented program. 
​

Teacher Talk

With Kim as the main facilitator I was introduced to three wonderful teachers from various schools in the San Antonio, Texas area. 

Amy Chandler - 5th Grade GT Teacher, Encino Park Elementary
@EncinoGT

Emily Lunsford - 5th Grade GT Teacher, Tuscany Heights Elementary

Stefanie Schropp - 5th Grade GT Teacher, Concordia Lutheran School
@ConcordiaGTE

After a few phone calls and emails we began planning for a collaborative journey that would help students become better readers, writers, and listeners. The project turned out to do much more than that!
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Wonder by R.J. Palacio

If you have not read the award winning novel Wonder by R.J. Palacio then I grant you permission to stop reading this blog and start on Part One now. Ok but seriously, the story takes empathy to a whole new level. All 25 students in my class had already read the entire book at least once. We decided to read over some of our favorite sections as well as the most pivotal parts of the story. The novel makes for a great tool for teaching perspective as well! 
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Once all four classes had finished reading Part One, from Auggie's perspective, it was time for collaboration!
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​The Collaboration Begins

The first step was for students to log into the SMART Amp workspace the adults had set up. We used SMART Amp's "hand out copies" feature to put students into groups. Teachers could use the attribution feature of the program to monitor students' posts in the workspace. The first few activities required students to create a name for their team, introduce themselves, and participate in a chalk talk protocol. 
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As the weeks passed the four classes continued to read the novel at their own pace and completed some of their own in class comprehension activities. In addition, the students engaged in various projects like this one and posted their final products to their group's SMART Amp workspace. Students responded to higher order questions about the text and shared their feelings on the concept of choosing kindness. 
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Our original plan was for students to be doing these tasks at times that were convenient for the teacher/ class. There were multiple occasions however where the students got to participate in discussions with one another via SMART Amp's chat feature in REAL TIME! ​
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That's right! Multiple 5th grade gifted and talented students from different schools in different time zones discussing a story about empathy, perspective, kindness, bullying, and so much more! The whole operation could not have been more appropriately named; One Book: Many Stories. 

Click below to see a Tweet I posted in October of students working together in real time on this project! 
https://twitter.com/mrdulberger/status/918541168769667072
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The Classrooms Collide!

As the weeks drew closer to Thanksgiving break the four classes reached the end of the book in preparation for the movie to hit theaters. Prior to finishing the book however, the teachers decided that it would be great for students to meet in person. On November 9th, 2017 we were able to successfully get all four classes to meet via Google Hangout. Students were able to put a voice and face to the peers they had been working with for several weeks. Of course, I had to crank this face to face meeting up a notch. So my students and I used an additional program that SMART Technologies makes called Class Lab to create a Monster Quiz! At the end of our Google Hangout meeting students from all four classes competed together in this comprehension quiz. Check out all the action below!


An Extra Curricular Field Trip

The motion picture Wonder featuring big name actors like Owen Wilson and Julia Roberts hit theaters just in time for Thanksgiving break. My wife and I were ecstatic to meet a few of my students and their families at the theaters to catch the show during it's second week at the box office. ​
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Looking to the Future!

It is stories like Wonder that remind me each and every day to think about life in someone else's shoes. In fact, empathy has become somewhat of a thematic term in #5thGradeU this year. Students have worked hard to cheer each other up and look out for classmates who might not even be considered their friend. Furthermore, it is a project like this one that reminds me of the power technology. When used by the right people, in the right way, technology can truly make the world a better place.

​It is for that reason that the classes will be colliding once again in the spring to complete their One Book: Many Stories final project. A project that will require them to do something in their school, community, or town that will encourage others to choose kindness.

Stay tuned for a future blog post and feel free to check out all of the postings related to this project on social media by following our project's hashtag #KindnessRipplesOn !
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Science Project from Education.com

11/29/2017

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Looking for a science experiment that combines physical science and operations with fractions? Check this one out!

Science Project: 
Does Liquid Weigh More after Freezing and Boiling?

Ice is created when water is frozen past the freezing point which is 0ºC or 32ºF, under normal conditions. When water freezes, the particles are tightly packed together and are more stationary than in the liquid state. It is now a solid rather than a liquid. But does it weigh more? If you boil it, does water lose weight?

Problem:
Does boiling and freezing water have an effect on how much it weighs?
Materials:
  • Water (ordinary tap water will work)
  • Two cups that can hold boiling liquids
  • Kettle
  • Freezer
  • Kitchen scale
  • Pen and paper for notes


Procedure

  1. Weigh the cups you are going to pour the water in on the kitchen scale. Take a note of these numbers.
  2. Fill both cups with equal amounts of water and weigh this on the kitchen scale. Keep note of this number.
  3. Subtract the first number (the weight of the cup) from the second number (total weight) to find the weight of the water.
  4. Take one cup and label it “boiling hot” and pour the water from this cup into a beaker (if you are using a lab burner) or in a pot if you are using a kitchen stove. Watch until it bubbles (you can also stick a thermometer in) and carefully pour all of the water back into the cup. Weigh this on the kitchen scale and keep note of this number.
  5. Now take the other cup and label it “freeze.” Put this in the freezer for at least two hours or until it is completely frozen. Take it out and weigh it on the kitchen scale.
  6. Evaluate your results: Did the weights change at all?


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Using Twitter to Grow Your PLN

6/12/2017

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Disclaimer: This post is for a graduate school (University of Maryland University College) assignment.

     Over the past few years the acronym “PLN” has found its way into the world of education. PLNs, referring to either Personal or Professional Learning Networks, are helping teachers refine their practice. A powerful PLN can help teachers engage in meaningful Professional Development (PD) that is tailored to their needs and goals. As I conclude my 5th year of teaching I am quite proud of he PLN I have curated over the years. Although I have acquired/ met several of the resources or educators within my PLN in person, at conferences, and through attending PD sessions, a large majority of my PLN has developed through using Twitter.
     According to Visser, Evering, and Barrett, Twitter now has over 200 million users. Between all of the “skeevy marketers, D-list celebrity half-wits and pathetic attention seekers” there is a wealth of knowledge for PD hungry educators like myself. For educators with little time on their hands, in other words every teacher in the world, you can streamline your search with hashtags or specific users. A great tool for this is TweetDeck. See below for a short tutorial on how to set up your TweetDeck.



      As I mentioned in the video above, one of the fastest and easiest ways to grow your PLN with Twitter is by participating in a Twitter chat. A Twitter chat is essentially a conversation happening in real time with Twitter users from anywhere in the world. The conversation is organized by a hashtag and is generally led by an expert on that topic. The leader of a Twitter chat is often referred to as a moderator. Many times Twitter chats are moderated by two or three users who are passionate about the topic being discussed.

      One of my favorite Twitter chats to engage in is called #ADEChat. This chat is always led by an Apple Distinguished Educator (ADE) but you do not have to be an ADE to participate. I recently have had the opportunity to co-moderate #ADEChat a few times. My most recent experience occurred in the fall with my principal, Catherine Poling. Together we led an exciting conversation about infusing technology with the arts.


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      So what makes a great Twitter chat? In order to explore this question I must first revisit a topic I have previously blogged about: What makes Professional Development “worth it?” Yes, good PD is engaging, fun, and includes fast Wi-Fi and a table full of snacks. But most importantly the best kind of PD is the kind that teachers can and want to implement into their very next lesson. In addition, PD that is “worth it” sends teachers away with fresh ideas and resources for their own classroom. Now back to our original question…
 
A great Twitter chat:
  • Focuses on a topic that is relevant and cutting edge. I don't think you'd find many teachers engaging in a Twitter chat centered around Houghton Mifflin anthology texts. It is for this reason that #HMChat does not exist. 
  • Uses open ended questions that can be answered with short responses. One of the challenges of Twitter is it's 140 character limitation. Moderators should not let this factor dictate the types of questions they will ask. Good questions drive good conversation and may often even drive more good questions. 
  • Takes place during a convenient time for the targeted audience. 
  • Promote the sharing of resources. Teachers are often considered the best thieves. We love to steal each other's lessons, videos, rubrics, assessments, etc. A good Twitter chat will condone this.


      Overall, just like quality PD, a good Twitter chat will help educators fill their PLN with great resources and people. I can attest to this fact in that I have several teacher friends in this world whom I made and kept in touch with thanks to Twitter. These are educators like John Ross or Karen Miller whom I have never even met in person but still consider them to be an essential part of my PLN. 


Sources: 
Visser, R. D., Evering, L. C., & Barrett, D. E. (2014).  #TwitterforTeachers: Implications of Twitter as a self-directed professional development tool for K-12 teacher. Journal for Technology in Education, 46(4), 396-413. 
​
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Web 2.0 Tool #7 - iBooks Author

10/18/2016

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Disclaimer: This post is for a graduate school (University of Maryland University College) assignment.

Authentic Authorship with iBooks Author

Have your students ever dreamt of publishing their own texts to the iTunes store? Or have you as an educator ever wanted to create a text that is a perfect fit for your students? iBooks Author is a free app on the Mac App Store that allows you to create amazing multi-touch iBooks. This application is recommended for students and teachers who have already mastered Book Creator or other ePub creation apps. iBooks Author allows students to create a book that goes far beyond a traditional textbook. Students can choose from a variety of templates to get started. They can include various sized text boxes, shapes, tables, charts, images, and videos. In addition to all of these resources, iBooks Author is best known for its’ widgets!
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By default, iBooks Author comes equipped with the widgets shown in the image above. As students or teachers become more familiar with the application, they can implement widgets from outside sources like Bookry. The widgets are what separates a multi-touch iBook from a traditional ePub text book. It is these features that allow students to take their authorship to a whole new level.

Although my students have yet to publish their own iBooks with iBooks Author, it  is certainly in my long range project plans for this school year. As a part of the Apple Distinguished Educator program I published my own iBook using iBooks Author and iTunes Connect. I used several default widgets and out-sourced widgets to make the book more interactive. The book currently has over 160 downloads! Click the link below to download my book on your iOS device!

Coding the Common Core
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Web 2.0 Tool #6 - TouchCast Studio

10/17/2016

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Disclaimer: This post is for a graduate school (University of Maryland University College) assignment.


Mobile Multimedia in the Classroom

TouchCast Studio is the ideal application for mobile multimedia production. The app is more robust than iMovie in its abundance of editing tools and effects. At the same time, TouchCast can be simple and easy to use for a quick video project. The application includes built in templates that allow for awesome project based learning experiences. Students can use the green screen feature to bring themselves to alternate locations. A built in teleprompter allows students to read their script more fluently while still making eye contact with the camera. Students can use the whiteboard feature to annotate the video screen as it plays. Filters and titles allow students to create even more professional videos.
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The main ingredient that distinguishes TouchCast from other Web 2.0 multimedia tools is the vApps. Video Applications or commonly referred to as vApps, allow students to build in a quiz or moving map to their video project. They can include a poll or annotate a primary source document right on the screen. As a teacher I became more fluent with TouchCast towards the end of last school year. The application was eventually one of my students' favorites. Recently, this years students used the tool to complete a news cast report on the Bill of Rights. I created a video using TouchCast to get the students excited about this particular project. Check out the video as well as a student example below. Overall the projects turned out great! We have still yet to take full advantage of the vApps however. This is certainly a goal for my students and I for this school year!
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Web 2.0 Tool #5 - ChatterPix

10/14/2016

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Disclaimer: This post is for a graduate school (University of Maryland University College) assignment.
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Bring a Character to Life with ChatterPix!

ChatterPix by Duck Duck Moose has become quite popular in my school this year. The app is simple and easy to use in terms of steps but still lends itself to rigorous project based learning. The app allows you to take an image of a face and bring it to life for 30 seconds. In other words, students can import an image from their camera roll and animate the image with a 30 second voice recording. A ChatterPix project can be simple where the student uses an open source image from the web of a person they are studying and narrates a quick script. Or more complex (like this project) where a student paints their own portrait image and writes a detailed script to record. I recently read a story to my students called Supergrandpa and created the ChatterPix project below to model how a character faces and responds to challenges.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3
Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact). ​
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Web 2.0 Tool #4 - Garage Band

10/9/2016

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​Disclaimer: This post is for a graduate school (University of Maryland University College) assignment.
​

Turn up the Classroom with Garage Band!

Many teachers struggle to understand their students' tastes in music. Whether a student prefers hip hop, country, punk rock, or heavy metal, all kids have their own opinions on what makes a song worthy of their ears and attention. Apple’s Garage Band application provides students of all music ability levels the opportunity to create music. Whether a student has played an instrument or not, they can easily compose their own original tune with Garage Band. With this Web 2.0 tool, students can upload their songs to iTunes, Google Drive, and many other apps for sharing. Through the process of digital music composition students can learn a variety of skills. Music vocabulary like tempo, time signature, treble, bass, and more are all included in the app. Garage Band can be used as a classroom tools in many ways!​​​
  • Students can import their Garage Band song into an iMovie to add an original sound track.
  • Students can monitor their fluency using Garage Band’s audio recorder.
  • Students can explore and ultimately compare/ contrast instruments from different time periods and countries.
These are only a few ideas for implementing Garage Band into the classroom. Apple even has an a multi-touch iBook that can guide teachers on ways to use this application. This past summer I had the opportunity to attend the Apple Distinguished Educators Institute in Berlin, Germany. At the institute I attended a session hosted by Apple’s Senior Project Manager of Garage Band. Mr. John Danty explicitly modeled how Garage Band can be used to have students create a soundscape. In short, a soundscape provides an appropriate background layer to a reading or narration. A soundscape is defined in more detail in Apple’s book linked above. My students completed their first soundscape project in September. I blogged about this project in an earlier post. Check it out here!

This week my students are writing their research reports on a topic that relates to our Space Systems and Stars unit. I am currently writing my own research report, From Launch Pad to Landing - Legendary Space Missions, alongside my 5th graders. My report is serving as a tool I will use to model various informative writing strategies. This week I decided to transform my lead paragraph and into a soundscape… enjoy!
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Click the image above to hear my newest soundscape!
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Web 2.0 Tool #3 - Hopscotch

10/4/2016

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​Disclaimer: This post is for a graduate school (University of Maryland University College) assignment.
​

Make your own iPad games with Hopscotch!

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According to Code.org, “computing jobs are the #1 source of new wages in the U.S.” This is just one of a hundred or more reasons that students should be exposed to coding and computer science early and often. Since 2013 the Hopscotch application has been allowing students to explore block based (or drag and drop) coding as they create their own iPad games. Hopscotch houses the projects in a safe online community that allows users to like and play each other’s games. My students and I have became very fluent with the app over the past few school years. Recently my students engaged in a few challenges where they coded digital compasses to demonstrate an understanding of the cardinal directions and towns/ cities that surround our school. Through the Hopscotch app they can publish their finished projects or games to the online community and track plays and likes. Students can also share their project as a link so other gamers who do not even have a Hopscotch account can still play.

Check out some of the #5thGradeU Hopscotch projects below:
  • Compass - https://c.gethopscotch.com/p/y93xwrgus 
  • Decimal Comparison Game - https://c.gethopscotch.com/p/ya14wqn8l 
  • American Revolution Timeline - https://c.gethopscotch.com/p/xviyem4n1 
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Web 2.0 Tool #2 - Piktochart

10/2/2016

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​Disclaimer: This post is for a graduate school (University of Maryland University College) assignment.

5 Themes of Geography Infographics

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Educators often discuss how simple text is not always enough for teaching students content standards. Multi-touch books, videos, moving presentations like Prezi are continuing to gain popularity in the classroom. Another content medium that students can and should have access to are infographics. Infographics, which often include text, images, graphs, maps, diagrams and more, are especially helpful for visual learners. What is even more exciting than having students study infographics? Creating their own! Piktochart originally allowed users to create infographics from various template choices on the web with only a computer. The new and updated app allows students to create quality infographics on an iPad! Students can choose from a variety of templates and insert photos from their camera roll. The app is very easy to use and connects to Google domains. I spent part of this week working an example infographic (pictured above) that I will be showcasing to my students for a lesson this week. 

As described in the lesson linked above, my students will be working on a Piktochart project this week where they connect their independent novel to the 5 themes of Geography. This is a project I have done with my 5th graders for several years now. In fact, last year one of my students submitted her finished Piktochart to the Maryland Society of Educational Technology student contest. She ended up winning an an award for desktop publishing. Check out her winning Piktochart here!

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    Mr. David Dulberger is currently a 5th grade magnet teacher at Emma K. Doub, a 1:1 Apple Distinguished School in Hagerstown, MD. He attended Salisbury University where he majored in Elementary Education and minored in Psychology. Dulberger completed part of his student teaching internship in Auckland, New Zealand where he taught 5th grade as well. Dulberger is part of the 2015 class of Apple Distinguished Educators, a 2014 PBS Digital Innovator, a Front Row Ambassador, and a SMART Technologies Exemplary Educator. Dulberger has presented at a variety of educational technology conferences and events such as SXSWEdu and FETC. He continues to deliver professional development for teachers around the world who share his passion for instructional technology. Follow him on Twitter @mrdulberger #5thGradeU

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