Mercy Plascencia

About Me

Name: Mercy Plascencia

Site: Park

Grade(s): 3rd Grade

Technology ability: Proficient

A little about me:

This is my fourth year of teaching third grade at Park school. I am a graduate of CSULA. I have a B.A. in Liberal Studies, a multiple subject teaching credential from the Charter College of Education, and I am currently in the process of completing a M.A. in Education with an emphasis on Computer Education and Technology Leadership. I am looking forward to completing this M.A. program at CSULA, so that I can broaden my horizons as an educator. As a result, I hope to develop a deeper understanding of the ways in which technology can support and enhance both student learning and my teaching practice.

Also, most recently, I have utilized code.org and have fallen in love with Scratch and Scratch Jr. I hope to someday start a coding club at my school site to encourage younger students to be creative and to foster their interests in computer science.

For now I am content with traveling, gardening, hiking, camping and spending time with my wonderful husband. I am most inspired as an educator by my colleagues and enjoy working closely with them to develop my professional practice.

Technology I Recommend

I would recommend starting with any technology you have available to you. Start by finding ways to incorporate it into your own daily life and then move on to using it in the classroom. Once you are familiar with a device or tool you may begin branching out to new devices, tools, or ways to use them in your classroom.

My favorite device is an iPad because it is what is readily available to me and my students. I started by using 1 iPad to teach in the classroom. Then, I moved on to using 6 additional iPads with my class of 20 something students. An iPad center is a great place to start. Also, I have found that in the 3-5 setting students learn best from one another when sharing iPads in partnerships. Therefore in a classroom of 26 students you may only have 13 iPads and still be effective.

As for apps to try, start with the fun ones like Showme, Educreations, Seesaw, Edmodo, and Aurasma. I have discovered that students love using these app because they make learning fun for them.

Lesson

Augmented Reality Video Book Reviews

Technology used: iPads, Aurasma

Subject: ELA-Writing Workshop

Common Core Standard(s):

Speaking and Listening: Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.3.4

Report on a topic or text, tell a story, or recount an experience with appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details, speaking clearly at an understandable pace.

Writing: Text Types and Purposes

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1.A

Introduce the topic or text they are writing about, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure that lists reasons.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.3.1.B

Provide reasons that support the opinion.

My Lesson: Students will utilize the writing process and a writing workshop model, along with the augmented reality app Aurasma, to evaluate, create, and produce video book reviews. Students will share reviews with their classmates.

Step 1 (Immersion): Read and study book reviews. Have students identity the parts of a book review and create a class chart (Tree Map) of expectations. Use the links below to access some reviews.

http://www.spaghettibookclub.org/index.shtml

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/swyar/index.asp

http://www.kidsreads.com/reviews

Step 2 (Choosing/Developing): Choose a book and complete a script that includes all parts of a book review as previously discussed. Use the link below to see an example of a possible template.

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson976/template.pdf

Step 3 (Drafting/Revising/Editing): Using the script and the video option within the iPad camera, students record their video book reviews with help from a partner. After each video is recorded have partners view each others work to determine if their is need for revising or editing using a checklist. Use the link below to see an example of a possible checklist.

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson976/revision.pdf

Step 4 (Publishing): Using the Aurasma app. students use the cover of their book to create a trigger point.

Step 5 (Publishing): Students add their book review video (the overlay) from the photo gallery within the iPad into their Aurasma (trigger point) or book cover.

Step 6 (Publishing): Students name their work and add it to the teacher/classroom channel.

Step 7 (Celebration): Students display their books in the classroom library for students, teachers, and parents to view. Also, students can present their video book reviews to the class.

Extension:

Students can rate the reviews using this format

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/lesson_images/lesson976/rating.pdf

Technology Insight & Tips

Start using technology early on in the year so that students become comfortable with it. Slowly and gradually build their skills and allow them time to practice them frequently. I teach students basic skills early on in the year so that they can utilize them within multiple apps later in the year. I also model the use of technology daily in my classroom so that they can get excited about using it on their own.